Chapter Six
If there were anyone in all the realms that could have summoned him by name, it was his Belle. He would have heard it no matter what was happening, and he went to her instantly.
Rumplestiltskin stood, magic having deposited him there suddenly, at the end of the alley, his eyes dark and dangerous. Anger boiled up within him and his curse raged. He'd been furious with Regina after their talk and had had no outlet to release it if he didn't want to devastate his grandson by ending his mother's life. He hadn't missed the irony that it would have been a different mother than the dreams had indicated. He'd held tight to his temper, though, and it had saved her. It wouldn't save these men that were foolish enough to attack Belle. "Let go of my wife. Now," he snarled as the winds picked up.
A tall man dressed in a long coat stepped forward, the brim of his hat shadowing his pale eyes. He reached up and removed the hat, revealing a young face full of curiosity as he did. "The Dark One," he breathed, and Rumplestiltskin had heard that tone before. He'd dealt with plenty of knights and hunters and everything if every sort over the many years of his life, and they all thought that they would be the one to kill the Dark One. It was silly, and often he tired of the game quickly. No one had approached him in such a way in nearly a century though, and from this young man's expression, he'd been waiting most of his life to do do. He'd probably been raised for it, trained for it, and thought that the safety of all the worlds depended on him in just that moment.
The problem was that Rumplestiltskin didn't care. Belle was being threatened and he had no qualms with neutralising that threat. "I'm not going to repeat myself, dearie."
"We're not here for her. Just for you."
"And you won't have either today."
Pale eyes narrowed. "That's where you're wrong."
He wasn't without magic and it leapt to his call, sizzling through the chilled air. Rumplestiltskin wasn't pleased that Belle was in danger, but he couldn't help but be at least a little interested to see where this led. He recognized the magic as soon as it came into being and a smirk touched his lips. "You broke into my shop a couple weeks back."
A slow smile met his own. "You've hidden the dagger well." He glanced behind him to the man that was holding Belle. "Don't hurt her, Soren, but keep her out of the way. This is between the Dark One and myself."
"Caiden-"
"Do as I say," Caiden answered firmly and turned his attention back to Rumplestiltskin. "Now it's just us."
"As well it should be," the Dark One answered and he pulled power to himself. His curse needed an outlet for the pent up rage and this fool had provided it. The magic was dark and nasty, curses of his own design that the Land Without Magic had never seen the likes of. They came to his call with little thought to the matter, Soren's grip on Belle and Regina's earlier words only fuelling it to the point that he barely saw his opponent through the rage.
Caiden fought back with light magic, though it was sharper than any Rumplestiltskin had ever encountered before. It bit through his shields with a great deal of strength to back it, but if it came down to a power battle, there was no contest.
Rumplestiltskin sealed the breaks in his own defences - this land really did make one careless - and vanished, reappearing in a swirl of smoke and he reached forward, ready to end it without any further trouble. Caiden slammed up against the wall, a hand through his chest, but as Rumplestiltskin pulled he found a spell woven tightly in light magic that even he couldn't undo it that quickly. He yanked his hand back, free of the heart he'd been aiming for, and a low chuckle escaped him. "Well played, but I can still snap your neck easily enough."
"I wouldn't," Soren called from behind him and he risked a glance to find the man holding Belle with the dagger to her throat. It might have been useless for controlling him, but it was sharp and could cut through flesh rather nicely.
Rumplestiltskin didn't stop to think about the fact that the man held it and that going against him might tip his hand before he was ready. Belle was in danger and that was all that mattered. He moved quicker than Soren could follow, flashing out and then back in before anyone could blink, much less move. A freezing spell held the other two well enough in place, and there was no time for theatrics as his hand clamped down on his love's attacker and his magic pulled Belle safely away. Somewhere in there the dagger must have dropped as well because he was empty handed when Rumplestiltskin slammed him into the wall of the alley. His head collided with the brick with a sickening crack and Soren slumped in his grasp, dazed at the very least.
"That mistake will cost you your life, dearie," he growled dangerously, dark magic so thick that it would have been visible to anyone passing by. It swirled around the unfortunate attacker and he started to choke as the visible darkness worked its way through him.
"Rumple!" Belle cried out, but the briefest of glances said she was not in any danger, so he kept his focus on the dying man in front of him. His eyes were rolled back and he convulsed, held up only by the curse running through him.
"Rumple, stop! You're killing him!"
"I'm well aware," he snapped and the magic surged, snuffing Soren's life out, and he fell to the ground dead. All at once the Dark One's curse quieted its raging demands for blood in Rumplestiltskin's mind. Exhaustion made it more difficult to fight, and that coupled with the other events if the day had made it a battle he hadn't had much hope in winning. Now he felt an emptiness spread where the darkness had raced through him and his shoulders slumped as he turned around to face what he was certain would be a very unhappy wife.
Belle was indeed unhappy, but that empty feeling left over from giving into his curse immediately turned to fear sinking deep into his gut as he saw the dagger clutched in her hand and a look of utter betrayal in her face. She'd commanded him to stop and he'd blown right through it. She knew. Belle knew.
Distraction allowed Caiden and his remaining cohort to disappear, but that didn't matter. Belle's stiff stance and the angry tears in her eyes were all that mattered. He couldn't find his voice, yet he knew he needed to. He had to tell her something plausible.
"They said it was a fake," she whispered, her voice nearly drowned out by the pounding footsteps of snooping Storybrooke citizens. "I thought they were lying, because if they weren't, that would mean you were."
"Belle, let me explain," he tried, taking a step closer and the hurt rolled off of her in waves. Betrayal. Anger. Pain. He knew it all, and he'd caused it.
"What the hell happened?" David demanded, rounding the corner into the alley.
"You better damn well tell me the truth, Rumplestiltskin," his wife growled with more fury than he'd ever witnessed from her. "Was I a distraction? Was I the bait to lure out the next person that would steal it from you?"
Rumplestiltskin felt the panic rising. "No, no. Of course not, Belle," he managed and reached out for her.
She pulled away. "Then what?"
"What happened here?" David demanded, now squatted down next to the body that was crumpled against the wall, eyes staring lifelessly ahead and limbs bent in awkward directions. "Gold, did you-?"
The shop owner ignored him completely, his focus entirely on his wife. He opened his mouth and closed it again several times, a lie, a partial truth, and so many variations in between stopping and starting in fits.
"Did you begin our marriage on a lie?" she demanded pointedly and there was no room to move. He had to tell her now.
"Yes." The word was so small and so quiet that it was barely heard. The slap that hit him with such force that it snapped his head around to the side, on the other hand, was not so quiet. It resounded through the alleyway and finally quieted the murmurs that surrounded a dead body and the Dark One.
She stormed off without another word, the fake knife clattering to the ground where she threw it and his love was gone and out of sight, leaving him alone with the accusations of the townspeople and their prince.
David looked as exhausted as Emma had that morning when she'd visited Rumplestiltskin's shop, and he stepped up, he didn't look ready to cut any slack for the painful scene that had just played out. He reached forward and took hold of Rumple's shoulder when closing the distance between them didn't gain his attention. "Hey, this is serious. Who the hell was that man? What happened here?"
Rumplestiltskin instantly pulled away, the strong hold reminding him too closely of the nightmares. "I don't know who he was, but I have every intention of finding out."
"Just like the break in?" Emma's voice drifted around the corner and she stood with her hands on her hips. "Murder's kind of a big thing here, Gold."
"And what are you going to do?" he demanded roughly. "Arrest me?"
"Yeah, that's typically what comes next," the blonde woman answered.
David reached for him again and Rumplestiltskin was gone, magic pulling him away before the prince could take hold of him. He landed in the living room of his house, the teleportation rocky. He'd begun the day exhausted and his magic needed to pull more from him directly in this world than it did in the Enchanted Forest. The outburst of power in the alley had left him more drained than before and now he stumbled to keep his balance.
"Belle?" he called, hoping beyond hope that she was there. "I'm sorry, Belle. I'm so sorry."
His knees gave out under him and he sank to the wood floor, repeating the apology again and again to the empty house. He'd done it. He'd finally driven her away and now he was alone. Now he was truly dust.
The whole town was in an uproar. A man had been murdered in the street and Mr Gold was the prime suspect. He'd been found at the site and had fled when questioned. The Blue Fairy confirmed after his departure that the victim had been killed with powerful dark magic just as the Dark One used. It had destroyed him from the inside out, leaving no chance for survival as pure darkness surged through him. Henry was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear that part, but Emma seemed determined not to leave him to his own devices lest he decide to sneak out while Mary Margaret was handling baby Neal. She wouldn't listen to a thing he said about his grandfather's innocence - or at least there being more to the story than what they knew - and had put Granny and Leroy on guard duty while they spoke with Blue about a way to get through Rumplestiltskin's wards and into his house where he was likely hiding out.
No one seemed to know where Belle had disappeared to, but if anyone knew the whole story - well, anyone the others would listen to - it was her.
Henry waited until Emma and David were both gone, left only with his jailers and homework he'd already finished. He didn't have to fake the huge yawn that took over as he moved to sit next to Leroy at the bar where he was grousing with Granny.
"It was only a matter of time," the innkeeper was saying. "I don't care if he looks like an imp or a man, we all know what he's capable of. There's a reason Snow and Charming locked him up."
"I still think he has Belle under some sort of spell or something. That girl's too good hearted to be with a monster."
"He's not a monster," Henry snapped before he could stop himself. "We don't have the whole story yet. What if the dead guy attacked him or something?"
"Seems strange to me that Belle would go running off," Granny murmured. "Too much for the poor thing, I suppose. Now she's stuck with him."
"Why'd Archie agree to perform that ceremony anyway?" Leroy demanded.
"Because they're True Love," Henry answered. "He doesn't have her under any spell. She loves him, just like you love Astrid."
That quieted the dwarf down a bit and Granny glared sternly over her half moon glasses. "You look tired, Henry. You okay?"
"Yeah, I just haven't been sleeping well. Nightmares."
"I'd have nightmares too if I was adopted by the Evil Queen and found out my grandfather was the Dark One." She ducked down to fish out a key from below the counters and handed it to him. "Room number's on the key. Why don't you go get some sleep while we talk?"
He let another yawn escape for good measure as he nodded. It wasn't like he had to try too hard to look tired. He could feel it weighing on him. If it felt that heavy on him, he couldn't imagine what the others were feeling.
Henry started off towards the back, but paused in the hallway. The stairs that led to the rooms were off in one direction while a back door was tucked away just past the restrooms. Voices followed from the mostly empty diner and once he was certain they were once again distracted he eased the door open and slipped out.
The cold air hit him hard. He'd left his jacket on the hanger so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself and was left just with his thin plaid shirt and sweater that covered it. He glanced back only once before he started forward, jogging as indiscreetly as he could for both speed and warmth.
By the time he reached the three story pink house he was out of breath, but he didn't stop. He felt the wards that Emma had complained about give as he entered and he knew that he was one of the few that could walk right through them with little more than a tingling sensation. He knocked on the door and wasn't overly surprised when no one answered, so he reached for it and the knob turned in his hand. Blood magic. It could keep everyone but his grandson out.
"Grandpa?" Henry called into what looked like an empty house. The setting sun peeked in through pulled curtains and cast long shadows on the floors. He stepped forward, calling out again before he heard a shuffling that caught his attention. He followed the sound until he found his grandfather seated on the floor of Belle's library. His coat had been discarded, leaving him in only his shirt and slacks. Even his tie was pulled loose and he looked quite a mess with his head leaned back against the shelf with eyes rimmed red.
Rumplestiltskin didn't acknowledge his presence, but that didn't stop Henry from walking to him and taking a seat next to him. The teen said nothing as he leaned back.
"Your mothers would have a fit if they knew you were here," Grandpa Gold said at last.
"That's why I left my phone at Granny's. That way Mom can't track me right away."
A soft sound escaped the elder man, and for the first time Henry thought his grandfather looked old. It was as if the weight of the centuries he'd lived was crushing in on him and threatening to shatter him beneath it. "I'm not safe to be around, Henry. You should go."
"You wouldn't hurt me."
"You don't know that."
Henry cringed, but not because he was worried for his own safety. He pulled in a deep breath and thought hard. His dad could fix this, if he were there. He'd have the perfect words to say to kick his own father into action and pull him out of the well of self pity that he seemed to be trying to drown himself in. They'd bicker, it was true, but then Neal would make him see reason. He was good at that, and Henry was sure that he must have inherited something from his dad to help handle Rumplestiltskin.
"I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well talk to me," he said stubbornly and crossed his legs to steady his position.
Dark eyes, the same colour as his own, flickered over to look at him and his grandfather snorted softly. "You sound just like your father. When he was young he used to try to wheedle all of life's woes out of me when they grew too heavy."
Henry tried to keep his feeling of triumph down to a minimum. "Did it work?"
A small, albeit real, smile touched Grandpa Gold's lips. "At times."
"Did you kill the man?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He threatened to hurt Belle. He held a knife to her throat."
"Could you not… I don't know, restrain him or something?"
"I could have."
"Why didn't you?"
Another snort escaped him and this time Rumplestiltskin turned to look at his grandson. "Because I'm not a hero in your book, Henry. When someone takes a shot at me, I fight back until they can never harm me - or those I love - ever again."
He swallowed hard. "You killed Zelena, didn't you?"
"Clever boy."
He shrugged. "Not really. I just listen."
Rumplestiltskin chuckled softly. "You are clever. You come by it naturally." He paused, watching him for a moment. "What are you thinking?"
Henry blinked, turning to look at Grandpa Gold carefully. "I'm trying to figure out if I'm a bad person for not being angry at you for killing her."
"No. She took someone from you that can never be replaced. I don't think that makes you bad at all."
"Okay." He pulled in a deep breath and steadied himself. "They're saying you and Belle had a fight. Was it because you killed the guy?"
"No. I lied to her."
"About what?"
"I told her I was giving her my dagger and instead I gave her a replica. She found out and she left. I don't think she'll be coming back this time."
Henry gaped, instantly springing up so that he was on his knees and bouncing on them, eyes fixated on his grandfather and all the energy of a boy his age rushing through his system to make him get up and do something about this. "What are you doing here? Go after her!"
The sad smile returned. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Henry."
"Do you love her?"
"Of course I do."
"And she loves you. That's simple. Just tell her why you did it. I know you. You don't do anything without a reason. Just tell her, explain it, and she'll understand. I know she will."
"I don't even know where she's gone to."
Henry rolled his eyes. "Really? The Dark One can't find someone? That's not an excuse at all. Don't be scared. If she's worth fighting for, then fight for her."
Grandpa Gold watched him for a long moment before a slow, careful nod bent his neck. He stood then, slow and stiff, but he offered a hand to pull Henry to his feet as well. The teen didn't wait, but wrapped his arms around his middle in a tight hug that Rumplestiltskin returned after less hesitation than usual. "You are your father's son," he said tightly as if he were trying to keep the dam of emotions from breaking.
Henry smiled and released him. "I know. Now go fight for her."
"Yes, now where are you supposed to be, since I know you snuck out from somewhere?"
"Granny's," Henry answered as he produced the roomkey.
"Then they'll never have known you were gone," his grandfather promised and magic swirled around him, redepositing him in the room he was meant to be in. Henry pulled in a deep breath and sat on the bed. It was a terrible day and something equally terrible was happening all around them, but at least one good thing had happened, and that was what he'd hold onto. It would give him hope.
It was very difficult to disappear in a small town where most everyone knew who you were, and that was why Belle had finally gone to the one place that, while they might know her, they knew the wrong her. She hadn't stepped foot into the Rabbit Hole since she received her memories back, just before everyone had rushed off to Neverland to save Henry. A curse reversal and re-cast later, nothing had changed. It still smelled like stale cigarettes and Keith - once the Sheriff of Nottingham - still had his corner stool that he fell off of several times by the end of the night.
The bartender had been kind enough to let her hide out in the one place that no one would look, so Belle took a seat in the corner table with her back to the wall and stuck her nose in a book. She counted time by how often Keith tried to make a pass at her. Gaston tried once to "rescue" her from the leering sheriff, but in the end they'd both slunk away like scolded puppies, leaving the beautiful bookworm to her fantasy and the glass of wine that mysteriously never quite went all the way to the bottom of the glass.
Neither of the men had bothered her in quite a while and the hero of her book had just been reunited with her True Love when she got the strangest feeling she was being watched. Thinking it was one of the two she'd been swatting back all evening, Belle lowered the book to find a familiar face plastered with a slightly terrified expression. She blinked, surprised to see him there. It wasn't so much that he'd found her, but that he'd come after her. She'd fully expected him to slink back to the house and hide out there, foregoing any courageous stance that he could take, but as she sat there looking at him, she realized that maybe that's not as much what she expected, but what she'd wanted. She didn't want to hear his explanations right now. She didn't want to even speak with him.
But there he was and damn it all she loved him more than she was angry at him, and there was no small amount of anger still building within her.
"Hey," he greeted softly.
"Hello."
He stared at her, looking very much like he wanted to turn and run, but he didn't, and she supposed that was to his credit. That didn't mean she was going to make this easy, so she quirked an eyebrow at him and leaned back in her chair. "Did you have something to say?"
"If you'll hear it."
She motioned and he pulled up a chair, leaning closely to keep their voices quiet. "I cannot begin to apologize-"
"No, you really can't, but you're welcome to try."
He winced and she kept herself from mirroring it. Her husband had been lying to her for the duration of their marriage, short as it had been thus far, and she had to hold steady. Rumplestiltskin never made a move without a reason - even if he wasn't certain if that reason himself - and he needed to be honest with her about it. If he wasn't honest now, she wasn't sure how she could trust him going forward, and she knew that she needed to. They were meant to be partners when they said their vows. She couldn't do this, no matter how much she wanted to, if she couldn't trust him.
"Do you understand what you've done?" she asked, her voice more chilled that she had expected it to be. "I know how hard it is for you to trust, Rumple, and to me, that was you saying that you trusted me completely. That you believed in our love as strongly as I do."
"I do, Belle," he said in a desperate voice.
"Do you? Because you lied to me when you said you trusted me."
He glanced around, made nervous by the chattering that surrounded them. She knew he'd prefer to have this conversation somewhere private, but at the moment she thought a little discomfort would do him some good. "I didn't switch it on you," he said very quietly so that she had to strain to hear him. "I switched it on Regina while everyone was watching Zelena."
"You still gave me the fake one saying it was the real one. I would have kept your secret, Rumple. There are plenty of reasons not to trust Regina. I don't understand why you didn't just tell me. I tried to give it back and you all but forced me to take it. Why were you so determined to start our lives together on a lie? Was I just your alibi? Your... distraction, as those men called me?"
"No, no. Of course not," he answered hastily, but then clamped back down. She watched him carefully and saw the struggle that caused the muscles at the edge of his lips to twitch. It was a small tell she'd seen as far back as the Dark Castle when he was trying so hard to hide behind this mask or that. It meant that he wasn't willing to tell her everything even now.
Belle let loose a long breath, picked her book back up, and stood. "I will never love you less, Rumplestiltskin, but I can't be with you if you don't trust me. I can't live like that. We're supposed to be in this together for every step of the way. That is what you promised, but that you cannot seem to abide by."
"No, please don't leave," he begged and grabbed her hand. There was something desperate in those dark eyes that reminded her if when she'd found him in Zelena's basement. She swallowed hard even as he tightened his grip. "I was afraid," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Belle. You're not the one that caused it, but I-"
Belle moved quickly so that she was very close to him and they looked each other directly in the eye. "What did she do to you, Rumple?" It was a question that had been asked again and again, but every time that he skirted around it she let him because she thought he wasn't ready. Now, she knew, she'd let it go too far and they were both suffering for it. It was now or never and she didn't want to lose him to the despair that threatened to drown him in his own darkness.
"Please, not here," he managed and she wrapped her arms around him. He sunk into her embrace.
"Then make me a deal, because for some reason those mean more to you," she said into his ear and he cringed. "If we go home you will tell me everything without delay. No more secrets."
"No more secrets," he agreed. "I'll tell you everything."
They stood together and though the drive home was quiet between them, she knew his mind was running through everything. They were silent as they walked into the house and as he took her coat for her, all the while moving as if he were on autopilot.
When he did speak his voice was trembling as if he were barely holding himself together. "I always thought she'd kill me in the end. After Bae...I'm not sure I didn't want to."
Belle felt her heart clench in her chest and she stepped forward to take his hand. He squeezed her fingers in his and when she looked up she thought he looked a little more tired than he had earlier. It took a moment for her to realize that a spell had washed away. She'd read about more spells than she'd ever seen with her own eyes, so she was fairly certain that she recognized it as a glamour spell when it fell. She'd seen a few of the scars Zelena had left behind, but as the spell faded away she saw the ones he hadn't been willing to share with her. He pulled at his tie and shrugged off his coat, revealing a rather nasty and jagged scar at his neck, very obviously left by the Kris Dagger.
"When I first gained control of the dagger and killed Zoso, I didn't know to what extent it could control the Dark One. I suppose I didn't know in full until Zelena had it. She was a quick study." A short, mirthless laugh left him and Belle reached up to work the buttons of his shirt open. He let her and she tried to crush the sick feeling that rose in her, his name falling from her lips as she found more hidden scars there. "I caught a glimpse when Regina knocked the dagger from Zelena's hands in the barn - more of a feeling, I suppose - of how bad it could be if they took hold of it. I won't live as a slave, Belle. Never again."
Her fingers trailed the scars and she knew there were many more that Zelena had left that couldn't be physically seen on his body. She saw them in the way he flinched when someone came up behind him or when control slipped for even a moment. "But why did you lie to me?"
"Because I'm a coward," her husband whispered, "and I was afraid - terrified - of what would happen." He paused and leaned into her touch when she lifted her hand to his face. "I needed to know you'd stay."
"How is it that you can be so clever and so foolish at the same time? I'm always going to fight for you, Rumple. I just... We have to fight together."
He gritted his teeth hard and his voice was strained. "I'll give it to you. The real one."
"I don't want it. I want you to do what I ask because you love me, not because you have to, and I'll do the same for you. When we disagree we will talk about it, not run circles around each other. Agreed?"
Rumplestiltskin stared at her for a moment as if he were waiting for something worse to be added. When it wasn't he took a shaky breath. "Yes." He paused, those dark eyes watching her uncertainly, but the speed with which the next confession left his lips, she knew he was taking a frightening leap of faith in her. "I killed Zelena."
Well, they'd said no more secrets. "I know."
He blinked at her. "You knew?"
She pulled in a deep breath. "Yes, but I was waiting for you to tell me."
"You're not angry?"
"I don't approve. You know I don't, but I think I understand. Especially now."
"She would have gotten out eventually and it would have happened all over again."
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I love you," she whispered and she could feel him slowly begin to relax against her. "I know everything won't be better right away, Rumple. Just don't shut me out."
"I won't," he swore.
"I'm holding you to that."
"I promise," he murmured and kissed her hair.
Belle pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "I'll go see Emma first thing and clear up this afternoon's mess. I know you were only protecting me, Rumple, and I'll explain it to them. Do you know who they were?"
"A great deal of trouble, potentially," he grumbled. "The magic that their leader - Caiden - was using reeked of both what was left behind in the shop as well as the magic that has been causing the dreams."
"We'll get to the bottom of it all. Together."
"Though it may be time that Henry took a step out of it. It's becoming too dangerous for him to be involved."
"I'd like to see you try," Belle laughed. "That boy has a stubborn streak that he inherited from him grandfather."
Rumple snorted but didn't argue the point. "We'll handle it in the morning."
She nodded and took his hand a they climbed the steps to their room. She didn't want the dagger, she wanted his trust. It was something he rarely gave, and she knew why. Time would tell if he could truly live by his promises, but the fact that he'd freely told her of Zelena was a good start. He was braver than he gave himself credit for. Sometimes he just needed someone to remind him of it.
His chest still ached where the Dark One had tried to rip his heart from him. He'd spent the better part of his life training for that battle and had nearly been killed before landing a meaningful blow. Even in the Land Without Magic he was stronger than they had ever thought he could be, and that lack of foresight had gotten Soren killed.
Caiden's boots echoed throughout the entrance way as he pushed through the wards surrounding the large house in the woods that they had taken for their own. No one had questioned them and they'd sealed it off from any curious onlookers. It wouldn't do to have the Storybrooke citizens snooping around.
"Leaving him there like that was wrong," Silas, his remaining companion from the failed attempt to lay hands on the Kris Dagger, muttered.
"Soren was dead. There was nothing to be done for him," Caiden answered without meeting the gaze he was sure was on him.
"Nothing? His body will rot in those people's hands. He deserves a proper burial according to customs."
"Customs will have to wait. The Dark One is our first priority. Soren knew the risks."
"What good has all our work been if he's still that powerful?" Silas demanded. "This is the only place we might have a chance of killing him without transferring the curse. If we can't-"
"I'm well aware," Caiden growled, stopping in front of the large, ornate doors that his the room their leader had sectioned off for his own. He glanced to where Silas had shrunk back just a little, but hadn't left his side just yet. "There's no point in both of us going in. It was my mission. I'll speak with him."
"He had to have known it was too early to be sure," Silas managed, but Caiden could only shrug. There was no going back now.
As soon as the younger man had vanished Caiden reached forward, knuckles colliding with the heavy wooden door. He waited for the muffled acknowledgement from inside before he pushed it open and entered.
The fire roared big and bright in its place and the man that had brought them all to this land in hopes of finally putting an end to the evil that was the Dark One's curse stood facing it, broad shoulders pulled back tightly and head held high. He was dressed in robes of their own world, not of this one, and his only movement was to barely extend his hand as Caiden moved closer and knelt to kiss the ring he wore.
"You return one shy than the number you left with."
"Soren was killed by the Dark One," Caiden answered, slowly rising to his feet.
"You were only meant to go after the girl. It was too early to approach the demon."
"He came to her aid. The dagger she held was not the Kris Dagger."
"Clever demon," the elder man said and he turned, milky eyes drifting away from the flames. He had no need of physical site with all his magical talent. He'd called it a hindrance once, when Caiden had been small and curious. If he'd been burdened with all the many distractions around him, it would have been a hindrance to their cause. "Then he still holds it."
"We were unable to recover Soren's body, Magnus," Caiden said softly, "though if we go after nightfall-"
"There's no need. We are too close to allow another slip as he did. Far too close."
Without warning the giant of a man turned to move, his robes brushing the wooden floors as he strode forward and Caiden followed without delay. He shuffled after his mentor as they moved down the hall and down into the basement where the lights did not shine. Magnus had no need to see the path before him, but Caiden let a ball of flame appear in his hand, the fire lighting the dark space. He knew what was down here and he had no interest in being caught unawares should they find that he'd managed to escape his bindings again.
A soft, raspy chuckle met his ears and as he leaned forward, magic fueling the light in his hand, he saw that their captive had not broken free again. He still sat tied firmly to a chair, one eye nearly swollen shut and blood had dried to the side of his face. One or more of Caiden's brothers had made him pay for the last attempt. "More visitors," he said as he craned his head around to see them. "Yay."
"You'd do well not to antagonize us further," Caiden warned, but Magnus waved him down and stepped closer.
He took the man's chin between his fingers and forced him to meet his milky gaze. "Rumplestiltskin killed one of my sons today."
"Sucks to be him," was the answer and he tried to pull away. "And you, when he gets done. He's not one to half-ass things."
"We will cleanse this land and our own of his foul curse. It will be done. If you help us willingly you will be rewarded."
Caiden leaned forward and saw the dark haired man's smile spread, lip splitting for his effort and he snorted. "You really don't know a damn thing about him, do you? You certainly don't know me."
"Not so little as you might think," Magnus answered easily. "By your own will or ours, you will help us, Baelfire. Of that I have no doubt."
TBC
Notes: Well, for all of you that were questioning if Bae would make an appearance... I told you to have faith :D You know I can't ever write a story without my lovely Baelfire in it. I've been excited for this one to come about. I'd love to know if anyone saw it coming.
Next time - Belle tries to explain to Emma what she's found while Magnus and his followers make a more aggressive move to reach their goals.