Category: All These Broken Things
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Alessia had finished wrapping her stitches—mostly without swearing—when she heard the unmistakable sound of a small child barreling toward their tent. A second later, Stella crashed through the flaps, her arms full of what appeared to be every single flower within a five-mile radius, her grin brighter than the sun. Behind her, Odrian looked deeply…
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Stella was finally asleep after a long day of exploring the camp under Odrian’s indulgent supervision. Alessia—still sore but restless—was sitting outside their tent under the moonlight, carefully cutting the linen Patrian had given her. The night air was cool against her skin, the fire beside her crackling softly as she worked. She could hear…
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The sun had barely crested the horizon when Stella woke, her tiny fists already tugging at Alessia’s tunic with the urgency of a general marshaling her troops. “Mama,” she whispered conspiratorially, “the birds are stealing breakfast.” Alessia groaned and buried her face against Dionys’ shoulder. “Tell the birds to come back later,” she mumbled. Dionys—who…
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Dawn found them tangled together, Stella between Alessia and Dionys. The little girl woke first—poking Dionys’ bicep with the academic curiosity of a child who had discovered a wall where there wasn’t one before. Alessia woke slowly to the sound of Stella’s enthusiastic poking and Odrian’s poorly stifled laughter. She cracked open an eye—wincing at…
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Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of past abuse, threats made toward a child, intense fear-based coercion, discussion of a parent preparing a fatal “backup plan” for herself and her child, references to severe mistreatment by a former captor, and strong emotional distress. It also includes characters reacting with overwhelming anger and protective intensity. Please…
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Dionys sat on the nearby shoreline, watching the sunset over the Myrian and thinking. Alessia had fallen asleep again, much to Stella’s annoyance and mild distress. Odrian had calmed the child down, and she was busy building rock towers as she hummed to herself near the tent. And Odrian himself headed toward the beach, carrying…
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Content Warning: This chapter includes themes of abusive household dynamics, coercion involving a minor, pregnancy involving a minor (discussed only), threats and intimidation toward a child, psychological conditioning, physical mistreatment (non-graphic), confinement, and detailed recollections of escaping an abusive situation. It also contains strong emotional distress responses and intense anger toward the abuser. Please be…
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Dawn arrived softly. The camp stirred, the usual clamor of soldiers rising from their bedrolls, their armor clanking, voices spilling into the morning air. But within their tent, for now, there was quiet. Alessia slept, her breathing steady, fever chased into memory. Dionys remained at her back, stoic as ever, his fingers tracing idle patterns…
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Dionys pressed the cool cloth to Alessia’s forehead again and fixed her with a flat stare that was more exhausted than angry. “When a man holds a woman through a fever, he expects gratitude,” he rumbled, voice scraped raw from disuse. “Maybe tears. A whispered thank you, perhaps.” He shifted the waterskin from his belt…
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The tent flap fell shut with a final, heavy sound. Outside, the camp stirred with the nervous energy of wolves scenting blood. Inside, the brazier guttered low, carving shadows that twitched and trembled. Dionys turned. Odrian stood in the center of the rug. Crumpled. His chiton was stiff with her blood, dried black-brown along the…
Tiny Raven 