The Duke of Tremont II - Bloodspell

Chapter 9

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“What in the hell are you talking about?” Brian asked. “How are Justin and I supposed to destroy it?”

“You both have such strong gifts. If we can just get your skills…”

“Wait.” Justin stopped him. “What do you mean we both have strong gifts? Brian is the only one with a gift.”

Blake’s heart sank as he stared at the two. God, if Justin did not even know of his own powers, how was this ever going to work? “Justin, as a mage master, one of my powers is being able to detect auras without any trouble. When I look at your friend Daphne, there is the definite blue aura of one with healing powers, Brian’s is bright emerald green with fairy magic, and yours is…”

“Gold,” Brian finished with awe in his voice. Blake nodded, knowing that Brian was finally catching on. The older man continued. “I thought it was just how I saw you, because of my love for you,” he almost whispered. He squinted back at Blake. “But it is around you too.”

“Yes,” Blake replied. “Gold is the aura of one who is mage gifted.”

Justin shook his head in denial. “No. That’s not true. I’m not special. I have no gifts.”

“This link you have with Brian, you can control it too, can you not?”

Justin nodded dumbly. “But that is Brian‘s gift. It‘s because of him.”

“Then how do you explain the meldling?” Blake asked. “How did you keep it from killing you? I know it did not give up on its own and move on to Daphne. They don’t just leave their prey like that.”

Brian stared at Blake and answered for Justin. “You put up that invisible wall. I saw it. The meldling couldn’t get through.”

Blake shook his head. “It was not me. I had not arrived yet, remember? I came when it was diving in on Daphne.”

“I pushed it away,” Justin answered as if in a daze. His eyes met Brian’s. “I was trying to think of how to escape and it just came to me to push it away. I know it’s silly, but I closed my eyes and imagined myself holding it back with my hands.”

“Yes, that’s called a shield,” Blake nodded. “A very powerful one to keep a meldling out.”

“I couldn’t feel you through our link,” Brian added. “That’s why I was so sure you were dead.”

“The shield he created blocked everything out. It is simply a matter of learning control,” Blake replied.

“If I truly can do magic, what other things can I do and how would I learn?” Justin asked a little hesitantly. “In the meadow yesterday you spoke of Brian putting a truth spell you? What is that? How does it work?” Justin began to speak faster and become more animated.

Brian wasn’t sure he liked how quickly this was all spinning out of his control, but he knew they needed answers that only this Blake person could give. “Justin, hush! Let the man answer.”

Justin looked sheepish. “Sorry. Please continue, Blake.”

Blake smiled warmly at Justin to let him know it was not a problem. “First of all it is not a matter of ‘if you can do magic.’ I already know you can. As to what particular powers you have, well everyone is different. In our country we basically have four levels of powers that distinguish one another; novice, journeyman, master and adept. Each level is attained when a person passes certain tests and gains certain abilities. Sometimes people simply do not have the gifts to rise above a certain level. For instance I am a mage-master and that is as high as I’ll go, for there are certain powers I simply do not have use of.”

“Like what types of things,” Justin inquired curiously.

Blake thought for a moment as he tried to think of some simple examples of a complicated subject. Well, mind speech, for instance, Blake thought and Brian and Justin both jumped when they heard his voice directly in their heads.

“You can read our minds?” Brian spoke suspiciously.

“I can talk into your mind,” Blake corrected. “And please believe I would only do so if there was a dire need. I can converse back and forth with most gifted people, but I can only project with the non-gifted, so that it would be a one way conversation. An adept would be able to conduct two way mind speech with anyone.”

“What else?” asked Justin.

“Well, much of my magic requires a spell that I created ahead of time. I bind the spell to an inanimate object and keep them stored in this pouch around my neck.” He lifted the well worn, leather pouch and Brian and Justin nodded. “When I blasted the meldling, that was a spell I had created because I knew we were being followed. I had it ready to go. An adept level mage would have been able to blast the thing from raw power gathered from the earth around them. I guess you could say it’s a spell in an instant.”

“So what kind of mage would I be? What powers do I have?" Justin asked Blake as he searched the young mage’s face.

“I don’t know, Justin,” Blake answered honestly. I could do a reading on your powers, but that would take a spell, and I would need to prepare it. “Even if I could tell your exact powers, most people take years learning their craft and honing their skills.”

“How did I not know of them sooner?”

“Some powers awaken in childhood, sometimes with puberty. It is all different. Sometimes they even remain latent for the whole of someone’s life. There is really no set pattern to the magic.”

“What I do not understand,” Brian finally broke in, “is how you expect us to destroy this catalyst, when you said yourself, this sort of thing takes years of training. Justin has no idea of what he would be doing, and honestly I am little better with my own gifts. I will not put him in danger like that.” Brian wrapped a protective arm around his lover.

“I had not intended to send you in with no training. I can help with that, and I will, but it will be too slow. I had something else in mind.”

“Oh and what would that be?” Brian asked icily.

“I think you must seek out the fairies,” Blake replied matter-of-factly.

“No,” Brian answered without thought.

“Surely, it’s been suggested to you before,” Blake replied. “It is the quickest way to get answers about your gifts, and I am guessing that since Justin is your shonauchar, that they will help with him as well.”

“The fairies do not meddle in affairs of men,” Brian replied stubbornly. “It is dangerous to seek them out.”

“My lord, please forget what you were taught as a child. The fairies chose you. What is that if not meddling with men? I believe they will help you. It’s true that they do stay out of our affairs as a rule, but I believe that having an evil overlord overthrowing two such large kingdoms as ours is going to affect their world adversely and they will want to help.”

“Then, I’ll go alone. Justin is not chosen. It would be too dangerous for him,” Brian stubbornly crossed his arms.

Justin and Blake were about to protest when they heard a voice calling out to them. “Brian! Justin! Where are you?” Michael called out. “Come and eat breakfast.”

Blake almost snorted out loud when he heard the other man’s tentative tone, as if he already knew what Brian and Justin were doing off alone in the woods. He couldn’t wait to see his Michael’s expression when he walked back into camp with the other two.

“We are here, Michael!” Justin called back. “We’ll be there in a moment.” He rose of the ground, brushing at his pants. “Maybe we should continue this conversation with the others. They need to know what is going on. This will affect all of us, after all.” Brian opened his mouth to protest, but Justin raised a hand to stop him. “Brian, I have just learned something very scary about myself today. I need a little time to think.” Justin turned and headed back to camp.

“He is a very strong, young man,” Blake commented.

“You do not even know the half of it,” Brian replied, not taking his eyes from Justin’s retreating form.

Brian and Blake rose as well. Brian started to walk, but Blake put a hand out to stall him. “My lord, I was not completely honest with Justin .”

Brian frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A few days ago I felt your presence nearby. I was using my detection spells so I would know if Kipton was looking for us and I felt you and Justin. I felt that you weren’t a threat, but I did not understand why your magic felt so muted, now I understand, it’s because it is there, just not being used, but for as much as you two are suppressed and ignorant about your gifts it is amazing that I felt you at all.

“What does that mean exactly? What is it that you didn’t tell Justin.”

“Brian, it’s true that I don’t know where his exact gifts lay, and I would need a spell to find out, but he is oozing of raw power. If I had to guess, I would say he will be a powerful adept when fully trained. Add to that all the potential you have, and the two of you will be a force to be reckoned with.” Blake grabbed Brian’s forearms and stared earnestly up into his eyes. “I think you and Justin have the power to save your brother and my nephew, but I feel the fairies are the only chance we have right now to make this work. And even if we don’t enlist their help, and you don’t help me against Kipton, well, Justin will need some type of training. Power like that, untamed, can quickly get out of hand and be very destructive. Think about it.” Blake dropped Brian’s arms and walked away.

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Some hours later, when everyone had been caught up on the current information, Justin and Brian had moved away from camp to privately discuss their next move. Although, as loud as their discussion was turning out be they may as well have just stayed amongst their friends.

Said friends were in various stages of pretending not to listen to the argument, though some were better at pretending than others.

“No! I forbid it!” Brian stated firmly. “I will go alone.”

Justin stared at his lover in shock. “How dare you forbid anything! I am not some child for you to order around, Brian! I will go wherever I want, whenever I want! This is as much about me as it is about you!”

“Justin, it’s too dangerous,” Brian tried to reason. “I have the mark. The fairies most likely will not harm me. I can’t say the same for you.”

“Blake seems to think differently. I am your shonauchar, Brian, there is no mistaking that. They may be willing to help both of us.”

“It’s not a chance I’m willing to take. They may also shred you to bits for daring to approach them. Besides who cares what Blake says? I still don’t trust him anyway. How do we know this is not all some elaborate trap?”

“You are so full of bull manure, Brian, it’s a wonder you don’t stink!”

“Hey! Don‘t talk to me like that!”

“Shut up, I’m not done speaking! Of course you trust Blake or you wouldn’t have shared as much as you have with him. Justin lowered his voice to a more rational tone. “You have good instincts, Brian, and I know you trust them. And I know you know what must be done here to save your brother. To save this kingdom. I am part that solution, Brian as much as you are. You know this in your heart, just as I do.”

“What do you know? You find out today that you have some mage powers and all of a sudden you are all knowing? This isn’t a game, Justin. This is dangerous and you could be killed!” Brian threw up his hands and turned away from his lover, angry that Justin didn’t seem to understand.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder as Justin turned him around to face him. “I know it’s dangerous, but like you, I would risk my life for this kingdom. Do you think you are the only one who can be brave? Do you think you and your gifts are more important than me? Since I met you Brian, I have followed you, trusted in you, taken care of you, and helped to nurture your gifts. Yes, I fought in a battle, and tried to save you, but in the end it is you who saved me from death. I want to give something special, I want to help people too. What use is this gift if I cannot use it to help?”

“I am afraid for you, Justin. I am afraid of what all this means for you.”

Justin pulled Brian closer. “I am too, but we cannot simply ignore all of this. Now that I am aware of it I can feel something within me. A feeling that needs my attention, like and itch that needs to be scratched. It has to be dealt with sooner or later, so why not make it sooner, with the fairies, so there is some chance of helping save Pennington and Maynor.”

Brian closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat, knowing that Justin had won and they would be paying a visit to the fairies despite all of his misgivings. “We shall leave for the nearest fairy circle this afternoon,” he said in a low voice. “I understand it is better to meet them at night.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” Justin breathed out. He pulled Brian into a tender kiss. Thank you, he said again, only this time he said it directly into Brian’s head.

Brian pulled back and looked at Justin in shock. As strong as their link was they had never been able to speak mind to mind before. It had always been just about feelings. The magnitude of this discovery suddenly struck Brian. “Oh God!” He let out a strangled cry and crushed his lips against Justin’s in a heated kiss.

Justin broke the kiss, and wary of how close they were to camp, tried speaking into Brian’s head again. Make love to me, Brian. I want to be able to feel you inside me still when we go tonight.

Brian could not help the heated passion that coursed through him when he heard Justin’s husky voice caress his mind like that. Without even thinking about it, he answered the same way. Oh, God, Justin, I want you to. Want you so much! He practically growled it, and Justin too, shivered at the sensation of hearing Brian in his head for the first time.

Hurry Brian, I want you too!

The heady sensuality of speaking mind to mind quickly overcame them both, and Brian yanked Justin’s hand and pulled him so they were far enough away from camp so no one would hear their lovemaking. Brian wasted no time removing Justin’s pants, and only took time enough to undo his own enough to pull out his leaking cock. Oh God, I need you, Justin. You are so beautiful. He wet his own fingers with saliva and moved his hand to begin to open Justin up for him.

He had only just pushed in the second finger when Justin pushed his hand away impatiently. Stop it! I need you now! It’s fine. I’m ready.

Brian could not argue with the raw lust in Justin’s mind voice and he pulled out his fingers and lifted Justin off the ground, bracing his back up against a tree. He guided himself into Justin’s waiting hole and they both groaned out loud. Brian only waited for a moment before he began to thrust into his lover, both of them using their new found gift to murmur words of love and lust so only they could hear.

It did not take them long to reach completion and after they had found their release, Brian let go of Justin’s legs so he could stand. They sagged back against the tree together, trying to catch their breath. Justin reached up and pulled Brian into a tender kiss. We will be all right, Brian. I will be all right. You’ll see, he stated, never letting their lips break apart.

Brian pulled away from the kiss. “Oh, no!” he stated out loud as he lowered his head mock pain.

“Brian, what is it? What’s wrong?” Justin searched his lover’s eyes with concern.

Brian lifted his head up and eyed him with a twinkle in his eyes. “I just realized, now I won’t even be able to shut you up with a kiss.”

Justin stared for a moment and then let out a half laugh/half sob of relief. The tension and fear of the day finally all catching up to him. They simply stood and clung to each other for awhile, letting their emotions go. I love you, Brian, he finally said, sending all the feeling he could muster along their link.

Me too, Sunshine, me too.

 

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