Fae Wars: Pyre Boundaries

CHAPTER 15

Thanks to everyone that commented and encouraged me to continue. Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think. I have this book and Ice Boundaries going at the same time. I can continue to work on them both or focus on one. Tell me what you think...

Thanks

Kal

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Cian's POV

Bringing Nina back to our cave was almost as easy as I thought it would be. I say almost since my new hook and rod system worked perfectly... for her. Me on the other hand... not so much. I slid across the cave floor and slammed brutally into the rock wall at the far side. I managed to break several of my fingers and my nose. Now I have two wonderful black eyes that are going to take at least a week to heal and my hands hurt like hell. Nina hasn't said anything out loud, but I can practically feel her giggle every time she looks at me.

I have pride you know. I am considered the best warrior in all of COR. My ego has taken one hell of ding since I brought Nina Marie to COR. Today was just one day in a series of calamities. I hated that I could feel her laughing at my expense. It was so bad at one point, that I purposefully kept my back to her while I started a fire and prepared the elk for cooking.

With my bad hand and my aching nose, it took more than two hours to skin and prepare the elk before I could even get it on the fire. Nina was so hungry, she tore through a bunch of the dried meat supplies I managed to scavenge from the camp. I'm not worried about it however, since I've decided to smoke more than half of the elk. Smoking the meat will allow us to keep it for much longer. It is also easier to travel with. The only downside is, with so many of my fingers broken it's probably going to take me most of the night to make a smokehouse in one of the smaller caves that tunnel off this one. I was considering all my options when Nina said

"I offered before, and I am offering again. I know it sounds weird, but if you drink some of my blood I think you would be instantly healed. Why not try it?"

I considered it again briefly before I decided against it. First, I didn't want her help. I was more than capable of overcoming a broken nose and a few broken fingers. I hate that she thinks I am some kind of doddering idiot. I am Fae and Dragon. Two of the most powerful beings alive. And two, part of the Fae soul bonding ceremony includes the two soul mates drinking each other's blood. As it was, Nina Marie has already drank mine, and in the process gained carte blanche access to my mind and soul. I'm not sure how the bond could be effected if I drank her blood too. It could get better or it could get far worse.

Though, if it was half as pleasant drinking her blood as her drinking mine had been...well...Just thinking about it made my manhood swell to life and my pants bunch tightly enough to make it difficult to bend down. I grunted in disgust at myself as I desperately tried to think of something that would bring my boy back into line. I could swear I heard Nina Marie chuckle, but when I turned quickly around to look at her she had a calm serene expression on her face. I gave her my stink eye before turning back towards the elk as I said,

"You promised to stay out of here." As I pointed to my head

"Not all the time, but at least when we are within speaking distance. You are at a disadvantage and I am trying very hard here to come to terms with it."

She scrunched her nose at me. The look reminded me of a rabbit. Then my mind was filled with her musical laughter again. I raised my finger in her direction to admonish her for her behavior. Then she smiled and said impishly

"Oh, come on... give me a break. I didn't say anything. I'm trying hard to stay out of your thoughts but it's like you are projecting them to me. You've got a lot of strange things going on in that head of yours. I know you got a woodie thinking about me drinking your blood. It's no big deal. Honest, it's a very sensual act. But really, do you think it made it better by forcing me to image your parents going at it? It didn't make anything go away for me. All you managed to do was give me a front seat at you own personal porno movie. "

Then she really did laugh out loud. She laughed, and laughed and laughed some more. At one point, even though I didn't really understand half of what she said, I started laughing too. Before long we were laughing and joking with each other about all sorts of things. The rest of the afternoon flew by in a flurry of activity and mutually enjoyable conversation. Together we finished cooking the elk, ate dinner, and then built a smoke house. All the while we chatted amicably. By the time we finished and got ready for bed, the conversation turned to Nina Marie's childhood. She told me all about her parents and her siblings.

"You know, you shouldn't beat yourself up about bringing me here. I forgive you. In fact, I think it was fated to be this way. See, I told you I am very different, but I've never told you how different. I have a reason for being here, and I am not like anything you've ever met before. See, my mom wasn't a Naga and Werewolf hybrid. She was something called a vampire."

Then she told me how it's nearly impossible to kill a vampire and all of their special abilities. By the time she finished, I had more questions than answers. I could see she was getting tired and cold, so I heated several rocks with my dragon breath and decided to encourage her to come sit next to me. Besides, as much as I was enjoying the conversation, what I really wanted was something more. To keep myself from saying or doing something stupid however I calmly said.

"Well, I still don't understand what a vampire is or how it was created. Why don't you come over here and get warmer. Since I am half dragon, my core body temperature is always higher than normal. Yours seems to be rather cool. I know you won't say it out loud but you look chilly."

Nina shivered then smiled as she said

"Nonsense, vampires aren't affected by the cold. I get why you don't understand what I am. It's because a vampire is a being that doesn't really exist in your world yet. I mean aside from me and maybe my uncle Kenyan. We have a tale in my family that I have recently come to accept as the truth. I think, even as we speak my uncle Kenyan is somewhere in this very time period. Maybe it has happened already, or maybe it is getting ready to happen, but the story goes like this..."

She paused and looked up at me for emphasis before she continued

My great uncle Kenyan was the first vampire ever. When he about twelve years old he'd gotten ill with a rotting disease that affected many humans. Without treatment the humans died a very painful death. Do you know anything about this disease?"

She paused and looked at me questionably. I supposed it could be dragon leprosy. Many of the humans that come in contact with the dragon leprosy die. Their skin actually rotting off their bodies. I didn't however answer her before she grunted and continued

"Anyhow, my uncle Kenyan's mother Tendai recognized the disease and immediately sought treatment for him. Despite giving him the medication however, my uncle remained ill. His mom watched him continue to waste away before her eyes and became desperate. She knew she'd do anything to save her baby and eventually she managed to convenience her husband Dakarai into doing dangerous blood magic with her.

Together, they created a spell out of fear and desperation. Once the spell was cast and the blood was consumed Kenyan's condition improved remarkably. So much so that he was even bigger, stronger and faster than he'd ever been before the spell. Tendai and Dakarai celebrated their sons new found health and strength, but after a few weeks he became ill again.

His mom, insisted they repeat the blood magic and again. Like before my uncle Kenyan got well. This time he was even stronger and healthier than the last time. His mother remarked that now he was even stronger than shifters and faster than the Fae. But like before after just a few short days he weakened and fell ill again.

Again they repeated the process. Kenyan healed once again. This time his senses like smell, taste and sight seemed to improve dramatically. Even odder however was his physical appearance had changed. His ears had elongated, and he suddenly sported two very long fangs identical to those of the Fae. In addition he seemed to grow allergic to direct sunlight. Then as before he fell ill just a day later.

This time Dakari refused to do the blood magic again. He feared the repeated use of dark blood magic would have a terrible price on Kenyan's soul. He reminded Tendai that each time they performed the magic the possibility for great evil improved. He knew the price would not only seek retribution through Kenyan but through Tendai and himself. He insisted that nature needed to take its course.

Tendai disagreed but without Dakarai to do the spell with her she had no options. Kenyan survived the illness without additional magic, however he didn't survive without blood. He had become what I am. What we call in the future a vampire."