It had taken seemingly no time at all to gain the back of Bran's home, it wasn't even protected by the standard wards she had been expecting. She could have used the door but that seemed wrong to someone who'd been in her profession this long. So with a gentle sigh and an almost angelic look on her face she inserted her picks into the window latch.
***
From the quiet opening of his back window he had just run out of time, but hopefully not out of luck. Now all he had to do was keep his mind on the job in hand which should be easy considering it was going to save his life. But of course it wasn't, life was never that easy. He was filled with a sick yearning to see her again. He almost laughed at himself, because they would be doing their best to kill one another and he wanted to see her smile. Romantic rubbish.
Lynx Redfern of course chose that minute to walk, or more properly stalk through the door into the study. Predator. His whole body screamed it at him, well most of his body. Other parts weren't afraid of her, and he cursed the fact that even out to murder him she was still intensely desirable. And how many men, he chided himself, have stood here and thought that while staring just before she killed them like a black widow spider.
He had to look at her of course, if only in artistic curiosity to see if his painting did justice. She was much thinner than she had been, although not much taller, and her skin was paler. Red hair the colour of blood cascaded down her back, she wore some sort of stone in it that he should have recognised but didn't. She was dressed all in black as she had been the first time he saw her, but now it moulded to an adults figure like living shadows. The Night Blade in her hand shone with black fire like a beacon from hell, and finally he touched her eyes and saw....... Nothing. It was as if Lynx Redfern had disappeared and instead was possessed only by hatred and bloodlust. He shuddered reflexively and her stare found him.
Sanity almost seemed to flood into her eyes until he was staring at silver golden mist hiding fire; her mouth had pursed into a little moue of concentration and then straightened out into an angelic smile that hit him right in the heart. Making beautiful a face that would normally fail to qualify as pretty. "Hello Bran" A sweeter richer alto voice than before ran fingers up his backbone but not an expression showed on his face. He'd spent much of the Regency period in England playing cards for vast sums of money, he had a poker face that the gods would have envied.
He inclined his head slightly, a mockery of a bow "Hello Lynx, it's been a while" most novels would have said a long time but with their respective lifespan's it hadn't been long at all. Her eyes flashed for a moment to pure hell fire. "You must know why I'm here?" he looked at her for a moment eyes bleak. "I'd like to think its to turn in that cursed sword" she blinked at him the smile leaving her face, which he had to admit was better for his peace of mind. "We've had this conversation" her left hand reached up to touch her throat as if by reflex and he denied guilt any place in his heart. "So we did, I was hoping for some change in your answer" Lynx shook her head that saintly slightly fae expression returning to her face. "I can't do that Bran" and the flames on the Night Blade flared.
She really is going to kill me. The thought hit him just as her eyes wavered into a deep golden brown that had never been Lynx's. He went cold. "I understand" and he did, for the first time in it's bloody history the blade had gained a host for its soul; and he had ignored the warning he had been given. "Do you? I wonder" The voice wasn't Lynx's either if he hadn't known her to the soul then he wouldn't have guessed but this was his soulmate, he knew. "I understand that I'm going to die for my transgressions" her head dipped in a gentle inclination still angelic but chillingly so, like deaths own angel. Then she lunged for him lightning fast and there was no more time to think.
***
Anguish wasn't a word to describe Lynx's reaction at seeing Bran's forest eyes watching her, face guarded and blank. He was still beautiful as ever, if a man can be said to be beautiful, and the soulmate connection tugged at her heart. The hair was longer but still a pure silver blonde, now however the weight of the ages he had lived through seemed to weigh down on him, she couldn't speak and so allowed Ruby to do so. She was still angry, especially in the face of his complete indifference to the fact she wanted him dead; there was probably manipulation going on here but she couldn't care. Ice clear and cold flowed over her leaving her with only her target and then she went for him.
***
He had seen the change in her eyes and the dagger that appeared suddenly from her boot top, which he hadn't anticipated. He caught it at the edge of his shoulder and it burned. He stood for a millisecond in shock years of being damn near invincible took their toll before he shoved her backwards.
Mistake. He had managed to catch her skin to skin and the soulmate connection, long held back, flared between them like a forest fire. It should have been a sparking feeling no more distracting than carpet burn, this wasn't, this was more like being hit by lightning. Now he stood facing Lynx Redfern mind to mind, but not together; between them stood the gulf of mistrust and mistaken actions. And she wasn't alone.
Hundreds of years, thousands, and the girl who stood holding her hand was still more than familiar. She was smiling as if this was a high holiday picnic but it was Lynx who seemed almost shadowy next to her and he reached out, not a hand exactly, but more of emotional tendril and felt her recoil. ~Whats going on you two?~ that was a direct though sending from the girl petulance overlaid with confusion. He would have answered but Lynx was there first "This is the soulmate connection Ruby, be thankful you were never cursed with it" the fact that her voice sounded like speech told him that her mind was holding this joining not his. The girl however looked more than slightly put out, ~well stop it~ he couldn't help it he laughed. It rolled golden some of it even making it over the dived and lighting for a moment the dark crystals of her mind.
When he managed to control himself he blurted out ~That's impossible~ and then he locked eyes with Lynx and there was something sad and terrible there that added a touch of red to the world around her even as the connection was breaking she murmured to his ears only "No, death holds the key" even as he felt himself falling.
***
From the quiet opening of his back window he had just run out of time, but hopefully not out of luck. Now all he had to do was keep his mind on the job in hand which should be easy considering it was going to save his life. But of course it wasn't, life was never that easy. He was filled with a sick yearning to see her again. He almost laughed at himself, because they would be doing their best to kill one another and he wanted to see her smile. Romantic rubbish.
Lynx Redfern of course chose that minute to walk, or more properly stalk through the door into the study. Predator. His whole body screamed it at him, well most of his body. Other parts weren't afraid of her, and he cursed the fact that even out to murder him she was still intensely desirable. And how many men, he chided himself, have stood here and thought that while staring just before she killed them like a black widow spider.
He had to look at her of course, if only in artistic curiosity to see if his painting did justice. She was much thinner than she had been, although not much taller, and her skin was paler. Red hair the colour of blood cascaded down her back, she wore some sort of stone in it that he should have recognised but didn't. She was dressed all in black as she had been the first time he saw her, but now it moulded to an adults figure like living shadows. The Night Blade in her hand shone with black fire like a beacon from hell, and finally he touched her eyes and saw....... Nothing. It was as if Lynx Redfern had disappeared and instead was possessed only by hatred and bloodlust. He shuddered reflexively and her stare found him.
Sanity almost seemed to flood into her eyes until he was staring at silver golden mist hiding fire; her mouth had pursed into a little moue of concentration and then straightened out into an angelic smile that hit him right in the heart. Making beautiful a face that would normally fail to qualify as pretty. "Hello Bran" A sweeter richer alto voice than before ran fingers up his backbone but not an expression showed on his face. He'd spent much of the Regency period in England playing cards for vast sums of money, he had a poker face that the gods would have envied.
He inclined his head slightly, a mockery of a bow "Hello Lynx, it's been a while" most novels would have said a long time but with their respective lifespan's it hadn't been long at all. Her eyes flashed for a moment to pure hell fire. "You must know why I'm here?" he looked at her for a moment eyes bleak. "I'd like to think its to turn in that cursed sword" she blinked at him the smile leaving her face, which he had to admit was better for his peace of mind. "We've had this conversation" her left hand reached up to touch her throat as if by reflex and he denied guilt any place in his heart. "So we did, I was hoping for some change in your answer" Lynx shook her head that saintly slightly fae expression returning to her face. "I can't do that Bran" and the flames on the Night Blade flared.
She really is going to kill me. The thought hit him just as her eyes wavered into a deep golden brown that had never been Lynx's. He went cold. "I understand" and he did, for the first time in it's bloody history the blade had gained a host for its soul; and he had ignored the warning he had been given. "Do you? I wonder" The voice wasn't Lynx's either if he hadn't known her to the soul then he wouldn't have guessed but this was his soulmate, he knew. "I understand that I'm going to die for my transgressions" her head dipped in a gentle inclination still angelic but chillingly so, like deaths own angel. Then she lunged for him lightning fast and there was no more time to think.
***
Anguish wasn't a word to describe Lynx's reaction at seeing Bran's forest eyes watching her, face guarded and blank. He was still beautiful as ever, if a man can be said to be beautiful, and the soulmate connection tugged at her heart. The hair was longer but still a pure silver blonde, now however the weight of the ages he had lived through seemed to weigh down on him, she couldn't speak and so allowed Ruby to do so. She was still angry, especially in the face of his complete indifference to the fact she wanted him dead; there was probably manipulation going on here but she couldn't care. Ice clear and cold flowed over her leaving her with only her target and then she went for him.
***
He had seen the change in her eyes and the dagger that appeared suddenly from her boot top, which he hadn't anticipated. He caught it at the edge of his shoulder and it burned. He stood for a millisecond in shock years of being damn near invincible took their toll before he shoved her backwards.
Mistake. He had managed to catch her skin to skin and the soulmate connection, long held back, flared between them like a forest fire. It should have been a sparking feeling no more distracting than carpet burn, this wasn't, this was more like being hit by lightning. Now he stood facing Lynx Redfern mind to mind, but not together; between them stood the gulf of mistrust and mistaken actions. And she wasn't alone.
Hundreds of years, thousands, and the girl who stood holding her hand was still more than familiar. She was smiling as if this was a high holiday picnic but it was Lynx who seemed almost shadowy next to her and he reached out, not a hand exactly, but more of emotional tendril and felt her recoil. ~Whats going on you two?~ that was a direct though sending from the girl petulance overlaid with confusion. He would have answered but Lynx was there first "This is the soulmate connection Ruby, be thankful you were never cursed with it" the fact that her voice sounded like speech told him that her mind was holding this joining not his. The girl however looked more than slightly put out, ~well stop it~ he couldn't help it he laughed. It rolled golden some of it even making it over the dived and lighting for a moment the dark crystals of her mind.
When he managed to control himself he blurted out ~That's impossible~ and then he locked eyes with Lynx and there was something sad and terrible there that added a touch of red to the world around her even as the connection was breaking she murmured to his ears only "No, death holds the key" even as he felt himself falling.