Chapter 9

In Love

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I DID IT!!! I FINISHED MY CHAPTER!!! I'm sooooo sorry that this took like 4 ever to put up and I'm so glad that you are all very patient with me. Guess what I MADE 100 REVIEWS!!! Thank you so much to everyone and I would like to thank everyone who made this possible and special thanks to everyone who read my last chapter and reviewed Perfectperfect, LoniGirl, MB, WindPrincess1, White-wolf2, Angel of Wind, Someone Like Kel, SperryDee, thekeeperofwords, Mage Gurl 05, Eri, Terriah, Protector of the Small, Rowana Silvakisma, cracked in the head, Random Person, Princess Sanidaylene, Angel4Eva3, CrystalLili, Anonymous, Amanda, Dragon, Red Sapphire, Midnight Knight, KokoAstra and KALLY!!!(I also would like to thank MBKKDiamondBacks because I thought that I had lost that visor and so it's good to know where I could find it at (you little nut!!))

Also something awesome happened with my last reviews, my pen pal from NY found my work and reviewed that was so incredible awesome I would just like to say thank you to her and that I am writing a letter (

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The whole morning and half the afternoon had come and gone and Kel had felt every minute of it trickle by. When they finally brought Dom back she was great full that she hadn't eaten the stale bread they had left because she wasn't sure that it would have stayed down. For a split second she thought he was dead and that this was just a sick game they were playing with her. His arm was at a definite wrong angle. Blood was soaking through his pant legs and flowing from his mouth. But slowly his bare chest began to rise and fall steadily.

Kel let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She immediately knelt down to smooth the hair away from his face. Since he was unconscious now was probably the best time for her to work. She didn't want to have to pop that dislocated shoulder while he was awake. One of the few things Neal had taught her about healing was how to deal with dislocations and they weren't pretty especially since unlike Neal she didn't have the Gift.

'I'm not going to have any bandages left,' she thought ripping off some more of her dress, 'Well first things first.' She gently rolled up his pant leg. That was the 2nd time in the last few minutes that her stomach dropped. The smell of burnt flesh would have been enough to make any one sick.

'Black God have mercy on them, for if I ever get my hands on them they won't be so lucky,' she swore. They had burned a red hot M into his calf, probably so he would always have a reminder of this trip. When Kel tried to touch it, she found out it was still fire hot. As she tried to hold back the tears that she rarely ever had to deal with she turned to his other leg, after she saw this one she was unable to keep hold of one single tear that slowly trickled down her cheek. They had cut an S into his other calf with a gutting knife. No healer would be able to cover the sign of Maggur and Scanran now.

As she started to bandage him up she started to think 'How much longer can he hold out? How could he hold on this long? What if it had been me! I don't think I could have made it this far.' Millions of thoughts raced through her mind. Slowly she continued to clean out the rest of his wounds and wash away the blood. When she had finally finished with everything she was so tired she could only manage to curl up next to Dom. She fell asleep so fast she didn't notice the two tiny sparrows that landed on the windowsill above.

Sometime during the night Dom woke up to the most pain he had ever felt in his life. The nightmare of the day before came rushing back to him. The inside of his mouth still hurt from biting on it so hard that it bled freely. That was the only way he knew to keep from screaming. The things they had said to him, about his family, what they would do to everyone, even that it didn't matter if he said anything they would kill everyone anyway. Through all of that Dom had known they were bluffing and had kept silent. But he had barely been able to contain himself when grinned at him and said,

"Still not talking? May be's your tongue would loosen abit for your young lady."

All he had wanted to do at that moment was to reach out and strangle that man. How dare that piece of filth even mention her! He wanted to kill the man and tell him that if he ever laid a finger on her he wouldn't get to see the sun rise. But he didn't. Through it all he kept silent. 'For her' he kept telling himself 'to protect her'. Every time he came close to that breaking point the times when his head told him just to give it up he had done the best he could, that no one would blame him, he reminded himself that she would. Only she would never say it that plain, because she would be dead. And for that he would blame himself. So he kept his secrets to himself. He gazed one more time at the young woman beside him. And as he lay down to sleep with her curled up next to him he whispered softly in her ear,

"For you Kel, always for you."

Kel was the first of the two to wake in the morning. Training made her mind start up, but her body begged her not to move. Each one of her senses telling her that she was warm and comfortable; with a sigh of regret she opened her eyes. They immediately fell upon Dom's still form lying next to her.

'I won't go through another day of this. One way or the other we get out of her today,' she thought. Slowly she crawled away from Dom's still form. After stretching she began to practice her glaive dance. Even without her weapon she could go through every motion perfectly with grace and serenity, going faster and faster until suddenly she came to a quick complete stop. Keeping her perfect kill position she panted trying to catch her breath. Her eyes quickly glanced to Dom. She was startled when she found his eyes were open and staring straight at her.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked slowly standing back up straight.

"Long enough, please don't stop, that was beautiful."

Kel hoped that the blush that was rising in her cheeks looked like it was just because of her exercising.

'Stop being silly,' she silently chided herself, 'he was talking about the dance. Honestly the Yamanis would have already tossed you out of court.'

"I'm tired anyway. I'm getting out of shape." She said taking a final stretch. A disbelieving snort met her ears making her scowl. Edging closer to the wall favoring his strong shoulder Dom pushed himself up, which was no easy task given his full condition.

"We've got to find away out of here." Kel said coming to sit next to him. "Do you know when the guards are coming back?"

Just thinking about them made her angry. Kel had been in an internal battle all night long. When the guards came the next day she wanted to be ready for them, she figured she would be able to take both of them since Dom could barely stand, she would have to. All she ever thought about anymore was him. 'Of course he's all you think about he's being slowly killed for you.' 'It's not just that,' another part of her said, 'this is deeper, like something that's been growing inside for a long time and I'm just starting to notice it. I know what a crush is and it's not the same. I've never had anyone who really makes me laugh and make me forget my troubles as well as he do. H always makes everything alright.' 'Listen to yourself you sound like one of those silly chits in ...'

"Kel!"

"What!" she cried coming back to the present.

"Are you alright?" Dom said concern filling his voice.

"Hmm.oh yes I'm fine, what were you saying?"

"I just told you that the guards weren't coming today. Are you sure that you're all right?" he said turning her face so she was looking at him.

"I promise." She said gently reassuring him, she covered his strong hand with her own. Dom sighed deeply as he let his hand drop knowing she wouldn't say anything else about it.

"Why aren't they coming today?!" Kel exclaimed in surprise remembering the topic they had been discussing.

"It's a mind game they play," he spat out bitterly, "I over heard two of the guards talking. They give you a day of hope in which you're so petrified that they might come any way that you don't enjoy it and then they shatter all fantasies of survival the next. So we've only got one day to get ready. Help me up Kel I've got to get my muscles moving again." Kel silently helped him stand and for the first time in a long while she felt like there was a reason for her to go on.

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