Water and Wind

Chapter 21

Nimue

But then the bubble breaks. Someone grabs her, hard, and pulls her out of the line, pulling until her shoulders ache and her hands have slipped from Freya and Arian's. It's all she can do to not fall forward. And with tears in her eyes, she hits the floor with a thud that makes the children cry out.

From the corner of her eyes, she can see the children rush forward, but they are halted midway. Guards rush in on all sides. Spears are jabbed under the chins of the children, handcuffs are wrenched on. A hand is clapped over Sirena's mouth. Alfred's hands are enclosed in cuffs giving off waves of heat. Fay's ivy is stemmed short. One by one, they submit.

She's dizzy, and she's not sure which way is up, nor down. But then a face looms in front of her. Lucifer. "Cute, Nimue. Real cute." He hisses. He looks unfazed by the whole ordeal, yet she is caught in the stomach with the butt of a spear with a surprisingly hard jab. Crying out, she doubles over, holding her aching ribs. "But it's time to go now. Say your good-byes." He says sweetly, leaning ever closer so that spittle from his mouth is washing onto her face. "And remember, those that go into the forest usually don't come out. And take note of this," he adds, smirking to reveal stained, crooked teeth. "Those that meet La Esperanta never come out. Now get up." Her back is jabbed, and she stumbles to her feet.

A guard swiftly moves and handcuffs her, another one on his knees to link her ankles together. She is once again a prisoner. "I'm sorry Circe." She whispers, feeling a deep sting of disappointment.

She gets to her feet slowly, her head lowered. "Good..." She can hear Lucifer hiss quietly. He's like a cobra, lying in the shadows, waiting to strike. She knows him.

"Come on Jinx. Come on Sirena." She says quietly, turning her head to face the children. Both stop fighting and look up at her. She hates to do this. She thought they had a chance, but she was wrong. Tears swell her eyelids, rising like the tide.

Sirena and Jinx's eyes plead with her, but she knows it's over. How foolish they were to believe that they, mere children, could take on the very force that wiped out most of their kind? They were silly. Ignorant. Hopeless.

"Let's go." She pronounces quietly, feeling each syllable ring in the dead silence. "Come on."

Arian

What is she doing? Arian watches her in shock. This is not Nimue. This is not the Nimue he knew, the one who believed in everything from the fairies to the elves, the one who saw light in the darkest room. If he could reel back in shock, he would have, but he's frozen again.

He knows that if Nimue commands, the little ones will follow. She has that power over them, and despite what they think, they will follow her to the ends of the earth. If only he could go instead of her. What is she doing?

Just as he predicted, Jinx and Sirena line up without protest beside Nimue. Lucifer, his former brother, his former best friend, his newest enemy, leans down to their eye level. "Say your goodbyes children." He orders in a singsong voice, and Arian feels the urge to punch him, right then and there.

He allows them to turn around, and Jinx and Sirena move instinctively to their parents, who have still been frozen all this time. Nimue hesitates, he can see her, then shuffles over to him, not quite meeting his eyes. She snaps her chains open with surprising ease and puts her arms around his neck. He can feel her shaking.

You don't have to do this, he thinks, and she looks him in the eye with some force.

You don't understand.

I know you, Nimue, and this isn't you, he responds. She glances away. The Nimue I knew wouldn't let innocent children be sacrificed, especially if they were her siblings. The Nimue I knew would find a way, would see the light through the dark.

He can see the pain in her gold flecked eyes, the begging for him to understand. But he doesn't want to understand. He doesn't want to believe that this is Nimue now, that the laughing girl he kissed before is now this. This isn't Nimue, he insists, looking her in the eye.

She avoids it, stroking his cheek lightly and turning to kiss him again, this time gossamer butterfly light, yet he feels the same electric tingle running through him. He knows, he just knows, that somewhere underneath, there is still a Nimue.

I-

But he never finds out what she was going to say, for the next thing he knows, she's knocked to the ground by the force of a powerful hand. "Let's go." Lucifer's voice is harsh and his hand is unrelenting as he slaps Nimue again. She curls up on the ground, refusing to cry out.

Nimue, listen- he begs, thinking hard for something, anything, that could prevent her from going, since despite everything, he still loves her. He doesn't want to picture her at the hands of La Esperanta, even if she is taking the children along with her for sacrifice and completely giving up.

He's cut off by her harsh voice in his head. No, Arian, you listen. Try to understand. He can hear the emotion in her voice, the choking sounds as she restrains her tears. You only need to understand one thing, got it?

She waits for his answer, turning her head ever so slightly as Lucifer drags her to her feet in what looks to be the most painful way possible, so that her face is scraped, and her knees scratched and bruised. Arian? She demands, hurrying him as Lucifer starts to pull her away to join Jinx and Sirena a few feet away. Arian!

He nods, and he knows she can feel it, for she responds seconds after. One thing Arian, only one thing. He nods again. I love you. And that's why I have to do this.

Do what? He asks, mentally panicking, but he feels her shaking her head.

Just one thing. I love you. And then she shuts off her end of the connection, and he waits in pure terror for what will come next.