Chapter 44: My Khione 2

“Ryder stop it.” Xanth said, changing the towel he had been holding against her back. This side of the bed was now soaked in her blood and the bleeding wasn’t stopping. “You know that she cannot do that, she doesn’t know how to.”

“She has done it before.” He replied rapidly. “She will do it again.”

Xanth grabbed Ryder’s hand. “She is weak, Ryder. She cannot even handle the pain.”

Lyra groaned and Ryder’s expression softened, gradually his eyes cleared and he placed his own hand over her wound. He was not a healer but he could help with the pain, he could transfer it.

“What are you doing?” Xanth asked, he watched Ryder, underneath his palm over the wound, dark smoky mist formed, growing darker and thicker. Ryder closed his eyes, a tight frown was etched across his eyebrows as he concentrated more on what he was doing.

Xanth’s eyes went to Lyra’s injury, the bleeding underneath had stopped and he pulled the towel away to see that the place has sealed up, it was then that he knew what Ryder was doing, he was transferring her injuries to himself. A servant girl gasped when she noticed that Ryder’s cloth had turned dark behind him, he was bleeding out from the same spot on his body where the injury had been on Lyra.

Iris entered the room with the physician and froze when she saw how close Ryder was to the girl and she fumed, clutching her fists. “Ryder,” She called and Xanth turned back to look at her. He noticed the physician standing there and he tapped Ryder.

“The physician is here, let him take care of her Ryder.” Xanth said, shaking Ryder out of his concentration. The wound had completely sealed behind but was still open in her abdomen, he had only been able to do so little. A frown came to his face when he felt a sting from the wound on his back as he stood up, giving room for the physician to examine Lyra.

He stepped to the side of the bed, looking down at both Lyra and the physician. “Xanth, find that man who tried to steal her away from the castle and have him locked up. I will punish him myself.”

Xanth nodded and immediately left the room, but Lyra grabbed Ryder’s hand, drawing his attention to her. She shook her head at him and looked at him with pleading eyes. “Please Ryder, don’t hurt him. For my sake.”

“Don’t hurt him?! Look at what he caused! Look at what you both caused!”

“Please Ryder. I beg of you, do not hurt him.”

Ryder narrowed his eyes at her. “What is the relationship that you both share?”

“He…” She struggled and shut her eyes tightly in pain as the physician applied a yellow powdered substance on her wound. Ryder frowned at the physician. “He is my uncle.”

He sighed and leaned down closer to her, the frown on his face vanishing a little, then in a more gentle voice than he had used tonight, he said to her. “Focus on healing yourself, Lyra. It is the only way to keep him alive.”

He took a step back and watched as the physician gave her something to drink and her eyes slowly closed in sleep. He took in a deep breath before turning and storming out of the room, Dragonsbane had nearly cost him his Khione and he would be damned not to do anything about it. First, he would find the man who had been brave enough to enter into his castle and try to take her away from him, and then he would decide on how to reply to Dragonsbane.

“Ryder!” Iris called after him, walking up to where he was. Ryder stopped walking and turned to her.

“What.”

“What was that?”

He looked at her confused. “What was what?”

“What was that thing you did back there. Your caring for her and holding her and touching her, all that. What was that?”

“I do not get you Iris.”

“You know what I’m talking about Ryder! You were too close to her and I do not like it, not one bit Ryder. Not one bit.”

“Have you gone crazy Iris, she’s hurt and it was my fault that she got hurt. And besides, she’s Khione.”

“And so what? I am your betrothed.”

“And she is Khione!” He repeated in a much louder and clearer voice, allowing it to sink into her head. “My Khione! And she is hurt!”

Iris paused and blinked, then in a low voice, she asked. “Your Khione? Yours?”

“I have to make her fall in love with me and you are worried about me touching her?!”

“It… she’s…” She didn’t know what else to tell him.

Ryder looked at her angrily. “If that is what you’re worried about then I’ll tell you not to worry.” He said and Iris smiled at him, but he wasn’t done talking just yet. “You’re going to have to endure more than just me touching her.” He completed and walked out on her, leaving a surprised and pissed of Iris standing on her own.