My entry for the second Dragon Queen Week, Day 3: Another Life. In the Heroes and Villains book. Dragon Bandit.

Our gentle sin

Now I see fire
Inside the mountain
I see fire
Burning the trees

..

The trip to her cavern is always dangerous – she has to practically climb a mountain, because her friend's shelter is nestled right on a side of a rocky hill. It takes some ropes and knots around her waist, and her boots slide several times and some stones roll down to reach the valley, but the view is amazing – the sky is on fire, by the time she reaches the top, and she stops, panting, hands on her tights, before resuming the climb, and finally she arrives to the dragon's refugee.

"Mal?" she's always hesitant, pushing aside a home-made curtain, and the sudden heat of the inside hits her like a wave, followed by an annoyed groan.

Maleficent is splayed on a straw mattress, hair like a mess, stretches lazily, blinks a few times and finally recognizes her host. "Regina?"

"Hi," she exhales, and Mal's already up on her feet, reaching her, and pulling her in an embrace.

"I was so worried, I haven't seen you in months!"

"Yeah, sorry," she shrugs, freeing herself, and walks past her to go sit on a pillow on the ground. Her hand finds her bow and her quiver, lifts them above her head to place them beside her. "Anyway I think that had the Queen captured me, you would have very well known it, even from up here."

Mal is scrutinizing her face, but stays silent, then turns towards one of the small fires cracking in a corner. There's a pot, hanging from a branch, and she busies herself with some kind of mixture, undoubtedly a tea or an infusion. Regina lets her gaze roam across the room – all the herbal supplies, smell of smoke and fresh air, some books in a nook – where Mal sleeps at night, and basically all the proofs of her friend's witchcraft and absolute, unforgivable treason towards the Crown.

"So, what news do you bring me?" Mal hums, she can only see her back, her black-and-violet tattered mantle.

"Same as always," she mutters as an answer. "Living in a tree, always on the run… the Queen is particularly crabby, these days," she adds. "Nearly caught me a few days ago… but she was too slow or too stupid, sending those disgusting dwarfs to do her job," she says in disdain.

"Still thinking to leave, then?" Mal asks lightly, the hurt in her voice all too evident.

"Yes," she answers earnestly. "As soon as I'll have the money… which is my impending matter right now, if I have to be honest. If I can beat the Merry Men in the next robbery, that's it," she scrunches her nose at the thought of Robin Hood and his men – because she's always so close to accomplish a smooth, well-planned action against the Queen's taxes, and here he comes with those noisy and unprepared companions of his, and she has been almost caught a few times because of them.

Mal turns, hands her a chipped mug – black ceramic, where on hell did she find it? – and motions her to drink, before sitting next to her.

"Are you still angry, Regina?"

It's out of the blue – she was expecting them to dance around the subject for all evening, but Mal is one for bluntness, always has been.

She sips her tea, nursing her options, then chooses to be honest. "Yes, I am," and she can't help but feel a stab of pain, because Maleficent's face falls. "I… I think I've forgiven you, though. Or – I can understand why… why you did it."

The relief is beautiful to watch, and her smile even more. Mal leans on to take her hand, grateful. They lock their gazes – she doesn't speak, but the dragon shifts closer and encircles her shoulders, and Regina's head goes to settle in the crook of her neck – she aspires Mal's perfume, and one single tear falls on her skin. "I'm sorry," she hears her murmur against her hair, and her messy braid is tickling her cheek. She nods, squeezing her eyes close, letting the memories slide in her mind.

"You can still save them both, Maleficent," Snow White is standing tall, with a triumphant smile, and her magic presses on her lungs, choking her, and her eyes, full of tears, are fixed on the dragon. "Or not," Snow laughs maniacally, gripping her hold on Lilith. Mal is on her human form – she has lost the fire, and Regina cries, for herself and for her friend and for Mal's daughter – Mal pleads, and Snow chants "Choose, Maleficent, we're running out of time," and it is cruel, so cruel, and finally, Mal motions towards Lilith, and Regina closes her eyes – she wouldn't have expected to be chosen anyway, she has never been someone's priority, and never she is going to be.

Snow laughs, then looks at Lilith, and releases her. But Lilith walks towards Snow, and she's by her side, and – NO – a forgetting potion? Mal is crying now, her daughter is lost to the enemy.

An arrow flies from the trees – and hits Snow's shoulder, and Regina doesn't feel the magic anymore, the only thing she knows is that she's running away, grabbing Mal's arm and two horses and they're safe, but Lilith is lost.

"No, I am sorry, Mal," Regina tells her, mind back in the cavern. Turns her neck, finds Mal's cheek, and presses a light kiss on her jaw. "I'm sorry for… for Lilith."

"I just…" Mal starts, but she shakes her head, then leans her forehead on Mal's temple.

"I shouldn't have punished you for this… or rejected you, it was cruel from me," Regina tells her. "I was so blinded by my rage that I didn't stay by your side… maybe Snow is right," she mutters, a sudden sadness taking hold of her heart. "Maybe I really am evil."

Maleficent distances her head from Regina, and brings up a hand to lift her chin gently. "Listen to me, you silly girl," she says. "You're not evil. The Queen is cruel, and she's playing tricks with your mind, alright? You may have… made some mistakes, but you're one of the kindest persons I've ever met. Who else could have befriended a monster like me?"

Regina is silently crying, by now, and hot tears fall between her long locks of hair, and Mal shakes her head, replaces a fugitive strand behind her ear.

"You're not a monster," Regina tells her, inhaling sharply to stop the tears. "You are… special."

"I… was special."

She speaks quietly, Maleficent, mourns the loss of her wings, the loss of her daughter – enslaved, imprisoned, brain-washed. Her eyes are looking down, and Regina takes in her face – cups her cheeks, and Mal is forced to meet her gaze. "You still are to me," she whispers, and leans on, and her lips are finding Mal's, brushing them gently at first. Her mouth is always so warm, like a bonfire in a summer night, she parts her lips, nudges her tongue gently – leaves her room to retreat.

But Maleficent's hand goes up to her head, slides through her hair, bringing her closer, and now tongues are in motion, dancing angrily one against the other. She sucks almost painfully, and Regina finds herself sweating in anticipation, because this is them, anger and force and fire, and she has missed this.

Mal lets her part their mouths for a moment, and rests her forehead against hers. "Stay the night," she whispers, hot breath on her skin.

"Was that a make-up kiss?"

"Maybe."

"Well, then, I guess I could stay," Regina smiles, her fingers ghosting over Mal's hand. "I could use some heat, tonight."

"Oh, you bet," Mal grins, and drags her towards burning depths, were they can forget their names and just live in the moment, lost in their caresses and sweaty collisions of different worlds.