Chapter 56

Mark made a special point of watching the flow of energy as the three of them cavorted in the shower. He wanted to know how much energy they could actually raise with sex, and how much of it would make it to Kristen. He'd really thought that he'd probably get too distracted to pay much attention, but he found himself to be fascinated by the shifting colors and patterns, even when he was most occupied.

He could see the energy building, strong enough that he could even see it, faintly, with his eyes open, and he could see it flowing from him to Kristen, and from Kayla to Kristen. As well, energy flowed from Aaron into him, and added to what he was giving his wife. It didn't seem like much of what was raised actually went to her ... a lot of it seemed to get lost in the transfer, but it was some. Enough that it had to help.

Still ... he'd hoped for more, and it was hard to contain his disappointment, even in the midst of such wonderful distraction. He bent his head and nipped at Kayla's neck as he slid into her from behind, and she groaned and clenched her hand in Aaron's hair. Mark closed his eyes as her cunt tightened around him, squeezing and rippling, and because he was still half-heartedly watching the energies, he saw it when all of the lines rippled, wavering for a moment.

Then, for a few seconds, the energy seemed to pool around Kayla, swirling thickly around her, and then blinked out, disappearing for just a second before it started flowing again ... but this time it was flowing from her completely. The lines wove themselves into a braid around the gold Kristen-strand, and grew much, much stronger in the process. Mark's, Kayla's and Kristen's strands made up the solid core of the braid-- blue, green, and rapidly brightening gold-- but Aaron's silver, now flowing directly into Kayla rather than passing through Mark, formed a delicate filagree around the braid, seeming to strengthen it, and to keep the energy contained as it followed the path to Kristen.

The last thing Mark saw, before the physical sensations of what they were doing became too much for him, was the energy suddenly pulsing bright and strong as Kayla came again around his cock and on Aaron's face.

Afterward, as he knelt in the tub, holding her cradled to his chest because her legs were too limp to hold her, he looked again. Things were back to normal, in a way, but there had been some definite changes, as well. His bond to Aaron, instead of existing as a weak, potential thing, had strengthened considerably. As well, a new bond had formed between Kayla and Aaron, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. It just didn't 'look' the same as the lifebonds. It seemed to be both a tighter and a looser bond at the same time.

It was odd how easily he accepted that the things he 'saw' were real, when he'd been doing it for such a short time. But he didn't doubt them, or the other magic that had entered his life. And if he had the occasional moment of wondering about his sanity, the rewards of that potential insanity were most certainly worth it. Still ... he wished there were someone he could ask about these things without being afraid they'd have him committed.

Smiling, he opened his eyes and looked down at the two teenagers who shared the tub with him. Kayla had her eyes closed, and her black hair fell in sleek ringlets around her shoulders as the warm water cascaded over her. Kristen would have loved to paint her like that: Goth Angel In The Rain.

Aaron was half-kneeling, half-laying in the tub, his head resting against Kayla's hip, looking utterly exhausted. Mark cast a quick glance over the boy's back, hoping their activity hadn't hurt it too badly, and stiffened with shock.

He reached behind him to turn off the water, then jiggled the girl in his arms a bit. "Um. Kayla, look. Look at his back."

She flinched, scrunching her eyes more tightly closed. "Is it bleeding again?"

Mark shook his head and turned her around. "No, look at it."

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, and then gasped. "Oh! Wow ... How the fuck?" She touched Aaron's back gently, her eyes full of wonder.

It wasn't totally healed. There were still a few bruises, and even a couple of cuts that weren't quite well, yet, but it was very close to it. It looked as if the beating had happened three weeks ago, rather than the night before.

"And you've developed some sort of bond with him," Mark said, softly. "It's ... not the same as mine. Somehow ... tighter and looser, it just looks ... damn it, I don't have the words to describe these things!"

Her lips trembled as she stroked the newly healed skin, and Aaron smiled up at her, rubbing his cheek against her thigh. Another perfect image: Fallen Angel In Supplication. "Gods ... thank you," Kayla whispered, then started to cry.

Mark held her close as she sobbed brokenly, her whole body shaking helplessly, as if she cried for something she hadn't dared mourn and had never expected to return.

These tears had been long in coming, he knew, so he stroked her hair and let her cry. Eventually, she sniffed, then took a shaky breath and opened her eyes.

She smiled weakly at Aaron, who still knelt beside her, watching with concern. Reaching out, she stroked his hair like one might a worried child's ... or an anxious pet's. "At ... At l-least I c-can fix the damage I cause."

Mark squeezed her tightly. "And other damage as well."

She wiped at her eyes, and then looked up, suddenly worried. "Shit. Do you think any of the energy made it to Kristen? Or did I use it all up?" She looked down at Aaron and added hurriedly, "Not that I'm not happy to have you healed, it's just ... however bad it was, it wasn't fatal. Kristen's situation could be."

Mark shook his head. "Actually, I think Aaron was just ... incidental. It looked like he was ... um ... sort of containing the energy that was going to Kristen. I think he got healed as a side effect." He smiled down at her proudly.

"Wow." She looked like a little girl at Christmas time, somehow given the gift she'd known she couldn't have. "So ... if it had been on purpose, it might have healed it all the way?"