Okay...not to bring up the length again but seriously, please don't be disappointed with me when the time comes for one of these to be like...a freakin third shorter then they have been lol. I promise the content will always be there, but I do like my cliffys...But anyway! I have returned, recovered from my first writers block and everything. It was kind of one of those..."Shit...what now?" moments. But sall good! I know the big moment I'm leading up to, that's the important part, right? :P
Also! You all are astoundingly amazing and your eyes aren't JUST Brown and Blue but every color of the rainbow. That's how much I love you. All of you. Because you broke 100 reviews, then took yourselves past 120! Seriously, insanely humbling and I'm sorry for this long little note but I wanted to be sure you all knew how much I love and am humbled by your reviews. Also, I appreciate all of the help and inspiration you all have given me. I'm a bit of a people pleaser so I'm gonna try and keep adding little questions at the end of the chapters :P
I'll also mention, since it was brought up, that no I don't have a beta :/ and that was a choice I made. So I apologize for typos (come on we all got 'em) and the occasional past/present tense muck up (I try, I really do). I'm no pro at this, just having a little fun while entertaining us all!
Again, all of my love and devotion to you all and I hope this lives up to the hype you've all created :)
A Warrior's Bond – Chapter 7
Well over two weeks had passed since Tamsin was poisoned, and she couldn't help but fall into the illusion that her life was turning perfect. If it wasn't for the ongoing dull ache at her side, and the longing emptiness in her chest knowing that she wasn't fulfilling her duty to Bo, she's say that she'd already died and landed her ass in heaven.
Her and Kenzi had become closer. Bo was astonished to see the two laughing and having a good ol' drunken time playing pool two nights ago. Tamsin had heard about how it took Kenzi years to finally warm up to Lauren, she found it humbling as well as relieving that the spunky girl approved of her for Bo. The Russian girl would drunkenly slur to her that it was a combination of the blonde's own awesomeness and the fact that she knew that Bo would be safe, happy, and healthy with her. Those two really did think of themselves as sisters.
Dyson remained a devoted friend and partner, both on the job as well as when they would hangout for a brewski or two. The dynamic the two had worked well, and they had the highest closed case rate the department had ever witnessed. Often they would fight like bitches in heat, but that same reason pushed them during their investigations.
Trick was opening up to the blonde as well. He had even admitted his true identity to the Valkyrie, causing her to full on spit take her vodka soda all over Bo. He was researching day and night while exhausting his contacts and favors to find a cure for Tamsin's curse. She remained respectful to the man, knowing that he was Bo's grandfather and she would one day need his approval to take her oath.
The only fallout had been before Bo entered her Dawning. Stella said that it was well passed time, and the beings of the temple may not take lightly to waiting so long. It was the first time that everyone had seen Lauren, and Tamsin felt the butterflies zip around her stomach at what would happen. She was shocked as Bo smiled and gave the doctor a hug, having a casual and friendly conversation. Lauren herself also seemed relieved that the Succubus wasn't angry with her.
Bo took the doctor's hand and led her over to Tamsin at her perch leaning back on the bar. Bo smiled widely as she introduced Lauren to Tamsin, her guardian Valkyrie as though the two blondes didn't already know each other. Everyone could appreciate it being symbolic of starting over, Lauren was still very important to both Bo and the rest of the group. Tamsin smiled sincerely and shook the doctor's hand, promising to keep Bo happy and strong.
As Trick walked through the motions of opening the portal to the temple, Tamsin stood by feeling helpless. Had she been sworn to Bo, she'd be able to accompany her through her Dawning without repercussion. When she saw that Bo wouldn't be granted a weapon unless she chose a side, her heart dropped even lower. Bo was stubborn, but she knew what she believed in. She was willing to face the hardest challenge she's had yet completely unarmed simply to prove her loyalties were to anyone who needed her, not just the Dark or Light. She turned to face Dyson, who wore a similar expression. A wave of agreement passed through the air between the Detectives as the wolf nodded to her. Tamsin whispered a 'thank you' and sent a prayer to Valhalla—hoping that they would still listen to her—that the two most important people in her life right now came out alive.
Bo was confused as Dyson offered himself as Hand. She turned to the Valkyrie with a curious expression but was simply met with a nod as the two entered the temple in a flash. The blonde felt a pressure in her chest, but knew that if she couldn't be there for Bo, there was no one stronger to protect her then Dyson.
When they emerged from the temple, Bo was enraged that Dyson had given his life for her. Her emotions ignited the full potential power within her as she stood with a powerful, confident stare as she pulled chi from everyone in the Dal. The Succubus then beckoned Tamsin forward. The blonde was hypnotized as she took steps forward to close the distance between them. Bo ran her hands up Tamsin's torso until she was cradling the blonde's face between her hands. She gave a powerful pulse of desire to Tamsin, causing her to gasp and her eyes to flash bright gold.
Bo pulled Tamsin forward for a slow kiss as she started to pull her chi, but the tendrils of light blue were lined with sparkles of gold. Bo turned her head, her eyes never leaving Tamsin's as she exhaled lightly, a line of deep pink energy, lined by a thin trail of golden sparkles floating down and into Dyson.
The women saw Dyson gasp and take a deep breath, his life restored. Bo's eyes faded back to normal as she swayed slightly on her feet, Tamsin quickly moving to support her. As soon as everyone's minds caught up with them, smiles were exchanged all around and a celebration ensued.
Now, Tamsin stumbles backwards into the ropes of a boxing ring after receiving a supercharged cross punch from her warrior. Bo's full powers had begun to settle in her body, and the blonde knew that she was going to need an outlet as she adjusted to the newfound power that would be pulsing through her veins. The two had snuck into the Precinct gym the last four nights to spar and help Bo let off some steam.
Tamsin leans back into the ropes as she flips the loose hairs that had fallen from her bun out of her eyes. She pants heavily with a smirk as she eyes Bo in her curve-hugging black tank top and tight training shorts that could basically be considered underwear. Not to mention the way her…assets…tend to take Tamsin's attention to the brunette's chest as she hops around the ring. Sports bra be damned, obviously Bo didn't get the memo since she was obviously wearing the true Secret to Victoria's finest pushup.
"Alright…" the blonde pants out with a quirk of her head, "I think you're officially cheating with how much leg your showing." Bo smirks as she continues to hop around the ring, taunting Tamsin as she continues to rant. "And I thought I told you to wear a sports bra!"
Bo stops her movement in confusion as she looks down to her chest for a moment before replying as innocently as a Succubus could, "I am." Tamsin's eyes go wide as the rest of her face scrunches up in confusion. Her gaze falls to Bo's chest with no shame as she stares.
"Seriously!? Oh come on…life just isn't fair. No wonder you beat the hell out of anyone who tries crossing you. They're too distracted by your chest."
Bo smiles seductively as she struts up to Tamsin with a sway in her hips. She peels away her knuckle padded fight gloves and wraps an arm around the Valkyrie's waist. Her free hand stretches across the Valkyrie's exposed abdomen, glossy with a sheen of sweat after the effort of training for such a long period of time. The blonde raises an eyebrow in amusement as Bo speaks, "Like you flaunting this washboard you call your abs isn't cheating. I was afraid that if I hit you here I'd just break my hand." Tamsin smirks as Bo continues to run her hand across her taught abdomen.
"In that case, maybe I should tell you that my Valkyrie armor doesn't cover my stomach at all." Bo closes her eyes for a moment as she lets out a slight hum in approval.
"Well now that's dangerous…because when I ride off into battle one day with you?" Bo's sultry gaze never leaves Tamsin's as she slinks down the blonde's body until her knees hit the mat below her. The Valkyrie gasps when she feels Bo begin to lay slow, open mouthed kisses across her abdomen. "This is all I'm gonna want to do."
As much as Tamsin was enjoying this, she knew that she had to stop Bo now before she wouldn't be able to. She moved her hand, her glove still providing protection for her knuckles, to the Succubus' arm to pull her back up and away from her abs. She smiles in apology the second she sees Bo's adorable pout, wanting nothing but to take the brunette's stuck out lip between her own.
"Babe, please. Don't start stuff like that you know we can't finish." Bo nodded in understanding while letting lose a sigh. She wanted nothing more then to shower Tamsin with affection and worship every inch of her perfect body. They had had this conversation already though. Tamsin had already said that when the bond becomes strong enough, she might not be able to stop herself from offering her oath, thus sealing the curse and Bo's fate as a wandering soul. Taking that step will bring them closer together—and more then likely be hot enough to burn down the Crack Shack—but it could also seal their fate.
"I'm sorry..." Bo mumbles out with a shake of her head and a shy smile.
"Don't be. I'm irresistible, what can I say." Tamsin teases with a shrug and a cocky smile earning an eye roll from the brunette. "You know, if you're hungry I can at least do that much."
Bo smiles that third smile that Tamsin loves so much as she brushes a lock of loose hair behind her ear, "You know it's not just that right? I don't only want you because I'm hungry or—"
"—Hey, hey," Tamsin cuts off Bo's rant with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. Bo had grown to love whenever the blonde looks at her like this…like she was all that existed in the world. "I know it's not just that. You're an amazing and majestic creature that lives off hot and sexy passion, but you still want to be loved and have fuzzy feelings for someone at the same time," Tamsin takes hold of Bo's hands and lifts them to her lips, laying a kiss upon her knuckles and causing the brunette to swoon on the spot, "What we have is so much more then we even know, or hope it could be. I'm your Valkyrie, and I'd do anything for you."
Bo's smile widens and the pair simply stands in silence whilst lost in one another's eyes. They still have a long way to go…but in this moment, everything seemed like it was going to be okay. They paid no attention to the mark on show on Tamsin's ribs, only the fact that they're alive in one another's presence. Tamsin breaks the silence as she stands up from the ropes, stretching out her muscles with a sigh at the feeling of her overworked muscles releasing their tension.
"You know, that Dawning really juiced you up. Do you feel any different?"
"Not…bad different," Bo tries to put it into words as she too stretches out her tired muscles. Tamsin hadn't pulled any punches during their workout, "I still feel like myself, I still have desires and that hunger, but…I don't know. They're more controlled I guess? I just feel..." Bo trails off, not knowing the proper way to describe how she feels.
"Better?" Tamsin offers off with a small smile, remembering her own Dawning and how she felt coming out of it. Bo thinks for a moment and flashes a grin.
"Exactly!"
"Good. That's one thing we can cross off our 'to-do' list. Next, get this damn curse mark off my side so you can ravish me like I know only you can." Tamsin states as she puts a hand over the mark over her ribs and smirks in the Succubus' direction.
"Mmm…no fair," Bo says as she trails her eyes hungrily down Tamsin's toned body. She wraps her arms around the blonde's waist and leans up to whisper in her ear, "Now I'm all worked up. It's almost as bad as when Vi was pushing her magic into you." Tamsin smirked at the reaction she got from Bo as the brunette began trailing kisses down her jawline. However…when the tail end of her sentence registered in her mind she pulled back from the embrace with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean? Like, when I was poisoned?" Bo matches the blonde's confusion.
"You don't remember?" Tamsin shakes her head as her eyes convey that she wants to know what the hell Bo is talking about. The Succubus clears her throat and looks around the room as she shyly starts to reply. "Well…um. After Vi gave you that stuff to knock you out…she had to like, weave her magic through your veins to get ahold of the poison." Tamsin nodded, not understanding as Bo danced around her point. "Apparently, getting spirit magic shoved into your system is a very um…pleasurable…experience." The blonde's eyes go wide as she starts to catch on to what her warrior was implying. "You were reacting to it and the more magic she used…weeelllll. Lets just say that my inner Succubus was very frustrated that she couldn't be a part of the fun you had while unconscious."
"Oh my god!" Tamsin covered her face in embarrassment at the thought of everyone in the room seeing her in such a state, "I'm never gonna be able to look Trick in the eye again! He probably thinks I'm some sleazy little…I don't even know, what." Bo chuckles at Tamsin's adorable little rant. Normally she wouldn't say that the blonde was the type you brought home to meet the family, but when it came to Trick, she was nothing but respectful. That respect multiplied when Trick felt comfortable enough to share his true identity with her. She also felt an inkling of fear at the fact that Trick could simply write her out of history by giving himself a paper cut.
"You're being ridiculous! Trick adores you and has been nothing but proud since finding out that I am apparently destined for something so great and lucky enough that the Fates gave me you." Tamsin's heart jumps as she looks away with a shy smile. This was truly happening, her fairy tale was beginning.
"Careful, babe. Flattery will get you everywhere. Come on, we should make sure Kenzi didn't set fire to anything."
"…again." Bo grumbles as Tamsin peels off her gloves and moves to exit the ring.
"She was just tossed into the responsibility of wrangling a huge power and responsibility. It usually takes a long time and a lot of training before a Gypsy Sorceress can even attempt to pull power from the ether." Tamsin tried to remind Bo, feeling guilty yet again for something that wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been such a nuisance to the gang's lives. Kenzi's carefree spirit and wild emotions were going to have to be wrangled in for her to have some sense of control over her powers. Bo knew that whatever Kenzi's methods, there was no way she would lose herself in the process, and that she admired about her friend.
"Oddly enough, I'm happy now that I know she can defend herself. Kenzi's always been a badass, but now she can control energy. It's pretty awesome actually and I'm kinda jealous." Bo chuckles out lightheartedly as she slides herself under the ropes to the concrete floor.
When her feet make contact with the cold, hard cement, two hands shoot out from under the ring and take hold of the Succubus' ankles. Bo yelps as she feels herself pulled down. Tamsin spins with blurring speed, grabbing the brunette's wrists to pull her back from whatever was trying to take her under the boxing ring.
"Oh hell no, what kind of assassin plays like a monster under the bed anyway!?" Tamsin grunts out as she yanks Bo from their attacker's grip. The force behind the pull causes Bo to knock Tamsin down to the floor, landing on top of her with a thud. The duo rolls over to their feet, Tamsin with her eyes darkened and shadows lining the planes of her face, "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" she taunts with a dark smirk.
A loud, agony filled hiss emits from under the ring as a bony, sickly looking humanoid creature crawls out from the shadows. It's scraggly hair falls in front of its bright orange eyes as it shakes and struggles with trying to fight off Tamsin's stare.
"That's it, now be a doll and—" her train of thought is cut off as Bo cracks the back of their attackers skull with a folded up chair. The shadows fade from Tamsin's cheeks and eyes as her smile widens in amusement, "Damn…way to give 'em the chair."
"Thanks. What is this thing, anyway?" Bo questions as Tamsin lifts up the now dead creature's hand. There is a swirled brand running from its palm down its wrist. The blonde's eyes go wide and she quickly lifts up the fabric covering the base of the ring to inspect it for more attackers. Finding none, she groans and takes hold of Bo's wrist, dragging her towards the exit.
"Shit, come on we gotta go."
"Woah, what's going on? What was it?" Bo questions while picking up her pace to follow Tamsin, knowing if she was worried something had to be wrong.
"It's a Grudge." Bo pulls Tamsin to a stop as she starts cracking up at the thought.
"What!? You've gotta be kidding me. Like in the movies? The creepy chain curse in that house?" Bo continues chuckling, not able to contain herself. Tamsin simply rolls her eyes in frustration.
"Yeah, they're water Under Fae that hide in dark, dank places. Whoever came up with that movie probably got attacked by one, they always look rotten, soggy and dead. They're nasty little bitches and attack whatever comes into their territory. But what they didn't mention in the movie was how they always hunt in pairs." Bo's laughing fades away as her brow furrows at the news, "If the second one was here, it would have come out when we killed its buddy. Now, where's the one other place one of these things could catch you alone?" Tamsin continues, trying to lead Bo to the proper conclusion.
"The Crack Shack….Shit! Kenzi's home alone!" Bo darts off in a sprint; Tamsin shakes her head, but takes off right on the brunette's heels.
Silence fills the Crack Shack as though no one was home. Instead of hunting down robot zombie hookers, Kenzi was perched atop the kitchen island, full on lotus style in deep concentration. Two small flickering candles sit on either side of her as she breathes deeply, centering herself just as Violca had taught her.
At first, the Russian girl did everything to ignore the fact that she suddenly had some kind of gypsy freaky going on. It became harder to remain oblivious when random mishaps kept on popping up, anything from a candle suddenly sprouting a flame three feet tall at the Dal, to the water coming from the showerhead twisting in odd directions and shapes before running down the drain. The day she walked in on Tamsin and Bo making out on the couch, both completely topless she should add, was the last straw. Her shock drew a harsh gust of wind that blew through the kitchen, knocking their junk and dirty dishes into the walls.
After a much-needed chat with Bo, Kenzi went to visit her cousin and spent a long weekend with her at her 'Gypsy Crib'. Violca taught her a few meditating techniques that would help center her before she started losing control of energy from the ether and not just the elements of this plane. The icy-eyed girl was afraid of losing her spunky personality and turning into a lame Zen master control freak, but quickly learned that you can be emotionally stable inside and still be as freakin' sweet as she was on the outside.
The biggest shock to her was that deep meditation actually wasn't boring. Part of learning to center herself on the energies around her meant meditating around them in a natural state. The first time she tried, Violca took her to a lakefront where they stood in the tide, feeling the water rush over their toes, powerful enough to knock them over if it pleased, but gentle enough to soothe their heated skin under the summer sun.
Kenzi lost herself in the sensations that the water washed over her. Next thing she knew, Violca was gently shaking her shoulders to take her out of her trance hours later, the sun now low in the sky as it set. The Russian girl looked down at her legs to see a thin layer of water and a ribbon of purple energy running up to her knees, rooting her in place with the tides. Then of course, true to her own style she went to the Dal and knocked back shots with Bo to celebrate.
After another deep breath, Kenzi reaches her hands out to the candles on either side of her. The flame tickles her fingers until it appears as though her skin was catching fire. She lifts either hand, fingertips twinkling with the flames she had gathered from the candles, and cups them together in front of her. The fire combines and settles to a single flame crackling in the palms of her hands.
Always remembering to breathe, the icy-eyed girl focuses on the radiating heat from the flame as each tendril of it flickers up into the air before dissipating back down to the base of the fire. Her focus drowns out the thudding noises happening just outside the front door, she doesn't even hear the shrill shriek that follows a loud crack just outside the window. All she feels is the flicker of the flames as they curl around her fingers. The one thing she doesn't drown out, however, is the sound of the door slamming open and adding another crack to their exposed walls.
"Kenzi!" Bo hollers as she thunders into their house, frightening the younger girl into shooting her eyes open and raising her hands in defense.
"It wasn't me!" the Russian girl shrieks as she loses control of the flame in her hand and a chunk of it breaks off with a flare and hits the wooden floor, "Shit…not again."
Tamsin saunters in behind Bo, wiping her hands clean and flicking little droplets of water from them. She hates how Grudges were always soggy around the edges. She stomps out the small fire that Kenzi had let free on the floor as Bo looks around the living room for any signs of danger.
"Sorry, Squirt. There was an assassin at the gym and its buddy was outside. Just making sure you're okay. Uh…you can lower the torches now." The blonde finished with a chuckle, still seeing Kenzi with a shocked and confused expression as her arms were raised, flames tickling the air above her fingertips.
"Geeze…ya'll gotta warn a sista when you come barging in like that." She states, calming her heightened heart rate from the excitement enough to exhale and let the flames dissipate from her hands. Kenzi then hops down from the island, only having a second to collect her footing before Bo tackles her into a hug, "Oof! Geeze BoBo…I love ya and all but what's with the tackle hug?" Bo leans back from the hug with a frustrated pout as she smacks the smaller girl's shoulder, "Hey! Watch the Fae-guns there. Some of us are still human ya know."
"There was a horror movie assassin outside the house, and your cracking jokes? Kenzi, you could have gotten killed!" Bo whined to her friend, not knowing what she'd do if anything happened to her bestie.
"Yeah, but I'm alright. It didn't even knock on the door pretending to be the pizza guy. Not to be a downer, but these things are after you Bo, not me. A lot of them are Under Fae too, they're not smart enough to try and get to you like that." Kenzi's argument was solid and it calmed Bo down enough to sink into a stool against the island with a sigh.
"I just wish I knew why they were after me at all."
Tamsin was suddenly hit with the realization that Bo didn't know about one of the reasons she was here in the first place. She groans and smacks her forehead, as though it would flush out the idiocy she seemed capable of as she mumbles under her breath, "…Idiot."
Bo raises an eyebrow while speaking in a flat tone, "Gee…thanks. You're such an uplifting guardian Valkyrie."
"What? No! Not you," Tamsin replies with a huff at the brunette's sarcasm, "It's just…I kinda gotta come clean about something I completely forgot about."
"Well that's never good…" Kenzi trails off as she takes a seat next to Bo. Tamsin walks over to her gym bag and digs into the side pocket for her wallet. She reaches into a hidden pocket and pulls out a folded up tarot card. The blonde takes a breath to calm her nerves before turning to the two surrogate sisters.
"Alright…I told you how I was a mercenary for a while?" They nod before she continues, "Well…my last mark I still haven't followed through on. I found out about our bond and when I came to terms with it, I just haven't even thought about that life since."
"You're confusing me, Tamsin. What's going on?" Bo questioned, starting to get worried by the expression on the blonde's face. She sighs as she hands Bo the card. The brunette quirks her head in curiosity as she unfolds the Wanderer card, recognizing it from her Dawning Invitation along with Tamsin's reaction to seeing it at the Land Lady's trailer. What was even more curious was the writing in blood red ink that simply says 'You'll know'.
Bo slowly raised her eyes, realizing what this all meant. She didn't want to believe it, so she decided to grace Tamsin with allowing an explanation.
"Okay, I know you're probably pissed," Tamsin starts off, trying to cool Bo down before she explains herself.
"I think I'm passed pissed if this means what I think it does…you better start sharing." Bo's voice was cold and harsh as she spoke and it gave Tamsin shivers down her spine. She looked down in shame as she started her story from the beginning.
"I was in Norway, tracking a fugitive Fae. That was what most of my jobs were, I've only had a few hits, and they were guys that needed to get put down. I came back to my apartment one night and found a rather large suitcase filled with cash. Inside was a folder with three things inside of it. One was all the information for my transfer to this region, paperwork completed and approved by the Morrigan. Another was a note that said I was paid in full to take someone down. After the job was done, I'd get another payment for my silence and if I disappeared for a few years. I was confused because there was no picture of my mark…only that card with that writing on it."
She stopped, waiting to see the girls' reactions. Kenzi had wide eyes as she bit her lip out of nervousness for Tamsin. She knew that Bo had a huge heart, but when the people she cared about kept things from her the outcome was never pretty. The Succubus was completely silent with no emotions showing on her expression. Tamsin was trying to figure out if that was a good or a bad thing.
"So you only came here to kill me?"
Bo's tone wasn't pissed, it wasn't harsh, and it wasn't even cold. Worse…it was blank. Tamsin's heart dropped and her face melted, revealing her vulnerability as well as her guilt for not thinking of telling everyone this sooner. She had two weeks of absolute bliss, between finally becoming comfortable with a group of friends she hadn't had in over a century, and getting closer to Bo. She'd be damned if it all fell to hell just because of this.
"No! It's not like that, I mean…technically yes but—" her words get caught in her throat as Bo reaches back to the island and lifts up one of the many daggers her and Kenzi have stashed about the house. With a flick of her wrist, Bo holds it up to Tamsin, causing the blonde to take a step back and steel herself out of reflex. After taking a breath, she relaxes her muscles, hoping it would show Bo that she wasn't a threat.
What shocked her was Bo flipping the blade around, holding the hilt of it out to Tamsin. She looked at the offered dagger in confusion before raising her scrunched gaze to Bo.
"Well? If you still plan on finishing the job, I won't stop you." The brunette stated with that same blank tone, it soon melted away as Tamsin saw the little twinkle of mirth in her deep brown eyes along with the corner of her lip curve up in a knowing smile, "But, I'm pretty sure the badass mercenary is too whipped to do anything."
Tamsin's shoulders slumped as she let out a deep sigh of relief. She took the dagger and tossed it back on the counter, Bo didn't bother fighting to hold back her chuckle.
"I can't believe you were screwing with me! Geeze, I thought you were about to cut my throat out for a second."
Bo reached forward, laying her hand on Tamsin's hips to pull her closer to her spot on the stool. The Succubus had donned her happy, dopey smile as she teased the blonde, "Yeah, you got all scared there for a second. But then you dropped your guard and were just going to stand there and take it. That proves you weren't going to do anything," Tamsin smiles shyly as she ducks her head to lay a soft kiss at the Succubus' temple, "Not to mention we're bonded. It's not something you can fake just to get close to someone to kill them. I feel like you would never joke about something like that."
"I try not to joke about my dreams when they actually start coming true." Tamsin replies with a smile, causing Bo to blush and look away with a shy smile. Kenzi took this moment to dramatically fan her face and sniffle at the adorable show before her.
"Oh my gosh…I just can't with you two. The heart! The soul! The passion and trust!" She pauses with a shake of her head and another sniffle as she covers her face, trying oh so hard to contain herself through her sarcasm as she squeaks out, "So beautiful!"
"I don't know if I can handle your mushy roommate." The blonde deadpans, swiftly earning a smack to her shoulder from Kenzi.
"Meh, you get used to her." Bo teases with a smile as Kenzi scoffs, standing from her chair and marching off to their vending machine for a snack. "So…since you were technically the first assassin they sent after me—" Tamsin winces at the term Bo used to describe her profession.
"Bounty Hunter…please when it comes to me, say Bounty Hunter? Assassin just sounds so cold and heartless." Bo nodded in understanding as she continued.
"Anyways, so do you have an idea of who sent you and, I'm assuming since you didn't finish the job, these other idiots after me?" Bo questions as she plays with the blonde's fingers, loving the way that they were so delicate when it came to herself, but to her enemies, the blonde could easily take them out with her bare hands.
"I didn't when I was given the job…but I've got a pretty good idea now. Especially after the Splitter in the Dal sounded Romanian. Not to mention Grudges are controlled by dark magic, but it takes some seriously freaky dark stuff to be able to split Grudges from their hunting pairs like this."
"It's her…isn't it?" Bo states sadly, realizing what Tamsin was getting at. The blonde looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It's the Sorceress who cursed you."
"Emilina, yeah." Tamsin sighs out with a nod. Kenzi turns around from shoving a handful of Funyuns into her mouth, now interested in their conversation as she speaks around her mouthful.
"Wait…what!? I thought you got cursed like, one hundred years ago?!" Kenzi's eyes were wide in shock as Tamsin simply nodded.
"One hundred and eleven, give or take a few months."
"But…Vi told me that gypsies are all human. How the hell is this bitch still kickin' enough to send a bunch of killers after BoBo?" Kenzi was beyond confused. Sure, there's the occasional old geezer that made it past one hundred years, but if this chick was still able to get around and toss her creepy black magic around…
"You don't know?" Tamsin was confused, she was sure that Violca would have told Kenzi. Then again, despite her power and knowledge of said power, Violca was still young and as far as she knew was self-taught.
"Know what?"
"Sorceresses don't age like normal humans…the energy that you manipulate is other-worldly. It's a much more graceful ageing process depending on how much you use and channel and how powerful it is. After so long, often times Sorceresses will stop practicing and will start to age a little faster, but they can live to be centuries old. Emilina channels some dark shit…she probably doesn't look a day older then when she cursed me."
Kenzi froze and leaned back against the vending machine as she attempted to process this news. In two weeks she'd gone from being Bo's human friend that would die within her first lifetime with the Fae, to suddenly being a Sorceress with energy manipulating swag skills, and all of the sudden…she will survive more then one lifetime and gracefully age along with her group of immortal friends. Bo noticed the shock on her friends face, obviously this was a lot to take in. They had never spoken of what would happen when Kenzi inevitably grew old and gray…now they didn't have to.
"You alright, Kenz?" Bo questioned gently, trying not to overload the girl, as she was already teetering on the edge.
"Yeah…just…you know. A lot to take in." She thinks for another moment, Bo and Tamsin letting her have the peace and quiet. Seconds later, she looks up with a bright smile, tackling the two with a hug. There was no words exchanged, there was none that had to be even thought. They all found comfort in the fact that they would never have to face that reality of everyone's favorite Kenzi eventually retiring out of their group. Yes, she is human, but her lifespan could potentially quadruple in size.
When their embrace faded away, Kenzi stood straight wiping at her eyes to stop the tears of happiness from escaping. She didn't like looking like a wuss in front of two warrior babes.
"So…this means that one day I'll probably be able to kick your guys' asses, right? No more lame human jokes, then! It's about time I got some respect around here." The Russian girl teased, lightening the air around everyone until Tamsin heard her phone go off. The blonde excuses herself to turn and answer her phone, Bo and Kenzi were eavesdropping like two teenagers at a slumber party.
"Tamsin." She answers stoically in a professional manner in case it's someone from the precinct, as she didn't recognize the number.
"Ah yes, Tamsin, it's Trick." Tamsin quickly cleared her throat at hearing Bo's grandfather over the line. Despite everyone's best efforts, the Valkyrie was still incredibly intimidated by the elder Fae. Not only by the sheer legend of his now past life, but as well as the fact that he was probably the single soul on the planet that Bo respected as an elder. She always took his word when it came to the world of the Fae and always went to him for advice on matters of her powers and the strange society she found herself tossed into only a handful of years ago.
"Erm, yeah. Sorry, sir, I don't have the number in your study programmed into my phone yet. Is everything alright?" Bo and Kenzi both exchange a shocked look, the Sorceress mouthing 'Sir?' confused as to who Tamsin would address with such respect.
"We've had this conversation, Tamsin. Please, just Trick. I understand you're with my granddaughter but addressing me like that may rise suspicions to who I really am." Trick responds, his smile obvious across the phone lines as Tamsin clears her throat and smacks her own forehead with a shake of her head.
"Right…sorry. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I assume you're with at least Bo, and probably Kenzi so you can spread the word, we may have found some news that could be of some assistance in our predicament. Also…I called you because I have someone here who I think you'd like to speak to. Turns out the worlds a pretty small place after all."
"Uh…yeah sure. We'll be there soon." She hangs up the phone and turns to face Bo and Kenzi, both shaking in their seats like little kids waiting for ice cream. "It was Trick, he wants us at the Dal…" She trailed off, obviously in deep thought of something.
"So why are you all weirded out about that? Maybe he found something useful!" Bo exclaimed, hoping to rid Tamsin of this curse sooner rather then later. After the Dawning, she started zeroing in on their bond more, starting to realize why Tamsin couldn't ignore it and becoming frustrated that they really couldn't act upon anything with the blonde's curse.
"Yeah but…he said there was someone there who wanted to talk to me. Something about it being a small world." Bo still raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Bo…last time someone wanted to talk to me and not kill me? I ended up running through a dark forest and getting cursed. Obviously, I don't have the best track record with this kind of stuff."
"Well I'll be with you this time. We've gotta give Trick that card anyway. Maybe Vi can help us track it with some weird gypsy magic detector or something." Bo replies as Kenzi hops up from her chair.
"Yes! I could use a brewski after all that meditating."
The trio entered the Dal to see it bustling with activity. Several drunken Fae littered the bar, enjoying a laugh as the usual Gaelic music created a light-hearted atmosphere. They notice Trick's assistant behind the bar, obviously covering for the night meaning Trick had planned to be in the back researching for the evening.
"Guys!" They turned to the door to the back lounge, seeing Dyson waving them over with a knowing smirk. The three girls made their way to the wolf, Kenzi only stopping in a graceful twist as she stole a mug of beer off a passing waitresses tray.
"What's the big secret, D?" Tamsin questioned, obviously reading that Dyson knew the 'visitor' she had.
"Not really secret…more of a surprise." He stated, brushing off her question as he led the girls into Trick's den. As they entered, they immediately heard laughter coming from Trick's vault. Obviously from both the Blood King, and what sounded like the deep raspy voice of a woman. It sounded almost like a distant memory to the blonde, but she couldn't put the pieces together from simply the sound of laughter.
Violca was laying upside down on Trick's couch, her legs up over the back and her head falling off of the seat as her hair fell in waves to the floor, her piercing green eyes stuck in one of Trick's old texts. At everyone's entrance she looks away from the ancient language she was deciphering and glares at Kenzi.
"Oh don't gimme that look Vi! I meditated today." Violca rolls her eyes, earning Kenzi's reaction of sticking her tongue out at her cousin before taking another long drink from her beer.
"So, what's going on Vi? Whose Trick with?" Bo asks as she flops down onto the chair facing the couch. Tamsin follows subconsciously, leaning her forearms on the top of the chair above Bo. Her gaze, however, never moves away from Trick's vault and the muffled voices and occasional laughter. It all sounded so familiar to her.
"Well! I think I might have found a little step in breaking Tamsin's curse. It's just a start, but we needed one to go off of anyways." Bo nodded at Violca's news, not getting her hopes up quite yet as they had been searching to only find dead ends for two weeks now.
Tamsin and Dyson had used some Fae contacts from both sides to find the right kind of guys for Bo to try and beat some info out of…but no luck. Violca talked to a few Sorceresses she knew but had to be careful not to mention exactly who she wanted information on. Showing an interest in black Sorcery lead many to believe that you were turning down the wrong path…and mentioning the Black Souled Sorceress herself meant that you may be starting to follow in her footsteps. That, along with Tamsin wanting to remain anonymous so Emilina didn't get any tips that they were searching for a cure—also so she wouldn't know that Tamsin had found Bo—meant that they weren't able to get too far.
"Ah…some things never change." Trick stated as he saunters out of his vault with a smile on his face that simply grows when he sees that Bo, Kenzi and Tamsin have arrived, "Thought I heard you girls out here."
"Yeah, what's the big news, Trickster?" Kenzi questions as she hops up onto a table, swinging her legs back and forth while taking another swig from her mug.
"Yeah, 'Trickster'," A raspy, teasing chuckle can be heard from the vault as a woman joins in the conversation with everyone in the room. She walks up next to Trick and bumps his shoulder with her arm in an affectionate way showing they had been friends for a long time. Tamsin freezes in shock as she takes in the woman's appearance. Her wild, reddish hair falls down to her shoulders, tickling the leather and studs of her favorite jacket. She can see the belts hiding blades beneath the sides of the jacket, similar to how the blonde wears them, always ready to surprise her enemies. The confident smirk on the woman's gracefully aged face along with the scars and rings marring the woman's hands—scars and rings that she remembers as mementos of each of the greatest battles that this woman had played a part in, "what's the big news?"
"What….A-Acacia?" Tamsin stutters out, her eyes wide and glossed over in shock, as though she doesn't believe her own eyes. Her thoughts were confirmed when she saw the woman before her flick her wrist out, sending a small blade sailing at Tamsin. The blonde caught it with ease and a smile on her face as Bo's reflexes kicked in, the Succubus moving in a blur to stand in front of Tamsin, her own knife drawn in defense to the strange woman who dared threaten Tamsin's life in front of her.
"Oh, good. You actually keep your guard up like I taught you. Although with your bodyguard here…" Tamsin's smile grew along with the twinkle in her eye as she laid a hand on Bo's shoulder, telling her warrior that it was okay. Bo's confusion rose as she slowly lowered her weapon, sheathing it back to her thigh but never taking her eyes off the still mysterious woman as she continued to speak. "I seem to remember teaching you to always strike back."
"Yeah, well you also taught me to respect my elders." Tamsin replies in a snarky tone, but her smile never fading as Acacia scoffs at the younger woman's reply.
"You cheeky little bitch! Some things really never change…get your ass over here!" the elder woman said, prompting Tamsin to approach her and pull her into a tight embrace.
"Did I miss something?" Bo deadpans as Tamsin takes a step back from her embrace, a smile still on her face as she holds her hand out for Bo to join them. The Succubus threads her fingers with Tamsin's, still weary of this mystery woman.
"Bo, this is Acacia. She's my mentor, and taught me everything I know." Bo's eyes widened in surprise, she was finally meeting someone from Tamsin's past. Obviously someone who meant a lot to the blonde as well, she wasn't sure if she'd ever see this day with how little they found on reversing the blonde's ailment.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Bo stated with a kind smile as she shook Acacia's hand, "So, if you're her mentor I take it you're a Valkyrie too?"
"Yes, Acacia was actually one of the Valkyrie's I mentioned to you a few weeks ago that fought with me in the Great War. One of the most dangerous women I've ever had the pleasure to know." Trick commented.
"Damn straight." Acacia replied with a proud smirk before Trick continued.
"But, I should probably mention Bo. Valkyrie's use the term 'mentor' in order to describe their…maternal ancestors." Trick chose his words wisely, knowing the reaction it would provoke out of his old friend. However, Bo wasn't quite catching the subtlety as her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
"Holy shit! You're Tamsin's mother?" Bo stated in shock, earning two very different reactions from the Valkyries in the room. Acacia covered her ears with a dramatic wince as Tamsin simply started to crack up.
"Ahh no. Don't use that word! It makes me feel like an old breeding machine!" the raspy voiced woman whined in what was very uncharacteristic sounding for the battle hardened woman.
"You are old." Tamsin teased, receiving a rough smack across her shoulder from Acacia. Trick leaned closer to Bo to fill her in as the two Valkyries spoke amongst themselves.
"Valkyries have a very different relationship with their mothers from birth. It's not so much maternal instinct driven with loving, tender care as is common to humans. It's much more that of what a master has with their most beloved disciple. That's why Tamsin introduced Acacia as her mentor, instead of her mother. Make no mistake, it's still a very deep bond and they would easily die for each other, as well as do anything to help one another" Bo simply nods in understanding, just in time for Acacia to turn her gaze to the brunette.
"So…it's you, huh? Who woulda thought..." Tamsin smiles widely at Acacia's reaction to meeting Bo for the first time. She also noticed Bo's nerves; similar to what the blonde feels whenever she speaks with Trick. She was glad that it was her turn to laugh at her warrior speaking with their elders.
"Um...would of thought what?" Bo asks, feeling strange as the older Valkyrie seems to take in her appearance.
"That you'd look so damn much like Isabeau…It's a little eerie, yet flattering. You weren't lying, Trick." The shorter man nodded with a proud smile as Bo's eyes went wide.
"You knew my grandmother?" Bo cracked a wide smile as her voice turned into that awe-filled tone that came about whenever the conversation switched to something she could learn about her grandmother.
"Knew the bitch? Please…I gave her more then enough blessings and got in enough scraps with her to consider her my own sister. Bravest woman I ever met, your grandma. She saved my ass on more then one occasion." Acacia turned to Tamsin with a smaller, more sincere smile while still managing to keep the mirth in her eyes. "I hope you realize what you're getting yourself into Tamsin…If she's anything like the crazy little slut she's named after?" Acacia mumbles with a chuckle before seeing Bo's reaction of anger at how she regarded her grandmother.
"It's okay Bo," Trick stated with a chuckle of his own, calming Bo down, "If you knew of the relationship those two had, you'd understand that Acacia means nothing but affection when she says that. There was even a time that she thought Isabeau was meant to be her warrior."
Tamsin couldn't help but crinkle her nose in disgust at that idea. Acacia smacked the blonde, knowing exactly where her thoughts were going. "Calm down, lady! I never slept with your girl's namesake, alright? Gave her a power boost a few times and was repetitively stunned by her strength and beauty sure, but there wasn't a single soul that wasn't by her. Besides…looks like the fates thought to save the crossing of our lines for you two brats."
"What are you doing here Acacia? I mean…obviously I love seeing you after so long but there is a reason that we haven't seen each other in a century." Tamsin spoke up, not wanting her mentor to be punished for coming to her aid. After all, all Valkyries were forbidden from associating with her.
"Trick gave me a call and asked for some advice on what to do with a cursed Valkyrie…all the pieces sort of fell into place and I decided to come give you guys a hand." Tamsin was humbled and happy that Acacia was there to help. The woman is the wisest and strongest she's ever known and if anyone was going to give the blonde some hope, it was her. The elder Valkyrie could still tell Tamsin's worry for her, so she laid a hand on her mentee's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze as she spoke, "I've already lost my warrior, Tamsin. It's time that I at least get you back and help save yours."
Tamsin smiled slightly and nodded. Bo was curious, but realized that this was probably a touchy subject. According to Tamsin, when a Valkyrie's warrior dies, they spend an eternity in Valhalla with them. Yet, here Acacia was on Earth and willing to face off against Emilina with them against a direct order from Odin himself. Obviously this was a story for another day, and she respected that.
"So, what made you think Isabeau was your warrior?" Bo decided asking this question was safer, and could potentially lead to some interesting tales about her grandmother. Acacia smiled at Bo's curiosity. Trick had warned her about how much Bo loved hearing stories of the late Isabeau, but these were some of the happiest memories of her lifetimes. She had no problem with a little story time.
"Really Bo? You wanna hear about how our ancestors had a thing for each other? How is this not giving you the creeps?" Tamsin stated with a shiver down her spine.
"I wanna hear it, just because it's bugging Detective Tammers over here!" Kenzi teased, "Vi, conjure us some popcorn, this should be good."
"Don't make me come over there, Squirt!" the blonde tossed in Kenzi's direction.
"Hah! Bo wouldn't let you hurt me even if you actually wanted to." The Russian girl replies with her tongue stuck out in victory. Tamsin simply rolls her eyes.
"I could go for a good story." Dyson comments as he leans against one of Trick's bookshelves. He was starting to come to terms with the fact that what he had with Bo was going to have to be platonic. But he still wouldn't mind hearing a story or two of the woman who tamed the Blood King and stood as the martyr that brought peace to the Fae.
"Lemme tell you…we'd be here for years if I went through all the shit that Isabeau and me got into," Acacia makes herself comfortable in the chair that Bo had vacated. Violca turns herself right side up on the couch and scoots over to make room for Bo and Tamsin, "She was quite the nomadic warrior before she met Trick. She hated the idea of her entire existence being around just her urges. She saw other Succubi that simply floated around from feed to feed. Hiring themselves out for their powers of persuasion but never having an actual purpose. Feeding made her strong, stronger then some of the largest warriors of her time. She realized her potential, unlike so many others of her kind. She was a visionary."
Tamsin was entertained by the idea of someone who earned such respect and praise from Acacia. She knew from personal experience it took a lot to impress the woman. Bo simply sits dumbfounded with a dorky expression to coincide with the awe she feels at someone's description of her grandmother. It gives Bo so much more hope that there was a way to live, not a slave to her hunger, the same way that Isabeau had found to live, as well.
"I met her just near a deserted battlefield. The fighting had ended only hours ago and both sides retreated. I heard a scream through the trees and darted after it, afraid someone had crossed one of the armies along the roads and was in trouble. I was a little late to the party, by the time I got to the road, Isabeau was knocking a bandit on the back of his head, sending him to the ground with three others already lying in the grass. She turned to help a father and three children out of the brush, helped them back to their wagon and ushered them on.
"I saw another bandit, an archer, up in the trees with his bow aimed right for her as she had her back turned. I yelled for her to duck, just in time for the arrow to miss her head and me to throw a dagger into his throat. We were inseparable from then to the day she died…I took her to Valhalla myself." Acacia finished with a sad smile. Yes, she still saw her best friend from time to time, but it was different then when they could get into trouble together in life as the elder Valkyrie still had responsibilities to take care of on this plane. She chuckles before continuing in a more light-hearted tone, "The little bitch hasn't aged an hour and loves to screw with me about how I'm getting old."
"I'll never forget at our vow ceremony when the tale you told of her was that you thought you had bonded." Trick stated with a smile at the memory. Acacia simply rolled her eyes, realizing she probably was never going to live this down.
"I thought a Valkyrie's bond was instant?" Bo questioned.
"It is. I was foolish and still young, only barely at the tail end of my first century when I met her. I did have a strong bond with Isabeau, it was purely one of sisterhood and honor, but it wasn't a bond of Guardianship. And hey! I had to top that Leprechaun idiot's story, didn't I?" Acacia tossed in Trick's direction. It was tradition that when at a vow exchanging ceremony the closest of the betrothed will share a tale of how worthy the couple is of one another. Acacia couldn't think of a better way of explaining Isabeau other then she was amazing enough to trick a Valkyrie.
"I'm telling you though, she coulda fooled Freyja into thinking she was bound to her," Acacia turns to Tamsin, "You see how beautiful this one is?" Acacia quirks her head in Bo's direction, making the brunette blush as Tamsin smiles in affirmation, "Now imagine her existing in the old times, just like that, before beauty products, functional showers and plastic surgery. Nobody looked that good. Ever. But Isabeau always did." Bo's blush deepened as Kenzi and Tamsin chuckled and Trick simply nodded, confirming the tale of his late wife's beauty. "Add in how virtuous she was and the Griffin heart that beat in her chest. I almost wish she really was my warrior, but the Fates are funny like that. You two are gonna be destined for some crazy shit."
Acacia's comment turned the campy conversation heavy for a moment before she turned to Dyson, "Hey wolf man, be a doll and get us a round? I got me a story to tell before the baby Succubus' eyes pop out of her head in anticipation. This was a few decades before we met Trick and about…what? Two centuries before the Great War?" the Blood King nodded as Dyson exited the room to bring a round.
"Alright…so we were helping defend a large village that was being attacked. It was a farming community, but the soil was enchanted by the Gods and brought about a bountiful harvest each year. A coalition of Warlords wanted the land to feed their armies and they were gonna take it by force. Isabeau and I got a little army for ourselves together to defend the land…"
Tadaaaa! :D
I wanna take this moment to apologize for kind of just doing a fly by of the Dawning. Yes...it was way too built up in the show but honestly? I had no clue how to make a massive mind fuck with it like they did. It's not really relevant to my story anyway beside the overview I did.
Also, Acacia thinking Isabeau was her warrior was my salute to the time during the end of S3 when people were freaking out that while we're shipping Valkubus...they were gonna end up sisters or something. But! We cool guys. Fo sho no family relations here.
For my end of chapter question...who wants a super fun and action packed special flashback chapter of Isabeau and Acacia? :D Not lying, I really wanna write it, and there were a few little things I want to toss in that will help later in the story. But, if everyone is like "Uhhh no..." then I don't want you all to wait for the next chap to be disappointed. If yes...what do you all see Isabeau's weapon of choice on the battlefield to be?
