𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖔𝖈𝖐 𝕻𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊

8

"OH," KILLIAN SAID. "I've hurt him?" he held up his hook, to make a point.

"You stole his wife."

Realization hit Killian and his face turned from mocking to sad. "Tell me something, luv. If a woman comes to you and..." he stepped closer to her, not looking up, "begs you to take her away," he was now so close that their noses were almost brushing, "is that theft?"

"Why would she leave him?"

"Because he was a coward." He said, now looking her in the eyes, "and because she loved me." He walked to the shawl. "I should have burned this the moment I acquired it."

"Why didn't you?"

Majo stepped over to him sadly. "Because she made it."

"I'm sorry she dies, but...vengeance?" The woman said. "Vengeance won't bring her back."

*****

"What happened?" a crewman asked as Milah and Majo brought Killian back on board.

"The Captain was being an idiot," Majo mumbled.

Milah ignored the warlock and turned to one of the men, "Get me that prisoner from below deck along with the booty he carried. Now!"

The man went below deck and The Dark One turned to his wife, "Well, well, seems like you finally found the family you could never have with me."

A crew member brought the trader up the stairs from below deck and gave Milah the pouch he was carrying.

Milah opened it and showed one of the beans in it to the Dark One. He went to snatch it but she threw it to Killian. "You asked to see it now you have."

Majo stood next to her friend as they watched Milah talk with the crocodile skinned man.

"Do we have a deal?" the woman asked. "Can we go our separate ways?"

*****

Killian looked almost amused but there was a bitterness in his smirk as he pointed the gun in her direction again (although Majo doubted that he knew how to use it). "Died? Like it was some kind of accident. Is that what he told you?"

"He-Well, yeah, he didn't say."

Majo scoffed unamused. "No, of course not."

Killian continued, once again standing close to the Belle, "Of course he'd leave out the important detail of her passing."

"And, uh...what would that be?"

Killian whispered, "He killed her." He pointed the gun at the woman's chest, "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me."

The Belle was now frantically shaking her head, "No."

"Oh, yes," Majo told him.

"No!"

"Yes," Killian said. "He will do anything..." he lifted her chin with the gun, "anything...to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him," he let go of her and walked to the side, "has either run away or been killed?" He cocked the gun and was now standing where she had been while she was standing next to Majo. "Now what makes you think you're any different? Tell me something darling, why would you want to fight for a man like that?"

"Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart is true. And yours?" Killian's eyebrow lifted as the Belle continued, "Yours is rotten." She put her hand up and shoved a paddle backward, which knocked Killian down. Before Majo knew what was happening, the woman grabbed the shawl and was off.