Disclaimer: WARNING, the following fanfiction does not claim to make sense, fit within the book, or to be anything other than the creation of a quirky mind. All characters belong to Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series.

Author's Note from Erkith: Hey! Thank you all for reading this fic! I confess I am slightly overwhelmed by how many ppl are reading this... I did at some point consider not posting it... Thank you for the lovely reviews!

And if you thought last chapter was weird... well, I don't have an adjective for this one...

Enjoy!

Erkith


True Love Never Ran So Cold

Chapter Two: Neal!

It was a butter knife. Kel looked at it disbelievingly. What in the name of the Goddess?

"Surprised?" Came the familiar drawl she couldn't quite place.

She glared back at him.

"It's just to butter you up, darling." He said with a laugh and sunk the knife into a wad of butter that lay, melting on a tray.

"You see? I'm soooooo evil!" He cackled maniacally.

Her tormentor leaned over and spread it smoothly over her skin. It tickled. The butter continued to melt on her skin, leaving rivelets streaming down her body. Kel tried in vain to shift away from those rivers; she was too well tied.

She couldn't help it. She screamed when the man began adding red jam. It was equally runny and similarly torturous as it tickled her mercilessly. It was inescapable!

"I'm so evil so deliciously evil!" He began again. "I'm no weasel, but I sure am evil!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kel screamed. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"


He could see the shine of sweat running down her skin and watched the blood ooze from the knife. He heard her scream. Once, twice, three times as he descended the winding stairs, unable to stop himself from glancing out the window each time he reached one.

Dom's heart wrenched with each tortured sound rising out of his Lady's throat.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

Dom could hear the echo of a noise close to laughter, but it must have been tears. She was crying. Kel never cried. The masked man was killing her.

She screeched and the sounds of clanking metal crash through the window below him. So many landings. How was he supposed to get down there? He needed to go faster!

Evil chanting. He could hear it very faintly, but it was a sinister sound.

Cold iced through him. Fear that he would be too late threatened to root him on the spot. He glanced down at his feet, wondering for a shivering moment if it were a visible thing. Another scream pierced the air.

Dom decided the man's fate in seconds.

He would make sure the torturer would die.

Images flashed before his eyes as he tore down the stairs – almost there, almost!

Kel. Dom had the deepest of feelings that she was the one for him. Strong, not frail and weak, but strong and opinionated. Someone who doesn't flinch from danger but steps on top of it. The woman who'd probably saved his life a hundred times on the field and for whom he had given his life without question. Between his King and Kel – he'd save Kel.

It all came down to Kel.

He was on the other side of the door when he heard her scream a name.

"NEAL!"


A/N: lol sorry to end it on such a note... okay, so I'm not THAT sorry :D I have a penchant for cliffies. More coming next week! Thank you to my READERS and REVIEWERS!

I haven't yet seen the rule written out anywhere, yet, so I'm going to respond to my reviews. If a moderator (or whatever the runners of are called) has an issue with this, I hope he or she will let me know (confirm...or preferably deny the rumours) before trying to delete my account.

SO...THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS!

RunnerNDA: Naturally, I cannot say anything in relation to your hypothesis :D but you are, of course, welcome to guess. I'm glad you think I have Dom down, because he's a pretty great character! Thank you for reviewing!

Padfoot's Sidekick: lol the poor guy will trip over more than strategically placed banana peels if he hurries any faster! And yes MORE MORE MORE! Next week!

Sparkely-tangerine: lol you'll just have to wait and see :D

Rubber Duck: Glad to hear you're still around! I've been wondering! Hope you're still enjoying it! And if you're stuck on your fic... try rereading it and then reworking some of the plot that was supposed to come after... or start something new! Just write something!

Syl Rose: lol is the weirdness of my fic traumatizing you? I do hope this fic is living up to its strangeness! And lol look out for the rest of the chant in the next chappie! I think the kidnapper has MANY issues!

Lutefa: Funny you should mention little brothers, cold, and locked house doors... glares I know the feeling to my memory's discomfort. As for falling, I'm right with you on that one too...sighs

Lady Shannon of RosePeak: Thank you! High compliments! I hope you enjoyed this chappie:D and MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE! Next week!

Mistywabbit: lol yay weirdness! As for catching on, let's just say I like being unpredictable, so nothing is guaranteed... : p lol except the weirdness!

Atlanta Enchanted: hello again! such a loyal reviewer :D your comments make me happy! I sincerely hope you are reading this and have not died of anticipation and that you will live to read the next 2 chappies!

The Hobbit Lass: lol all in good time! You will know soon... next chappie to be precise!

Goddess Of The Moon: I've always pictured the dark, dank, smelly, mouldy kind of dungeons...

Zerrin of the Wind: lol banana peels, they make me laugh! Frustrating, amusing, and completely out of place... :D

Wildlace Keladry2005: lol I use bananas in moderation, so we'll see. As to repetition... if I notice, I'll let you know.

Sharn: glad you like it, despite the fact that it's weird... that's kind of how I feel about it. And neither are completely nude. They have their small clothes still... lol so they're only ALMOST nude : p