"Days like this," Matt began, his voice unusually quiet, "I almost wish you'd never crossed that portal."

He could sense the subtle shift in the air. Upset. Ever since meeting this human, Matt had been able to experience these emotions as though they were tangible. The cool heaviness of sadness. The burning tingle of anger. The warm softness of love. Being able to immediately recognize the emotional state of others had made him an even more incredibly competent fighter, and against his better judgment, he'd found himself wanting to keep his human companion close.

"Don't misunderstand," Matt quickly continued, the sound of his companion's erratic heartbeat ringing uncomfortably in his ears. "You've been wonderful. But the war..." He frowned. "Even with your strange ability to amplify my senses, you're still only human. If something were to happen..."

Matt trailed off. The autumn fae had been working covertly for years now, disrupting enemy supply lines and taking down key Night Realm figures. Though he couldn't see, he'd honed his magic and his senses to the point that he could perceive things better than most. And when he'd stumbled upon this human, lost and dazed at the edge of the barrier between the fae and mortal realms, his perception had become even keener. Something about this human was special. Spells that had exhausted him before came easily now, and he could perform magic on a scale that rivaled even the archons' powers.

"I have a request," Matt said slowly as his fingers brushed over his companion's skin, finding the myriad cuts and burns and channeling his magic into them to soothe the pain. "If I'm ever incapacitated like that again, just...run. Don't try to save me. You got lucky."

Matt didn't want to die, but the feeling of his companion's limp form in his arms, the metallic scent of blood and the overwhelming helplessness he'd felt...it was worse than any pain.

"If it came down to saving me or yourself, leave me behind. Promise me you will."