The Shield of Gentem

Chapter 20 : Submitted to the Question

It took a few minutes of negotiation before Lev agreed to let go of his wife. Eleazar wanted to examine her, because of the blood that covered her. When they found the corpse cut in half in the bedroom, he and Lev looked at each other before carrying her into another room. He would burn the fucking bed and replace it with another one, as soon as his employees recovered from their emotions.

For then, he laid down delicately an unconscious Flavia in a guest room.

- She doesn't seem to be hurt, said El, quickly examining her. No signs of sexual abuse either.

Nausea overtook Lev along with relief. When he saw the body in their bed, he had thought of it, as had the Mage. In this moment, a hand in that of Flavia, he had the impression to be on the point to collapse so much he was exhausted nervously.

-Tamir has done it again, you think? he sighed.

-So that he is once again in the wrong place at the wrong time? There is a good chance.

-I should thank him, later. He saved Flavia.

Both men nodded. Eleazar tended to the Duchess's few minor wounds before placing his hand on her forehead to lull her into a restful sleep. He had to go take care of Tamir, and then the household staff.

Twenty minutes later, Lev was still unable to let go of Flavia's hand. He refused to leave her alone in her room, even though she had curled up under the comforter to sleep. Vera came. Sitting down in a corner, she ordered him to go and change. She would look after her sister in the meantime. They would talk later.

If he was reluctant to leave his wife, he had to face the facts: he was covered with the blood of both humans and demons. Nevertheless, he did not go to change his clothes immediately. He looked around at his men and saw who was dead, who was alive, who was being cared for by Eleazar. Despite the violence of the attack, they had few casualties. But all of them explained to him, with pride, the courage of their mistress. And her power!

Seeing the door blown open, he had more or less suspected that she had used her bow to protect the fortress. As they talked, he realized the effect Flavia had on the people in the house. And her determination to protect Tamir had impressed them. They had heard the explosions upstairs from her shooting. He had better go and see what it was all about.

In the kitchen, everyone was fine. Cara was watching her son with a worried eye, along with the cook and her children. But Tamir was fine, as usual in this kind of situation. He found Rainier in the outer courtyard, in the middle of the night. He was watching the surviving assailants, who had been pilloried. There were three in all.

He felt better, knowing his friends were there to help him. The Duke of Hastam nodded to him, before telling him to return to his wife. Which he did, once his armor was off and his underwear changed. He wrinkled his nose when he saw the corpse cut in half in his bed. He would deal with it later.

Returning to the guest room, he found his wife awake.

-Flavia! he exclaimed.

-Lev! How is everything?

Smiling, she took his hands in hers as he knelt beside the bed. Vera, installed in a corner, the feet on a stool, raised an eyebrow. She had difficulty with the silly air that this big jerk could display in front of her sister.

- Nobody cares about me. Tell me about you instead.

- I think it was the overflow of emotions, and the fear I had for Tamir, she said with a contrite look. I didn't want anything to happen to him. And... uh... our men... the people of the house?