*** Kerrigan POV***
Kerrigan lay in bed staring at the tiny bracelet. The green and black bands blended with highlights of gold thread. She remembered when Hannah had tied it around her wrist, "Now, Eibhlin, we are friends."
Hannah had handed her a set of other strings to take back with her if she wanted to make another. She looked at the colors Hannah had chosen. Blue, green, gold and black. She looked at the blue and thought of Conor's eyes. She sighed. Since when was she a moon eyed girl thinking about a guy? She had a company to run after all. A life of her own that didn't have time nor place for such nonsense.
However, that name struck at her heart, a long forgotten memory.
A knock came at the door and Evelynn came in. "Mr. Brantley would like to see you."
"I am decent, he can come in here. It will take me too long to get out there."
A minute later Conor came into the room. "May I sit?" he asked, indicating a desk chair.
"Sure."
She watched as Conor glanced around and then looked hard at Evelynn. "I have things that need to be discussed. Sensitive matters. How aware are your staff of your full titles?"
"Hu?" she wondered what he was talking about. Did he know of Abrasax? It was possible if Mr. Nuri knew.
"Kerrigan. Dovari business."
Ah, so this was indeed. "Evelynn, you may state your allegiance openly." She said.
Evelynn bowed and faced Conor. "I am Dovari Dragoon, oathbound to the Deinmaar of Abrasax. As are my compatriots."
Conor nodded. "Very good. I assumed as much but it is good to hear. You then understand that anything you hear does not leave this room."
"And you?" Kerrigan asked.
Conor cocked a grin at her, "You mean to tell me you have not suspected?"
"Well." Kerrigan thought back to her suspicions. Conor had been high on the list but she had dismissed him at first because he didn't have a company or any real signs of Celia's blessing. But now... Now she was sitting in Volkrizin, under his protection, not Mr. Nuri's.
She let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Fine. I should have known. Out with it then."
She watched as Conor removed Celia's pendant from under his shirt. "You have already seen this once before, though I suppose your mind was elsewhere." He smirked.
She frowned trying to recall, then gasped and reddened remembering his naked form the first day she had awoken here. Yes, she had seen something around his neck, but her mind... and eyes, had been distracted.
"I am the Deinmaar of Celia." Conor intoned, "And I see before me the Deinmaar of Abrasax. Well met."
Evelynn's eyes went wide and she fell to a knee.
Kerrigan frowned at her, "You never do that for me."
Evelynn hissed from her spot on the floor, "Celia is the bloody Dovajun! Queen of dragons!"
Conor grinned at Kerrigan before shrugging. "Rise Evelynn and resume your post. Nothing need change. In fact, our safety is best insured when we don't get that level of special treatment."
Kerrigan felt her breath catch as those steel blue eyes turned to her.
"Kerrigan, I know your injuries are frustrating. I have to ask though, since the attack, has Abrasax sturred?"
"I- No."
"Celia feared as much. She fears that while you may heal to an extent, there may be more damage that any of us realized and Abraxas is using all his power to mend it. The fact it has not been healed, may mean he is near the end of his power."
Kerrigan gasped. "He had used a great deal during that fight. The assassin used mind rot and a paralytic on me."
"Shit."
Kerrigan watched as Conor closed his eyes in what she was familiar with her own method of communicating with Abraxas.
"Mind rot is a powerful drug. To counter it is possible for the dragons, but it takes time. To do it in a short period of time is extremely taxing. Had you the time to safely rest and expel it more naturally, Abraxas likely could have aided that process over a few weeks, with little damage to you. Doing it in time for you to also fight... that drain of energy is unimaginable. It may still be working now, which explains why you are healing so slowly." Conor explained.
"I wondered as well. I have been injured before. But I have always healed within a few days. Is there anything that can be done?"
"Celia is willing to see if she can help. However, understand that depending on the extent, it may well mean that you and I will be without their assistance for many years. They may not even be able to whisper to us if their power is drained enough. Celia has had to help me recently and was already drained from... well it has been a hard few years."
"Rania." Kerrigan said softly, sorrow and loss coating the name.
"Yes."
"So, Celia is willing to see what damage there is?"
"She is, if you understand that even now, she may be able to ensure you will heal but it may still take time to recover your strength and muscle definition. And we will be on our own for a time."
"Can we help them? Replenish their magic?"
"I am told there may be a way but even if we don't do this, they will both need many years to fully recover."
"What do we do?"
"May I?" Conor gestured to the bed next to her. She nodded and he joined her on the bed. he placed his hand on the lower part of her leg where the brace and bandages were. She tensed at his touch, but tried to relax and she simply rested his hand there.
Kerrigan watched but didn't see anything happened. Then she saw his eyes glow blue. Oceans of blue light spilled out at her and she gasped. Was this what Breanne has seen when Abraxas has filled her with power? She felt a tingle in her leg and then in her shoulder.
Conor gasped and jerked back.
Kerrigan heard a faint voice in her mind, 'Be strong Pryia. Guard each other. I am with you even now.' Then the room went silent. She looked up at Conor who was back in the chair by the desk, clutching the pendent around he neck.
"Did they?"
Conor looked back at her with sad eyes, "Celia is very weak. She says you had more mind rot poison than she realized, and it was imperative to remove. Abraxas had been holding it at bay which is why you didn't feel any pain or effect from it. Because she was there, she finished the mend of the major tear in your muscle. Your leg and arm will be sore and you will need to retrain them, but they are mostly mended now."
Kerrigan sat up in bed and bowed as best she could. "Thank you, Celia, Abraxas, for your sacrifice." To Conor she said, "Hopefully we can find a way to restore them to their former glory."
"I hope so too. I will let you rest. I am going to find Mr. Nuri and see about that text. You should rest. I have a feeling when Colonel Eli hears that you are cleared for training, he will have us both working out in the morning."
Kerrigan groaned at that, but she admitted to herself she had missed the exercise of training with Breanne. Then a malicious thought crossed her mind. "Perhaps Reilynn, Evelynn, Gabriella, and even Parker can join us to lessen his focus on us."
Conor looked at her and said, "you may regret that." he then disappeared out the door.