The Duke of Tremont II - Bloodspell

Chapter 20

Author's Note: A warning for the tenderhearted. There is some Justin abuse in the next few chapters. Sorry guys, but that’s just how I roll.

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When Justin awoke again the priest was gone, replaced by the same two guards who half carried him back into Kipton's torture chamber. He was still so exhausted and in pain from the last go around that he found himself strangely detached from the situation. In fact, through their link he could feel that Brian was in a more agitated state than Justin himself, and oddly, he found himself feeling sorry for his worried lover.

Kipton came into the room and observed the young man before him. He had broken many a person before, especially in the last few months and never had anyone been able to resist him as this inhumanly strong man had. It was no longer about finding out his identity or information, it was about breaking his spirit and owning him. Never before had Kipton desired to possess someone as much as he wanted this boy.

As he perused the damage he had done already he knew he would have to be careful. He did not want to kill this delicious morsel. There was far too much playing to do. He would also have to think of a way to keep the blond conscious for their playtime. He had passed out far too early last time.

Kipton brought a knife up to Justin's cheek, making sure the young mage could see how sharp the blade was. "So, here we are again. Let us hope for your sake you will be more forthcoming with me tonight." He cut a small, thin line into Justin's skin. "For my sake, you will remain quiet since there are methods I have not tried yet."

Justin remained silent, ignoring Kipton, as he stared at the ruby ring on Kipton's hand, using it as a focal point to concentrate on. He felt warm blood run down from the cut on his cheek, trying to ignore the pain as he watched the many facets of the ruby twinkle in the light of the oil torches that lit the room. Suddenly a stray thought came to him. The ring was the catalyst for the blood spell! This was the object they needed to destroy. He let out a small gasp of surprise upon realizing how close he was to the one thing that could save Brian's brother.

"Does that hurt?" Kipton asked, thinking Justin was finally reacting to something. He moved his face closer to Justin and lifted his chin, placing a gentle kiss on the other man's lips. "I can make it all stop. Just say the word," he continued when he pulled his lips away.

It took everything Justin had not to recoil from the kiss. He let the blank mask fall again, as his brain scrambled to figure out how to make Brian understand what it was he had found without the use of actual words.

Kipton watched Justin's eyes go blank again, and he knew that whatever reaction he had just gotten would be the last one for awhile. He turned to his table of instruments and picked up a tool that looked like metal pinchers. "Perhaps if you lost some fingernails you would see things my way," he said casually, moving back towards his prey.

 

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The would be mercenaries had not made it very far towards their goal of finding Duke James' army. They had dropped Jamie and Therese at her sister's cottage on the outskirts of their village and had camped in a secluded spot that same night.

It was that night that Justin's torture had begun, much to the detriment of Brian's well being. The duke had been up most of the night as he helped his lover through his ordeal, and he had slept much of the following day away, after Justin's torture had ended. Michael had filled the others in on Brian's state, and they had all agreed to leave him sleeping, much to Brian's ire when he woke up the next afternoon.

"Michael! What time is it? The sun is well past noon! Why have you let me sleep so long?" Brian groggily sat up and looked around.

Michael moved to his friend's side with a steaming mug of tea and a hunk of the crusty bread Therese's sister had given them. "Brian, you were exhausted."

Brian took the tea, but refused the bread. "I wanted to get on the road early, Michael. Now the whole day is wasted." He looked around. "And where in the hell are Blake, Ben and Timothy?"

Michael shoved the bread back at his friend. "You need to eat! The others have scouted ahead. Blake says that the capital is only a few hours away. They're going to try and find where the army is."

Brian relaxed a tiny bit, knowing at least someone was taking some action. "Well, at least the day is not a complete wash, then."

Michael crossed his arms and pointed at the bread again. "Eat."

"Yes, mother," Brian mocked, but he did take a bite of the bread, chewing slowly. After a few more bites he looked at his friend. "You really don't have to watch me. I promise I'll eat it."

"I'm worried about you."

"Well, don't be."

"Can't help it. Worrying is in my blood."
Brian sighed. "I'll be fine. I just need to see Justin."

"Brian, what if he..."

Brian held up his hands. "Don't say it, Michael."

"I'm sorry."

"I know, but please don't even think that way." He looked his friend in the eyes. "If I lose him, I'll be lost, Michael. It cannot be any other way for us."

"I know," Michael replied quietly, laying a hand on Brian's shoulder.

 

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"My God," Blake breathed out as he took in the sight before him.

"There must be thousands of them," Tim added.

Ben did not remove his eyes from the view below as he replied. "At least."

The three men were on a wooded hill looking into a valley below. Across the way, perched on another hill stood the castle of the capital of Maynor. Down in the valley, around the base of the castle was the capitol city of Tranchel, surrounded by a high wall. Outside of the wall, lay an open plain, and filling that plain was an army of gigantic proportion. Shouts of commanders and the clash of practice blades carried on the breeze as they ordered their men through drills. Terrifying meldlings of all types were straining at their bonds as their keepers tossed animal carcasses to them. It was truly an imposing sight.

Ben backed away from the ledge they were peering over and turned to rest his back against a boulder. The others followed suit and they all sat and stared at each other dumbly.

"What do we do now?" Tim asked them both.

"Well, I'm not sure if our plan is going to get us any closer to Justin or even the castle for that matter," stated Ben.

Blake dropped his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. "Let's get back to the others." He looked up. "We need to tell them what we found."

 

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By the time Ben and the others made it back to camp, Brian was in Michael's arms again, suffering through another bout of Justin's torture.

They sat by the campfire, Brian laying curled up with his head on Michael's lap.

"Justin?" Ben asked quietly as he moved to sit close by his husband.

Michael nodded solemnly as he carded his hand through Brian's hair. "We did manage to get some supper cooked before it started." He inclined his head toward a steaming pot hanging over the fire.

The others helped themselves to a meal, trying to ignore Brian's odd grunt or soft groan. They knew he hated them seeing him like this. Michael asked what they had found on their scouting mission and they grimly told him what they had seen in Tranchel.
Michael slumped and held onto his friend a little tighter. "It's bad this time. I don't know how much more he can take."

"He'll take what he has to for the man he loves," Ben replied firmly.

"He thinks Justin was trying to tell him something earlier, but he couldn't understand it, and that's when the pain started. I think…" Michael stuttered. "I think Kipton pulled out his…Justin's fingernails," he trailed off.

Tim paled and turned away from the sight of his shivering uncle and the thought of what Justin was going through. Maybe he should have gone back home with the others.

 

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Justin closed his eyes tiredly and idly wondered how Brian would ever be able to look at him again. He knew that his face and body would be hideous after Kipton was through with him. His thoughts were interrupted by the feel of yet another hot brand against the skin of his chest.

God! Justin! Brian called into his mind, feeling the burn with his lover.
His mind! Oh, God he could hear Brian in his mind again. Justin closed his eyes. Brian? He tested the link.

Justin? Brian sounded surprised. Oh, God, Jus, is it really you? What happened?

I can hear you again, Justin replied faintly, feeling himself weaken. He closed his eyes and tried to feel his magic. His heart raced when he felt the powers flood his mind. The poison! he exclaimed in his lover's mind. He's been so carried away, he forgot to dose me again! I think I can use my powers!

Much to everyone's surprise Brian suddenly sat up, his features animated. Is there any way for you to escape? We can't help you, Jus, we're too far away! Brian stood quickly and began to pace by the fire.

I don't know…I…I'm in bad shape. He almost seemed to fade out for a few seconds, but then he practically shouted into Brian's mind. Brian! The catalyst! It's right here! It's a ring that Kipton wears. He has it on right now!

"The hell with the damn catalyst! We need to find a way to get you out of there!" Brian spoke out loud as well as into Justin's mind, and he stopped when he noticed his three companions staring at him. "Justin's powers are back," he explained hurriedly. "Apparently Kipton forgot to poison him again. We need to figure out how to help him. "

"He found the catalyst?" Blake asked.

Brian nodded, but before he could reply, his heart turned cold with dread.

"Get off me!" he could hear Justin shouting at his captor.

He knew in his heart that Kipton was attempting to rape his lover. "Justin," he tried to get through to him.

He got no response, but felt the now familiar white hot rage overflow into him, and he just knew that his lover was glowing.

Justin was startled out of his conversation with Brian by a hand grabbing his cock. His blood ran like ice through his veins when he realized that Kipton had opened the front of his pants. He immediately reached for his magic and in a single instant his bonds were gone and Kipton had been flung across the room into the opposite wall.

"Dammit! Dammit! Justin!!" Brian called out to no avail, as he tried again and again to reach his lover. He wouldn't let Michael near him as he frantically circled the campsite.

Kipton was able to get himself up off the floor and ready to face his prisoner, whose name he still did not even know. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting the Morvoy in his bloodlust for this crazed creature before him. The boy shone bright with a hot rage, that Kipton would be afraid of if he didn't know his opponent was so weak. He quickly tossed a binding spell at the other man, but it was reflected, even so Justin's knees began to buckle.

Justin felt the room start to spin as he easily fought off Kipton's attempt to recapture him, but he had to fight hard to remain standing and alert. He focused his gaze on the ruby ring, knowing that, if nothing else, he must destroy it. Getting rid of the catalyst was the important thing, even more so than his survival. He gathered himself again and threw a bolt of pure power at Kipton, who deflected it into the ceiling. Rubble and debris fell onto both of them.

They were locked in battle for several minutes, as they tried to out-spell one another, both quickly becoming exhausted, since their bodies had been taxed already from the past few days exertion. The room was destroyed, with furniture shattered and overturned, and chunks of wall and ceiling gouged out from all the hits of pure mage power.

Justin tried once again to aim for the ring with a blast of power, but Kipton deflected at the last moment. The mage stared at him when he finally realized what exactly Justin had been aiming for. "You know what this is, don't you?" he panted.

Justin nodded, figuring he had nothing left to lose; he would not last much longer at this rate. "I know, and I plan to destroy it before you can destroy my king."

"You are not nearly strong enough, little boy," Kipton sneered. "Since you seem to be so talkative all of a sudden, might I finally know who you are?"

During this brief interlude Justin's mind had settled a bit and Brian's frantic voice came back in, desperately calling for him. Justin smiled at his own stupidity. He had been so lost in his fear and anger, he had forgotten his biggest strength. "Well, since I am about to destroy you, I suppose it will not hurt to tell you my name." Brian, he called to his lover.

Thank God! came Brian's relieved reply. What's going on? Don't lock me out like that again!

Brian, I need you. Justin's voice was steady and concentrated, but Brian could hear the undercurrent of exhaustion. I need you to send me everything you can, love. Just like Dryden showed us.

What's going on? What are you doing?

Justin looked up to see Kipton raising his arms to cast another spell. There's no time, Brian! Now! You must trust me!

Justin felt his lover's power flow into him, refreshing his own stores with a warm strength that glowed green with Brian's very essence. "My name is Justin of Westlake," he replied to a startled Kipton, who watched in awe as Justin's aura took on a decidedly green glow. Justin continued speaking as he stepped forward. "I am consort to Duke Brian of Tremont, Prince of Pennington, who is favored by the fairies!" With the last words he flung a green/gold bolt of pure power, hitting Kipton's ruby ring dead on."

Kipton's screams could be heard throughout the dungeons as his hand shriveled under the attack and the large ruby split in two with a terrifying crack that shook the room. The adept mage fell to the floor in an unconscious heap.

The power surge burned out and Justin fell to his knees, trying to keep himself together enough to comprehend what he had just done. He could hear Brian calling for him, but it sounded so far away. He didn't even notice the large, loose stone that fell from the wall and glanced off the side of his head. He crumpled to the ground, blood pooling under his head.

Brian knew something was dreadfully wrong and he was miles away, helpless to do anything about any of it. He fell to his own knees, letting out a cry of pure anguish and despair, eventually falling into his own blackness as he was overcome by his exhaustion and grief.

Justin lay on his side, his head resting on his right arm, which was stretched above his head. His blood slowly began to run down his arm and pool around his hand, reaching the ring on his finger. The golden fairy stone began to glow brightly.
 

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