Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.
Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Mandy for reviewing, I know what you mean about the story starting slowly, this story really is a lot slower than Bound by Flame was and truthfully I don't like it as much as I did Bound by Flame, I don't know what it is. I think it's because I liked Des so much actually because I liked the characters in Bound so much, they're my favourite characters from any of the stories I've written. Anyway thank you so much for reviewing.
Part 5.
Emma sighed and stamped her feet as she waited for her mother to collect her. She wished she'd taken Hern or Hazel up on their offers to wait at one of their places, or even Nathan's offer of a lift home but her mother was already on her way. At least she hoped she was on her way.
Emma looked at her hands, which were turning blue and shoved them into her jacket pockets. It was too cold to be outside; she should have been at home wrapped in her lovely warm duvet sleeping peacefully.
"Nice thought," a voice said close behind her.
She turned swiftly and saw Midir Boyce with a cigarette between his lips and cupping a lighter to it.
"My thoughts," she snapped, "are none of your business. So keep out of them."
"Fine," he spat back, "but it wasn't my fault, you were projecting."
"I was not," Emma answered back, "I'm human, I don't project my thoughts."
"Well you did that one," he retorted blowing smoke in her direction.
"Do you mind," she snapped, "I'd rather not get lung cancer from your smoke thank you very much."
"Yeah well you didn't seem to mind in the pub."
"I had to put up with it in the pub but I don't have to put up with it from you. It's a disgusting habit anyway."
Emma didn't stop to think about why he made her so angry; she didn't stop to think period. She reached up to grab his cigarette but he was too quick for her. With his cat like reflexes he grabbed her hand before it was even halfway to his mouth.
Bam, contact and there it was, Emma's world was thrown into a mad spiral she couldn't control. Her vision blurred strangely, everything around her faded as Midir came into sharp focus. She could see everything about him much more clearly now; she could see the different shades of his hair and the grey flecks in the outer ring of his pupils. The shape of his nose and lips, she saw them as if she was seeing him for the first time and also as if she had always known them.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"I'm not doing anything," he replied in a similarly low voice.
"Well I'm hardly doing it," she retorted.
"Yeah, I know because you're a human and you don't do things like that."
She didn't know if it was his anger or what he'd said but somehow she was snapped back into the real world. She ripped her hand form his grasp.
"Midir," she said sweetly, "why don't you do the world a favour and take a very long walk off an extremely short cliff for yourself."
"Sweetheart," he replied equally as sweet, "why don't you kiss my ass."
"God, you are the singularly most annoying person I have ever met in my life."
Emma decided she'd finally stepped over the border between sanity and complete and utter craziness as she continued to argue with him. She had to be insane to pick a fight with a vampire and one who was an assassin at that.
"I'm really not in the mood for this," Midir said angrily.
"You and me both," Emma replied, "so why don't you leave and that will be that."
Midir dropped his cigarette and stomped it out, "you know that's the first sensible thing I've ever heard you say."
With that he turned and walked off down the street. As she watched him go Emma remembered what had happened between them only moments before.
"Hey," she yelled after him, "wait a minute. What did you do?"
He stopped and turned. "I told you," he sighed, "I didn't do anything."
"But then what was that?" she asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied giving her a weary half smile.
Emma gritted her teeth angrily, why did he have to be so goddamn annoying and enigmatic? Why didn't he just tell her what was going on? Was it too much to ask that he at least tell her what he was trying to do to her? It didn't matter anyway it hadn't worked; at least she hoped it hadn't worked. Ugh, she really hated that guy.
Midir slammed the door of his house angrily. That stupid vermin girl, what the hell had she tried to do to him. It had seemed like she was trying to spell him, maybe her witch friend had taught her one or something. Still as she so often pointed out, she was human she shouldn't have been able to use the spell even if she knew it. He kicked the wall in front of him, he really hated that girl.
Emma woke late on Saturday morning feeling very strange. As she blinked away the remnants of sleep from her eyes an image danced in front of them for a second and was gone. She knew the image was important and she should remember it but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't recall it.
She kicked her covers off angrily and crawled out of bed. She could already tell it was going to be one of those days and she wished earnestly that she could stay in bed with the covers pulled over her head. It was already past noon and she could hear her parents moving about downstairs.
"Well the dead arose and appeared to many," her father said when she came into the kitchen.
"Ha, ha," she said unenthusiastically.
"Someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning," her mother remarked.
"I can only get out of one side of my bed," Emma retorted snappishly, "the other sides against the wall."
Her parents exchanged glances.
"Are you going to be in this mood all day?" her father asked.
"Probably," Emma admitted pouring herself a bowl of corn flakes.
"I think I'll work in the garden today," her father said pointedly.
Emma shook her head and smiled despite herself.
"So what are you doing today?" her mother asked.
Nothing," Emma replied, "I might do some homework."
"What you mean," her mother corrected, "is that you're going to do nothing but if I ask you to do some work you'll tell me you're busy with homework."
"Pretty much," Emma agreed smiling.
"Well at least she's in a better mood," her dad pointed out.
Emma left her parents in the kitchen talking about someone her mother worked with. She hadn't really been paying attention but at least she had gotten out of her bad mood a little. She flicked on the television in the sitting room and threw herself on the couch preparing to spend the day in hedonistic pursuits; then there would be less chance of her getting back into a bad mood.
Emma's mom called into the sitting room on her way out grocery shopping. "Is there anything you want me to get for you?" she asked.
"Nah, nothing specific. Though some chocolate would be nice, chocolate is always nice."
"We'll see," her mother smiled, "Dad's gone to Clancys' he should be back soon."
"Okay," Emma said, "see you later."
"Hang out the clothes in the washing machine when they're done," her mother called as she left the house.
Emma was half asleep watching some old, crappy repeat when the doorbell rang. She groaned loudly and pulled herself up. She hoped whoever it was wouldn't stay long, sure she was in a better mood than when she got up but she wasn't in that good a mood.
She opened the door and almost fell over in shock. Midir Boyce stood before her pushing dark hair out of his eyes and looking at her almost shyly.
"What the hell?" she exclaimed.
"Okay wait," he said quickly, "before you scream or slam the door in my face just let me explain okay."
"Why? Why should I let you explain anything? You come to my house without an invitation and expect me to let you in though you know I know who you are and what you've done. I'd have to be crazy."
"I know," he replied, some emotion passing through his eyes, for a moment she thought it might be pain. "I know and you would have to be crazy but I'm still asking. I want, I need a chance."
"I must be crazy," Emma said moving away from the doorway.
Midir stepped past her and for some reason having him so close to her did something to her. She could feel herself react to his presence and she didn't like it; he should have disgusted her but he didn't. God he was so handsome, too handsome.
"It's about yesterday," he began looking nervous.
He looked really cute when he was nervous Emma decided, cute and young. The thought exasperated and annoyed her immensely.
"What about yesterday?" she snapped.
"That thing that happened when we touched; I think I know what it was. I'm not sure but I have an idea."
"Yeah so what? What was it?"
"I need to be sure," he said softly.
"And how would you be sure?" she asked gently.
"Like this," he told her moving towards her.
His fingertips brushed lightly against her cheek. Emma could feel heat radiate through her from his touch. She didn't know what was happening but she really didn't like it.
She didn't know what to do, she felt so conflicted. Her head was telling her to get away from him, to get him out of her house, it reminded her of all he had done, of how afraid of him her friends were. On the other hand her heart said to go to him, to give herself to him completely. Her heart, soul, her being longed for her to accept whatever was happening and to accept him.
Emma knew that if it were Truth or Psyche in her place they would follow their hearts without question or if it was cool, logical, unemotional Hazel she would go with her head. She on the other hand didn't know which to listen to. She had always tried never to be ruled by her heart or head alone; she tried to listen to both when she made a decision but now they were telling her to do two opposite things and she couldn't choose.
"It's okay," he said softly, "if I were you I wouldn't be too happy about being soulmates with me either."
"Soulmates?" she asked, "What do you mean? What's that?"
"You don't know?" he sounded surprised as if this was the last thing he was expecting. "I could hear your thoughts, I assumed you could hear mine. That's what the connection's supposed to do, it's supposed to merge us."
Emma hadn't a clue what he was talking about; he sounded like he was talking to himself and about six cans short of a six pack.
"Maybe it's because you don't want me or maybe I'm blocking you because I don't want you to know, because I don't want you to see that."
Emma wove her hands in his face to get his attention. "What are you talking about? What's soulmates? Why should I be able to hear your thoughts?"
Midir looked at her, "This is going to take some explaining."
"Well start explaining," she ordered angrily folding her arms across her chest.
"The Soulmate Principle is an idea in the Night World that there is only one person in the world for everyone and when you find that person you recognise them immediately and."
"Wait," Emma interrupted, "you mean that you think that we're that, that you're the only person in the world meant for me, that we're supposed to be together, to love each other?"
Emma glared at him, she was so angry she could hardly speak. How dare he be so presumptuous? How dare he even suggest such a thing? How dare he try to manipulate her with such a lie? The worst thing was she wasn't sure it was a lie.
She sighed frustratedly, she felt so angry and upset. Supposedly she had just found her other half, her one and only, she should have been bursting with joy or happiness pr something. It couldn't be true; she couldn't be soulmates with him, a professional killer, a murderer. And yet she couldn't be sure, it could be true but she didn't love him, she'd never love someone like him, she despised him.
"I know it's hard to believe, I'm not sure I believe it myself. I mean I never believed in it before but then I never believed in this place before either."
"This place?" Emma asked relieved at the change of subject however temporary.
"Glenalta," he replied, "I always thought this place was a myth." He was leaning against the worktop now looking at her. "Can I try something?" he asked.
Emma glared at him; she'd already been more than accommodating to him, too accommodating. She'd let him in her house, let him touch her, she'd already let him do too much.
"I don't," she began as he covered the space between them. "Think," she continued as he placed his hand on her waist. Then he cut off the rest of her sentence with a kiss.
Emma was taken completely by surprise, she hadn't been expecting that, or had she? She wasn't sure. Anyhow now his lips were upon hers and she felt happy, contented. She was floating in a golden haze and Midir was with her there too. As she looked at him she saw a glint of silver in all that gold. She focused on it trying to make out what it was. As she gazed at it, it became clearer and clearer, until finally she could see it a silver cord binding them together, connecting them soul to soul. It was thrumming gently, emitting a sweet soft tune that pierced her soul.
"Emma," Midir said softly.
Emma was startled; she could hear Midir's voice and also feel his emotions as he spoke.
"So this is what you meant about hearing each others thoughts?" she asked.
"Sort of," he replied, "not exactly."
Emma felt the golden haze around them fade and found herself in a small bedroom.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"My mind I think," Midir said uncertainly looking as confused as she felt.
"This is your room?"
"It was when I was younger," he told her.
"Is this one of the things you didn't want me to see?"
"No, I didn't want you to see what I've done," he replied.
"The people you've killed you mean. It doesn't matter I already know about all you've done."
"I know," he said softly, "and you hate me for it."
He sounded so upset, so heartbroken Emma found herself feeling sorry for him, then stopped herself, he was a murderer he didn't deserve pity.
"You hardly know me why should it matter what I think of you?" she snapped angrily.
"Because we're soulmates," he snapped back, "we're supposed to love each other to be together forever."
Emma snorted, "You think I buy that, you think I believe you care about love and soulmates? I'm not stupid."
Midir grabbed her shoulders roughly. Emma found it strange that they had physical forms and could perform such actions in his mind but she didn't have time to wonder at it as Midir shook her and began an angry tirade.
"You say I don't know anything about you, you obviously know even less about me. You think you know what I've done, why I'm here, you don't know the first thing about me. You don't know how I've tried to change, how I've tried to make up for what I've done in the past. You don't know how much finding someone who should love me unconditionally means to me when I was convinced no one would ever care for me. You don't know what it's like to be alone."
Emma was blown away by the emotions that she felt coming from Midir; they overwhelmed her, anger, shame, hurt, loneliness and fear. He was right she didn't know; she didn't understand why he'd done what he'd done, why he was trying to change now. She glanced at him sideways, obviously the force of his emotion had surprised him too.
She moved towards him and he pulled away like a stricken dear. Emma almost laughed, here she was actually trying to comfort Midir Boyce and he was afraid of her.
"I'm sorry," she said softly not even knowing what she was apologising for.
"They stayed like that, looking at each other for what seemed like hours. A heavy silence hung between them. Emma wrapped her arms around herself, instead of helping her clear things up this was only helping to confuse her more. Midir wasn't what she thought he was she didn't know what he was but maybe she should try and find out.
"You're really trying to change?" she asked him.
"Yes," he replied and she could feel the truth in what he said his desire and conviction to change.
"I," she began and stopped, she didn't know exactly how to but this. "I don't think I'm in love with you," she said softly.
"I'm not in love with you either," he told her, "but maybe with time. Maybe if we get to know each other and see what the soulmate link brings."
"Maybe," Emma replied unsurely.
"I'd like to try if you would," he told her.
Emma paused to consider this.
"I would," she answered feeling more than slightly out of her mind.
"That's okay," he said, "it just 'cos you're in mine."
Emma laughed and then felt herself drift slowly away from him and back to her own mine. She opened her eyes and found that her head was resting on his shoulder and her arms were around his neck. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her.
"Now that you are back in your own mind do you still want to try?" he asked her.
Emma looked up into his beautiful deep brown eyes and thought about his sweet smile and how much she admired his desire to change and the courage it must have taken him to do so. She tightened her arms around him.
"Oh yes," she whispered as she pressed her lips to his.