The Love of a Wielder (Book Two of The Wielders Trilogy)

Chapter Thirty-Five

It was still dark when they arrived at the fort at Blackstone. Donovan had never been to that fort before, but he knew it was more or less the same as any other, with grey stone walls, a large gate, and a courtyard.

The convoy pulled into the courtyard and Donovan saw Alec, the Duke, and Maren's parents waiting there. He knew they would be extremely anxious. He got out of the speeder as soon as it stopped and called, "She's all right," to them. That was the most pressing piece of information they wanted.

Donovan worried it wasn't true, though. He thought it likely that she had downplayed the extent of her injuries. He wasn't sure what had happened to her chest, but the burn looked horrible.

And she had said nothing about the baby. He didn't want to ask in front of the soldiers, and it hadn't seemed right to try to check while she was sleeping. He was worried, though. Donovan knew he would be terribly sad if that tiny buzz had disappeared, but he was sure that Maren would take it far worse than him, and he wasn't sure he could pull her back from that.

Donovan went around to the other side of the speeder to help her out. She wanted to walk, but he wanted to carry her. She won. He thought she needed to walk more than he needed to carry her. He did wish he had thought to bring a pair of shoes for her, though.

She didn't seem to mind and walked with her head held high. Even though she was an absolute mess, he thought she looked very regal. His Wielder Queen.

He breathed a sigh of relief for the thousandth time that he had gotten her away from Kieran.

Her parents hugged her, and she nodded to them that she was alright. Alec hugged her next, but then rapidly held her back apart from him and got a good look at her.

"Infirmary! Now!" he ordered.

Donovan expected that, but Maren apparently had not.

"I'm fine, did the other Wielders come with us? Just give me a minute with one of them, and I'll be fine."

Donovan wasn't sure, but Captain Beven nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we weren't sure what else to do with them."

"Well they can meet you in the infirmary because even if you only have the injuries I can see, which I very much doubt, you need to be in bed immediately," Alec said sternly.

"I'm told I'm the Queen now, you can't speak to me that way," she said loftily.

He smirked but remained firm.

"Fine! I'll go. Probably the other women need a physician too, in any case," she said.

Donovan thought that was likely.

He made to go with her, but the Duke cleared his throat loudly and gave him a significant look.

Donovan nodded. He did need to speak with him immediately. He looked at Maren's mother and she nodded. She would go with her.

He kissed a clean and unmarred spot on Maren's temple and told her he'd be with her soon.

He followed the Duke into what appeared to be the commandant's office and sat down with a huge sigh.

The Duke looked at him expectantly but said nothing.

"He's still alive. We tried very hard to kill him, but...we couldn't. He just kept healing," Donovan said. He was not pleased with the situation. He knew how important it was for Kieran to die, and he felt like he had failed in his duty.

"I don't know what to say," the Duke said.

Donovan shook his head. "I don't know, I expect it's something to do with the powers he's been stealing, but the one thing I know is that you can't use your own Light to heal yourself."