Standard disclaimer still applies. I own nothing and am manipulating fictitious characters for my own amusement…
xxx
Madeline glanced up the stairs as Emma descended, her impassive mask firmly in place. She walked down the hall past the kitchen, retreating to her room and closing the door. Two years. She plopped down on her bed, taking in the plainness of her quarters. Neither spartan nor well-appointed, it amounted to free room and board in exchange for services. A full-sized bed opposite the door against the far wall. A nightstand to the right of the bed with a small reading lamp, with a view of the alley through a set of barred windows. An overstuffed chair angled against the far corner to the left with a floor lamp set in the corner. A dresser just inside the door to the left, and a closet between it and the corner of the wall. Not like Emma's room, she thought, with its heavily carpeted floor and tapestried walls, silk sheets and down comforters. Lush life, that was what she wanted. Madeline's lips thinned out in disgust. Her room was just so middle class and ordinary. Still, better than what she had known before. But she wanted, No, deserved more. She wanted a place at the table and an upper room.
Madeline reached down and pulled a white shoebox from under her bed, placing it beside her. Lifting the lid revealed a plain, wooden pine box. Raising the lid on the box she removed a small brown glass bottle, holding it up between forefinger and thumb. A bottle half full holding it up against the lamplight. She looked down at the remaining contents of the box and counted eight, the number of darts that she had left. Picking one up she rubbed her thumb upward along the barrel and against the tip. She closed her eyes, her skin absorbing the coolness of the steel, humming silently to herself. Clutching the items in her fists, she hugged them tightly against her chest, dreaming of the life she would have. Soon my lovelies. We will have all that we want and more.
Against the darkness of the sky, Selene sat atop the building ledge opposite the safe house, watching the entrance as she waited for Emma to show. She had seen nothing more than a handful of people pass through the area, as the safe house was in the warehouse district of the city. She wanted to believe Regina when she said that it wasn't Emma who had left her to die in the morning light. But she also believed that Regina would say anything to save Emma. And as she could not determine how much of Regina's desire was real, and what was created by the blonde, she had squashed Regina's idea to accompany her this night. Emma was the anomaly that needed more investigating, and Selene was interested in what else the young woman was capable of, as she was certainly more than just a vampire.
Selene had Kristoff scour the roof while she and Regina slept, with specific instructions to do nothing more than look for evidence of who may have assaulted her cousin. The last thing she wanted was a civil war between clans or houses, but attacks by rogue members could not go unpunished. And if not vampires or wolves, or God forbid the Fae, then any alliances could be in serious jeopardy.
She let out a heavy sigh as she continued her wait, drawing her right knee up and resting her arm on it. It wouldn't take much for the situation to get out of hand, even if it turned out to be someone with a personal vendetta.
Selene nibbled at the inside of her cheek. The information Kristoff provided was inconclusive. There had been a human presence on the roof. There had been several, including someone with very blonde hair. But according to Kristoff, their trail seemed to indicate free runners. And Regina did not deny that she and Emma had spent time up on the roof. Selene rolled her eyes, wishing that Regina was more diligent about her safety, but time had made her perhaps soft, and maybe even a little careless. But she was family in a way, and Selene had made a promise to herself to keep Regina safe. Or now, at least die trying.
Selene looked toward the eastern horizon, daylight still some ways off. She had left Kristoff in charge of keeping tabs on Regina. Not that she was worried he wouldn't, given what she had observed earlier. Their interaction triggered a memory she had kept shelved for some time, and she smiled wistfully. Selene threatened to lock her in a cell if she did anything more than rest. If her employees were as good as she claimed, then the club would survive without her for one night. Kristoff could easily pass between the two buildings to insure everything was fine.
Selene caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She leaned forward slightly from her perch, preparing to jump down from the ledge, but settled back down as a man with a lurching gait continued past the safe house. Regina was going to be disappointed that her girlfriend stood her up. But Selene was okay with that. The blonde came with too much baggage. And while Selene felt relieved that the woman failed to show, even if it meant that there were a lot of questions that would remain unanswered.
Selene stood up and dusted herself off. She was done with waiting. If Emma was going to show, she would have already. She looked like a woman who was ready to run. Mostly run. Run from whatever challenged her. Selene surmised that if Gold did indeed have his hooks in her, it would be virtually impossible for her to escape his grasp.
In a way, it made Selene feel a little sorry for the woman, which made her worry that much more for Regina. She bristled, remembering how she learned the truth about Victor. Thinking that what saved her was that she had not been aware of his deception, and manipulation. But discovering the truth granted her the courage to fight back for the thing she loved. Selene wiped a tear from her eye. If Gold was using Emma for some darker purpose, unlike Selene she was fully aware of her role and was just as culpable as Gold.
Selene considered how Regina was typically a decent judge of character, ably reading both non-human, and human alike. It was how she ended up with good hired help and even better friends. But her judgement wasn't one hundred percent. Regina could be wrong, her judgement clouded, mesmerized, maybe even charmed. Still, something about the look of desolation(?) in the woman's face tugged at Selene, and she found herself pushing back against the urge to help. Had she herself not warned Regina about any dealings with Gold? If Regina's intuition was correct, then what if anything, did Gold have hanging over the woman's head? And if Regina was wrong, then this woman had a far darker soul than Gold.
xxx
It is amazing what being cooped up on a plane for several hours can do for you. This chapter gave me a bit of a headache. Better than I had hoped. Yes, there are some Fae references ala "Lost Girl". I did not mean to have this entry take so long. Another written exam at work, planning a wedding(not), we are eloping and I am marrying my longtime partner. It will be at least two wks. before another entry posts. I still like to decompress between chapters. Again, I apologize for the delays, but hope all that read it, enjoy it.
As the saying goes, reviews are love.
