Keep Your Demons Fed Ch. 03

The wave of protection was nearly to them when Kal's energy gave out. He could no longer maintain the spell. This particular spell is the fastest way to immobilize, but it has its flaws and is only ever used as a last resort. The problem being that this type of paralysis spell also paralyses the caster. This man must have earth pixies between his ears to have cast this spell. He should have known I wouldn't be able to handle this afflicted wolf. He couldn't possibly have seen the dilapidated protection glyph for the mere moments he was back here.

He released the spell seconds before the wave of protection washed over him. I'd been seconds too late. Blood began to fall from Kal's throat as the wolf's jaws started to clamp down. The energy wave propelled the wolf off of him before it could sink its teeth in any deeper. Its black smoke was snuffed out as the wave flung the afflicted wolf's body outside of the protection barrier. Kal's blood was falling, not pouring, not spraying. Even with my limited skills he might still have a chance.

Blood was still trickling down my own hand as I ran to him. I had to steal myself when I saw him clutching his throat. Our eyes met and I was startled by how calm he was remaining. He knew to not speak. My own voice was strained as I tried to show some modicum of confidence. "Kal, I'm here, it's okay, it's going to be okay, that thing is gone for now. I can fix this." My eyes darted around, looking for Eish. Maybe she'd be able to detect the poison from the affliction. I've never had to deal with anything this serious before. "Kal, use your fingers. One for yes, two for no. Keep your head and neck as still possible. Okay?" He holds up one finger. His calm was still unsettling, he should be terrified at my hands. I doubt this is the worst he's ever been through though. Or maybe he doesn't know how weak I am.

"Are you poisoned from the affliction? Do you know?" One finger.

Fuck.

"I...I don't know what to..." My thoughts trail off. I actually might know what to do. But gods I hate to leave his side. "I need to run to the house. Will you be okay? I don't think we should move you." One finger. I propel myself off the ground as I run to the Tower. I throw the door open to the back room, my workshop. My Master would kill me for this. There's a cabinet for emergencies. I've never had to use it before. I haven't even opened it in all the time I've lived here, but I do know its contents.

I grab a bright green vial, the corrigo ointment. It should pull out whatever poison is in him. A saving grace of my Master's. He's left me with an emergency kit any sorcerer would envy. I suppose he couldn't handle the embarrassment if I were to die because he wasn't around. Or maybe he actually cared. I didn't know. All I knew was a better witch would know her tools more thoroughly and wouldn't have to use such a rare commodity when a simple spell or concoction would do. I didn't have time for that though.

When I got back to him I could just barely see that a bit of color had already left him. The temperature out here was dropping fast now that the sun had completely set. Kneeling beside him the blood seeping through his fingers looked black in the moonlight, sending a chill of fear down through me. "I'm going to remove your hand, okay? This will hurt. Please don't fight me," I pleaded. One finger, and an encouraging, albeit weak smile.

I open the vial of corrigo, pouring a generous amount into my empty hand. I grab his hand holding his throat, and swiftly pull it away, quickly forcing the corrigo, and my hand, onto his wound. I hear him trying to muffle the sound of him gasping for air, fear rising inside me that it might be too late, the damage might be too much, I might not be enough. A sickly yellow smoke weaves its way from between my fingers that are held steadfast against Kal's throat.

I breathe out a sigh of relief as my shoulders relax. Kal raises two fingers and points to his throat. Right, I'm not done. I nod nervously but determined. Come on, Neva. You can do this. Just don't think about it. Do it quickly, don't think. I close my eyes. I'm careful to annunciate the words just so. My hands seem to move on their own as I complete the spell. The light from the activated mana is painfully blinding. But it's the best pain I could ever imagine, it tells me the spell has worked. Kal lurches to the side. Hearing him cough and throw up the blood that got into his lungs sounds like a chorus of angels.

I fall to my side but keep myself propped up. My knees feel weak as the adrenaline ebbs. The tears sting as they fall down my dirtied and bloodied face. Before I know what's happening I'm sobbing, and Kal turns towards me. I manage to mumble, "I'm sorry," before he's holding me, embracing me in a warmth I don't deserve.

Kindly, "What are ya talking about? Ya saved my life!"

"It was my fault the barrier was down! And if I'd known what I was doing none of that would have taken as long! You almost died!" I wasn't sure if I was angrier at myself or at him for being so gentle.

"Shush shush now my Neva. I'm fine, alive and well." He kissed my forehead. Feeling the coldness on his lips I snapped out of my selfishness.

"You're freezing. Come on, we need to get you inside." I help him stand and insist he leans on me as we walk back to the Tower. He seems mostly fine, but it's clear by how he leans into me that he is more than a bit weak.

I hope against hope that Eish has built a fire. I've barely seen her since this morning and I'm beginning to worry that maybe that thing found her. I breathe a sigh of relief seeing her lounging on my bed. My elation is short lived seeing all the blood Kal has lost, now drenching his clothing, not to mention no fire.

The fireplace is positioned between the work room and my small room. You can see through to either side and is more convenient than you'd think. "Eish, I'm glad you're alive, now off, shoo," I wave her off of my bed as I help Kal lay down. I could tell he wanted to argue, but it's what he needed. Better than an uncomfortable wooden chair and the lounge with its silk linens was absolutely out of the question. I'd survived one close call tonight, I wasn't about to bring another down upon me for blood on the silks.

"Neva, I really am fine."

"You're not. You're whiter than I am, and I can see you trying to hide your shivering. You're in shock. The corrigo should be enough. Still, I need you to rest for a while."

"Yes, Mistress." I couldn't help but let out a small snicker of a laugh. He looked so vulnerable. This bear of a man, laying in my small bed, teasing me. After covering him in a mountain of blankets I started a fire the old-fashioned way, with matches. He didn't chastise me for not using one of the most basic spells and I was grateful for it. I just couldn't take any more tonight and wasn't going to risk it.

Once he settled I'd wrapped my hand in a bandage. My cut was deeper than I'd thought, and I could tell it was going to bleed through. I filled a bowl with warm water and the heat made me noticeably grimace. I set the bowl down and began to apply a new bandage. I thought he'd dozed off, but as I unwrapped my hand I heard him grumble loudly. I turned to see him staring at my cut. "Neva, ya should have told me. Come here." He moved the blankets off of him and stood up from the bed.

"It's nothing. It'll heal. You shouldn't use magic in your state if you can avoid it. I just need to apply a salve this time."

"Ya need it healed. Ya can't do it ta yaself. If ya fall ill then who will take care of me? Now, are ya going to listen?" I scoffed as I turned around. The glare on his face silenced me and I obeyed. Stretching out my hand I offered it to him. He gently, but firmly took it. He quickly healed it and pulled me in closer to him. Gently pressing his lips to mine, kissing me more gently than I thought possible, then whispering, "thank ya, my Neva."

We both turned with a bit of a start hearing a noise from the back door. At this angle I could just see Eish. She was coming through her little kitty door and pulling something in with her. It was the parcel from Gabriella's Boutique. I pulled myself away from him and scooped up the package from my familiar. "Thanks, Eish. If it's not too much of a bother, maybe heal him up a bit? I know it'll make you hungry. You have my blessing, for tonight."

"Does she need ya blessing ta be hungry?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Not even a little, the problem is that she's always hungry. It's not really an issue though."

"The issue possibly being whom she feeds on?" He was eyeing me as he asked. My crimson face answered for me. "Ah, I see."

"It's fine. She helps me, I help her. There's not much more to it, really. Now, take off your clothes and lay down." He impudently obeyed, being sure to hold my gaze as he disrobed. I brought over the bowl of water and some clean dishcloths. I covered most of him with a blanket and sat next to his head. He watched me as I dabbed away the blood from his face, then his neck, and finally down his chest and torso where it had soaked through his clothing. He'd sigh heavily every time I touched him and this sound would send little ripples of desire through me.

Clearing my throat, I tried to break up the growing tension. "You should sleep here tonight. I'm fairly certain that whatever that was won't be on the prowl again anytime soon, but you really shouldn't move." Eish walked over and curled up on his bare chest. "See? Eish endorses my idea. Err, Eish, I forbid you from visiting him tonight. Do you understand?" The damn thing actually had the audacity to hiss at me and then settled further down on him, clearly done with our conversation. I could only hope she'd listen. Not that I minded sharing, I just knew he needed his energy.

"Well, hopefully she'll leave you alone. You need your rest, but I really can't make any promises. She does what she wants to, that one." I smiled weakly at him as I could see the exhaustion hanging heavy on his face. "Come on, eat, and then rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

***

I remembered falling asleep on the floor next to the bed. This was some time after he'd fallen asleep, and I'd washed up. If anything happened to him, if the corrigo wasn't enough, and I wasn't there, I'd never forgive myself. Being this close I'd know if something was wrong. I do not remember crawling into the bed. And I certainly do not remember being placed in the bed. Yet here I was, in bed with him yet again, his arms around me, and once again, his hand cupping a breast. This time through my nightshirt. I tried sitting up to leave and his grip on me tightened enough to let me know he was awake.

"Come on, my Neva, stay. Ya have no excuse to run away from me this time."

"How about needing to check on you? Or get on with my work? Or maybe the fact that you need to get on with yours. The protection barrier threw that thing away from the house, but it didn't kill it. I'd like to know why it's roaming around here. And why it tried to attack me and very nearly killed you!"

He kissed the back of my neck, sending a ripple of pleasure down my spine. While I was trying very hard to not react to this he used the heat spell on the breast he was cupping. A wave of warmth starting in my nipple traveling to my chest and down to my increasingly wet pussy.

I whispered, trying to not come off too harshly, "hey, no magic. Not until I check on you. Okay?"

"Have it ya're way, my Neva. Ya did save my life, after all. I suppose I should listen ta ya." I couldn't help but laugh. I was the last person anyone should listen to. But laughing like that may have been a mistake. He seemed quite fond of how my body moved against his as I laughed. He grabbed me all the more tightly up against him and I could feel how much he didn't want me to get out of this bed.

"You need to not expel unnecessary energy right now."

"Ay, and believe me, I find this very necessary," he whispered into my ear as he kept kissing my neck.

I kept going back and forth in my head about what to do. Did I want him? Yes. Did he almost die last night and still needed to recover? Yes. Would a blowjob kill him...

He wasn't expecting anything. That much was clear when I rolled over and kissed him. His lips had regained their familiar warmth, that was a good sign. I was mostly sure I wouldn't kill him. I bit his lower lip to end the kiss. When he growled at my bite I felt as though I was about to cum right then. I couldn't believe the effect his noises had on me. I feel myself shiver from the sensation and then begin to kiss down his jawline, then my lips trail down his neck. There's an amazingly faint scar and I'm rather proud of my newfound abilities. All of them.

It was his turn to shiver as I traced my tongue down his chest to one of his nipples, biting gently and then pushing him from his side onto his back. I hear him groan with anticipation (and hopefully not pain) as my lips continue to move down his body.

A loud knock from the main entrance has my heart racing. I hear Kal curse under his breath as I move off the bed. "Do ya have ta get that? Really?"

"I may not be a good witch, but I'm all they have. I can at least be consistent. Come on, it won't be just the one anyway. Like you said, you're in town for a couple of days. I'll come check on you this evening. If you don't mind. And maybe we could..."

"We could what, my Neva? Ya are a lot more bashful than I'd have imagined. After that first night and all."

"I told you I don't do that. Usually."

"Ay, so are ya saying I'm special then?" He had a devilish grin that would put any actual devil to shame.

"There are clothes for you on top of the dresser," I tell him as I turn to quickly get dressed myself before he starts in on me again, knowing I wouldn't be able to resist him a second time. I can feel his eyes on me as I slowly pull on my pink satin panties, careful to bend just so. He almost died, why not give him a bit of a show? I unceremoniously throw on the matching balconette bra and dash into a plain gray dress with flowy sleeves. I can see his eyes laughing as he's watching me tie up my hair. The look of mischief is too much to resist asking, "what?"

"Ya're adorable, my Neva. Please do come...check on me later, hmm?"

I grumble something I'd rather not say as I rush up to him, giving him a passionate but quick kiss. I tell him to exit out the back as I slip down the hall to the main entrance to begin my day.

***

I'd found his cloak out in the gardens. It was torn in a few places. I know no one should alter the cloak of another, but here again was something I had a bit of a knack for, mending. If it was an issue I'd be more than happy to pull out the threads myself. After all, he had said he doesn't go in for all the politeness of our society anyway. I was fairly certain he'd be fine with me mending it.

I'd washed his other clothes along with what he'd picked up for me at Gabriella's. I didn't know if anything was going to happen tonight, but I was fairly certain it would. I thought it would be a nice surprise, so I switched them out. He had taste, I had to give him that. Emerald green satin with black lace over it. The top really made my breasts stand out and the colors made the red in my auburn hair pop.

Again today I'd barely seen Eish. I guess she was giving me my space. She hadn't visited last night, and I doubted she'd visited Kal seeing how ready he was to go this morning. Maybe she had found a tomcat after all.

It wasn't all that late, but I wasn't about to go out after dark by myself anytime soon. I'd have to ask Kal to teach me a defensive spell or two. Maybe it was the same trick as before. Just don't think. I wasn't so sure, and I wasn't about to wait to be tested to find out.

I threw my cloak on and grabbed the parcel I'd put together of his things. It had been a beautiful day with perfectly fluffy clouds and as sunset approached the sky filled with breathtaking pinks and oranges. The evening doves were cooing, and it had cooled down to a near perfect temperature. It was really only a fifteen-minute walk to the pub. After ten minutes from the Tower, I'd be in the village. I was taking my time, enjoying the breeze and the view, the village was now in sight, when I heard a snap behind me. I spun around, still more than a bit freaked out after last night. And there was nothing. Nothing that I could see anyways. All the same, I kept looking. Something was beginning to feel off.

The air had stilled. The birds had gone quiet. I could feel my heart racing but still, I saw nothing. It was getting dark much too soon. I'd wanted to be nearly at the pub by the time it got to be this dark. I was letting my nerves get the better of me. I shook my head and turned around, speeding up my steps.

I saw nothing. I felt a white-hot heat as I felt myself pummeled in the side and then I hit the ground hard. There was a deathly snarl and growling and lastly a shriek. I imagined the shriek came from Eish. Even if it actually was her it was too late. I could feel the world falling away from me. Or maybe it was my consciousness slipping away from this world. It didn't matter. Soon enough I'd be gone. I imagined someone, I'm not sure who, someone calling to me. Calling a name, "Neva, my Neva." They said more, but it didn't matter. I was already gone.