Chapter 18

He jerked her head back a little further and enjoyed her cry of pain.

Kyla felt like several volts were racing through her body. Darian raised his sword. She saw the blade flash in the light.

The moment the blade descended onto her body, Darian was thrown away with such force that he released her and his sword slipped from his hand. He landed with a crash against another table in the room.

He immediately scrambled to his feet, ready to end the troublemaker the same way he wanted to do to Kyla.

But when he saw Devon standing in the doorway, the glowing red of his eyes, he knew who would lose out now.

Devon entered the room and his eyes briefly grazed the unconscious Kyla. Then he turned to his brother. "I told you to leave her alone." His voice whispered from his lips and Darian knew his brother was furious as hell.

"I've left you enough toys for you to have fun with, and yet you can't obey my commands."

Darian knew all too well how Devon reacted to disobedience.

"Forg-forgive me..." Darian choked out coughing blood.

Devon walked even further towards him and as he stood in front of him his eyes showed pure contempt.

Darian felt like he was going to break. His brother was his whole purpose in life. If he turned him down, then what? He had saved him hundreds of years ago. He had made him who he was. If his brother turned away from him, Darian would break.

Devon slowly raised his hand and Darian's body rose of its own accord. "Well, since I'll still need you, you'll be spared death. But I will still take the most valuable thing you have."

Darian's eyes widened. "N-no! Not! Please brother! Do not do that!"

Devon narrowed his eyes and his hand reached out, grabbing Darian's forehead and draining his immortality. Darian cried out in pain. He then fell to the ground almost unconscious. "Stay away from her in the future. If I see you again near her, you have been my brother for the longest time!”

Darian managed only a weak nod before the all-consuming darkness enveloped him too.

Devon turned away from his brother, picked up Kyla's sword and walked over to her. He sheathed the sword and studied her for a moment. Then he lifted her gently, almost tenderly, and left home with her in Darian's arms.

"Hopefully this will teach you a lesson," he whispered to her. His eyes had returned to their natural shade of gold and rested gently on her face.

Azamir turned, startled, as the door opened behind him. When his gaze fell on Devon, his eyes widened. He had already wondered where his girlfriend was and even looked for her, yet found her nowhere.

Without saying anything, Devon approached her bed and gently placed her on it. Immediately Azamir darted around her, felt her forehead, took her pulse and lifted one lid to see if her eyes were responding to light. Then he quickly disappeared from the room.

Devon stood by and watched the little one at work. He said nothing, watched everything in silence and found that Azamir simply ignored him. The lizard's full attention was on Kyla.

When Azamir returned with several ointments, he placed them next to the pillow. He then crawled onto the bed and tried to turn Kyla onto her stomach. This worked more poorly than right. Then the presence of Devon seemed to come back to him. Tolerating no contradiction, he said: "Help! Turn around!"

Devon raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, but then did as Azamir told him. If he wanted to help Kyla, he had to listen to the lizard's words. Devon approached the bed and gently turned Kyla onto her stomach. Instantly, Azamir was upon her, dagger in hand, cutting her top in half. Devon was still silently watching what was happening.

Azamir stripped Kyla's spine of the fabric, grabbed one of the ointments and finally spread it down the spine. Beginning in the neck and ending at the level of the kidneys. He massaged the ointment into her skin and repeated this procedure two more times.

"What's wrong with her?" Devon demanded. Azamir didn't answer, totally engrossed in what he was doing.

Devon's voice grew louder, "AZAMIR!"

Addressed jumped and without pausing in his work, he replied: "Bone broken! Bones important for humans! Kyla must be in great pain."

Devon understood what he meant. Her spine must have been injured somehow in the fight. He looked up as Azamir backed away from Kyla and gently tucked her in. His hand gently rested on her neck and rested there for a moment. Azamir narrowed his eyes in confusion. Something was wrong. He tried to break through Kyla's inner barrier, but found himself too weak to do so. But if he wanted to help her, he had to get to her, but how? That was the question.

Devon watched him closely. "What's up?"

"Azamir not get ahead."

Devon considered. Normally he wouldn't work with such a lowly being, but if Kyla were to recover...

"Leave me." Devon approached Kyla's bed and, like Azamir a few seconds earlier, placed his hand on her neck. He felt her resistance. Her subconscious tried at all costs to stop him, but Devon would not be dissuaded.

He sighed as he felt the mental barrier break. He didn't believe what he saw in his mind's eye. He didn't want to believe it, couldn't. Still, he forced himself to delve even deeper into her mind. The darkness enveloped him for a moment, but then he found the problem. His lips formed words silently.

As soon as Devon put some distance between himself and Kyla, he said, "It's okay again."

Azamir looked up at his former master, saw the fiery red glow in his eyes and just nodded.

Devon turned and left the room. Dantalion would pay him dearly for that.