Chapter 50 #2
Nelly looked at me, and nothing else mattered. I was by his side in an instant. Soul had forced the human with the scalpel into a corner past another bound man—the smith from earlier.
I tore through the duct tape on Nelly’s wrists and ankles, forcing it open with magic, then did the same to his shackle.
Everything here was warded against human magic users.
It would’ve hobbled Nelly’s ability to do anything, but at the same time, he was smart enough not to walk into such an obvious trap.
Or so I’d thought. Of course he wasn’t. Of course he needed me to guard him and guide him.
“You hell creature! Release me!”
The foul human with the rubber boots was now slicing downward at Soul with his scalpel. The hellpoodle ignored that and tried to force her curse-bearing teeth through the rubber.
“Soul, watch out!”
Nelly strained toward where Soul was holding her own.
“She’ll be fine. Are you well? Look at me.” I took Nelly’s face in my hands, forcing him to meet my eyes.
He stared. “Lucy. You…are here. You’re really here.”
Soul yelped and let go of the boot. Blood dyed her white fur.
“Don’t move. Just a moment,” I told Nelly.
I got to my feet, and with a thought, I gathered my magic around me like a cloak, like armor, like darkness around a dreaming child.
My magic had always been smooth or hard, depending on my wishes and my will.
It was like water, willing to take shape.
None of the wards could stop my magic or even dull it, for I was not human.
I was, after all, a god.
Coiling tendrils of smoke I wanted. Creeping fear I wanted. A killer’s nightmare, that was what I willed my power to be.
It touched the human, even as the bound smith squeaked in fear at beholding me like this. The rubber boot human though, he had been touched by something else this night already, something similar to my own power in strength, if not in quality. I paused briefly.
A divine strength had sucked something out of this thing, so at least it wasn’t helping the human do his deeds.
Still. I pulled my own magic back. I didn’t want to interfere with another’s vengeance, but as my magic folded back around me, I did grip him by the shoulder and deliver a nice little gut punch.
With satisfaction, I heard a few ribs crack.
“For touching my dog,” I told him.
The human went to his knees. Soul growled, and I was sure I heard glee in her voice. She ran at the human, jumped at his face, and bit that little cretin in the cheek. It was a magnificent sight.
He dropped his scalpel and screamed as blood began to flow from the small puncture wounds Soul had left. I kicked the scalpel away, then turned back to Nelly, who had not waited for me, but was instead trying to get the smith free. Typical.
“You’re going to be okay,” he was telling the smith.
Typical. That was not how getting rescued worked. I rolled my eyes.
I walked over to Nelly and the smith and placed a hand on Nelly’s shoulder. He jerked away from me. Damn every living thing under the sun but this man.
“It’s me, Nelly. Let me help.”
I felt Tiamat step past the plastic curtain and take in the scene.
Nelly scooted over, and the smith looked at me with large purple eyes.
“You’re a fucking immortal,” he said as I got him free.
“I’m his boyfriend.” I pointed my chin at Nelly.
The murderous human whimpered on the floor, but Soul kept growling and snapping at him with her sharp and very cursed teeth. She was going to get the biggest treat for this.
“Not your boyfriend,” my sweet yet difficult but whole necromancer grumbled.
He was exceedingly cute when he grumbled.
I still wanted to chain him to the bed, but that was probably not the best idea, seeing how he’d been chained in a kill room.
I’d read several romance novels where one character suffered from PTSD, so I knew all about that.
I preferred the ones with amnesia, but I could work with PTSD.
Nelly was going to be fine. I’d make sure of that.
“Forgive Lucy his little lies.” Tiamat walked up behind Nelly and pulled him to his feet. “I’m almost certain he means well. Sometimes. Now, did you do that?”
She pointed at the human dressed in rubber boots and bleeding from his cheek. Soul had taken up position in front of the man and was growling at him and baring her teeth. Her fur was matted with blood, but she gave no indication of caring. Good hellpoodle. She had her priorities straight.
“Did I do what? I did nothing,” Nelly said.
“He sounds faint. Dragon Mother, my boyfriend sounds faint. Maybe it’s best that I hold him?”
“Oh shush, Lucy.” Tiamat tilted her head and looked deep into Nelly’s eyes. Then she nodded. “You pulled some of his life from him. Well done. It isn’t an easy skill to grasp, not without a mother there to teach you the way.”
If at all possible, Nelly turned paler. “I…I can’t have. That’s wrong. It’s just…wrong.” Nelly shook his head, and I saw his hands tremble.
“Maybe we can talk about it another time?” I stood, pulling Nelly away from Tiamat and against my chest. He was trembling all over. “Tiamat, Nelly needs to rest. We’re leaving.”
The Dragon Mother nodded indulgently. “Yes, yes. I’ll meet Christine then take the little dog home and see to her wounds.
Your Soul can stay with me for tonight.” Tiamat looked fondly at the feisty hellpoodle.
“I get the feeling she wants to see this man dragged off in chains even as the curse she gave him settles into his bones and eats him from the inside out.”
Said man had the nerve to look up and point at Nelly. “That demon spawn isn’t right!”
Soul jumped to snap at his gloved hand, and he quickly pulled it back.
“Unwise, human,” Tiamat said.
He hissed at her. “What do you know? He—it—needs to be dealt with. Before it gets worse!”
I felt Nelly jerk at the words. I brushed his hair back and kissed the top of his head.
“I’ll teleport us, Nelly. Don’t use your magic during it.”
Nelly nodded against my chest, and with magic at my bidding, I folded space and took us home.