Chapter Ten
The Monster and His Effects
She ran the brush over his silky coat and thought.
So Neal had a girl on his mind, nothing new. But what if that girl was her? Remembering Coriolis' words made her think it might be, but Neal had told Alanna that he lied. Did he lie about that? Then, he had told her it wasn't Yuki, that she knew who it was. If it wasn't Yuki, why couldn't it be her?
Fickle girl Keladry of Mindelan, her mind scolded.
Why couldn't it be her though? What did Yuki have that she didn't?
Beauty, her mind told her, and shyness, frailness. She knows what a man wants. She knows how to please- how to be desirable.
I can be desirable. She got chills when she thought about how Coriolis desired her.
"Lady!" Tobe ran to her, and she was snapped from her thoughts.
"Hey Tobe, what are you doing here?" she gave him a quick hug.
"Helping Stephan," he responded. "Daine's teaching me some things too."
"Oh I see," Kel nodded. She had always wondered when Daine would take him under her wing, literally. She laughed at the thought.
"What's funny?" Tobe inquired.
"Nothing, nothing," Kel waved it off.
"Did you have your talk with Neal yet?" he watched as Kel put Peachblossom back in his stall, much to his dismay.
"What?" Kel asked as she turned around, finishing locking the stall door.
"Daine told me I couldn't see you and Neal until you had your talk, whatever that means," he shrugged, and Kel smiled.
"Well, you know Neal. He only does things on his terms. He hasn't wanted to answer my questions quite yet, but he'll get there."
Tobe grinned and laughed, and something hit Kel.
"Tobe, could you-can I ask you some…questions, about when you and Neal and Dom were with Coriolis?" Kel questioned gently.
Tobe grimaced but nodded.
"Let's walk," she suggested, and they walked around the palace. After a silence Kel began gently. "Did Coriolis ever mention me, in front of them?"
"All the time," Tobe answered; his eyes were glazed over, remembering. "You were all he ever talked about. Neal tried to attack several times, but Coriolis just hit him back. Dom didn't know what to do. He had no sword, no weapon. Only Neal could protect us, but Coriolis hated him. He…" Tobe stopped.
"He what?" Kel persisted carefully.
"He showed him things, things that Dom and I couldn't see."
"In his dreams?" Kel nodded; she knew that.
"No," Tobe's eyes were intense. "All the time. Every time he saw Neal he would show him things. He would-would whisper and scream. He'd get sick and sweat. He took it all and still fought back," he shuddered. "I know it was bad; I've never seen someone do that before…"
By this time they had reached the palace walls, and Kel squinted and saw Roald running toward her.
"Prince Roald," Kel and Tobe bowed, but Roald pain no mind and forged on.
"Lady Keladry, we've been looking everywhere for you. You're needed right away," he seemed breathless, and Kel guessed it was something drastic to have the Prince running after her like a petty messenger.
"What's wrong?" Kel demanded, too scared to mind her manners.
"It's Sir Nealan, he's fallen dreadfully ill. Neither Duke Baird, nor Master Numair can discern it. He's screaming your name," he answered, and Kel's eyes shot toward the palace.
"Thank you, Prince," she bowed quickly and sprinted off toward the palace.
"Tobe, maybe you'd better stay with me," Dain had run up behind him, and Tobe realized there was a falcon staring intently down at them in a nearby tree.
"No, I think I should go with Prince Roald and speak with Master Numair. I may be able to tell him something helpful if it's what I think it is…"
*
"Neal," Kel burst through the door into a room full of people, but she didn't care. She fell to her knees by Neal's side and shook her head, looking him over.
He was in a fever, delirious. He was sweating and shaking, his head swinging side to side, muttering, "No…Kel…Dom…sorry…"
"You have nothing to be sorry about," Kel whispered and pushed his bangs back. His green eyes shot open, as if he had been struck then closed again as he went back to muttering. "Sh…Neal…I…What happened?" she asked Duke Baird who she knew without looking was standing behind her. "He was fine an hour ago what happened?"
"I got him back in bed," Duke Baird's voice sounded very strained. "We were simply talking, then the next minute he clutched his forehead and screamed, then fell into this. It's like nothing I've ever seen before."
"It's my fault, I had him up. He wasn't well enough; I shouldn't have made him get up," Kel whispered, her eyes never leaving Neal.
"No Kel, it has nothing to do with you," a small voice said from behind her. They all turned to the doorway to see Tobe, being escorted by Dain and Prince Roald.
Daine gave Kel a weak glance, then turned and looked down at Tobe. She realized he wasn't going to speak to the Mage and smiled, "Numair, I think Tobe needs to speak to you…about Neal's condition."
Numair realized the words as soon as Kel did, "Of course."
"Not without me," Alanna stepped beside him.
"Nor me," Kel stood and wouldn't take no for an answer, so they didn't waste precious time.
"Baird, you and Roald stay with Neal," Numair instructed, and they nodded as Numair took the others into the hall and urged Tobe to speak quickly.
"I was just telling the Lady," he kept his head down as he spoke in front of Nobles, a habit she never could break, "that…when we were with him…Coriolis…he… he made Neal see things. Neal would get like that, and he'd scream for Kel. It's the same thing, I'm sure of it, only…I don't know how that would work…"
"I do," Numair's eyes were stormy as he spoke. "A clever trick I'd have to say…still…" when he thought no one could reach him. There were traces of Numair in Neal, and his situation made Kel's heart ache. Everything melted away, everything but Neal and getting him through this.
"What is it Numair?" Alanna demanded.
"It's an illusion, some kind of lasting mind game. It gives Neal visions, which gives him fever- the more powerful the vision, the worse the fever. Only…the visions are determined by the strength of his love."
"No!" Alanna screamed and began to sob. Kel's eyes were frantic; she had never seen Alanna shed a tear.
She kept her best Yamani calm and closed her eyes, "Alanna, what's wrong?" she separated and accented each word to make her point clear.
"It's Neal, he's in love," Alanna whispered. "I…he's…very vulnerable to illusions. Kel, he'll kill himself from the inside out."
Kel's face drained of color, but she forced herself to keep calm. Crying and screaming wouldn't make Neal's situation lighter, "What…what can we do?" she had to clear her voice and close her eyes to make her voice stronger.
"I can try and remove the spell, but I'm not sure I can. Coriolis was very strong," Numair started, trying his best not to get her hopes up.
"So I'm supposed to sit here and watch him die?" Kel screamed, losing all control.
"No Kel, you're supposed to trust in the Goddess. She makes wonderful miracles," Alanna mumbled, drying her tears and holding her chin up.
Daine nodded and looked up at Numair and smiled. He smiled back weakly.
"You will all need to stay out here, only Duke Baird and myself can enter this room for the next twelve hours. Do you understand?" Numair's voice was shaking.
"I just wanna see him again," Kel walked back in to see Duke Baird holding his son's hand, tears glittering in his usually happy eyes.
Kel put a hand on his shoulder and knelt beside him, "Tobe told Master Numair what it is. He's going to fix him now."
"Oh, Kel," Duke Baird looked over at her.
"I'm going to punish the woman who's doing this to him," Kel vowed. "She isn't worthy of him if she makes him suffer."
"Kel, you already have punished her," he said softly.
"Who is she?" Kel demanded fiercely.
"You know her, or at least I think you do," he smiled and shook his head.
She looked at Neal and gave him a quick half hug before exiting, "I expect Master Numair will be in now, good luck Neal, don't disappoint me, but then…you never have have you?" she shut the door and gave Numair the thumbs up with a weak smile. He kissed Daine quickly, then pat Kel on the shoulder before stepping in the room.
Kel looked around and found George of Pirate's Swoop consoling his fire-haired Lioness, "How did you get here so quickly?" even Kel was surprised at the mildness in her voice; my Yamani training must be coming back, she thought.
"I was in the city, checking up on some things here through some old…friends, and I heard about Neal. I guessed I should come back to the palace right away," Kel knew that George checking up on some old friends surely meant something illegal with his old thieves. She shrugged and nodded. Thieves were the slyest of people; they would know the happenings in the palace before anyone in the city would.
"Numair will be a long while, Alanna and I will watch the door Kel. Why don't you and Tobe go for a ride?" Daine suggested.
"I'm up for that too," Roald chimed in, and Kel didn't have the strength to protest.
"Roald should you be…?" George started.
"Dad's fine, it'd be a good moral booster. Now that the monster is dead and his effects being cleane…" Roald stopped. Kel was clenching her fists in anger. Blood was rushing to her face, "I'm sorry Kel…"
"No Roald, you're right, he was a monster. After he has Neal he'll be gone forever," Kel closed her eyes. Why Neal? Why not her?
"Come on Kel, don't talk like that. Numair will fix him and everything will be fine. Numair's never failed us," Roald tried his best to cheer her.
"I just don't think even Numair can save Neal this time. Maybe I'll just go for a ride myself. I'll be fine," her eyes glazed over, and she walked from the palace, headed to the stables.
"She's in bad shape. I've known her since our Page years. She and Neal have been best friends since then. I always thought they had a bit of a crush on one another, but…they'd die for one another," Roald looked down at the ground; tears in his eyes. "Numair's got to save him."
*
She tacked up Peachblossom thoughtlessly. She mounted and rode into the city; all her thoughts were concentrated on Neal. She heard his name being whispered in the street. The thieves had obviously already leaked the information into the general public.
"The Night Raiders' Mage took down a Knight Mage. The Healer Duke Baird's son."
"Nealan of Queenscove?"
Kel closed her eyes and tried to make it disappear.
"Lady Keladry! How does he fair?" someone rode up to her, and she recognized him as a man in Dom's squad.
"Where's Dom?" Kel demanded.
"Outside the city Milady, running as hard as he can back here. He had to set some things in order before he came back, but he sent me ahead to find you," the man answered quickly.
"Take me to him," Kel's eyes snapped back into focus now that she had something to do. She had a task, and she would complete it with her last strength.
The man set off at a gallop, Peachblossom staying close on his heels.
Before the dust had settled, the townspeople had fresh gossip.
*
"Kel!" his voice was anguish-ridden as Numair worked relentlessly at the spell. "Kel! Leave her alone!" magic fell from his fingers in a green wave, throwing Numair to the ground.
"There's life in him yet Baird," Numair told the older man who nodded as Numair went back to work.
*
"Dom!" Kel saw Dom's gray-flecked gelding galloping toward them and ordered Peachblossom to stop. The gelding slowed as well, and Kel managed a weak smile at seeing Dom's mud and sweat streaked face.
"Kel?" his flashing blue eyes were full of concern, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, your messenger found me," she answered.
"Thank you Thomas, you may go back to the encampment now. I'll join you there as soon as I can," Dom instructed, and he bowed his head.
"As you wish Captain Domitan," he turned his horse and headed back to the camp.
"Dom, they'll call you a deserter," Kel worried.
"I think King Jonathan will give me a pardon, and if he doesn't I don't care. How is he?" Dom brushed it off.
"Honestly, not very well. Honestly, he's dying Dom, and Numair doesn't think he'll live through the night," Kel fiercely rubbed away tears.
"How can that be?" Dom's eyes widened. "He was fine a day ago."
"Numair says it's an Illusion, a spell Coriolis put on him when he was alive, to make him see things. Coriolis is controlling it through the afterlife. It causes a fever, the more he loves, the worse the visions, the more terrible the fever," Kel closed her eyes.
Dom shuddered, "I remember…" he said softly. "Neal told me about his visions."
"Who is she?" Kel's eyes stormed.
"I'm not at liberty to say Kel," he looked down, "especially if you haven't figured out for yourself yet."
She looked at him curiously, but knew this wasn't a time to be thinking about her own personal problems. Her heart felt like it was going to explode at the loss of Neal. "Numair's working on him," she said softly. "He's going to try and remove the spell, but he…he told Daine that no one could go in that room for the next twelve hours. I don't think that we're going to be able to do much for that time."
Dom nodded and closed his eyes. When he opened them all that was in his view was the palace where his cousin was fighting the hardest battle of his life. He knew he couldn't do anything, but he wanted to be with him, even outside, for every minute. He saw the same anguish in Kel's eyes. She was helpless, something he had never seen her.
"Come on," she urged, and they turned their horses back toward the palace once more.
