Chapter 10. Midnight.
There was a sharp ache in his jaw, he realized with a grunt, as he blinked a couple of times, waiting for his eyes to focus.
He felt slightly disoriented at first. Killian tried to move, yet he found himself struggling against a rope - it was wrapped around his torso, pressing him up against the trunk of a tree. He felt his arms were in an awkward position, and as he tried to move them as well, he realized they were tied up too, rope tightly surrounding his wrists.
As he became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed he no longer was on the road to the castle. He was back into the bloody woods; no houses or castle to look at, just trees, a couple of tents right in front of him.
The events from the previous night slowly came to his head; he remembered the unknown man, the feeling that something just wasn't right. Then they were surrounded by strange, armored men - and thankfully his many years as a pirate had made him quite good at sensing danger. His fighting instincts were well developed, and his body reacted just in time, their swords clashing as the fight began.
Then, Emma called his name, warning him of others coming - they were surrounding them. There was no clue of who these men were, but it was clear this wasn't the typical case of thievery. Whomever these men were, it was clear what was it that they wanted - or rather, who.
Killian had been fast; with a quick and strong blow of his hook against the man's helmet, he became distracted enough so the pirate could gain advantage, kicking him off to the floor. Then, he faced the other men - two against one, but Killian could defend himself pretty well, ducking as they slashed at him, swinging his sword at them in response. They were good, but Killian wasn't afraid - he had faced bigger enemies, in worse circumstances. He could beat them easily.
And he had been about to hit one of them when he heard her.
KILLIAN!
It was his name instead of the moniker, and every time he heard it fall from her lips it sounded like heaven to him; this time, however, it leaked fear. She was afraid and she was calling him, calling his name - and he had to protect her.
A basic rule in sword fighting: don't get distracted, and never get your eyes off of your opponent. He knew that very well, but with his heart dropping to his feet, that simple rule had slipped off his mind. He couldn't let them hurt her.
"Emma!" he would've shouted back at her, as he was about to rush to help her - and gladly kill the man that had placed his hands on her. Yet he couldn't help her, and the word didn't even get to leave his lips.
A hand covered in steel collided with his face, and everything else was just a dark blur.
Emma! Where was she? Unconsciously, he tried to move despite knowing it was useless - and struggled against his bindings. Had they taken her away from him? No, the people that had caught them seemed to be resting, meaning she probably was somewhere around. He frantically looked around his surroundings, his eyes finally landing on a man, who was too entirely covered in an armor, except for the helmet, sitting right outside of one of the tents; his eyes locked on Killian.
He was watching over Killian, making sure he didn't try to escape.
"Where is she?" Killian quickly asked, loud enough so he would be heard by the man, yet knowing already he wouldn't get any useful information from him.
And indeed, the only response he got was an irritated exclaim of: "Shut your damn mouth, pirate!"
His first impulse would've been to snap something back at the man, but instead Killian just sighed with frustration. Truly, it seemed like he just couldn't get a bloody break. The last couple of days he'd had a gigantic beast trying to have him as supper, a princess rejecting his feelings and stealing from him, to then running away from him while he had to rush to catch up with her and find her.
And now, this.
His first heroic act in centuries, and it had brought him mostly trouble. Perhaps, this was the universe's way of saying he just wasn't meant to be a hero. Or, even more likely, some sort of punishment from the universe because the only reason he'd done this was a selfish one.
He hadn't wanted to be a hero, he hadn't wanted to save anyone - he had just wanted to kill the crocodile.
And perhaps, his true punishment was that now he cared, way too much.
All the trouble was worth it, and he would've liked to say it was getting his reward the thing that kept him going, that made it all worth it. But whenever something happened, the drowning worry he felt wasn't because he feared losing his chance to get one step closer to killing Rumplestilskin - it was because he feared losing her.
And as much as he hated admitting that he was drifting away from his selfish reasons - no, it wasn't his reward what made it worth it to go through all that trouble. It was her.
It was Emma.
He had to free himself quickly and find her. His eyes were already adjusting to the darkness of the forest; he had no idea of how long he'd been there, because of how dark it was, he guessed maybe a couple of hours. Still, it was getting late, and soon enough he -all of them- would be facing a greater problem. He had to find her, and get her out of there before midnight struck.
Killian blindly tried to touch around with his good hand, and he nearly had to suppress a scream of joy as he felt the cold hook still attached to his arm. They'd been stupid enough to not to take his hook off! It'd make escaping a way too easy task now.
He just needed the man to take his bloody eyes off of him.
It was a couple of minutes later that a man came out from the tent, and the one who had been watching over Killian turned his head, finally taking his eyes off the pirate.
"Where do you think you're going, Kingsley?" he asked with a scowl; definitely he didn't seem to be in a good mood.
"Checking on the girl," the man that had just arrived, Kingsley, replied. Killian's attention shot up as he was sure the man was referring to Emma. "It'll be quick, it's not like she can escape her cage."
Anger made his stomach turn slightly as he heard those words. They had her trapped in a cage, as if she were an animal. However, he decided to remain quiet, and since no one had their attention on him at the moment, he did his best to move his left arm; positioning his hook and starting to slightly move back and forth, brushing the tip of his hook against the rope, trying to keep his movements as subtle as possible.
"Are we sure this is the right girl?" Killian heard one of them speak, in a lower voice, probably because they didn't want him hearing.
"She fits with the descriptions that we were given," the other spoke in a hushed tone as well. "She told us we'd find the princess around these lands, with a pirate as company."
She, huh? Killian could already guess who that would be.
He kept on with his movements; he could hear the rope starting to rip, feel how the tightness around his wrists lessened.
"What about the pirate?" the man nodded at Killian's direction, with a frown, "I'm tired. Why do I have to keep an eye on him? She wanted the girl, he's no good for us. We could just get rid of him."
"You have to keep an eye on him because I ordered you to do so. Do I really have to remind you again about who's in charge here?" Kingsley's voice was stern. They remained quiet for a moment, before he added: "The queen ordered us to take both of them to her. Surely to make the poor bastard pay for trying to ruin her plans."
Yes! The rope was ripped and his arms were finally free, yet he maintained them in the same position as before, pretending to still be tied up.
"You know," Killian finally spoke, loud enough so both of them heard him. They turned their heads at the same time, placing their eyes on him. "I can hear you, mates."
Kingsley's eyes narrowed, and he looked at him up and down, to then speak after a brief moment, "Well, you should know then that nobody goes unharmed after provoking the queen's wrath. These surely are your last moments, pirate; enjoy them."
The man smirked at him, and all Killian wanted to do was stand up and dig his hook into the man's neck. Yet, all he was able to do was glare at him, as he began to walk off, until he was finally out of Killian's sight -he at least knew now where to go when he went to get Emma-.
It was alright though; he was getting out of there quick enough, and for sure the man would have that smirk wiped off his face as he realized he'd been dumb enough not to order his men to take Killian's most precious tool, the one he used as a hand.
So these are the Evil Queen's dark knights, huh. Or, well, at least he supposed they were, since he'd expected them to be a little more... dark. They seemed quite normal, and they could easily pass as if they were part of the royal army of any kingdom. But then again, that made a lot of sense. He'd heard the stories; since the Queen had been defeated by Snow White many years ago, she'd disappeared for quite some time, and all of the kingdom had fallen into a great peace they hadn't felt since King Leopold had died. The Queen no longer had any power; not in Snow White's kingdom nor in any other. And with most kingdoms against her, it wasn't like her or her men could stroll around and wreak havoc as easily as they did before.
But now, looking like that her knights could easily fulfill the Queen's wishes, without no one suspecting of her.
Killian waited a couple of seconds, and then whistled to the knight. "Hey," Killian loudly called him, "Would you mind untying me to this tree, mate? It'll be just a couple of minutes."
The man snorted, "And why would I do that?"
Killian tried his best to shrug, yet the rope around him didn't really allow him to move that much. "When nature calls, you just have to listen."
He heard the man grunt, yet he rose up from his sitting position and, dragging his feet through the ground, he approached Killian. He then bent down and began to untie the knot that kept Killian against the tree.
"I'll keep a close eye on you. Don't you dare try anything funny," he spoke once the rope dropped to the floor, hand reaching to take Killian's arm roughly, wanting to pull him up to his feet.
Killian was fast, and quickly rose his hand, fist hitting the man's face with all of his force. "Really? Didn't anyone tell you not to trust a pirate?" Killian muttered, smirking as the man dropped down, unconscious.
He checked his own knuckles with a small grimace, the rough movement left them sore, yet he wore a satisfied look on his face. They had taken his sword, so he grabbed the one the knight carried with him. It wasn't as comfortable as his own was, but he couldn't waste any more time going to look for it. He had to get Emma.
He followed the path where he had seen the other knight go, stealthily going around the tent.
What he found was a carriage, completely still, with thick metal bars that probably kept the prisoners from escaping - and while he couldn't see her, he could see Kingsley leaning on to the bars, speaking to someone who had to clearly be the princess.
"How stupid do you think I am, girl?" he asked.
Killian took a couple of steps, slow and quiet, sneaking up behind the man.
"If you don't listen to me, well, then very stupid," Emma spoke. Her voice was loud and clear, and as Killian approached them, he noticed that despite the fact that she was sitting at the back of the carriage, away from the bars, hands hugging her knees; there was no glimpse of fear in her face. And that seemed to make the man uncomfortable. "You have to listen to me."
"The only people in danger around here are you, and that pirate boyfriend of yours. Just wait until you two meet the queen."
Killian nearly snorted at the 'pirate boyfriend' part - nearly. He approached the man, with a stealth worthy of any great thief. After all, while the pirates were the thieves of the sea, they could do pretty well in land as well. With another step, his eyes went for a brief moment to Emma, and their eyes locked; it was just a second, and Emma's face remained as still as ever, not showing whatever emotions she felt.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I wouldn't count on that."
He took it as the perfect moment to act, and tapped his fingers against the man's shoulder a couple of times, who quickly turned around just in time for Killian to crash his fist against his face.
The man tumbled down to the ground, unconscious. "Killian," the sound of her voice, filled with happiness and relief, made him look up, a grin appearing on his features. She had rushed towards him, hands gripping the bars tightly.
"Happy to see me, eh, love?" Killian spoke as he dropped down where the man was. If he was the one supposed to watch over her, then he probably held the keys. "Are you alright?"
"They didn't hurt me; right after you passed out they brought me here. They weren't as gentle as you would think someone would treat a princess, but I'm fine."
Killian frowned, looking up for a brief moment. "I'm sorry, love."
"What for?" Emma asked with eyebrows raised, surprise in her tone.
"My job is to protect you; I should've never let those rats get that close to you-" he spoke through gritted teeth. It had been his fault, he knew that. He should've been more careful, made sure she stayed safe above all things.
"You did your best," Emma quickly cut him off, "Also, you're rescuing me now... again. It looks like my debt with you only keeps on growing."
Snatching the key from the unconscious men, Killian got up on his feet and chuckled. "It looks so, indeed. Who would've known, you bring out the hero in me," he flashed a charming smile at her, taking a couple of steps towards the carriage, raising his hand to triumphantly show her the key. He inserted it in the lock, and with a quick twist, it opened. Opening the doors and taking a step back, he gave her a smirk. "Perhaps gratitude is in order now." Killian then pressed his fingers against his own lips, as he raised an eyebrow at her. He was teasing her; still, it was clear he wouldn't mind if the princess decided to indeed grant him a kiss.
Emma's eyebrows raised with surprise, face remaining unamused. "I don't believe this is the right moment to discuss about... gratitude."
Killian reached his hand to her, and she took it, soft skin against his rough one, as he helped her out of the carriage. "Aye, later then," Killian replied, wide smirk on his face.
Later, indeed. He wouldn't feel calm until they were out of those woods, away from the black knights. "Let's get out of here quickly, love."
He began to walk; however he was pushed back by Emma, who remained still. "Wait-" she spoke; their hands had stayed laced together, and she seemed to notice at the same time he did, dropping her hand out of his reach. "They grabbed my stuff, the knife you gave me and..."
"The powder." Killian completed with a sigh, knowing that Emma's urgent tone wouldn't be because of a missing knife. He frowned, and looked up to the sky - the moon was nowhere to be seen. He had no idea of how long they had left, there could be a couple of hours left till midnight, or a couple of minutes. And leaving without those powders was just too risky. They'd be risking the lives of everyone around Emma by the time midnight came.
"Okay," he muttered more to himself, as he came up with a plan. "Go hide there." Killian told her, pointing at the place where between the bushes and tall trees, it'd be easy for her to hide. "I'll go get your stuff. Don't leave until I'm back."
"No way, Hook, I'm going with you."
Her tone was a stern and confident one, and he knew it all too well already. The tone she used to let him know she wasn't giving up until she got her way. Yet this time he couldn't let her win. There was a chance that he might have to fight to get her stuff, and he wasn't going to let her get near to the knights again. She'd be a lot safer there, out of everyone's sight.
"Emma, I need you to stay here. The knights won't get to you, if you stay hidden. Please," he insisted. "It won't take me long."
Emma's lips pursed into a thin line, eyes filled with frustration and something else -fear, perhaps?-, and Killian waited for her to reply back, keep on insisting to go with him, yet all he got was a murmured: 'I'll be waiting for you', and with resignation, she turned around and got lost between the trees.
He looked at the direction she had went to, making sure truly she wasn't visible, and then turned back to the tents. He'd be quick, take her stuff and get back to her. While Killian wasn't going to let her be near the knights again, he still didn't like that much having her out of his sight. Besides, they didn't know when her curse's effects would kick in. The sooner they got out of there and had their 'little problem' under control, the better.
It didn't take him more than a pair of minutes to be back where he had woken up earlier that night; the knight was still there, on the ground, yet Killian froze in his place as his eyes landed on another knight, kneeling right next the unconscious figure. Killian's hand quickly reached to the sword he had taken earlier from the man watching over him, and as he unsheathed it the knight seemed to notice him, quickly getting up to his feet.
Killian didn't lose any time to start a fight; their swords clashed loudly for a couple of moments, until with a final blow, the knight collapsed to the floor, blood quickly pooling around him.
He stayed still, sword still in hand as he looked at his surroundings for a couple of seconds, careful to notice any sounds or movements that indicated him that there was some other knight around, ready to fight him. Yet, he seemed to be completely alone, and ducking slightly he stepped into the tent. It was big enough to hold a couple of cushions, and in one corner were their belongings. His sword, the knife he'd given to Emma, and the small bag. He quickly exchanged the sword he'd taken from one of the knights for his own, and then he picked up the bag and the knife, placing them in one of the pockets of his jacket.
As he left the tent, he stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes caught the blonde princess hovering over the two knights, one dead and the other unconscious.
"Swan!" she quickly turned around to face him, and part of him felt relief as he watched her face, knowing she was okay. Soon enough, though, his brow furrowed. She'd, once more, proved that she didn't care nor listen at all about anything he said to her. "What do you think you're doing here?"
Emma offered him an apologetic smile, "I was worried."
An eyebrow raised at her. He knew her well enough already; even if she had been worried about him -was it possible that she truly worried about him as much as he worried about her?-, Killian was pretty certain that wouldn't be the reason why she left her hiding place. Princess Emma was a stubborn lass, one that he was sure would not settle with just hiding while others fought for her.
"Did you get it?" Emma asked him, an anxious look on her face.
"Aye, love," he replied, right hand digging into his pocket to pull out both the knife and the bag. He handled them to her, and she with a soft 'thank you' she grabbed them, placing the knife on her belt. Then, she was just about to tie the bag's laces to the belt when a sound froze them up both.
Hooves.
Killian cursed under his breath. That could only mean there were more knights headed towards them, knowing they had escaped. He wrapped his hand around Emma's arm, pulling her gentle so they'd both be on their way.
They'd been running through the trees; the path they were taking was a narrow one, a sea of trees surrounding them. It should slow the knights down, since there was no room for any horses to go that way.
But still, he heard them get closer and closer.
There was no use in keep on running, the knights were right behind them, and soon they'd reach to them. Killian stopped, and Emma stopped a couple of feet in front of him, turning around to see him, a confused look on her face.
"Keep going. I'll keep them here."
He saw Emma's face change immediately, fear flashing in her widened eyes as she shook her head. "Are you insane?"
"Princess, for the first time just listen to me and go," Killian grunted, eyes focusing on the knights that were just approaching them. He unsheathed his sword, as he pulled her behind him with his left arm. "I'll catch up with you later."
He didn't have any more time to keep on arguing with the blonde - one of them was getting close, and Killian launched himself forward, slashing his sword at the knight. "Swan," he exclaimed through gritted teeth, feeling her presence still around. Still, he wasn't able to turn around and make sure Emma was doing as he told her to, as another knight joined the fight.
When the first couple of knights dropped to the floor, defeated, he was able to for a brief moment turn his head, not seeing the princess anywhere around. At last, she had listened to him.
Killian fought until there were only a couple of men left, and while he wasn't going to give up anytime soon, he did in fact begin to grow tired. One of them was easy to defeat; and Killian was left with the other knight, circling each other in defensive poses, prepared for any moves the other might throw. Killian was the first to try slash at him, and the knight avoided it. He was quick, and if Killian hadn't ducked he probably would've ended up headless. They fought for some moments, until Killian failed to foresee a kick that sent him right to the ground, his sword falling out of his reach.
He rolled his body to a side to avoid the knight's sword; and then his good hand reached out to try and take his sword back, yet he was distracted by the knight once again slashing at him, only to be stopped by the pirate's hook. With a grunt, Killian used all of his strength to keep the sword away from his throat, mind rushing to find a backup plan.
And suddenly, the knight stilled as a strangled cry left his throat, to then just drop to the ground, right next to him. With surprise Killian saw the knife buried in the back of his neck, and looking up he saw a blonde, with a terrified look on her face, as her green eyes were fixed on the man. The man she had just killed.
"Emma," he breathed out, surprise leaking out of his voice, "I told you to leave."
Her eyes finally landed on her, and she gave him a weak smile. "I never listen."
He took the knife out, blood gushing out of the man's neck. Cleaning it up against his shirt, he stood up and gave the knife to Emma. She still held in her left hand the bag that contained the sleeping powder and her right hand, the one she reached up to take the knife, was terribly shaking.
Emma placed it back into her belt, eyes looking up at him and while her face remained calmed, he just could see in her eyes that something was wrong.
While he'd spent the last century as a pirate, and killing wasn't something new to him, this surely was the first time Emma took a life. Or, at least, did so while being conscious. He knew how guilty she felt over all the people she had killed because of her curse, there was no doubt she'd feel guilty about this as well.
"Let's go."
"Emma, it's okay," he told her, hand reaching up to take her wrist. His thumb circled her skin, trying to bring her some comfort. "You're bloody amazing, Swan. You saved my life. Thank you. I guess I'm now the one who owes you some gratitude."
He raised an eyebrow at her, and he couldn't help but grin as a soft chuckle left her lips.
"Let's get going, Swan," he told her, raising his eyes to the trees behind her figure. "Who knows if there's more coming."
They rushed through the trees, and they did seem to have a nice chance to get away. He could hear more coming -or perhaps, he was just hearing the sound of himself and the princess running-.
He wasn't too sure of how long had they been running; perhaps just a couple of minutes. Emma ran right beside him; he could guess she was growing tired, her breathing becoming more and more irregular, yet it was clear she was doing her best to hide it - not even once she slowed down. It wasn't that much of a surprise to him; the lass always wanted to prove to be strong, even stronger than she actually was.
He stopped, reaching out his right arm to her, resting it against her stomach to stop her from going. "Shh," he stopped her right as she opened her mouth to protest. They remained quiet, Killian's eyes going through the trees that surrounded them. Quickly they heard it, the rushed footsteps of the knights following them - it was faint, they both had gotten far from them, but soon enough the knights would catch up and find them.
"Let's deviate," Killian told her, his hand reaching up to take hers, pulling her gently as he turned right. Not even a minute had passed by the time he heard her speak,
"Killian-" Emma began, and immediately he noticed something in her voice he couldn't quite decipher, yet he knew something was off.
It happened in the blink of an eye, as if within seconds Emma's body had just completely stopped working, and he had to rush to her and grab her before she fell to the ground.
"Emma!" he exclaimed, not even noticing he probably had been heard. He lowered himself, getting on his knees as he pulled her to his lap, panic invading him as he brought her close to him, hand placing her blonde hairs aside from her face. Her eyes were closed, mouth slightly open, and face awfully pale - almost immediately he felt his hand shaking and he struggled to breathe as his own mind betrayed him, and took him back to many years ago, when he found himself holding Milah's body close to him.
Only this time he held Emma; the blonde princess who he had only known for a little more than a week, yet that short amount of time with her had been all it took for him to feel alive. To make him consider for the first time since the loss of Milah that perhaps he could find another love.
Not again. Please.
He shook those thoughts away quickly - she wasn't dead. He could still hear her breathing; faint, but it was still there.
What happened?
Killian's hand rested on her cheek, giving her a gentle shake. He didn't fail to notice that she was burning up. "Love, wake up," he whispered, voice sounding a little too desperate.
And then, he had to pull his hand away quickly because touching her burned him. It felt like some sort of energy flowed right under her skin -he could even hear it, a faint buzz-, too strong for him to touch, making him have to pull away from her, leaving her on the ground as he stood up, taking a couple of steps back as he understood.
Magic.
And then, just like that, black smoke surrounds her body.
And two huge and terrible eyes, of a green color, open up to stare at him.
And while he isn't scared of Emma, not really; his body on its own does seem to notice the danger. He felt his heart rushing as adrenaline rushed through his veins; body prepared to either flee or fight. But he is well aware that he can't leave her. And he can't fight either, not against her.
Just like the first time he'd seen her in this form, the only source of light he had was the moonlight, yet this time Killian was more aware of his surroundings than that night - and now he could really see how terrible the beast actually was. About seven feet tall, black fur covered most of its body, making it slightly hard to make out between all the darkness.
The most disturbing thing wasn't the long, sharp claws, or the pointy teeth. No, the most disturbing thing for him were its eyes -
So green and familiar.
Emma.
The beast took one step towards him, and Killian knew he should probably run, yet the large creature seemed to have something else catching its eye. Its large head turned quickly to a side, and Killian immediately followed the direction of its gaze.
The knights.
And within seconds, the beast leaped towards them. Killian found himself frozen in his place, unable to move as the beast bared its teeth to the small group of men that had finally found them.
And then, desperate screams came. Killian was used to death, most times it didn't bother him at all, yet this... it was horrible. And while he in any other circumstances he would have honestly been glad to see those men wiped off of this world, he couldn't help but pity them. The gigantic animal dug its teeth onto each of them, tearing them part by part.
And then the screams stopped. The beast remained there, hovering over the bodies for a couple of seconds, as Killian heard it sniffing.
Checking if there were any knights around left to eat.
There were probably none, because not too long later it turned around to look at him. He was the dessert, apparently.
The beast showed off its teeth as it approached him. It could take his head off with just a single bite. He couldn't help but take a step back.
What could he do now? He wasn't going to hurt her - not only it would be pointless to fight, but this was Emma. He could never do something to hurt her.
How romantic, he couldn't help but think with sarcasm. He was about to die in the hands -or paws? - of the woman he fancied.
Well, he had always said love was something worth dying for, hadn't he?
He only wished he could've gotten more time with her, figure out what his feelings truly meant, and if perhaps she deep down felt the same way.
For the second time, he stared into the beast's green eyes. Only this time, he was very aware why they were so familiar to him.
Emma.
The beast was too close to him, ready to attack. One more step, and it would be his end.
Emma.
His eyes suddenly widened as the thought struck him; he'd survived against the beast once. For some reason, it had stopped from attacking him.
And he perfectly knew why.
Deep down, this was still Emma.
"Swan," he called her, hesitant yet loud enough for her to hear. "Emma."
The beast growled, yet she stopped right where she was, not taking any more steps.
"It's me, Emma," Killian told her, heart pounding yet he felt slightly relieved. He had no idea if she understood him, but it seemed to be having some effect on her. She had stopped, at least.
"You're not going to hurt me, Swan," he spoke, a bit more confident; and he took one quick step back as she growled at him.
He felt one of his feet stumbling into something. He slightly lowered his head, trying to see what it was without fully turning his attention away from the beast.
Squinting, he finally realized what it was - a small bag.
The powder!
Emma had had the bag in one of her hands by the moment she passed out. She probably had dropped it, and now he could take them, make her fall into a deep sleep until morning came.
Not taking his eyes off the beast, Killian began to lower himself. "Easy, love," he spoke, as the beast seemed to be about to take a step forward. "This isn't you. Remember who you are, Emma."
He crouched, right hand blindly going through the ground as he wouldn't take his eyes off her, and stopped when he felt the soft fabric.
It seemed like indeed she understood him. She remained still, looking at him furiously, yet she didn't seem to have the intention of hurting him.
It almost seemed as if she was waiting for him to do it. To make her fall asleep.
Allowing himself to lower his eyes to the bag, he used both his hook and hand to open it, and then took a handful of powder.
Rising slowly, he faced the beast. She didn't growl, or try to attack him - she just stared.
And then he threw the powder at her; and just like that, the huge beast collapsed to the floor.
He remained still for a couple of seconds, heart still rushing as his eyes roamed the sleeping figure - she was even snoring.
Relief began to flow through his body, and it didn't take him long for him to fall down to the floor as well, not too far from the sleeping beast, a hand running through his hair.
Bloody hell.
A/N: Thank you all! Last chapter had a HUGE response, I was so excited reading all of your comments ahh! Also, thank you very much to all of you who said they were happy I was feeling better, it truly means a lot to me 3 So, this was a big chapter, huh? A lot of action, lol. Don't worry, my loves, those two will FINALLY get a break soon enough! Their little adventure is coming to an end, yet that doesn't mean this story is ending anytime soon! We're only halfway through, there's still I believe about 9-10 chapters left.
So, what do you guys think? Tell me in the reviews! And see you next chapter :)