Mirror Bound Pt. 02

He left the powder with me with instructions on its use, and went to work downstairs. I read on until Paul became restless again. This time he truly woke up, not feeling better at all, feverish and cramped with pain.

I started with giving him the painkiller, and a lot of water to drink, then held and stroked him until the pain receded a little, which was surprisingly fast. 'I don't think I've ever felt this bad,' he said almost surprised, 'hot and cold, and I can't think properly. I want you to hold me but it hurts. Do you feel sorry for me?' 'Very much so,' I said, 'but I'm still going to help you turn on your stomach to check the wound.'

He felt hot to my touch, and the wound was red and swollen, but not alarmingly so. The area around it was turning black and blue now, and I was not surprised he was in great pain. I washed the wound with the antiseptic solution and bandaged it again, then helped him back into a more comfortable position and held him as close as was possible.

He did not want to eat, just drink, and we kissed some, which felt weird because he was so hot. I told him about the architect thinking our hug on the building site being a marriage proposal. 'He seemed almost disappointed, but he was glad I wasn't giving up my work. Both wanted to hire me to check materials.

I could make a career out of that, which would be boring I guess, but it will enable us to start up our own firm.'

He was pleasantly surprised by this: 'So you will go into business with me?' 'I will,' I replied, 'I will hand in my resignation tomorrow.' That made him very happy, but with the pain gone he soon fell asleep again, leaving me to my novel.

The afternoon was gone before Lukas came in hot and sweaty from working at the forge. He was in a good mood from having done his day's work, but he did not like Paul's fevered appearance.

'What is the use of having healing skills if I cannot use them when they are really needed? I'm going to try again, do you mind doing it right now?' I didn't, and I said so, and soon I had contact with the ley-line, and with Lukas.

This time, he wanted to try by himself. Paul was sleeping on his side, his back way too painful to lie on it, so Lukas could easily reach the wound, removing the bandage and touching the area around it. And he really seemed to have more success, I saw the black and blue area fade to brown, then yellow, and the swelling went down markedly.

The wound wasn't healed completely, but it was closed now, which meant he would be able to take a shower if he could face the stairs. I couldn't feel a change in temperature, but I guessed that would take a few minutes more. I knew I would feel the effect of the bond as soon as Lukas finished, and to be honest I was looking forward to the intimacy, the thought turned me on quite a bit.

And sure enough, I felt a rising lust that was not my own, and that mind-blowing closeness that came with transferring power was fast taking over.

Lukas looked almost wild with triumph and desire, and he jumped on me and kissed me very, very lingeringly. I felt his erection through his pants, and the throbbing in his mind, and I returned that kiss with all my heart.

'Hey you two, get a room,' a whimsical voice said behind me, and as I turned I saw Paul watching us, propped on an elbow, eyes bright but not with fever. Lukas asked: 'Do you want us to go upstairs?' Paul smiled indulgently and said: 'No please, I'd like to watch. Actually I'd like to join in, but though I feel much better I suppose that wouldn't be wise.'

I could feel Lukas hesitate, but my heat was up now and I planned to include Paul in the fun without taking a toll of his body, so I bluntly scratched Lukas' horn bases and felt his lust take over his mind. He was out of his pants and under my skirts in a second, and as he jumped me his body landed on me and he slid in me in one overwhelming dose of weight, musky scent and exhilarating fullness.

I kept scratching his horns firmly, stimulating him to furious action, thrilling both our senses. It was really unbelievable to feel through our bond how sensitive those horn bases were, my touch there set all his nerve endings on fire. I don't think he'd ever been so fast and so furious, which of course meant he came to a climax really quickly.

But that did not deter him, for he just lay between my legs and let me catch up with him with his tongue and nimble fingers. As I came to a shuddering climax, he was ready for his second round, and when he sat up, I turned around and kneeled before him, but within reach of my hurt lover, who was watching our love-play eagerly.

Folding back the blanket I noticed he was ready for some loving, and as I took his penis in my mouth, I felt Lukas enter me from behind. That was quite something, I heard Paul moan in unexpected pleasure, and Lukas was using our connected minds to adjust his now more sedate thrusting to what stimulated me most. I knew this couldn't last long, I was being touched so expertly inside, that I felt a high coming from far away, but approaching rapidly.

Of course my rising excitement translated to my own ministrations, and Paul was generally very excitable, so we came almost together, with him remembering to spill his hot seed on his own hand instead of in my mouth.

After that, Lukas speeded up again, and I could see Paul was still amazed at his incredible stamina. I remembered Lukas doing the same when he was still stick-thin, and the ever rising elation in my mind that belonged to him was coloured with fond remembrance, until he lost every coherent thought in total lust and abandonment, then crashed on the bed laughing, taking me with him, elated with his success in healing his friend after all, and his total release afterwards. Upside down, he asked Paul: 'How do you feel, better?'

Paul roughed his hair and said: 'Much better, I do think I'm almost free of pain. You are a miracle worker!' But when Lukas hugged him in response, he winced and said: 'Well, nearly almost free of pain. Can I have a shower now, please?'

And of course he got his way, we half-carried him up the stairs and I think he suffered quite some pain, but the fever was gone and he could laugh again, and when he got out and I dried him very carefully with a towel, I could feel his back and shoulders were no longer rock-hard, his muscles had finally loosened. Of course the two guys now wanted to eat, so Lukas and I fetched all kinds of things from the kitchen, and we made a merry meal.

Chapter 36

But Paul wouldn't be Paul if he didn't start worrying again as soon as his mind wasn't overruled with pain anymore. Between bites he stated: 'I'm not up to excursions yet today, but you can leave me alone with a book for a few hours.

Would you two be so kind as to visit those rejected children tonight, see if you can find out how much mind they have got left? If we have a meeting tomorrow with George and the council member about the wasteland and talented children, I'd like to know what we're dealing with.'

Lukas, also still munching, answered: 'I've been aching to do something for those children, if you feel confident on your own I'd really like to go. Do you agree Melissa, that we should take Frances along with us?'

I said: 'I do, any wild creature would trust her before anyone else I know.' Now Paul insinuated: 'You didn't do so bad yourself with a wild creature, some time ago...' and I retorted: 'You weren't as wild as that, Paul, when I tamed you.'

Lukas clearly enjoyed our bantering very much, as self-assured and as contained as he had gotten he still needed a lot of love. He manoeuvred himself into my arms and said nothing, though he clearly knew Paul had meant him, and the idea of Paul as wild creature was ludicrous to him.

Of course Paul saw this too, and he targeted Lukas: 'You were too busy hitting on pretty girls to see it, but I was like a mad thing on that dance-floor.' Now Lukas couldn't keep quiet anymore, and said: 'Oh I saw you all right, and you were the most beautiful, most controlled dancer of the lot. Can we go again soon?' I added: 'Let's make a group of it, include Ilsa and her siblings if they feel like it.'

Before we left, Lukas suggested to Paul: 'You might want to check out those statues when we are away. They contain a soul all right, but we couldn't find out much more.' He didn't have to say more, Paul's eyes lit up at the challenge, and soon we were on our way to the estate.

I took a bicycle and Lukas went on his own two feet. After my experience of this afternoon, I no longer worried about being molested or mugged, I knew I could defend myself, and I had seen Lukas in action as well. Soon we were moving along the lane, then we were at the manor house, ready to look for Frances. The place looked different with ten children about, playing on the lawn, reading in the shade of the large trees.

The children recognized us, and told us Frances was working in her greenhouse. She agreed to come with us and told us the first parents would come to collect their sons and daughters today and tomorrow, the ones living near the city, who had gotten the message today and had sent a reply back with the messenger.

Some of the others might stay for a few weeks, their parents living as far away as the Islands. We spent some time with George, updating him on Paul's condition, reasonably sure he would be up to a meeting, as long as it might take place in his own Gothic palace, from a comfortable chair.

George insisted we take a carriage, he didn't want Frances in the wasteland on foot, and maybe he was right, she was not as streetwise as we had become.

So in a carriage we went, leaving it halfway down the road, quite a ways from the houses where the children would be hiding. Frances had thought to bring a bag of the pretty cakes, and a bag of sandwiches, to tempt the children out, and of course to provide them with food, for it they were not going to show up, she'd just leave them there with a big canister of clean water and some cups.

The going was tough between the rubble, and to be honest, it was even filthier than I had feared it would be.

But we'd have to get used to the filth, for to win these rejects' trust and to check their minds, we would have to touch them anyway. There was not a child to be seen, but with sight I placed all of them in one of the houses near the road.

We realized they might become violent in their despair, so we entered very carefully, trying to look harmless. Of course we had our appearance in our favour, for Lukas looked much like a large boy with his unruly mop of curls, Frances like everybody's mum, and I was only a young woman, so not much threat there either. The children seemed to know we came for them, for they were all huddled in one large room at the back of the derelict house, the only one with all the windows still unbroken. One rather large boy, nearly an adult, seemed to feel responsible for the rest, for he stood before them half afraid, half defiantly.

'What are you doing here?' he asked us, in clear English, with an immaculate accent. What was a boy like that doing here in a wasteland?

This is what we had Frances for, and she replied: 'We have come to bring you food, and a healer if you need one.'

With this, she put the water and the cups down, and the bags with the sandwiches. Still a bit suspicious, but clearly very hungry and maybe even glad to see friendly adult faces, the boy handed the bag to another teenager, probably a girl, but it was hard to see from her huddled shape and ragged clothing.

She didn't say anything, but quickly distributed a sandwich to each child, then handed one to the boy, who had not stopped watching us, and took one herself. They didn't devour the food, but ate it slowly, savouring it, and they didn't fight over it either, which gave me instant hope that they might have some mind left, even if they had apparently lost every memory of who or what they were.

Now Lukas sat down in one fluid move, and he looked so harmless and loving, that one of the smaller children scooted over and sat on his lap.

He didn't hold it for fear of making it feel caught, but he did stroke its filthy hair lovingly, and the child sat against him. I followed his example and sat down, and Frances also followed suit. This seemed to quiet the leader down even more, and now Frances spoke again:

'Are you the leader of this little group?' The boy nodded, and said: 'I've been here longest, and I've tried to keep us all together and share the stuff we gathered, food and clothes.

And two or three still wanted to play, so we found them some toys.'

Meanwhile, the girl had discovered that there was clean water in the canister, and she was pouring cups and handing them to the others. They shared the water too. Now the boy, cup in hand, sat down as well, pretty close to us, and went on: 'Two of us are sick, have been since they emerged from the place down there.

They don't speak, they eat little, they just sit there, looking at nothing.' Frances nodded and said: 'This is Lukas, sitting with the little girl. He is our healer, he can check them out. This young lady is Melissa, and I'm Frances, what is your name?'

The question clearly hurt the boy, for he cringed and replied: 'I don't remember. None of us have a name.' Frances spoke calming words: 'Don't worry, Lukas can help you remember too, forgetting your name was done to you in that place, and he will bring it back to you. The place is empty now, it cannot hurt you anymore.'

Through all this talk the girl was still busy distributing water and the rest of the food. The nameless boy got another sandwich and ate it slowly.

Frances now told the boy: 'We are not just here to give you food and help, we want to take you somewhere where you can bathe, sleep, get clean clothes, cut your hair, and then we want to try if we can find your parents so you can return to them. If you agree.'

Now the teenager, who had kept this group together and managed to save them all, started to cry heartbreakingly. I couldn't stand it anymore, and went to him carefully, offering to comfort him. He didn't shy away and allowed me to put my arms around him, still crying in heaving sobs.

The other children were watching him with fear on their grimy faces, clearly totally dependent on him, and aware he was lost to them for a moment.

I held that brave, nameless boy for as long as he needed to spill his immense grief, and by the time his skinny frame stopped heaving so intensely, and his sobs became quieter, he was holding me tightly, finding some comfort in my warm presence.

Finally, he whispered: 'Will you please release me of this unbearable burden? I'm only a child myself, I cannot care for so many others anymore.'

He nearly broke my heart with those words, his voice still rough from crying, and squeaky from his approaching manhood.

I held him even tighter, as Frances replied: 'I will, bravest of boys, but first I want you to have your name back.

Lukas, can you look at him first, whilst I share out some of those beautiful cakes to his charges?'

She held the first beautiful cake out to the child on Lukas' lap, and the child quickly came to her to take it, enabling Lukas to get up and sit next to us.

He touched the boy carefully, then said: 'I'm going to use healing magic to try and release your memory, if it's still somewhere in your mind. You may see some weird flashes, or feel weird things happening, please trust us that we will not hurt you. Can you do that?'

I felt the boy nod, he seemed very weary all of a sudden, hoping his ordeal was over after years of struggling. I reached for the ley-line and contacted Lukas' mind, as he touched the boy again, and his talent took over.

I wanted to follow Lukas to see what could wipe the memory of a person but still enable him to speak perfect English and care for nine other children in a wasteland.

But I missed the connection to his talent this time, so I decided to just feed Lukas power so he could do his thing and help Frances keep an eye on the other kids. For now they were enjoying the cakes, staring at them in wonder, undoubtedly not remembering having ever seen something so colourful and pretty.

Then Frances gestured they could eat it, and they did, amazed by the sweetness. They were actually far too rich for children who had been starved for months, maybe years, but they were rather small, so they would probably not hurt them.

Lukas was still in rapport with the boy, sharing the enormous load that one had had on his shoulders for such a long time, it seemed like years.

And his grief, for not being able to help those who were merely vegetating. Something in him knew that living like this wasn't right, but when he had tried to remember how it was supposed to be, he struck a barrier, a blockade, each time, until he gave up trying and just went on with his life in this outpost of hell.

Leaving just didn't occur to him, he had no memory of life outside this wasteland, and he couldn't leave the children who had come after him, dumped in the wasteland by a dark shape, a shape he instinctively avoided, for he didn't remember anything specific but he knew that person must not see any of them. Those children had been in a worse shape each time a new one arrived, lifeless, numb, without any idea of who they had been.

The early ones started to wake up after a few days, got a little life back, built up new memories, and new emotional ties, but the latest ones stayed as numb and lifeless as the day they had been dumped.

I could feel Lukas' strain coping with these horrific memories, and I could also feel his intent to break down that barrier to the brave kid's older memories. I knew there would be even worse memories behind that barrier, and I wondered if it was a good idea to face them here, in the wasteland, covered in soot and filth, but he was already grinding away mentally on that barrier. I could see the advantage of this one kid regaining his memory, it would make treating the others much easier, for they trusted him through and through.

And in my mind he had earned immediate relief for all the extra grief he had gone through protecting the others.

When the barrier finally broke, Lukas and I were both buried under an avalanche of memories, some of them gruesome, of being drained of magical power with brute magic by the black mage, of being savagely beaten by the same man, for resisting his mental torture, for being nearly strong enough to attack him with real magic, of the same man finally beating him to within an inch of his life, dumping him in the wasteland to die and rot away amid the trash.

The memory of him waking after all, utterly alone among the filth, wounded inside and out from the savage beating, with no idea who he was and how he got there. His survival instinct drove him to drink from a puddle and find food amidst the trash, until he slowly healed and became reasonably strong again, still utterly alone but with an iron will to survive.

And the arrival of the other children, one by one, not beaten like him but lifeless from being totally drained of magical power.

Not alone anymore, he nursed each of them back to health, and because of his greater mental resilience they looked up to him as their leader, as their father figure, which was too large a task for a boy, no matter how strong.

Lukas took all these profound and often intensely sad memories, and went over them with the boy until they were less strong, less overwhelming. He could not lay them to rest yet, they were too strong, and the boy would need more time and more sessions to truly face them, but this would help him cope a lot better with what he had been through.

And then Lukas took him back further, to the days when he was still a normal boy. Again, memories flooded in, memories that the brave kid would be processing for days ahead, weeks even. He would remember everything over time, and it would take weeks to sort his memories, put them in the right order, relive them and realize it was his own youth he was remembering.