Davin listens to Spencer as he speaks, and he nods even though he knows it won't be as simple. He has Spencer's permission and his forgiveness in advance, but Davin knows that he'll carry this with him forever. Whatever happens to Spencer, it will way on Davin's heart for the rest of his days. But that's okay, as long as they get out of here.
And they will. He knows they will.
Spencer falls asleep against Davin's shoulder, and for that he's grateful. He wants Spencer to be able to rest. Davin would try to join him, but he knows that he has a concussion, and his mind is racing far too much for him to even think of closing his eyes. He brushes Spencer's hair out of his face and keeps an arm around him, holding him close. The later it gets, the colder it becomes in the room. There's no respite from the chill, not with the water they're forced to sit in, so huddling for warmth and comfort seems to be the best option.
The only light in the room comes from the moon, which is narrowed to a tiny sliver, that shines dimly through the grimy window. Davin stares down at his hand in the dark, breathing deeply and trying to pull at his magic. It's just there, just under his skin, and it's so frustrating because it's lost to him, just out of his reach. But it's there, and Davin won't get up. He'll keep trying, keep pushing against these wards that are suffocating him, and he won't stop.
Eventually he does tire, and he can't help the way he slumps against Spencer, uninjured cheek pressed against his hair as he lets his eyes flutter shut. Soon he drifts off as well, despite his best attempts to stay awake.
He drifts in and out, but he's woken fully by the door opening again. Davin's eyes pop open and he sits up, pulling away from Spencer just so Roman doesn't see how they were huddled so closely together, but it's too late. When Davin opens his eyes and looks at him blearily, there's sunshine streaming into the room and Roman is staring at him with a glint in his eye and an amused smile with a dark edge. He's freshly washed and in a new change of clothes, whereas Davin is grimy and wet. Neither of them can seem to stop shivering and Davin's stomach is turning with hunger. He also feels a bit sick from how much his head aches, and his stomach sinks like a stone when he realizes that Roman is holding a wooden baseball bat casually over one shoulder.
It's then that Davin realizes something. The water on the floor and complete lack of anything in the room, the wooden bat, they're all precautions. They're all back ups in case the wards fail. Roman obviously isn't completely confident in them, and that gives Davin hope. If Roman is putting backups in place, that means that they can fail.
Maybe Davin just has to keep trying.
"Morning, boys!" Roman calls out cheerfully. "Don't you two look cute. Two little peas in a pod." They don't say anything, and Roman casually twirls the bat. "So, Davin, you've had time to sleep on it. Are you going to give me what I want?"
"No," Davin says quietly, and he's so fucking scared but stays outwardly calm, glowering up at Roman even as he shivers. "I won't do it."
"Well, that's too bad." He crouches down and suddenly strikes out to punch Spencer in the face, and Davin flinches all over. "Morning, Spencer. You have Davin to thank for that one."
He draws his arm back to swing at him again, and Davin doesn't think. He just lunges forward and grabs Roman's arm, trying to drag him back, but Davin is stiff and clumsy from the cold, and weak from exhaustion and fear, so it doesn't have much of an effect. Roman shakes him off easily and Davin stumbles backwards, one arm around for balance, and he doesn't even notice Roman pulling the bat back.
The bat his Davin's hand with an audible crack, bones snapping under the force, and Davin lets out a hoarse cry. He falls to his knees and grips his wrist, looking down at his hand in horror. It's crushed, he knows it is, and Davin looks up from his hand just in time to see the bat come in contact with Spencer's shoulder. It doesn't carry the same amount of force as the strike to Davin's hand, but he knows it will still hurt like crazy.
Davin's hand is hanging uselessly and throbbing in time with his pulse, and he scrambles back over to Spencer, trying to put himself between Roman and Spencer, but Roman just stands up and laughs, telling them that he'll be back to ask again later.
This goes on throughout the day. Roman comes in to ask, Davin says no, and they get hurt. There are times when Davin wants so badly to say yes, just to make it stop, but he can't. He won't. He has to be strong.
The sun goes down again and Davin and Spencer are huddled together again, and Davin's hand is still the worst injury. His fingers and knuckles are turning purple and the last time Roman was in the room, he reminded Davin that none of his potions would work on injuries that are already healed, and that the clock is ticking, and that it would be really hard to work on cars with a mangled hand.
He's trying not to think about that, but it's hard, and he presses his face against Spencer's uninjured shoulder. His eyes are burning with tears and he shuts them tight, letting out shuddering breaths. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Davin says it over and over, clinging to Spencer as he tries once more to pull his magic to the surface. A slight buzz ripples through his skin and then disappears, and Davin knows that it's trying. His magic wants to protect him, and it's getting angry. He's becoming more aware of it, but he still can't use it.
"I'm getting stronger," Davin tells him in a rough, raspy voice. "I'm tryin', Spencer. I swear t'god I'm tryin'."
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And they will. He knows they will.
Spencer falls asleep against Davin's shoulder, and for that he's grateful. He wants Spencer to be able to rest. Davin would try to join him, but he knows that he has a concussion, and his mind is racing far too much for him to even think of closing his eyes. He brushes Spencer's hair out of his face and keeps an arm around him, holding him close. The later it gets, the colder it becomes in the room. There's no respite from the chill, not with the water they're forced to sit in, so huddling for warmth and comfort seems to be the best option.
The only light in the room comes from the moon, which is narrowed to a tiny sliver, that shines dimly through the grimy window. Davin stares down at his hand in the dark, breathing deeply and trying to pull at his magic. It's just there, just under his skin, and it's so frustrating because it's lost to him, just out of his reach. But it's there, and Davin won't get up. He'll keep trying, keep pushing against these wards that are suffocating him, and he won't stop.
Eventually he does tire, and he can't help the way he slumps against Spencer, uninjured cheek pressed against his hair as he lets his eyes flutter shut. Soon he drifts off as well, despite his best attempts to stay awake.
He drifts in and out, but he's woken fully by the door opening again. Davin's eyes pop open and he sits up, pulling away from Spencer just so Roman doesn't see how they were huddled so closely together, but it's too late. When Davin opens his eyes and looks at him blearily, there's sunshine streaming into the room and Roman is staring at him with a glint in his eye and an amused smile with a dark edge. He's freshly washed and in a new change of clothes, whereas Davin is grimy and wet. Neither of them can seem to stop shivering and Davin's stomach is turning with hunger. He also feels a bit sick from how much his head aches, and his stomach sinks like a stone when he realizes that Roman is holding a wooden baseball bat casually over one shoulder.
It's then that Davin realizes something. The water on the floor and complete lack of anything in the room, the wooden bat, they're all precautions. They're all back ups in case the wards fail. Roman obviously isn't completely confident in them, and that gives Davin hope. If Roman is putting backups in place, that means that they can fail.
Maybe Davin just has to keep trying.
"Morning, boys!" Roman calls out cheerfully. "Don't you two look cute. Two little peas in a pod." They don't say anything, and Roman casually twirls the bat. "So, Davin, you've had time to sleep on it. Are you going to give me what I want?"
"No," Davin says quietly, and he's so fucking scared but stays outwardly calm, glowering up at Roman even as he shivers. "I won't do it."
"Well, that's too bad." He crouches down and suddenly strikes out to punch Spencer in the face, and Davin flinches all over. "Morning, Spencer. You have Davin to thank for that one."
He draws his arm back to swing at him again, and Davin doesn't think. He just lunges forward and grabs Roman's arm, trying to drag him back, but Davin is stiff and clumsy from the cold, and weak from exhaustion and fear, so it doesn't have much of an effect. Roman shakes him off easily and Davin stumbles backwards, one arm around for balance, and he doesn't even notice Roman pulling the bat back.
The bat his Davin's hand with an audible crack, bones snapping under the force, and Davin lets out a hoarse cry. He falls to his knees and grips his wrist, looking down at his hand in horror. It's crushed, he knows it is, and Davin looks up from his hand just in time to see the bat come in contact with Spencer's shoulder. It doesn't carry the same amount of force as the strike to Davin's hand, but he knows it will still hurt like crazy.
Davin's hand is hanging uselessly and throbbing in time with his pulse, and he scrambles back over to Spencer, trying to put himself between Roman and Spencer, but Roman just stands up and laughs, telling them that he'll be back to ask again later.
This goes on throughout the day. Roman comes in to ask, Davin says no, and they get hurt. There are times when Davin wants so badly to say yes, just to make it stop, but he can't. He won't. He has to be strong.
The sun goes down again and Davin and Spencer are huddled together again, and Davin's hand is still the worst injury. His fingers and knuckles are turning purple and the last time Roman was in the room, he reminded Davin that none of his potions would work on injuries that are already healed, and that the clock is ticking, and that it would be really hard to work on cars with a mangled hand.
He's trying not to think about that, but it's hard, and he presses his face against Spencer's uninjured shoulder. His eyes are burning with tears and he shuts them tight, letting out shuddering breaths. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Davin says it over and over, clinging to Spencer as he tries once more to pull his magic to the surface. A slight buzz ripples through his skin and then disappears, and Davin knows that it's trying. His magic wants to protect him, and it's getting angry. He's becoming more aware of it, but he still can't use it.
"I'm getting stronger," Davin tells him in a rough, raspy voice. "I'm tryin', Spencer. I swear t'god I'm tryin'."