A/N: it's not my plan to write a ton of Nightshade POVs but in this case I couldn't resist. This takes place immediately after Kaylin steps through the portal in Uncharted Waters part 17. Thank you all for reading!
Kaylin's screams echoing through their bond was almost more painful than the magical current racing up Nightshade's arm like lightning. It traced over already burnt and battered skin, leaving the smell of burnt flesh in its wake. He swore, momentarily paralyzed, startling Mandoran and Annarion enough that they turned away from the portal just as they were about to follow Kaylin and her familiar. Fighting against the agony, Nightshade grunted and forced his legs to move toward the portal. His brother's confusion quickly surrendered to alarm at the sight of Nightshade wracked by arcane lightning. Annarion let loose a string of particularly profane examples of the Barrani language and then reddened at the sound of his own unnatural attempt. Mandoran winced and patted Annarion on the shoulder in embarrassed commiseration. For once, Nightshade agreed with Annarion's kyuthe. Had he not been on fire and focused on reaching the portal and Kaylin, he would have advised the boy not to attempt such language again. He had no skill in its execution and Kaylin, who could and frequently did swear proficiently, would take excessive delight in the discovery of new words.
"Something has gone wrong." Nightshade said, grabbing Annarion and Mandoran by the necks of their tunics and shoving them through, unwilling to inadvertently leave his brother behind in his haste to reach Kaylin. In a flurry of colorful feathers flying off the boys, they landed in Helen's parlor with a distinct thud. Nightshade released them and hastened to Kaylin when he saw her nearly convulsing in her familiar's arms. The sleeve on her tunic had been burned away and her arm was faring no better than his. She, however, did not have the benefit of a millennia of experience to temper the pain.
He very nearly snarled at Hope to give her to him, wanting to shout "mine!" as if he were a dragon and not Barrani. Some small part of him was amused; if Kaylin objected to being Erenne, she would not be best pleased to have been declared as hoard. Her familiar was wise. He transferred Kaylin to Nightshade's waiting arms without so much as an angry glare or a dire warning.
Though she was not heavy, he stumbled a little. He was weaker than he would ever care to admit. Her very presence was soothing and a balm as the worst of the pain subsided immediately, along with the lightning across their skin. The burns remained, leaving angry, blistered skin, but the tether fell silent, satisfied once more. As Kaylin clung to his neck, quieted though still violently shaking, the echoes of her screams reverberated in his mind.
Nightshade held Kaylin close, whispering quietly over their bond. I am a fool, Kaylin. I should have known the tether would object to us being literal worlds apart. And now we both have paid the price.
If you're a fool then, I am too. Her internal voice was subdued. She buried her face against his shoulder. He could sense her desire to hide her tears. He told me the tether was to keep you close, like a magically enforced parole, but I was so excited to go home that I forgot. I'm so stupid.
Helen appeared from seemingly nowhere and approached them with concern written across her face. She placed a palm against Kaylin's cheek and met Nightshade's gaze.
"That is enough self-recrimination from both of you. It will solve nothing and right now you both need to be tended. Those burns are severe." Helen interrupted their internal dialogue, causing more than one raised eyebrow. Weakness on his part was never something he cared to have observed and announced but apparently it was inevitable when Kaylin and her house were involved. Nightshade resigned himself to the loss of dignity for Kaylin's sake but was more than a little thankful that the witnesses were limited to Mandoran, Helen, the familiar, and his brother.
"Your tower has been unable to hear your voice and shadow has been amassing on the interior border. Ravellon sensed your absence and thought to exploit it." Helen paused, her brow furrowing. "I believe you have a little time to rest for Kaylin's sake but you must soon return to your fief, Lord Nightshade."
"I can sense the disturbance along the border. Durandel is most displeased with my absence. Even so, I am Lord. He will wait."
"Very well. Come then, before An'Teela and Severn return. I do not believe they will be pleased with Kaylin's injuries." Helen moved away to the stairs. She looked back at him over her shoulder. "Or her current state of dress."
Hope transformed into his smaller form and flew to Nightshade as he carried Kaylin up the stairs. He draped himself across her and rubbed his face across her cheek, warbling softly. Halfway up the staircase, Kaylin grew limp, finally succumbing to her exhaustion and pain. As her head drooped back and her arms grew slack, falling from around Nightshade's neck, she dislodged the familiar. With a squawk and a quick flap of his wings, Hope turned and glared at Nightshade as if it were his doing. Nightshade raised an eyebrow in response to the angry creature. Hope chose fly the rest of the way.
When they reached Kaylin's room, Helen led them inside. She then walked to Kaylin and brushed back the hair from her face.
"It is unfortunate we must try to wake her. I must clean her wounds and help her change as I feel she would not be comfortable with your assistance. Though one must wonder where her own clothes went."
"A question we would much like the answer to as well." Nightshade jostled Kaylin as gently as possible, trying to wake her.
"Keep trying, Lord Nightshade. I will go draw her a bath." Helen left through an adjacent door and while he heard the sounds of taps turning and water running, Nightshade shook her a little again. Waking her soon proved far easier in theory than practice.
"Kaylin. Corporal Neya," he spoke firmly. It was the use of her title that proved effective. If she been healthy, he imaged she would've snapped to attention out of sheer habit but he settled for her eyes opening. She looked around, confused.
"Nightshade, why are we in my bedroom."
"You need a bath and clothing."
"Excuse me." She replied, flatly. "You're not fresh as a daisy yourself."
He supposed he deserved that. If Nightshade was prone to mortal embarrassment, he may have kicked himself for telling a woman in his arms that she need to bathe. Helen chose that moment to exit the bathroom, to his relief. Kaylin wiggled a little, trying to escape his grip. He released her slowly, keeping a grip on her shoulders until she had her legs firmly beneath herself.
"We'll have to be quick as I'm sure the tether will object to your separation." Helen reached her hands out to help guide Kaylin to the bathroom. She glanced back at Nightshade. "Stay near in case the tether flares before we are done."
Nightshade nodded his agreement, amused when he observed the moment Kaylin realized there was a possibility he'd have to come to her rescue in the bathtub. Her cheeks turned quite red which was a welcome addition of color to her otherwise sickly, pale face.
"Let's make this quick." Kaylin hobbled ahead of Helen, determined to be done before it became necessary to make contact again. She was squeamish. He would not be surprised if she attempted to bathe fully clothed.
In what was a surprisingly short amount of time, Helen slipped out of the bathroom.
"I have tended her burns and she is dressing now. I will leave this for you." Helen handed him gauze and what appeared to be a burn cream. "An'Teela and Severn have just arrived and are anxious. They will be even less pleased to learn you will need to bring Kaylin into the fief with you. I will attempt to explain before one of them attempts something rash. I do not need to tell you that I will keep watch. She is dear to me, Lord Nightshade."
"I will not harm her."
"Indeed. You are struggling to guard your thoughts. It's rather enlightening." With that discomfiting statement, Helen slipped out the door. Within minutes, shouts of outrage followed by the sounds of stomping feet up the stairs filtered through the walls. He supposed that meant the conversation went rather poorly.
"Severn dear, you may not go in Kaylin's room."
"Please stand aside, Helen." Ah, yes. It would seem the Wolf was on the hunt.
"I will not and you know better than to think that even if I did stand aside the door would open for you if I forbid it. You are not thinking clearly, dear. Kaylin is alive and any harm she has come to has not been due to Lord Nightshade. They both need to rest and as
I have already explained, they can't be separated right now."
Setting the gauze and cream down, Nightshade opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Severn went very still. Helen sighed and shook her head.
"You can't just keep her in your fief with you." Severn said in very stiff, outraged Barrani.
"I fail to see that we have much of a choice in the matter. I am needed in the fief."
"Kaylin is needed here." Severn took a step forward, before Helen stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me what choice do you suppose we have? If we cannot break the tether and we cannot be separated from each other, that leaves us with very few alternatives. Shadow is amassing along the interior border in my absence. I am best able to defend the fief from within."
"You've left your fief before."
"I journeyed to the West March, not another world. That is hardly the same and if you think that was without cost then you are mistaken."
"Enough," Kaylin interrupted before slipping around Nightshade into the hall. She reached her arms out to Severn. As he pulled her into his arms, he visibly relaxed but never stopped glaring at Nightshade. The fieflord raised an eyebrow at the implied threat. Nightshade could tell from the growing heat in the tether that he was going to have to make contact with Kaylin. She released Severn and looked up at him.
"I'll be ok. We'll talk later. Right now I really need a nap."
"With Nightshade." Severn snapped.
"Severn, please..." Kaylin's voice was nearly shaking from exhaustion. "I'll explain later."
Severn nodded his reluctant, unhappy assent before kissing her on the forehead. Kaylin turned and wobbled to Nightshade, clearly feeling the tether's displeasure. A few steps away her legs gave out and she began falling towards him. He swept her up in his arms before she could faceplant. She wrapped her arms around him, oblivious to Severn's displeasure. His hands were twitching near the hilts of his knives. Nightshade nodded, unconcerned, at him before reentering Kaylin's room and shutting the door behind him.
"Severn, come. Perhaps you can put that anger to good use and assist me in scolding Annarion and Mandoran. That's the second time their misadventures have put Kaylin in harm's way." Helen's voice grew quieter as she led Severn away from Kaylin's door.
Nightshade took an obscene amount of pleasure in pushing the boundaries of Severn's tolerance. He appreciated the role the young man played in Kaylin's protection but needling him gave him a no small amount of joy. He had no desire to share Kaylin but Kaylin was ridiculously strong-willed. He never deceived himself into believing he could command Kaylin to give up her Wolf. There was little point in issuing commands that would be blatantly ignored. She was much like An'Teela in this regard and only a fool thought to command An'Teela and expect obedience.
Kaylin was very nearly asleep again so Nightshade set her on the bed. He settled in next to her and covered them both with her blankets before taking hold of her hand. Hope settled above Kaylin's head, keeping a watchful eye. The tether seemed to call for closer contact but he made the attempt to resist the urge. Especially since Helen was hearing more than she would normally. He was startled out of that line of thought when Kaylin whimpered quietly. He could sense the pain in her badly burnt wrist through the bond. He regretted that she had gone through such to obtain his release. It was... difficult. He lifted their joined hands so he could see the magical tethers binding them. Kaylin rolled towards him and buried her face against his chest. He wrapped a protective arm around her. She tilted her face up and blinked slowly at him.
"We're home, Nightshade." She asked, her voice sleepy. She raised a shaking hand to rub her eye. He didn't think she was fully aware of her actions when she then wrapped that arm around him and pulled herself closer. She buried her face once more.
"Yes," he responded, heart stuttering a little. Kaylin's contentment was humming through their bond. Not that he had any objections but she was being very affectionate.
"You said I could have steamed milk if we got home." She mumbled against his chest.
"You shall have it."
"My arm hurts. Everything hurts."
"I am sorry for it, Kaylin."
She looked up again, concern written across her face.
"We didn't take care of your burns yet." She tried to pull away but Nightshade just pulled her back.
"It will wait."
Kaylin seemed satisfied with his response and stopped fighting to stay awake. She was asleep almost instantly. He wondered how she was going to take relocating to Castle Nightshade. More than likely she would not be pleased but he could handle her ire. Their options were rather limited. Resolving to think on the subject later, he closed his eyes and, nearly as content as Kaylin, he too fell asleep.