Heya Descendants!
Hope you liked that last chapter! But hoping you like this one more ;)
-Twisted
He knew it was going to be bad.
Knew it the minute she'd woken from her waking nightmare.
That this was going to be different.
Worse.
And not just because he hated it the most when Deez cried.
No. It was because she'd been dragged through hell.
Forced to endure things he couldn't even imagine.
Didn't want to imagine.
His heart breaks as she clutches her necklace and curls around it tightly.
Like it was the only thing keeping her warm.
Pain pierces his chest-
And maybe it was.
Maybe it was the only thing keeping her from losing her light.
The thought makes his throat tighten.
That was his biggest fear. His Treasure losing her spirit.
Losing her light.
He tightens his arms around her.
All because Senior was too weak to-
Didn't matter.
He'd tortured her.
Kept her prisoner. Chained to him. Locked to his side.
Who did that?
Who gambled with someone's will like that?
He scowls, Senior.
Selfish ass hole.
He wasn't sure what he'd do without Deez-
The thought was enough to set ice to his blood.
-he couldn't even conceive a world without her in it.
He needed her laughter.
Needed the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.
Needed the way she needed him to shelter her from herself. Someone to remind her how amazing she truly was. How strong. How driven. Inspiring.
She was always a force to be reckoned with, his Treasure. Always working hard to do the next right thing-
And stubborn to a fault.
He holds her closer as she lets out another shrill terrified scream, his vision blurring as the sound rips through his chest.
Why.
Why out of fucking everyone did her father have to be a god?
It wasn't-
Then again, he slams his eyes tight, what was?
Children had been sacrificed.
In ways he didn't want to think about.
And he'd made her endure it all!
A heavy weight settles over him as he holds her head to his chest, grimacing at the moist warmth seeping through his shirt.
He was the anchor.
The one who kept a level head. Who calmed them when they were upset.
He hadn't had a choice.
Uma's temper could flare on the drop of a dime, or at least had.
She'd settled greatly once their wayward family had joined them.
And Harry?
Harry had always been a wild card carried away by his passions.
Passions that often left him in more trouble than not.
His brow furrows.
Not that he was any more.
He meets Uma's worried teary eyes over Deez's head.
They'd all grown so much since then, yet-
He'd never felt younger.
Inexperienced and unprepared.
Lost.
But this?
Watching Deez struggle and fight against ghost memories?
Was a different type of hell.
Keeping a clear head had never been such a struggle before.
"Uma," he pauses his coaxing, "why hasn't she woken up yet?"
She loses the battle with herself as the dam holding back her tears breaks, "I don't know Sweet Boy." She looks down at the orb in her hand.
The orb that was usually ablaze with brilliant teal flames.
But now only had the softest flickering ember.
He nods slowly.
That was fair.
Uma knew what to do ninety nine point nine percent of the time-
But, how could she know how to handle this when it had never happened before?
He sighs before he gathers Deez completely in his arms, "come on."
"Sweet Boy?"
"We ain't goin' far." He assures her as he cradles Deez to him before he slips into a hammock.
"Ah," a ghost of a smile tilts her lips and she collects blankets before joining them.
He presses his foot against the wall before they start swaying.
He missed his flute.
He nuzzles Deez's head before he starts humming one of the lullabies Uma used to sing to him when they were younger.
He smiles when Uma joins him, singing the words softly.
Both of them hold their Treasure close, and he was pretty sure any would be hard pressed to find pirates who held tighter to their bounty.
His hand brushes against the back of Faustina's as he continues to dig through the ridiculous storage room.
Storage room his ass.
The room was packed full of half ripped open crates precariously stacked floor to ceiling.
And that was the most organized thing about the room.
They'd been wading-
Wading!
-around the sea of treasure for sea gods only knew how long.
He still couldn't believe they were in here.
He used to pester Deez for stories about the treasure rooms here.
But she wasn't allowed in these rooms.
Rooms!
Not for the first time, he catches himself looking around in awe.
Were all the rooms this stuffed?
He tilts his head when he notices Faustina turning something over in her hands.
"Well now, that be drawin' me eye."
He wasn't sure of the shape, but even without getting a good look he could see it sparkle in a rainbow of colors.
It was hard to wrap his head around, all this treasure kept by a god who could care less for the finer things.
At least that was the impression he got from the weird sitting room.
She turns to him curiously, "it is. Shame that it's worthless now." She places the golden jewel encrusted egg down.
"Aye."
He can't help his pout though.
This place was a pirate's dream trove.
"There's plenty of gold and precious jewels in our cabin, my Prince. If something catches your interest, I can draw it and we can see what our crafters can do with it." She offers with a small smile.
"Nah, we be havin' far more important shit ta be doin', I be knowin' that." He sighs before he tosses a bolt of golden fabric over his shoulder, "don'nah be meanin' me pirate soul ain'nah droolin'."
She chuckles as her gaze slowly sweeps the room, "Such restra-" She pauses as her eyes narrow thoughtfully before she starts walking in the direction of whatever had caught her interest.
Restraint.
He snorts.
This wasn't restraint.
Restraint was the way he'd forced himself to sit silently by as Faustina was forced to come out and then deal with Senior.
It was trusting that anything he could do would only mess things up.
He didn't have to like it, but he did have to acknowledge it.
Senior liked Faustina.
Why else would he make a deal so heavily in her favor?
Praise her for her negotiation skills?
Not to say Faustina wasn't a negotiator, she was pretty good.
So good it surprised him.
But skilled or not, Senior was definitely giving a lot more than he was getting in their deal.
And the way the god apologized!
None of them-
Not a single damn one.
-had ever received any sort of apology from an OV.
OVs were never wrong, even when they were.
He takes a deep breath before he looks up to find Faustina on the other side of the room.
What about Faustina made the god so-
Desperate?
He hated the word, but it was the only one he could think of.
Was Senior desperate for Faustina's approval?
And if he was, why?
And why now?
"What ya be doin'?" He asks when he manages to trudge to her side.
She turns to him, "I'm trying to discern what that blade belongs to. I've never seen one with that design."
He follows her gesture to find a strange looking curved blade sticking up through a pile of broken wood and heavy canvas.
As if someone had tried to cover the thing up.
She steps forward and starts moving the debris, determined.
"We might be wantin' ta put this aside," he says as he pulls a corner of the canvas to help uncover more destruction around the blade, "it be the same material as the sails."
She glances at him before her eyes trail to the canvas thoughtfully. "It would behoove us to know our options before we finally select what we're taking, very wise my Prince."
He winks at her before he roughly folds the material, "what with ya gettin' three things fer each question ya be answerin', I be thinkin' we be havin' our own trove here soon."
That was another crazy thing.
Senior, the god who lorded it over everyone on the Isle how important he was and demanded tribute and who knows what other kinds of shit, giving up three things for simple answers.
And, truth be told, if his first question was any indication, Senior's questions were going to be whims.
But what wasn't with the damn god.
His eyes narrow.
Was it a whim?
In all the time he'd known T, he'd never questioned his name.
Never thought to question it.
Names were everything here.
It revealed your status.
What OV claimed you as theirs.
Or, if you were an Urchin, it revealed something about you.
Ironically or literally.
At one point he'd thought T's name was actually tea, as in gossip.
Which made a type of sense since he lived to collect gossip and rumors.
And then he'd drawn the connection with the church and the fact T signed his name t.
Like a damn cross.
And now?
He bites his lip as he pulls another canvas from the pile and wads it up, "love, can I be askin' ah question?"
Her curious gaze shifts to him, "of course."
"Ya be tellin' Senior that you be the one who named T."
She's silent as she studies him, before she sighs. "When we were young, it was rare that father would visit." She bites her lip. "But when he did, he never acknowledged T. Which makes as much sense as it doesn't. T was with me nearly constantly before he started sneaking out."
He nods as he carefully takes one of her hands.
This was important to her, he could tell by the way she hesitated over her words.
Much like a certain Fire Princess.
It was still hard to wrap his mind around a time when T and Faustina believed they were out at the same time.
Or each had their own body.
He didn't need to fully understand it though.
Maybe one day.
But for now, it meant a lot to him that she was willing to share with him, despite the strangeness of her situation.
She pulls her eyes off their connected hands. "It was always difficult watching the world play out before us without the ability to interact." She continues, "It hurt, watching but not being able to help those who had drawn our attention." Her eyes meet his for a moment, "We'd talk for hours about the treatment of those our age. Talk about how the Isle could be better. About what we would do if we were a part of it."
"It's the only thing that got me through his absence. Thinking about what impact he could have, and then as we grew older my thoughts expanded to who would be willing to-" She blushes, "start a rebellion."
He quickly covers a chuckle, "Aye, an' ya be findin' us."
Though he had no doubt this was not the rebellion she envisioned.
"Aye," She smiles, "that we did." She squeezes his hand. "Something that I'll, well, we, will forever be grateful for."
"Same." He moves a stray hair out of her face.
Her blush deepens, "thank you." She breathes out softly as her free hand presses over her heart.
She smiles, "It took us forever to learn each of your names, and at first it just made him happy. It was a connection we'd never been privy to before. But after the first few, he started getting moody." She sighs, "it took Father for me to figure out why. As I said, we were left alone most of the time, we didn't even get to interact with whoever fed us." She grimaces as her hand tightens around his. "So, when father came after learning of some of your names, he acted out. But father didn't even look his way."
"It bothered me greatly to see him so distraught. We knew my name, Carlos's, Gil's, Deez's, and Evie's- It wasn't fair to me that he didn't have one. So, when I offered to give him one, he nearly- He lost it." She smiles, "It was the first time he hugged me without apprehension in his eyes."
She shakes her head, "I didn't have access to many, just the names of figures in the bible and their stories and those I'd learned." She sighs, "and it would have been confusing to name him Gil or Carlos. I took a while to deliberate, but after much thought about which would suit him the best, I couldn't resist the urge to name him Tiglath. There aren't many warriors in the bible, let alone ones that wage rebellions."
Being named after a warrior that led a rebellion was pretty cool. But, since he'd found himself sworn to secrecy, he could only imagine T didn't share his opinion, "he were bein' less than impressed with the name?"
She smiles, "not at first. It took him sneaking out several more times to realize how distinct it was- And how awful it was compared to other people's names. So, when he found out going by his first initial was an option-" She shrugs.
"He went by T." He snorts, "and the hundred other names he be collectin' 'long the way."
"I can't blame him, Dagger, Shadow, Ghost? All are so much more menacing."
"Guess not everyone can be knowin' there be good stories in that book."
"Despite Father's self-serving sermons, I rather enjoyed the stories and unraveling their lessons for myself once T taught me to read adequately."
"T be teachin' ya?"
She nods, "I'd already learned some of the baser foundations out of a mixture of desperation and curiosity." She frowns, "I will forever be in Carlos's debt for taking that chance on T. It couldn't have been a decision made lightly." She finishes wistfully.
"Knowin' the Pup from Deez an' Gil's talk, he probably were tryin' ta pay T back."
He remembered how determined the Fire Princess had been to track down the Shadow figure fighting bullies. She'd even let him read the letter about it before she sent it to Auradon.
It felt like forever ago.
She pauses, "that does sound like him, but it was a generous reward, and one that would've landed him on Mal's bad side."
"Probably. If she'd been figurin' it out afore they left."
Her eyes shift through several emotions, "I'm happy she finally gets to be her true self now. It is a comforting thought."
"Aye, an' she be with 'er Dragon Tamer too." He chuckles before he reluctantly eases his hold of her hand.
He'd forgotten where they were during the conversation, not that he'd ever tell anyone.
Last thing he needed was the family believing he was comfortable at the temple.
Faustina smiles, "made in part by our Star Gazer."
He smiles at the nickname.
"Right, I be distractin' ya enough." The sooner they found their items, the sooner they could get out of here, "let's be diggin' out yer treasure."
Faustina nods, before she turns back to the scraps of wood.
An awed gasp leaves her several moments later before she turns to him with bright eyes. "T is going to lose it." Her smile reaches her eyes. "Afterall, who doesn't fear the reaper?"
She shakes the chill away as she continues to stare into the storm forming around them.
She was really starting to hate the dark.
And the cold.
She grips the orb in her hand, smiling at the warmth it emitted.
She wasn't sure exactly when the barrier went up before, she just knew the barrier letting magic in seemed to be what woke Deez up.
Was that how it would always be, or was that only because she'd been asleep when it happened?
"Uma?" Gil frowns as he presses Deez's face to his chest, "did, um, did T mention bringin' any one with 'em?"
"I don't like the tone," Deez shakes her head, "I don't like the sound of your racing heart beat. I don't-"
But before she can continue to list everything she didn't like, Gil cups the back of her head and pulls her tighter to his chest.
She lifts an eyebrow as her gaze settles on Gil, "he didn't mention anyone-Why ya askin'?"
"Um," Gil holds Deez tighter, "cause I think-"
"No!" Deez screeches and starts fighting against Gil's hold.
Her eyes widen in fear as she looks behind her fast enough to whip her braids, "what!? What is it?" She demands her whip at the ready.
"No! No no no no!" Deez continues to struggle, "I can hear them walking!"
Gil sighs.
"Can you two calm the fuck down," she scolds as he turns back to them, "and tell me-"
Her eyes widen as a large shadow falls over them.
"I see my presence still sparks fear."
What the fuck?
She slowly turns and finds herself staring up at the biggest creature she'd ever seen.
The Spider had to be bigger than her Uncle!
Gil grimaces as he looks down and forces Deez's face into his chest again.
"They jus' need ta warm up to you."
"It do be ah mite hard ta fight the terror ya can be inspirin'."
Was Harry-
She blinks as she watches him run his hand along one long leg.
Was her Pretty Boy petting the spider?
"Terror?" T snorts.
"He don'nah be meanin' it, my lady, ya be proper scary."
"Thank you Harry, I can be quite scary when I want to be."
Her voice was so soft and melodious she found herself leaning in closer, even though she knew the spider was putting words right into her head.
Harry grins as he walks past the giant legs to slide down the sand hill to her, "sorry we be ah scarin' ya."
She jumps up and wraps her arms around his neck.
Because they had scared her.
Running into witches like that.
Getting attacked.
Cursed.
The temple.
Her Beauty Girl being forced out and then making deals.
It was definitely not because she was scared of the spider.
But she didn't trust her voice enough right now to make her stance perfectly clear.
"I understood Little Captain, I too was worried about the little Spiders and mate when I found them."
She can't help the shiver that runs down her spine.
She'd always teased T about being a mind reader-
But-
Her eyes widen.
A spider was reading her thoughts.
She glances at T, how the fuck was he okay with that?
He got so mad when he thought she could, but here he was, riding a giant, mind-reading, fucking spider.
No.
She glares.
She was not getting jealous of a spider.
"It be takin' some gettin' use ta Cap'n. But I can be swearin' she be very sweet once ya be gettin' ta know 'er."
She nods, still not trusting her voice-
Her eye twitches.
Trust her voice or not-
The damned thing could read her fucking thoughts-
"I'll take your word on that." She breathes out.
"I very much appreciate the benefit of the doubt."
She shrugs, if T trusted her-
And Harry vouched for her-
She couldn't be as fucking terrorfying as she looked.
"Are we done?" Deez squeaks against Gil's side, "because we have things that need made and, and, yeah, things."
"My apologies, tiny one, please wait a moment and I shall head back to my new nest."
T leans forward to meet Adelaide's eyes. Or at least a set of them.
She narrows her eyes.
What the fuck was he doing now?
"Little Spiders are asking if I would be so kind as to set their spoils down for them."
Huh.
She'd thought for sure-
She blushes.
Thanks.
"I understand that the Little Spider has given you much to suspect in the past."
Like so much.
T laughs as he runs his hand over Adelaide's head before he slips off of her. "Thanks again, that woulda been a bitch."
"We did be ah gettin' ah haul o' shit this last visit."
Judging by the size of the wrapped bundles, she could only imagine.
And was it wrapped in-
"Yes," Adelaide deftly removes the web-covered sacks from her back and sets them in the sand at her feet. "Little Spiders and Harry were most resourceful at negotiating items and means of transportation. The Lord of Death was very accommodating after his arrangement with Arachne."
Accommodating?
Senior?
Arachne?
It was hard to believe, but the size of their haul made it impossible to laugh off.
"If you wouldn't mind, that'd be dope." T pulls away from Adelaide before the spider pulls a giant cocoon from her back.
Her eyes widen with wonder as the giant spider starts unweaving it quicker than she thought was possible. And the process?
Was like an enthralling nightmare as her large spindly legs deftly unwind the oddly shaped package with a grace she hadn't imagined.
It was a strange feeling.
Planted to the spot, mesmerized by the beauty, while also wanting to put as much distance between her and the artist as possible.
She isn't even sure how long she watches before she's able to pull her eyes from Adelaide's elegant -
She wasn't even sure what to call the fascinating dance of thread and precision, the closest she could come up with masterfully appealing.
She whips her head at Deez's terrified squeak before Gil quickly turns her away from the sight.
More than anything she wished to be part of that hug. Her Sweet Boy's hugs were always the best.
Comforting.
Warm.
Firm.
And made you feel protected.
She clears her throat.
Not that she needed that.
Her eyes settle on T and her head tilts to the side.
What the fuck was he-
She frowns when her eyes drop to the coils of web T was meticulously collecting.
Her eyes narrow as she watches for another moment, before her mouth goes dry.
That wasn't her Problem Child standing next to Adelaide's dripping mandibles-
It was her Beauty Girl.
Her gaze sweeps back to Gil and his Treasure, no wonder Deez had reacted so viscerally.
It was just-
Wrong. The thought of Faustina next to such a-
Her hair stands on end.
Nope.
She shakes her head.
Mind reader.
The-
Adelaide was a mind reader-
And she was being rude.
If she were going to hurt them, she would've done so by now.
Still-
The knowledge did nothing to slow her pulse.
She bites her lip and tears her eyes from Faustina to Adelaide-
Her eyes widen at the bounty that had accumulated at the Spiders feet.
Harry had said Senior had been suspicious-
Which, when wasn't he?
But this?
No wonder why Harry'd mentioned it being 'every level of confusin'.'
Faustina had managed to gather way more than she'd ever expected Senior to barter.
Her stomach tightens.
Surely it wasn't over simple messages-
She frowns, not that she'd call the messages she'd read that day simple. In fact some of their conversations were straight bizarre.
Almost like Faustina was trying to coach Senior on how to-
She still wasn't sure, honestly.
It was just-
Weird. What the hell was she trying to teach a damned god?
She frowns, something she'd been trying not to think about.
"I-"
Heat licks her cheeks after she jumps nearly a foot in the air.
"-must return now. It was a pleasure meeting you, little Captain."
She blinks as Adelaide bows to them.
"Uh," she dips her head, "same."
"Until next time." Harry waves.
A chill runs down her spine as she watches her scurry away.
"Treasure?" Gil slowly releases Deez, "it's okay now, she's gone."
Deez nods before she slowly pulls back to twist and glare at Faustina, only to gulp and look away from the enormous amount of spun web she'd collected.
"Sorry," Gil nuzzles her as he pulls her back to the security of his arms.
She shakes her head before she walks over to Harry and yanks his head down to her level, "are you sure you're both okay?"
"Aye," He grins at her, "it be a bit o' a scare, but we be bein' okay."
She glares at him.
"An' now we be ah knowin' ta be 'voidin' that area?" Harry holds his hands up, palm out as he grins uncertainly.
Gil turns to frown at Faustina, holding Deez close to his side as if afraid she'd bolt at any moment.
"Is this everything from Mal's place?"
"It be all the useful like things." Harry explains with a shrug.
Good.
At least they wouldn't find themselves tempted by a stash of supplies in the middle of the witches hunting ground again.
"I'm glad she's a nice spider, and it's so much easier to feel that way when I'm not trapped by her eyes," Deez shivers, "but I'm ready to go home now."
She nods, "we can look everything over after we return to the ship, it's getting too dark for my liking."
Was it night that had an effect on evil magic, or just darkness itself?
She would have to ask Yensid about that.
And figure out what to do if storms also served to strengthen the witches.
She eyes Faustina as she walks over and taps Harry's chest and then points to the small pile of treasure.
"Oh," Harry's eyes light up, "aye." He nods before he turns to her. "Think we can be takin' a moment Captain, there be somethin' T really be wantin' Baby Girl and Sweet Boy ta be havin'."
"Kay," she nods more out of curiosity. It wasn't like Harry to want to linger somewhere. Especially somewhere potentially dangerous.
"Can't we just-"
"No, we can'nah be ah jus' nothin'." Harry waves Deez off, "wait until ya be ah seein' these! Look-it!"
It had been a long time since Harry was this excited.
Faustina claps quietly as Harry pulls a large stick from the pile.
She would have thought it was some kind of joke, except that the other end was wrapped in layers of canvas, and seemed to be vaguely crescent shaped.
Even Deez was silent as she stared at it.
"Wait-" Deez slowly takes a step closer, "thats the-" she grimaces before she shakes her head, "I remember when he got this," her hand wraps around the pole.
Her eyes widen.
The dark metal pole was easily twice Deez's height.
Maybe even three times.
And the wedge-
She blinks at the realization that she was staring at a blade.
A blade far too elongated and thin to be an ax.
A blade just shy of being the same size as her Baby Girl.
It looked as dangerous as it did sharp.
Razor sharp.
So dangerous she had to stop herself from yelling at Deez to drop it.
"It's the reaping scythe Zeus sent my father. He hates this thing." Deez explains, her eyes narrowing as she rests her other hand on the pole, "it feels so weird." She admits before she turns towards Faustina uncertain.
"You think?"
She swallows a sigh, any doubts about which sibling was out officially off the table.
Faustina's nod is all it takes for Deez to grin widely and chuckle as she takes several steps away from the group before she swings the scythe around.
Like it was nothing.
She blinks.
Siren's Song was the most beautiful weapon she'd ever seen.
But that thing?
That thing actually sang as it cut through the air.
Deez frowns as she plants the butt of the pole in the ground and glares at the blade, "oh."
But before she can ask, blue flames leap up the pole to dance along the wicked edge of the blade.
"Woah." Gil states, summing up her feelings perfectly.
"It likes my fire." Deez grins.
"Senior be ah tellin' us it were bein' made by ah god." Harry smiles as he turns to Gil, "The smithin' god."
"Huh." Gil tilts his head as he eyes the weapon.
Deez makes a couple more passes with the scythe before the flames die out, "I can't believe he-" she sighs before she leans against the pole for support, "what did you have to do to get this?"
She frowns.
Though she was aware of a deal, she only knew that Harry was impressed with how much it favored them.
"Senior be makin' ah deal with me Pirate Princess for her ta keep writin' ta him, after he be forcin' her ta come out an' chat." Harry slowly admits before he rubs the back of his neck, "writin' to 'im daily like an' answerin' ah few questions. And she will come out, at the temple, at his request from now on."
"So, if we be ah keepin' with our side, he be grantin' us shit from his rooms, ah public like reminder that the Dragon be settin' the Spider up as heir, an' when the Spider be gettin' ah third o' the Isle in support, he be throwin' his support o' the spider in." Harry shrugs, "Ain'nah sure how we can be gettin' from the Spider ta you, but Faustina be seemin' pleased enough."
Deez bites her lip as she looks the scythe over before she glances off in the direction of the temple, "he does have a lot of stuff. And he will hold up his end of the deal."
"He also be releasin' me from havin' ta take ya to 'im this week." Harry adds.
"Released?" Deez's eyes widen before they narrow.
She was right there with her Baby Girl, if a deal sounded too good to be true, then there was a hook somewhere.
But-
Faustina was satisfied with the deal.
And to date, Faustina was the only person to ever send her Uncle packing.
What the hell was going on there?
And was it worth it?
Her throat burns as she runs through the pros and cons.
A third of the Isle and he'd throw his support behind the Spider.
Would they be able to get that?
Faustina clearly believed they could.
And if-
No.
When they did?
No one would dare go up against Hades, would they?
She looks up to find Faustina's curious green eyes studying her before they widen and turn away, knowing she'd been caught.
She bites her lip as her chest constricts and forces herself to swallow the lump threatening to choke her.
She takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes.
Why?
What was it that made Faustina more comfortable with her unfortunate prick of an uncle, than her family?
Her fingers curl into a fist at her side as a sharp pain pierces her chest.
What did he provide, that they didn't?
That she didn't.
It hurt.
Hurt more than she would ever admit.
But it didn't change the fact that her Beauty Girl was more comfortable with her asshole of an uncle than she was with them.
She fights to swallow.
Just like T.
She turns when the back of her throat tightens.
So much of her wanting to demand to know what-
The rest of her was too afraid to ask.
But-
Why did they do this?
Why interact with the god?
She takes a deep breath as the tightness in her chest loosens.
Deez said T always had a reason. That he would never put anyone else in danger.
And Faustina?
She was always looking eight steps ahead.
It didn't change how much she hated that they worked well with her uncle-
Didn't make her trust him. Or even like him for that matter.
But-
She sighs.
But she could admit, when he wasn't making things worse, he had been doing things that benefited them.
Through deals, and not without getting his own way.
But, they were better off.
Had Faustina made this deal knowing it could end this?
They still had magic to worry about.
Specifically the witches.
But it would be one problem.
One, admittedly, still very large problem.
They wouldn't have to worry about the fighting.
Worry about the OVs jockeying for the throne.
Could they do it?
Make it through all of that, weather the storm until the Spider returned and they could put Faustina's plan into action?
Part of her wanted to hide her family and everyone they'd claimed away and wait for a better time to bring the Spider back.
But there were still so many out there.
And she knew her uncle well enough to know pulling T off the Isle wasn't an option.
She rubs her temples as she looks around at her family.
No.
She couldn't just hide them away and wait.
They had things to do.
T would have to continue 'entertaining' Senior.
Deez would still have to go to the temple to satisfy past deals.
Repreve for now or not.
Harry would have to stay with T.
Gil was happiest when smithing with Deez.
And like hell was she hiding like a scared mouse on her own ship while the rest of her family continued to risk their lives.
"We be findin' more medical like supplies. Faustina even be ah managin' ta make a box full o' shit count as one thing." Harry grins proudly.
She didn't like it.
But that didn't matter.
Like it or not, this was the way things were.
And she-
Their family-
They couldn't turn their backs on the rest of the Isle.
They still had plans to carry out.
"S'what's thi-" Gil stops mid-sentence to stare at Harry in awe, "Seriously? I can like, have it?"
"Aye mate." Harry's grins.
"Fuck yeah!" Gil grins as he steps away from Harry to admire-
Her brow furrows.
-a hammer?
Her eyes widen when she meets them.
Why the hell did her uncle have that?
The scythe she could at least get-
But that-
That fucking tool was just as intimadating-
Especially in her Sweet Boy's hands.
"I can't believe he let you take so much." Deez shakes her head as she looks over everything, "how did you even know what to ask-" she freezes before she blinks and shakes her head, "ah. So um," she turns to Gil, "think it'll make a good smithing hammer?"
"Yeah!" Gil eagerly agrees, "Ummmma-" He turns to her with guppy eyes, "can we please go to the cove? I wanna try this thing out. Now-" He pauses, "please?"
She smiles as she looks around the scant strip of beach, "who can say no to that?" She chuckles before she gestures to the large pile, "guess the quicker we load the ship the sooner we can get there."
Her lips curve into a smile as she watches Harry, Gil, and Deez race to the supplies grinning with excitement.
It wasn't going to be easy-
Not that she ever was deluded enough to believe it would be.
But now?
It was like the clouds parting in the middle of a storm.
And she knew it was only the middle.
But if they could all work together to make this a reality-
It seemed so much closer now.
She would talk to Faustina, but she was starting to think she could see the plan forming in her Beauty Girl's head.
T couldn't have known this was how it would turn out back when he thought up the Spider.
But Faustina had quickly figured out a way to put the persona to good use.
Letting more than just T steer the helm.
To share the burden he'd inadvertently laid on his shoulders. Something she'd forever be grateful for.
And maybe that's what the new plan was.
The Spider was a rallying point.
A mask that could be shared.
It was enough to put the wind back in her sails.
Shout out to Redwood Dreams and WWW for hitting us up and letting us know their thoughts, we really appreciate the effort and time you guys take out to let us know your thoughts on everything.
Like legit makes our day.
And like sorry for the lack of post thought outros.
We don't get a lot of time to write much anymore so any time I do get with Dark and honestly my lap top, I spend writing or editing photo's with my husband so the poor man doesn't feel completely neglected.
Much love and appreciation to all of you devoted bitches and dicks
-Twisted