The dark hood obscured the figure's face in front of him.
"Who are you?"
A low, malicious snicker slipped out from the hood. "Most likely your undoing."
He froze as the voice wove sensual tendrils through the air and slid enchanting, enticing tones into his hearing.
"What makes you think that?" He assumed his cocky façade but had trouble keeping his nervousness at bay.
A black leather gloved hand moved out from under the cloaks confinements and rested on the wooden table between them.
"Because I am evil, and I am your temptress. You want me more than you want your revenge. Your bloodlust has been taken over by pure lust. I would quench your desire if I could but it would only enrapture you further. Bring you farther into evil while you still have the potential for good."
He scoffed. "You're rather confident in yourself."
"Aye, it's a bit required when one is a Shade."
He stiffened and lost his act. "Earla."
"Ooh, I do like it when you say my name." The gloved hand and its partner pushed the cloak back revealing the woman in question.
Her hair was down and curling into its natural state. The blonde locks that had only come to mid-chest when he met her now fell to her waist. One bright blue and one everglade green eye raked over him in silent approval. Her rose colored lips quirked up into her mischievous smirk that now only seemed all the more seductive.
"I am not so sure whether I should take offense or compliment to the fact that you could not guess who I was until I mentioned being a Shade." She mocked pondered for a minute before meeting his gaze again.
"I think I'll take it as a compliment, clearly, your only thinking of me as a Shade simply means that you, the notorious Captain Hook, wish to bed me, affirming my suspicions."
"Earla, no, I think of you more than just a Shade."
"Truly, then why not address me as your Quartermaster? What is all this Earla nonsense?"
Killian leaned back away from her. "You're not her."
The same eerie snigger escaped her. "Oh, but I am. I am the dark part of her. All the evil traits of a Shade and Natural-born combined. The silly wench thinks that attempting good can ease the burden of her warring natures. That it can be a balm in which to coat over and hide the evil that resides in her."
"There is good in her."
"Perhaps but it shall be stifled." Earla's facial structure shifted, her eyes dulled and changed, her hair shortened and lost its white gold hue until Earla no longer sat in front of him.
"Cora." His eyes narrowed as he stared a dark, menacing, death glare at her.
She smiled wretchedly. "Fear not, Captain, I'll make sure her true natures shine through before I am done with her and when everyone sees them, they'll cast her out and she'll have nowhere to run and she will have to embrace all of that delicious power in her. Hope, you can make it back before the show ends."
Cora disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. A familiar voice yelled out "No!" screaming after the witch.
Killian came to, breathing hard and ragged, sweat thinly coating his skin and throat sore from yelling. His wrist was well-bloodied from yanking on the cuff too hard, the metal restraint that chained him to the radiator and kept him from escaping, from getting back to Storybrooke, from finding her.
...
I adjusted the sails with natural ease, allowing Neal and Henry to steer the ship from the helm. Absentmindedly I whistled Lowlands, the old sea shanty that both haunted and soothed me. Neal had been glancing at me every so often and I at first had assumed he was merely checking me out, but as time went on I realized that he was trying to figure who I was. I prayed to whoever was listening that he wouldn't recognize me. I couldn't help but notice that Emma had become uneasy around me. Currently, she resided below deck with Rumpel, who had been put on a small cot. I had not seen him since his discussion with me. I wasn't avoiding him even if I wanted to see him my instincts of being a Quartermaster called to me and kept me on the main deck making sure that everything was ordered precisely for maximum sailing. Callouses from my past reappeared and instilled a small piece of pride within me as I tugged this way or that on the necessary ropes and secured them. Stray hairs fell in my face as the ocean wind whipped at my face, though it must have been freezing to the others it was only a cool caress to me and I closed my eyes and inhaled the familiar scent, imagining, remembering the warmth of the golden sun on my closed lids that hung over the seas of my true realm as well as the waters of Neverland.
...
Leaving Rumpel with Emma, Neal, David and Snow, I hurried from the docks, intent on returning to my apartment in order to collect any necessary defenses. Now I stood before the tall looking glass as I strapped the blades over my leather trousers. One on each thigh, a second tucked into each black combat boots and two sheathed on either side of my torso within the worn shoulder holster. I shrugged on my black leather jacket over the holster remembering all too clearly repeating the same action every sunrise with a different leather coat before heading out to the upper deck. I mentally shook the thoughts away as I got the feeling that something bad was happening. I didn't know why but I needed to get to Rumpel's store now. Ink-like veins crawled up my arms and shut my eyes concentrating my emotions on where I needed to go, I hadn't apparated in years. It felt like I was dissolving and slowly materializing somewhere else as all sound around me was lost. Finally my eyes shot back open as the last of the dark arteries became no longer visible. I let out a shaky breath as I took in my surroundings. The back door's shade was up, enough for me to slip up to it and peer in without being seen. Cora was rising from sitting on the edge of the small bed, the "Dark One's" dagger in her grasp. My recklessness took over, I didn't think as I threw open the door my hand reaching for one of my daggers when her magic knocked me against the wall. Her hollow laugh echoed as the knives in my holster tore through the end of the scabbard and pinned me to the wall. The blades strapped to my legs and tucked in my boots flung out of their sheaths and clattered to the ground.
"I'd kill you, but I think having you watch your father die will be much more rewarding." She raised the dagger.
I struggled against the harness and my jacket holding me back. That's when I welcomed the sorceress inside me. Rapidly the veins, that had disappeared seconds earlier, spread, nails lengthened, eyes glowed as the tingling power pooled. I tore myself from the wall as my magic knocked her back against Regina. Cora let out a shocked, pain-filled gasp. It was then I realized the cold woman's heart had been shoved back into her chest by her daughter. Regina didn't notice me as she faced her mother. Cora's face was one of joy, mirroring Regina's.
"Mother." Regina's voice a happy caress.
I ran to Rumpel's side, blocking him from any other antics the two witches might attempt. Cora's facial expression abruptly turned to pain and discomfort as she clutched her chest. Rumpel snatched the bloodied cloth from his chest to expose unmarred skin. Confusion filled me as I looked between him and Cora. She lifted the lapel on her coat, revealing a deep wound in her chest, bleeding profusely. My eyes widened as she fell into her daughter's arms.
"Mother! Mother?!" Regina's tone now filled with distress.
I glanced at the dagger as Rumpel lifted it from the floor, his name, that should have been fading as he died, now boldly printed across the blade.
"What's wrong?" Regina begged.
"This… would have been enough. You… you would have been enough." Cora spoke strained and barely audible.
Rumpel rose to stand next to me as Cora's eyes shut.
"Mother! What's going on?!" Regina's head turned quickly to face us, desperation shining in her eyes, meeting Rumpel's sad stare and my confused one.
Our silence meeting her question she faced her mother again.
"Mother, don't leave me please." Her plea coming out in a sob.
She held her closer as she began to cry. "What am I going to do?"
Rumpel finally spoke. "Your mother did you no favor." His voice was solemn.
Her head whipped around furiously. "Shut up! You stole her life! You cast some spell!" Her harsh accusations ended in a whimper.
I wasn't sure if she directed the words at me or him.
"I did nothing." He was sincere.
"Regina! Stop!" Snow's dire shriek resonated through the shop.
Snow and David rushed into the room, stopping when they found Regina on the floor with her dead mother in her arms. Their eyes met in a shocked gaze.
"You did this." Cold rage rising in her voice.
Regret and agony washed over Snow's face as her mouth hung agape, at a loss for words. I was in shocked awe as the pieces clicked together. Snow enchanted the heart? But, she's Snow! David looked at Regina and Cora and then shifted his gaze to Rumpel and me, fear and shock overcoming the concern in his expression. What, why is he suddenly so fearing of Rumpel, why is he shocked to see him standing, clearly Snow did- I went rigid. Slowly I tilted my head down as I lifted my palms. Elongated raven nails met thin fingers wrapped in ebony scripted veins that wound up my hands to my arms concealed by my jacket. I knew a black-webbed mask-like configuration surrounded my eyes, over the bridge of my nose and aloft my cheeks. Azure, glowing orbs stared back at him when I realized my mistake. I couldn't speak. My mouth went dry. Rumpel looked to David and back at me. He too, then recognized my fault. David was stunned as was I. Snow had yet to look up from Regina. I couldn't form back, I couldn't hide even if I did she would learn the truth. So I stood stock-still, awaiting her gaze to shift upwards and see me. See the demon that had been prowling through their lives.