No one was much in the mood for breakfast, which was a good thing since there wasn't a lot of food left in the castle stores after the party the previous evening. Finn hadn't even tried to go to bed, knowing he wasn't going sleep until he found Bryony. In fact, his father had to stand between him and the door twice already, reminding him that they needed to wait until morning. Finally, Emma sat him down and reassured him that Roan was going to make sure that Bryony was healed if he wanted her so badly, and also that Bryony was well and truly able to take care of herself.

But he didn't want her to have to take care of herself. He was going to put an end to Roan, thoroughly and personally - and the sooner, the better. Finn paced the floor restlessly, clenching and unclenching his fists. And the bastard took the twins. What kind of demon targets children? Now he understood why his father always seemed so enraged whenever they asked about Peter Pan during story time when he was growing up. Killian was always willing to talk about Neverland, but any mention of Pan or the Lost Boys always guaranteed a quick end to whatever story he was telling, followed by a foul mood for a good half an hour afterward. Finn couldn't imagine living with that kind of a monster for centuries, watching him rip child after child away from any hope they could have for a life.

Finally, just after dawn, Emma put a hand on her son's shoulder.

"We'll find her, Finn."

"I know." He let out a sigh. "I guess I know how Kai must feel."

"No, you don't." Emma replied flatly. "I know you care for her, Finn, but when it's your children - well, that's just an entirely different thing."

"I wish we could find him and let him know that we know where they are."

"Well, he said he'd be back this morning," Emma reminded him. "Meriel won't be here for another few hours if she left at dawn. I can't imagine Anton would travel in the dark - he's too afraid of stepping on someone."

"I don't like the idea of Kai out there exhausting himself, still not knowing."

Emma ran her fingers through his hair. "I know," she said. "I don't like it either."

"You can call him," a voice came from the far end of the hall, near the door to the courtyard. Finn's head turned to where Alona stood in the doorway. She inclined her head, then stepped into the hall hesitantly.

"My people can call to each other, through the rustling of the leaves or grass," she informed him. "Those of the water realm can do the same."

"How?" Finn walked over to her.

"You don't have much Naiad in you," Alona noted, "But like Bryony, your magic amplifies what you do have. I think if you send a call out on the waves, he should be able to recognize that it's you."

Finn looked over his shoulder at his mother. "We've got nothing to lose in trying," he said.

"I say go for it," Emma agreed. Alona stepped aside, allowing Finn to pass, then she fell in behind Emma, who had followed him out. She'd only taken a few steps when a hand came down on her shoulder and she turned, startled, to see Killian right behind her.

"If you're thinking to lure my boy into some kind of trap," he said, in a low and menacing voice, "I warn you now that you won't survive it."

She looked at him warily. "I speak the truth - at least as far as I know. I don't interact with the water folk much."

"Why would you be enemies?" Killian asked curiously. "You're both forces of nature - just different sides of a coin, really."

Alona rolled her eyes. "The same argument could be made for the animal kingdom, and by extension, for humankind as well," she said. "And we don't hate the waterfolk. We just find them...unsettling. They have no roots. They're too changeable and vary between serene and tempestuous. There is nothing between for them."

"I can see that," Killian said. "Never realized before how much of that I have, or my children have."

"You have another child?" Alona asked, falling into step next to him as he moved to catch up with Finn and Emma.

Killian smiled. "A daughter. She's a few years older than Finn, and a mother in her own right. Her children are the twins that your faithful servant ripped out of their beds in the night and tore away from their home." His voice was hard, angry.

Alona looked stricken. "He did not act on my command. I would not have taken children from their mother. Ever."

Killian looked at her a long moment, as if judging her. "No, I don't suppose you would."

They'd reached the end of the stone road that ran the rim of the fjord, and stepped off onto the dirt path that led down the low cliff face to the beach. Finn was already standing at the water's edge.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Put your hands in the water," Alona suggested. "And use your magic to send a message through the waves."

Finn squatted, reaching down and putting his fingertips to the water. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling his magic flow through his fingers, merging with the waves and fanning out in ripples.

"It seems to be working," he said, "But I'm not sure if it's enough to span an ocean."

"Perhaps I can help."

The voice came from slightly further down the beach. The woman was standing in the water, but not stationary - it was more like she was moving with it, drifting forward and back with every lazy wave that washed up on the sand and rocks.

Finn walked slowly toward her.

"You're the woman that Bryony was talking to - the one that I thought was her," he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at Alona.

"The girl," the woman said, "Is she all right?"

"I don't know," Finn said grimly. "I hope so. She was taken by one of the Dryads."

The woman nodded. "The very same one who took the Gemini. I saw him running along the river with her. He took her to the Oak of Yorn."

Alona stepped forward. "I thought as much."

"Alona." The woman inclined her head.

"Marissa," the Dryad queen replied formally.

Killian gave a start at the name, but Alona had more to say. "It's been nearly half a century since anyone has seen you. What brings you into tidal waters?"

"They do," Marissa said looking at Finn. "I cannot stay long in salt water, but I can help you contact Kai."

"You know him?" Killian asked.

"We've only met once - when he was an infant." Marissa said. "It was I who contacted his aunts, and requested that he be sent to Meriel."

"You sent him?" Emma's jaw dropped. "So you knew about the generational curse?"

"I did." Marissa replied. "And I am glad to see that Kai has done his job well. And for all your daughter has done for the realm, I will help in any way that I can." She began to back away, into the water, when Killian stopped her.

"Wait!" He stepped forward. "You're my grandmother, aren't you?"

She inclined her head serenely. "Yes."

"Really?" Finn stepped up next to his father.

"Really." She smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you both. But I need to be going. The seawater is difficult for me to draw sustenance from."

"Understood," Killian said. "But can we impose on you for one more favor? One of us, the girl who was taken, is a seer. She's had a prophecy that might involve you both," he said, looking from Marissa to Alona.

"That's right," Finn agreed, nodding his head. "The prophecy talks about a battle at the mouth of the River Yorn."

"The River Yorn begins at the Oak of Yorn," Alona interrupted. "It surfaces beneath it, from an underground source."

"Which is where, coincidentally, the twins have been taken," Killian said.

"And where Roan has taken Bryony," Finn bit out. "That's where good must make it's stand." He turned to Marissa. "The rest of the prophecy calls for Bryony and I to use our magic to break the curses - or so I thought. It refers to that which 'blooms within you' or 'flows within your veins,' and now I wonder if it wasn't referring to the two of you." He looked over at Alona. "You can remove the curse on the land, can't you?"

"I can," Alona said, "But at great price. To reverse a curse this strong would mean my end. And that would mean that Roan would take my place."

"Not if I get to him first," Finn said darkly.

"I cannot remove it until he has been dealt with. And I am far better equipped to do so," Alona reminded him.

"Debatable," Finn answered, crossing his arms.

"What about the curse on the sea?" Killian interrupted.

Marissa shook her head sadly. "If I could have broken it, I would have done so. Ursula is too powerful. Even the freshwater fish have fled." She bobbed a bit on the waves, clearly not loving the salt in the water. "I need to go."

"Of course," Killian said.

"Yeah, don't let us keep you," Emma affirmed. "Tell Kai the twins are alive and we know where they are."

"I will see that his mind is eased," Marissa said. She stepped backward into the water, calling out softly, "Until we meet again," and then she was gone.

Killian turned to look at Emma. "My grandmother. Fancy that."

Emma gave him a smirk. "We'd better go and wake everyone, and start piecing together a plan of attack. It sounds like it's prophecy time."

###

Bryony felt her head being lifted, then she coughed violently as something was poured down her throat. She could hear the sound echoing around her, and managed, finally to open her eyes.

Stone and rock greeted her eyes everywhere she looked, until her gaze landed on the person holding her semi-upright: Roan. She struggled violently to get out of his grasp, but he held her firmly, and she realized that her wrists and feet were tied. She also realized that her struggle barely moved him at all. She was weak, very, very weak.

"What did you do to me?" she croaked.

He gave her a cold smile. "Me? I didn't do a thing, except save you. Your lover was the one who tried to kill you." He leaned her back against the rock wall, then gained his feet.

"He wasn't aiming for me," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Yes, but you and I are the only ones who know that," he pointed out. "The rest of my people know that he was the one who killed our queen, and then tried to murder her daughter when she spurned his advances. They're calling for retribution, and of course, they'll need a King to lead them against what's left of the humans in the Northern Kingdom."

"Why, Roan? Why battle the humans at all?" Bryony was genuinely curious. "If you want to rule the Dryads, you can do that without ever interacting with the humans. Why go after the people of the Northern Kingdom?"

"Because I have far grander ambitions for myself - and for our people," he replied contemptuously. "Why live in the dirt when you can live in a castle? Why hide from the humans when you can bring them to their knees? Our days of slinking through the trees are at an end, and you and I will rule a new and united kingdom, one in which the Dryads rule."

"You are crazy," Bryony snarled. "And Finn is going to come for me."

Roan crossed his arms, smiling smugly. "Of course he is. Once he'd had the feeling of burying himself within you, and felt the burn of the sunlight within you, I'm sure his meager human senses were completely overwhelmed. Humans are always thus when we couple with them - that's what makes them such fun to play with. But they're not to be taken seriously. You've had your fun," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now it is time to assume your responsibilities."

"I'm not - ugh -" she tried to shift and grimaced in pain - "ever going to touch you."

Roan smiled a slow, calculated smile. "But you're going to let me touch you," he said softly. "Over and over again. You won't be able to help it, the more time we spend closely with each other. And when you feel the pull on the solstice, you won't be able to turn from its power." He shrugged. "I only have to wait." He knelt down, reaching out to touch her wounded shoulder. She felt her stomach lurch even as she felt the leap her pulse gave at the feel of his fingers. "In the meantime, you'll be weak while the herbs heal you. I've made a poultice for your shoulder, and I'll change it for you this evening. You won't have your full strength back for a good week or more." He smiled. "Which helps me tremendously." Roan got to his feet, dusting off his hands and reaching for the lantern he'd brought with him. "Now be a good girl, and get some rest. I want you fully recovered - eventually."

He turned and headed down the passageway, leaving Bryony alone in the darkened cave. She counted to ten after she heard the last of his footsteps receding, and then she brought her hands up, touching her wound lightly with her fingertips.

"Like hell I'm going to wait here, weak and helpless, for you to come back," she whispered, concentrating. A muted purple glow hummed beneath her fingertips, and she took a deep breath, sighing in relief as her wound healed and she felt her strength returning.

"Finn, I'm going to make you grovel for that one," she murmured. "Now - let's figure out how to get out of here." She looked down at her bound hands and feet.

"First things first," she said, touching her talisman and concentrating hard. White light seemed to radiate off her skin, and she felt the ties burning away from her body. She got to her feet, stretching and then turning slowly, trying to get her bearings in the dark. There was a slight illumination coming from the passageway that Roan had taken, so that was where she was determined to go.

Bryony began walking carefully, stopping every so often to listen. Somewhere, off in the distance, she heard a low, muted roar, and if she put her hand to the rock wall, she could feel it vibrate ever-so-slightly. It was almost like she was near big machinery or something of that magnitude. She was reminded of her senior class trip to Niagara Falls. They took a trip to the tunnels that ran behind the falls and the sound was deafening and the power of it shook the walls. Was she near water? She continued on down the passage, pausing a moment when she realized she was at a fork in the passageway. She listened intently, hoping for some clue to tell her which way would lead her out of this place.

And then she heard it. It was faint, and she stopped breathing so that she could listen even more closely. A cry - like that of a small animal, or maybe...a child? Bryony sucked in her breath, stepping forward into the right fork of the tunnel, walking faster with her hand along the wall to guide her. The sound grew louder, and then she heard the second voice, overlapping with the first. The twins!

She saw the passageway begin to widen, and heard the water getting much, much louder. A dim glow seemed to light the area, and as she stepped into the space, she realized she was seeing daylight, about a hundred yards in the distance. The water thundered through the room, leaving a narrow ledge for walking that disappeared as it headed toward the daylight. Further back in the cave, the river narrowed, leaving more stone, and that was where the children's voices were coming from.

Bryony moved carefully, it was dimmer the further back that she went, and a gasp tore from her throat when her next step met with nothing but air. She pulled her foot back, teetering a bit as she regained her balance. She looked down to see if this was a dropoff, and that's when she saw them. Zale and Ondine were at the bottom of what could only be called a stone pit. It was smooth on all sides, as near as she could tell, and they were all alone down there, toddling around and even trying to climb as best they could, but they had to be a good fifteen feet down.

She dropped to her stomach, leaning her upper body over the edge and calling out to them. Their heads turned in unison, and their little arms lifted as they saw her. It took a moment, but then Zale recognized her, waving his arms and screaming "Finn! Finn!" which made perfect sense - the last time she'd seen him, they were together and he obviously assumed his Uncle was there to save him.

"Shhh!" She called down. "Stay quiet, okay? I'm going to try to help you out." She scrambled to her knees, looking around wildly for something, anything she could use to get to them, but there was no rope nearby. However they'd gotten into the pit, it was probably magical.

Her vines! Could she get to them with her vines? She put her hands out, willing them to grow, but her fingers laid cold against the rock, unable to transform. She needed trees or grass or dirt, or at the very least, sand. There was nothing but rock all around. How much dirt did she need, really? She began walking the perimeter of the room, wondering if it was dusty enough, maybe where the floor met the wall...she put her fingers into it, but it was rock dust. Nothing could grow there. She felt a little further, pulling her hand back with a start when it hit water. She was closer to the river over here, and there were pools of water here and there where the level had risen at some point, probably due to a recent rain that brought on some flooding.

Wait - flooding! She stuck her hand back into the pool, which was several inches deep, feeling for the bottom and hit paydirt - literally. The water had brought sediment from further upstream, wherever that was. She plunged the other hand in and grabbed two fistfulls of dirt, carrying it back over to the edge of the pit.

"Oh please," she whispered. "Let this be enough." She put the back of one fist to her talisman, just to be safe, and sent every bit of power she could muster through it.

The vines burst out of her hands, snaking down over the edge of the pit and down, down, down until they reached the children, who were already grabbing at them.

"Wait!" Bryony called urgently. "Wait! Let me find somewhere to tie these to, and then I can climb down." She looked around, but nothing was in sight. Just smooth stone walls and a floor with an occasional shallow pool, and then the river. How was she going to get them out? They were just babies - and Gemini babies, at that. It's not like they could climb all that way.

These fish can...these fish can...

The thought swam right into her head, just like the two little fish in her dream. And yes, like those two little fish, these fish could climb. She'd watched Zale shimmy up a tree, hadn't she? All she needed them to do was hold on - then she could retract the vines. She leaned over the edge again.

"Zale! Ondine! Can you put it around you? Around you?" She demonstrated, twirling in a circle to wrap the vine around herself. Ondine let out a squeal, twirling in delight, and Zale, not wanting to be left out of the game, did the same. Bryony immediately tightened the vines down on them. "Hold on!" she called.

She took a deep breath, and began to pull the vines back into herself, struggling not to lose her concentration as the children squealed and shifted. She was probably scraping them up but that couldn't be helped. At last they reached the top, and she pulled them over the edge and into her arms, holding them tightly.

"Finn!" Ondine said, looking around.

"I'll take you to Finn," Bryony reassured. "And to your Baba, okay?"

"Baba!" Zale began to dance excitedly, making it hard for Bryony to heal his cuts and scrapes. Ondine held out her arms and legs helpfully, and Bryony got her healed up as well.

"Hungry!" Ondine said loudly.

"I know," Bryony said, soothingly. "I know you are. Let's get out of here." She took both their hands, but before she could get out of the cave, she heard them.

Voices. Getting louder.

She glanced around frantically, but there was no other way out of the cave - except the river. She could see daylight, but the current was so strong! What if there was an undertow? She was a pretty good swimmer, but not outstanding - especially if she had a toddler under each arm. The voices sounded again - she was running out of time.

"Ondine! Zale! Hold onto me. Hold tight, okay?" She reached down, touching the handful of sediment where she'd dropped it, throwing out some vines that she hastily wrapped around the twins, binding them around the waist and to her own chest so that she had her arms free to swim. She moved closer to the edge of the river, as far as the ledge could take her, then took a deep breath. The twins wrapped their legs around her torso, looping their arms around her neck, and with one last, fearful glance at the passageway behind her, Bryony jumped.