Private Tales Healing of the Heart

[Sierra]

Her fingers continued to smooth and caress his face as she gazed down at him. Concern and care shining fiercely and brightly in her eyes along with a knife's edge of protectiveness. She highly doubted whatever had happened had been his fault. But she knew whatever she said wouldn't take away his pain or hurt. Even if she desperately wanted it to.

A tender, light kiss along his lips as she shifted to tuck against his side once more, laying back on the hammock.

"Whatever you need, I'm here for you," she said quietly, her hand brushing against him.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian smiled and reached up to brush his knuckles across her cheek.

"I have everything I need right here, Duchess," he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "C'mon, it's been a long day lass, let's go to bed." The leprechaun went from laying to standing with her in his arms so he could saunter back towards the bedroom and the large canopied bed that awaited them.

 

[Sierra]

The next day had Sierra dressed the most casually she'd ever been dressed in her life. Flip-flops with a squishy-strap between her toes. A tropical wrap skirt tied low along the curve of her waist with a plain, light-colored sleeveless shirt stopping just above her midriff.

She still had a leather-strapped dagger on one thigh beneath her skirt and another at her hip. Cillian couldn't take all the dreadlord out of the dreadlord, even at the beach.

Auburn waves hung unbound beneath a wide-brim sun hat. The open air market was stacked with different vendors and booths with thatched, palm roofs. Smells of spices that tingled her nose and fresh fish wafted through the air. Folk seemed to be generally happy, getting their daily grocers or other wares. Sierra felt the emotions more deeply through her senses only to confirm the smiles she saw flash across many-a-sun kissed face.

"Alright Rose, take Cilli's hand. Remember, you're to shop for more beach clothes and not more stuffed animals." A finger wagged playfully at her daughter as she straightened and pressed a quick kiss against Cillian's cheek.

"But Mom, I left my mermaids at home." Rose pouted.

"They will be waiting for you when we go back," Sierra tried not to let her relief show as Rose casually called the cottage at the glen home. But she couldn't help the warming at her chest. "Don't encourage her," a whispered warning to Cillian, this time that wagging finger of hers coming to his face. "See you two in an hour at the Twisted Shell?"

Sierra was going to get some much needed alone shopping time.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian hoisted the young girl up to sit on his shoulders. He masked it as a playful thing but the markets were busy and it was an easier thing for a child to let go of his hand and be separated than it was for her to somehow escape his broad shoulders. The young girl laughed in delight however, unaware of the simple tactic the leprechaun employed to keep her safe.

"Aye, the Twisted Shell," he agreed and before she left, wrapped one strong arm about her waist and pulled her in for a proper kiss. Long and linger, he hoped it would see her through till the time they met again. Even two hours hurt his heart so he pressed a kiss to her nose too. "Keep safe," it was half an order half a plea though he tried to mask it with an easy care-free smile.

"Alright Princess, which way?" he asked and Rose pointed to the busiest street. A street, he noted, with a stall full of stuffed toys at the end. With a chuckle the pair strode off into the fray.

 

[Sierra]

Did he feel the way he made her heart soar and her blood heat whenever he pulled her in like that? She couldn't help the lingering of her lips against his own. The press against his familiar and muscular frame with her own. A moment to clear her head away from what she really wanted to be doing with him.

To him.

A light smack on his rear in response to his 'keep safe' as he turned to leave with Rose. Sierra turned, fixing the sun-hat that had threatened to fall off her head to its proper place back on. And even as she walked further and further away from Rose and Cillian, she still felt that invisible line that lead back to him.

Fae magic was certainly something.

She browsed beneath the multi-colored tents strung up between thatched roofs of the various vendors. She found a second swimsuit for herself, another one for Rose, and a small gift she wanted to give Cillian later. Shifting the shopping bags on her shoulder, she stepped back into the main throng of the shopping row, head tilting in the direction of the Twisted Shell. She'd taken a little longer and was running a bit late.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

A familiar voice made her freeze and slowly turn around, quickly smoothing out her shocked expression.

"Hello Derickson," she said smoothly. Of all the places to run into one of the Dreadlords who had escaped the revolution. Who hadn't agreed with the outcome. Who was looking at Sierra like a dragon looking at its next meal. And unfortunately, he was resistant to magic. So her empathic abilities wouldn't work on him.

She immediately tugged on her connection with Cillian, pushing thoughts down their bond with urgency that didn't show on her face.

Take Rose back to the house.

 

[Cillian]

"Pleeeeeeeease Cici?"

Cillian's arms were laden and he had to crane his neck around the numerous boxes, bags and one giant stuffed Lung to see what Rose had found this time. She was pointing up at a straw hat with a pretty ribbon in it. Well, Sierra couldn't tell him off for that purchase could she? Sunhats were practical. The same could not be said for over half their purchases however.

"Of course," the girl beamed and the old woman tending the stall's face creased into a smile.

"Someone has Daddy wrapped around her little finger," she chuckled as she got the hat down and placed it on Roses' head. Cillian grinned then thumbed a coin out of his pocket and tossed it to her.

"T'at's a kind way of callin' me a sucker, Leila," he said, making the old woman laugh. Rose was already running onto the next stall.

"You better get going before you lose her," she nodded and Cillian bid her farewell. He was about to call out to the young girl when Sierra's thoughts cut across his mind.

"Rose, come 'ere love," the girl pouted but dutifully ran back to take a hold of his hand after some juggling of their purchases.

Are you in danger?

 

[Sierra]

Derickson had his bone-straight blond hair tied back. Frigid blue eyes that reminded her too much of Hal seemed to smile. He sauntered over to her, shoppers and other patrons making way for his muscular build.

And then she felt Cillian. A small moment of relief. A tenderness that only sensing him could invoke.

Maybe.

She didn't stiffen. She didn't let the apprehension show on her body as she opened up her magic and let it drift over him. It was that familiar feeling of hitting a void of nothingness. She couldn't sense his feelings or see them through her magic. It was as if he didn't exist. As if he couldn't be touched or sensed by magic at all.

The bastard.

"Did they send you this far to hunt me down?" He stopped in front of her and crossed his massive arms, looking down at her with twisted lips.

"That's cute that you think you're worth hunting down," a cool smile of her own shot up to him. Right now she was just trying to buy time for Cilli and Rose to get farther away. She knew it would be a disaster if Derickson saw that Rose was here. They'd have no peace then. Probably not even now that he'd seen Sierra.

"I'm surprised you're wandering around alone with out any of your adoring followers."

His grin turned feral. "Who said I was alone?"

 

[Cillian]

"Is something wrong?" Rose looked up at Cillian as they hurried up the street.

"Nae Lass, yer ma'ms just got herself a bit lost, I'm gonna go find her but - ah 'ere we go," he smiled at the couple he saw up ahead. They owned a colourful stall full of fresh fruit and vegetables. He could almost feel Rose's nose wrinkling up at the thought of buying anything healthy.

"Keola! Mikala!" he held up a hand and the two looked up.

"Cillian!" the man's face broke into a grin and he stepped out from behind the stall to clap the leprechaun on the back in a hearty embrace. "I didn't realise you were coming back so soon, not that we're complaining! We'll have to get a drink. I plan on beating you this time," he waggled his finger. Cilli smirked but didn't point out that that was impossible.

"I'd be more than 'appy tae beat you again, but would ye guys mind if yer looked after Princess here?" he indicated the girl half hiding behind his leg.

"Of course," Makala smiled. "How about some ice cream?" the young girl forgot Cillian almost instantly. Laughing to himself he dropped off the assortment of things and then set off towards where he could feel Sierra. Makala was a sea witch, Rose would be safe with her and Sierra needed him.

 

[Sierra]

Sierra's cool, grey eyes darted around the marketplace as two others materialized from the throngs of people. A red-headed male dreadlord emerged, one she recognized as Tremor. His gift was shaking the earth itself. A third female with raven-black hair next.

This one she didn't recognize.

Sierra feigned looking at her nails. Boredom flickering across her features. "Derickson, I'm not interested in you or your followers," eyes lifted, a droll look across her face as she connected with his bright blue eyes.

"How about you join us for a walk? Wouldn't want to cause a scene here now would you? All these fine folk and their wares." Derickson looked physically pained as he said fine folk. It was clear he viewed himself above everyone else. His hand shot forward, fingers enclosing around her upper arm in an iron-like grip.

"Careful, I'll let you have this one for free but push me anymore and you'll get an arrow up your ass," Sierra intoned as she walked with him, the other two dreadlords coming to flank them. She'd have time to fight them off but she needed to pick her moment. And hope they went to a place not as crowded.

There are three dreadlords here. I'm okay. Trying to get to a less crowded place.

 

[Cillian]

I'm at your back.

Cillian slipped casually from stall to stall whilst keeping Sierra and the others in his view. It gave him time to get his breathing under control; a panting man who had clearly been running drew a lot of eyes and that was not what he needed right now. The advantage they had was that whoever these Dreadlords were did not know his face. They would certainly not think he was anything to do with Sierra from what he knew of their anti-human viewpoint. As much as he wanted to rush to her side now he had to force himself to think of the benefits of these things.

Rose is safe.

He added before she freaked and slid on to the next stall, making it seem as though he were looking for something in particular.

 

[Sierra]

She fought the urge to break the wrist of the hand that wrapped around her arm, urging her along. The desire to look over her shoulder to spot Cillian. The dueling emotions of relief and panic at having Cillian follow her at all.

But none of that mattered because Rose was safe.

Thank you.

The market was beginning to thin out and turn more into a residential district. Derickson lead her into the doorway of one of the homes with a thatched roof. It was dark inside, the windows covered with burlap. And it took a moment for Sierra's eyes to adjust. He released his grip on her arm and motioned her to one of the chairs. Sierra took a seat. Going so far as to lounge backward, crossing her legs as if she'd been here a thousand times before.

The red-headed male stayed posted at the door. The raven-haired female joined them in the dim, taking out a dagger to pick at her nails. "I think our meeting was providence," Derickson finally intoned, looking at Sierra like a new toy. Sierra extended her magic toward the woman, trying to see if she could pluck at those emotions.

But it was like hitting a wall. Too close to Derickson. At least it meant the other woman wouldn't be able to use her magic, either.

"If you're not working for the Academy to track me down perhaps you'd be interested in a job? Because if not, I feel as though it's too dangerous to let you go."

 

[Cillian]

Luck was what Cillian needed and luck, so happened, was what he got.

As the streets turned into smaller houses and homes for the locals he cast about for an excuse to jostle down the much less crowded streets. Just as he was about to curse and see just how friendly the Mchawi people were by knocking on a random door, there was a loud sigh to his right. Turning he saw an elderly lady rubbing the small of her back, her bags set down around her. It looked a hefty load for anyone.

"Would ye like a hand, ma'am?" he asked smoothly, sliding over to gesture at her bags. The woman smiled.

"Oh you are kind! If you wouldn't mind..?" Scooping up the items he shook his head.

"Not at all."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra frowned. Not at Derickson. Not at the dim-little house-hut they were gathered in. But because she could almost sense Cillian nearby.

Don't do anything stupid.

She found herself warning down their strange bond. One of her ankles popped up across one knee. Fingers came up to casually pinch off a piece of invisible lint from her shoulder. A bored-look crafted upon her face as Derickson ran his mouth.

"What's the job?" She sighed, eyes flickering back to the wayward dreadlord as a cheshire grin eclipsed his mouth.

"Since I dunno if I can trust you, I want you to help us steal a ship, first."

 

[Cillian]

"Oh, mind your hands young man!" the old lady exclaimed causing Cillian to glance down at what had her so worried. One of the glass jars of what appeared to be marmalade was now completely crushed between his hands. Softly he cursed and immediately dropped to begin to clear up his mess.

"I'm so sorry I-"

The old lady chuckled and patted his shoulder.

"You're just like my grandson, never quite knows his own strength either. Don't you worry dear, easy enough to clean."

 

[Sierra]

"Hmm," Sierra pursed her lips in thought. "Expanding your horizons Derickson? I take it this ship is at the docks just south of here?"

"Supposed to come in at Midnight," he continued. "One of the only vessels worthy enough to get past the misty triangle and beyond those breakers."

Sierra studied her nails quietly.

"There we'll find...," Sierra was up faster than she'd ever moved in her life. One of her many knives already gripped in her fingers as the buried the blade deep into Derickson's shoulder. "The FUCK!" he growled in surprise and pain.

Sierra twisted as she felt something sharp slice across her side and saw the raven-haired female releasing daggers almost as fast as she could throw her own.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian kicked open the door sending it soaring from its hinges directly on top of one of the goons who were positioned around the room. The moan groaned under the weight which turned into a wet squeak as Cillian stepped on him to enter the room. His entrance gave Sierra a precious few moments of distraction to deal with the man who had abducted her whilst Cillian barrelled into the woman throwing knives at his mate.

By sheer luck not a single one of the five knives she managed to release managed to do more than nick his skin, though of course not much harm would have come to him even if they had with them being steel and not iron.

"The fuck," she snarled as he grabbed a hold of her wrists and shook the next knife from her palms.

 

[Sierra]

With all her being and perhaps due to the mating bond, she trusted that Cillian could more than handle himself. And so beyond his initial entrance, she didn't spare him a glance. Because if she did, she'd be more than distracted.

Because damn if he didn't make one nine levels of hell of an entrance.

She was a lucky, lucky woman.

Derickson lunged forward, trying to use his size to his advantage. A sharp kick caught one of her legs. But she dodged his meaty fist next, palming a second dagger than the one still in his flesh. A quick thrust into his chest.

Rage. Surprise. Pain. Flickering emotions sputtering across his face like a dying candle's flame.

"You'll never stop-," Sierra twisted the dagger, a simple movement that ended everything. With a heave, she pushed his bulk from her and turned to Cillian before the body made it to the floor. Gone was the tender and doting mother. It was clear she'd been trained for battle since a young girl.

Made to kill.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian deftly untied the small scarf about his neck and tied the woman's hands behind her back before thoroughly patting her down for any other hidden daggers. He had seen Sierra hide the nastiest ones in the most ingenious of places and following the mental image of how she ritualistically took them off at night he managed to find all the ones upon this woman.

"Are ye alrite lass?" he murmured as he stood, giving the bound woman a look that said she would regret trying to move. In two quick steps he was in front of her, gently cupping her cheek and tilting her face so he could see for himself she was fine.

 

[Sierra]

A dagger was gripped tightly in her hand and it was very clear what she intended to do. Cillian interrupting her approach to the bound woman. His touch edged back the icy exterior she'd put on. And stormy grey eyes finally broke away from the woman to find their way up to those twin golden ones.

"I'm fine," she said even as her heart continued to pound on adrenaline. Fight of flight - FIGHT-mode still firmly in place. What were a few more bruises? What was one more slice from steel on her skin?

"Are you," voice caught in her throat as her gaze suddenly raked over his form. A hand reached out, fingers pausing to finger the tears in his clothing from where the woman's daggers had made it through.

 

[Cillian]

"I'm fine lass, see?" he widened the torn holes to reveal smooth skin. If they had been iron it would have been a different story but the steel knife wounds were already healed and no evidence remained of the cuts they had caused. Cillian used the chance however to close his fingers round her hand and bring her knuckles to his lips for a delicate kiss. The panic that had had him in a chokehold eased a little more to feel her warmth. That void of emotions was quickly filled however with a burning anger which he directed to the man he could see over Sierra's shoulder.

His quick death was too kind in his mind.

"What did they want with you?"

 

[Sierra]

Eyes widened in surprise as relief quickly coated her emotions. Fae healing? Thank the gods. Her forehead pressed briefly against his own. Eyes closing for a moment, then snapping open at his question. Head lifted, gaze settling on the tied-up-woman over her mate's shoulder.

"They weren't expecting to find me," she growled, her free hand that was still down at her side, gripping the hilt of a dagger. A quick side-step away from Cillian as she stalked toward the woman. In one fluid movement with the grace of a cat, she had the sharp tip of the dagger up and pricking into the fleshy part of her neck.

"What was Derickson planning, hm? A little dreadlord revolution? Tell me. What was on that ship?" A very dark part of her wanted the woman to resist so she could end this quickly. One quick plunge of her dagger and the woman would be dead.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian frowned as he watched Sierra prowl forward like a lethal leopard, fangs bared, but he didn't comment. The woman tussed up looked just as feral. She spat and bared her teeth. If Cillian couldn't see it for himself he would have thought she the one with the upper hand with the arrogance that still tinted her expressions. Was this simply the nature of Dreadlords?

"Kill me," the words were thrown down like a challenge and the glint in her eyes suggested she did not fear whatever lay in the great beyond. She even raised her chin to give the impression she was looking down her nose at Sierra, despite the one being on the floor at her feet. "You're a traitorous little bitch, I won't tell you a thing."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra’s fingers latched forward, snatching the woman’s jaw in a cold, hard grip. A small part of her worried about what Cillian would think. If he’d see her as a monster after this. If she could lose another piece of her soul like that.

The other part of her was fully in protective mom-mode. And if anything was going to bring more of these dreadlords around her and her own she was going to take care of it.

“Oh,” Sierra breathed, tone dark, “You’ll tell me everything.” When Sierra was truly centered in her magic, she saw emotions as complex strings coiled up in intricate patterns with different colors. Each person had similar colors for their emotions but patterns were always a little different.

Her magic slammed forward, plucking and moving the woman’s emotional strings until she had no choice but to believe she wanted to help them. These were her closest friends. Allies. Of course she would tell them anything.

Tell them everything.

“About that ship…”

 

[Cillian]

Cillian watched the woman's face contort as she tried to resist whatever magic Sierra was working on her. It looked agonising, as though her insides themselves were being scraped along the coals. There was one last, shuddering moment of determined defiance and then her whole face changed into an expression of a relaxed woman at ease with her closest friends. She even smiled.

"Weapons!" she said excitedly. "Apparently a few anti magic ones we could shackle half the dreadlords with, it'll make taking back Vel Anir much smoother."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra asked a few more questions, keeping a firm hold on the woman's emotions the entire time. She gladly told them the details of the ship. Where it was. Its schedule. Who else might be involved. And the location. As if chatting to old friends the entire time.

As the conversation came to an end, Sierra found the strand for peace and contentment. It was a color that fluctuated between powder blue-white-and light lavender. Fingers curled around a dagger at her side, away from the woman's view. Silently, she prepared herself for what she ultimately had to do.

Another murder she'd carry on her shoulders. Another life she would be responsible for snuffing out. At least she could give the woman supernatural peace before it happened. Make her feel tranquility rather than pain. It would be so fast, she wouldn't feel anything at all.

But the empath would feel everything.

A quick glance to Cillian.

For him, she'd do anything. Her dagger raised swiftly.