Holy cow - fifty chapters and still going! Okay, so obviously, we're not done yet. We've got at least a few more chapters here. So much more to tell...
Once again, a special huge THANK YOU to all of you who leave me feedback. You guys are awesome! It completely makes my day when you drop a line or two!
So, it looks like our Ms. Bryony has a dilemma. And Kai is going to have to talk to dear old Dad. And, of course, I'm not done with the surprises yet - hang on to your hats, because you still have someone to meet...
"Any word from Kai?" David asked, pouring himself to some water from a pitcher on the table.
"Nothing yet," Killian answered. I have no doubt he's swimming every wave in the sea, looking for them. And God knows I want to be out there with him."
"Me too," David nodded. "But without an idea of where to look, it's only wasted time." He looked out the doors to the balcony, and the sea beyond. "I hope they're all right."
"Ursula needs them alive for what she plans to enact," Killian reminded him. "The full moon is three days away." He looked out at the sea as well. "I hope they're not frightened. Or cold..." His hand tightened around the flask in his hand.
"Is that rum?" David asked, looking down at Killian's beverage.
"Aye."
"May I?"
Killian handed it over, and David took a long, healthy swig.
"Why are you drinking water, mate? You've only had one cup of wine, so far as I've seen."
David nodded over toward the wine casks, and the group of villagers gathered around them. "Let them have it," he said. "This is the first time they've felt anything like hope in years."
Killian took his flask back. "Now all we have to do is break a few curses, defeat a she-demon, rescue our family, and get the hell out of here."
David sighed.
"Just like old times."
###
"They certainly look cozy," Snow said, giving Emma a nudge.
Emma turned from dishing out a helping of blackberry cobbler to one of the villagers and glanced over at the dancers, waltzing to the strains of the two violins that were left in the kingdom. Bryony's brilliant green gown instantly drew the eye, the skirt swirling around her as Finn twirled her around the dance floor. He was an excellent dancer - his father had made sure of that - but Bryony was holding her own pretty well.
"I think they might have finally reached the same conclusion," Emma replied.
"And that is...?"
"That they might as well just give into it." She smirked at Snow.
Snow nodded. "Eventually, you just have to go with it." She gave a satisfied sigh. "It's nice to see some kind of happiness tonight."
"Especially with the situation being what it is," Emma agreed. "Kai must be going out of his mind. I can barely sit still myself."
Snow's face was awash in sympathy. "Poor Meriel. I feel bad that we weren't there when she got the news."
"I do, too," Emma said. "But I can't think of a better surrogate mother than Regina to help her through this. She'll help her hold it together."
"And we'll have her back tomorrow," Snow reminded. "Then we'll go after those babies. But tonight, at least, we've got this to bask in."
She gave Emma a half-smile, holding out her wine goblet. Emma clinked hers against it, and tried to smile back.
###
"You look lovely," Finn said, looking down at Bryony as she swayed in the circle of his arms. She smiled up at him, flushing a bit at the intensity of his regard.
"The dress is definitely lovely," she agreed.
"The dress is pretty enough," Finn said, raising a brow. "But you make it lovely." He reached out, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear before he leaned in to whisper into it, "I can't wait to see you out of it."
She flushed even more red at his words, feeling her blood begin to heat at the delicious thoughts running through her head. She raised her hand, lifting her hair off the back of her neck.
"Whew!" she exclaimed. "It's warm in here."
Finn danced her out of the crowd and away from everyone, over toward the open doors to the balcony.
"It's a bit cooler over here," he said, "Are you thirsty?"
"Yes, I am," she answered. "But water this time - any more wine and I'll fall asleep on you tonight."
He gave her a wicked grin. "I highly doubt that, love. I have some very, very specific plans for you." He kissed her lightly on the nose, and made his way through the crowded hall to the refreshment table. Bryony turned her face toward the open doors, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her overheated skin. She stepped through the doors, out onto the balcony, sighing deeply as the smell of the fresh sea air teased her senses.
She walked over to the wall that jutted out over the water, watching the moonlight play off the ripples and waves below. She could see how this place could have been beautiful once. The fjord had a stark, majestic beauty, and her mind filled with thoughts of green fields and wildflowers and crops and trees full of fruit growing tall in the sun.
And they people could have it again, if she'd just do what her grandmother asked. A chill went down her spine and she closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about it. But she had to think about it.
She opened her eyes again, and let out a startled gasp when she realized she wasn't alone.
A woman stood just on the other side of the balcony wall, but...that was impossible. There was nothing there but a dropoff and then open water.
"Don't be frightened," the woman said, in a voice that was melodious and soothing. "I'm here to help."
Bryony moved closer, peering over the balcony. A wave crested up, supporting the woman, who was darkly beautiful, her long, flowing black hair blending in with the darkness of the waves, the moonlight shimmering off of it.
"You're - you're a Naiad," Bryony said, amazed. "Aren't you?"
"I am." The woman was serenity itself. "I cannot stay long," she said softly. "I have information that you may find needful."
"About what?" Bryony looked at her curiously.
"About the Gemini," the woman replied, bobbing softly on the crest of the wave.
Bryony grabbed the rail on the balcony. "You know where they are?"
"Yes." The woman pointed toward the nearby mountains. "The source of the river Yorn is underground, and it makes its way to the land in the foothills, surfacing beneath the roots of a massive oak tree."
Bryony froze a moment. A massive tree - how many times had she seen it? "An oak?" she replied. Her hand reached up, touching her talisman.
"The Oak of Yorn is a sacred place to your people, and in the underground river beneath it, lie a series of caves. You will find the Gemini there. Ursula knew the power of the oak would shield them from their father, and all others of the water realm. If I hadn't seen them being taken there, I wouldn't have known about them myself. But you need to hurry," she urged. "You haven't much - "
"Get away from her!" Finn's voice called out from behind Bryony, laden with menace, and she realized in an instant that he'd come to the wrong conclusion. Having never seen the Dryad queen up close, he was mistaking this woman for her. She turned to stop him, just as the woman reached out a hand, as if to forestall him herself.
What happened next took place at blinding speed. Finn saw the woman reaching for Bryony and drew his dagger just as Bryony turned around, letting it fly. Bryony called out "No!" impulsively moving to stop him and the woman dropped, disappearing from sight. Finn ran forward, but his eyes widened in horror as Bryony fell to her knees, slumping over to her side as the handle of the dagger protruded from her chest, just below her collarbone.
"Bryony!" His anguished voice cut through a haze of pain, and she gripped his hand. "The twins - she knows where they are. They're under the Oak of Yorn," she grimaced hard as pain lanced through her. "Caves. In the river."
"Hold on, love - I'll heal you. I'll heal you." He repeated it over and over, flexing his fingers, willing himself to concentrate. "Why did you do that? She was going to hurt you -"
"No." Bryony said, choking on the word. "Not who...you...thought..." her eyes rolled back, and Finn took a deep breath, extending his hand to remove the dagger so that he could heal her, but as his fingers closed around the hilt, vines sprang up all around him, binding his hands and arms and dragging him away from her, pinning him to the wall on the side of the door. He opened his mouth to shout an alarm, but the vines covered his face, choking off his words.
The Dryad queen stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the balcony, rage eminating from her so clearly, he could feel it shaking the vines around him.
"What...have...you...DONE?" She said angrily. She looked over her shoulder. "Roan!" she called out.
"I am here." He leaped agilely over the railing, staring arrogantly at Finn, then he dropped to one knee next to Bryony. He looked up at Alona. "She needs the healing herbs, and quickly."
"Take her." Alona turned to look at Finn again, who was struggling wildly in her vines. "I should kill you for this." The vines began to tighten, and Finn's eyes grew wide as he found it harder and harder to breathe.
"Leave him alive," Roan said quietly, coming to his feet.
"Why?" Alona retorted. "After what he has done?"
"But if we leave him alive," Roan said with a smile, coming up behind her, "I can blame him for this."
He brought his hand down in a sharp arc, driving his blade deep between her shoulder blades. Alona arched forward, her face a mask of pain as she fell to the ground, writhing.
"Agonizing, isn't it?" Roan asked, nudging her with his foot. "A little gift from Ursula, in return for the gift I gave her, which your family," he looked at Finn with a wide grin, "So beautifully provided. Gemini, in return for a weapon that can kill an immortal queen." He knelt down to look Alona in the eyes. "The blade is made from the ice found only in the frozen caves at the top of the world. In a few more moments, you'll be ice as well, and our people will be wanting retribution on the human who did it. There will be a war, and they will need a King to lead them."
He got back to his feet, reaching down to pull Bryony's limp body into his arms. He gave one last glance over his shoulder at Finn, giving him a purely taunting look. "If you'll excuse me, I need to heal my bride." He leapt over the far end of the railing, down onto the cobblestones below, sprinting for the grass and trees just beyond.
Finn pulled wildly at his vines, finally managing to get his hand up and around his talisman, remembering what Bryony had said about using hers to channel her magic. He gave it everything he had, and the vines were blasted with white light, burning off of him. He fell to the stones just as Brandt stepped through the doors onto the balcony with Lorelei.
"Finn!" She called out. "Are you all right?"
"Bryony!" he said, running for the far side of the balcony. "He's taken her - Roan. He took the twins, as well." He looked around frantically, needing to go after her but knowing it was useless - Roan was miles away by now. He only hoped Roan had been speaking the truth, and that he could heal her.
"Get my father!" He said, panting. Lorelei spun around, running back into the hall.
"Who's this?" Brandt asked, kneeling down near Alona. She let out a low moan, and Finn stepped over to her, kneeling down beside Brandt.
"This is the Dryad queen - and Bryony's grandmother. There was another woman here, talking to Bryony - I thought it was her, and I thought Bryony was being attacked. I reacted too quickly and sent a dagger flying - Bryony jumped in front of it. Then the queen appeared and it got even more complicated." He looked down at her.
"You don't deserve this," he said angrily. "But I'm going to try it anyway, because it's the right thing to do." He reached out his hand feeling the magic well up within him. He passed his palm over her wound, and the ice dagger melted, flowing across the stones and over the railing, into the sea. Her wound began to heal, slowly, then faster as Finn reached up to use the extra power of his talisman to counteract the dark magic of the ice. At last, the wound closed, and Alona's breathing eased. A moment later, she opened her eyes.
She looked at Finn warily.
"Why?" she asked.
He got to his feet, giving her a hard, contemptuous look.
"Like it or not, you're the only family Bryony has left," he said. He reached down, offering her his hand so that she could gain her feet. "Now...where would Roan have taken her?"
Alona drew her shoulders back, her mouth set in an angry line. "If he thinks to rally the people and have himself crowned as King, there is only one place that he can do so. The Oak of Yorn."
Finn's eyes showed his surprise. "The Oak of Yorn?"
"It's a very, very large tree," Brandt supplied. "At the foothills, where the river Yorn begins."
Finn stared off for a minute, thinking hard. "The prophecy. It's all coming together. And Bryony said the twins were there as well. Something about caves in the river."
Brandt shook his head, but Alona nodded. "I know where they are. But it will take several days for you to journey that far upriver. I can get there faster." She started to move, but Finn reached out, grabbing her arm. She looked down at his hand, as if startled that he would dare to touch her, but she didn't retaliate.
"Oh no," he said. "You can't go there without us. He's got Ursula on his side - with her backing him, you won't win. And the prophecy calls for good to make a stand." He stared at Alona, his jaw tightening. "You owe her. Now where do you stand?"
"Even if I stand with you," Alona pointed out, "You could never make it in time. Ursula will need a full moon for whatever she has planned - that is only a few days away - and the solstice falls the next day. Unless you can navigate the river upstream you cannot stop them in time."
"Well then," Killian's voice called out from the doorway. "It's a damn good thing I've got a ship and two magical sons with power over the water, isn't it?"
