Lights End

Lucan carried Maley in, wrapped in a white shroud. Linley turned her face away and sobbed as he lay the body between the chairs, where everyone would have to see her. The brothers arrived and they all froze as they entered, looking down at the body wide eyed. Levi shook his head in denial and went to the girl, unwrapping her.

"No! NO! You killed her! Why? You will pay! I will see you stripped of all of your rights! I will have your pet and you will never receive another companion!"

"Levi," Joshua said gently. "Sit, please. He has called to convene. If you are unable to sit, you must leave."

Levi covered the girls face, then went to sit, glaring murder at Eli.

"Eli, you cave called to convene. I assume it is about the death of the companion of your brother Levi? Did you kill her?"

"I did," Eli said standing.

"It was self defense!" Linley yelled, also standing. "She was trying to kill me! She almost did!"

"Hush," Eli whispered, but not harshly. He pulled her close as she began sobbing again and she hugged him and cried into his shirt as he held her. Eli looked up to five stunned expressions.

"Is that true?" Joshua finally managed, gaping at the girl Eli was holding.

"It is. I told her to wash and she tried to attack me with my wash basin. When I pushed her away to the floor, she took up my fountain pen and went after Linley. I stopped her only just in time and threw her back, away from Linley. I had no intention of hurting her, or killing her, only seeing Linley safe. Her head hit the corner of the desk and he was gone before she hit the floor."

"Is that how it happened, Linley?" Joshua asked.

"Yes," Linley sobbed.

"I rule it an accidental death," Joshua said standing.

"Accidental death," David and Mason said, standing.

"Accidental death," Aaron said gently. "I am sorry for your loss Levi."

Levi stood, his face red and his eyes full of unshed tears. "I have never known you to lie or be anything less than straightforward. And what you say... that sounded like her. She came after me that way the first three days. But it would never have happened if you had not taken her!"

"It never would have happened if you had not put your hands on my slave!" Eli shot back.

"A girl is dead!" Linley said angrily, turning to Levi. "Stop trying to lay blame and honor her memory and mourn her! It is no ones fault, it is a horrible accident. Give her an honorable farewell and celebrate her life!"

"The girl is right," Joshua said gently, taking Levi by the arm.

"I demand shared rights!" Levi demanded. "I reconvene to debate my rights to the companion Linley!"

"No!" Eli said angrily, pulling Linley against him.

"We have been convened, brother. Send the girl out."

Eli glared at his brothers, but led Linley to the door. "I will not let him have you," he whispered softly. "Do not fear."

"I know you won't my love," she whispered back, before going up on tiptoe to kiss him.

Eli brushed her cheek with his knuckle before closing the door. Linley paced outside the door and four girls joined her.

"Hi," a tall slender girl with big blue eyes said. "What is happening?"

Linley turned to the girls, blushing. They all stood in their flowing white gowns and she stood in an oversized black shirt. She supposed it was better than leather straps, but somehow the straps had been more empowering. "Maley is dead," she finally answered and the girls all gasped and one begand crying.

"Oh, he is such a monster!" another girl said breathlessly.

"I know you are not speaking of Eli," Linley said dangerously.

"He KILLED her!" the first girl said.

"No. He saved me. Her dying was an accident. She tried to kill me because I warned Eli that she was about to try and hurt him. He pulled her off of me and she fell back and hit her head. That was all."

"Oh. Poor Maley. I'm Everly," the tall girl said. "And this is Jennifer, Oaklynn and Harper. You are Linley, right?"

"Yes," Linley answered warily.

"Is Eli as awful as he seems?"Jennifer asked, wide eyed.

"He isn't awful, just misunderstood and a little jaded. No one knows him like I do, you can't understand."

"You are braver than I am," Harper said said with a gentle smile.

"So you really did choose him first?" Oaklynn asked wide eyed. "Joshy said it was an accident, a misunderstanding."

"I chose him," Linley said gently. It had been an accident, but she knew now that it hadn't been chance. He needed her.

"So where are you from? You know, before here?" Jennifer asked. "We get to talk to each other all the time, but never you."

"I am from a small farm town."

"You know," Everly said gently. "I think Maley may be better off. She hated it here. She hated Levi. For her, this place was hell."

"Why?" Linley asked in confusion.

"Maley likes... liked girls. For her to be stuck with Levi... that was a special sort of hell for her. She said he tried to be nice about it, and he was nice to her and gave her a lot of free time. But she wasn't happy. I think she was working herself up to ending herself anyway," Everly answered, tears welling in her eyes.

The door opened and Eli stood there looking down at Linley. She forgot herself and did not kneel, she looked up at him fearfully, trying to read an answer in his face. He touched her cheek and gave her a small smile. "You are safe little one. He will not have you."

Linley let out the breath she was holding, then remembered herself and started to kneel. He caught her arm and pulled her out the front door to walk with him. He released her arm and walked slowly. She knew he was chewing on something to say. She slipped her hand in his as they walked and he held it absently as they walked. He finally spoke.

"I have never killed anyone that way. Accidentally. Oh, there have been times a girl died without me meaning for it to happen, but I knew full well that it was a possibility going into the punishment. Never has it happened and made me feel regret. I did not wish the girl dead. I only meant to show my brother I would not tolerate him putting his hands on you. I would not change it though. Not for a moment. If she had harmed you... " His hand tightened around hers. "It was a consensus that he had no right to you, not even for an hour a week. Her death was caused by her own actions."

"The other girls said she wished to die," Linley said softly. "She was unhappy here."

"Levi is not for everyone, but he usually manages to keep his companions happy."

"She liked girls."

"Ahh. I see the issue there. Did you enjoy speaking to the girls?" he asked, and Linley felt like an idiot suddenly.

"I am sorry Master," she whispered. "I should have waited for you silently and not spoken to them. I realize that now."

"Hush. Did you?"

"It was not awful?"

"So you might enjoy some time to... socialize with them?"

Linley looked up at him carefully. "I would much rather spend time with you my love."

He gave her a knowing smile. "If I were to allow you to join me when I spar with my brothers, would you like to socialize while I am busy?"

"I would not hate it, but I find I like watching you spar. You are... amazing. I can't even explain how incredibly proud I was while watching you."

"Each of us have something we excel at. For me it is the sword."

"You have not talked much about your brothers?" she prodded.

"No. We are different creatures. They are all closer to each other. Joshua is creative, like you. He can paint and draw. He has masterpieces in his tower of every companion he has ever had. Levi... I am sure you can imagine what his specialty is."

Linley blushed and he chuckled at her.

"David has his own greenhouse and gardens and puts mine to shame. Mason writes. Poetry mostly, but also stories for his companions. Aaron likes to cook for his companions. Weeks end meals, he always prepares. We each have our things."

They had walked all the way out to where the grass was high and he watched Linley run her hand over the top of the grass as they walked. She turned to look up at him when he stopped talking, then smiled up at him, her eyes so full of adoration that it hurt his heart. She glanced around, then pulled him down in the high grass. She lay on her back and pulled him down to kiss him. He made love to her there out under the open sky, then lay holding her and enjoyed the peace of the whispering breeze passing over them. They laid there contentedly until it was time to spar. Eli didn't know if anyone would show up today, but he led Linley to the yard while he worked his forms.

It wasn't long until people did show up. Aaron went onto the field immediately, but Joshua came to stand next to her as she watched, leaning against the fence.

"I owe you an apology," he said softly.

Linley turned and looked up at him curiously.

"I was so angry with Eli for somehow deceiving you, snatching you away from me. I see now that you are exactly where you need to be. You have... managed to do what no one else ever has. He speaks to us now, spars with us. He has not done that in a long time. And the way he was with you earlier... he has changed. He cares for you. You have managed to break away that wall he has held in place for so long. How did you do it?"

"I loved him," she answered simply, turning back to watch Eli.

"I can see that you do. You are what he has needed. Thank you."

Linley shrugged. "You can convince yourself of anything if your life depends on it, and he was well worth the little bit of effort it took."