They walked side by side wordlessly, both so consumed by their own thoughts that they didn't bother with pointless small talk. Emma's mind was a veritable hurricane of fear and doubt. Killian needed her to be the bait - needed her to distract Cora long enough for him to subdue her. But for her to put on a convincing enough act, it meant that she was going to have to actually put herself in very real danger.
She gulped down the panic that was rising in her throat, panic that was threatening to turn into a scream if she didn't gain control of herself. She tucked a stray section of hair behind her ear and shoved her hand back into the pocket of her jacket.
"Well, darling, I'm afraid this is where we must part ways." He'd stopped walking several steps behind her. She hadn't even noticed until he spoke. Emma snapped her head around so that she could meet his gaze, giving a small, abrupt nod, lips a thin straight line.
He responded in like, though his mouth was formed into a heartening smirk. It comforted her, even though she knew it was a hollow gesture. They were both well aware of the risk they were about to take - all the things that could go wrong.
He back peddled away solemnly, only turning around after he gave a final reassuring nod. Emma set her expression and started toward the location Killian had described, stepping lightly on the forest floor so that she didn't make any unnecessary noise. A twig snapped behind her and she whirled around, arms instinctively raising into a defensive position.
"Emma," her voice was alarmingly sweet, almost inviting, and an unsettling smile was stretched across her lips, "what brings you out here?"
She slowly allowed her balled up fists to drop to her side, fingers going lax. "C-Cora" she choked out and was upset when her voice wavered. C'mon, Emma. You can do this. When she noticed that her hands were violently shaking, she curled her fingers back into her palms, nails cutting into the soft flesh. She steeled her nerves before continuing, jutting her chin out as she said, "I came here to talk."
An entertained giggle escaped her. "There's no need to be coy. I know you've come out here to kill me." She gestured with her arms grandly. "Or, rather... try," she mocked as she clenched the air in front of her with one hand, a translucent cloud of purple forming around it. Emma felt her limbs freeze, now unresponsive to her desperate attempts to flee.
With her peripheral vision she saw Killian slowly stalking up behind the dark haired sorceress, the reflective metal of the dagger gleaming in the moonlight that was streaming down through the canopy of trees. She dared not look directly at him for fear that Cora would notice, so she continued to stare down the woman and prayed that Killian would act quickly.
Ten feet away from her he pulled the blade back so that it was hovering near his shoulder, arm coiling into a striking position. He silently lunged forward, arm stopping inches away from the dark blue dress covering her figure, motionless as a faint lavender glow encased his form. Emma's eyes dilated in shock, nostrils flaring as she saw the last remnants of their plan crumbling.
"Oh, you silly girl. Did you think I was actually naïve enough to believe you'd come alone?" Then, to Hook, "What were you thinking - coming out here?" Her head cocked to the side in interest as she rounded on him. "Did I not make myself clear?"
"I will have my revenge, you double-crossing wench," he growled out through gritted teeth, every muscle in his body futilely straining to break the bond of the magic surrounding him.
"Stupid boy," she scoffed, flicking her wrist and throwing his body against a nearby tree trunk. The knife fell to the forest floor next to the roots of the conifer, and his spine was forced flush against the bark, limbs still being restrained by the spell. She turned her attention back to Emma, sneering, "Just because I can't take your heart doesn't mean I can't hurt you in other ways." The look in her eyes was downright evil.
She took a step toward Killian, jaw still firmly squared at Emma. The mannered facade drained from her face, fire sparking behind her eyes as she plunged her fist into his chest.
xxxxxxxx
His vision blurred as pain spread like wildfire though his body. He could feel her fingers closing around the organ in his chest cavity, squeezing hard. She was doing her very best to make this as painful as possible. He could distantly hear agonized screams as he felt his consciousness slipping away. Was that him?
"NOOO!"
Suddenly the pressure around his heart released and Cora was thrown back, a wave of golden light following behind her and extending in a horizontal circular arc in all directions. A strained gasp filled his lungs as he searched for the source of the magic. Just as his eyes found her Emma's pupils rolled back into her head, and she collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Cora was already beginning to stir some yards away. With three labored strides he was on his knees beside Emma's unconscious form, forcing his arms underneath her and lifting. He could hear shallow breaths coming from her parted mouth, and a wave of relief passed over him. Her head lolled back in the cradle of his arm as he took a step forward, the desire to kill Cora paling in comparison to the need to get Emma to safety.
His ankle was yanked back as though it had been lassoed out from underneath him, and Emma's body spilled forward onto a bed of pine needles, turning over twice before coming to a rest. His limbs were once again being held motionless as he lay sprawled out face down on the cold earth.
"I wasn't done with you," she barked out, the malice in her voice hiding just below the surface. He waited for the pain to resume as her heavy footsteps neared, but she only walked past him.
He wrenched his neck to the side so that he could see what she was doing, and he locked onto her figure as she was kneeling down over Emma, a familiar dagger clenched tightly in her hand. "Cora!" he screamed out. "It's me you want!"
She angled her face so that she could meet his eyes. "Oh, no. I'm fairly certain I want her dead." The ends of her hair had become frayed, sticking out from the otherwise perfect curls and making her look even more unhinged. She started to bring her free hand down towards Emma's seemingly lifeless form.
"I threw the fight at the portal!"
Her response was a high-pitched chuckle. "And you think I don't know this? Please, like this girl could have bested Captain Hook in a sword fight." She focused her attention back on Emma, rolling her limp form over and preparing to physically cut the heart from her chest.
Incoherent pleas fell from his mouth as every fiber of his being strained against the invisible forces pinning his body to the ground.
A bolt of green light collided with the blade, causing it to fly from Cora's hand. A mixture of shock and rage passed over her face as she identified the source. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, dearie." The voice was all too familiar, and Killian began tensing his constrained muscles with renewed vigor, a frustrated growl coming out when, despite his efforts, he remained flush with the forest floor.
"Rumple," she identified, "this doesn't concern you."
The memory of how Milah had died overtook his thoughts. He could feel the fires of rage burning brightly in every extension of his body, being held at bay only by the spell that was paralyzing his limbs. His mind reeled at the revelation that the Dark One still had magic in a land where he was supposed to be stripped of his powers. The squid ink. It would work on him, too.
"Oh, I'm afraid it does," he countered. "I'll be taking Emma with me now." He shifted his weight so that one arm was no longer resting on the cane, extending it in her direction and motioning with two fingers. Cora stepped so that her body was in between them, and both hands began to emit a faint purple glow. "Come now, dearie. Don't be difficult."
In an instant, she'd raised an arm, a pulsating wave emanating from her outstretched fingers and distorting the air on its path toward Rumple. Hook assumed it didn't have the desired effect when Cora's face contorted, and it looked at though she was straining to keep up the stream of energy. All at once he felt the downward pressure on him disappear, and he shoved himself forward to the spot where the dagger now laid.
He curled his hands around the hilt of the weapon, a sneer ticking at the corners of his mouth. Your time has come, demon. A quiet moan passed over Emma's lips - just loud enough to garner his attention - and he saw her head roll faintly from one side to the other. Emma. Cora would kill her if she survived...
He shook his head in anger, scolding himself for getting distracted. He was so close... He looked over at the ensuing duel. Both parties were completely occupied with keeping the other at bay. This was his chance - the moment he'd waited for for three hundred years. The time had come to skin his crocodile.
The blade disappeared into the sheath, coating itself once more in the toxic liquid. As he pulled it back out, panic rose in his chest. The ground. He snapped his head around to stare at the spot where he had been thrown down, a small, circular patch of earth now decaying where the ink had spilled.
His eyes flicked back to the now exposed blade. An area no larger than a thimble was coated in the necessary liquid. He had one shot at this. Emma let out another sigh and her eyelashes started to flutter open weakly.
"K-Killian?" Her disoriented gaze coupled with the name she whispered caused something inside him to break. A guttural yell erupted from his chest when he realized what he had to do. His crocodile would have to wait. A sudden surge of energy coursed through his veins, and he charged forward.
The ink-tipped blade sank smoothy into her soft flesh, only stopping once the protective guard around the hilt was flush with the fabric of her dress. The stream of magic ceased and the glow that had encased her hands vanished. She dropped to the ground one knee at a time, chin tilting down to see the knife protruding from her chest. Neck shaking, she turned to meet his gaze, a look of disbelief set in her features. "You... chose... her...?" was choked out as she struggled to suck oxygen into her failing lungs.
With a final breath she keeled over, and her shoulder connected with the cold ground.
Hook's breathing was ragged as he met the eyes of the man who had killed the woman he'd loved. He picked the cane back up from where it had fallen and began to walk off in the direction he'd come from.
His foot jerked forward as he made to follow, but a sudden pressure on his upper arm caused him to halt. Emma. He turned his head to meet her eyes. They were large and pleading, brows furrowing together subtlely as she tacitly begged him not to pursue the man.
He sank to his knees defeatedly, shins pressing into the soft moss and pine needles below. He heard her footsteps as she backed away slowly, eventually distancing herself enough that the only sounds he could hear were those of the forest life around him. His rage gradually ebbed as he took deep breaths of the cool night air.
I'm sorry, Milah.
