In the End, There was Love

Chapter 9

AN- Wow, Thank you SO much for the reviews and likes of this story. My brain kind of powered down during the summer, leaving me with horrible writer's block. I am so sorry it has taken me this long to update. I hope you all enjoy!

All three women had returned from their Starbucks run, each holding a rather large cup of the expensive brew. Maeve sat back down at the counter, gingerly; her pain was becoming sharper, and it was getting harder to ignore. "So, Mae, how on Earth did you and Dyson become bff's?" Kenzi asked whilst hopping up on the counter. Mae cracked a weak smile at that before taking a gulp of her Venti Mocha (with an extra double shot of espresso of course).

"Oh you know….nothing too fancy. He just shot me in the shoulder and almost had the entire colony of shifters ready to vaporize him," Mae chuckled softly to herself.

"What? SPILL!" Kenzi exclaimed, clicking her heels together rapidly. Even Bo looked intrigued.

"Well….it was over two hundred and seventy years ago in a very small area in the Appalachian Mountains…" Mae started.

FLASHBACK

Dyson wanted to be ANYWHERE but where he was at currently. In fact, he wanted nothing more then to reach the small outpost before dark since it was raining so hard there was no hope for a fire. He shivered lightly and urged his horse forward. Rain was beating down at a surprising force, thoroughly chilling him, and adding his to already dark mood.

A sharp crack of thunder spooked the horse underneath him, causing it to rear back slightly. "Easy girl," Dyson murmured, patting the gray mare's neck softly. Last thing he needed was the horse to panic. He felt the small hairs prickle at the nape of his neck and looked up into the trees. Something or someone was watching him. He quickly pulled back the lever of his black powder rifle, just in case it was needed. A bolt of lightening hit a tree close to his right, causing the horse to rear back, and Dyson to fall from the saddle. He landed with a thud, still holding onto this rifle. Spotting some movement in the trees overhead, he took aim and fired. A soft cry of pain reached his ears, and the figure fell from the tree about ten feet, landing with a groan. He was on his feet in an instant, pulling his knife out as he ran over to the prone form. A small young man was clutching his shoulder, bright blood spilling from the wound. He head to toe in black and brown clothing, with some type of covering over the head and face. Dyson stood overtop of the man, knife ready. "Care to tell me why you almost hit me with lightening?" he growled out, eyes flashing yellow.

"Too…close to the settlement," the figure whispered. Something about the voice was not right…it was not the deep tone of a man…more like a young lad. Dyson tore the cover from the lad's head, shocked at the tumble of long fire red hair that spilled forth. He bent down closer and lifted the chin up to look into the beautiful, almond shaped lavender eyes of a very beautiful young woman.

"Fuck me, I shot a lass," Dyson exclaimed, eyes widening in panic. She gave a small cry of pain and slumped back against the tree trunk. Dyson jumped to action quickly, tearing the head covering into strips and staunching the blood that was flowing quickly. The lass offered no resistance, panting harshly from the pain and blood loss. "What settlement are ye talking about? The outpost is still some thirty miles away?" Dyson asked and he tightened the makeshift bandages on her shoulder. His accent was starting to bleed through; something that only happened when he was angry or worried.

"Not that place…my settlement. Where my people are," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"None of that, you need to stay awake," Dyson said gruffly, shaking her non-injured shoulder gently. "I need to get you back there, so someone else can take a better look at you." Her eyes widened in panic.

"You cannot go there! You are not a channeller and will be killed!" She exclaimed. "Just leave me here, and my people will find me. Your horse is not far from here in a meadow. Find it and go east…that will take you to the outpost without bringing you closer to the settlement."

"So you are Fae as well….I could sense it. A channeled? I have nae heard of that type before," Dyson said, leaning back against the tree. "I cannot just leave you here, lass. I am the one that shot you, and it is my responsibility to make sure you are well."

"We hide from others. Fae.. and human alike. Tis why I was sent to make sure you did not find our home. Please…just go..my people will not be so understanding," she pleaded with him.

Dyson looked up at the tree across from them. "I think your people found you," he said quietly, raising his hands up to show he was unarmed. The girl looked up and saw her father and about ten other people from their settlement in the tree. All looked extremely angry, and the weather was turning worse, from the energies flowing around.

"Father," she said weakly, "let this shifter go. He did not mean to injure me, nor was he coming to our home; he is merely trying to make it to the outpost." She pushed herself up to her feet, taking a few unsteady steps.

"Quiet, little one," Her father barked before jumping down from the tree branch and standing before her. He was a large, imposing man, with the same eyes and hair as his daughter, and right now, he looked extremely angry. He looked over to Dyson, and raised his hand, which started to glow. Dyson felt as if swarms of angry ants were crawling over his skin, but he kept still and silent.

She shoved her father's hand out of the way, just as a bolt of energy exploded from it, hitting the tree just over Dyson's head. Had she not, it would have hit him squarely in the chest. "Let him go, father…it was an accident, and no evil Fae would have taken the time to make sure I would survive," she bit out, glaring up at him. "Let him leave in peace."

"He knows about us. He could tell others. It is too dangerous to let him live," One of the other channellers called from the tree. Murmurs from the others echoed the same sentiment.

"He fixed my wound and was going to take me back home to ensure I would survive. Does that sound like someone who wants to end our existence? " she fired back. She looked up at her father, her eyes frantic. "Father, I ask you to spare this shifter. He is powerful and will be a great ally for us. Please." She took her father's hand in hers. There seemed to be some sort of silent communication taking place between the two. Dyson hoped that it was in his favor.

She pulled away from her father and walked over to Dyson, extending her hand. He took it and stood up, towering over her smaller frame. "You are free to go, shifter. But do not take this pathway again, else you have a wish for death." She said formally. She turned back to her father, who nodded and leapt back into the trees, the other channellers following suit. She looked over her shoulder, and gave him a small, sad smile and leapt into the tree, her back to him.

"Wait!" Dyson called after her. "I don't even know your name lass? How can I be an ally for you if I know not what to call you?" She paused and turned to face him. "I am Maeve," She called down to him. "And you are, shifter?"

"Dyson," he answered. She nodded and then grinned impishly.

"We will surely meet again, Dyson," she said before leaping into the next tree.

"How do you know that!?"

"I have your bullet, and your knife," the answer came from further away. "I will return it when the time is right." Dyson automatically reached for his knife that he kept on his belt to contradict her, and found the sheath empty. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment.

"What the bloody hells just happened?" he asked himself, before his sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of his mare. The rain started to let up before stopping completely when he finally located the horse, a short distance away…in a meadow, just as she had said. He mounted the mare again, looking up in the trees for any sign of movement, but could detect none. "I have a feeling that this won't be the last time I see that lass," he chuckled a bit before turning the mare towards to East and continuing his way to the outpost. Overhead, undetected, she smiled a bit before wincing from the pain in her shoulder. She pressed her hand onto the wound and concentrated. The bullet appeared in her hand, and the wound closed. "Good as new," she thought, watching him ride away. "He is the one," she thought to herself, happily before leaping into the trees towards her settlement. "I shan't let him get away."

END FLASHBACK

Mae finished her story and pulled down the fabric of her shirt to show Bo and Kenzi the scar left by the wound. "He was lucky; my father was going to kill him. But I knew he and I would become friends, and that I would need him later in life to help me."

"Help you out, how?" Bo asked, leaning against the counter.

Mae smiled weakly, looking away from the succubus. "That I cannot tell you, but rest assured Bo, I am doing everything in my power to help him …and you out." She slid off the chair, pressing her hand against her side. "If you ladies will excuse me, I need to channel out some energy. That's the bad thing with us channellers. If we do not have an outlet, the energy builds up and can cause us pain." She grimaced a bit before closing her eyes. Her body glowed a soft orange color for a moment before the light shot up into the room, hitting the ceiling and bathing the entire room with the orange color.

"Bet that would be KICK ASS under a black light!" Kenzi exclaimed, hopping down from the counter. Maeve opened her eyes and smiled at the small human.

"You should see it at raves!"