Author's Note: I had to rewrite part of this chapter because I didn't like the way it flowed, but here it is! This story was only supposed to be about 6 chapters long, but per usual my muse had other ideas and who am I to say no to my muse? I like letting stories develop on their own and if I have an idea that I think will enhance it, I'm going to use it. That being said, I am estimating that this story is going to be 13 chapters long, so we're nearing the end. Some of you may be sad to see it end, others will probably be happy because it means I have time to work on my other fics. Either way, I hope you've enjoyed it. We still have a few chapters left to go! Thank you all for your continued support. Words can't express how much it means to me.

Previously:

A voice spoke from the shadows, "that's your prerogative, but the succubus is bound to this plane for eternity."

CHAPTER 10

Bo and Kenzi turned towards where the sound originated, but they did not break their embrace. If anything, Bo's hold on Kenzi tightened. The Leviathan had talked about Kenzi multiple times now, and Bo had no intention of ever letting the old hag get her hands on the person she held most dear.

The keeper craned her neck as she seemed to float out of the dark recesses of the cavern. "Well well, if it isn't the brave little human." Her eyes roamed Kenzi's figure.

Bo pushed Kenzi behind her protectively as the other fae came closer. "Send her back. She's of no use to you."

A sinister smile crept across the Leviathan's mouth, "au contraire, I have many uses for her."

The succubus growled angrily, her electric blue eyes blazing. "She wasn't part of the deal! I did this for her, to send Hale back to her!"

"Exactly!" the Leviathan countered. "The deal was you trade yourself for the siren's life. You never mentioned the human. She was never part of the deal, therefore she is fair game."

Kenzi huffed, "can you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?!"

The Leviathan completely ignored Kenzi, acting as if the woman had never spoken at all. "She entered into my realm of her own volition, without my permission. Everything in Irkalla belongs to me. The human is now mine to do with as I please."

Kenzi stepped out from behind Bo, "I'd like to see you try bitch." The disrespectful name seemed to have done its job and finally drawn the robed fae's attention to her.

"Kenzi!" Bo whispered harshly to her friend, warning her not to make things worse for herself. She attempted to shield Kenzi once more from Levi's wrath, but Kenzi refused to cower, not after everything she'd been through.

"No," she said to Bo, before addressing the keeper, "I'm done hiding. I'm not letting bigoted fae assholes dictate how I live my life. Not anymore." The venom that dripped from her voice matched her piercing glare. "You all think you're entitled to everything, that the whole frickin world revolves around your almighty selves."

"Big talk from a powerless pet," the Leviathan sneered.

"I'm nobody's pet. I am my own person, not some object to be bought, sold, and traded. Although I'm sure I'd be a hot commodity," Kenzi's sarcasm leaked into her tirade. "Truth is, none of you could handle all of this," she gestured to herself.

Bo reached for Kenzi again, but the girl just absentmindedly batted her hand away, her attention solely on the Leviathan.

The tip of the keeper's staff began to glow, "I could rip your soul from your body right now and there's nothing you could do about it."

"Whoa, whoa!" Bo jumped between the two, her arms held up towards each of them. She knew exactly what that staff could do. "Let's not do anything drastic!" Her heart and mind raced, trying to come up with a way to save Kenzi. She had already traded herself to the Leviathan, so what leverage did she have left?

Kenzi didn't even flinch at the fae's threats. "I already gave you a soul."

The Leviathan's staff returned to its dull color. "Ah yes," she smiled. "The druid. I was denied his soul twice before, so I feel obliged to thank you for your part in finally delivering him to me. I must admit, I was expecting your soul, not his. It is impressive that you managed to best someone who, while still human, was obviously superior to yourself."

Kenzi quirked an eyebrow at the backhanded compliment, "thanks, I guess."

Levi lifted her head, "the druid's lack of respect for life and death infuriated me as he continuously escaped death and my clutches. In return for sending his soul to me, I shall hear you out."

The younger woman was a little taken aback by the fae showing her any type of respect. "Okay, then I'll make this short and simple. Bo returns to the land of the living."

"If the succubus is sent back to your realm then she'll be breaking the terms of her deal and your precious siren will die where he stands," the keeper answered calmly, knowing she had the upper hand. "If Bo reneges on her deal, then his fate she shall seal."

Kenzi paused, the rhyme reminding her of a conversation she had with Bo regarding the keeper and her love of riddles, and how ultimately, it was her undoing. She needed to buy herself some time while she devised a plan. "Fine, then new deal. Bo and Hale both get to live happily ever after on Earth. The end."

The Leviathan pretended to ponder this for a moment before abruptly saying, "No. I have heard what you have to say. My debt has been repaid," she said dismissively. "For your part in Massimo's death, I shall return you to the world above."

Bo breathed a sigh of relief, but it caught in her throat as she distinctively heard Kenzi shout, "no! I'm not done with you."

Bo grabbed onto her friend's arm, "Kenzi, don't push your luck! Just go home, I'll be alright."

The brunette's pleas only further ignited Kenzi's need to free her. She shook off the other woman's hold on her, watching the Leviathan raise her staff once more. "Send me back and you'll never get the Wanderer's mark!" she blurted in a last ditch attempt to stay in Irkalla.

Bo froze, her jaw dropping slightly in shock. She had never mentioned the mark to her.

Kenzi's outburst seemed to work as the Leviathan halted her movements, her interest piqued. "And what do you know of such matters?"

Kenzi knew more than she let on. She had once told Dyson that she sees more than anyone thinks because everyone is always focused on Bo. If they only knew just how true that was. People always underestimated her, fae and human alike. "I know that you want Bo because you believe she has the Wanderer's mark imprinted on her."

The keeper easily picked up on Kenzi's intonation, "believe?" she repeated. "I know she has it."

"Now that is where you are wrong my sun-deprived friend," she told the pale fae.

Bo's gaze shifted between the two, trying to figure out what Kenzi's angle was. She knew she had the Wanderer's mark, so what was Kenzi rambling about? She had the luminescent handprint to prove it.

The Leviathan decided to indulge in the human's ramblings. She waved her hand, urging Kenzi to continue.

"Yes the handprint was put on Bo by the Wanderer, aka Rainer, but the mark itself was not made by him. Rainer has the exact same handprint on his chest which he got from Bo." The Leviathan's eyebrows furrowed. Kenzi began to pace as she explained what she had deduced from what people have told her and what she'd discovered on her own. "Now you may ask, 'how could Bo place the Wanderer's mark on the Wanderer?' My point exactly, she can't. She's a succubus; the only marks she leaves are hickeys."

"Okay," the Leviathan drawled out. "So if I was to go along with this theory of yours, then what is it?"

"Good question my dear Watson, one that actually took me a while to figure out as well. The exact same mark came from both Bo and Rainer, two completely different fae with unrelated powers and who didn't know each other before they met on Thomas the Train's evil twin. Therefore the question is not what is it, but rather where did it come from. Someone used Bo and Rainer to mark them for his own evil gain." Kenzi's eyes softened a bit as they landed on Bo's confused face, "they were just pawns in his game. I'm sorry," she said earnestly, her apology directed towards her best friend.

"Who is this 'he' you speak of?" the keeper demanded, her patience wearing thin.

Kenzi spoke to the Leviathan, but her emotion-filled eyes never left the succubus', "Bo's father."

Bo took a deep shuddering breath at the realization. "But…how, why?" she asked, her thoughts jumbled. One question continuously popped into the forefront of her mind, "how do you know it's him?"

"I did some research of my own," she answered. "I had a lot of time on my hands when you shut me out." She couldn't keep the bitterness from edging its way into her voice. "Lauren and I became pretty close. It's a shame you missed it."

"Kenz…"

"Later," Kenzi quickly cut her off. Bo nodded in response, unable to do anything else at the moment. There were a lot of things that needed to be said, but those conversations would have to wait.

"The princess' father…" Levi mused. "What use is this mark?"

"From what I know, it's his key to coming into our world. He's not from our realm and he's using his daughter to anchor himself to ours. Both Rainer and Bo are connected to him in some way, so he used that connection to channel his power into those marks at the precise time that they put their hands on each other's chests. He's been planning this from day one, molding our fates to his liking. He's been the one pulling the strings all these years," she shook her head. "He killed Hale," she choked. "He ordered Tamsin to bring Bo in, and when she didn't, he sent Massimo to help. He sent that scumbag into our lives just so his fucking prophecy could be fulfilled!" she screamed, a few rogue tears trailing down her porcelain skin.

Bo was lost in a downward spiral, consumed by her own revelations, but hearing Kenzi's anguish was enough to bring her back to reality. She focused all of her energy on Kenzi which allowed her to stay grounded. Even now, when all she wanted to do was help Kenzi, Kenzi was helping her. She stepped next to her sister, sliding her hand into Kenzi's. The younger woman laced their fingers together, squeezing tightly, gaining strength from Bo's support.

"Who is this fae who seeks entrance into your world?" the keeper of Irkalla asked.

Kenzi took a deep breath, refusing to show any weakness in front of her current enemy. "I'm not sure exactly, but Trick has this old drawing of a horse with a mane and tail made of flames."

"From the depths of darkness he shall rise from the flames' glow, Hel on Earth he shall bestow. The flames of war spread consuming all, to his almighty power both humans and fae shall fall. Fire, Famine, Fear. Doom, Destruction, Death." The Leviathan recited word for word, her eyes growing wide. "The mark of the Pyrippus." A sudden gleeful smile crossed her face before bursting into joyous laughter.

The Leviathan's foreboding words and cackling did nothing to ease the growing fear inside Bo and Kenzi. They shared a worried look before staring at the mad woman who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

"I never thought you'd be happy to learn that Bo doesn't carry the Wanderer's mark," Kenzi said cautiously.

"No mortal, I expect you wouldn't." She tapped her staff on the ground twice, the air above them swirling into a mist, forming foggy images. Orange and red danced among dark demonic figures. Horrified and pain-filled cries echoed in the barren cave. People fell to the ground, a frightening mixture of the fire's light and the demon's darkness consuming them. "Am I happy that I will not gain the Wanderer's mark? No. But this," she gestured around them wildly to the chaos happening over their heads. "This is so much better. Your world shall fall to his power, and all of the tortured souls he claims will be mine."

Bo and Kenzi spun around, staring at the terrifying future that awaited them. The screams of sheer terror pierced their ears. "No," Bo said, her grip on Kenzi tightening immensely. "I won't allow it."

Levi shook her head, as if schooling a young child. "My dear, you won't have a choice. What the master wants, the master gets." The hazy air settled down between them, the fog shifting to form familiar figures. "He will have them," she whispered. A translucent image of Tamsin lay haphazardly on the ground in a pool blood, her broken wings stained crimson under her, her own sword protruding from her stomach. Trick was slumped against a wall, pale and lifeless, all of the blood drained out of him as a demon collected it in jars from the Blood King's wrists. Dyson limped forward in his wolf form, making one last weak effort to defend his friends and family as he lunged for the enemy. The opposing fae didn't hesitate as he swung his sword down, decapitating the shifter. His body transformed back into his human self before he hit the ground. Bo jumped backwards into Kenzi as Dyson's severed head rolled to her feet, his dull amber eyes looking up at her. Lauren stood her ground despite the tremors that shook her body. A shadowy hand stretched out towards her. Thick and sticky blood oozed rapidly from her eyes, ears and mouth. She choked on it, her hands instinctively flying to her throat. Blood sputtered from her mouth as she desperately tried to draw in a breath, but in the end, she succumbed to the darkness.

Tears were already streaming uncontrollably down Bo's cheeks at seeing her worst fears come to life. Then she saw the image that made her heart stop. A wispy see-through version of Kenzi stood in front of her protectively, Geraldine raised in defiance. "No," Bo breathed. Her eyes frantically scanned the area. The Pyrippus appeared a few yards ahead of Kenzi. Fire raced out from his body in arcs, all heading towards Kenzi. "Stop!" Bo screamed, wanting nothing more than to end this nightmare. The blazing flames encircled Kenzi, spinning in a vortex around her. Kenzi's blood curdling scream cut straight through her heart. The fire suddenly imploded, revealing a badly burned figure stumbling forward. She was almost unrecognizable, a walking corpse. The flames continued to dance along her skin, leaving blisters, blackened skin, and gaping open wounds along what was left of her flesh. The Pyrippus watched her valiant efforts as she struggled to move towards him, dragging her sword along beside her. His unforgiving eyes watched her die a slow agonizing death, watching as his daughter's humanity died with this weak girl. Kenzi raised her sword as far as she could only to collapse mere feet in front of the demonic horse. "NO!" Bo tried to run to her fallen friend, but the real Kenzi quickly engulfed her in a hug.

"Bo! It's not real! It's not real!" she yelled to her friend over the sounds of the dead and dying. "We're all okay. I'm right here, I'm alive!" Bo's watery eyes were still fixated on the spot where the translucent body of Kenzi lay. The real Kenzi grabbed Bo's face roughly, redirecting her gaze. "Bo, look at me! Look at me okay? I'm right here with you. That ghostly thing isn't me." Her words still couldn't reach Bo. She placed Bo's hand over her heart. "I'm alive, remember? Come back to me Bo. I'm right here and I need you, I need you with me." Bo's dazed brown eyes shifted to her hand over Kenzi's heart before returning to her best friend's face. The steady thumping slowly brought her back to reality, as it had only moments earlier. Bo blinked a few times. A half smile appeared on Kenzi's face as she gently cupped Bo's face with one hand, the other still firmly holding Bo's hand to her chest. Kenzi caressed Bo's cheek lovingly, wiping away a few stray tears in the process. "There you are." Bo drew in a shaky breath, leaning into the touch.

The keeper banged her staff on the ground twice, the images displayed in the air all racing back into the scepter's tip. The two other women jumped at the abrupt noise, turning to face the Leviathan.

"Was that really necessary?!" Kenzi hissed angrily, still half embracing Bo in order to calm her down.

"You seem to know nothing of the Pyrippus or his power so I thought I would enlighten you by showing you the future," the keeper answered nonchalantly, as if all of the chaos that had surrounded them moments ago had never existed.

"No," Bo muttered, snapping out of her stupor. Her voice gained strength and conviction as she continued, "that's not our future. I won't let it happen."

"It is one possible future of many, but it is also the most likely one. While I know you will futilely try to fight him, your efforts will be in vain."

"Okay so now that you've showed us our Final Destination deaths, can we get back to oh I don't know, getting the hell out of here?!" Kenzi shouted, eager to change the subject and get Bo away from this whack job.

"Ah yes, that," the older fae seemed to be bored by the topic.

"All of this nonsense was to prove that Bo doesn't have the Wanderer's mark, so you have no use for her. You don't need her," Kenzi reasoned.

"So it would seem. She is of more use to me now alive than dead," she smiled, hinting at Bo's role in bringing her father into their world. "She may go." In all honesty, the keeper couldn't wait to get rid of Bo. The Leviathan only wanted her for the Wanderer's mark, and since Bo didn't have it, there was no need for her to put up with the succubus' antics any longer. She had to endure the woman's stubbornness, her sarcasm, her rude behavior, and her constant self-righteous tirades all while trying to figure out a way to separate the mark from Bo's body and soul. She would be glad when her caves returned to being a place of quiet solitude.

Kenzi faltered at the sudden change, genuinely surprised, "really?" She squinted her eyes, already knowing the fae too well to know it would be that easy. "What's the catch?"

"Our original dilemma stills stands: I need a replacement soul for the siren's soul. If either you or Bo leaves here alone, he shall remain on Earth. If you both leave Irkalla, then his soul will be returned to me. The balance of life and death must be maintained."

"So what you're saying is that Bo can go back, but in order for Hale to live, I have to stay," Kenzi filled in the blanks. Her face remained stoic; after all, she had assumed this was how things would end all along.

"Precisely," the keeper smiled.

"What?!" Bo asked, her fear escalating again rapidly. "No! Kenzi don't listen to her!" She turned to the Leviathan, "I'll stay!"

Kenzi had one last trick up her sleeve, "hey Riddler, I got another idea."

The Leviathan chuckled, "you, a human, want to challenge me to a game of riddles?"

"Yes," Kenzi answered confidently.

The keeper smiled, figuring she had already won before the game even began. "Name your terms."

"This whole trading my soul for Bo, Bo for Hale, etcetera, it's all over the fact that you need to maintain balance between life and death right? Well I already gave you Massimo's soul. And in return you offered to just 'hear me out?!' That is not a fair trade, it's not 'maintaining balance,' and you know it! So here's what I propose: if I win, Hale gets to keep his soul and Bo and I return to our world."

"And if I win?" the Leviathan encouraged Kenzi to continue, knowing what was coming.

Kenzi took a deep breath, but her demeanor didn't betray any weakness. She lifted her chin up high, "if you win, you get to keep my soul."

Bo whipped her head around, eyes wide as she stared at Kenzi in shock, her heart plummeting.