Chapter 34: Complications

  Chaine groaned slightly as he woke.  He discovered he was lying face down on the carpet inside his own home.   He lifted his head slightly, and as he did,  his vision swam.  As soon as he moved he felt more vicious kicks to his sides, legs, and head.

  "Don't kick his head." a female voice said.  "I need his brain unharmed.  For the moment."

 Chaine recognized that voice, and steeled himself, for things were about to get really unpleasant.  He cursed silently for letting them get the drop on him, he didn't understand how they had masked their scent.  Or maybe his nose had just failed him.  And failed him big time.

  Chaine could feel thoughts pressing into his skull, smashing against his defenses.  He could feel her presence drilling into his brain, seeking information.  "Oh yes, fight it Chaine!"  she laughed huskily.  "It's more fun that way!"

  


  Kit watched as the purple mist swallowed his father, before he followed him into the mist.

 

  Tristan waited several hours, before he cautiously made his way up the stairs.  Everything had been all quiet, the floors hadn't squeaked at all.  He was concerned about what he might find.  He carefully eased the hidden bookshelf door open, and stepped out.  The house was eerily silent.  He closed the bookshelf door behind him, and carefully looked around.

  He peered into the entry way hall, and at first he didn't see his father among the bodies.  He ran over to where his father lay, buried under several  dead Nephilium.  He unceremoniously threw them off of his father.  "Dad." he said urgently.  He leaned closer to listen for any sounds of life.  Tristan closed his eyes briefly in relief, his father still lived.

  He heard footsteps behind him, and whirled around.  "Nira." he growled.  "I told you to stay put."  He sighed.  "The rest of you were supposed to stay as well."he said as he noticed the rest of the family gathering behind her.  "It may not be safe."

  "No time for arguing dearest, it looks like your father needs a doctor."

  Tristan shook his head.  "Too risky, as much as I want to bring him to one.  Instead, I we'll go to the emergency shelter."

  Nira looked confused.  "We have one of those?"

  "We do.  There's an emergency medical kit there as well, with some elixirs that may help us out."



  Ethan wiped his hands on his pants.  "Last two down." he said with satisfaction.  Kit force fed the unconscious Nephilium the Memory Fog elixir he had mixed up.

  "They won't remember what they were doing when they come to."  Kit helped his father pick up the Nephilium and throw them into the Portal.  The doors closed on them, taking them away.  Ethan quickly programmed several codes into the Portal.  "What are you doing?"  Kit asked.

  "Confusing the Portal, making it near impossible to trace where it has been."  When he was finished, he stood silently and still for several minutes, staring at the Portal.

  "Let's go."  Kit said impatiently.  "I need to check on the Family, and you promised me an explanation on why you are alive and yet you never came home."

  Ethan sighed.  "An explanation, I have one, but you'll probably not like it."

  "Probably not."  Kit agreed.  "But I deserve one."  He climbed the old stone steps that led to the outside.  When he reached the outdoors, he took a deep breath.  "Fresh air."

 
  "Let's get going Kit."  Ethan said softly.  "All is not well here."

  Kit fell into step with his father's quick pace.  "How do you know?"

  "As soon as I stepped foot back into this When, the bond I have with your Mother..." his voice trailed off.  "Well, let's just say that it is back, now that we are in the same When.  Something is wrong, and we must be cautious."

  "What is this bond you speak of?"

  "There is no simple answer, so I will you the brief one.   For our people, it is a spiritual, physical, and emotional deep bond, that ties two mates together for life.  Sometimes, we choose our mates, and the bond occurs afterwards.  Sometimes the bond chooses for us.   I know when your mother is near, and I know something is wrong, I can feel it, for lack of a better word."

  "And her?  Is the reverse true?"

  Ethan hesitated.  "Yes, she is aware of me again, and quite confused by it, I would imagine."

  "Why didn't you come home?  Why did you stay away?"

  Ethan sighed heavily.  "It all started when the Nephilium, that my father sent, found me.  I asked for a week, to take care of some things, and they granted it to me.  I had a few different options, and none of them ones that I liked.  I wanted more than anything to stay, and raise you and your sister, and grow old with your Mother.  But if I chose that path, they would have hunted us tirelessly,  never stopping.  You, your sister, and your Mother would have been in danger all the time.  If found, you would have all been killed.  Killed because I loved you, and I dared to disobey my Father and I picked my own mate."

  Kit stumbled slightly.  "But we would have been together!"

  Ethan shook his head.  "If I were any one else, it might have worked.  But I am a Camulodunum Prince, heir to my Father's throne.  He would have stopped at nothing to find me, and once he did, he wouldn't hesitate to use you against me.  You cannot imagine the horrors Kit, of what he is capable of."

  "So, instead you abandoned us, and let us think you had died?"  Kit was incredulous.

  Ethan glanced at Kit sadly.  "Hardly that.  I put a bold plan into play.  I would give my father what he wanted, me.  Oh he knew about you and Layla, because of Ari.  I simply told him your human blood made you worthless, and since he is biased about humans, he believed it.  You became unimportant in his eyes.  I knew though, that you had the potential to surpass me, and so I needed to get you out from under his watchful eyes.  So I sent you all to Chaine, my best friend, he is like a brother to me.  I knew he would watch over you, and the Protections placed over that town, would conceal you, and your future son, from prying eyes, until the time was right.  Then it was a simple matter of staging my death, and coming back only long enough to be sure that your Mother was leaving, and that Ari was taken care of permanently."

   While Kit was curious about his Uncle's fate, he could ask about that at another time.  He had something more important to ask about.   "My future son?  How would you even know I would have one?"

  "The Prophecy."  Ethan said simply.  "It is what motivates all of us, to some degree or another.  It was prophesied that my son's son, would be the one to break the curse, and bring all things back into balance."

  "My son?  Break some type of curse?  Like some wizard or something?"

  "More than a Wizard, he will be a Healer among healers.  Power can be used to destroy, or it can be used to Heal.  My father wants it to be used to destroy.  And so he decided to try to fulfill the prophecy by his own hand.  He had picked a mate for me, for the Prophecy says that our blood would be mixed with the blood of Morgause's heir.  The one my Father picked out, came from Morgause's line, and is very powerful in her own right.  Neither were pleased to hear I married."

  Kit sighed.  "I would think most of your tale fantastical, if I had not just fought off several Nephilium today.  I do not like this idea about my son being in harm's way either."

  "Indeed, I felt the same way."  Ethan said gently.  Kit was silent.  "I have held my father and Raven off for years, there was no way I could be a mate to Raven, my love belongs only to your mother.  They grew weary and impatient, and then the day came, when I knew I would be seeing you soon.  A faint trace of Old Camulodean magic in the Backwoods When was discovered, and I knew it could only be my grandson.  That the time of the Prophecy was upon us.  And, oh,  here we are now, at the house."

  Kit studied his house, it seemed to look okay, but his Father was right.  Something did not feel right.  "I don't like it."  Kit said.  "Our house is always busy.  Even with my son Reilly and his cousin Rhys being gone, it should not be this lifeless."

  "Your son is not here?"  Ethan asked surprised.

  "No, they have gone camping."

  "That will make our job harder."  Ethan said.  "But at least it should slow the Nephilium down a little as well.  We must be the first to find your son, do you know where they are?"

  "Not exactly, but I'll call the Scout Master, and I'll find out."  Kit dialed the number from his phone, spoke to the man himself for several minutes, and then hung up the phone and cursed softly.

  "A problem?"

  "Two problems, and their names are Reilly and Rhys, but their names will be mud when I get a hold of them.  They have not gone camping, like they said, but have gone elsewhere, to do Heaven knows what.  If I had not been so distracted..."

  "Do you have any ideas where they might have gone?"

  "No, but their computers are inside the house.  I'm going in."  Kit stalked towards the house angrily.  "Of all the..." he muttered under his breath.  He pushed the front door open, his guard up, but nothing jumped out at him.  The house was still.  His father came up behind him.

  "Caution Kit!  We must use caution!"

  "I'm tired of caution."  Kit bit out.  "My son and my nephew, are wandering around somewhere unprotected, while a bunch of monsters are out searching for them.  Bring it on."  Kit growled.  "I'll do whatever I have to, to keep them safe."  He started for the stairs, but paused when he saw a body lying on the floor motionless.  He changed direction, and started for the body.  His father had already beat him to it.

  

  Ethan sank to his knees.  "Chaine, my brother."

  Kit kneeled beside his father, and felt for a pulse.  It was faint, but still there.  Kit rolled Chaine over onto his back carefully.  "He's all bruised up."  Kit dug through his bag, looking for a particular type of elixir.

  "They got a hold of him."  Ethan said sadly.

  "Ah ha, this ought to help."  Kit pulled a vial out of his bag, it was a whitish liquid.  "This is some powerful stuff."  Kit commented.  "It should perk him up a bit.  There is no way I want to go to my Mother and tell her that her..."  Kit shut his mouth.  He pinched Chaine's nose shut, and opened his mouth and poured the elixir down his throat.

  "Tell your mother what?"

  Kit concentrated on making sure that Chaine swallowed the liquid.  He sighed heavily.  "Dad, Mom thought you were dead."  Ethan nodded his head.  "Well, she married Chaine when I was still a boy.  They even have twins together, Rylan, and Nira.  Nira is Rhys' mother."

  Ethan was silent.  "I don't begrudge them." he said finally.  "I was dead to both of them.  But enough of that business for now, Chaine needs help."  Just then Chaine started to cough, and then he winced.  He opened his eyes and stared blankly at Kit.

"Chaine!"  Kit said in relief.  "I'm glad to see you are awake!"

  Ethan moved closer to Chaine.  "Brother..." he said softly.  Chaine turned his head to look at Ethan, but there wasn't a hint of recognition in his eyes.  Ethan bowed his head and his shoulders slumped.  "We are too late."

  Kit looked at Chaine, and then at his father.  "Too late for what?"

  "She has already been in his mind.  There is nothing that can be done for him here, we need a Healer.  And then maybe, he will have a chance.  Come Kit, help me get him to his feet.  We'll bring him to the Shelter, where he will be safe, we will need someone to look after him."

  Kit helped his father get Chaine to his feet, Chaine didn't say a word or fight them in any way.  "He is usually not so docile."

  Ethan smiled.  "No, he is not." he agreed.  "As a Guardian, he would know the way to lock his mind down, to where not even he could access his memories.  A Healer might be able to help him find his memories, until then, he will be very much like a child."

  "Wait one second!"  Kit rushed up the stairs and grabbed Reilly's laptop, and then returned to where his father was waiting.  "Okay, let's go."



  Nira came up behind Tristan.  "How is he?"

 

  Tristan shook his head.  "Alive.  The elixir I gave him, it will give him a chance.  All we can do is wait now."

  Nira wrapped her arms around Tristan and laid her head on him.  "I'm sorry Tris."

  "No, I'm sorry Nira.  We are in quite a mess, and our son is still out there."





   Kei shivered.  She had been feeling strange for several hours.  It almost felt like...but that's impossible, she told herself.  He was long gone.  And Chaine?  Where was he?  He had promised he would come back.



   Rylan came up to her.  "Mom, are you okay?"

  Kei tried to smile reassuringly at Rylan, but she was pretty sure her fake smile didn't fool him.  "I'll be okay Ry.  I'm just worrying about your father. I've also had Ethan, my first husband, on my mind tonight."

 
  "I'm sure Dad will be alright."  Rylan tried to comfort her.  "It won't be like before."

  Kei started to answer, when she was interrupted by the front door being opened.   She had barely turned around when Tristan was out of the main bedroom and into the living room.  They all breathed a sigh of relief when they recognized who it was.  "Kit!"  Kei scolded.  "You about took twenty years off my life!  And, oh Kit!  Chaine..."

  Tristan helped Kit maneuver Chaine to the couch.  Chaine laid back on the couch, not moving, his eyes still blank.  "Mom, the good news is, he's alive."

  Kei knelt down beside the couch and stared at her husband.  "What happened to him?"

 
  "It's a long story Mom." Kit said.  "He's had a rough day, he had a run in with..."

  "...with whoever was trying to hurt our family." she finished.  She laid her head on Chaine's chest.  "Oh Chaine!"  Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto his sweater.  "I am sick unto death of all this intrigue and secrets!"  Kei cried, frustrated.  "I want someone to tell me what is going on.  Why my husband..." she couldn't say the words.

  Kit sighed heavily.  "There's more Mom."

  Kei dashed the tears off of her face with the back of her hand and stood up.  "More what?  More danger?  More of me standing by while the ones I care about are hurt?"  Rylan rushed her to side, but she waved him off.  "Would someone tell me something!"

  Kit walked over to his mother.  "Well, in that case, I know just the person."

  "Really?"  Rylan and Kei said at the same time.  "I'd like some explanations as well."  Rylan continued. 

  Kei looked down at that floor.  "Who is this person Kit?  Chaine?  He lays on this couch," she pointed at him, "but he is not there!  Ayden obviously knew something, but he's not available..."

  "Mom, " Kit interrupted her.  "Mom," he said more gently.  "I brought someone else with me."  The front door clicked shut.

 
  "Who?"  Kei turned around.

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  Another chapter down!  I am hopeful that in 1, maybe 2 chapters? I'll have this wrapped up.  Next chapter Reilly and Rhys are back. :)

  Sorry about the lack of pics and the many words.  If I could not get even close to what I wanted, I didn't use the picture, and instead I only had words. 

  There are all kinds of complications going on, hence the title. :)  You will note, I haven't killed anyone but *bad* guys!  lol :D  Also, sorry, but no blood, you'll all have to pretend it's there.  :P

  One last note--I was having issues with this blog and paragraphs and things again.  Very annoying!  I like my gaps spaced better than they are---but no matter what I do, they are not budging from the way they are right now.  :(