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--- Part 1 ---
Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo entered the Voice of the Tempest's chambers with the certainty that they would let her pass without question. Indeed, the blades of the Tempest parted like a calm sea before the determined hazel gaze of Pelor's champion.
Vex strode forward, Fenthras at her back, ready for war and extremely angry with Keyleth for not telling her what had happened. Something had gone wrong and Keyleth had been wounded in battle, and she had found out just hours ago when one of Zephrah's druids had arrived in Whitestone with the news. Vex hadn't hesitated, she'd barked some orders to her subordinates, received her husband's silent blessing in the form of a stoic look and a nod, and headed for the Sun Tree with decades of feelings bubbling on the surface of her soul.
When she reached Keyleth's room, she confirmed what her heart and instincts had been screaming at her ever since she saw Zephrah's emissary, the Voice of the Tempest was in pain and suffering. The image that greeted her was one she never wanted to see, Keyleth leaning against the back of her bed, her eyes closed and face contorted in pain, her antlers resting carelessly to one side as two healers milled around her, cleaning wounds that seemed too painful and fresh.
The air smelled of incense, heavy and warm, and it clung to her lungs as she saw how battered her Kiki was. Vex clenched her fist tightly, the words stuck in her throat mixed with fear so deep it paralyzed her. Keyleth could have died and she hadn't even known about it, she could have died and Vex wasn’t around to protect her.
One of the healers noticed her presence and almost reverently approached her.
"The Tempest is in no condition to receive visitors, she..." Vex's glare could have killed a weaker-hearted man in that moment, the healer swallowed loudly and walked away.
"Kiki..." she called out breathlessly, wanting to break the silence but having difficulty finding her own voice.
Keyleth's eyes opened instantly. A timid smile lit up the features that until then had been somber. A weak hand reached out to Vex who rushed to take it, anger long forgotten.
"Oh, Kiki, tell me what I can do. How can I help you" Vex's hand closed tightly around Keyleth's, noting the skin that was nothing like the rosy and healthy she was used to.
"Our friends have taken care of that, Vex." A wince clouded Keyleth's green eyes as she sat up. "The herbalists are preparing an ointment as we speak."
Vex clenched her jaw, she hated feeling useless and nothing made her feel more useless than seeing Kiki in pain.
"I can feel what you're thinking, Lady de Rolo," Keyleth said with a mischievous smile, "but it all happened too fast, I couldn't warn anyone and I certainly wasn't going to send the Mistress of the Gray Hunt to pick some flowers."
"Well, it turns out that the Mistress of the Gray Hunt would gladly cut all the flowers in the world if it meant that her Kiki wouldn’t suffer more than necessary"
"Her Kiki, huh?"
"Yes, mine. My brother is not here, it is my responsibility to watch over your well-being"
Keyleth winced, a mixture of discomfort and pain that, this time, had nothing to do with physical injuries.
"Well, speaking of which..."
When the healers returned to the room, Keyleth had told Vex everything that had happened at Tishtan's site and how Vax was now an orb that powered the Malleus Key. Vex's face was unreadable, her eyes hard and determined.
Reluctantly, Vex stepped aside to allow the healers to begin healing Keyleth. The Tempest's right hand approached her and told her how the Bells Hells had succeeded in the mission of collecting the blue flowers they needed to heal those injured by Otohan and save a handful of their compatriots. Vex nodded, absorbing all the information but not taking her eyes off Keyleth.
"...and now they are waiting to talk to the Tempest" Leeta finished.
"They will talk to her when Keyleth is fully recovered, not a minute before"
If Leeta knew anything about Lady de Rolo, it was that her orders were final and must be respected. She nodded, giving the Voice of the Tempest one last look as she left the room.
Vex didn't notice when the Zephrah's Defense Master left her side, her attention completely focused on the bed in the center of the room and the hands of one of the healers on Keyleth.
The familiar green beast that used to roar in her chest when someone approached her Kiki made an appearance, vicious as always.
The healer, a girl who looked very young, too young if you asked Vex, spread the healing salve over Keyleth's body with reverence and care that made Vex's skin crawl with envy. Keyleth had closed her eyes as the blue paste was absorbed into her wounds as they slowly began to heal, her face relaxing slowly but surely.
A sigh escaped Keyleth's lips as the healer's hands settled on her thigh, massaging slowly. The healer was blushing bright red, her mouth slightly open like it was difficult for her to breathe normally and her pupils dilated. Vex recognized those signs and she didn't like that at all. The healer's hands moved up Keyleth's thigh, just inches, and Vex's frown deepened. In that place there were no wounds, the ointment was not necessary there and...
"Oh, hell no..." the words were barked with such virulence that the healers looked at Vex in surprise as she approached the bed as if she had seen her worst enemy near Keyleth. And maybe it was a bit like that.
"Leave it, girl, I will continue assisting the Tempest" The older healer wanted to protest but Lady de Rolo's stare stopped him again. There was no way to reason with this woman, he thought wisely, taking the other healer by the arm and leading her out of the room without in silence. Vex followed them with her eyes until they had closed the door, then she turned to Keyleth who was looking at her with a smirk.
"What?"
"What was that, Vex?" Keyleth didn't need to ask but a very primal need deep within her being needed Vex to put it into words.
"I'm just protecting you, dear?"
"Protecting or being a little possessive?"
"Isn't it the same?"
Smug as always, just like her twin, Keyleth thought fondly. "For you, it may be"
Vex didn't dislike the accusation, she knew that she was possessive of everything and everyone she considered hers. And the Voice of the Tempest was hers, damn it.
She took a few more steps towards the bed and took the bluish ointment, eyeing it curiously.
"The healers finished tending my wounds…" Keyleth said, reaching for her staff.
"Yeah, they sure did." The snarl in the ranger's voice made the Tempest giggle.
"Now you're making fun of me, Kiki" It wasn't common to see Lady De Rolo pout pitifully like that, but Keyleth couldn't feel anything but adoration for her.
"Come on, Vex, help me," she told her, holding out a hand for Vex to help her up, her smile still hanging in her eyes.
Without delay, Vex's arms wrapped around Keyleth's waist, securing and protecting her. There was no place where Kiki felt safer.
The Tempest's hands encircled Vex's face as a golden aura enveloped her, as if she sought the strength of Vex's body to complete her healing. Vex felt the druid's familiar healing magic, warm and bright as ever, warming every part of her soul as it healed the mortal flesh of the other part of her heart.
When the spell ended, the Keyleth in front of her was different, she wasn’t fully recovered yet but she had regained part of her magnificence and that, added to the fact that Keyleth's hands continued caressing her cheeks, soothed her soul like nothing else could.
"That group of rascals is waiting to see you" Vex said in a whisper.
"They did a good job," Keyleth sighed, resting her forehead against Vex's, "but I'd like to stay like this a little longer, with you..., before I have to get back to my duties."
"Darling, that sounds like an excellent idea"
--- Part 2 ---
Laudna had stayed on the second floor, guarding one of the exits, when Imogen had gone up with FCG to the floor where Dancer was staying. She didn't think so much preparation was necessary, Imogen could convince Dancer without any problem, after all, she was very capable.
So when the group went downstairs with Dancer in tow Laudna didn't look surprised at all.
The entire group gathered around a large table in the tavern, even the Voice of the Tempest joined them, and Dancer introduced them to the two new automatons that now accompanied her. Laudna didn't participate much in the conversations, FCG had things to work out with her and she was happy to just be an observer of the conflict resolution, after all Imogen was a much more fun and stimulating sight than anything that old smelly tavern had to offer.
And so she was, trying not to look like a teenager smitten with the lilac-haired sorceress in front of her, when she heard Dancer drawl in an accent so similar to Imogen's.
"Is this how you usually ambush your innocent victims?" she said to Imogen, a lopsided smile accompanying the playful accusation, "offering your services to get them to open the door for you?"
Imogen frowned in tandem with Laudna.
"I didn't offer any service, what you thought I could offer you was all in your imagination"
Dancer widened her smile, leaning into her despite having the table between them.
"Oh no, no. I didn't imagine anything, you flirted with me and, honey, I was sooo ready to let you in."
Laudna felt her Form of Dread awaken and stir within her, her warlock magic churning in her chest like a stormy sea. Her knuckles turned white from the force with which she now gripped the edge of her chair. Laudna had never felt this way before, but she knew for a fact that what raised the primal growl in her throat was pure, raw, jealousy.
Jealousy that had come out of nowhere and that she probably had no right to feel, but there it was, corrupting her mind with unexpected possessiveness.
Across from her, Imogen laughed, her insolent gaze directed at Dancer.
"I only know that to convince you I had to appeal to a part of you that would not be the most logical"
"In that you are right, in bed I am anything but logical"
"You think you could’ve convinced me to end up your bed?"
This time, the laughter came from Dancer.
"Baby, anywhere you want is fine by me"
Laudna was ready to take another life, Wither and Bloom felt extremely tempting right now. She hadn't realized she'd started to move until she felt Chetney's hand on her arm, guiding her back to the chair. But the noise of her chair moving had drawn the attention of the entire table, and now several pairs of eyes were on her.
Imogen tried to hide a smile behind her pint of beer as she locked glances with a Laudna who still had murder in her eyes.
Dancer, unaware of or despite the danger, turned her attention to Laudna.
"Your friend here was ready to jump on my bed, if it weren't for..."
"I believe Imogen has an impeccable taste so that's highly improbable," Laudna cut her off, her words barely escaping between clenched teeth.
"And that pose she did when she opened the door? Offering the goods..."
"I didn't offer shit," Imogen's reply came quick and sharp.
Fearne, at the end of the table, barely contained her laughter and all the frills of her clothing trembled with suppressed joy. Keyleth looked from one side to the other just as amused by the situation. Chetney had grabbed the edge of Laudna's corset as if he knew she could jump at Dancer at any moment. Orym had his hand on Seedling, ready to spring into action if the moment called for it.
But Dancer recognized her handicap and stepped back, her gaze still fixed on Imogen as she hurled one last affront.
"If Fresh Cut Grass can't pay me to fix this strange device..." she said, pointing to the Ludinus artifact they had recovered, "can I ask for one night with you as compensation?" the proposition was finished off with a sensual wink.
Laudna's growl was the only response she received, and then all was silent.
Before the dangerous silence could stretch too long, Imogen rose to her feet, walked around the table, and taking Laudna's hand, led her out of the tavern and into the streets of Bassuras.
She led them into an alleyway by the tavern and in the shadow of the buildings met Laudna's gaze.
“Laud…”
“...”
"What happened in there, honey?"
Laudna's eyes, still frowning, was on the floor, fists clenched on each side of her body.
Imogen tried again.
"You know I would never seriously flirt with her" her voice sounded almost pleading.
"I know," Laudna finally answered, her voice one step short of a growl. "It's the way she said… all those things… what she said she wanted to do to you"
"And you don't like that?"
"Of course not!" the response was immediate.
Imogen couldn't help but bite her lower lip to keep from jumping on Laudna and kissing her senseless. Laudna. Her girlfriend, Laudna.
"Love, what she said doesn't matter. She doesn't matter. For me there is only you"
Laudna looked up timidly.
"Even if I walk this world with such a burden?"
"She spoke to you again?"
"When we were going back to the table last night, yes"
Anger coursed through Imogen, and she greeted it with wicked joy. She would enjoy sunder Delilah again.
"I would understand if you no longer want..." Laudna swallowed hard, "if you no longer want to be with me in... that way"
"Laudna, I..."
"Seriously, Imogen," Laudna hurried, "I would understand if everything Dancer said…what she offered, is more attractive than this," she finished, pointing at herself.
"Laudna, if you only knew what all this" she repeated Laudna's gesture, pointing to the warlock's body, "does to me..., I don't know if you would look me in the eye again."
Laudna's cheeks filled with a purple hue that soon spread down her neck and then to her shoulders. Imogen's tongue, following the path of the blush, wetted her lips; desire clearly painted on her face now that she wasn't trying to hide it.
"Honey, if it weren't for the imminent end of the world and this mad rush to stop Ludinus and my mother, I swear to any god that I would put you in a room and not let you out for several days."
Laudna's knees trembled at the weight, the pent-up desire behind those words.
It's all a lie, child, only I can give you what you really need.
Feeling Laudna stiffen in her arms and sensing why, Imogen opened her mind and resting her forehead against Laudna's, she projected her thoughts.
Bitch, I know you're there. I know what you're trying to do but you have no idea what you're up against. I will rip every fiber of the universe to destroy you once and for all. You can't have her, now or ever. Laudna is mine!”
There was no response from Delilah but Laudna closed her arms around Imogen's waist and kissed her feverishly, pinning her against the wall.
If someone passed by that street they would have witnessed a passionate kissing session, what they wouldn’t know were all the silent promises the two women were tattooing in each other's souls.