When Midnight Strikes-Sequel to Rumpelstiltskin's Reign (An FTRS/RAR AU)

IV

Sorry, I know the parts are getting smaller and smaller *oof*, it's just a time thing

GILLY

Gilly stared at the couple in front of her-a fair-haired girl with peachy skin and a raven-haired boy with chocolate brown eyes that looked as if he belonged on the cover of a magazine. The girl beside him had fallen asleep, but he stayed mostly awake, staring down at her pale fingers.

Gilly was still avoiding looking at Jax. She knew they'd both been experiencing those strange dreams, but she also knew that discussing it could make it worse. If someone knew they'd been conversing-

Oh, to heck with that. It wasn't as if things could get any worse than they already were. Gilly watched the boy beneath her fall asleep, his lashes fluttering as he shut his eyes. Gilly looked up once more at Jax. His deep violet eyes focused sharply on hers, as if he'd been waiting for her to gaze at him. Purple fire seemed to dance in his eyes, so distinctly she could almost feel their heat. A deep memory hissed in the back of Gilly's mind, curling purple flames from a blistering arrow, whistling through the air like a knife. A strangled gasp escaped from one of the prisoner's mouths. Gilly and Jax turned to the sound. The boy and girl were staring at each other as if they'd been hurled straight into space with no means of returning home.

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JAX

Clomping footsteps thudded down the stone steps leading to the prisons. Jax straightened up, honest fear flashing inside him. Gilly looked just as wary. Though both of them put on a brave face, Jax knew most of it was all for show.

When you'd been around as long as they had, it was clear that all rational creatures ought to fear the clip-clop of Rumpelstiltskin's brown loafers.

It was no surprise when Rump entered the prison room, his ugly black goatee tangled and curled. He smiled demonically. "I hear you've all been causing trouble again, haven't you?"

Gilly and Jax spared half a second's glance at each other.

Rump stomped his foot. "Oh, I knew it was a mistake to put you two together." he jabbed a finger at the girl and boy behind the bars. The boy had shifted so he was in front of the girl, but her eyes blazed with such fury Jax was surprised she wasn't breaking the bars with her bare hands.

"And you two!" he stomped his foot again, glaring at Jax and Gilly, who looked at each other in confusion. "Always too smart for my clever charms. I told her we should have separated them, but noo, everything has to be her way!"

He folded his arms and sniffed. "Well, today I'm getting my way. The four of you are being relocated. The others, I knew they'd never be any issue. They're nothing without their leaders. Start at the top, and you unravel the bottom."

Jax felt the normal irrational swell of fear rise up inside him, doubled with the knowledge of Gilly beside him, and the strange desire to protect the mysterious couple huddled behind him. But there was also anger, and Jax was going to protect them at all costs. Whatever the cost.

Jax braced his feet in a defensive stance as Rumpelstiltskin grinned. "You two haven't been too much trouble, I suppose. All of these children, why didn't we just eradicate them in the first place, I ask you? Never mind. All is going according to plan."

Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers and Jax felt his body spiraling out of his control, dissolving into dust...