The.
Fuck?
I was too stunned to be sick, which was good, because retching with this sword still through me wouldn’t have been pleasant.
The battlefield went deathly still and silent.
A lot of people had seen that.
And the enemy would have no clue I’d put a binding onValnea, it would look likeI’ddone that to Valnea. Which… I supposed I had, in an indirect way.
And I used their hesitation, their horror, as much as I didn’t want to.
“Cease this fighting now!” I bellowed, using magic to project my voice for hundreds of feet. “And send word to all your forces to surrender!”
Weapons clattered to the ground, men knelt in submission, orders were shouted and relayed.
It was done.
Five men came to me. They all looked rough themselves, but they fussed over me like mother hens.
“Are you okay?”
“Did you do that to Valnea?”
“I’d thought I’d lost you.”
“Let me heal you.”
“No,I’llheal her, you heal yourself, you wound-magnet.”
“Shut up, I’m fine. It’s not my blood… well, maybe fifty-fifty. Oh… wait, I’m still bleeding, never mind. I should heal myself.”
They crowded close, a barrier against the world, shutting out the horrors of war and surrounding me in love.
Huh… Love.
I recalled thinking — however long ago — that life altering sex was worth winning this war for. But I’d been wrong. I wanted the sex, sure, but this love — this attention and adoration and dedication, this unity between all of us — was truly worth fighting for and winning for.
And after fighting so hard for it… I no longer feared it. I wanted it more than anything else in the world.
Well, second most to one other rather urgent need.
“Ah… I don’t think I can do this myself, so could someone… pull this sword out of me?” I asked awkwardly.
Four stunned faces stared back at me. I could see it. They couldn’t imagine hurting me. But one face gave a solemn nod, a sad smile. Myel came to me, he put one hand on my cheek and closed his eyes. Our bond surged even as he yanked the sword out…
And I felt nothing.
He cried out in pain, taking my agony from me. He doubled over, dropping the sword as I quickly healed myself again. Then I knelt and soothed him. He didn’t need healing, but the pain still lingered in his soul.
And since this seemed like a teachable moment, I looked up at the other four. “Sometimes love is doing something you know will hurt you and your partner, but it has to be done.” I didn’t know where that came from, but it seemed legit.
“Also,” I said, helping Myel sit up. “Can we all stop and appreciate what a fucking badass Myel was today? If not for him, we might all have died.”
“I saw it all,” Koar said, shaking his head. “He was the only one who shook off the Sylphim attack. Then he fought Valnea to give Izzy time to recover before slaying two dragons like it was nothing.”
Koar knelt next to Myel. “You have my undying respect and honor,” he said bowing his head to the man.
