Chapter Twenty-Three

AN: Apologies for the length of this AN, but it covers necessary things. Further apologies if this chapter is a little slower than the previous one; I needed to get everybody in place for the final final battle. Also, with all the rereading I do, you'd think I'd pick up on my own continuity errors, but I missed two glaring ones. I was able to fix the discrepancy in how long Tamsin had known Kayleigh, but not the fact that Bo had to explain her relation to Dagda to Fíonn even though he was in the room when she discussed it with Trick and the Morrigan. So let's all pretend he paid the same attention we all do in boring but important meetings: none. For those of you who keep track of/look for such things, there's a Sword of Truth/Legend of the Seeker reference in here as well as a Buffy reference. And lastly, I've finally been the victim of uncredited borrowing, aka plagiarism! I'm so flattered.

The unnatural silence of the clearing was broken by a piercing scream – a howling cry of rage and pain and grief. Bo dropped to her knees as she wailed out her agony, her mending heart shattering once more under the weight of her loss. Tamsin knelt beside her, easing her distraught love to the ground without once letting her go, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "I've got you, Bo. I'm here. I've got you." She didn't lie to her, didn't tell her it was going to be all right, because she knew it wouldn't be.

Bo turned in Tamsin's embrace and beat at her shoulders, her fists landing weak blows as she repeated the word "why" over and over against Tamsin's neck. The Valkyrie held her tighter under the assault, recalling the day millennia ago when she had lain defeated on the ground asking the same question in the wake of her own loss. She had wished, then, that there was someone there to hold her, but had been forced to bear her pain alone. Tamsin refused to let Bo face that same lonely despair, and so the Valkyrie cradled her succubus in a tender embrace as the brunette howled her pain to the sky.

"Why?" Bo gasped again, gazing up at Tamsin. "Why?"

"To save you, Bo," Tamsin murmured. "She loved you so very much, but her own pain had become too much to bear. It was an end to her suffering, but most of all, it was for you."

"Mommy…" Bo whimpered, and the single word broke Tamsin's heart.

The others stood a respectful distance away, gazing at the grieving succubus with empathy. Each of them knew this loss in their own way and none begrudged her the need to release her pain, though they knew it would never truly leave her. They simply hung their heads in acknowledging silence of Aífe's sacrifice.

When Bo's sobs began to ease, Fíonn cleared his throat. "We need to get going," he encouraged reluctantly. "We still have to find the Sword."

Bo took a shaky breath and nodded. Tamsin helped her to her feet, though she still kept her arm around the succubus's shoulders. "You're right," Bo agreed in a voice hoarse from tears. "Let's go."

Fíonn nodded, grabbing his medallion. He was about to recite the incantation when the sound of cracking branches reached their ears. The group looked up sharply to see silhouettes approaching through the trees, poised as if to attack. "Run!" Lauren yelped, and all obeyed without hesitation.

Had they stayed, they may have seen the leader extend her hand in peace and gratitude.

…

The battlefield was a chaotic clash of blades and shields, Fae equally matched against their Under-Fae assailants. Sídhe had fallen, but not before felling tens of ancient sídhe themselves. While the Under-Fae fought alone, Fae both Light and Dark rushed to each other's aid, moving in a synchronous battle dance as they cut down their foes.

The Morrigan swung her sword in deadly arcs, parrying and sweeping and sending heads rolling in her wake. Every so often, a bolt of lightning would blast an Under-Fae backwards to land as a smoking corpse, felled by the wrath of Lugh's Spear.

The combatants suddenly froze in a single indrawn breath before the pause gave way to a blast of soundless thunder that sent a shockwave rolling through the Under-Fae. The ancient sídhe staggered backwards, swaying on their feet as if their life force was being leeched from them by some unseen power. The Fae used the advantage to cut them down in scores before the Under-Fae regained their footing and returned the assault.

Trick glanced over to meet the Morrigan's gaze, neither bothering to hide the fear they both felt. The draining of the Under-Fae could only mean that the Cauldron had been destroyed…and that meant someone wasn't coming back.

But all they could do was wait and fight.

…

Bo, Tamsin, Fíonn, and the rest of the group only stopped running when the faint sounds of battle reached their ears. They all doubled over panting and gasping, not once having slowed their retreat since they left the remains of the Cauldron.

"Did we…lose them?" Fíonn gasped.

"I…think so," Kayleigh replied with similar difficulty.

"Right…ok…Sword."

Everyone watched expectantly as the gancanagh held the medallion and recited the incantation. But instead of the bright glow they were used to, the triple-spiral shone only faintly, barely visible in the Otherworldly light. Fíonn stared at it for a moment, then took it from around his neck and held it out before the group.

"What? What is it?" his sister asked.

"I dunno. It's like…it feels like it wants me to give it to someone, but I'm not sure who."

Aislinn took it from his hand and held it up herself, but there was no reaction. The medal was passed around the circle with the same result until it reached Tamsin. The moment the Valkyrie took hold of the leather cord, the triple-spiral flared to life. "Of course," Tamsin drawled, rolling her eyes.

"Ok, so we just follow Tamsin, simple as," Kayleigh shrugged.

"But it's not pulling me anywhere," the Valkyrie noted. She took a few experimental steps away from the group. "Now it is," she stepped back, "and now it's not." The blonde sighed. "Looks like I'm taking this solo."

"Absolutely not!" Bo protested, gripping Tamsin's arm.

The Valkyrie hung the medal around her neck. "I have no choice, Bo – not if we want the Sword."

"Then we do this without the Sword," Bo pleaded.

Tamsin cupped Bo's face in her hands. "We need to get it before Dagda does, Bo, and with it, we have a better chance of defeating him."

"Speaking of which, how are we even going to find him?" Lauren asked. "Do we even want to find him?"

"If we want to put an end to this, yes," Tamsin replied. "Though I'm more worried that he'll find us first."

"Bo's father, Bo's decision," Dyson affirmed without even consulting the succubus, which made Tamsin glower at him. "It's up to you…Bo?"

Bo wasn't listening, instead staring into the distance in search of the whispers. They had started softly, black tendrils of sound weaving their way along the wind. Now they pulled at her, hooked into her chest, beckoning. Summoning. "He's calling me," Bo murmured. She turned to look at Tamsin with an expression of sheer terror. "I can hear him. Tamsin, he's calling me." The Valkyrie took her hand and Bo squeezed tightly.

"That's disturbingly convenient," Fíonn gulped.

"Well, at least it gives us a plan," Kayleigh countered. "Tamsin goes after the sword, the rest of us go after Dagda."

"He's waiting for me," Bo cut her off.

"That doesn't mean you can't have people with you!"

"I don't think he'll show himself if all of you are with me," the succubus argued, though reluctantly. "I have to go alone."

"Bo, you can't!" Dyson looked distraught.

"I can and I will," Bo snapped at him, and he flinched backwards, cowed.

"So what are the rest of us supposed to do?" Lauren's voice was shrill.

"Go back to the battlefield," Tamsin ordered. "Help where you can, but keep safe."

"We can't just let you two do this on your own," Hale protested.

"You can and you will," Tamsin mimicked her love. "Now go."

Finally, reluctantly, the others nodded and turned to go. "You bring that back to me," Fíonn gave an order of his own, pointing at the medal now around Tamsin's neck.

"I will," she promised. He nodded his satisfaction before following Kayleigh and Aislinn, who had already started walking, though not without a backward glance. Lauren gave Bo a brief hug before following as well.

Dyson nodded sadly to Bo, then clapped Tamsin's shoulder. "Good luck, partner," he murmured. He and Hale were the last to go, and Bo and Tamsin watched them all until they disappeared over the crest of the ridge.

When they were gone, succubus and Valkyrie fell into each other's arms. "You come back to me, Tamsin Sigrúnsdatter," Bo whispered, clinging fiercely to the blonde.

"Always, Bo." Tamsin spoke the words as a vow. "You will never be without me. I will find the Sword and I will come back to you."

"How will you find me?" the succubus choked on her words as she forced back tears.

"You're my bondmate, Bo. We can feel each other right here." She gently placed her hand over Bo's heart. "I will always find you and I will always come back to you. I'm more worried about you fighting Dagda," she continued, caressing the succubus's cheek.

Bo placed her hand over Tamsin's. "I'll be fine. I can hold him off while you get the Sword."

It was Tamsin's turn to fight tears as she searched her love's gaze. "Be careful, mo laoch. I love you so very much."

Bo tried to remain strong, but a single sob escaped. "I love you, too, Tamsin," she choked as she threw her arms around her Valkyrie. Tamsin returned the embrace with the same vehemence before crashing her lips against the brunette's.

They kissed for as long as they dared before it became too hard to let go, pouring every promise of their heart into that kiss as they memorized the feeling of being in each other's arms. Then they parted and turned and ran, neither looking back for fear of losing their nerve.

It still didn't stop their tears.

…

With sharp eyes and drawn sword, Tamsin jogged across the brittle grass, following the medallion's pull. The path she traveled was clear and eerily barren, skirting the edges of the trees without drawing too close. Just when she was beginning to wonder how much farther she'd have to run, the world suddenly plunged into utter blackness. Even the glow of the triple-spiral failed to shine. The Valkyrie froze, reaching out with all her senses to see if she could get her bearings. After a moment, a faint blue glow shone in the distance, though it did nothing to illuminate her surroundings.

Tamsin's footsteps echoed on stone, which she most certainly hadn't been running on before. The sound bounced around her as if rebounding off walls, so she guessed she must be in a cave of sorts. As she approached the glow, she saw that it was a ray of light shining down from above her: a strand of daylight working its way through a crack in the smooth stone ceiling she could just begin to make out. She could see now that she was indeed surrounded by unpolished stone, flat beneath her and curved around her. Tamsin was about to continue through the beam when a voice rang out from the blackness ahead.

"Come no further."

Tamsin stopped but kept her sword drawn, alert for whatever might leap at her from the shadows beyond the light. A deep chuckle resounded from the darkness.

"So. You've finally come for the Sword."

…

Bo lost track of how long she'd been walking, but it didn't seem to matter in the disquieting landscape. The stunted trees continued along to her left as they had during the search for the Cauldron, but she could find no trace of the clearing they had escaped. Disconcerted, she continued onward, trying to keep her fear in check with determination.

The whispers that had been leading her onward ceased, and Bo stopped with them. She looked around her with a frown, wondering where she was supposed to go now that she had no guide.

"Hello, Isabeau."

Bo's heart froze for a few beats and she had to force herself to take a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face the man behind her.

"Hello, Father."