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jamjarFlying was always satisfying, even now when he was growing steadily more worried about what Davy might have got himself into. Mark propelled himself forwards, moving as quickly as he could and was aware of Sir Elian struggling to keep up behind him. He knew he was heading in the right direction when he felt his magic cut out, suddenly and completely. Somewhat used to this, he kept on by sheer muscle power and smiled as he felt Elian tumble to the groaned behind him. As much as he'd love to stay and smirk, he couldn't afford to wait.
He flew above the trees, circling until he heard Davy. It was difficult to go to ground through the branches and with no magic. In the end, he had to fold up his wings an drop the last twenty feet, landing in a crouch on the forest floor.
Davy was sobbing. His wings hurt to look at, bent at obscene angles, corners where there should only be smooth lines. It took a moment to register Beatrix staring at him, phone in hand. She was kneeling next to Davy one hand stroking his hair.
"What happened?" Mark said. He had an almost overpowering urge to step back, away from his little brother, the wreckage of his wings and his completely unrestrained null-field, but practicality raised its head. He had a better knowledge of what damage a body could take than most, and even though his instinct was to retreat, he forced himself forwards.
"He was climbing and he fell," Beatrix said, tone characteristically curt. "I phoned the house, they should send a healer."
"Phone them again, make them send someone with non-magic training," he ordered. "Healers won't work near Davy, not like this." He knelt down next to Davy and started to examine him, forcing his eyes open. Davy registered Mark's presence for the first time.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts," Davy said, trying to grab Mark's sleeve, then screaming. Mark added broken wrist to the mental list of injuries.
"Stay still, Davy," he said. This close, he realised that it wasn't just the sight of Davy making him feel nauseous. Davy's null-field was out of control and it was making him feel sick to be so close to it.
"Mark, my wings, I..." and another scream, when Mark touched his left wing. "They're broken, I know it, I know it, I..."
"Davy, listen to me." Mark grabbed Davy's chin and forced him to meet his eyes. He could see Beatrix start and open her mouth to protest out of the corner of his eye and ignored her. "Davy, you have to keep control."
"Hurtshurtshurtshurts." Davy's eyes lost focus.
"Davy!" He half-screamed Davy. "Keep it in! Now! The healers won't be able to help you if you..." Another wave of that soul-sucking power, then Davy somehow managed to drag it back. Mark swayed in relief.
"Good boy, good brother," he said, mutter nonsense words and stroking Davy's cheek. "Like that." he rubbed away tear tracks with his thumb and tried to give his voice the same reassuringly firm tone his father had, like his will was enough to make everything he said the way it was going to be. "You're strong, your wings will heal, it's only pain, that's not enough to stop a Sartain."
He could still feel Davy's aura washing over him in waves, but nothing like the horrible sensation of a moment ago. Davy's face looked pale and his skin felt clammy. Mark crouched down and brought his wing down to cover Davy like a blanket. People died of shock, didn't they? But not a Drakthos, though, not a Sartain, not one of his parent's offspring, they were too strong, surely. Davy couldn't die, not like this. Mark could not fail in his oath to protect him. He wanted, more than anything else, to hunt down and destroy the people responsible, starting with Beatrix and Sir Elian but moving through everyone connected by even four degrees to Elian's company, but if he left Davy now he'd start panicking again and without some control, no healer could get within ten foot of him.
"Sir, you need to move away." He hadn't even heard him arrive, but there was a mostly human man standing next to him, one hand on his shoulder.
He started to straighten up and felt Davy's tenuous control slipping. "Keep control, Davy," he said, before turning to face the man. "His wings are... there are too many bones broken to count," he said to the medic. "And his wrist, and at least two ribs."
"No internal bleeding," the man muttered to himself, hands hovering above Davy, "but it feels like... God!" He threw himself away, staring at his hands. "My... it's gone, it's just..." and then he shook his head to clear it and got up slowly. "Is this normal- does he have a curse?" he said, looking at Mark. He didn't wait for an answer, grabbing his bad and opening it. "Okay, that makes things... Didn't know we'd need wing braces and... Uh. no magic, Beatrix, phoned the hospital, get them to send an ambulance to the main gates. And get Katya to bring a stretcher or something. You're the brother?" He looked up from rummaging around in the bag to ask Mark.
"Yes." Mark said, looking up from Davy. He was keeping one hand on Davy's shoulder, hoping the contact would stop him from losing it. "Will he live?" His voice was cold enough to make Beatrix flinch, though he was aware that Davy seemed almost reassured by it.
"I think so, I didn't get much of a feel before..." And the man broke out of his efficient medical persona to add a panicked "What did he do to me? My power's gone. It just feels empty, like I've used it too much. It will come back, won't it?"
"Do you think I'd be so close to him if I thought I'd lose my glamour permanently," Mark hissed. "Get back here. Fix him."
The man nodded, training winning out over instinctive fear. He knelt next to Davy and began asking questions in a calm voice. "What happened."
"He was climbing and he fell down. I don't know how far, sixty feet at least. he caught a lot of the branches on his way down. I think they broke his fall a little, but he landed on his wings and they just *crunched.*" Her voice broke in a completely unBeatrix-like way.
The man looked at her, taking in the way her nails were digging into her palms. "Beatrix, go and meet the ambulance at the gate. Make sure they don't drive in," he said, obviously expecting obedience. Beatrix nodded and got up, stumbling slightly before walking away fast enough to be called fleeing.
Mark looked at the man, re-judging him. Almost human, but partly not, and he commanded Beatrix like he was used to it. No wings, but there was something around the jaw line. "Are you one of Elian's?"
The man nodded distractedly. "Uh huh, my grandfather. Does he have any allergies, any bad reactions to medications?"
"I don't know, he's never had any."
"Katya's coming, she's got more healing talent than me. She should be here soon, but she had to walk. Wait, maybe she should stay away, if he wipes out her power too..."
"Davy can control his field, enough to take a healing at least, but the pain distracts him." He was controlling it already, although the man hadn't realised it. Davy was breathing through the pain, still crying and holding Mark's arm strong enough to pass some of that pain on, but managing to keep his field from spiraling out of control anyway. Mark felt a twinge of pride at the sight.
The man looked up. "I can give him something for the pain."
"Nothing to dull his mind," Mark said. "Take away the pain, but he has to stay conscious to maintain control."
"Don't want much, do you? But I think... There!" He held up a syringe. "Okay, Davy, I'm going to give you an injection now. It should help the pain."
"Help it get more or less," Mark's little brother said, trying to lean away from the needle. "Mark." He dug his nails into Mark's arm. Davy was young and naive, but not sheltered.
"It will lessen the pain," Mark said. "I promise."
The man looked disturbed at this exchange, but took Mark's words as permission and gave Davy the injection.
Elian's grandson closed his eyes to think. "If he has to keep in conscious control... the healing spells will need to be renewed every time he does that." Accompanied by a vague gesture to indicate magic being wiped out. When will I get my magic back?"
"It varies," Mark said. "What about his wings?"
"I don't know, we'll have to wait and... Katya!"
Mark looked up to see a slim dark fae that had arrived, along with Sir Elian who was standing well back. "What happened, Robert?" she asked, before being waved back by Robert.
"Careful he has something that negates magic. You think he can control it enough for Katya to help?" Robert asked Mark.
"Yes, he can," Mark said, looking Davy in the eye. Davy nodded and gritted his teeth when Mark moved to make way for Katya.
"You'll need to lay in quick healing," Robert said as Mark walked over to Sir Elian. "Short bursts, nothing left."
Sir Elian was leaning against a tree, watching the proceedings with a calm air that didn't fool Mark for a minute. He could smell fear on him.
"You told me no harm would come to my brother on your land," Mark said. "You gave your word twice before we came and after we arrived that my Brother would not be hurt here." He stood an arms length away from Sir Elian. "Promise-breaker," Mark said in a dangerously soft voice. "You pride yourself on your fae heritage, don't you? But you can't keep your word worth a Chaos-cursed cent. Unseelie would view you with contempt. Seelie would do worse, for having a child hurt here after you swore to his safety. Even humans would think twice before doing business with you."
Or not. Humans could be too understanding of accidents and even hardcore fae weren't; immune to the effects of good PR, but Sir Elian was too involved in appearing the perfect fae to be rational about this. "I'll pay for his treatment, of course," Sir Elian said, looking over Mark's shoulder. "I can arrange for the best doctors, if healers are no use."
Mark followed his gaze. Katya has standing back while Robert was doing something to Davy's wing. Davy screamed once and Mark felt his control slip for a moment, before Robert started talking to him and Davy's field retreated. Katya rejoined them, touching the newly set wing while Robert got bandages and splints out of the bag.
"You will do that at the least. If you hadn't been playing your petty little power games, none of this would have happened," Mark gave a humourless smile. "Even without breaking your promise, that alone would make most people reluctant to do business with you. You know, I had thought my business depended on our agreeing a contract, on me being able to play nice with others over a weekend, but if this deal falls though, it won't be my reputation damaged by an explanation."
Sir Elian closed his eyes. "I will have the contract signed and delivered to your office on Monday. I'll need time to get the others' signatures."
"You do that. And for future reference, you will not show up to any meetings between ZauberCorp and SelSoft. You will do your best to help ZauberCorp thrive and to ensure that everyone else treats me and mine with the respect you know we're due. Oh, and you'll give me Beatrix." Mark smiled, not bothering to hide his teeth. "I think she'll be useful to have around while I'm still distracted and emotional over this."
Sir Elian nodded, eyes still closed.
"Good," Mark said. he could hear a siren in the distance and looking over, could see that Robert had heard it as well. "I'll be leaving with Davy in the ambulance now. Send our things to the hospital after I've gone." He started to walk over to Davy, then stopped and turned back to Sir Elian. He waited until Elian had opened his eyes warily, then smiled, not bothering to hide his teeth.
"And you know, if Davy's wings are permanently damaged? All that still won't be enough to protect you. Thank you for a lovely weekend, Sir Elian. Goodbye."
end
He flew above the trees, circling until he heard Davy. It was difficult to go to ground through the branches and with no magic. In the end, he had to fold up his wings an drop the last twenty feet, landing in a crouch on the forest floor.
Davy was sobbing. His wings hurt to look at, bent at obscene angles, corners where there should only be smooth lines. It took a moment to register Beatrix staring at him, phone in hand. She was kneeling next to Davy one hand stroking his hair.
"What happened?" Mark said. He had an almost overpowering urge to step back, away from his little brother, the wreckage of his wings and his completely unrestrained null-field, but practicality raised its head. He had a better knowledge of what damage a body could take than most, and even though his instinct was to retreat, he forced himself forwards.
"He was climbing and he fell," Beatrix said, tone characteristically curt. "I phoned the house, they should send a healer."
"Phone them again, make them send someone with non-magic training," he ordered. "Healers won't work near Davy, not like this." He knelt down next to Davy and started to examine him, forcing his eyes open. Davy registered Mark's presence for the first time.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts," Davy said, trying to grab Mark's sleeve, then screaming. Mark added broken wrist to the mental list of injuries.
"Stay still, Davy," he said. This close, he realised that it wasn't just the sight of Davy making him feel nauseous. Davy's null-field was out of control and it was making him feel sick to be so close to it.
"Mark, my wings, I..." and another scream, when Mark touched his left wing. "They're broken, I know it, I know it, I..."
"Davy, listen to me." Mark grabbed Davy's chin and forced him to meet his eyes. He could see Beatrix start and open her mouth to protest out of the corner of his eye and ignored her. "Davy, you have to keep control."
"Hurtshurtshurtshurts." Davy's eyes lost focus.
"Davy!" He half-screamed Davy. "Keep it in! Now! The healers won't be able to help you if you..." Another wave of that soul-sucking power, then Davy somehow managed to drag it back. Mark swayed in relief.
"Good boy, good brother," he said, mutter nonsense words and stroking Davy's cheek. "Like that." he rubbed away tear tracks with his thumb and tried to give his voice the same reassuringly firm tone his father had, like his will was enough to make everything he said the way it was going to be. "You're strong, your wings will heal, it's only pain, that's not enough to stop a Sartain."
He could still feel Davy's aura washing over him in waves, but nothing like the horrible sensation of a moment ago. Davy's face looked pale and his skin felt clammy. Mark crouched down and brought his wing down to cover Davy like a blanket. People died of shock, didn't they? But not a Drakthos, though, not a Sartain, not one of his parent's offspring, they were too strong, surely. Davy couldn't die, not like this. Mark could not fail in his oath to protect him. He wanted, more than anything else, to hunt down and destroy the people responsible, starting with Beatrix and Sir Elian but moving through everyone connected by even four degrees to Elian's company, but if he left Davy now he'd start panicking again and without some control, no healer could get within ten foot of him.
"Sir, you need to move away." He hadn't even heard him arrive, but there was a mostly human man standing next to him, one hand on his shoulder.
He started to straighten up and felt Davy's tenuous control slipping. "Keep control, Davy," he said, before turning to face the man. "His wings are... there are too many bones broken to count," he said to the medic. "And his wrist, and at least two ribs."
"No internal bleeding," the man muttered to himself, hands hovering above Davy, "but it feels like... God!" He threw himself away, staring at his hands. "My... it's gone, it's just..." and then he shook his head to clear it and got up slowly. "Is this normal- does he have a curse?" he said, looking at Mark. He didn't wait for an answer, grabbing his bad and opening it. "Okay, that makes things... Didn't know we'd need wing braces and... Uh. no magic, Beatrix, phoned the hospital, get them to send an ambulance to the main gates. And get Katya to bring a stretcher or something. You're the brother?" He looked up from rummaging around in the bag to ask Mark.
"Yes." Mark said, looking up from Davy. He was keeping one hand on Davy's shoulder, hoping the contact would stop him from losing it. "Will he live?" His voice was cold enough to make Beatrix flinch, though he was aware that Davy seemed almost reassured by it.
"I think so, I didn't get much of a feel before..." And the man broke out of his efficient medical persona to add a panicked "What did he do to me? My power's gone. It just feels empty, like I've used it too much. It will come back, won't it?"
"Do you think I'd be so close to him if I thought I'd lose my glamour permanently," Mark hissed. "Get back here. Fix him."
The man nodded, training winning out over instinctive fear. He knelt next to Davy and began asking questions in a calm voice. "What happened."
"He was climbing and he fell down. I don't know how far, sixty feet at least. he caught a lot of the branches on his way down. I think they broke his fall a little, but he landed on his wings and they just *crunched.*" Her voice broke in a completely unBeatrix-like way.
The man looked at her, taking in the way her nails were digging into her palms. "Beatrix, go and meet the ambulance at the gate. Make sure they don't drive in," he said, obviously expecting obedience. Beatrix nodded and got up, stumbling slightly before walking away fast enough to be called fleeing.
Mark looked at the man, re-judging him. Almost human, but partly not, and he commanded Beatrix like he was used to it. No wings, but there was something around the jaw line. "Are you one of Elian's?"
The man nodded distractedly. "Uh huh, my grandfather. Does he have any allergies, any bad reactions to medications?"
"I don't know, he's never had any."
"Katya's coming, she's got more healing talent than me. She should be here soon, but she had to walk. Wait, maybe she should stay away, if he wipes out her power too..."
"Davy can control his field, enough to take a healing at least, but the pain distracts him." He was controlling it already, although the man hadn't realised it. Davy was breathing through the pain, still crying and holding Mark's arm strong enough to pass some of that pain on, but managing to keep his field from spiraling out of control anyway. Mark felt a twinge of pride at the sight.
The man looked up. "I can give him something for the pain."
"Nothing to dull his mind," Mark said. "Take away the pain, but he has to stay conscious to maintain control."
"Don't want much, do you? But I think... There!" He held up a syringe. "Okay, Davy, I'm going to give you an injection now. It should help the pain."
"Help it get more or less," Mark's little brother said, trying to lean away from the needle. "Mark." He dug his nails into Mark's arm. Davy was young and naive, but not sheltered.
"It will lessen the pain," Mark said. "I promise."
The man looked disturbed at this exchange, but took Mark's words as permission and gave Davy the injection.
Elian's grandson closed his eyes to think. "If he has to keep in conscious control... the healing spells will need to be renewed every time he does that." Accompanied by a vague gesture to indicate magic being wiped out. When will I get my magic back?"
"It varies," Mark said. "What about his wings?"
"I don't know, we'll have to wait and... Katya!"
Mark looked up to see a slim dark fae that had arrived, along with Sir Elian who was standing well back. "What happened, Robert?" she asked, before being waved back by Robert.
"Careful he has something that negates magic. You think he can control it enough for Katya to help?" Robert asked Mark.
"Yes, he can," Mark said, looking Davy in the eye. Davy nodded and gritted his teeth when Mark moved to make way for Katya.
"You'll need to lay in quick healing," Robert said as Mark walked over to Sir Elian. "Short bursts, nothing left."
Sir Elian was leaning against a tree, watching the proceedings with a calm air that didn't fool Mark for a minute. He could smell fear on him.
"You told me no harm would come to my brother on your land," Mark said. "You gave your word twice before we came and after we arrived that my Brother would not be hurt here." He stood an arms length away from Sir Elian. "Promise-breaker," Mark said in a dangerously soft voice. "You pride yourself on your fae heritage, don't you? But you can't keep your word worth a Chaos-cursed cent. Unseelie would view you with contempt. Seelie would do worse, for having a child hurt here after you swore to his safety. Even humans would think twice before doing business with you."
Or not. Humans could be too understanding of accidents and even hardcore fae weren't; immune to the effects of good PR, but Sir Elian was too involved in appearing the perfect fae to be rational about this. "I'll pay for his treatment, of course," Sir Elian said, looking over Mark's shoulder. "I can arrange for the best doctors, if healers are no use."
Mark followed his gaze. Katya has standing back while Robert was doing something to Davy's wing. Davy screamed once and Mark felt his control slip for a moment, before Robert started talking to him and Davy's field retreated. Katya rejoined them, touching the newly set wing while Robert got bandages and splints out of the bag.
"You will do that at the least. If you hadn't been playing your petty little power games, none of this would have happened," Mark gave a humourless smile. "Even without breaking your promise, that alone would make most people reluctant to do business with you. You know, I had thought my business depended on our agreeing a contract, on me being able to play nice with others over a weekend, but if this deal falls though, it won't be my reputation damaged by an explanation."
Sir Elian closed his eyes. "I will have the contract signed and delivered to your office on Monday. I'll need time to get the others' signatures."
"You do that. And for future reference, you will not show up to any meetings between ZauberCorp and SelSoft. You will do your best to help ZauberCorp thrive and to ensure that everyone else treats me and mine with the respect you know we're due. Oh, and you'll give me Beatrix." Mark smiled, not bothering to hide his teeth. "I think she'll be useful to have around while I'm still distracted and emotional over this."
Sir Elian nodded, eyes still closed.
"Good," Mark said. he could hear a siren in the distance and looking over, could see that Robert had heard it as well. "I'll be leaving with Davy in the ambulance now. Send our things to the hospital after I've gone." He started to walk over to Davy, then stopped and turned back to Sir Elian. He waited until Elian had opened his eyes warily, then smiled, not bothering to hide his teeth.
"And you know, if Davy's wings are permanently damaged? All that still won't be enough to protect you. Thank you for a lovely weekend, Sir Elian. Goodbye."
end
