Deakin Returns

I stood waiting by the door, my heart pounding in my chest. It had been two weeks and the aching within my heart was beginning to become unbearable.

I was still fully coming to terms with the new, intense emotions that seemed to envelop my senses when it came to Deakin and I had yet to confirm my suspicions with him. One of those reasons having been his absence.

The other part of me was terrified about being wrong, or even right. I didn’t want to embarrass myself if I put forward the idea of what we could actually mean to each other, if it wasn’t so. I didn’t think my heart could take that.

Tynan stood beside me, dressed in all black, his arm slung possessively across my shoulders. I shivered, horrified and repulsed at his touch, but stood strong. It only reminded me on the torture he had sanctioned – what he had allowed Kainen to do to me.

The memories of that time chained and manacled to the table were still fresh in my mind, and came back with a vengeance each time I closed my eyes to sleep.

I hadn’t slept well since it began.

Tynan’s ever-repulsive darkness pushed against my mind, and I heard him humming a soft tune that sounded somewhat like a lullaby.

Nyssa stood on Tynan’s other side, her eyes narrowed and her lip curled up in disgust. She was dressed in a full-length gown, the train of the dress flowing behind her. I could feel her waves of hatred pushing against my awareness, which only made me smile. If only I knew how to make her suffer it would all be worth it.

A cold, iron grip of disgust wrenched at my heart and made me blink hurriedly. I shook my head imperceptibly. I could not allow myself to lower to her level. I would not let her get to me.

Outside the door, I heard the sound of hooves trotting along the cobbled stone of the courtyard. My heart hammered in my chest so loudly that I thought the whole world would be able to hear it.

There was a murmur of shouting and then the large, oak doors flew open.

“Welcome home,” Tynan boomed with a clear, audible voice.

A group of men entered carrying the man I had been awaiting for, for the last two weeks. His dark hair was windswept and his normally golden skin was flushed pink from the cold morning air.

My eyes followed their progress, my heart in my throat as Tynan physically tensed beside me. He obviously didnt expect them to return like this.

"What the fuck happened?"

One of the men supported Deakin lifted his eyes, his face pale and scared. "Ambushed by the vampires," he managed to huff out as they dropped Deakin onto the ground in front of us. Fresh blood covered the front of Deakin's shirt and I tried to hold back the gasp that threatened to escape.

"I think they were expecting us," a second, older man said, his voice low and gravelly.

Deakin gave a low groan, gaining my attention again. My whole body twitched with the urge to dive headfirst and help him immediately, but Tynan’s hold on me was strong and unrelenting. His fingers dug into my skin. His face twisted into a grimace, his eyes watching me intently.

I waited with baited breath until Tynan finally released me and shoved my forwards. I bent down to Deakin, touching his neck softly with his fingertips. His skin was warm, but his heartbeat was barely there.

“Heal him now,” Tynan ordered me, with a harsh cry.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

I dropped to the floor and rolled Deakin over, hearing another soft groan escape from his lips.

The blood blossomed along the front of his shirt, spreading along the material. I ripped at the shirt that covered his chest, revealing the badly bandaged wound just below his ribs and what looked to be bite marks along his neck.

I used my magic to cut through the bandaging and reveal the wound. The whole area around the cut looked red raw, and a horrid odd yellow colour was visible, letting me that it was beginning to fester around the wound on his chest.

“It’s infected,” I mumbled more to myself than anyone else.

In the background, I heard Tynan order everyone to leave. Nyssa argued but turned and left, her hatred crawling along my skin and into my heart. It muddled my mind and I could almost hear her cynical laughter at the idea of her getting into my head. But what I needed to do right now was not worry about Nyssa, but focus on Deakin.

I pressed my hands against Deakin’s chest feeling his breath coming in short gasps. My awareness pushed out feeling for his wound with my mind’s eye only to recoil in fear and disgust.

I closed my eyes and gasped a breath, trying immensely hard to focus on what I was doing. I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted. Healing him was too important. I wasn’t ready to lose him.

“Why haven’t you healed him yet?” Tynan yelled at me, his voice like ice.

“I’m trying! You yelling at me isn’t making me do it any faster,” I bit back, a strong feeling of indignation rising within me.

Tynan’s anger pushed against my awareness as panic began to wind its way through my chest. What if I couldn’t heal him? What if it was too damaged, too far along?

I forced my frantic mind to focus as I glanced up at Deakin’s face.

His eyes opened weakly, the electric blue colour faded to a soft, sky blue. A small, sad smile touched his lips as our eyes met and I felt everything he wanted to say in that one moment. I needed to do this.

I pushed hard, feeling the pain enter my body. A scream ripped out of my mouth like a guttural roar, as I forced my body to heal, fixing Deakin’s at the same time. I had to save him.

Exhausted from the effort I fell back on the floor, puffing as I tried to catch my breath. Deakin gasped for air at my feet, his wounds healed.

“Get them both to their rooms to rest,” Tynan ordered.

A pair of hands picked me up and carried me away and I was so grateful to the be on the edge of awareness. Still my body wanted to fight against the hands that held me, the darkness crawling and writhing through my body in response. All I wanted was to stay with Deakin. My vision blurred and sound wavered in and out as I was carried upstairs and laid gently on a bed.

Relief flooded my body in realisation that I had saved him. I no longer had to worry about his health and all that was left to do was rest.

My eyes fluttered closed again as my world spun and I passed out, exhaustion pulling me under.