The Duke of Tremont II - Bloodspell

Chapter 15

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Kipton sat in a trance. He had just killed one of his servants and was using the blood to fortify his powers. Duke James' demands had placed quite a tax on the mage's resources and he had found that blood sacrifice was the fastest way to restore his energy.

His eyes popped open when he felt a very powerful magical disturbance that was close by. He activated his searching spells, but they told him nothing. Whoever or whatever was obviously well shielded.

He got up and stepped over the dead body on the floor to go alert the duke that there was the possibility that a new enemy was afoot.

 

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Daphne leaned back in her chair and sighed as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"You look tired."

Daphne jumped a bit and turned. "Oh, Bishop Vic! I did not hear you come in."

Vic patted Daphne's shoulder. "I am told I can move quite stealthily," he smiled. "And how is our patient?" He gestured to Jonathan, who was still prone in his bed.

"Well, he is still the same on the outside, but inside I have been able to stave off some of the illness."

"That is wonderful, Daphne. And where is Queen Elaine? Usually it is impossible to remove her from the king's bedside."

"Oh, I believe Emmett was able to talk her into taking a stroll around the gardens with him. She is quite fond of him, you know, and he of her."

"Well, then I am happy that he came." Vic sat in a chair next to Daphne. "You have become quite the skilled healer since I last saw you. Lady Melanie has taught you well."

"Yes, she is a wonderful teacher."

They sat in silence for a moment when Vic suddenly reached over to grasp one of Daphne's hands. "Please tell me true, child. Are Brian and Justin safe with this Blake person? And Prince Timothy, and my nephew and Ben? How much danger are they really in? How is it that we have known Justin all these years and now all of a sudden he has these magical powers, just because some stranger has said so?"

Daphne was a bit surprised by the bishop's agitation. Usually the man was so calm and unflappable. Daphne and the others had addressed Young Prince Brian and his council upon their arrival in Sylvania to tell them all that had transpired, but obviously Bishop Vic still had his doubts. She turned her hand in his and gripped tightly as she answered him. "How could we have known about Justin? We know nothing of magic here, but for those few of us that practice a small amount of witchcraft here and there. And even then it was always under the fear of being caught. You are a bishop in the church, you know how it was for the gifted for so many years."

"If we are so ignorant, how can we send Brian and Justin to fight these people who are so well versed in magic?" Vic retorted. "What chance will they have against that? I do not understand how one night with these fairy folk would be helpful at all."

"I know it sounds crazy," Daphne placated. "But Bishop Vic, I promise you Brian and Justin are prepared. I have my doubts and I am frightened too, but their time with the fairies changed them. I wish you could have seen them when they stepped out of that circle. It's almost as if they were shimmering with power, and Justin, well, he is…well...Justin is well and truly a man. An equal to his partner now."

Vic removed his hand from Daphne's and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to doubt you, and perhaps if I had been there to see them I would feel better about all of this. And you are correct, as a part of the church, I suppose some of the old fears of magic still haunt me, no offense to you of course."

Daphne smiled. "None taken. I know you care deeply for Brian and Justin both, but all we can do now is have faith, and perhaps pray."

Vic laughed. "Ah, that I can do, my child."

There was a hesitant knock at the door and a young man peeked his head inside. "Ah, excuse me. I am Kelton, one of the king's personal healers." He stepped into the room and sketched a bow to Bishop Vic. "Hello, Excellency."

"Hello, Kelton, have you had the chance to meet Lady Daphne yet?"

"Actually, that is why I am here." Kelton smiled at Daphne, showing perfect white teeth.

"I was sent to meet you so I might learn exactly what it is you are doing to help the king and prince Tristan." He took Daphne's hand, kissing it gallantly. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Daphne blushed as she drank in the handsome man before her. His dark brown hair was perfectly tousled and his blue eyes sparkled as he smiled winningly. Daphne finally realized that it was her turn to speak. "Oh, yes, well, it is good to meet you too. Of course I'll be happy to show you what I have learned. I have just finished King Jonathan's session for today, but I do need to still look in on the prince."

Kelton stood and offered his elbow for Daphne to take. "Splendid, I shall escort you to the prince's room and I will sit in on the session if it is all right with you."

"Wonderful," Daphne breathed out. "Er...I mean, that will be acceptable." She turned to Bishop Vic. "Do you mind sitting here with the king until Queen Elaine returns? I promised her I would not leave him alone."

Vic smiled at Daphne's barely veiled attraction to the other man. "Of course I will, my dear."

"Thank you." She moved to give Vic a thankful kiss on the cheek. "Pray he likes girls," she whispered before pulling away to take Kelton's arm and let him lead her from the room.

Bishop Vic rolled his eyes, but did toss up a little prayer for the girl, who had it seemed, been destined to spend her time with fey men.

 

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"Where are we?" Justin asked as he examined the large, rustic house set deep in the woods that Blake had led them to.

"It was my father's hunting lodge. He died years ago, and I'm afraid I do not hunt much so it's fallen into a bit of a state of disrepair. I don't keep any staff here, but at least we can stay without being detected. I wish I could take you to my estate, but I'm a wanted man right now, so I am sure they are watching the place, not to mention there are too many servants who could talk."

Brian dismounted his horse. "This will be fine for now. How far to the capital?"

"It's only about half a day's ride which is another reason I chose it. We can stay here while we get organized and plan." Blake dismounted as well. "Come on, we can take the horses to the stables. I think there's still a supply of food for them stored. There's nowhere for them to really graze here."

"Damn! Now what do we do?" Blake exclaimed a few minutes later as they all stood in the stables and surveyed the empty hay racks and grain bins. "I suppose I should be grateful that Duke James' new army isn't camped here. I would be willing to bet they are the ones who cleaned out my stores."

"I believe I can help," Justin stated as he moved forward a little. He raised an arm and in a flash there was enough hay and grain stacked up to feed all their horses for a week.

He turned around to find the others staring at him. "How...where..." Michael stammered.

"Well, Carl is going to be a bit puzzled when he finds some stores missing from his stables," Justin answered, referring to Brian's stable master back in Lofton, who was also Michael's step-father.

"A good trick, Sunshine," Brian added. "I don't remember Dryden teaching you that one."

Justin shrugged. "I don't either really. It just came to me, like shielding against that meldling did."

"Why do I get the feeling the rest of this trip is going to go like this?"

Justin took Brian's hand. "I'm sorry, my lord, I know how you hate the unknown."

"Well, I hate it less than starving horses, I suppose," Brian answered with a wry grin.

"Speaking of starving," Michael intervened as he came back from helping Ben and Tim distribute food to all their mounts. "I am hungry. Justin, do you think you could do that trick with some loaves of ma's fresh bread?"

"Oh, good idea, Michael," Justin answered. "Let us go to Blake's kitchen and find out. "Perhaps I could bring back some of her venison as well!" The two linked arms and headed for the main house.

"Oh, Justin, what about her sweet cakes, too?" Tim exclaimed, getting excited about eating something other than camp food. He fell in with the other two. "I love the custard ones!"

"Hey, wait for me! I need to show you how to get in the house!" Blake called out as he followed the other two. "And remember to keep tight shields on your magic, Justin! We don't want to be detected!"

"Never a dull moment for you, is there, my lord?" Ben asked as he placed a friendly hand on Brian's shoulder while the two slowly trailed behind.

"Not one, Ben," Brian replied with a small smile as he watched Justin walk away with the others. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I wonder if he could snag some of that sweet squash dish Deb makes for me," Ben pondered as they continued walking. Ben favored vegetable dishes over meat, and Deb enjoyed making up new recipes for him when he and Michael were visiting. "I haven't had that in ages."

Brian just shook his head and chuckled.

 

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Lady Deborah, who was the chatelaine at Duke Brian's castle in Lofton, had been cooking and baking for days. Cooking was her therapy, and ever since word came from Sylvania that Duke Brian, Justin, Prince Tim, Ben and her own son, Michael, had run off with some magician from Maynor to save the king and kingdom, she had been an emotional wreck.

One of Prince Timothy's men had come to them and reported all he had seen since they met Brian's party on the road, and Deb was going crazy, because there weren't near enough details. Justin was a mage? Fairies? The king was dying? It was all madness, and she wanted answers, but she knew none would be forthcoming.

She was a loud woman with bright red hair who notoriously wore gowns of loud colors and questionable taste. She drove Brian crazy, but she was the closest thing he had ever had to a real mother and he loved her dearly. She had also taken Justin under her wing when his own mother had been killed four years earlier. In fact all of the men in her "family," including King Jonathan, were considered her "boys", and she loved to spoil and fuss over each of them. Not one of them was immune from her bear hugs or a tongue lashing if she thought they were out of line.

So now, with all of her boys in one type of trouble or another, Deb was in the kitchen. She was pulling a custard out of one of the massive ovens in the castle's main kitchen when her husband arrived. "Carl, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk some sense into you, honey," Carl replied. He followed Deb over to the massive table where all her baked goods were cooling.

After she put the custard down he tried to pull her into a hug. "Believe me, we all appreciate the food you are making, but just how many of us are you going to feed? You're working yourself into exhaustion."

She batted him away. "I can't help it, Carl. My boys are in danger, and I'm so worried. This is the only thing that takes my mind off of it."

This time Carl pulled her in tighter and did not let go. "I know it is, honey, but you have to stop. If for nothing else, you must remember the food shortage from the drought. This will all go bad before it can be eaten."

Deb relaxed against her husband and blew out a breath. "Oh, God, I forgot. I was so upset!"

"I know. It's all right. We'll pack some of it up and take it to the village."

"That's a good idea," Deb replied as she turned back to her table of treats. She did a double take. "Hey! Where's my custard?" She looked again. "And there were six loves of bread, not three. Carl!"

Carl raised his hands. "Don't look at me, Deb. I've been standing here the whole time."

Deb ran around the massive kitchen taking inventory, only to find a rack of lamb, and even that squash dish she always made for Ben (she knew it was ridiculous to make it in the first place with no one to enjoy it, but she couldn't help herself) to be missing.

She threw up her hands. "Am I going crazy, Carl? It was all here a minute ago!"

"If you're crazy, honey, I am too," Carl replied. He moved over to the table where he had last seen Deb's custard. "Hey, look at this."

Deb came over and they both gasped. "My, God," she breathed out.

Stuck to the table with one of the kitchen knives was a piece of parchment with a note written in Justin's hand.

Thanks for the food, Deb.
We've missed your cooking.
We are all fine for now.
Love,
Justin and Company

They both sat down heavily on the bench near the table, unable to take their eyes off the note from the young man they knew to be miles and miles away.
 

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