Only one more chapter to go in this story after this one. Enjoy.
Chapter Thirty-One – The Attack
"You okay babe?" Bo asked Lauren.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the Berserkers the other night. Something about it is just not sitting with me right. I mean, who was controlling them? A bunch of Berserkers don't just up and start killing a bunch of Fae for no reason."
Bo stood behind the couch, rubbing her lover's shoulders as she sat on the couch. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
Bo opened it to see Hella standing in the doorway, a worried look on her face. Bo's heart dropped, she did not have a good feeling about this. "Come in," Bo said, her voice to the point.
"Is Lauren here? It's Tue."
Lauren immediately got up, the three of them sat on the kitchen chairs, Lauren was looking instantly worried and Bo stood at her side supportively.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this but Tue's been kidnapped by the Elders. I'm so sorry I didn't see it beforehand but the Elders can hide their abilities from other Fae, that's what makes them so powerful."
"But why, how?" Lauren asked, though she thought she already knew.
"The Counsel is behind those Berserkers, the ones who were killing Light and Dark Fae. They sent them out to distract you and lure you to the shipyard so they could keep an eye on you while they kidnapped Tue. They want to make an example of you Lauren, they want to get to the bottom of how you got your powers, they think it's too dangerous to have a human suddenly turned Fae running around, they don't want any Fae or humans to get any ideas. They're going to try Tue but the gift stone is a sacred tradition and perfectly within the limits of what is allowed. The thing that worries me is that Tue has been gone for too long, he should've been released already. I feel like the Counsel may be intending to make an example of him anyway but I can't tell because I can't see what the Elders intend to do."
Lauren fidgeted in her chair anxiously.
"What can we do?" Bo asked, Bo was feeling sick with worry, what if they didn't get there in time? What if Tue wasn't even given a trial and was simply executed. Not only would it break her heart but it would shatter Lauren's world and she didn't want to have to put her lover back together, she didn't want her to go through that at all.
"Do what you do best Bo, cause a stir."
Bo nodded, she grabbed Lauren's hand, sensing how desperately her lover wanted to leave, "Let's go babe."
Lauren grabbed her knife off the kitchen counter and shoved it in her thigh sheath.
They snuck into the Elders compound, heading straight for the holding cells to talk to Tue first.
"Oh girls, thank Goddess you're here."
"Tue, are you okay?"
"I'm fine girls."
"Did you tell the Counsel about the gift stone? Hella said it's perfectly legal, why haven't you been released?"
"I haven't had a chance to tell them, they haven't given me an opportunity to speak. I tried discussing it with the lugheads who pulled me from my hollow but they ignored me and dragged me off anyway."
"Lauren Lewis, nice of you to join us," one of the Elders was standing at the entrance to the holding cells. "Looks like we'll be getting two criminals for the price of one today, it's our lucky day."
Anger flared in Bo, "If you lay a finger on one hair on her head, I'll kill you - and I can promise that I won't do it quickly. Things are quite on the contrary, today you'll be losing one prisoner and we'll all be leaving together. We know that you set the Berserkers on the Light and Dark Fae as a simple decoy to occupy us. How do you think the Morrigan and the Ash would feel about that, let alone the rest of the Fae?"
"Those Fae that were murdered were going to be executed anyway, we decided to kill two birds with one stone as it were."
Bo tried not to vomit at his cavalier attitude towards the whole thing. "Despite that disturbing news, there is still no reason for Tue to be here, he's done nothing wrong and a trial will only make the Elders look foolish. Lauren's powers have come from the gift stone which is a time honored tradition. Release him now or the Light Ash will know about your callous treatment of a century year old Light Fae before you can blink."
The Council member's face twisted in frustration and he hesitated for a few moments and then retrieved the keys from his pocket. He opened Tue's cell door and gestured to the door.
"Don't ever break into the Elders compound again, or you will both be arrested immediately and sent to trial."
Bo shot him a dirty look and the three of them left together.
"Thank you girls so much."
"Look Tue, I feel like we might have gotten away with this too easily. I know the Council is not only angry about me becoming Fae but about the fact that I'm unaligned. I take full responsibility for my choice but the Council is not rational or fair and I just want you to be safe okay?"
"I can promise you, I will. Thank you again girls, I would've hated to have to stay there until trial."
"Anything for you Tue, stay safe."
Lauren and Bo were laid out on the couch, sharing a bottle of wine. Lauren had her head on Bo's lap, her legs spread out on the couch, the brunette was running her fingers through her hair lovingly. "You okay baby?"
"I'm okay. I just – I wish we could be free of this, of all of this. I know that we're 'technically' free, but let's face it, with the Fae, no one is ever really free."
"We are free and if that freedom is ever actually threatened, I will drop bodies if it means protecting it. No one is going to enslave you or I or make us abide by their archaic rules. I don't want you to worry about our freedom, as long as I'm alive, our freedom is safe."
Lauren lifted her hands to Bo's leg and squeezed it lovingly. "I love you babe."
"I love you princess. Hey, do you have plans tomorrow night?"
"No, why?"
"I had a little dinner planned, just the two of us. How about you meet Tue for lunch tomorrow so you guys can talk, I know it'll make you feel better, then we can have dinner when you're back."
"That sounds perfect babe, thank you." Lauren rolled onto her back and made a kissy face at Bo who smiled and leaned down to kiss her lover.
"Love you."
"Love you too."