Lost Time Tavern ~ First & Second Post Updated 8.31.21

[Ristar Black]

'All the writers keep writing what they write, write.
Somewhere another pretty vein just died...'

The reassuring words he gave her had her smiling sleepily up at him. It took the edge off her fears and had her lips remaining curved up. Her starry eyes fell closed as she sank a bit more into her seat, her body sending off signs that she wouldn’t be awake much longer. Since Caine had RaRa covered, she gave into them and let her mind drift away. The last thing she heard was his footsteps as he headed for their room, then it was nothing but dreamland. Which was just darkness, since the strain of Lyla’s memories had been far too much for her to handle all at once. There was a reason she kept to the surface thoughts of others. There was no way of avoiding the backlash of another personality invading her head, especially when it clashed with her own in the way Lyla’s had.

Ristar hadn’t meant to nap, to spend the morning snoring in a chair while her love brooded on his cliffs. She had simply wanted to rest her eyes and regain her composure. To clear Lyla’s past and present from her head so there was only her own voice within the confines of her mind. Instead, she woke up thirty minutes later in a panic that had her shooting from the chair. Wild eyes searched the room, finding it empty of her love and their son. Fear gripped her by the throat and had her scrambling, her disoriented mind not even considering reaching out with her powers to search for the pair. She tossed her blanket aside, nearly ate s**t thanks to a strategically placed rug, and raced for their bedroom. The crib was her first stop, relief sweeping over her when her gaze landed on the sleeping form of her son. She held her breath and watched as his little chest rose and fell, only letting out the air in her lungs when she was certain he was perfectly fine and safe.

”Alright, that’s one of you. If you’re here, though, where’s Daddy?” She knew Caine wouldn’t leave Ragnor alone, not without sticking close enough to home that he could get back easily if he needed to. Especially with her knocked out and down for the count. Brushing her fingers over her son’s sleeping features, she smiled a bit before turning away to look out the window. Her sapphire gaze narrowed as she spotted a figure in the distance, the sight pulling her to the window a bit as recognition settled in. She should have known. After all she had told him, it wasn’t a surprise to the redhead that her love had sought the cliffs and the sea. The guilt returned to rear its ugly head, reminding her that there was a chance all of this could have been avoided if she had just stayed away. Granted, that would have also involved turning Caine away, but she tried not to think about that. Instead, she opened the bay window and slipped out of the room into the cool morning air. Her fingers trailed over the frame to let her powers settle over it, her personal security system for their son, before she strolled over to where he stood.

As soon as she was within reach, she wrapped her arms around him and set her cheek against his back. The emotions radiating off of him had her own responding, pushing her guilt aside as the need to comfort and soothe washed over her. She turned her head a bit to press a kiss to his shoulder blade, not sure what to say just yet. Since silence tended to be best in most situations, especially ones as extreme as this one, Ri went with that and just held on to him. She’d just wait and follow his lead. Of course, that was before his thoughts drifted into her head to cause her to lift a scarlet brow in question. An elixir or a spell? Was there something in his world that could actually work to get around the fog in Lyla’s mind? He seemed to think so, and she wanted to be nothing but supportive. No matter what her thoughts on it were.

”What’s on your mind, my love? Anything I can do to help?” She offered, not wanting to let him in on the fact that she already knew and agreed. He’d be better off if he said it out loud, talking through it all until they reached a decision. This was all new ground for them both, so she wanted to be sure they took the right steps. The last thing they needed was to take a wrong turn and end up doing more harm than good. Lyla was the center of all this, which made things a lot harder and far more serious. Toss in the fact that the entire village was held in the balance of what they were doing, and she could feel the panic starting to rise again. Ristar had to force herself to focus, squeezing him a bit before releasing her hold to stand at his side.

'I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see,
That you’re the antidote to everything except for me...'

Location: The cliffs.
Company: Caine. Thoughts: ‘Don’t freak out, woman…You’ve got this…’

Sislana

[Sislana]

Come meet me on other side
And make it rain in this burning house
Pouring down 'til the Sun comes up
I'm right here

For a moment, fleeting as it was, Sislana had thought that Austin would take the news of what had transpired well. Of course, it was blowing up in her face almost as soon as it had come. How on earth was he expected to handle anything that she had told him other than the way he was? Were the roles reversed she couldn’t be confident she wouldn’t have acted the same exact way. In a sense, Sislana had once more betrayed the sanctity of their newest pact between one another. Silently the woman cursed herself, watching as he paced away from her. Despite his best efforts to conceal it she could all but feel the emotions pulsing off him at an accelerated rate. Her heart picked up speed beneath her chest, her body on high alert at the side of his fists clenching and unclenching at his side. While the logical part of her brain knew he’d never lash out at her, the illogical part was all but screaming at her to run. It was telling her to put some distance between the pair of them before he exploded and she caught the aftermath of his anger.

Violet eyes widened as his hand smashed through the pillar with such ease, her heart stumbling in her chest. A small gasp of surprise and fear pulled from her lips and before she could stop herself she was cowering into the stairs. Moments like these, as much as she tried to avoid them, could be instant triggers. It would send her flying back into the memories of tiptoeing around Ra’s disapproval, or hiding from the explosive anger of Malhavoc. She was smart enough to know Austin would never forgive himself if he caught a whiff of the comparisons and forced herself to keep them close to her heart. For now. Reminding herself once more that he was not the men of her past, Sislana drew in a deep breath and forced her gaze to turn to him when he spoke. The level of calm that he managed to keep in his tone sent a shiver down her spine and had her wishing he’d just unleash. It would be much easier to deal with than the ice he was presenting currently. Deep down she knew why he was doing it, but it did not make handling it any better. If he was having to keep himself in check this much then she had royally messed up. Again.

The sight of his bloodied hand had her stomach clenching and her throat tightening with a new wave of emotions. It killed her to see that he had hurt himself as a direct result of the words she had presented him. Damn her for being unable to let the past lie where it should. While she was thankful he hid his arm behind his back it did nothing to wash the scent of his blood from her nose. Each breath caused a new assault of the honey like scent to slam into her senses and remind her just how hungry she was. That being the last thing she needed to think of, Sislana cursed herself for even allowing the thought to come to life. Oh, but how she would be lying if she said the scent did not make every hair on the back of her neck stand up. She was painfully aware of the slow dribble of each drop to the ground beneath him. She could all but hear the greedy ground soaking up the crimson elixir as it taunted her with each passing second. There was a brief moment where she could feel the fangs in her mouth grow, nearly poking out beneath her lip before she forced herself to get a grip. Losing control, even for a second, was not an option. Pulling in a slow breath to steady herself Sislana closed her eyes, nodding at the words that he had spoken.

”Focus on him,” she reminded herself, her fingers now gripping at the side of her thighs so tightly the nails bit through the cloth and into the tender skin. The flash of pain was the last thing she needed to be able to center herself and reopen her eyes, turning her attention back to the heated male. An apology jumped to the tip of her tongue, so eager to throw itself into his face that she nearly lost the ability to stop it. Thankfully, for both of them, she was able to swallow the words and remained silent. He didn’t need an apology; that was the last thing she knew he’d want. Austin hated it when she apologized for things on a regular day, throwing one at him now would be more of an insult than anything else. Besides, she wasn’t sorry. Not really. She had made a choice and while it may not have been the smartest one at the end of the day, it was one that she had made. Granted, he was throwing some good points her way. She had jumped into this without thinking. There was no chance in hell that consequences would eventually make their way to the surface whether she liked it or not.

Hearing him acknowledge that she should have told him sooner felt like a slap to the face and had her gaze turning away from him. While she knew that he was right, it did not make it any easier to hear. She had promised him all or nothing and then kept something major from him. Old habits die hard, that was for sure. Lifting a shaking hand to run through her hair, Sislana chewed at her lower lip as she waited for his next verbal assault. Whatever he needed to get out at her, she would take it. After all, it was only fair.

Knowing that he would have done the same if he were in her shoes did not help soothe the anxiety that was pumping through her heart as much as she would have expected. She knew that he would have done things differently. He would have, as he said ‘read the fine print’ before agreeing to something. That was the difference between the pair of them, she found herself thinking. Austin was logical. He went through each scenario and weighed the pros against the cons before pulling the trigger. Unless the merc was in control, that is. From what she had learned about his darker side, that was the more impulsive of the mindsets that raged war in her loves heart. Sislana, on the other hand, was much more emotional and impulsive. If she saw a way out of things, especially if it meant returning to the man that held her heart, she would do it without hesitation. Logic could come later, if it came at all. Yes, in retrospect her decision was not the smartest to make. Austin was right, of course, that there would be a price to pay at some point. He seemed to be the only one out of the two of them that was able to see that.

Dropping her hand from her hair she returned it to her thigh, grasping at the side of it once more. The bite of her nails through the cloth and into the skin helped keep her mind from careening out of control. While she was bound to have angry red marks on her skin at the end of it, the pain was a good reminder to keep herself level. His question about Elizabeth had her head shaking from side to side and a slow breath pulling from her lungs. The world felt heavy and she couldn’t help but think that they were on the precipice of a rather large fight. ”No,” she started slowly, doing her best to keep her tone matched to the one he had presented her with. ”As I told you, she has been remarkably quiet since we returned. It sometimes feels like she is not even there anymore. I’ve tried everything I can think of to draw her out; I even offered her full control at one point. Nothing. Silence. She is normally harder to handle during extreme emotional scenarios, anger being the quickest one to trigger her.” Pausing for a moment, Sislana tightened her hold on the grip she had to her thighs, using the sharp shot of pain to regather her thoughts. It was a method that she had picked up when she had been torn away from everything she had known. A brief reminder that she was still alive, in some sense of the word, and could still feel things. Now that she had been home it had been hard to hide the tick, but she had managed it fairly well. Until now. ”So, we could try something like that, if you really wanted to. Maybe she’d talk to you if you pushed enough. If I went into it with the intent of relinquishing control, it might be impossible for her to not boil over, given the right circumstances.” The idea of intentionally starting a fight, let alone giving control to the one person that she would struggle to get it back from, was not her favorite. However, if it meant getting the answers that Austin wanted then she was willing to do it. Even if it made her skin want to crawl.

”Whatever she knows, she does not seem to find it necessary to share. Not yet, at least. I promise you that if I knew anything else you would be the first person I told.” Though she knew it was not, she couldn’t help but hope that it would be enough. If even for the moment. She couldn’t handle the idea of Austin being disappointed with her. The anger she could deal with. Hell, at this point she would even take a screaming match with him if it meant he’d just show an ounce of emotion. But the way that he was keeping himself so carefully in check? The looks that kept passing through that haunting gaze of his? It was eating away at every ounce of her resolve and had her fighting the urge to throw any and all walls up as quickly as she could. She was going against the grain of her personality in every sense of the word and it was something she was not used to. Sislana was the queen of shutting down and locking people out. Of dealing with things on her own, no matter the outcome. The idea of letting people in, especially those that she cared about the most, was terrifying and made her want to turn and run in the other direction as quickly as she could.

Austin had been affected far too poorly by her choices already, however, and it was enough to steel her resolve. He did not deserve her to lock him out again. Not after everything that she had put him through already. From the start, he had been a champion when it came to the way she viewed the world. He withstood every storm she threw his way and always came out on the other side still loving and supporting her. Austin had stayed when others would have given in long ago. Even when she had chosen another man over him, he still came back. Okay, he came back because Ristar made him come back, but that's besides the point. In the end it was always him. It was always Austin. He deserved the best version of the woman he loved, even if it was the hardest thing in the world for her to give. For him she would try. Always.

I want the light that fills the darkness
Give me your heaven and your hell
I wanna show you that you're worth it
Lay it on me tonight

[Sislana]

Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns
For the honor, have no fear

Brimstone and what he equated to stardust filled his senses before Ristar’s presence was fully made known. To Caine, Ristar always smelled like a glistening campfire. Intoxicating and tantalizing. She lit him on fire from the inside out and even after everything they had been through, he still could not get enough of the slow burn. Everything about Ristar made sense to him, even when they were in the throths of anger. She helped him see things clearly and set the world right around him. Just the simple feeling of her arms winding around him from behind settled a smile on his lips as his hands lifted to rest on her arms. Gently he gave her a squeeze, reveling in the way she felt in that moment. The fiery redhead had a habit of knowing that he needed her before he did. There was just something about her that got him and he hoped that never went away. Her kiss to his shoulder blade had his eyes falling shut and a shiver running down his spine. Valhalla help him, she was going to be the slow death of him and he welcomed it with open arms.

Comfort and solace began to weave its way through his heart, his mind settling the storm that had been raging within. The petite woman had a way of starting and ending every emotion that coursed through his large frame. ”Feel better, eldurin minn?” He asked softly, momentarily avoiding her question. Her comfort was paramount to him and if that meant pushing off answering her for the time then he would do that. His eyes opened to gaze down at her when she moved to his side, his smile growing at the sight of her porcelain features. Her effortless beauty never failed to take his breath away and have him thanking Odin for helping him find her. While the Norns may have written their fate in the stars, Ristar was so much more to him than a love story. She was everything he had needed in life and brought a magic to his world that he had not known he was missing. Ristar was the beginning, middle, and end for him. Everything about his world was centered around the petite siren and he would spend the remainder of his days knowing that she was aware of it. Even if it drove her crazy. She deserved to have the ground beneath her worshiped. Ristar Black was a goddess and one that he would happily sell his soul away to protect.

Turning his gaze back to the dark sea before them, Caine drew in a slow breath and nodded his head. It was time to answer her question. His love was anything but patient when it came to waiting for something she had requested. He knew better than to keep her waiting for longer than necessary. ”I had a thought,” he started slowly, his hand reaching out to link his fingers with her own. She always seemed to melt at his touch and the feel of her velveteen skin helped calm the doubts swirling to life. Ristar emboldened the man in ways he did not think possible. Caine had always considered himself brave, yes, but Ristar helped bolster that to levels he had only dreamed about. With her by his side he could handle anything and everything that life threw at them. ”What if Una or Volva had some way of helping with Lyla? Una runs an apothecary shop, so perhaps she would have an elixir that she could offer up. Something to clear the fog that you mentioned running into. Then there is Volva, of course. Being the local shaman she might have insight that she could offer. Perhaps a spell that would point us in the right direction.” Turning his gaze back down to the woman at his side, Caine squeezed her hand in reassurance for himself. His nerves boiled beneath the surface, the idea of letting the wrong person into what was going on terrifying. At the end of the day, they had no true idea of knowing what was happening with Lyla or what had caused the fog Ristar mentioned.

He was a smart enough man to know that they could be playing with a fire Ristar could not handle if they trusted the wrong person. It was paramount that as little people as possible knew something was going on with their chieftain. While he was aware that they would blindly follow his lead, he did not want to risk losing their faith in Lyla. He still hoped that they could come out on the other side of this with bridges repaired and relationships mended. He would stay away, if it came to that, for Ristar and Ragnor’s sake. But if he could help fix things before they came to that point? Well, he was going to take it. He only hoped that he had the ability to fix things before they got too bad.

”I know that you do not want to hear it, but I refuse to believe that this is the person Lyla has become. I know my sister inside and out, just like you know yours. This Lyla that we have been presented with is not the same Lyla that we left last time. She is different, and I believe something is making her different. We have to help her, Ri, because if we don’t I fear that no one else will.” Drawing in a slow breath he lifted his gaze to the heavens above, his heart lurching in his chest at the thought. He wanted to make his parents proud and to show them that he could care for his family. To be able to show him that the Norns had drawn him to the woman at his side for a reason. She lit a fire within his soul and added fuel to it every time he looked her in the eyes. Ristar was the reason that he was able to be strong in any situation and he would never let that go. She was his reason for wanting to fix things. ”I have to know what is wrong with her, and I need to find a way to fix it. To think that I’m wrong, that there isn’t anything wrong and this is who she is now? Well, I cannot bear the thought and refuse to believe that it is the truth. I know my sister.” He knew that he was starting to repeat himself and go in circles, but he was certain if anyone would get where he was coming from it would be Ristar.

She would do the same exact thing if the tables were turned and it were her sister in the position of being in trouble. And he would not question it. Which is why he was confident that Ristar would go along with whatever he thought. However, he wanted her opinion on the matter, too. He wanted to know what she thought about it and if she had any further insight to add to the situation. They were a team and he would be wise to remember that in all settings. He could not call her out for making decisions without involving him and then turn around to do the same thing with her. While this was new territory for the both of them he was confident that they could correctly navigate through the uncharted waters if they worked together. ”I could ask Bior or Ozur to watch over Ragnor, if you would be amenable to the idea. We can take him with us, of course, but I wanted to present the option. They have always loved children and wanted some of their own. Being as they are one anothers twin flame, however, that was never an option for them.” Once more he knew he was rambling a bit and getting off topic, but he couldn’t help it. He was fighting against the nerves of potentially seeking out Una or Volva and making the wrong choice. Talking about two guards that were unable to have children because they were tied to one another seemed an easier, and safer, topic. For now.

Drawing in a slow and measured breath Caine finally turned to face Ristar fully. His free hand grabbed her own, linking their fingers together. For a long moment he stood there in silence, watching the woman that he loved like no other. He could so easily get lost in the depths of her starry gaze without an ounce of effort. She was enchanting in the best of ways and always left him feeling renewed. Ristar was too good for this world but he would spend every day thanking those that had brought her into it. Without her, his life would be dull and colorless. She brought the fire and technicolor that he had been so desperately missing. Caine could hardly remember what life had been before Ristar Black came into it. She had tipped everything he thought he knew upside down and shaken it out until nothing was left, only to fill it up with her. She was amazing and far more than he deserved. Glancing down at their linked hands, Caine ran his thumb over the ring she sported on her left hand. His lips curled up into a small smile at the feeling of the cool metal band, his heart leaping in his chest.

It never failed to send a thrill through his entire soul to know that she would soon be his wife. When he had first met her, Caine was not certain that she would ever agree to such a thing. She had been so quick to fight and wanted to always run. He had worn her down, of course, though he tried not to dwell on that particular fact. It was not the most romantic part of their tale and one he would not likely regale to their children. From the moment her heart had called to him, he had known. There had never been a single moment that he was uncertain of what he wanted when it came to the redhead before him. She was his all or nothing. There would not be another moment in his life where he wanted anyone but her. For him, Ristar was it. He would always do everything in his power to make sure that she never forgot it, either.

Needing to feel her against him, Caine leaned in and closed the gap between them. His lips pressed against her own in a slow, burning kiss. His right hand released her own and lifted to cup her cheek, his fingers brushing over her delicate features. For a moment he allowed himself to become lost in the delirium that contact with her always caused. The world around him melted away until nothing but Ristar was left. She drove him wild and always had him wanting to come back for more. When it came to the scarlet woman he loved so dearly, there would never be enough. Teeth nipped as his tongue teased, soothing the ache his bites were sure to leave behind. When he was certain that she was nearly as breathless as he was, he slowly pulled away. His lips hovered over her own for the briefest of moments, pressing a quick kiss to her own before pressing his forehead to hers. Closing his eyes the man let his thumb brush slowly along her cheek, enjoying the curve of her features beneath his skin. His mind was swimming with thoughts that had him wanting to steal her away from the world. Caine would have liked nothing more in that moment to take her then and there. To not relent until she was quivering and begging beneath him and his name was all she could utter. Unfortunately, there were pressing matters at hand; unless she chose otherwise. Ones that had him biting down a growl. ”What do you think, eldurinn minn? How shall we spend our morning?”

We shall withstand this night of war
Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns

[Ristar Black]

Come, break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you

The sight of her cowering on the stairs after his little display had him cursing rather creatively. Hadn’t he been trying to avoid doing exactly what he had?! Pacing away from her, he walked in a circle and tried to talk himself back down. He wanted to yell at her, yell at himself, yell at whoever and whatever he could until his voice was gone. His hands itched to hit something else, to pound out the emotions currently warring inside him for dominance. Since he couldn’t do any of those things without her acting like a beaten puppy waiting for the next strike, he had to tighten his control on things and focus on calming down. If he could get through this, move them onto something else, then he could take it all out on his punching bag later. Maybe he’d imagine it was this unknown man she had mentioned, the idea helping to ease the anger enough for him to stop his pacing once he was beside the porch once more.

Dark eyes watched the emotions play over her face, could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. Damn it, he wasn’t handling this like he should be. He forced his currently uninjured hand to uncurl, making sure to keep the bleeding one hidden as he kept his gaze on her face. His expression came next, softening out the frustration seeing her acting like she was preparing for him to snap on her had caused in his features. It was a hell of a lot harder than just yelling at her, but it was for the best. She didn’t deserve his irritation or anger. She had done what she thought was best, right? Austin couldn’t blame her for it, nor would he question it again. She had done what was needed to get back to him. That’s what mattered most. Or so he told himself as he shifted his body to lean against the porch, intent on listening when she finally spoke up to his words.

The sound of Lana’s offer to relinquish control to the mad blonde he had met twice in their time together had his eyes widening a bit. What in the hell was going on in her head?! Was there something wrong with her common sense? A possible result of being gone for so long? Concern began to filter through his annoyance at her choices, wishing she’d stop being so damn loose with her life. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him by risking all herself as she was?! He was going to have a bloody heart attack if she kept this up! Swallowing the urge to growl, he dropped his eyes from her face to catch sight of her nails digging into her thighs. Confusion broke through everything, pushing aside the darker emotions for a moment to have him pushing off the railing to head back to her. He was about a foot or so away when her suggestion drifted through his head, freezing him in place to have him gawking at her in absolute shock.

”Have you lost your goddamn mind, Sislana?! Why in the hell would you even suggest such a thing?” Hurt sliced through his heart as he stared down at her, his hands shaking as he tried to keep his emotions in check. ”I don’t need to talk to Elizabeth if it means putting you in danger. It’s not worth it. Unless, you’d like to fight with me? Do you want me to scream and yell at you?” Unease and worry raced through his dark eyes as he looked down at her. Who was this meek little thing that cowered at his rage one moment then offered herself up as a target for it the next? He had no idea what to do or say to her, his usual paths blocked by one thing or another to leave him in a place he did recognize. It had an uncomfortable feeling tying his stomach into knots, his eyes dropping from hers to land on her hands once more. It was then he spotted what she was doing, the sight of the torn parts in her shorts causing his eyes to narrow. Since he couldn’t scream or yell at her without picturing the memory of Havoc doing the same to her, he went with the next best thing.

”What are you doing to yourself? Do you want to feel pain that badly that you have to do it to yourself?” His body moved before he could stop it, grabbing her by the wrists and pulling her to her feet in front of him before she could even answer. Venom jumped to his tongue, his body prepared to throw it in her face as he stared at her. Austin swallowed it as quickly as he could, keeping her at arms length to look down at the slices in the material around her thighs. The red welts that he could see beneath it cut at his heart, causing him to sigh in defeat. Yup, he had ******** this all up. Shaking his head, he dropped her hands and realized too late that he had left blood on her from his wound. Since the last time hadn’t seemed to bother her, he tried not to think about it now. He was tired of this conversation, of seeing her afraid of him. Running his uninjured hand through his hair, he stepped back and looked down at the ground.

”I’m sorry I failed you. I’m sorry you think you have to do all these things just to be around me. I’m sorry I’m not what you need me to be, what you deserve to have as a partner. I’m just….sorry.” With that said, he fell silent once more and waited for her responses. He had unloaded a lot on her, and hadn’t really given her the chance to react before he snatched her up and tossed more questions in her face. Giving her the opportunity now, he closed his eyes and tucked his hands into the back pockets of his shorts. The pain that shot up his arm had him flinching a bit, though he tried to pay it no mind as he waited.

Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you...

Sislana

[Ristar Black]

'All the writers keep writing what they write, write.
Somewhere another pretty vein just died...'

In usual Caine fashion, he sidestepped her questions and gave her one of his own that focused on her. It had a smile curling up over her lips as she nodded her head in response. If it made him feel better to know she was doing well, who was she to deny him? The way he watched her, though, had a flush creeping up over her ivory features to turn her face a soft rose shade. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel so unlike herself, all shy and bashful. It had her wanting to fidget, to look away and ignore the butterflies she could feel stirring to life within her. Of course, Ri ignored all of it and kept her starry eyes on his handsome features. He already knew too much about how he affected her, so giving him anymore ammo to use against her was simply out of the question. Even if it had her eyes glowing and her cheeks turning the same shade as her hair.

Thankfully, he looked away before it became unbearable and she released a quiet breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Her attention focused on him completely when he began to speak, lacing her fingers with his when he reached out to take her hand. His mention of a thought had curiosity swirling to life within her, a scarlet brow lifting a bit as he explained himself. At first, neither idea seemed like a good one in her opinion. Spells and elixirs were outside even her realm of knowledge, and she was a supernatural being for crying out loud. But, if he wanted to try these particular avenues, the fiery female would happily go down them with him. They were partners in life, after all, so it was only fair. Had their roles been reversed, the redhead knew he wouldn’t have hesitated in the slightest to help out Sis. It had her heart fluttering a bit in her chest but she tried to stay focused and not let her swooning emotions get the better of her.

Her mind mulled over each idea, trying to figure which of the two were the least likely to cause any unnecessary turmoil for him or their family. Ri might not have been pleased with Lyla, or even liked her much at the moment, but the blonde female was still family. She was Caine’s sister, someone he cared for with all his heart. For her love, she’d put aside her differences and do what was needed to make things right. Of course, once she was back to normal, all bets were off. But she kept that to herself as she watched him work through it all for himself. She waited for him to circle around in his usual way, her lips curving up into a soft smile as he looked back at her then up to the heavens. She let him go, not needing to rein him in just yet. He’d get there on his own, she knew, and once he did she nodded her head in understanding and kept her expression as loving and supportive as she could make it.

”If that’s how you feel, Caine, then the rest doesn’t matter. We’ll help her, get her back to the Lyla you know her to be. That’s what family does, right? They take care of one another.” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and hoped he expected her words as the truth they were. It was harder than she liked to admit to ignore her darker desires to leave Lyla high and dry, but she knew it would hurt Caine more than it would make her feel better. And that was something she just couldn’t bring herself to do. Especially after what he had done for Austin, and for her, the day before. Her mind threatened to drag her back to that moment, the memory of him enacting his revenge on Kitell and punishing Austin for taking the law into his own hands drifting through her head before she could shut it down completely. It wasn’t until he mentioned their son that she returned to the present, her starry eyes darkening a bit at the thought of Ragnor being with anyone but them. She knew what he was trying to do, but the reaction was something she just couldn’t control.

”No, he’ll be fine coming with us. I would feel uneasy the whole time, which would make me useless in helping you. Besides, he keeps me grounded in the same way you do. With you both there, we stand a better chance of me seeing through any lies or ill intentions Una or Volva might have towards Lyla and the village. Consider me your personal lie detector.” She grinned at her own words, amusement lighting her gaze back up as she continued to watch him closely. As he moved to face her, her eyes went dreamy and the fingers of her other hand fit themselves within his own. Had it not been for the impending doom that was Lyla’s current stasis in the world, the moment would have been sweet and one she’d let herself melt into. He just had this way about him that had her wanting to turn into a puddle of hormones, a silly, girly mixture of love and lust that always made her feel foolish. And a little odd, since no one in her life had ever made her feel such things. Hell, no one had even come close. It grated a bit to realize such things, so she shoved them aside and lifted a brow at the silence he was giving her.

”Caine, are you…” The question died on her lips when he moved in to capture them with his own. Every inch of her froze, her eyes staying wide on his storming ones as she tried to switch gears. It took about three seconds, and the feel of his hand on her cheek, before she closed her sapphire gaze and leaned into him. The hand that held his tightened a bit in his hold, while the other reached out to wrap around him as her body fit itself to his own. All the doubts, worries, and concerns they had been speaking of simply washed away like high tide over footsteps in the sand. Her heart began to race, his antics stirring her up in ways that were bound to get them both into trouble. The hand at his back gripped his shirt to keep her on her feet and to stop him from being able to move too far away. She was close to whimpering in his arms, intent on begging him to quit teasing and actually take, when he pulled back just enough to break contact. Her eyes remained shut, her breath coming out in pants as her brain tried to restart and create cognitive thinking. Before the words could even attempt at forming, he was kissing her once again and settling his forehead against her own. A soft giggle passed her lips as she caught his words, heat racing through her almost immediately in response. Chill it out, woman, that’s not what he meant.

”I think we should go see Una. She’s been here the longest, so maybe she would have seen something like this before and know how to fix it.” She hoped it was enough to help them, or at the very least point them in the right direction. ”If we don’t find any answers with her, I’ll reach out to Rori and have her search Jareth’s room. We won’t leave until you’re ready. No matter how long it takes, we’ll figure this out. One way or another, I promise.” This was her attempt at giving up the reins, letting him be the one that called the shots on what they did and where they went. It was seriously out of character for her, but after their conversation the other night she knew she needed to do it. Or, at the very least try. He had given up so much for her, dealt with everything she had tried to put him through in the beginning, and was still willing to stay by her side and be her rock. She owed it to him, or so she told herself as she opened her eyes to look up at his gorgeous face.

'I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see,
That you’re the antidote to everything except for me...'

Location: The cliffs.
Company: Caine. Thoughts: ‘Damn hormones. Now is not the time to play!’

Sislana

[Sislana]

Come meet me on other side
And make it rain in this burning house
Pouring down 'til the Sun comes up
I'm right here

Add another tally to Austin not reacting how she thought he would. She had been prepared for his anger, the venom that he was sure to pierce her with when he unleashed his tongue. None of it came, however. At least, not in the manner of which she was expecting. What she got was much worse and had her feeling as if she were being scolded by a parent. He made it painfully apparent that she had disappointed him with her actions and that was worse than any screaming match he could have mustered. Sislana could feel her heart bleeding out, feel the anguish that his dark looks and sharp words left. All she wanted to do was be away from this moment, to leave it in the dark like the gritty memory it would soon be. Were they truly incapable of having a normal day anymore? Had their relationship fallen so much in the time since their reunion, and let’s face it before she was taken from him, that they could not function without drama any longer? There were times where she felt she could hardly remember what normal with him felt like. If it wasn’t one thing it was another. A person could only handle so much, afterall.

It pained her to think that he saw her as having lost her mind. That was not the cause of her suggestion, nor had she been ready for him to take it that way. A frown tugged on the corner of her lips as she watched him, her head shaking from side to side. ”N..no, of course not. I just thought…” Her words trailed off as he continued, her eyes unable to hold his gaze any longer. There he went again, showing her that he was disappointed in her choices and actions. Could there be a worse feeling? Doubting it, Sislana lowered her attention to her lap and chewed at her bottom lip in silence.

The thought was enough to cause her heart to tighten in her chest when he stalked back over to her, her eyes widening when he yanked her up to her feet. A soft gasp pulled through her pouting lips and she felt her stomach bottom out at his question. For a moment all she could do was remain silent, her eyes washing over the hard look in the icy ones that felt like they were peering into her soul. She knew that she had upset him, but did he have to look at her like that? It was unbearable and had her wanting to melt into the ground beneath them. As he dropped his hold from her wrists, and her hands fell back down at her side, it was then that Sislana became abundantly aware of the crimson that stained her skin. Violet eyes shifted to the wrist and hand that was covered in his life source, her heart beginning to race. She could feel the world slow around her and all that mattered in that moment was the viscous liquid on her skin. The sound of her beating heart became deafening in her ears and she could taste the way her breathing constricted in her lungs. It was taking literally every ounce of her self control to not lick the blood clean from her hand and beg him for more. No. She was better than that. And Austin was still injured, even more so now that he had decided to take his aggressions out on her grandfather's building. Sislana had made a promise to herself that she would not feed from him, or anything else, until after he was fully healed. That, however, did not stop the way her eyes darkened to a royal purple or the unavoidable elongating of her canines. The entirety of her features seemed to grow sharper as she fought against hunger, her ability to bury it deep within her getting harder to control.

Using the next set of words that began to flow from his lips as a way to center herself, Sislana lifted her gaze to the man before her. She felt her eyes widen at his words and her stomach twist itself into a tangle of knots. Why was he apologizing to her? Blinking in confusion the woman stayed silent for a moment as her mouth fell open in pure shock. Hurt sliced through her heart and was quickly followed by a surge of anger. How dare he. He wanted answers? He wanted her to explain to him why she felt the need to cause pain to radiate through her body just to stay focused? Add in the hunger that was driving her up a wall and the fact that he felt like he was failing her and she was fairly certain she was going to snap.

Brows stitched together as she locked her nearly blackened eyes on Austin, her lip pulling upwards in a snarl. A growl rumbled deep within her throat as she took a step back from him, needing as much space as she could manage in that moment. ”If you want to apologize for something, apologize for treating me like I am something made of glass. You walk around acting like I am going to break if you say the wrong thing. It’s maddening, Austin!” Her voice was low at first, the growl biting at the tone. ”How dare you decide if you have failed me or not. You want to know why I cut myself like that? Why do I use the pain to keep myself centered? It’s because you refuse to treat me as anything other than a weak little girl. You still act as if I have one foot in the grave. You say that you have forgiven me for the choices that I made, for the things that lead us to this place, but I see the way you look at me, Austin. I see the way your eyes darken in fear if I breathe wrong.”

Needing to move, Sislana stepped away from the stairs and porch. Her eyes narrowed in the direction of the man as she did so, all but daring him to try to stop her. She had let him pace around like a caged animal and now it was her turn. Once more a growl tore from her lips and her hand lifted to yank through her hair, pulling wild strands away from her darkened features. The violet and purple in her eyes were all but gone, the black now flooding the surface to stamp out any other color. ”I have to do something to remind myself that I’m alive, that I’m here. You won’t do it. Heaven forbid you do anything that you think might cause me to break a ******** nail. Have you forgotten what I am, Austin Drake? What I’m capable of? No, I might not be my temptress of a sister, I am not all fire and brimstone, but I am capable of just as much. I don’t see you walking around treating her like she is going to shatter beneath the pressure. ********, you give her a wide berth when she comes! I see the way you cower at her tongue, how you flinch away from her fire. What’s wrong, baby? Don’t think I’m capable of what she is? Just because I cannot burn someone does not mean I cannot make them suffocate as they drown to death. That I am not able to make the light leave their eyes without even touching them? And yet, here you stand, afraid to show me any of your darkness. Any of that anger I know is just boiling beneath your surface.” Her pacing stopped as she turned to face him, a smirk tugging at her lips.

While there was no sign of Elizabeth, the expression that she wore couldn’t quite be considered Sislana, either. At least, not the Sislana that he had come to love. His Lana. There was a darkness to her, now, an anger that was cooly peeking its ugly head from beneath the surface. ”Stop treating me like the damsel you say I love portraying. I know you’re mad at me, I know you want to scream in my face. To shake me until I come to my senses. Yet you hold back. Am I not worth seeing all of you, Austin? Do I need to grow a few inches and dye my hair red in order to get you to show that side of you? You are so quick to show that sharp tongue of yours to everyone else, but when it comes to me you act like I can’t handle it. Above everyone else, shouldn’t I be the one that can the most? What are you afraid of, Austin Drake? Come on in, baby, the water is fine.” Holding her arms out to either side, Sislana lifted her palms upwards and spread out her fingers. Her brow lifted in challenge as the smirk on her lips only grew. She knew that she was playing a dangerous game but there was something in her that prevented her from caring. Perhaps later when the storm ended she would anguish over what she had said and done, but right now there was not time for it.

She needed Austin to show her that she was worth giving it his all. He was holding back and she was done playing nice. The time for him to stop pulling his punches had long since come and gone and she refused to stay quiet about it any longer. If they were going to make this work then they needed to share all aspects of themselves. He needed to see her dark and twisted just as much as she needed to see his. Austin needed to trust that she would dance with him in the rain of their storms rather than running and hiding. If he could place an ounce of his trust in her, for once, then she could prove to him the rock she could be. ”I’m a big girl, handsome, I can handle a few licks. You tell me to tear down my walls, to let you in, but when are you going to tear yours down? When are you going to stop being a hypocrite and actually let me in? I know that you’re capable of it, and I know that you believe in us. If you didn’t then you wouldn’t wear my mothers ring around your neck day in and day out. You would have left it to tarnish in my blood the night I was taken from you. The night that I was killed because I refused to let you in. I forced you to find my lifeless body, to see the repercussions of my actions, and yet you still hold back your anger. I see it in your eyes, Austin. I see that cloud every time you look at me. The horror that passes over your face when I’ve gotten just out of your eyesight. The worry that rips through your chest every time you think I’m not paying attention to you. Let me have it, baby, show me the anger that you’ve held onto for the last several months. You always hold it back.”

Now, she knew that she was not playing fair. Her logic was screaming at her to just shut up and stop digging her hole deeper and deeper. Her heart was begging with her tongue to stop, to leave it alone. She wanted nothing more than to apologize to him and take it all back. Every single cell in her body wanted that, so why couldn’t she stop? It was as if her tongue had a mind of its own and had gone rouge on everything else. She felt like she was watching herself in the third person and it was terrifying. ”Stop holding back, Austin. How ******** long are you going to make me beg you to stop treating me like I’m beneath you? Like the ground you walk on is covered in shards of glass just waiting to rip me to shreds? When are you going to let me know exactly what you think about all of the things I’ve done to you? For ******** sake, just look at it all! I chose another man over you, dropped you like a hot bag of garbage. I lied to you. For months. Locked you out of everything. I let you grieve the loss of my sister's baby all while I knew it was my fault. Let you bury me because I refused to turn to you. I have manipulated you, abused you, and for what? So you could be safe? I made decisions for you, the same thing that I get upset at if you do the same thing. I ruined our relationship. Threw your engagement ring in your face. Told you horrific things. And yet you stand there. Cool, calm, and collected. Not very all or nothing, if you ask me.”

Ignoring the screaming of her senses, Sislana fell silent now and stared at the man through her blackened eyes. The smirk on her lips had pulled into a sneer, her fully extended canines now evident and hard to miss. She was fighting a war within herself, begging her tongue to take back the horrible things she was saying. Even as she stood there watching him she could feel the tears stinging at the back of her throat and her eyes, though they were impossible to see through the black.

I want the light that fills the darkness
Give me your heaven and your hell
I wanna show you that you're worth it
Lay it on me tonight

[Sislana]

Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns
For the honor, have no fear

There was something about his love and the way that she spoke that always managed to calm him. Like Ragnor did for Ristar, she did for Caine. His fiery redheaded vixen was his center. The one person in this universe that could bring him to a grinding halt when his world felt like it was spinning out of control. Simply hearing her say that nothing else mattered and they would help Lyla soothed wounds he had not known were there. His lips curled up into a smile as she spoke, his head bobbing in agreement with her. ”Yes, it is what family does.” He echoed, his hand squeezing her own to add his seal of approval. Caine often wondered where he would be or what he would do without the woman at his side. If the stars had any luck, he would never have to find out.

Her quick refusal for Ragnor to be anywhere else but with them was not surprising, nor did he try to fight her on it. While Caine had voiced his opinions on wanting to be included in her decisions when it came to their son, he would not take this away from her. Ristar had every right to want to keep the product of their love as close as possible. Especially given everything that was going on in Leirhofn. Rather than voice any objections, or anything at all, Caine simply smiled and nodded at her words. He knew that it would be enough for her to know he agreed and would have no further say on the matter. This particular juncture was settled.

Ristar Black was like a livewire in his hands. She sent electricity through his entire body, starting from the point of her burning lips to the soles of his feet. It was taking every last bit of his self control to not take from her what he knew she would so freely give. The rest of the world be damned. It had been far too long, in his opinion, since he had been able to take her without worrying about anything else. Caine loved their son with every fiber in his being, but the little boy added a new set of complications when it came to their intimacy. He needed to be their first priority and that meant putting things on the back burner a lot of the time.

A growl rumbled in his throat at the heat he could feel growing between them, his mind having a hard time focusing on anything but. He wanted his woman in every sense of the word and knowing that she was pulling the reins back was infuriating. Of course, he truly appreciated what she was doing. Ristar was trying to be softer for him, trying to give up the control she so often kept in an iron grip. Were it not for his blinding need for the woman he would have been able to appreciate it a bit more in the moment. He just needed a minute to regain a coherent stream of thoughts and he’d be right as rain. Pulling in a long breath, Caine nodded slowly at the words she presented him with. His lips curled up into a smile as he took a moment longer to brush his thumb over her skin, his eyes locked on the starry pools that stared back at him. ”Have I told you how lost I become in you? He knew that he was skirting around her words again, but they were in for a long day. Ristar needed a dose of the sweetness that only he could provide her with before they got started. She deserves nothing less.

With one final, and quick, kiss to her lips the man straightened up and nodded his head. She was right, starting with Una was not a bad idea and could give them a chance to pull in the right direction. Moving to her side, Caine wound his arm around her shoulder and quietly walked her back to their home. His mind was reeling with questions for the elderly woman already, one more coated in mystery than the last. While he truly wanted to keep her from asking too many questions, or actually finding out what was going on, he knew there would have to be some give and take. Una was not an unintelligent woman and she was likely to pick up on the fact that there was a reason behind his questions. Perhaps Ristar would have an idea for how to keep inquiring minds to a minimum. ”You go in and get Ragnor ready, eldurinn minn. I am going to swing by Lyla’s really quick and fill Bior and Ozur in. I want them to keep Lyla under a close watch while we are gone. I will meet you in front of the hall in a few minutes, alright?” Caine stopped just outside the door of their home, his arm pulling the woman in against his chest so he could press a kiss to her lips.

Like the one near the cliff, Caine allowed himself to become lost in the velvet touch that was Ristar’s mouth. His teeth nipped and teased, his tongue warring with her own for several heated moments. By the time he pulled back he felt his head swimming and a dopey smile crossed his lovestruck features. ”Ég elska þig, eldgyðja mín. Gefðu litla úlfinum okkar koss fyrir mig og ég sé þig eftir nokkrar mínútur. Óðinn vakir yfir þér.” Pulling back, he waited until she had entered their home and shut the door behind her before turning on his heel and stalking back in the direction of Lyla’s. The walk was a short one with his long legs quickly eating the distance between the two homes. Within a matter of a few minutes, Caine was approaching Bior and Ozur while offering them a smile and nod of his head.

Within ten minutes the man was approaching the front of the hall, his smile growing at the sight of his love coming from their home. Perfect timing! He felt his heart swell as the pair approached, loving the way their son fit so perfectly in the hook of her arm. She was such an amazing mother and he constantly found himself thanking his lucky stars that she had blessed him with a child. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder once more, Caine pressed a kiss to her forehead before smiling and leading her towards the village. At this point the path was an old friend of theirs, one they had taken countless times. He was certain that Ristar would be able to find her way through the streets of Leirhofn with little to no trouble. Any other day the thought would have bolstered him with pride, but today it filled him with anguish. Would she ever want to return after they resolved what was going on with Lyla? He knew that she said she would, and that there would be no hesitance if he asked her, but they both knew he wouldn’t be able to put her through it. Ristar’s happiness and wellbeing mattered the most to him and the thought of putting her through something that would take away from that was more than he could bear.

It was a thought that kept him quiet for most of their walk, his head nodding occasionally in greeting to the villagers they passed by. Unlike the day before, the reception was far less icy and seemed to have thawed. As far as their people were concerned, Caine had no worries that they would recover from what had transpired over the last forty eight hours. They were all about fairness and just wanted to continue their daily lives in peace. If that meant casting out a few foolhardy guards here and there then so be it.

Being that Una’s shop was almost a straight shot from the Great Hall, it only took the family a matter of minutes before the thatched roof was coming into view. Caine could feel his heart beginning to beat faster the closer they grew, his anxiety of the unknown starting to get the better of him. This would all be worth it if the old woman could provide some answers or a direction they might search. He hoped that she would have an elixir or potion she could offer them, something that might help clear Lyla’s head and bring her back to the present. ”Eldurinn minn, I might need your help with asking for Una’s help. I do not want her to know that we are searching for something to help Lyla. Right now, it is unclear who we can trust. Especially if it’s something or someone doing this to her. We need to play things close to the vest. When it comes to you, I can be a poet. When it comes to other situations, well, I tend to put my big foot in my mouth.” Grinning down at the woman he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and pressed another kiss to her head. A quick reminder that he was there for her no matter what, just as she was for him.

Within another minute they finally reached the threshold of Una’s apothecary shop, his eyes washing over the front of the building quietly. Perhaps they could run a ruse of looking for something Ristar could take back home? They could make up some lie about her family needing it, or maybe she wanted to study it. That could work, right? Glancing down at the woman at his side he nodded at the reassuring smile she sent him, his gaze moving to the door. ”Here goes nothing,” he muttered softly, pushing the door open. A bell that hung above the door tinkled lightly at the threshold being breeched, a sign to the shop owner that someone had entered. Caine’s nose fought the urge to scrunch up at the musty smells that slammed into his face, his eyes starting water. Una’s shop always smelt like mulch and decaying flowers, neither a scent that he enjoyed. Of course, it was to be expected with the things that she made and offered to her patrons. His eyes glanced around the several shelves, all loaded haphazardly to the brim with an assortment of bottles, vials, and powders. Which one of these, if any, would do the trick for what they were searching?

From the back of the shop shuffled the elderly woman, her seemingly frail fingers pulling her shall tighter around her shoulders as she approached. The skin of her face was stretched thin over her features, and her eyes sunken into her head. Once vibrant golden hair now hung like straw around her shoulders, thrown into a quick braid to keep the strands from her weathered face. Her body was bent forward from the crick in her back and her arthritic hands shook if left unattended for too long. Despite her worldly appearance there was a sharp wit to her emerald eyes, something that seemed to catch all that was around her. ”Ó, meistari Caine! Húsfreyja Ristar! Velkomin, velkomin. Þú heiðrar mig með nærveru þinni. Hvað er það sem ég get fengið fyrir þig? Vantar unga meistarann ​​Ragnar krem ​​fyrir stækkandi tennur? Kannski eitthvað til að hjálpa honum að sofa um nóttina? Gamla Una hefur bara málið!” The woman’s voice quivered as she spoke, her age more apparent with every word that pulled from her frail lips.

We shall withstand this night of war
Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns

[Ristar Black]

Come, break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you

With his eyes on the ground, he missed the way she was looking at him. He forced himself to remain as he was, waiting for what was sure to be her rushing to him and apologizing herself. It was just how things worked with them. She told him something, he lost his cool, he felt like an a** and apologized, then she took the blame and apologized too. It was an endless cycle, a screwed up carousel ride he wished they could get off of. Her stuttered words were step one, her brain trying to make sense of what he was saying to her. Austin held his breath and counted to ten, having the damn dance they played down to nearly a science by this time. But, when he reached the end of the numbers and she wasn’t in his arms, confusion began to filter through his head. His dark eyes lifted a bit to look for her, widening at the sight of her nearly ebony gaze. Whoa, had he missed a step?

The snarl on her lips, and the growl that followed, answered his question better than any words could have. Shock filled his gaze as he watched her, having never seen her like this before. Okay, that was wrong. She had gone into this particular mode when she had attacked Caine, but that had been because of Ri and the link the sister’s shared. Since the redhead was nowhere he could see, his brain was having a hard time trying to find the source of her transformation. It wasn’t long before another answer was given to him, the words that left her lips connecting enough dots to have his gaze narrowing as she tossed the damn things at him. Since he had forced her to listen, taken away her chance to argue, Austin chose this moment to allow her the same courtesy. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to do so, but he remained silent as she ran off on her tangent about him and the way he treated her.

At the dare in her eyes, his body instinctively took a step towards her before he could stop it. Damn woman was playing dangerously and was going to set off the merc if she didn’t watch herself. The darkness within him chimed up in delight at the thought of tussling with this version of Sislana, more than happy to match madness with madness to see who came out on top. It was a rather enticing idea, which meant it was the wrong choice for everyone involved. She was venting, and the last thing he wanted was for the beast within him to take advantage and jump her. A cackle echoed in his head at the thought, a memory of the last time the merc had tackled Lana trying to fit itself in the forefront of his mind. Shoving it aside, and the monster back into his cage, he took a deep breath and kept his focus on her as she prowled around before him.

The blast she turned onto him next, though, shook his resolve and had his jaw dropping as he stared at her. Who in the hell was this woman? This dark demoness that was slapping at him without even having to raise her hand? She was a stranger to him. An unknown that wore the face of the woman he loved. Hell, he’d have preferred Elizabeth to the bewitching vixen that was rattling on about all the horrific things she could do if she put her mind to it. It wasn’t that Austin didn’t know any of this. He knew what she was capable of, had seen her powers firsthand back in Caine’s village. Granted, he hadn’t considered their lethal capabilities, but that was more because he didn’t think her capable of those kinds of things. The Lana he knew and love wasn’t the killing type, at least not in the way she was talking. That was his area of expertise, his cross and burden to bear. She was above it, above him, which is why he acted as he did. The way she twisted it all made it seem like he was doing her wrong, treating her less than he did her sister. And he was growing tired of hearing it already.

The way she kept saying his name had a growl rumbling in his throat. Color began to seep into his gaze, taking over the white and navy shade to tell her she was pushing her luck. The merc wouldn’t play nice, he wouldn’t play fair, and he would make her pay for what she was spouting off at him. He was nearly at the end of his rope when she crossed the line, snapping his control and squeezing his heart so hard it had a gasp of surprise passing his lips before he could stop it. The merc was yanked back, his feet taking a step away from her as he set his hand on his chest as if to stop the blood he could feel pouring from the aching organ. He had to give himself a moment, to remind himself that this wasn’t her really talking. Something must have changed in her before she came back, some side effect of being gone for five months. It was the only logical thing, the only reason that made any sense to his stumbling mind. Of course, that was only a band aid solution. A barely held together thought that had the Fates laughing from their perches, already cackling over what was sure to come next. Her last words were the final nail, the one the powers that be were waiting on. It shattered him and had a snarl curling up his lips, his body tensing as he stared at her through navy eyes.

Tapping into his abilities, he closed the distance between them within seconds and had her by the throat. His chaotic gaze narrowed on her own, finding the depth of the ebony appealing in a twisted way. It had him dying to push her buttons some more, to see just how far he could get her before she used her powers on him. Giving her neck a squeeze, he smirked right back at her and watched the emotions light up the darkness in her gaze. Oh, now that was a pretty sight. Keeping his hand where it was, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in to fit her curves to the lean lines of his body. The flash of her fangs had a devious laugh rolling out of him, delighted that she was churned up in more than just anger. It would give him the outlet he needed, the opportunity to give her what she had been demanding of him. If she shied away from it all, or regretted it down the line, he would deal with it then. For now, he was hungry for her and nothing was going to stop him from devouring her in greedy bites.

”Well well, look who put her big girl panties on this morning. I gotta say, Lana, it’s kinda hot hearing you be all demanding and aggressive.” Keeping his hold on her, he put pressure on her jaw a bit to tip her head to the side. The curve of her neck that it revealed had him growling in pleasure. His body leaned in to trail his tongue and lips along the bouncing pulse he found there, nipping at it to get it to jump a bit more as she struggled in his hold. All her antics did was have him tightening his hold, using his body to turn her around and guide her back a few steps. When he had her pinned between himself and the porch, he leaned back to grin deviously down at her. ”You trying to weasel out already? Oh no, you’re too late for that one, Lana. You’re mine. I do hope you like it rough, my love, because I have no intention of being gentle this time around.” With that said, he slid his hand from her throat to slide around to the nape of her neck. His fingers tangled into her hair, tugging just enough to pull a gasp from her that had him groaning in dark delight.

”I wonder something, though. Are you really prepared for what all or nothing means with me, my sweet love?” As he asked, his free hand reached behind him to pull the blade he had become accustomed to from his waistband. The glint of it had him grinning once more, twirling it around in his fingers a bit as he watched for her reaction. ”I’ve been dying to use this on you, to cut you out of your clothes and see just how still you can be. What do you say, Lana? Should we try it?” He brushed the side of the cool blade along her cheek, trailing the tip lightly along the curve of her delicious neck. He kept everything gentle, for now, and watched her through fascinated eyes. The merc in him was dying to come out and play, but Austin held him in check. There was a difference between letting loose and risking her life. One was okay, while the other was simply out of the question. It was up to her, ultimately, which road they took. He just hoped she chose the right one, for both their sakes.

Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you...

Sislana

[Ristar Black]

'All the writers keep writing what they write, write.
Somewhere another pretty vein just died...'

His agreement with her words had her beaming up at him. She had said something right, something that helped ease the ache she could feel within him. Pleased that she had made the correct choice, and that it hadn’t all blown up in her face, Ri smiled and returned his affectionate squeeze. It was all she could think to do in the moment and appeared to be more than enough. Satisfied, she remained silent and watched him as he reacted to her decision concerning their son. Relief washed over her once more, having momentarily worried that he would try and fight her on it. She was trying her best to let him voice his wants or desires when it came to Ragnor, without shooting them down from the get go. With him making it easy this time, she felt she could keep it up down the line when the next fork in the road appeared. She did her best to hold on to that thought and tucked it away for when she would need it next.

The sound of his growl, though, pulled her from her inner musings and had her eyes darkening in response. The emotions pumping off of him were making it hard for her to think of doing the right thing. It pulled at her primal need for him and had her considering just how long they could make Lyla wait for aid. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere, right? Their house wasn’t that far away, and it was, technically, on the way to Una’s. Thirty minutes wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? The question had her need to be with the man she loved nodding in agreement, while common sense shook its head in denial. No, there was no time for that right now. There were responsibilities that needed to be taken care of first. The hungry beast within her raged at the decision and was, ultimately, ignored. She didn’t want to steal away a few moments with him. She wanted to have him all to herself, with nothing more than the desire to take from him on her mind. It was a promise she made to her raging libido when his voice drifted through her head, causing her features to flush and her heart to tumble in her chest.

”Not today, you haven’t. But, you get a pass.” She grinned up at him, returning his affections with a kiss of her own before he stepped back. With him taking the lead, Ri happily wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into his side. It was sweet moments like this that she truly loved. Granted, their plan for the day wasn’t what she would have considered sweet or romantic, but that wasn’t the point. Being by his side, with his arm around her, was nothing short of perfection in her eyes. It had her nuzzling her cheek against his shirt a bit as they walked. The scent of him, birchwood and sea air, filled her head and had her sighing softly in contentment. She had never thought herself to be the type to pay much attention to how someone smelled before, but with Caine it was different. It was just another layer that pulled her to him, made her fall even more in love with the male at her side.

As they reached the door to their home, she nodded her head in response to his words and moved towards the wooden entrance. The feel of his arms snaking around her stilled her movements, shifting gears to have her wrapping her arms around his neck to smile up at him. She wasn’t at all surprised when he set his lips against hers again, though the depth in which he took it left her breathless and wanting all over again. Damn it, she was going to give in and just jump his sexy a** out in the open if he didn’t stop it with the teasings. She was nearly panting when he pulled back, the sound of his native tongue rolling through her head causing her to go a little weak in the knees. She knew exactly what he was saying, the words meant to be sweet and not saucy. Of course, that didn’t stop the knee jerk reaction she always had when he spoke to her in such a way. All she could do was nod in response, not trusting her own tongue to say anything short of ‘Screw it. You aren’t going anywhere.’ Ri had to force herself to turn away, to slip into their home and close the door behind her.

Once inside, she leaned back on the wooden panel and closed her eyes. Every inch of her was quivering, needs getting too strong for her to ignore outright. She gave herself a few moments to catch her breath, and to shove it all aside for later. She was going to make him pay for churning her up as he was, and she was going to enjoy every second of it. Pleased with the thought, the fiery female went through the motions of getting their son ready. Since the little cutie was still asleep, she changed him into a dry diaper before wrapping him up in a light blanket. A quick snap of her fingers pulled her powers back from the window frame and had the thing closing lightly, the latch falling into place. With that taken care of, and the snoozing baby comfy in her arms once more, the fiery female strolled out the room and headed back towards where her love had asked her to meet him.

As if he had been reading her mind, the sight of him filled her starry eyes and had her smile curling over her rosy lips. Without a word, she returned to his side and leaned comfortably into him once more. The silence that filled the air around them held a bit more nerves than she would have liked, but Ri tried not to focus on that. She kept up appearance as always, smiling and waving at those that acknowledged them in passing. Things in the village were getting back to normal, and it was all thanks to the blonde behemoth she adored more than any in the world. He might not have wanted the job of leader, but he most certainly had been born for it. It had her wondering if he would, one day, groom Ragnor for the job. Or would that be Lyla’s job? It was definitely a question for later, so she pushed it aside and focused on just enjoying their little stroll. No matter that their destination was one that was certainly going to affect how the rest of their day went.

The sound of his voice had her tipping her head up to look at him, surprise glittering in her bright eyes. Wait, he wanted her help? Wasn’t this his area of expertise? He was, after all, the heir and true leader. Hadn’t he been trained for this kind of thing? Okay, maybe not this exact thing, but politics usually came with some degree of gathering information without giving away all your cards. At least, that’s what she had come to learn over the years. What could she possibly do that he couldn’t? As if he was reading her mind once more, he answered her question and had her snickering softly under her breath. Perhaps it was a good thing he had let Lyla rule. She could see him sticking his boot in his mouth when handling mundane things like horse ownerships and land division. It had her amusement lighting up her gaze, brushing the surprise away as she nodded her head in response.

”If that’s what you need from me, I shall do my best to help. I’m sure you’ll do great, so try not to worry too much.” She brushed a kiss over his bearded cheek in response to the one he gave her before letting him lead the way into Una’s shop. Just like Caine, her features scrunched up immediately at the scents that hit her. Gods, it was as if this was the place nature came to die. Holding her breath, Ri looked around and tried not to worry over what this particular interaction would give them. She kept her mind open and smiled when Una’s presence registered, putting on her friendliest expression as she shook her head at the woman’s words. It was sweet of her to worry about Ragnor, but the fiery female wasn’t ready to be fooled by appearances and kind words. They were here to do a job, after all.

”Þetta er vinsamlegt af þér Una, en óþarfi. Okkur vantar reyndar elixir, ef þú ert með hann við höndina. Minni mitt hefur ekki verið eins og það var síðan Ragnor. Ég hef átt þokustundir, þær sem hafa mig út um allt. Er eitthvað hérna sem gæti hjálpað mér að einbeita mér aðeins meira, fyrir tilviljun? Við yrðum ævinlega þakklát.” While she explained their reason for visiting, her powers reached out to poke around at the elderly woman before them. Normally, she would have felt awful for messing with someone of Una’s edge and status. But there was just something about her, a cleverness that had always rubbed her a bit weird. So, Ristar did her best to see what she could find only to come up with nothing more than a few emotions and a whole lot of fog. The white noise in the older woman’s head was starting to hurt, so she pulled back and made sure to keep none of it from showing on her face as she waited for a response to her request.

'I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see,
That you’re the antidote to everything except for me...'

Location: Una’s shop.
Company: Caine, Una, and RaRa. Thoughts: ‘Ouch…What the hell…’

Sislana

[Sislana]

Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns
For the honor, have no fear

Without missing a beat, Ristar was speaking and Caine found himself enamored with the words that flowed from her lips. It was as if she were born for this sort of thing! The thought of using one of their own memories hadn’t even dawned on him and had gratefulness bursting to life within the man. Honestly, what would he ever do without the fiery female? She was wiser than him and a better person than he could ever hope to be. Brimming with pride, Caine lifted his gaze from his love to the elderly woman that stood watching them with a small smile. He was curious for her reaction, and when nothing more than a brief glint in her eyes met them, he released the breath he had not realized he was holding. If Una suspected any deception from the pair of them she certainly did not let it pass over her wrinkled features.

In an effort to add substance to her white lie, the man offered Una a small smile and nodded. ”Við skrifuðum það upphaflega á svefnleysi en það virðist bara hafa versnað. Ég hélt að ef einhver í þorpinu gæti hjálpað okkur, þá værir það þú, viti.” Okay, maybe he was laying it on a little thick but he did not want to give the elderly woman any reason to think they were misleading her. This was for his sister, afterall, and he needed to power through what would normally be considered an uncomfortable situation for him. For several moments the woman watched the trio, her eyes measuring each of their faces in turn before her paper thin lips pulled into a smile and she nodded. ”Þoka heilans! Alls ekki óalgengt fyrir nýbakaðar mæður. Ég held ég hafi bara…” She paused momentarily, her frail form shuffling off to the side towards an unsuspecting shelf. For a moment her shaking hands trailed along the viles, lifting a few here and there to examine the label. ”Ah já, hérna. Þessi elixir var hannaður til að lyfta skýinu sem getur stundum sest yfir hugann. Sagt er að það geti hjálpað til við að sjá fyrri glæpsamlegar athafnir sem annars myndu verja huga manns frá skýrleika.”

Returning to her place near the family, Una held out her bent and twisted hand, the file held precariously between her fingers. Not wanting the woman to drop the bottle, Caine quickly held out his hand and took it from her. A smile of thanks spread over his lips as he examined the liquid, holding it up to peer at it through the sunlight that filtered into the room. To him, the liquid looked unsightly and had his stomach curdling. The color was best described as that of a thick mucus, thick and something that had his breakfast jumping into the back of his throat. He was eternally thankful that he would not be the one needing to down the viscous substance. If he were in Lyla’s shoes he was pretty certain he would just stay in the fog if faced with the elixir. ”Hvernig virkar það, vitur Una?” Turning his attention from the vile liquid to the woman once more, Caine lowered his hand and smiled sweetly at the wrinkled face staring back at him.

Shuffling her way to the counter, and in turn the chair she had set up behind it, Una huffed and puffed as she lowered her twisted body into it. The relief that came from getting off her feet had a sigh of appreciation passing through her lips before she nodded at the question presented to her. ”Ég vara þig við, húsfreyja Black, þetta verður ekki ánægjuleg reynsla. Að hreinsa þokuna af huganum er viðbjóðslegt mál og getur tekið nokkurn tíma.” Pausing for a moment to adjust her shawl, Una pulled in a ragged breath before lifting a shaking hand, her bent index finger pointing towards the vial Caine held. ”Taktu það með tei; það mun hjálpa til við að þynna út bragðið. Ég hef reynslu af þessum tiltekna elixir. Það þarf eins og froskamunn. En það virkar eins og blessað sé af Óðni sjálfum. Nokkrir dropar ættu að gera bragðið, ef þú ert aðeins að fást við minnisleysi. Ef þokan verður meiri, eða verður alltaf verri, viltu auka dropana og tíðnina. Því sterkari sem þokan er, því lengri tíma getur tekið að hreinsa. Ég vara þig við, húsfreyja Black, það getur valdið óþægilegum minningum. Vertu tilbúinn.”

All but huffing for air from the effort of speaking, Una fell silent now and simply nodded. Her body rest itself in her chair as she leaned back, her eyes falling shut. In a sense, it was her way of letting the couple know that she was done with them and they could be on their way. No one in the village was quite sure of Una’s actual age, all any of them knew was that she was old. Very old. It was something she took advantage of often; especially when she was in the mood for a nap. Nodding at the unspoken dismissal, Caine turned his attention to Ristar and offered her a small shrug and smile. His free hand dug into the pouch he had tied to his belt, retrieving a few pennigars and settled them on her counter. He tapped the silver pieces a few times so that Una’s ears would pick up the presence of payment before he nodded at Ristar and turned them both to leave.

Remaining silent until they were free of the shop, Caine drew in a deep breath to fill his lungs with the briny air of the sea. He hated the stench that Una’s shop always carried and hoped that they would not have to pay her another visit any time soon. The vial rolled in his pocket as he walked, his body carrying them both in the direction of the Great Hall. When he was certain they were out of the reach of any inquiring ears, Caine turned his attention down to the curvy redhead at his side and smiled nervously. ”Is it just me, or did that feel a little too easy? I was thinking we’d have to go through more hoops, ask more questions. You are a natural, my love. Thank you for coming along with me. Let’s just hope that this helps.” Dropping his hand into his pocket, Caine wrapped his fingers around the vial and pulled it out carefully. Lifting the liquid filled glass between them once more, he allowed his storming eyes to examine the contents.

Now that they were in the clear light of the day he found himself comparing the contents even more so to mucus. ”This looks like what comes out of your nose when you have a cold,” he commented, having to swallow the bile that pooled in the back of his throat at the thought. ”For a moment I had been worried she’d insist on you trying it in the shop. Sampling the product and all that. I was starting to feel very sorry for you. Now I just feel sorry for Lyla. The inside of a frogs mouth?! I love trying new things, but that is something that will be staying far from my bucket list.” He chuckled as he shook his head, wanting to keep the mood between them light and airy as they walked. If kept it from being too serious then he would not have to think about the mountain they still had to climb. There was the matter of convincing Lyla to even drink the liquid. He was certain they could tempt her through a drink, but if it tasted as badly as Una described he doubted the taste would go unnoticed. Would Lyla give in and let them help? Hell, would she even be cognitive enough to register that they were feeding her something to begin with? ”Can you imagine how badly this is going to smell? Maybe we will get Bior or Ozur to do it. What do you think?”

Rambling his way through the remainder of their walk, Caine fell silent as the Great Hall once more came into view. Wanting to keep their mission a secret from prying eyes he dropped the vial back into his pocket and returned his arm to drape around Ristar’s shoulders. With her tucked carefully into his side he let his body slow to a stop when they reached the choice of their journey. They could go to the hall, their home, or straight to Lyla. With the question burning in his mind he glanced down at the woman, offering her a gentle smile. ”Do you want to get this over with now? Or do you want to do some more searching?”

We shall withstand this night of war
Ready and gather all our strength
The night has come of soaring reigns