Lukas didn't crash immediately, we would have fallen if he did, but as soon as my feet were back on the ground, he did fall into my arms, his mouth nuzzling my neck, his musky scent and the warmth of his body filling my senses.
I stroked his curls, held his chest against mine, and felt him breathing only slightly heavier than normal.
'Do you feel free now, Lukas?' I asked him, and he replied, voice still husky:
'I do, beloved, I do. When he is back through that portal, and the seal back on, I'll feel safer, but having had the opportunity to finally speak to my father has been invaluable.
I want to talk to him even more, with Paul or yourself present always, but I have been able to say my say already.
Everything else we manage to discuss is a bonus. So you think we will be relieved soon? I feel like dancing again.'
And sure enough, within a quarter of an hour George came by with Tristan to take the next watch. Tristan, always the practical one, asked bluntly: 'We'll be partying some more, but what about tonight? Where will we keep him, and does he need to be chained?'
Lukas said mildly: 'He is still in a lot of pain when he is awake, and totally bewildered because he has never known any discomfort.
I think he has extensive nerve-damage, he may be days recovering, in constant severe pain.
My guess is, he will not be up to any mischief, but I'm prepared to miss out on some sleep to spare him a dungeon or shackles.
We can take him home with us, we have those elven watch-dogs.'
But here, George stepped in and said: 'I'd like to keep him here, close to the node but shielded from it. I intend to win his confidence so we will not have an enemy at our back.
With the node I think I can defend myself against him even if he does restore to his full reserve.'
Lukas nodded in agreement, and boldly stated: 'He likes you already George, he inquired who you were and if you would come back.
Paul told me sharing power does that to people, and it seems even a god is not exempt from that rule.'
George unconsciously licked his lips and said: 'Let him come to me, and I'll be waiting eagerly. I know he's your dad, Lukas, but he could be your older brother.'
Looking very cheeky, Lukas remarked: 'A lot older brother, George, he's at least a few centuries old.'
Instead of shocked, George looked hungry: 'Image the tricks he's picked up in all those years.'
Now, Tristan shook his head, and observed: 'Let us get him through the reaction-shock first, and only then sell his services to the highest bidder.'
This got a laugh from all of us, and as the men prepared to seat themselves, we went back towards the party.
After a few yards, Lukas turned around, and I looked back too. George had
seated himself on the chair where Hermes was sleeping, and the still figure came alive for a moment and snuggled against him, then slept on with an arm on George's leg. Lukas and I looked at each other and Lukas said: 'What can I say, I couldn't resist him either,' and we both laughed out loud.
Chapter 52
Lukas went for the dance-floor via one of my sisters, and I went straight for Paul, who was talking to Jonathan, and who pointed his head at my dad sitting down with his parents keeping up an animated conversation.
I just couldn't believe it, my old man, a factory worker, sitting there chatting with the noblest nobles in the county.
'I introduced him to them, he asked me to. They've been sitting there ever since, hanging on the lips of a man they'd not even notice if they met him in the street. Do you have any idea what they're discussing?'
Paul was clearly very curious. I told him: 'I requested him to ask you for the introduction. He knows people somehow, can reach their hearts. I thought he might get them to think about how they treat you, they might learn something.'
Paul bowed his head, and commented: 'So you noticed. Somehow they can never be happy for me, not even now. That is why I didn't want them on our wedding, but it was the right thing to do to ask them, I'm glad George did.
How's our divine guest?'
Jonathan was feeling a bit left out of our conversation, so I asked him if he had been frightened of Hermes when he showed up.
He said: 'Yes, I was, but with so much power all around me I had good hopes it would end well. And I saw Paul carrying a gun, something a guy from ancient Greece will not be familiar with. I thought he could always shoot him, and your dad didn't seem afraid at all, so I guess my fear didn't last long.
The puppy was hilarious, Lucy just adores it. But how is he, Lukas' father?'
I thought he was very diplomatic, to bring the conversation back to Paul's question, and I replied: 'Not very well, he woke up in a lot of pain, as much as you were in when you had been shot, Paul. So I held him in my arms and Lukas got a painkiller.
And Lukas gave him a piece of his mind, until he didn't like his negative feelings anymore and just forgave his dad.
Oh, he speaks only Greek now, so I could only understand Lukas' part of the
conversation. And when the painkiller started to work and I didn't feel sorry for him anymore I felt dirty again, holding him, smelling him after those dreams. But he denied having sent them.'
Jonathan lost me near the end, so I explained: 'A few nights ago, I dreamed of making love to Lukas' dad, not just once but several times. It made me very uncomfortable, and I thought he had sent them to convince me to let Lukas go. But he says he didn't.'
Paul nodded in understanding, and explained: 'I had my doubts about those dreams, after the mirror had moved they went on, but the shields on my home are virtually impenetrable.
And once the mirror was sealed, nothing could pass that seal, and still the dreams went on.
They didn't stop until we got your father's shields, at which exact same moment the elves stopped being able to read our surface thoughts. I suspect our elvish friends sent them, either to amuse themselves or to prime us against what happened today.'
'But how did they know what Lukas' dad looked like?' Jonathan asked.
Boy did he have a quick mind!
'They can see everything in the house, and I guess they studied him for a few days before they alerted us to his presence. The rest of the dream was probably myths combined with their fantasy,' Paul surmised.
Which meant I had been rather unfair towards a seriously injured man, and I felt a little ashamed of myself.
Still, it wasn't as if Hermes himself was a saint. I decided to be nicer to him in the future, but not to beat myself up about this evening.
Now Jonathan asked with a broad grin: 'And, do you feel any different now you're married?'
First, I had to laugh at his cheekiness, he was such a nice kid, I really hoped he'd return to us so we could see him grow up and help him reach his potential.
But then I felt Paul's intensity, and turning towards him I saw he had that look again. My body froze and I had to remind myself to breathe, until he broke the spell by smiling affably and telling Jonathan: 'Naw, nothing's changed, really.'
His eyes didn't leave mine, though, and he gently took me in his arms and kissed me with the same intensity with which he had looked at me, reminding
me instantly of our first weeks together. How much I had wanted him, and how little encouragement he had given me. And after Lukas came, how Paul looked at me with this intensity, but never acted on it, held back by his innate restraint and his misunderstanding of what was going on between Lukas and me.
'Will you dance with me?' sounded Paul's voice, now very low and husky.
I nodded, and Paul said: 'Will you excuse us, Jonathan, I'm taking my lady to the dance-floor.'
And Jonathan replied: 'Good idea, I think I'll find me a nice girl too.'
It was a slow dance, and we had a very nice, intimate time, going through the next two dances in close contact, almost like a dream.
After the second, I released my new husband to Lukas once more, and found myself swept up by my dad, who said: 'Good
, a chance at getting a dance in with my lovely daughter.'
He was glad for the chance to speak to me, and he told me: 'Your husband introduced me to his parents, and they've been more than happy to talk to me.
They realized something was lacking in their interaction with Paul, but they had no idea how to reach him.
I've given them some tips, I hope it helps. They were surprisingly friendly considering the difference in class, I suppose my fearless attitude towards your second father-in-law impressed them.'
I remarked: 'Thanks dad, I hope it helps. I had the feeling Paul isn't even trying anymore, but they truly seem to love him.'
My dad nodded and said: 'They do, I hope they will be able to show him.'
There was something I wanted to share with him: 'I think you did the right thing, dad, forcing Lukas to face his father. But Hermes might have attacked you, do you really think you could have withstood him?'
My dad replied: 'He was pretty awesome, but I think I could have drained him myself, yes. I've this whole circle behind me, you see. With so many other adepts to distract him I am pretty sure we would have managed without casualties.
But of course his own hubris did him in much more efficiently, and more thoroughly. How's he? And how's Lukas?'
'Hermes was still pretty bad, in a lot of pain, Lukas said he had damaged nerve endings,' and my father mused: 'Like a lightning strike, that is excruciatingly painful, I feel sorry for him.'
That made the state Hermes was in clearer to me, I thought he was just overreacting to a bit of pain because he wasn't used to feel it.
I went on: 'He asked what had happened, and Lukas told him, quite accusingly, and didn't want to accept an apology. Lukas explained how being dragged off to heal people would most likely have killed him, and his dad truly seemed to feel that.
Then Lukas threw off his negative feelings and treated his dad as any seriously injured patient, and things looked up. You were right, dad, Lukas needs to be free of negativity, and I think he has a chance to teach his father some compassion.
Hermes doesn't seem to be a bad man, just spoiled by being all-powerful.
Being brought so low, having to rely totally on mere mortals may make him a better person for ever. Though I wouldn't trust him at all whenever he gets his power back.'
Mildly, my dad said: 'I think he may surprise you yet, I think he has the same capacity for loving as his son has. I'm glad Lukas let go of his worst feelings, he is such an untainted creature, I would be intensely sorry to see him hold on to fear or blame.
And what about George, Hermes seemed to trust George a lot?'
I answered: 'Have you heard of transferring power with a direct mind-link?'
My dad's eyes went large: 'Heard of it, yes, but we never do it, we prefer ritual transfer of power. Takes a bit longer, but not as intimate.'
'Well, George had no time for rituals, so he emptied the entire ley-line into Hermes' personal stash to save his life. By the time he regained consciousness George was gone from his mind, but I suppose the link was still there.
George doesn't mind having a god aching for him, he likes young men and will indulge him until it fades. Actually, he is planning not to leave an enemy at his back, and I trust him to act ethically.'
I could see my dad doubted the ethics of using a mind-merge to make an enemy into a friend, but he was not going to argue with me.
Instead he asked: 'So you see ley-lines as well. Can you use them?' I replied:
'I can, I often feed Lukas when he's healing.'
'Who'd have thought that, you showed so little potential as a kid. Well, fortunately Paul saw it before a predator or a witch hunter did. And now you are safely hidden and in control.'
We danced in silence now, and I watched Paul and Lukas, talking animatedly
whilst dancing, and Jonathan, who was dancing with Ilsa.
'Paul's parents already gone away?' I asked my dad, and he replied: 'I think they're with Frances, for a tour of the greenhouse. They told me they are thinking of getting one of their own.'
When the dance was through, the party started to diminish a little, with my sisters and my parents leaving.
We agreed to meet a little more often from now on, and I really looked forward to that, my sisters were much less stuffy than I remembered them.
I decided to sit with George and Tristan for a while, I had hardly seen them or spoken to them all day, and I wondered what they thought of all that had happened.
As I approached I could see that nothing had changed in the time that I had been dancing and chatting, Tristan and George were talking calmly whilst Hermes was sleeping on his long chair, holding on tightly to George in his sleep.
When they set their eyes on me they greeted me cordially, though quietly, and Tristan invited me to sit on the chair next to him.
I asked: 'How is it going?' and George answered: 'Much the same, I think the poor lad is in quite a lot of pain, even though he is fast asleep.'
Tristan chuckled and observed: 'If he's a lad, George, my great-grandma is a toddler! He's centuries old, don't let his innocent looks fool you. Though I agree with you, he seems to be in pain, and he bears it as a boy would: badly.'
'My father compared the effects of nerve-damage to those of a lightning-strike,' I said. Both men showed their sympathy in their expressions, and George commented: 'That would be excruciatingly painful, I hope it's not that bad.
Though I also clearly remember the things he threatened Lukas with, and all of us, so maybe it isn't just a bad thing for him to suffer a little. Might make him a bit more emphatic. Still, I do feel sorry for him.'
With this remark, he looked at Hermes' still form, and as if he'd heard it, a series of spasms seized his body and shook it like a dog would its prey, then left him lying still again.
Tristan observed quietly: 'That didn't look too good, I'll go find Lukas to check on him. And then I'll find Ilsa afterwards, see if she'll dance with me a little more. If I can be of any further use please let me know.'
George looked very worried, and commented: 'What he really needs, is to be
back in his own world, where his power and immortality would be restored instantly.'
I nodded, and said: 'But according to Lukas, that portal's other end lies in a kind of demon world close to his own, he can't cross that in this state.
And I don't think Lukas will volunteer to take him home and face him with his powers restored instantly. Besides, the damage may be slow to heal, I wouldn't be surprised if it cannot be undone by restoring his power.'
I had a feeling that Lukas might want to try another healing, as he had done in Paul's case, if only to be rid of his unwanted visitor that much sooner.
Within minutes of Tristan leaving to find him, Lukas came, bringing Paul.
Lukas asked: 'What happened, Tristan said he had a seizure of some kind?'
He kneeled at his father's side, and touched his face gently, and I was very happy to see that he really seemed to have forgiven his father, for he looked like a concerned son and nothing else. Even George had been less forgiving, thinking out loud that a little suffering might not do this arrogant bully any harm.
'Don't go in without preparation, Lukas, he can seize your mind in his agony and we might never find it again,' Paul said anxiously, 'maybe you shouldn't even touch him without anchor.'
In answer, Lukas held out his one hand to Paul, and only when Paul had kneeled beside him, holding it firmly against his chest, Lukas caressed his father's beautiful features with something much like love.
He explained: 'He was a really good father to me for a long time, doing the things fathers should do for their little boys, playing, teaching, even teasing, but when my mother died when I was near adulthood, it hit him hard, and he started to avoid me.
Maybe I reminded him of her too much, my siblings are only half-siblings, their mothers were not satyrs, they looked more like him. He was milder when she was still alive, I can't remember him ever tryi
ng to sway me with his will before that.
But after she died he grew cold towards me, and when my Gift hadn't blossomed by the time I was an adult, he sent me away to Dionysus' court for herald's training.
I had become quite promiscuous, worse than my people usually are, and I had a bad reputation where we lived, he couldn't have found a spouse for me even if he had wanted to marry me off. I haven't had any sign of love from him for
twenty-five years, and I have not touched him for as long. I've been wanting to do this for a long long time, even if he is not aware right now.
If there is a chance he'll die, or even if he's healed and leaves, I won't have the chance again, so I'll take it now, in remembrance of the good times we spent together.'
And he continued to caress his father really tenderly, finally getting a reaction when Hermes woke up a little, pain in his every feature, but strong enough to reach out a hand to his son and stroking his rough curls, and his cute face.
They were both crying and I could clearly see that Lukas couldn't stand the sight of his father in such pain any longer. He was going to try another healing, and he would need an anchor as well as someone to feed him power.
'I'll anchor you, you can help him find the problem and feed him power. Use mine, the ley-line is still dry,' Paul said quietly, and I sat down beside Lukas on his other side, touching his bare skin under his shirt with my arm, and his mind with a brushing touch of my own mind.
He let me in, and loosened his talent once more.
Despite his pain, Hermes was following the procedure with interest, and I was a bit afraid to enter his private zone, until I felt Paul's sure touch on my mind, our steady anchor to the now, stronger than Hermes in this condition, on our world, a node with easy reach.
And despite George's obvious partiality for the beautiful young man, I trusted him as well to keep an eye on things from an arcane point of view.
Lukas' talent sprang to life, and I managed to follow it this time, searching for the source of the pain, and finding it, simply put, everywhere. All the nerves in his body, visible as lines endlessly branching in this virtual reality of Lukas' talent, spread densely throughout his entire body but especially dense in his skin and organs, and his brain, all those nerves were on fire from the reaction shock.
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