The Last Hope

09 - Answers

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER - Meadows, Wild Child. Linked above! If you enjoy the chapter please vote, it means a lot. Also, I actively encourage commenting and am trying my best to reply to any as quickly as I can. Want a chat? Don't be shy!

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Mercy clawed at the blonde-haired sentinel, making contact with his cheek. "You bastard!" Lincoln stepped backwards, parrying her blows, and catching her hands but she just kept swinging. "My friend died, and you just abandoned me in the street. How fucking dare you!"

Face red with fury, and lips curled into a snarl, Mercy stalked him. Hands curled into claws at her sides. The remaining Sentinel and the witch watched on with concerned expressions from the couch, but neither interfered.

"Mer, calm down-"
"Don't tell me to calm down I will kill you! You turn up to rescue me, let my friend die and then just run off?" When she landed a hit to his chest that had him stumbling back, Lincoln looked desperately at Mona.

"A little help, Mona?"
"Jesus H Christ do I have to do everything?"

Mercy leapt, eyes wild, at the same time as Mona snapped her fingers. With a whimper, Mercy collapsed into Lincoln's waiting arms.

"Thank you," he said with a tinge of relief.
"Get her on the sofa. Sit her up." Mona ordered him.

Mercy's limp form mumbled quietly as Lincoln carried her to the sofa, sitting her up as best he could when her body moved like a bag of jello. As he released her, stepping back, her head lolled forward onto her chest.

Ariah re-entered the room, "it's over? I missed it?"

"Be nice, Ariah," she rolled her eyes at Keenan, who looked from her to Mercy with apprehension in his brown eyes.

"Maybe you shouldn't be here when she wakes up, Linc?" Keenan uttered gingerly.

"Maybe you shouldn't be here at all, Linc," Ariah sneered, voice dripping venom.

"Ariah, I don't have time for your feelings right now, so why don't you piss off?" Lincoln said without looking at her.

"Oh, you want me to go? Guess I'm staying."

"Can you guys hold it together for one damn minute! That girl there is the most important girl who's ever been born in our realm. She is going to be the Queen. And for whatever bizarre reason, she has forgotten all of it. As far as she is concerned - our realm is nothing to do with her! How on earth am I meant to convince her to help us if you can't stop with your incessant squabbling for two minutes!" The air around Mona cracked with electricity, blonde hair rigid with static. It dissipated as she took a breath.

Silence blanketed the room, Mona breathed out a heavy sigh, "thank you." She looked to each of them individually. Ariah looked pissed off, as always. Lincoln was annoyed but concerned. And Keenan, sweet, simple Keenan, looked upset about all the shouting. "I'm going to wake her up and we are going to explain everything. As a team." Voice hard but not punishing, she continued, "Keen, she likes you, keep doing what you're doing. Ariah, a little more tact and a little less attitude, she could have you executed for your insolence if she wanted to," Ariah muttered something about "I'd like to see her try," Mona ignored her.

"Lincoln, maybe you should stand back a little, at least until she calms down." Lincoln nodded and stepped away from the sofa, choosing to lean against the doorjamb instead. Like two north magnets repulsing each other, Ariah moved as he did, keeping maximum distance between them.

"Okay, calm and collected people," Mona told them all, lifting her hand in the air, she snapped her fingers again.

Mercy blinked, head pounding and tried to lift her arms to rub her temples but found them welded to her sides, nothing physically restrained her, but she couldn't move. She looked up, scowling, right at the blonde-haired Sentinel.