Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Forty-One

Maeno sat across from Luren. The healer watched him as he shifted.

"You've attempted suicide in the past, is my concern," Luren said.

Maeno tugged his shirt sleeve down, licked his lips, and looked away as the healer continued to watch him.

"It's a concern, is all," Luren said. "The Pan heir wants you checked in and out, and that is my only concern, which is why I say it to you, so you know what I will say to him."

"I'm fine," Maeno said, though he was aware there was no strength to his voice.

"You will be," Luren murmured in response, "but not yet. Ah, AfPan, hello."

"I'm sorry, the usual time is done, so I figured you'd be done," AfPan squeaked out. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I'm not trying to rush things."

"You are not rushing, dear boy," Luren responded as he stood and put distance between himself and Maeno. "My only concern with the young man is that he has attempted suicide in the past but refuses to speak of it."

"I will tell him," AfPan said. "I'm to take him to Naena, though."

"Naena," Luren all but spat out.

"Your concern there being that she is a war mage and they tend to be destructive in nature, could that cause a problem for him?" AfPan asked.

"Maeno, you and Naena?" Luren asked. "Friends before, correct?"

"Yes," Maeno said.

Luren made a sound at the back of his throat and turned to AfPan.

"I agree with Graydon's premise," Luren said. "Do take Maeno to Naena and then report to Graydon. I need to add a few notes to my report, then you may take it to him. I will only be a few moments."

AfPan and Maeno sat in entirely awkward silence as Luren left with his papers. When Luren returned, he handed AfPan several papers. The other young man nodded, then motioned to Maeno.

AfPan took Maeno to Naena's dorm, made a strangely futile motion between the pair of them, then left.

"What is going on?" Maeno asked.

"You're a broken mess is what's going on," Naena said.

"Don't get all analytical with me," Maeno said, almost growling instead.

"I'm not putting anything away or together," she said slowly as she approached him. "Maeno, uh, he's..."

Maeno's eyes welled up in tears as her arms opened. He slipped into them and hugged her, neither of them completing her sentence or describing what had happened. They hugged for some time before Naena pulled away and sniffled.

"I need you to do something for me," she said, holding up a finger just slightly. "It's strange, but, do it, right?"

"Do what?"

"Circle, circle, dot, dot, fill a mage's pot."

"Right," Maeno said.

Naena walked to the door, sniffling as she went. She pulled back the rug at the door and looked at Maeno. He stepped up to her side and looked down, over the markings scrawled there.

"What..." he started.

"It's a protection spell," she said. "Made at the door, no one can get you, but only if you do it properly. Maeno. You have to do this properly."

"How did you make this?" he protested.

"I didn't," she said, her voice breaking, "he did."

Maeno almost started crying as she sniffled again and put a hand over her mouth. Naena wiped at her cheeks, sniffing again as she made a futile motion at the spell, lips twisting as she tried to find her words.