Disclaimer: We do not own Castle.
Co-authored by HPFan1952 and JasmineBelle7.
"The pain of Larka's loss tortured Kar. He was losing the will to live. He would howl long and softly to himself, a mourning call, and mutter of Tor and Fenris and Sita."
-The Sight, David Clement-Davies
Chapter Fourteen
It was all a dream. Just a dream.
His head throbbed. It was dark.
Had last night really happened? Or, was that when the dream had started?
He couldn't make himself believe that. It had been too sweet, too right.
He shook his head to try and clear the cobwebs, clear the ringing in his ears.
No, he remembered waking up this morning (if it was still today) with her head on his chest. Her hair was tickling his nose but he didn't want to move and wake her up.
He remembered that they had been shy at first, unsure of where they stood and where they went next. There had been hesitation as they touched, slowly, but then moving together as they made love again in the fresh light of the morning. Rediscovering and discovering. That much was clear.
They had gotten ready for the day, not so much dancing around each other but dancing with one another. There had been a hand on a shoulder or at the small of the back, a playful bump of the hips or hands brushing as they showered and dressed.
Then it was a blur. What had happened next?
He forced himself to walk his fuzzy brain through the motions.
Coffee. They always had coffee in the morning, but this time they had gone together. He remembered the feel of her hand, soft in his surprisingly rough hands.
He smiled through the pain remembering how she had leaned into him as they chose their breakfast and ordered their coffee. They had walked arm in arm, zigzagging down the sidewalk. It had been a simple and perfect moment in time.
The gun. The next thing he remembered was the gun pressed to Kate's temple and the chilling drawl telling them not to talk, not to move.
Then he remembered the sound of metal against bone followed by...darkness.
He could hear her voice in the darkness calling to him. He tried to hold onto that voice and pull himself out of the darkness. He tried to wake up.
"Kate!"
"Castle!"
Her voice was hoarse from screaming his name.
She vividly remembered seeing him crumple when the gun connected with his skull. Her big, strong man lying crumpled on the sidewalk like a rag doll.
The gun had been pressed to her temple again and she couldn't have moved even if she wanted to she had been so shocked. She hadn't protested when her hands and ankles had been tied and she had been showed in the car. She didn't say a word as she watched the same thing being done to Castle. She had stayed silent, shocked and scared. Every second was another second alive.
She remembered the torturous drive; she had seen every house fly by and every tree a blur. As they went down the street of a new suburb neighbourhood, she knew they would not be leaving alive not if their attacker was letting her see where they were going.
By the time they had gotten to the deserted house she had collected herself, prepared herself. She fought back knowing that no matter what they would be dead. It was just a matter of time and she wasn't prepared to go down without a fight.
She had kicked the door into his chest when he came to get her but it hadn't stopped him for a second.
She swung both hands at him but all he had to do was slap her face. It was enough to send her head flying to the windshield and pain shot through her head and radiated on the side of her face with the force of the slap.
She could still the tastes the metal sweet tang of blood in her mouth. At least, it was a reminder that she was still there.
She called his name again.
The man walked up to her stretching his arms. He stopped only to put his hat safely on a nearby table.
A door slammed somewhere in the house.
"You gonna give up your on lover boy now?
Soft footfalls and a soft calm voice interrupted him. "That's enough. I'll take it from here."
I see death. I welcome death. Come sweet death take me now as you have taken him. I hear you. Forgive me oh, beloved. You fell because of me because, I could not answer. You should not be dead. I deserve death. I killed you. I could not provide and you are dead. I welcome death. Take me oh, death. Take me and give him back. Let him waken. Let me sleep eternally. I killed him. I am guilty. Take me now, please oh sweet and beautiful death. Let me live no more.
Kate stared blindly at floor in front of her. Seeing nothing but, the shadows in her mind. Feeling nothing but, the shreds of her heart. Hearing nothing but, the sounds of gunfire forever ingrained in her soul. Castle was dead. She did not want to believe but, she saw it with her own eyes. Seen the flash in the night, seen his shadowed form fall back into the river, felt the pain. If only the answers 'the dragon' demanded were answers she had. She'd begged. She'd pleaded. She'd swore to do anything he asked if he would just call off the Texan. Just let Castle go.
I see death. I welcome death. Come sweet death take me now as you have taken him. I hear you. Forgive me oh, beloved. You fell because of me because, I could not answer. You should not be dead. I deserve death. I killed you. I could not provide and you are dead. I welcome death. Take me oh, death. Take me and give him back. Let him waken. Let me sleep eternally. I killed him. I am guilty. Take me now, please oh sweet and beautiful death. Let me live no more.
He felt the sharp pain in his shoulder. He felt the delirium over the loss of blood. Something cold nudged his face, sniffled and ruffled his hair. He heard the muffled bay of a hound, the shouts of a search party. He felt himself lifted from the cold wet Earth. He fell back into darkness.
Kate.