I Will Find You

Chapter 13: Blood

Killian's POV

Emma lurched towards me with her entire body, aiming to knock me over but I held my ground. She was gasping, her face reddening as her hands clenched in and out of fists, showing thick vains of anger on the top of her hands. I took a few steps back towards the wall, holding the sword out in front of me like a sign of surrender.

"Swan, Please." My voice broke as I tried to calm myself, gulping down the liquid accumulating in my throat. "I know this isn't you..."

Her eyes turned to slits, staring me down. She didn't know who I was, I knew that for sure. We were now in the main corridor. It was empty except for a few servants bringing trays of food and drinks into the ballroom, but they minded their own business, keeping their gaze towards the ground.

Emma eyed my sword with her beady black pupils. Her face reddened even more and I could see her body tense up. She was breathing even harder now, angry about something. Suddenly someone skidded through the ballroom door, stopping as they saw us. It was Robin, with Regina holding his hand and trailing not far behind him. Regina gasped and Robin stopped cold, staring at both of us.

"We were just heading up to the bedrooms..." Robin cleared his throat as his voice became more high pitched. "Are you alright, lad?"

Emma had transitioned her gaze to them for a second now, still locked in place, holding ground in the middle of the hallway.

"No." I replied, trying to talk slowly as to calm whatever demon was inside Emma, "She... there's something wrong with her. She's not herself and --" I couldn't finish my sentence as I was knocked down by something. I had let down my guard while talking to Robin and forgot about Emma, giving her a chance to take me down. 

I quickly rolled from her grasp, crawling towards the wall. She came towards me, crawling. She truly looked like an animal; a ravage look in her eyes, moving like a lion. Her movements were slow and steady, but more animal-like than human. Even her eyes looked canine.

She punched me in the shoulder and I felt something snap. My breath stopped for a moment before I groaned, taking in slow, painful gasps between clenched teeth. She was standing over me now, hunched, calculating her next move. She kicked my leg a bit, tormenting me. 

I won't hurt her. I'm not going to hurt her. I--- ahh! The pain in my arm increased, trickling down my forearm as a sort of stiff soreness. Emma grinned a kind of murderous smile, taking a few steps back to examine your handiwork.

My sword was lying a few paces ahead of me and I reached for it but pain immediately shot up my arm again and I moved back towards the wall, holding my limp arm. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing through the pain, waiting for the darkness's next blow. But it didn't come.

A few moments later, I opened my eyes and the sword was gone. I saw a blur of bright red flash before my eyes before the scream pierced the air. 

"Swan!"

It was her voice, I was sure of it. The pain in my shoulder immediately disappeared, replaced by panic and anxiety. Worry. Helplessness.

I leapt to my feet, racing towards her. Emma was lying on the ground, no longer tense. Her eyes were full of tears, but no longer darkened, and she was gritting her teeth, trying to hold back the pain.

One arm held up the skirt of her dress and the other held her body up in a slouched position on the ground. Her leg had a large gash in it stretching from the bottom of her thigh to her upper calf. It was deep, seeping dark blood which had already stained her dress. Merida was standing over her, my sword in hand, staring down at Emma with anger.

"I knew it was you! We should have never let you in our castle. You killed our villagers." She stormed away, and as she entered the ballroom I could hear here calling for guards.

Emma slouched over again. A small pool of blood had developed beneath her. Regina rushed over, kneeling next to Emma like I was. She raised her hands over, shaking as she dispersed her healing magic. But it only bounced off the injury like a force field, sending white sparks Regina's way.

"Hook, what kind of sword was that?" She asked, confused and angry.

"I, uh... I don't know. Arthur gave it to me yesterday in case I needed it. I assumed it was from the armory but--"

"He must've enchanted it." Robin commented, resting his hand on Regina's shoulder. He helped her stand up, letting her rest into his embrace. She looked into his eyes, then back down at me.

"You must be right. Arthur must've put some enchantment on the weaponry, preventing me from healing her. But, maybe I can heal you." She waved her and and immediately the pain that I had forgotten about disappeared from my shoulder, replaced with a buzzing, tingly feeling. She grinned, noticing my reaction. 

"Go see if you can wrap her up and wash her cut out. I'll tell the Charmings."

I tore off a strip of the edge of her dress, wrapping it around her leg tightly where the wound was. Then I picked her up in one fast swoop and ran towards the stairs, heading to the bedchambers.