Chapter 17

**Noch**


I was blown backwards so suddenly that I didn’t quite know what had hit me until I was slammed into the stone wall about 5 meters behind me. The blinding light that came off of Merianna had exploded so suddenly that even Nelia and Thyrion had been thrown back.

Merianna’s energy was all over the place, cracking the stone walls and slashing at our skin. Fog immediately erected a barrier around himself and ran to Nelia. I erected my own barrier against the onslaught and saw Fog and Nelia rushing back to Merianna’s convulsing body.

Before they could lay hands on her, the energy changed dramatically. The force that cascaded out of her turned lilac with slivers of silver and cocooned her body, slowly being drawn back into her skin.

The transformation was so unexpected and sudden that we all stayed frozen for a minute or two, before Nelia broke out of the stunned silence and immediately bent to check Merianna’s vital signs. She checked her breathing, placed a hand over her heart and scanned her internals with her energy. After she was done she started working furiously.

I clambered back onto my feet and looked around for Thyrion. I found him sitting against one of the walls with a frown of concentration on his face as his energy seemed to grow and pulse darkly around him.

“How is she doing?” I heard Arasule ask breathlessly as she clambered onto her feet from across the other side of the room.

Nelia didn’t waste any time. “Her body is stretched, basically to its limit. There is some damage and internal bleeding. Her head is a problem though, she had started bleeding from the ears during the incantation. She’s also not responding to any touch right now. Her breathing is ragged and strained. Noch.” She shot a look my way. “I might need your help.”

I jumped off of the floor and rushed over to them. The sight of Merianna made my stomach flip. Her skin looked like she had patches of sunburn. I checked her energy to make sure that it wasn’t going to lash out again.

I frowned, laid my one hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach. This energy… it’s not at all like the energy she used to have. In fact, it was bigger, more concentrated. Although, the initial signature of her energy was still the same. Raw and powerful. It was a wonder that Merianna was still able to breathe after this ripped through her untrained mortal body.

I went to work with Nelia on helping Merianna’s body cope with the onslaught of energy that her body wasn’t used to. If we didn’t do this carefully, she would suffer every time she performed magic. And there is just no way that we could have that.

We worked furiously for about five hours, urging her body to accept the energy now freely coursing through her body. Of course her energy would create changes in her body for a while after this as she recovers. But until we can reach that point of normal surge alteration we had to work it carefully into her system.

After Nelia and I were finished and sure that there was nothing more to be done, we collapsed back onto the floor in exhaustion. Nelia lay on the floor on the opposite end of the table flat on her back like a sunfish and waved her hand lazily at me. “Thanks Noch.” She said in a sigh.

I huffed from my spot on the floor where I had landed heavily on my butt. “No problem.”

I saw Thyrion stand up from where he had been sitting all this time and come closer to Merianna.

Her breathing was still heavy, but this time it was heavy and even. When he stood over her, sure that she was alive and breathing, he let out an explosive sigh and sagged onto his hands that he had placed on the edge of the table where she still lay unconscious.

He grabbed the hand closest to him and gripped it between his own hands as he slowly sank to his knees and pressed it to his forehead. He never really thanked someone outright unless there was no way to show it. With Thyrion, it really was his actions that spoke louder than words. Especially with him not really being a people’s person.

His body shuddered and he seemed to sag in on himself with relief and gratitude. He looked up at me and I could see tears brimming in his eyes.

I smiled crookedly at him. “Glad you’re also free now, Thyrion. Please don’t disappear to find revenge or anything like that. I’d love to have the pleasure of ripping the guy’s heart out first.”

Thyrion smiled wickedly, a smile that I hadn’t seen in so long that it almost took me off guard. “As long as I get to feast on his soul afterwards. You have a deal.” He looked up at Merianna again and smiled a smile of joy.

I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him. I also looked at Merianna. It was hard to think that in the beginning she didn’t want anything to do with anything male except animals, me and Fog. Until this ruggedly dark and handsome guy came along and swept her feet quite literally out from under her in a sparring match. I looked over at Fog who was limping over to Nelia who looked like she had fallen asleep on the cold stone floor. He also had a smile on his face and was shaking his head at the whole situation.

“This is one of those times that I wish that there was still a youngin’ or two in this blasted castle that I could yell at and boss around.” He said grunting as he dipped down and picked up one of Nelia’s fallen healing crystals.

I chuckled and Arasule sniffed at Fog. “You are only too lazy to put your own healing failsafe’s in place.” She said stretching and pulling a cork from a flask.

I lifted a skeptical eyebrow at Arasule. She glanced at me. “What?” She barked.

“I’m wondering wherever the ever present bottle of wine is.” I smirked.

She huffed and took a swig. “No need for that anymore my old friend.” She said, tipping the flask to Merianna’s sleeping form.

I smiled back at her. “You may be right, old hag.”

Fog chuckled and put the healing crystal over a particularly nasty gash on his leg that was caused by Merianna’s energy. I had to admit, I was feeling pretty old and wretched myself right about now.

“Thyrion, I can see that you aren’t going to leave her side any time soon.” I said with a wry smile his way. He was back to gazing at Merianna again, all love and relief on his face.

He snorted at me. “Got that right. I’m not going to let her out of my sight, that’s for sure.”

“Well, might as well take her to her room then and camp out there with her. I’d like everyone to stay in the Order building for now. And it’s not like your house would still be standing now after all these years of neglect. Doris still kept Merianna’s room spotless and fresh however.” I said while pushing myself to my feet. I was feeling like a good glass of wine, a roaring fireplace, my pipe and a good book would work wonders. But I knew that I would actually be plotting and planning instead of relaxing and enjoying myself.

Thyrion stood up and picked Merianna up off of the table with barely any effort at all. It was good seeing that he was back to his old self again.

“You let us know the minute that she is awake again!” Arasule threatened from where she was packing up all her supplies again.

Thyrion gave a chuckle and looked back with a warm smile on his face. “I will do that Arasule. I’ll never doubt you all ever again.” He said as he hugged Merianna close and walked out of the room with her in his arms.

“He better let me know first when she wakes up.” Nelia grumbled from the floor where she still lay. It looked like her slumber was short lived…

“Don’t you go pulling a healer excuse now! I’m her grandmother and I intend to see her first!” Ara said, waving a bowl of salt at Nelia.

Nelia just smiled nastily at her. “I intend to make sure that my sister is healthy and well cared for before I go jumping all over her like you do, and you aren’t blood related to us in the first place.”

I got up and walked out of the room before my ears could get blistered or a hex could go flying in the wrong direction. Walking through the infirmary I could still hear them bickering behind me. It was funny to think that when Nelia and Merianna first came to the Order that she was the shyest thing on two legs I had ever laid eyes on. And now she was having full blown arguments with the person that likes her the least out of everyone.

I spied Thyrion through one of the windows walking through the halls on the other side towards Merianna’s room. I swear the guy had never looked more at peace than he did when Merianna was with him. I’m glad for him.

A pang of sadness ran through my soul remembering Jardina. My love that I had loved just as deeply as Thyrion loves Merianna. I looked at the floor as I walked back towards my room, once again cursing my seemingly endless life… at least Merianna is still young, and so is Thyrion. They might not have to know this kind of sadness in their lives. The sadness that comes with each extended lifeline, each new cycle, every new lifetime.

I clenched my fists and disappeared into the walls where my room hid away from praying eyes and energies. Once inside I looked towards one corner where a very old looking trunk lay. I frowned at it, remembering that I had found it in Merianna’s room and secured it in my own room at her death. I still have no idea as to what is in it, but something ominous is hiding in there for sure… the vibes leave no room for doubt. And now that Merianna is within spitting distance of this thing, the vibes felt even more insistent. I had put a dampening cloth over it, but I saw it now laying on the ground like it had been pulled off, yet no one had ever managed to enter my room. Except Hezerial of course, and that angel never touches a thing.

Forgetting my somber mood I walked over to it, and if any stagnant object ever had the ability to growl, this thing did. It felt like the air was vibrating with its promise of demise, pulsing even.

I had brought it to my room so no wandering person could be drawn to its aura. I had never known that it was there in her room until Merianna’s wards had fallen away with her death. I was glad that I was the one that had gotten to it first. If anyone else had come near it or attempted to open it, I could only imagine the worst.

Looking it over yet again I couldn’t help but notice how perfect it still looked. Its red-black wood shone with a waxy sheen. The black iron lining never showed any hint of rust over the centuries, and the midnight lock looked like a black hole itself, sucking in any light and any life in its range.

I stood back up with a sigh, picking up the dampening cloth with the motion. I tossed it carefully back over the trunk and instantly felt lighter. I turned my back to it and fell onto my bed feeling exhausted.

“They can survive without me for a few hours I wager.” I said, ending the sentence with a yawn so big that it popped my jaw. Then I promptly rolled over and fell asleep.