“My champion?”
“As dead as you will be soon.”
I expect her scowl to summon rain clouds and thunder. It stays a perfectly clear and beautiful day. No lightening or rain to mourn the passing of the many dead.
While Viktor is busy I hear something behind me and roll but not in time. My arm is sliced and I scream. Viktor turns and I can feel the rage coming from our connection. Suddenly I feel drained and Viktor is on fire. I almost scream but it is not hurting him. He lifts a hand and the fire shoots from his body snaking its way through the battle hitting only the mermen. All of them scream and stop their fight dropping to the ground rolling looking to the mixture of soil and movement to stop the flames.
The Elvin warriors leave the battle site and stand witness to the destruction of our mingling powers. I can feel my ability to hold the humans out of the battle weakening so I let them down by the Elvin men who take them into custody. I am fairly certain that they are no longer in thrall because they just stand there watching completely horrified.
Once I release the air magic the fire grows more intense as Viktor takes more from me. I lift my hand trying to get his attention. I can’t speak my throat is burning and I feel darkness close in on me. I look into Marina’s eyes. She is frozen in terror watching her people burn. She looks at me and snaps out of it drawing a knife and leaping towards me. I drop onto my back as she catches on fire and continues towards me. The last thing I see before everything goes black is her ashen gray flaming body leaping at me.
Viktor
I fling an arm and the mermaid princess goes flying away from Elainne right before they would have impacted. She turns to ash and I look down at Elainne. I protected her as best I could but still she bleeds. They had gotten by me to injure her. They have hurt her, have made me break my promise to keep her safe. She is weak from doing magic and I have failed her.
I look at the battlefield and see the humans and Elves not even participating. The mermen are all on fire as am I; the only difference is it is not burning me to a crisp.
Still, I don’t know if Elainne will be harmed so I try to let the power go and find I can’t. Panic sets in as I see Elainne grow paler and paler then I realize why the magic is so powerful. I haven’t drawn on my magic only; I could never have burned everyone here alive with only my power. I’d been so enraged, so scared when seeing Elainne injured that I drew on her magic as well. I still am and it is harming her.
The silver dragon had been right. I will kill her; kill her with my fire, my anger. I scream and drop reaching for her. The flame extinguishes and the merpeople lay on the ground. The ones still alive look to be barely hanging on. The Elves run over and instantly the healers start chanting over Elainne.
“We need a life force to stabilize her. Too much power was pulled at once.”
I run my hand through her hair.
“Use me.”
“You could die.”
“I don’t care.”
They grab the hand I don’t have in her hair and hold hers as well. They chant and we are enveloped in a green glow. I feel myself growing dizzy and weak. It feel like I am on fire like it is consuming me and soon I will be nothing but ash. Is this what the mermen felt? Is this what I did to Elainne? I embrace the pain knowing the more I feel it the less she does. Soon everything goes dark.
Chapter Seventeen
Elainne
I wake in a bed and look around. I feel achy and sore like I have run a marathon but the pain I felt while Viktor used my magic is gone. I sigh in relief and look around. I am in my father’s palace. Well, at least it is a room, not a dungeon. ’ll wonder why when I have the energy to care.
I see water and food on the side table and grab the cup having to use both hands to get it even remotely close to my mouth and still I am shaky and spill some on the blankets. Good thing it is only water. I manage to put the plate on my lap and lift the spoon to my mouth twice before I drop it and it clatters to the floor. Instantly a woman comes in and starts checking my vitals. Am I being cared for by doctors? Why? Now I have the energy to worry.
“What happened?”
My voice is hoarse and sounds like the croaking of a frog. It hurts to use so I just wait for them to tell me.
“You were injured and your Kemp went berserk and drew far too much from you. He burned the field down as well as most of the mermen. Their princess is dead and the survivors are being kept alive for questioning. They aren’t in the dungeon, only magic is keeping them alive so they can’t be there. Have no fear though they can’t go anywhere on their own anyway, they are in far worse shape than you.”
“Viktor?”
I have to know. Drawing that much power, including the power I was already using to hold one hundred thousand humans in the air, had been too much at once. I know that already. I’d been dying. If I didn’t die well it doesn’t look good for him.
“He offered to bond his life to yours to stabilize you.”
I wait but they don’t say if he is alright or not. I push them away as they try to feed me and try to get out of bed. I fall as soon as I touch the floor and they sigh grabbing at me and trying to put me back to bed. I push, though it is the weakest attempt anyone has ever made. I am as strong as a newborn kitten right now. I is not making a huge impact.
I start to panic as they force me back into bed and threaten to tie me down if I try that again. I struggle with them trying to speak. I have to find Viktor; if he needs my help I have to get to him. My throat has closed up though and I can’t force any more words out of it.
“Let her go!”
I sigh in relief and try to lift my head as Viktor pushes through the hordes of medical personnel intent on tying me to the bed. He looks me over and sees no blood, but pales at how thin and weak I look. My body has burnt up trying to keep me alive. My power has consumed it making me look little better than a skeleton with skin. He glares at the medical team until they leave and sits by my bedside but doesn’t touch me.
“You’re alive.”
I nod, well one up and then back down and a huff of exhaustion because that is all I can manage. He sighs and grabs the bowl of food from the bedside table and lifts the spoon to my lips. I know that face. He is going into stubborn ‘I am right you’ll do as I say’ Kemp mode. I let him feed me because I don’t have any fight left in me. That seems to worry him more than anything.
“I’m sorry.”
I sigh wishing I can tell him it is not his fault. As the charge, it is my responsibility to block him from my power. To limit his access. The problem is I am not used to having this much power or a Kemp. I am trying to learn two new things instead of one and it is overwhelming. I try to lift my hand to brush his tears away but I am too weak. He sees my fingers twitching though and lifts my hand to his face pressing it against his cheek.
“If you hadn’t survived…”
He doesn’t finish but I can imagine. Kemp’s without their charges go insane. From grief, from feelings of failure, from losing their whole reason for being. I imagine it would have been far worse for him than for me even though I am the one that would have died. I can’t imagine Viktor taking his own life in an attempt to escape it all. Tears run down my checks uncontrollably and silent. I am too tired to whimper even.
“Don’t cry. I won’t fail you again I promise.”
He is an idiot. He didn’t fail me. He just hadn’t known he could draw from my power. I had willingly switched our reflexes, strength, and speed allowing him to call from his Elvin part while I was left to deal with my human one. I hadn’t warned him he could call upon my power as well if we were connected and my life was in danger. Likely he had been as shocked as I had. Normally it takes practice and lots of attempts for a Kemp to do so. His being able to do so whenever he gets angry because I am hurt is just one more thing to worry about once I am healed.
Viktor
She can’t speak. She can’t even lift a hand. Her fingers can twitch and her head can fall. She looks l
ike she hasn’t survived. I have seen corpses look better. I am responsible for this. I have done this to her. I am supposed to stop her from being hurt. I hadn’t known I could draw on her power, but I had done so and I hadn’t made any effort to control it.
I’d been lost in anger. Anger at myself for failing to protect her, anger that she was injured. The dragon said she would have trouble learning control because her power would eclipse both of my blood powers combined. He hadn’t lied. I felt my power when hers had filled me it surpassed anything I have ever felt. It consumed me and I barely noticed our bond for a bit.
It is why I feel so guilty. I let the power control me so bad I forgot to take care of her. I ended the battle with minimal casualties to our side true, but what I did to her was not worth it. If I’d been thinking straight I would have dragged her from the battle and waited for the Elves and mermen to fight it out after killing Marina and her champion.
“Viktor.”
I look her in the eye; it is so hard to do now. She doesn’t look angry at me and that makes me feel worse. She should be blaming me, telling me I am not worthy of being her Kemp. Instead, she is using what very little energy and voice she has left to try to comfort me. I kiss the palm I have against my cheek and pick up the cup of water holding it to her lips so she can drink some. She seems exhausted and falls asleep almost instantly.
I go to the fireplace and work on getting a fire started. When one is going I go to the bed and pull back the covers sliding her under them so she will stay warm. I sit in the chair by the bed and watch her sleep. I have to make sure she continues to breathe. I only left before because I had to meet my grandmother. That had been a fun meeting.
“Viktor. Not an Elvin name.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m not an Elf then isn’t it.”
She looks me over paying the most attention to my eyes.
“No, you aren’t. But then I hear you are a Kemp to the king’s daughter. You couldn’t be a Kemp without the Elvin blood and you have my daughter’s eyes.”
Is that a compliment or an insult?
“So did you come looking for a place?”
“I came with Princess Elainne and I leave with her as soon as she is well enough to travel. I don’t give a damn about your family. I didn’t even know about you until we were already here and meeting with the king.”
She stares at me like a predator sizing up a new animal, trying to discover if it is prey or not. She smiles and laughs clapping her hands together as if I have done something to please her. My scowl deepens and I stand to leave.
The king gave us a private audience chamber and I only agreed to meet with her because Elainne made me promise to at least meet with them even though they hadn’t been kind to her. She is unconscious and surrounded by healers so I figured now was a good time to be away. If she destabilizes I will know. It is my life keeping her from dying, my energy holding her to this world. If anything changes I will know even before the healers.
“You are more Elvin than you think boy.”
“I am enough to be Elainne’s and that’s as much as I want to be.”
“So familiar you are towards a princess.”
“She’s not like the rest of you. She wants to know her people.”
“Her father might not care for your relationship.”
“I don’t give a damn about what he or you think. If Elainne thinks I am too familiar she can tell me.”
I stand and walk out slamming the door. I haven’t made it more than a couple of feet when the door opens and she follows me.
“What if I offered you a position in the family? The king said you have the ability to use your Elvin magic and mage power as if you were full blood of both. That is very strong magic.”
“Magic you want on your side?”
She shrugs but doesn’t deny it. I suppose at least she is an honest ass.
“And what would I get from this? In exchange for giving you access to my power?”
“Well how about being heir to my house?”
“Why do I find it hard to believe you would allow someone, not even a half-breed, to become that?”
She smiles and runs her nails along the wall peeling some of the paint off ruining the mural. She swipes a hand and it returns.
“You may have a hard time believing it but I loved your grandfather. I never married, never had any more children other than your mother. I have a brother; his daughter is looking to take control of my family. You are my grandson. As long as you marry a full blood Elf and ensure that the next few generations do as well my family will be basically Elves with mage abilities. Everyone who said what I did was shameful will come to regret those words.”
She wants to use me to stick it to those that shunned her for her love for my grandfather? Is that family love or what? I can see why my mother had no trouble leaving this place behind.
“I think my mother would prefer I be happy. I’m happy being Elainne’s Kemp. It’s what I was born to do.”
She nods smiling.
“Of course. Once she takes the throne you will be Kemp to the Queen as well as head of my household. It’s what will allow you to be married to a full-blooded Elf.”
“Because I am part human and not good enough otherwise right? Just like Elainne.”
“We will support her bid to the throne.”
I shake my head. This is sick. “Because I am her Kemp and you will have an in with her. You know I understand now why Elainne was willing to move from the only place she had ever known. She was right about you, all of you. You only feel the negative emotions. She’s not like that and if she needs to be to become queen I wouldn’t hold my breath, it won’t happen.”
I feel gut-wrenching fear and drop. So much fear. Elainne! I get up and run to her room to find the nurses trying to tie her to the bed.
“Viktor.”
I snap out of memory lane to find the king and a healer back in the room.
“She is weak. We need more energy.”
I nod and grab one of her hands and hold my other out towards the healer.
“Should we not use someone more powerful?”
The healer looks towards the king who looks at my stubborn, determined glare. He is not giving her anything. I made the mistake and I will fix it no matter what happens to me.
“Use the Kemp. He will not permit another’s energy to help her now. His instincts are still in overdrive.”
He is right about that. I am not leaving her side until she is well again and no one is doing any magic without my okay.
I feel the drain as the healer infuses Elainne with some of my energy. She looks less pale and her breathing goes from labored to deep and slow. She is finally in a night of restful sleep. I meanwhile feel like crap.
I have been dealing with her pain for the past two days while she is unconscious. The healers tied her life to mine so she won’t die. I have taken the pain; they said she would have a better chance without her body having the extra stress of it. The king told me Kemps have a higher tolerance for pain than most and after carrying it around I am glad she is free of it. Still, I feel constantly tired and I haven’t slept the entire time she has been touch and go. Which is until now.
“Get some sleep boy. Once she’s moving you need to be able to protect her.”
I nod to the king and lay down on the makeshift bed I have at the foot of her bed and fall almost instantly asleep despite the pain racking through my body.
“Viktor?”
I shoot up at the sound of my name. I have only awaken the past few days to give her more energy, get the fire going again when it went out, and to eat while the healers bathe Elainne. She has been unconscious the whole time and they have fed her via a tube. It hadn’t been pretty but I saw it before the last time she woke.
“I’m here.”
I stand and go over sitting in the chair by the bed. The tube may look bad but it keeps her hydrated and fed. She is not as thin and her skin is back to its normal color.
Giving her my energy has made me little better than a vegetable but she is doing a lot better.
“You’re okay?”
I nod. “Fine.”
She sighs and lifts her hand. I grab it but do’t squeeze she still looks too fragile and I can’t take the chance I will hurt her.
“You look terrible.”
I laugh and shake my head.
“You are quite the energy suck.”
She sighs and shakes her head and tries to pull herself into sitting position. I help her up. Still weak, but not as bad as before.
“You shouldn’t be giving me so much of yourself. How will you protect me if you are unconscious?”
Her father asked the same thing earlier while I was eating as they cleaned her up.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“No, but you are barely better off than me. You’ll likely die in the process of saving me. Then I wouldn’t be saved.”
I know she is just worried about me but it is also a scolding. A reminder that I am being stubborn. Her father has already given me this speech as well.
“I didn’t trust them to use someone else. I wouldn’t know what they were doing to you. I can tell when they take my energy.”
Elainne
I sigh. Viktor, the knight in shining armor. What a dolt. “I appreciate your diligence but if my father didn’t killed me when I was down and out he won’t now. They can heal me faster with a larger reservoir.”
“He said something similar.”
“To what?”
“To everything you said.”
I nod. Yeah, so my father and I think alike…that sucks.
“So how long have I been out?” I will talk about anything to escape the realization that my father and I have similar thoughts.
“Three days since you last woke.”
Wow.
“I met my grandmother.”
That doesn’t sound like it went well. “And?”
Elvin Princess Page 19