The Duke of Tremont II - Bloodspell

Chapter 33
 

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Justin burst from the clearing in time to see a meldling, much like the one that had attacked him, lifting off the ground with a struggling Brian gripped in it's enormous talons. Justin paused, unsure how to fight the half bird, half lizard creature without harming his lover in the process.

"Oh, God," he heard Jonathan practically moan as he helplessly watched the meldling struggle to carry its heavy load away.

"Justin!" Justin looked up and saw that Kipton had approached him. Blake and all the others had scattered, leaving the prisoner unattended and were busy trying to take out the other creatures or help the wounded. "Justin, untie me and I can help you!" Kipton yelled over the melee.

Justin hesitated for a moment, but saw the animal had Brian almost one hundred feet up and knew he was out of time. He moved quickly to untie the mage adept.

"What are you doing?" Jonathan shouted, moving to grab Justin's arms. "For all we know he planned this!"

Justin shook him off. "It's Brian's only chance!"

Kipton was quick to shake the rope off his arms. "Thanks." He looked up to the sky. "I'll blast the meldling on three. I'll just hit it hard enough to make it let Brian go, and you worry about getting him safely to the ground and then I'll kill it, all right? You count off when you're ready."

Justin nodded, centered himself and then counted. "One, two, three!"

Kipton sent up a blast that hit the side of the meldling causing it to shriek in pain and also lose it's grip on it's prey.

Justin raised his arms and Brian's body slowly began to lower to the ground. When Brian was clear of the blast zone Kipton nailed the monster again, killing it instantly.

Justin and Jonathan both ran to catch Brian when he came into reach while Kipton moved to help the others finish off the rest of the changeling flock.

Justin bit the inside of his cheek hard when he saw the bright red blood flowing from Brian's left shoulder and the gashes in his legs. "Get Daphne!" he cried to Jonathan while he ripped off his own tunic and shirt, wadding up the shirt to press to Brian's shoulder wound.

"Can't you..." Jonathan started.

"Healing is his gift, not mine!" Justin interrupted. "Please find Daphne...now!"

Brian's eyes fluttered open a little. "Jus?" he asked weakly.

"It's me, Brian." Justin tried to keep his voice calm. "You've been hurt, but you'll be all right."

"Hmm, tired," Brian muttered.

"Stay with me, Brian." Justin leaned down and placed a kiss on his lover's forehead. Just stay with me, pleaded again with mind speech.

"Try..." Brian trailed off.

"God!" Justin exclaimed as the tears flowed down his cheeks and he pressed down harder on his now blood red shirt.

Suddenly Daphne fell to her knees next to him. "Move, Jus, let me see." She pulled his hands off and lifted the shirt. More red blood pumped out. "Damn!" she hissed as she shoved her hand into the wound to stop the bleeding at the source. She looked up to Jonathan, who was staring down at Brian with a terrified expression on his face. "Get Healer Kelton, Your Highness! I need him!"

"Right." Jonathan took off for the healer's area.

If Daphne had had a moment to think about it she would have been mortified at barking orders to the King of Pennington, but luckily there was not time to think of anything but saving Brian. Justin was staring silently down at his lover and Daphne knew that he was lending strength along their link. She hated to bother him. "Justin." His eyes popped open and he looked at her. "How's he doing?"

"He's out. I'm just...I don't know...trying to be supportive."

"I need you to sit up by his head and hold it still until Kelton and I can do a full check. I don't know if his neck or back were damaged by that thing." Justin nodded and moved up to brace Brian's head between his hands, and then Daphne shook her head, impatient with her inability to think clearly. "Wait, I forgot, do you see anymore blood coming from anywhere else, like as much as his shoulder?"

Justin scanned Brian's body quickly. "There's some pretty big gashes, but they aren't as bad."

"Good...all right, just hold his head still until they get here."

"Daph...is he...can you..." Justin trailed off.

Daphne couldn't meet his eyes. "It's serious, Justin. It's his artery that's bleeding and Kelton and I have never tried to heal anything like this before. We'll do everything we can, but we may have to try to cauterize it."

Justin shuddered at the thought of having to stick a red hot poker into Brian, and didn't bother to hide his tears. He leaned over and rested his forehead against Brian's and immersed himself in their link again. I love you, Brian. Please hold on. Fight for me.

After, what seemed like hours Jonathan and Kelton ran up, followed by Ben, Michael, Bishop Vic, Hunter and Timothy. Blake joined them a moment later with Kipton trailing behind him. "The camp is secure, Highness," he said somewhat breathlessly. "All the meldlings have been killed and there does not seem to be any more activity from the enemy."

They looked to Kipton who nervously cleared his throat. "I believe that today was just a message, Highness. I think the duke will hold off his main attack for another day at least."

"Good," Jonathan replied distractedly. "Tim, can you and Blake get together with King Tristan and start setting things back in order. Make sure all the wounded are tended to."

Tim tore his gaze away from his wounded uncle. "Yes, father." He and Blake turned to leave and find Tristan.

Meanwhile Kelton had thrown himself onto the ground at Brian's side opposite Daphne. He eyed Justin and then quirked an eyebrow at his lover, but she just looked at him.

"Later," she replied to his unasked question as to why she was there at all.

"Right," he replied, and then he was all business. "What have we got?"

Daphne's gaze met his. "It's bad, Kelton. It's nicked his artery."

"Is there a hot iron ready?" Kelton looked up at the men surrounding them.

"I'll get one. I know they have some ready in the healers' fires at all times," Ben replied, turning to go.

"Wait!" Daphne called out.

Kelton looked at her. "We don't have a lot of time, Daphne."

"I think we should try to heal it ourselves." Kelton's brow furrowed with doubt, but Daphne looked to Justin and then down at Brian. "I...I don't want to cause him that pain if we don't have to, Kelton."

Kelton nodded and looked up to Ben. "Please get the iron." Then his eyes met Daphne‘s. "Just in case, love."

Ben nodded, and left, then Kelton turned his concentration back to Brian, placing his hand over Daphne's in Brian's wound. Without speaking the two of them fell into their healing meld, and the now familiar blue glow surrounded them. Together they envisioned Brian's artery knitting itself back together and both were surprised when it began to do just that. When the artery was whole again they scanned his body, repairing the cracked vertebrae in his back and pulling together the large gashes in his leg. When their energy reserves began to flag and their healing aura disappeared Brian was still riddled with bruises and angry red lines on his shoulder and leg, but the most dangerous of his wounds had been healed.

Justin, who had remained linked with Brian, felt it the moment he was out of danger. Jus?

Brian's voice was weak in Justin's mind.

Hey there, sleepy. How do you feel?

So tired. I can't even open my eyes. Wh...what happened?

It's a long story, love. Justin stroked the hair off Brian's forehead. I'll tell you all about it later. Just know that Daphne and Kelton healed you, and you're going to be fine.

Okay, Brian replied tiredly and drifted off again, and Justin smiled to himself thinking that Brian must be truly exhausted if he was not demanding answers.

Daphne and Kelton sagged in exhaustion, Daphne leaning her weight against a very grateful Justin, who wrapped a supporting arm around her. "You did it, Daph," he whispered in awe. He pressed his forehead to hers. Thank you so much. You were amazing, he whispered into her mind. "Brian's all right," he announced out loud for the benefit of the others. "I just spoke with him a little, but he's tired and he fell asleep."

There were audible sighs of relief all around and Daphne looked up to Jonathan. "He should heal rather quickly now. He'll be sore and weak though. He lost a lot of blood."

"Thank you," Jonathan replied, smiling softly. He studied Kelton and Daphne for a moment. "You know this is going to make the two of you very popular, right? Especially after the battle is over."

Kelton and Daphne shared a look. "We are happy to do whatever we can do to help," Kelton replied humbly. "And it seems we keep learning new elements to this gift we have." He slowly pulled himself to his feet, and walked around to help Daphne up as well. "Now we just need to figure out how not to let it drain us so much."

"Father, how is Uncle Brian?" Tim arrived upon the scene and walked up to his father quickly.

"He's going to be all right, son," Jonathan replied. "Thanks to Daphne and Kelton."

"Wonderful," Tim breathed out, smiling widely. Then his expression turned serious. "We lost ten men to the attack, between King Tristan's men and our own. Father. I've set up a detail to bury them, and the healers seem to have the rest of the wounded under control. All the meldlings have been killed."

Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. "All right, it seems we are to have a bit of a reprieve. Let's get a litter over here and get Brian back to our tent. We all need to get some rest. It's been a long day already, and tomorrow is probably going to be even longer."

 

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Blake found Kipton sitting on the ground near the corpse of the creature that had taken Brian. The wayward mage looked impossibly young with his arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on top of them. "Kipton?"

The mage started in surprise and looked up at Blake. "Oh...hello, Blake. How is Duke Brian?"

"He'll be all right. They were able to heal the worst of his injuries."

"That is good news." He stood up and brushed off his pants with his left hand and then turned to face Blake. "Back to reality I suppose," he held his arms out to the other man.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked.

"The crisis is over now. Don't you need to tie me back up?"

Blake rubbed a hand over his face. "I...I think you've proven yourself, Kipton. I hardly think that's necessary."

Kipton studied Blake for a moment. "I've done horrible things, Blake, including treason against my king. You know that Tristan can't just overlook that, no matter what I've done to redeem myself. He can't start his rule that way; it would make him look weak."

Blake thought for a moment and bowed his head. "You're right." He opened a pouch on his belt and pulled out some leather cording he kept there and moved toward Kipton.

"Perhaps I've earned one boon?" Kipton smiled a little.

"Yes?"

"Tie my hands in front? I promise I won't escape and it's so much more comfortable." He winked and raised his hook a little. "Honestly I could probably escape out of pretty much anything, but I'll be good, and it will look better to your men to have me bound."

Blake looked into Kipton's eyes and smiled a little sadly. "I think I can do that for you." He reached up and tied Kipton's forearms together where the brace for his hooked right hand ended. When he was done, he ran a hand along Kipton's hook.

"Is it terrible to get used to?"

"Not too bad," Kipton shrugged. He caught Blake's hand with his left hand and held it until Blake looked up into his eyes. "I am truly sorry, you know...for everything."

"I know," Blake held Kipton's gaze for a few more moments. "I believe you." He pulled his hand away and turned abruptly. Taking hold of Kipton's arm, he lead him back to the Maynoran section of the camp.

 

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"So, is it later now?" Kelton asked Daphne, as he gently ran a hand over her bare shoulder. The two had just made love and were cuddled in the tent that Daphne had previously been sharing with Justin.

"What?" Daphne feigned innocence.

"I think it's time to talk about why you're here."

Daphne sighed and turned in Kelton's arms to face him. She reached up and tucked a stray hair behind his ear. "I couldn't not come. Part of it was that Justin was determined to come, and I didn't want him to do it alone, but also, it's where I belong, Kelton."

"But, Daphne, it's too dangerous for you here," Kelton replied stubbornly.

Daphne smiled. "Perhaps you've noticed that I'm not your average woman. I'm not content to sit home and sew."

"Of course I've noticed. It's one of the things I love about you."

"Well, you have to take the bad with that as well, Kelton. If this is going to work for us you have to let me be my own person and make my own decisions. You are in danger here just as much as I am, but I did not try to stop you from coming."

"But, I'm a ma..."

Daphne put a finger to Kelton's lips. "Please don't finish that sentence. Being a man or woman has nothing to do with it. From now on we're a team. We did an amazing thing today. We saved Brian's life, or at least saved him from terrible pain and scarring. You help protect me and I'll do the same for you, and together we will do what we were meant to do."

Kelton rolled onto his back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I won't win this one, will I?"

"No," she answered honestly. Then she began to run a gentle hand down his body. "One thing to think about though," she whispered in his ear.

"What's that?" he gasped as she grabbed his hardening cock.

"Well, if we're going to be a team," she paused to gently bite his earlobe and he hissed in pleasure. "We'll be together all the time." Daphne paused again and rolled on top of Kelton, grinding herself down on him. "And there will be a lot more of this going on."

Kelton groaned softly. "All right. I surrender."

Daphne laughed out loud before leaning down to give her lover a passion filled kiss.
Suddenly Kelton flipped them both over so that he was hovering over Daphne. "But I have one condition."

"Oh, what's that?" Her brow furrowed a bit.

"If we're to be together all the time I want to make an honest woman out of you." He took a deep breath and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Daphne, marry me. I love you more than anything. Say you'll be my wife."

Daphne reached up to cup his face in her hands. "I never in my life thought I would marry, or ever thought I would even want to," she replied.

Kelton's smile dimmed a bit. "Oh…uh…I see…"

"But," Daphne continued, her smile growing brighter. "That was before I met you. Of course, I'll marry you, you silly man. We are perfectly matched in every way. I will be honored to be your wife."

"You will?" Kelton looked shocked. Then it sunk in. "You will! Oh, Daph, you've made me so happy! I love you."

"Me too," she leaned up for a kiss. "Me too," she repeated again when their kiss ended and Kelton began to kiss down her body earnestly, his obvious joy surrounding her in a cocoon of love.
 

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