A Matter of Blood Pt. 08

Merwyd looked shocked. It was a pretty stupid thing to do.

"What...what happened?" she asked, quietly.

"I got beaten to within an inch of my life. My ribs were cracked and there was blood in my urine for almost a week. I had trouble standing and walking about. Father forbid the healers from doing more than ensuring that I would not die, and denied me any tea to kill the pain. He wanted the memory of the consequences to linger. He did the same to Tyr once as well, for backtalk. It wasn't 'unfair' but it was brutal and mad."

"Oh...oh dear gods," Merwyd said, horror dawning on her face, "they told me you were just confined for a week to your room and were fed poorly for a while...I had no idea."

"No, you didn't. They didn't lie. I was confined, not that I could go anywhere. But, as I told him after he had calmed down and I had gotten better, you were worth that and much more."

Merwyd leaned in and kissed me, very suddenly and spontaneously. It was most unlike her, and I reached around her and grasped her ass, holding her up, pressing her into me. My body responded to hers and we stopped, panting, her leaning her forehead into mine.

"I...I was going to my tent to bathe and get cleaned up...you look like you could use some attention as well..."

The she gave me her crooked little smile, turned and swayed away. I followed. Later that evening I would be glad that I did.

* * *

I followed her in. There was already a large wooden bath there, full of water. Merwyd was always prepared.

"Bartles has Gwyn for a little while longer," she said, untying a simple cord at the back of her dress and letting it drop off of her petite and curvy frame. It was so sudden that I felt my jaw drop.

Her pale and freckled skin was glistening with sweat from her exertions, her dark red hair wild and her deep green eyes alive with lust. Her breasts were heavy and large, lightly upturned and barely sagging even after motherhood, her nipples hard. She stood, one foot forward, making her full hips posed like a statue of the ancients. Her bush was full and wet with sweat and her arousal, which I could scent from where I was.As I watched a cold breeze entered from under the tent flap and her skin broke out in gooseflesh. She shiverred, involuntarily, which made her body move and jiggle an an unbelievably sensual fashion. I felt my cock twitch at the sight. She noticed having been staring at the very noticeable bulge in my breaches.

She said a word and the water bubbled briefly and began to emit steam. She stepped in and sat down.

"Are you coming, brother? I'm feeling quite dirty this evening and I might need a little help..."

She laughed at me as I fumbled with my breaches and shirt. I stopped when I was nude, however, looking at her with a smirk. She looked worried for a moment, and I wasn't above teasing her a bit.

"You know," I said, strolling over to the bath as if I was in no rush at all, "your sisters told me all about your little plans and manipulations. When you were but a scholarly young thing and wanted my attention. The bullies and your ankle 'injury'. The many times I caught you changing. The foreign gentleman."

She was already pink from the heat of the bath, and now she turned bright red. She bit her lip adorably and sunk low in the bath as if hiding from me.

"Oh...oh lord, Finn," she stuttered out, "I...I was so young and stupid. Adewyn was naturally sexual and knew how to get you hot with little effort and even Raisa seemed to know how to be a bit seductive and flirty even if she was too young for you and I had no idea. I was so plain and naive compared to them. So...so I... I made plans...and...oh gods...this is so embarassing...I never wanted you to..."

I showed her mercy.

"You are always so cute when you get flustered," I said, stepping into the bath.

"Oh gods...I'm never going to live this down..."

"I hope not," I said, sitting down and gently pushing her legs apart as I moved over her, "I wish to make you blush that wonderfully again in the future."

She looked up at me and put her hands on my face, her lips parted in anticipation.

"Finn, I'm so ready for you, but I'm so unsure of so many things. My mind won't stop. I don't know why you tolerate me, brother. I love you truly but what if I'm of no use to you or make you look bad? What if I'm...I'm no longer fertile? Many Pureblood women can only have one child. What..what if something happens to you? Sometimes that keeps me up all night and..."

I kissed her, long and slow. Her tongue shot into mine eagerly. One arm wrapped under mine and around my back to pull me closer and the other reached out and held my cock gently, rubbing it affectionately. I growled in my throat as we kissed.

"I don't know what will happen tomorrow, love," I said, after we stopped for a moment, "but tonight I'm going to make you cum, hard, and forget about your worries for a little while."

We were done with words. She nodded and her small hand left my cock and grabbed my buttock, pulling me closer with urgency, deeper into the bath, towards her sex. She rolled her hips to let me inside her more easily, and whimpered as I reached her entrance. I slipped inside her warm tightness naturally, easily, as though we were meant for each other.

Merwyd whimpered as I entered her, pulling me close, and for a moment clutching me tightly in place, as if she wanted this oneness to last forever, biting my neck, then she loosened her grip a bit. She let me move out of her and then pulled me back into her, the water making waves as I did so. It wasn't rough. I knew that we wouldn't be tonight. The time for roughness had passed as our negative emotions had begun to wane. This was as we should be.

As I moved she grew more and more responsive. Not a stroke went by without being answered by a whimper, then a moan. My hand slid easily over her breast, gripping it tightly, then pinching and teasing her nipple, pulling on it ever so gently. If I did not love her so I do not know how I would have maintained enough control to do so. She gave me soft cries in response, as high pitched and gentle as a small bird in distress. I kissed her neck, nipping and marking her, although somewhat lightly.

That was something that she had always loved, to have marks from me, even if she had to hide them in the past. She said they reminded me of who she truly belonged to. Her nails dug into my back, involuntarily as she came. Her breath shouted out in irregular ragged exertions, the water sloshing out onto the floor, as she was carried on the wave of her orgasm. It was not small, nor was it brief. I fucked her through it, building in intensity, but I held her head and kissed her mouth gently as it passed through her.

After the day's work I was tired, although I had no intention of slowing. She knew this almost preternaturally, and pushed on my shoulder gently, as if to spin me. We rolled over, smoothly, as one, her on the top and me on the bottom. She looked down at me, smiling, her small hands on my chest. I had one hand on her waist as I thrust into her and she rolled and bucked her hips on me. With the other I gently caressed her clitoris, teasing and prodding her to greater movements. She bit her lip and closed her eyes and came again, this time hard and shuddering and quick, her quim giving me quick strokes and clenching me tightly over and over, as if with a tight but soft hand. It was almost too much to bear.

The water began to slosh more, spilling out on all sides, sloppily making everything wet around us. Merwyd's eyes opened hungrily and she began to truly ride me, like a tigress in heat, taking her pleasure from me and giving it in equal measure. I knew that she was trying to make me cum, exciting me until my seed entered her. This part had always excited her the most, getting me to my peak and over, showing me how much she loved me and cherished me by draining my cum into her quim.

I came, grunting and growling, gripping her waist with hands that trembled. Thick ropes of my love filled her, painting her sacred space even as our power mingled. She gave to me as I gave to her. Although this was effort after a difficult day, I often wondered whether or not the energy she gave me helped me later when I needed it most. This was the last time we would be together before the storm, and we both knew it. There would be no other chances until after all was done.

I finshed and she collapsed on top of me, panting and kissing me, making me feel as though I was the only man in the world. Eventually she rose off of me. We cleaned each other in silence, quietly soaping and feeling and kissing as if fulfilling a sacred rite. When we were done we got out, she dressed for sleep, and I pulled my clothes back on. I had things I still needed to do that evening, so I could not stay.

As I left, we looked at each other, melencholy at parting, but satisfied in each other's love. Each knew where the other stood. I felt on more solid ground than I had even a half hour ago.

The latter wouldn't last, but it was lovely at the time.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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Much of my family came close to dying that night. Bayrd had waited patiently until we felt that we understood the only threats that we faced, and it almost paid off for him. It was a form of complacency, even if we were ready and waiting for the next demonic attack. I ask myself at times if we could have done more. Probably, but the world was madness around us, and we were doing pretty well despite it.

I was with Adewyn in the headquarters tent and we were going over strategies for fighting the army of the damned, as I came to think of it. Even here we could hear their cries and moans. Specifically, how to deal with flying demon attacks, or magical ambushes, or hordes of dead men who felt no pain or fear. Wards would be effective until his mages could destroy them or his human soldiers could deface them. We had plans for a single battle, punching through and getting close enough to the castle where I could throw Caliban and hopefully she could add enough momentum for me to go to her and get on the wall or near a window. She could float slowly, but not carry me so I'd have to be accurate and quick if I wanted to avoid falling, but it was the best way we could think of getting me closer to Bayrd. Adewyn, naturally, thought it madness, and she suggested several alternatives, including possibly simply scaling it with a small force the following night. It would be difficult but there was a great deal of wear on certain faces of the castle. She also floated the concept of Raisa going alone with Caliban and using her to bring me in, although I had never been called that before, and I wasn't all that happy with the idea of endangering my pregnant wife in that way, even as capable as she was. We didn't come to a final decision, but we agreed on several possibilities that we could decide from when we reached the foot of the fortress. We were wrapping up, putting away maps, when she stopped in thought.

She looked away from me. I had to make my own preparations for tomorrow's fighting but I knew she wasn't delaying for no reason.

"Finn," she said, softly, "do you remember when I came to your room all those years ago in the middle of the night? It was maybe a few weeks after your majority..."

I nodded. I did. It was long ago but I remembered it clearly, if only because it was so out of character for her. I had been reminded of it when we had made love right before she gave birth, because of the unusual vulnerability that she had shown when I held her afterwards.

"That was when I should have known. I should have told you everything and just asked you to come with me to speak with father or even just leave together. I never wanted to talk about it because it made me feel ashamed and weak. Up to that point I always tried to be the good older sister and look out for you, and it wouldn't have occurred to me to go to you for protection. Tyr and Bayrd came back from drinking at one of the local pubs. They stunk of liquor and sweat. Tyr wanted me, which I didn't complain about. It was a very typical request, it was my duty, and I loved him. But he had me right there, in the study. Bayrd watched. It was so strange and unsettling. When Tyr started getting a bit too rough, I asked him to slow down, and eventually I pleaded for him to stop. He didn't. Bayrd egged him on, telling him that I needed to be put in my place, and then he...he joined in. It was the first time anything like that had ever happened to me. I was past twenty then, I think, but still naive. Especially with men. I cried, and they didn't care, Finn. Afterwards neither of them stopped me from leaving. I guess they didn't think that they had done anything wrong. I cleaned myself up as best I could and drank as much Bride's Bane as I could find. Then I went to my room. But I was so afraid, Finn. I was afraid they'd come and do it again. So I went where I knew I would be safe. I went to the one man that I knew would never, ever do anything like that to me and help to protect me if I needed it. I went to you, Finn."

Even after all I had seen and all I had learned, I was still shocked. How could they? And to Adewyn? The girl who loved Tyr. Loved him at least as much as Raisa had loved me those years ago. What kind of monsters had I been living with? How could I have missed all of these signs? She wasn't looking at me, and she had more to say.

"I know now I could have gone to father. I should have. He would have done...something. Maybe stopped all this years before. Put Tyr right, somehow. Exiled Bayrd. Something. I know it's my fault, in part. So I just wanted to ask you one more time for forgiveness. And tell you how much I loved you for being different. Then and now."

The anger in my voice startled her and she jumped a little. It startled me, as well. I thought I had been controlling it well.

"No. You aren't to blame for those rapists. Mother isn't to blame for not getting Bayrd killed for the things that he tried to do to her. I still feel angry that father missed it. Hell, I'm angry at myself for the same thing, but it wasn't our fault. Just them, Adewyn. Just. Them. I killed one of them, and I'll kill the other one soon. I'll do it so you will be safe and I'll do it so no one has to go through what you did again. No one is hurting you like that again. You...you are precious to me, as you should have been to Tyr or anyone with a heart and sense."

We embraced and I kissed her gently. I think things would have gone a nicer way despite my earlier activity with Merwyd, had I not noticed two things. The first was that Caliban was floating by the table, and sent me anxiety. I had her near me, as I commonly did, but she had her own will and sense and acted on it. Something was happening and she wanted me to know about it.

The second was that Adewyn's shadow started to grow and rise from the floor, becoming three dimensional. My first thought in my stupor was that it was a demon, but that couldn't have been, we were in the most heavily warded part of the camp and someone would have needed to physically remove or damage quite a few inscriptions to get at us. Regardless, I'm proud to say I did the right thing, even if it wasn't particularly graceful.

I shouted and pulled Adewyn away from her own shadow, which quite unnaturally stayed in place, almost throwing her behind me with one hand while projecting an Arrow of Light with the other. There was a cry of shock from Adewyn but also a grunt of pain from the shadow. It melted away, revealing the corpse of a man in a cowl and hood.

"Seyla assassins," Adewyn said.

I nodded, about to ask her for her opinion on what to do when Caliban simply vanished. That was unexpected, and I'd never seen it before.

"Did someone take her?" Adewyn said, confused.

"No. No-one can force her to come to them. She has to respond to their call, and she can't do so unless she's contacted their mind before and she won't do that unless she likes them..." I said, trailing off as I realized the actual severity of the situation. I felt Caliban calling out to me, and all I had to do was give her permission to draw me to her, wherever she happened to be. I looked at Adewyn and made a decision, "Go check on Mother and Raisa!"

"What about Mer..." was all Adewyn got out. I disappeared. This was the farthest trip that I'd taken using this ability, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel a little anxiety about it, although I was fairly certain I knew where I was going. Every other time I'd let Caliban call me we'd been in direct line of sight with her. This time it wasn't quite instant, and I saw a flash of shadows and flame.

Then I was in Merwyd's tent, having arrived where Caliban was floating just moments before. Merwyd was on the ground, a man standing over her, holding chains. It seemed like he had just hit her, as her lip was split and bleeding. Standing off to the side, crying, was Gwyn. As I had reasoned, it was she who had called Caliban. She'd been in contact with my spear during the first demon attack. Another two men were closing on the little girl. Caliban was doing her best to interpose herself, but she needed a combatant to wield her to actually fight.

Time seemed to slow for me, as it does when one is in a crisis. The man to the left of Gwyn moved towards her suddenly, viper-quick while the one to her right flanked her. I saw movement from the hand of the man who was standing by Merwyd. I only had time to react to one of them. I loosed lightning at both of the men near Gwyn, easily catching them both and killing them. I aimed high to avoid hitting my niece and the bolt went through the roof of the tent.

I think I had assumed that the gesture was the Seyla drawing a weapon, but I was very wrong. It was magic. Caliban tried to help to protect me, which is the most likely reason that I survived. I was dimly aware of Merwyd killing him with well-placed white flame at exactly the same time I was hit.

I felt incredible pain and pressure in the upper left of my face as sight from my left eye simply winked out. I spun like a child's top, and must have flown a good few paces back into the wall of the tent. I was still trying to recover, or indeed even to think properly as Merwyd and Gwyn ran to me. The fourth man, whom neither of them saw, threw some kind of chains over Caliban. She fell from the air and from my mind as if she were but a common item of bone and steel. Then he simply caught her and carried her away as she dropped into his hands.

I passed out rather swiftly after that. I remember thinking that at least I wasn't going to die alone, as I had thought I would ever since I went out that window years ago.

* * *

I came to, in my tent, maybe a half hour later. I knew what I'd lost. Most of it anyway. The pain was awful but it was bearable. Such is the dubious blessing of the frequently injured.

Octavius was standing over me. While he examined my face and eye, I could hear most of my family outside, probably giving him time and space to work.

"I can't see out of my left eye."

"That's because its wrecked, son," he said, with compassion, "I'm going to have to clean up the area, and then heal the actual wound. That's all I can do for you, I'm afraid. You might get your sight back eventually, and you might not. Purebloods heal from things that ordinary men do not, from time to time."

"It would have to happen today, of all times."

His eyebrows went up.

"There isn't a good day to lose an eye. I can give you something for the pain if you want."

"No. I have to fight tomorrow. All of us do. Clean me and heal me and get some rest. You'll need it for all the newly wounded after the battle."