Lightening the Shadows

Part Thirteen


Chang Maru sat in front of the roaring fire. Shadows danced across the bland walls of the room. Somewhere in the darkness there was a concealed figure watching. The uncertain light flared as the wood popped, revealing a pair of dark, cold eyes.


“What do you want, Chang?”


The man flinched at the unexpected sound. He quickly tried to cover his instinctive movement by turning to face the speaker. Chilling laughter told him that he’d been less than successful. He searched the shadows until he found the slim, covered figure that he was searching for.


“You failed Meiran.”


The assassin started to speak but Chang cut her off. “Failure in this case is acceptable. I have changed my mind. Bring Wufei here, alive.”


Meiran sneered. If Chang hadn’t been paying her so muchd ald already be dead. Then again, he may end up dead soon anyway. “I will find the child, but the state he is in will depend on him.” she spat.


Maru’s dull eyes blazed. “You will bring him here alive Meiran, or you will regret it.”


Meiran stepped closer to her employer. Deliberately she leaned down close to his face as she hissed, “I regret nothing I have ever done, Chang, and I doubt very seriously that I ever will. You would do well to remember that you’re not paying me all that much.”


Chang swallowed hard, and he clearly felt the caress of sharp steel against the vulnerable skin of his throat. Still, as frightened as he was of his hired assassin, he refused to quail under her hard stare. After all, she was just a woman. “Or else, Meiran.”


“Ch’.” She pulled back and delicately started cleaning her nails with the sharp point of the blade. “Have it your way, Chang.”


Maru regarded her pointedly. “Shouldn’t you be going, Meiran?”


*****


Wufei’s dark eyes rested on the sleeping face of his master. In repose Duo was beautiful. Dark lashes caressed his cheeks and Wufei longed to run his fingers over the flawless skin. Softly Wufei rested one finger just under the sweep of those lashes. Carefully the boy studied his master for any sign that the touch had woken him. There was none.


He dragged his finger down Duo’s cheek, skimmed over the full lips, and ran it down his throat. He risked a quick glance back at his face. Duo was still asleep. Emboldened, Wufei flattened his palm over Duo’s chest and caressed his warm silken skin lovingly. When, almost by accident, he brushed against a dark nipple, the dark nub pebbled against his palm. Wufei was fascinated by this response.


Wufei’s eyes darted from his own hand to his master’s face. Still asleep. Tentatively he lowered his head and laved his tongue gently over the tiny bud. Duo moaned.


Wufei jerked. Was that… his name?


Duo groaned his name again, and his hand rose to hold Wufei’s head against his chest. The dark haired boy tensed for a moment until he realized that Duo was indeed still sleeping. Throwing himself into his innocent seduction, Wufei ran both hands over every inch of his master’s body that he could reach. Cool skin heated under his hands, and Duo’s rapid uneven breathing along with his encouraging whispers told Wufei that his master was enjoying this teasing.


Lost in the haze of his own passion, Wufei’s hand lowered to encase the throbbing proof of his master’s desire. The sleeping prince urged his young slave on. Wufei happily complied; all the while his own hips were grinding his arousal into Duo’s hip.


Breathing quickened, and touches became rougher, needier. Duo’s hips arched, causing even more friction against Wufei. Slave and master whimpered together. Both moved harder against each other, and Wufei’s hand tightened with his own climax. That sent Duo over the edge.


Wufei looked at his Duo’s come where it glistened on his master’s firm chest. Curiously he slid a finger through the sticky substance and raised it to his lips. The taste burst over his tongue. It was something uniquely Duo and Wufei quickly decided that he liked it. Eagerly he lowered his head and lapped up every drop. Contented and finally sated, he drifted to sleep.


Violet eyes snapped open. *I was having that dream again.* Duo sighed dejectedly. Wanting his slave enough to have wet dreams about him was doing nothing for his guilt but making it worse. *This time though there was something different…* Duo was asleep again before he could finish the thought.


The window opened with a soft click. A cloaked figure entered the inner sanctum of Shinigami. Silently it paced toward the bed. There was a flash of silver and two screams: one of pain and the other of pure terror and a slender form was pulled from the bed. With a thunk the second scream cut off in mid cry, and Wufei sank to the floor unconscious.


A thin line of blood trailed from Duo’s lips and he coughed once, spraying red tinged foam across his sheets. He mentally commanded that his Shadow Lords attend him and sent Quatre for a healer before passing out.


*****


In the stable Nataku let out a terrible cry of rage. She kicked at the walls of stabstable impotently. *Help me! I have to get to him! Somebody open the GODDAMNED DOOR!*


A larger shape, this one black as midnight, shouldered her none too gently out of the way. Nataku angrily pushed back and Deathscythe whirled on her furiously. *That human got Shinigami also. You will stay back while I open this door, so that we may go to them.*


*But…*


The stallion’s eyes blazed, lighting up the stable. *That is an order, Nataku. Call for the others.*


One kick from his powerful hind legs and the stable door shuddered. The second shattered it and seven Shadow Steeds galloped full out for the castle. They thundered up the stairs and doors were flung open before them as they ascended the stairs to the master suite where Duo lay dying.


*****


Sally looked gravely toward the five Shadow Lords. “I am sorry my lords. There is nothing more that I can do. The blade pierced his heart. He won’t last…”


She was interrupted by the door being flung back off its hinges. The gaping hole framed the imposing bulk of Deathscythe. His sides heaved and his eyes gleamed red. The weight of his emotions weighted the room and Sally suddenly found it very hard to breathe. All of the room’s other occupants jumped nearly out of their skin when an unfamiliar voice commanded, *Everyone out. The others await you.* When they hesitated Deathscythe snapped *Leave now!* Healer and Shadow Lords alike scurried from the room.


Deathscythe lowered his head to nuzzle at the still bleeding wound. Carefully he harnessed the power inside him and pushed it out and into his dying bonded. The smell of a dark untouched and moonlit forest filled the room and if anyone had been there they almost could have heard the sound of thousands of voices chanting.


After several moments color started to slowly return to Shinigami’s pale cheeks. His breathing grew less labored. A bit longer and the god of death opened his eyes to look into those of his bonded. “’Scythe.”


The horse nodded, feeling the thanks carried in that familiar endearment. He sent a wave of love and warmth to his bonded along with, *I almost lost you, bonded.*


Duo laughed though his eyes remained cold. “I’m Shinigami remember? The God of Death can’t die. Now help me go to the others. I believe that I need to take back something that belongs to me.”


*****


In the next room, Zechs paced restlessly. His fingers were knotted in his long platinum hair and he was mumbling threats, accusations, and obscenities. On his last trip across the room he slammed face first into the wall and fell backward onto his rear.


Tallgeese and Epyon watched him in amusement from the sidelines. *Oi, Tallgeese, think he’s listening to himself?*


*Not really.* the horse flinched. *I don’t really think he’s paying much attention to where he’s going either.*


“Merquise.”


All of the occupants of the room turned to face the expressionless Shinigami. Deathscythe stood behind him and together the two looked like Death come to claim them. Ten bodies shuddered in instinctive fear. It only took Zechs a second to lose his though.


He shot to his feet and stormed toward Duo. “How could you let her take him, Duo?” The man growled. “How could you just lay there and let that woman take my baby!”


He stopped right in front of his prince. Most people would have been intimidated by Zechs’s enraged expression and much greater height but if anything Duo became even more icy.


“You will be silent!” Before Shinigami had even finished his hissed command, Zechs found himself flying across the room where he slammed into the same wall that he’d paced himself into earlier. The much greater force of this impact showed itself in the fact that the blond Shadow lord did not immediately get to his feet. Instead he dazedly shook his head and staggered up only with the help of Treize.


The others shrank back. Their prince was angrier than they’d ever seen him. The pure power slid off him in visible waves of red tinged shadow that almost obscured Deathscythe’s already dark form. His voice was like ice when he spoke again. “I believe that this woman has taken something that belongs to me. It is time we get it back.”


He and Deathscythe paced fully into the room. Burning amethyst burned into each of them in turn. “Failure in this is not an option, and mistakes will not be tolerated. I will have back what is mine.”

A/N: The next chappy is up soon!! My beta reader is currently out of town but hopefully this will be done and up by at least the begining of next week. Thanks All!!!!!!!!
P.S. Don\'t forget to tell me what you think!!! please R&R!!!!!