Chapter 3: The Void Shudders

The Outsider watched Emily make her way up to the throne room, evading witches and disarming Clockwork soldiers. She was certainly impressive, and delightfully interesting. All the opportunities to kill and slaughter, and yet she was merciful and kind. She offered comfort and courage to a servant hiding from the witches; his mere presence steeled her determination to end Delilah's reign.

He reclined in the endless Void, and noted that he was tense.

"Curious," he thought. Delilah winning would mean he would never be rid of her, and the very idea irked him to his bones. The witch was far too insidious to be left uncontained, and it would please him most not having to deal with her himself. "Perhaps this is what it feels like to have a stake in things."

But no matter. He was unusually confident that Emily would get rid of Delilah. Crovo's daughter had made it far, and proved her strength and intelligence. If anyone was to be the witch's match, it would be Emily. She had yet to let him down, like so many of the other Marked had in the past.

The Outsider found himself leaning forward as he watched Emily return Delilah's spirit to her body and follow her into the painting, that strange manipulation of the Void. He had seen such pockets created before, and he knew how to contain them. As Emily knocked out copy after copy, and finally the real Delilah, he understood her path.

"What a kindness you are giving her," he murmured aloud, deeply amused. "She will have everything she wanted within her painting."

It was a tidy solution, producing a fortunate end. He felt his attention waning as the path became clear, but he felt he owed it to himself to watch it to its close. Emily placed Delilah on the throne, and removed the rune from her pocket.

A jolt ran up the Outsider's spine as soon as he saw the rune. That magic was not his. Oh, it looked like it on the surface, but it most certainly wasn't. Fear bubbled within him for the first time in four thousand years, and he lurched into the world mortal with as much speed as he could muster.

"Emily, no!" he cried, his hand reached out to stop her.

But it was too late. She already placed the rune on the throne.

The response was instantaneous. Light consumed the throne and a shockwave pushed him and Emily back. Delilah rose up, conscious again, and completely unaware that something was wrong. She cackled and gloated, walking into the painting, which sealed up after her. The light faded, and all was quiet.

Emily turned to him, surprised to see him. Her mouth opened, clearly to question his presence. He held up a finger to silence her. She immediately closed her mouth. The Outsider rose, and walked over to the painting, which now had Delilah sitting on her throne, looking satisfied. Maybe he was wrong, and there was no danger. He let out a sigh of relief.

Then the Void shuddered.

The runes on the throne began to explode, bursting outwards before being sucked into the Void. The rune Emily had added was shaking wildly and sparking with electricity. A corner of his mind that was watching Delilah's pocket saw the boundaries impossibly contract, shrinking down to a size so small his black eyes could barely perceive it.

"The painting!" gasped Emily.

The Outsider turned and saw the canvas was blank, blank if not for the smallest dot, right in the center.

"This cannot be good," he heard himself murmur aloud.

Part of him felt tight, and he could not tell if it was his emotions, his magic, or the Void itself. The thought frightened him. He held his breath, and willed himself to be calm.

That was his last thought before a wave of searing, agonizing heat exploded across his body, and it took all his willpower not to scream. He crumpled to the ground, his eyes shut tight and teeth gritted against the pain. This was magic, and it most certainly was not his.

Emily watched in horror as the Outsider collapsed just as the now-white canvas exploded into light and faded away. She ran over to him, seeing bright shackles form upon his wrists and ankles, the chains broken and dangling loosely. His face was screwed up and slick with sweat- the Outsider was clearly in pain, and Emily found herself fearing for him. Not knowing what else to do, she picked him up and hefted him over her shoulder. She could feel him burning through her clothes like a furnace, and trembling like a leaf; an unwilling moan escaped from his mouth.

"I need to put him in a safe place," she thought, shooting a pained look at her father. "I will be back soon, I promise."

Emily got into the elevator, and prayed that she wouldn't run into any of the Oracular Sisters. She headed to her quarters, hoping that they weren't too damaged. She crept inside, and felt a wave of relief that nobody was inside. Emily immediately headed to the safe room, and opened it. Much to her surprise, she was not greeted by the stench of rotting flesh. From the looks of it, the witches had somehow entered the Safe Room and removed Ramsey's corpse from it. It was filled instead with dried bits fragrant plants. Emily chuckled at the idea of the rot so bothering Delilah that she cleaned up the place.

Emily carefully lowered the Outsider onto the cot, and laid him down. His black eyes opened, and he peered feverishly at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice a strained whisper.

"Trying to help you," she replied, walking over to the small sink and picking up the towel hanging beside it. She soaked the towel with cold water, wrung it out and folded it, before placing it on his head. His face relaxed a bit, and confusion flickered in his dark eyes.

"You feel like you have a fever." Emily said gently, responding to the unasked question. "This should help at least a little bit. Do you know what is wrong?"

The Outsider stared at the ceiling, and licked his lips. Emily spotted a glass and filled it up with water, offering it to him. He nodded, and Emily helped him sit up to drink it. He drank hesitantly at first, then greedily. It occurred to her that the Outsider had not needed a drink for at least 4000 years.

He handed the glass back to her, his hand trembling slightly. Emily gently laid him back down. "That rune you placed on Delilah's throne," he said weakly. "That wasn't corrupted with my magic. Something else interfered, and I do not know what it is. I feel like I'm burning, like the Void is burning." His voice wavered at the end, and Emily noticed with surprise that his eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"It hurts" he whispered.

Emily reached out with her Marked hand and held his. It didn't feel right to leave him alone, but she needed to free her father and talk to Greta about the rune.

"I have to leave for a while," she said gently, feeling the Outsider grip her hand tightly as she spoke. "I need to free my father, and talk to the Oracular Sister who made the rune with me. I will be back as soon as possible. There should be plenty of water, and I'll bring some food in too. You will be safe in here."

Emily gave his hand a squeeze, then let go. The Outsider loosened his grip and closed his eyes, pain still evident on his face. As she stood and turned to leave, Emily heard him whisper:

"Thank you."