Chapter 6

Killian's breathing intensified. He quickly sucked in the cold air that hovered over the cemetery. The more answers the old man gave only left him with more questions. "Stop being cryptic," he demanded. "What will it do to Emma?" He tried to cover the feeling of dread that overwhelmed him by steadying his shaky voice, but his body betrayed him as his voice was taut and thick with emotion.

The old man saw the toll it was taking on Killian, but he didn't care. He needed Emma's soul, and Killian agreed to give it to him. "At first it will suck out her magic which will weaken her. She will no longer be considered the savior. That is the opportune time to begin extracting her soul," the old man explained. "The pieces of Emma that you feel are because she is your true love, and you handed her soul over to me," he added to emphasize his point.

Suddenly, the sadness and despair Killian had been feeling dissipated only for a moment but it was long enough to allow the anger to boil to the surface. "Do not touch her," Killian growled. He quickly pulled his cutlass from his belt and held it to the old man's neck. "Back then I was drunk and grieving Milah's loss," Killian admitted. It was his version of an excuse as to why he offered up Emma's soul so easily. He pressed the cutlass a tiny bit closer to the old man's neck. "You tricked me," he shouted. His concern for Emma radiated in his voice. It was accompanied by exasperation and a deep sadness for what he had done. "How was I to know about Emma and my feelings for her?"

The old man laughed a little. "I told you," he simply said. "I told you how'd you feel about her. I told you she was your true love and your destiny. It wasn't my fault you were so consumed by grief and rum that you chose to ignore me." He paused before adding, "So who would you chose now: Milah or Emma?" The old man laughed at his question; he knew the answer, but he wanted Killian to admit that he regretted not listening to him.

Killian still held his sword to the old man's throat but he lessened the pressure. He had no confusion or discontent about whom he would choose. His love for Emma far exceeded his love for Milah. It was more powerful and more elegant than anything he had ever felt before. As much as it pained him to admit it, he knew who he would choose, and unfortunately he chose the wrong woman all those years ago. His regret and pain transferred to his body as his limbs suddenly became heavier with each passing second. The thought of losing Emma because of something he promised distressed him.

The old man smiled maliciously. He knew the answer as much as Killian did. He reached up with his hand and slowly moved the cutlass from his throat. Fear for his life was not a prominent emotion. "I thought so," he beamed. "And you know as well as I that it is going to take a lot more to kill me."

Admitting defeat for now, Killian allowed the old man to shove the sword away from his neck. He held it at his side. "What about Milah?" Killian's curiosity and desire for the truth consumed him. "Did you kill her?"

The old man smiled. It was a devilish smile that even the Lord of the Underworld did not possess. "I needed you on the path to your destiny," he answered honestly, indirectly admitting his guilt. "I just helped your destiny along."

Upon the realization of what the old man was admitting, Killian threw his sword on the dampened grass. "Perhaps it is you I should have been seeking my revenge from, not the Crocodile!" He stepped closer to the old man so that his face was just inches from him. It was a gesture that challenged him.

The old man smirked. He felt Killian's cold breath on his face, but he didn't step back. "We all make mistakes. You, of course, seem to have made many when it comes to me."

Out of anger and frustration, Killian threw up his right hand and connected his fist with the old man's face. It hurt Killian's hand more than it hurt the old man's jaw. To alleviate the pain, Killian flicked his wrist through the air a few times.

"I can tell you're troubled by this," the old man offered. He nonchalantly stepped back and reached his hand up to his cheek and rubbed it for a few seconds. "No matter," he continued. "I will get Emma's spirit. Seems to me that it's too late; Emma has already found the talisman," he repeated. "It is the beginning of the end for the savior."

Killian agonized over Emma's fate. "Was it in Emma's destiny to have her soul stripped away from her?"

"Destiny is a funny thing," the old man offered. "It just gives the whole picture, not details." With that the old man turned on his heels. His body cut through the fog, and he soon disappeared behind the white layer hovering above the cemetery, leaving Killian alone with the corpses, thoughts and grief.

Clamping his jaw shut, Killian turned on his heals. His immediate thought was to get to Emma.

Standing outside the front of his house, Killian immediately spotted Emma's bug parked on the street. Feeling relieved that she had come home, he hustled to the front door, anxious to see that she was alright. But when he came upon the porch steps, he noticed the door was wide open. It was darker inside the house, and it spilled out onto the porch.

Killian's heart crashed against his ribcage. He began to breathe heavier as flashes of Emma being hurt raced through his mind. His heightened senses calmed when he entered the house and looked to his left. There he saw Emma hunched over the kitchen table. "There you are, Love," Killian said, a smile creeping on his face. When Emma didn't answer, Killian stepped around her and flipped the light switch.

Emma squinted from the sudden rush of artificial light. She turned to Killian and gave him a soft smile. "Where have you been?" she said.

Killian pointed at the object in Emma's hand. "What's that?"

Emma looked down at the talisman and back at Killian's. She shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know," she said, "but I think it's what I've been hearing."

Killian reached out his hand to take it from her. "Can I see it." His statement was worded as a question rather than the demand that it was.

Emma eyed the man in front of her. "Sure," she said suspicious of Killian's behavior. She dropped the talisman in his hand and watched him stare at it. Killian's face hardened, and Emma could tell he was brooding. "What's wrong?" she questioned. She stepped closer to him.

"You found it," Killian shuddered. His voice sounded brittle and broken. It matched his heart.

Seeing the fear in Killian's eyes, Emma reached for him. She eyed the talisman in his hand and cupped his hand in hers. "Hey, it's just a necklace," she soothed.

Killian sighed. "Aye," he said softly.

Emma grew wary. Killian's words meant one thing but the sound of his voice suggested something else. She squeezed his hand to let him know that she was listening to whatever he had to say. She softened her expression.

"I'm afraid there's something I need to tell you." Killian lowered his gaze and flashed Emma an uneasy smile.

Emma's concern heightened. "You didn't find what you were looking for?" she asked. She let out a heavy sigh and allowed Killian to lead her into a kitchen chair. She watched Killian as he slipped into the chair beside hers.

Killian shook his head and inhaled slowly as if to wash away his nerves. "I did something a long time ago that I regret, and if I could go back and do it again, I would."

"Okay," Emma said slowly. She rested her hands on the table in front of her and took notice that Killian still clutched the talisman in his hand.

Killian brought the talisman to eye level. "This is a talisman," he began. "A man gave it to me. He called himself a necromancer."

Emma plucked it from his hand and examined it again, catching things she couldn't in the dark. "So I was right? It is this that was making that sound?"

"Aye," Killian nodded, amazed at how intuitive Emma is. "But what you don't know is why." He hesitated to assess Emma's reaction. She knitted her eyebrows together and scrunched her nose. His heart dropped in his stomach. He felt like he was betraying her. He lowered his eyes in shame so as not to see the hurt in her eyes when he told her. "I made a deal, centuries ago," he told his lap, "your soul in exchange for Milah's life."

Emma's eye rounded in surprise. She stared through him, sightlessly. "What are you talking about?" she questioned, laughing nervously.

Killian finally dared to lift his head. "Two centuries ago, this… necromancer offered me a deal. He said that he would bring Milah back from the dead if I offered up my true love's soul. He said that we were going to meet and fall in love, that you are my true love."

"Uh-huh," Emma said slowly. She was unsure of what she was feeling, mostly because she needed time for the information to sink in. She let her mouth hang open. "And he knew that?" she questioned.

Killian nodded. "He said he could see the future and it was our destiny." When Emma grew silent, Killian's stomach knotted up. "You have to understand that I didn't know you back then. I was selfish and in love. I didn't think about the future or you. You were just an idea."

Emma tilted her head, lost in thought. "What does this talisman have to do with it?"

"The necromancer said that as long as it was in my possession, Milah would stay alive."

"And you lost it?" Emma guessed.

"Aye," Killian continued. "And once she died, it tethered itself to you. Once you found it, he said it sort of triggers it and it starts to take your magic, making you weak, and that is when he will come for your soul."

Emma was so lost. She had so many questions but couldn't find the words. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't remember. Part of the magic of the talisman. I ran out of the library because I saw him. I chased him to the cemetery, and he told me." Killian hung his head. "I remember it now though."

Emma reached out and grabbed Killian's hand. "I am a little upset but I don't blame you… You didn't know. I just wish things were different."

Killian sighed. "I did know. He told me. I remember it now. I didn't listen to him."

Knowing there was nothing to say, Emma just squeezed Killian's hand. "How long do I have?" She stared daggers at the talisman that now rested on the table in front of her.

"I don't know. He didn't say." Killian's voice was just above a whisper.

Emma took her hands back. "Well he said it will start sucking my magic at first and I'll feel weak, right? I don't feel anything right now which means we've got some time to figure something out."