What seemed to be an eternity passed as we ran for the stone archway, but in actuality it was only seconds. As we passed through men formed up within, holding spears to keep the invaders from entering till the last of our people had made their way in. A minute later the great doors began to close and the massive iron portcullis came down behind them with an echoing boom. Not daring to go further I eased Penny down and sent my mind out to examine her wound.
The internal damage was incredible. Her spine had been partly severed and a large artery in her abdomen was bleeding freely. Somehow her heart had been missed but one lung had collapsed and the other was damaged. Without pausing I sealed the artery to stop the loss of blood but I knew it was only a temporary measure, the organs it fed would soon die if I could not restore normal blood flow quickly.
Marc stood beside me and I looked at him with hope in my eyes, where my father had died for his absence, perhaps now Penny could be saved. “Please help her!” I begged. He nodded and I saw his focus move inward as he sought his Lady’s aid for Penny’s sake.
The cold voice that issued from his throat a moment later chilled me to the bone, “You have betrayed us wizard. Your bond is broken.”
I stared at him in shock, “She doesn’t have time for this. Please... you must save her!”
“She dies in your place, a fitting punishment for an oath-breaker. You should be dead as well,” said the voice of Millicenth without sympathy. Though the voice was hers I could see Marc’s face twitching as he began struggling with her internally.
“Damn you Millicenth! If you do not help her now I will see you and all your kin dead by my own hand!” I shouted at him. It was an empty threat, but I was beyond reason now.
“You have chosen your fate,” she answered. “We can only hope death finds you before Mal’goroth does.” Marc’s face was twisting now into a rictus of agony as he fought against his goddess’ will. Tense seconds passed and then I felt more than saw her leave him. He fell to his knees beside me, with despair written on his face.
“She has abandoned us,” he said in a voice that held no hope.
I ignored him and returned my attention to Penelope. As with my father, I was faced with an impossible task. The shaft had to be withdrawn while at the same time her artery and damaged organs were repaired. It wasn’t something I could do from the outside. I looked up at Dorian, “Cut the head from the shaft,” I said, pointing to the wide steel point of the ballista bolt.
Drawing his sword again he severed it cleanly with one stroke. “What are you going to do?” he asked.
“Something stupid, if it doesn’t work we may both die. I want you to count to thirty and then withdraw the shaft,” I replied. I turned to Marc, “Hold her for me, I’m about to let go.” He nodded silently and moved to brace her as I released her body. “Lay her next to me, so I can see her face,” I added. He did so and Dorian crouched behind her, his hands on the thick wooden shaft. Lying beside her I looked into her pale face and spoke one last time, “Start counting Dorian.” I added a few more words in Lycian and then the world vanished as my mind left my body, spiraling into the dying form of the woman I loved.
Pain nearly overwhelmed me as the signals from Penny’s torn spine tore at me. Agony coursed through me as I sought to balance myself, to find a quiet place within her. I could feel her heart’s labored beating as it worked sluggishly to keep blood flowing through her. The first thing I did was to block the onslaught of impulses coming from her torn nerves and damaged spine, giving myself a respite from the pain. Then I focused on the wooden shaft that passed through her body. It had gone through her liver and the steel head had severed the artery that fed into it. It had also ripped one lung open and cut into numerous other organs as it passed.
I had already sealed the artery, to prevent her bleeding to death, but it would need to be reconnected. I didn’t dare do any of that until the wooden shaft was removed however. While I waited I drew the blood from her damaged lungs and mended the large cut that was there. Then I felt a great pulling as the wooden shaft was drawn out. New pain shot through her body, threatening to drive me into unconsciousness with her. If I lost control now we would both die.
Drawing on a strength of will I hadn’t known I possessed I ignored the pain and began closing the wounds left behind as the bolt was drawn. The liver itself was fairly simple but the large artery gave me trouble. Blood began rushing outward as I fought to reconnect the two separate parts. Panic threatened to destroy my resolve but I held firm, until at last the artery was whole again.
Once that was done I began fixing the numerous smaller injuries within her abdomen, repairing smaller vessels and restoring her other organs. One thing that had been miraculously undamaged was her womb. As I focused my attention there a shock ran through me, for a second heart beat within it. She was pregnant. My intentional lie had been an unintentional truth.
The life inside was tiny but strong. I could feel something akin to fear coming from it. Reaching out I soothed it with my mind, trying to reassure it. You’re safe, daddy’s here, I
