The runes had warned Flynn before he'd even woken up, someone was trying to get into their sanctuary...someone who didn't mean to be polite. He'd warned Dakkian, and had found Adrekan and Lyren shortly in the hall as he and Dakkian went to find out who was trying to come in, and more importantly why. Jack had warned Flynn that all of their friends were likely tainted, so he knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant visit, but nothing had prepared him to see Donavin Shado'loran, hair nearly shorn completely off, standing looking like he was about to light his Estate on fire.
Flynn had reacted fast, using the blunt edges of his daggers to drive Donavin to pay attention to him instead of the defenseless stone and wood, and it had worked...he'd gotten a magic ball of fire to the side for his troubles but his house had been saved. Lyren had come then, and though Flynn had tried to speak to Vin, to talk him down from the insanity in his mind, it had done nothing but agitate the other and the fire mage had needed to step in, flames singing off the rest of Vin's hair but not killing him as he and Adrekan had worked to stop the other elf, trying to render him unconscious.
Vin was nearly incapacitated, but suddenly there was another one to focus on, one that made Flynn's heart clench when he heard the roaring insane words. That voice should never sound so harsh, so crazy. He'd never heard Gentil like that before, and it would haunt him in his nightmares for a long time as he listened to the hatred and insanity spew from the delicate priest. He'd tried again to speak to the other, confused as to where the arcane magic was coming from, but he remembered Jack and Talon had mentioned Gabe...he almost wondered if Gentil was possessed but that hadn't mattered as he ran at the priest, before feinting to move behind him and grab him.
Lyren had been much more practical in his method of attacking a magic user, instead of physically assaulting Gentil he had tapped into arcane magicks, and suddenly the crazed elf was a crazed white rabbit in Flynn's arms, kicking violently to be free. Seizing the rabbit by the scruff, Flynn had carried them inside, fear pounding in his heart when Dakkian went to go check and see where Vin might have gone since the elf had vanished, but he had tried to keep focused on bunny Gentil so he wouldn't get away....he was supposed to protect him, not lose him to be eaten by a wandering mur'ghoul.
He'd put him in a cooking pot with a lid to avoid being bitten, following Lyren into the sitting room where Adrekan had set up nasty looking magic sapping chains. Adrekan and Lyren worked well as a team, Lyren dropping the spell and helping the exorcist bind Gentil before the priest could get away. Flynn had shied away at first of removing Gen's clothing, but the snappish patience the other two showed in telling him to do it made him sit on the priest's legs, stripping his top first to see what they could find.
He hadn't seen it, but Adrekan had, buried beneath a swirling contract was the rune he had removed from his own mate...and Adrekan growled at it. The Knight had taken Flynn's dagger then, studying the mark to make sure he didn't break whatever weirdness was already etched into the other's flesh before stabbing into the Old God mark, pouring his own corrupted essence into it to seize control, twisting it to his own mind and domination, then snapping it completely and wrenching out the blade with a twist.
Flynn simply watched Gentil, who he'd offered his arm to bite down on. Gen had kept trying to bite him and the brunette figured he wouldn't just bite into leather so he'd offered up his bare flesh and tried to remain impassive as the priest's teeth dug deep into flesh and muscle, nearly to bone as blood, saronite, and something else drained from him. He let Gentil keep his teeth imbedded in his skin until finally the priest let go, slumping back and seeming to go unconscious, Flynn couldn't tell. He'd nearly been done himself, falling back and laying numbly against the couch, hugging his wounded arm to his chest as he watched Lyren and Adrekan work to unchain and clean up the blond.
Dakkian had saved him then, coming back and quickly bandaging his arm, never chiding him for his no doubt idiotic choice. He simply took care of him, agreeing to let Gentil stay with them one more night in their room before he'd need to move back to his own, slathering his blistered burn with salve and bandaging that before hurrying the brunette off to sleep.
Flynn tried, he did, but he could feel the nagging sense of failure in his heart. Once again he hadn't been able to save them, he'd been useless in every way that counted. He hadn't kept up his promise, and it burned him inside. Burying his face against Dakkian's chest, fighting off tears, the brunette just let out a sigh, wishing for sleep but never quite making it, a restless silence pounding in his ears through the long hours as he watched blood start to seep through the bandage on his arm. He'd have to stitch himself in the morning...maybe once Dakk woke up.
