Lauren had been sitting in the Dal the entire time Bo and Tamsin had been in the Dawning. It felt like days, but she knew it could have only been a few hours at the most. Dyson had gone off in a corner somewhere after speaking to her, trying to calm her as he repeated over and over again how Tamsin was in no real danger. The more he talked, however, the more Lauren felt the complete opposite of what he was trying to convey, and soon she stopped speaking all together and simply nodded her head after the shifter would stop for a breath. Dyson had put a comforting hand on her shoulder and left her to her silence soon after that. He was trying to be nice, trying to be hopeful for Lauren, but it did little to calm the doctor's shouting mind and heart. There was too much uncertainty in the air, and she wondered if Tamsin, even Bo, would really make it back to her in one piece.
The blonde watched as Kenzi had gone to talk to Trick for the first portion of the wait, her brown eyes following the gypsy girl as Dyson spoke in her ear, and Lauren smiled kindly as the girl had sauntered back over to the blonde after their talk. If not all of their conversation was about Kenzi's inquiring mind on asking Lauren of how she could unfreeze Tamsin's cold, bitchy, and sarcastic exterior and the good doctor replied with a smile and a shrug; her hair grazing her shoulders as she shook her head slightly.
In truth, the blonde didn't know what she could have ever done to have Tamsin fall for her so rapidly; all she knew was that the valkyrie did. They were practically the exact same person, Lauren knew, they had the same soul. They had gone through the same struggles in life: not being good enough though they tried their very best, being in indentured servitude to a cruel and callused master, the way they coped with these events were the only things that were different about the two women. While Tamsin would defend with sarcastic quips and anger, Lauren would be more passive aggressive, less likely for confrontation. The doctor didn't have to hide how destroyed she really was in front of the valkyrie, and likewise Tamsin didn't have to hide in front of Lauren. They were two peas in the same pod, they were simply set to a boil to someone else's song and tune. How hard was it really to fall for someone who was so close to the person you were?
The note Tamsin had left in her room the night before still played through Lauren's mind, and she wondered if the valkyrie was finally beginning to allow herself to- maybe, just maybe- fall in love with the human. Lauren had to restrain a smile at the foolish notion; as if Tamsin would really fall in love with someone like the doctor, please! Lauren was too weak while the valkyrie was too crass and incapable of an emotion as strong as being in love. However, Lauren thought, they had both lost something in their lives equally, and they could both accommodate each other for what they had lost. The valkyrie would give Lauren the attention she needed, and wouldn't run away when she needed her most, while Lauren would give the fae sentimentality that she would never forget. They would be a perfect couple, if they just gave each other the chance, and God did Lauren give so many chances.
All the ridiculous valkyrie had to do was just come back to her alive and their relationship that had finally started the night before could continue.
Instead of thinking about this, she tried to listen to Kenzi's talk about how she would treat Bo to an enticing dinner of pizza and burgers, and asked what Lauren would do for Tamsin.
Kenzi was nice, Lauren had to admit, after their bonding moment a few weeks prior. The gypsy girl actually began to seek out Lauren's advice and camaraderie, and the blonde was happy to help in whatever mess Kenzi and Bo had gotten into. She had put off her own problems- problems being Tamsin and her avoidance- and had helped any way she could with the slue of cases the partner's would collect. Lauren had been grateful for the distractions, and was even more so when Kenzi had tried her best to keep Bo out of the loop as much as possible, without lying of course, so that Lauren, and the succubus, wouldn't have to be caused unintentional pain towards each other.
The blonde had been glad to have Kenzi on her "side" in the relationship status with Tamsin and she knew Bo, though she hated it, was still accepting of their partnership. Though it was tenuous, Lauren was glad for the peace between the women, and she thought- for once- her life was really looking up. God only knew the last few years of her life hadn't been the best, and she was thankful that Tamsin had come into it; even for the short amount of time she had been there.
The two chatting females were broken out of their talk, it had progressed to the two's cases they were working on individually, when the light blue swirling texture of the portal filled the end of the room with light. Lauren was so relieved, so happy, that it had finally appeared, that it was all she had to contain her excitement of her lover's form appearing.
Bo fell to the familiar floor of the Dal Riata, her forearms and knees breaking her fall oh so nicely, as she came out of the portal to the Temple. She half expected to have suddenly appeared instead of a main entrance like that, but she couldn't much think about it right in that moment.
Looking up, her face unsullied by the streams of tears she had just shed in the Temple, she looked around slowly and her eyes only rested on Lauren. The blonde woman seemed hopeful, happy even, that Bo was out of her Dawning and not drooling on herself from turning underfae, but her excitement and hopeful gaze turned to confusion as the portal closed behind the brunette. The room was completely silent as Bo slowly got to her feet.
"Bo," Lauren asked, coming a step closer and licking her lips before continuing, her voice trying to reach the octave it always did when she didn't understand, the ghost of a smile still trying to penetrate her lips and eyes, "where's Tamsin? Bo... where is Tamsin?"
"I'm sorry, Lauren." Bo's voice was raspy with bridled tears as she whispered, "She-she wanted me to tell you she-"
"No," Lauren cut the brunette off suddenly, her finger in the air as her eyes shown constrained bewilderment, "no, where is she, Bo? Tell me where she is."
Bo swiped her upper lip with her index finger and said, "She's still in there, Lauren. She's still in whatever place the Dawning is held." Her eyes never left the blonde's when she continued, trying to lower her voice to not sound needy in this time of grief, "I didn't know, Lauren. I didn't know when I went in that only one could come out. She... she sacrificed herself so that I could make it out of the Temple. So that I could make it back here, to you; to all of you." The brunette finally looked around the room, her brown eyes glancing over the fae and human alike.
"What are you talking about?" Lauren whirled on Trick quickly, not wanting to look at Bo any longer as her gut wrenched and threatened to explode, "You can get her out, can't you? Get her out of there, Trick. Now!"
"I'm sorry," the man said, his arms coming up and falling back uselessly at his sides, "it doesn't work like that."
"The valkyrie knew what she was getting into when she offered herself as Bo's hand. She knew the consequences," the woman standing beside Trick said; Lauren briefly remembered her name to be Stella. "Besides, the girl is dark fae is she not? It is my assumption none of you so cared for her well being enough to risk your lives for her." Cold calculating eyes fell across everyone in the room and back towards Lauren. "Bo is free of the thralls of devolution and is back in your arms; this is a most fortuitous even that must be celebrated."
Whether it was fury of her own from being lied to yet again, or her anger towards Tamsin for doing something so stupid, she didn't know, but she locked cross-hairs on Stella and said hotly, "I don't care what synapses were firing when she chose she would decide that, but I didn't know the risks and Bo didn't either. So that train of thought can be forgotten right now! She may be dark but everyone in this room cared for her, as a person, so you can shut your mouth." Lauren knew her words were probably hollow; the only people in the bar that cared for Tamsin was Lauren herself and the valkyrie's partner.
Her eyes flashed with rage at the woman's words, that Tamsin meant nothing now that Bo was back safely, and she continued, "You should have said something if you knew, Trick. You should have told Bo the risks when she was made to choose to accept Tamsin's offer. It is your fault she is in there and you will bring her back to me, now!" It was the first time in her life of servitude that Lauren the Human had given an older, if not any, fae orders. What was she thinking? Was she even thinking?
"Doc..." Kenzi came over and tried to put a comforting hand onto Lauren's shoulder, but the blonde brushed her away immediately.
"Don't," She warned, glaring back at Kenzi, and the girl gratefully backed away as her eyes traveled to the floor. Lauren felt a twinge of regret, of guilt, but shook it off as she glared back towards Trick and Stella. She couldn't afford such emotions at that very moment, all that mattered was Tamsin, all that mattered was her lover. "You bring her back. You bring her back right now or you send me in there to find her. I know you can do it, Trick, so you send me in there now.
"Lauren!" Bo, Kenzi, and Trick yelled simultaneously, unaware how the human's feelings were so deep for the valkyrie, and the woman glared at all of them in turn.
She was trying to hold back as her breath came in rasps, making small whimpering sounds as she knew she did when she was about to cry, refusing the tears to come, but they squeezed from her eyes hot against her cheeks without permission anyways. Tears were useless in this situation, useless because of the ignorant, stupid, hurtful, secretive fae in the room that kept everything from her. Kept things that she had wanted to know, that she had needed to know, that Bo, Tamsin, even Kenzi should have known.
And now Tamsin was gone, she was trapped in a realm that God only knew what was being done to her, and for what? Because the one most oldest fae in the room wanted to keep himself from being the center of attention, because if that happened Lauren knew, then all of his dirty secrets would come to light. How he knew all of the things he did, all of the truths and secrets he was hiding behind his innocent persona.
Anger bubbled up inside her, maybe at Tamsin for being the one to offer herself, most likely at Trick and the other fae that knew what would happen if the valkyrie offered herself to be Bo's assistance. She didn't know and she didn't care.
"You bring her back," Lauren repeated, her eyes trailing over all the participants in the room, refusing to look for too long into Bo's brown concerned eyes.
"Please," Bo said, coming closer and holding out her arms to the blonde.
"No!" She fumed, stepping away from Bo and hitting the woman's outstretched arms with her hand. "No, you don't get to do that. You find a way to get Tamsin back, do you hear me? Do you understand me, Bo! Get her back, get her back, please, just get her back to me." Lauren's words were drowned out by her own sobs as she fell to the ground, Bo helping her along the way. Lauren hated this, hated the comfort her ex lover could offer her, she didn't want to be in the succubus' arms, she wanted to be in the valkyrie's. Still, she thought as she let the sobs rack her body, still Bo's touch felt nice. Comforting. Familiar.
Her hands pressed against the side of Lauren's face, trying to allow the woman some comfort, but the blonde wouldn't take it, she couldn't take it. She kept fighting the brunette, trying to escape her gasp as she cried, disallowing herself to be captured by the brunette's love again. She did not calm herself, and allow herself to fully weep in front of the fae and human in the room- their eyes darting this way and that as they tried to give Lauren some type of privacy with her emotions- until the only person who had not spoken once since the portal opened and closed came over and took her away from Bo.
"Please bring her back, Dyson. I just got her again, please get her-" Lauren's words were chocked back from her uncontrollable sobbing and Dyson pressed her head into his chest comfortingly.
"I'll get her back, Lauren." Dyson's solemn baritone voice resounded throughout the Dal Riata with sincerity and determination, "I promise I will get her back to you."
The frail looking man waved a shriveled hand and suddenly a small chair, and table, materialized in front of him. Sitting down with a sigh, he put his hand on the table, and looked up at the bound valkyrie opposing him. The woman had been putting up quite a fight, working against her metal-like restraints that held her wrists and ankles, and blood trailed down from the opened cuts to her upper chest and down the sides of her shirt; to come to rest and drip down her bare feet to the white ground. The Caretaker would have simply made her restraints that of tightened barbed wire, but he grew tired of bringing the valkyrie back from near death from her incessant need to work at the restrains and accidentally cut open a vein. It would be no fun if his new plaything experienced true death on him so soon.
It wasn't that the Caretaker wished to be evil, he wasn't like the Undertaker- his damned brother-, but he didn't want to be alone any longer. It was a painful job, being stuck in the plane in which the Dawning was held after offering himself as his lover's hand, and he wished to be free of it. He was alone for eternity, unless of course a fae came age for their Dawning, but even then they left him soon enough. The valkyrie was proving to be a fun little morsel and even her blurred and hitching speech she would give near death was admirable.
He knew he had chosen wisely in capturing her, thin wisps of the valkyrie entering the Dawning plane centuries ago nipped at his mind, and he enjoyed the way the warrior would speak of her lover. The way she would get the realities confused from blood loss, believe the human was there with her, or even when she'd grow cold and curse the Caretaker, begging him not to bring her lover there to torture her as well. It made no difference, the Caretaker had power, but only in that plane. He couldn't very well reach up and grab the human, though he thought of it constantly, but kept his mouth shut when the valkyrie would start to scream.
"Lauren, she's... if you hurt her, I'll rip off your flesh and bask in your blood."
The Caretaker rolled his eyes and conjured a bowl of grapes next to his palm. Eating one, though the man did not need to eat as it tasted nothing but ashen, he said, "If you keep speaking like that, dear Valkyrie, I will have to skewer your stomach again." He had to give her credit, she didn't flinch, she only raised her head to look at him with death and disobedience in her eyes. Her green ones reminded him of his lover long ag- that was the only thing he could remember of her- and he sighed with contempt. He grew weary of this game and he wanted the valkyrie to act just a little differently. Either it was threats, protecting of her companion, or back to threats. Bo-o-o-ring.
The valkyrie's blonde hair fell into her face as she continued to stare at the frail man and said, "When I get down from here, I will kill you."
"You are a dying valkyrie, you should not have even been able to be captured by me, yet here we are." The Caretaker laughed, his words seeming to sting what mind the valkyrie had left. "Why is that, hm? You could have phased out of this plane when you acquired her memory, and yet you didn't. Why? You are not weak enough that you couldn't accomplish that much. The only thing keeping you here now, as you well know, are those shackles." He pointed at the cuffs holding the valkyrie's wrists and ankles. "So why did you give up your life for that of the succubus?"
"Do you really want to know?" Her arms groaned behind her as she pushed off of the metal crucifix-like pole, looking into the Caretaker's eyes.
"Yes."
The valkyrie smirked, a smirk that she had forgotten she could muster from the deaths she had perceived in the plane, and said, "Well keep guessing, asswipe."
The Caretaker's eyes slit, his patience running thin, and he waved his hand in the air. A long spear, it's head jagged and sharp like broken glass, appeared in the air pointing straight at the valkyrie.
"Last chance," The man said as he eyed the spear above him with amusement. "Sate this curiosity and you may rest."
The valkyrie looked up at the spear and back at the man, her eyes shown nothing of fear, and she said, "Guess we're going to be here for awhile."
The Caretaker's eyes widened in anger and he let the spear fly straight and true towards the valkyrie.
And the blood and screams began again.
The cabbie turned the corner into the lot of a very large pristine building. He was irritated as the building was almost the complete opposite of town where had had picked up the blonde woman sitting behind him. But whatever, he thought, at least he was getting paid; and the view wasn't half bad, he thought as he looked back in his rear view mirror to watch the blonde woman from time to time. He glanced sidelong as the woman got out of his cab and looked up at the building with awe, she must have never been there before, or if she had it had been awhile, and she turned slowly as he rolled down his window.
"What do I owe you?" She asked politely, her hair whipping across her face as she bent down a ways to look inside the car.
The cabbie, instead of looking at her cleavage that was showing out of her blue shirt and dark jacket when she bent, looked over to his machine and said, "I'll round it down for ya, cutie." He winked up towards the blonde and, after she didn't respond, said, "It'll be fifty."
The blonde took out a freshly clipped roll of cash from her pocket and gave it to the cab driver. "That's fifty five, the actual cab fare, for you."
"Take the cab often?" The cabbie asked dumbstruck, wondering how much the woman must have really taken cabs around the city to know exactly how much she would have needed to pay to get to a certain area.
"You have no idea. Thank you again," The blonde said, turning away.
"Hey, can I get your number? You know, if you need a cab at any time."
The woman turned, smiled halfheartedly, and said, "While your face is pretty symmetrical, and you show a nice sign of having almost perfect follicles, you would be the epitome, and excellent test subject, in the male society. However, I will have to politely decline your offer."
"Uh... what?"
"No," The blonde said, "thank you." She smiled again and watched as the cabbie groaned softly, said something along the lines of "I can never tell when they're lesbians", rolled up his window, and drove off without another look behind him.
Sighing, she looked back up towards the building again, and wondered if she should really go inside. This was a big deal, a bigger deal than lying to Dyson that she would stay in the house all night and let him compile what he was going to do to get Tamsin back, and if she really did choose to go into the building, her life, maybe her affiliation with the light fae, would be put in jeopardy. But she had to get Tamsin out of the Temple, she reminded herself, as she looked towards the doors of the building. She had to do this, not for herself, but for Tamsin. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and entered the Morrigan's development.
Entering the building was easier than expected, Lauren found, as she immediately greeted by the Morrigan's personal assistance- her name was Kiki, Lauren found- who talked very chipper-like towards her as she lead them to the long row of elevators and got onto the second one. The elevator, much like the reception area when she had walked in, was just as brilliant and pristine. Lauren wondered how grand the building was but found herself being distracted again by Kiki's words.
Pressing the eleventh floor, Lauren had no idea the building was so huge, Kiki began to fill Lauren in on all of the benefits of working with the Morrigan. She must have me confused with another client that was supposed to come in today, Lauren decided as she listened to the girl adamantly. (Of course, she didn't know about the Morrigan's already known visit from the blonde, siphoned from the offspring in Lauren's bag the blonde had walked by as she entered her home.)
Finally getting to the floor they needed, Kiki stepped off quickly and Lauren followed. The long hallway they walked through was filled with extraordinary pieces of work, paintings, drawings, even sculptors and Lauren had to remind herself that the Morrigan's job was to suck the talent out of would-be artists; these must have all come from her clients. Lauren grew sad, only for a moment, at how many of the world's greatest artists had walked the very hall she walked, how many of them died too early in their career because of what the Morrigan did to them. Humans were nothing to the dark, even to the light, but playthings they could use and discard without much thought. Lauren was suddenly sick to her stomach, her mind never wandering to what Tamsin had initially thought of her from her dark upbringing, but was pulled out of her own thoughts as Kiki spoke to her.
"And here we are," the girl said, her chipper, psychotically chipper, voice did little to rest Lauren's nerves and as she opened the door, the blonde saw the Morrigan working at her table, her head down and her elongated beautiful hands flitting across a keyboard.
Thanking the girl quickly, Lauren ducked into the room and looked around after the door closed swiftly behind her. If she wanted to escape quickly, she wondered if the door would be locked if she tried it, and found an escape attempt would probably choose futile anyway.
The Morrigan had good taste, how could she not, as Lauren looked around and saw the area was filled with classy furniture, tables, and rugs. Lauren briefly saw a tray of scotch, brandy, and other alcohol on the far side of the room, and looking to her right she saw the building was indeed on the eleventh floor. It wasn't that Lauren was afraid of heights, she had gone up on many a plane ride, but it had been a very long time she had been so high up, and she had to hold her breath for several seconds, clutching a chair's back softly, before turning back to look to the center of the room.
Looking toward the Morrigan, who had immediately stopped whatever she was working on to lean back in her chair and stare at the doctor, Lauren blushed slightly and came to stand by the chairs that sate opposing the desk a few inches away.
"Morrigan... I'm-"
"Yes, I know who you are, darling. The human light owned doctor. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I apologize, but I don't think that's true."
The Morrigan smiled, the doctor had a set of balls to dispute her even slightly and said, "What can I do for you?"
"I... I've come here to plead to you to help me get Tamsin out of the Dawning's plane; the Temple. She was trapped there after she helped someone and-"
"What makes you think I care about the valkyrie?" The Morrigan's bright eyes traveled around Lauren's features, looking almost amused by the implication the human had made.
The doctor was struck from the verbal slap for a moment but said, "Because she works for you. I-I assumed she was-"
The Morrigan cut Lauren off again, "I have a lot of people working for me, honey. That doesn't mean I care about them." The brunette laughed harshly and waved her hand in front of her face. "The valkyrie failed her mission and she's paying the price. What kind of leader would I be if I saved her from her punishment?"
"A merciful one!"
"Oh sweety, mercy is for the weak. The dark don't give a shit." The Morrigan's voice dropped down an octave, "Now if there isnt' anything you can offer me, we're done here. Ki-whatever her name is will see you out." She turned back toward her computer and began to type.
Lauren stood there for a few more seconds, she heard the door open slowly from across the room and knew Kiki was waiting for her, but instead of moving out of the room, she walked the few inches to the Morrigan's desk and bent down.
"Please," she said, looking into the Morrigan's eyes, "I will give you anything you want, but please, help me get Tamsin out of the Temple."
The Morrigan's eyes were still glued on the computer, she thought she was doing a very good job to not look down the human's cleavage, but her hands had stopped flying across her keyboard. If Lauren had really looked, she could see the brunette's lips pull into a small, very small, smug smile. She had been waiting for this moment.
"How about this," she said, looking back up at Lauren, "you will owe me... a favor." Lauren's eyes showed disbelief, hesitation even, and the Morrigan continued, "Just that. Just a favor that I can call in at any time. I give you the spell to get into the Temple, you come out- most likely you'll die trying to save her- and whenever I need you, you'll do whatever I want like a good human." Her eyes lit up even brighter than earlier. "Deal?"
Lauren looked down at the hand that was extended to her from across the table. There was no second guessing, no anger from the Morrigan's words, no second thought if this was really the route she needed to go; the blonde immediately, and without hesitation, grabbed hold of the hand tightly and shook.
Dyson watched, his index finger across his lips much as the first time, as the blonde doctor came out of the building and got back into a cab that she had no doubt called herself, or the building had called for her. He didn't think it was proper procedure for the blonde to lie to him about staying in the house, and then the moment she thought he was gone, to sneak out and go to the Morrigan's development. He didn't mean to follow her, he was still rolling his eyes at the Tamsin incident, but after losing his partner to the Dawning, after promising Bo he would look out for her... he wasn't ready to lose anyone else.
He would have gone into the building, ordered the Morrigan to tell him what the women's meeting had been about, but he knew the war implications would flare up from a light busting into the leader of the dark's establishment. Instead, he simply calmed himself before doing anything rash. Watching as Lauren gave the cab driver the address she wished to go, and off they went, he simply put his car in gear and followed the cab back down the long streets to Lauren's apartment.
Lauren got out of her cab promptly and pulled out a wad full of money from her pocket. She tried to give it to the cabbie but he shook his head, presumably telling her the fae was already paid for. The blonde watched, her eyes rising up to the sky as she smiled halfheartedly to herself, and was about to walk into the apartment complex after the cab drove away, when she heard a door close harshly behind her. She wouldn't have thought anything by it, until she felt a tight hand squeeze on her arm.
"Lauren, I thought you were going to stay in tonight," Dyson said, turning Lauren to face him.
The doctor blushed slightly, not from her deceit but for the fact she had been about to throw the man over her shoulder and onto the ground from scaring her into thinking he was an assailant. "I- um- didn't have any food in my place. I was just out to a restaurant."
Dyson knew she was lying, of course he did, and said, "You really expect me to believe that? Why were you at the Morrigan's place? Lauren, that area is dangerous for you. She could have killed you."
"That's better than what I'm feeling now, Dyson." Lauren looked away after she said it, a bit ashamed at herself for even speaking the words.
"Hey," Dyson said, grabbing the doctor's arm solemnly, "you don't mean that. I told you I would get Tamsin back to you, didn't I? At least let me call Bo-"
"No," Lauren almost screamed, looking up into Dyson's eyes with bafflement. "No, please. I don't want her here, Dyson. Please."
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Dyson squeezed her arm tighter as she seemed as if she were going to cry any moment.
"I know I'm not strong enough to protect her, Dyson." Lauren's voice sounded as if she were trying to hold back tears and Dyson dropped his arm. "I'm not fae, Dyson. That's why... I knew you were following me... The Morrigan gave me a spell."
Dyson looked down at Lauren, making sure to place a hand on her shoulder, and asked pointedly, "What spell?"
"Come inside," Lauren said, refusing for a moment to tell him out in the open.
The wolf agreed slowly and allowed the doctor to lead him through the doors into her establishment.
Getting inside, Lauren closed the door to her apartment, and walked over to get a drink of water. After taking a glass out of the cupboard and turning on the tap, she took a long drink and sighed as she finished. Looking over at a still confused Dyson, she cursed herself for not telling him her plan to begin with, but regardless he was there now and she had to tell him the truth.
"The Morrigan gave me a spell that can send me back into the Dawning's plane. It creates a portal just like the one that was created when Bo entered her Dawning. She said the Temple would be just like any other fae's Dawning, but this spell... this spell would give us the upper hand."
"What kind of upper hand?" Dyson asked as Lauren looked back down and took another intake of water.
"When a fae enters the Temple, when they enter their Dawning," Lauren began to explain, "every aspect is against them in every single way. Some have to fight to get out, only being given the weapons they needed by the Caretaker or their own minds. Others are tormented to see if they can survive it, and even some others have to simply go through a psychological and emotional trail to exit their Dawning. This spell will allow someone who has already completed their Dawning, like you, and someone who isn't fae, like me, to become... almost supercharged.
"It's like," Lauren continued after seeing Dyson's blank stare, "we'll be able to conjure anything we could think of to get through the trials the Caretaker throws at us. Either it be emotional, physical, or a mix between the two. We don't be playing by his rules, Dyson, we can make our own. It'll still be difficult to go through the portals, the doorways, to get to Tamsin. But we'll have an advantage."
Lauren finished as she walked over to Dyson. His brown furrowed with the new bit of information and she tried not to push him any harder than she already was. Yes, he said he would do anything in his power to protect and get Tamsin back, but was he really going to walk into a place that he had already been lucky to pass, to retrieve his partner?
"Well... what are you waiting for," Dyson said, a small smile forming on his lips.
"You- you really mean it?"
"I promised you I would get her out. I intend to keep that promise, Lauren."
The doctor's heart welled up with emotion, she would not have to do this all alone as she did everything, but she quickly blinked and coughed. "Thank you, Dyson. Thank you."
After a few moments of yet another shoulder squeeze, the two pulled away and Lauren extracted the spell parchment from her pocket. She knew she would need nothing but her own imagination and will when inside the Temple, and she tried to take a deep breath as she pronounced the words, years of medicine and research helping her.
"Huc iter, mens nostra corpora nostra, etc. Concede nos recuperare socium, socium nostrum. Obsecro. Aperi."*
The room suddenly began to crackle with electricity, something smelled of putrid stink, and a harsh light appeared before them. The portal, which had been a colorful mix of blues for Bo, was now a mix of greens, oranges, and yellows. The portal crackled with electricity, small strands were able to be seen coming from it's opening, and Lauren looked back towards Dyson.
This was it. Now or never.
Dyson came closer to Lauren and grabbed her hand tightly. "Whatever you do," he screamed, "do not let go of my hand!"
Lauren's hair whipped in front of her face as she nodded vigorously, and looked back towards the portal.
I'm coming for you, honey.
The fae and human jumped in without another thought, tumbling down into the Temple, their hands clasped together in search of a certain valkyrie.
*Huc iter, mens nostra corpora nostra, etc. Concede nos recuperare socium socium nostrum. Obsecro. Aperi. Roughly translates to, "Allow us safe passage, our minds, our bodies, our souls. Allow us to retrieve our lost companion. This, I beg. Open."
