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

VIII

haha so apparently the only time I have to write is when my school shuts down bc of coronavirus?? lmao heres another chapter ladies

GILLY

A loud clattering noise jerked Gilly from her slumber. She and Jax had talked for what felt like hours, discussing what they had seen, what they knew, their strange stories of no memories and their terrible fear of dreams. At some point, Jax had leaned his head on her shoulder and fallen asleep. It had only been a matter of time before Gilly succumbed as well. 

Now she patted him quickly, waking him up. The sleepy smile fled his face as his eyes opened. 

A tile had vanished from the center of the room, leaving a perfect trapdoor. Gilly looked at him. He looked at her. 

The room began to shake and tremble, like an earthquake was tearing the room apart. More and more tiles dropped from the ground.

And somehow, she knew he could see what she was thinking. And she could read his thoughts as clearly as an open book. 

Gilly and Jax both stood as the floor trembled and shook. He held onto her tightly as the world fell from beneath their feet. 

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DEVIN

Heath knelt at the end of Stiltskin's enormous bed, trying to stay awake. 

Stiltskin had made it clear that should he fall asleep, he'd find himself cooked up in a potion. 

He brushed a hand against his face, trying desperately to force his emotions back into a deep, dark hole. The boyish desires he could still feel, of a love of adventure and the outdoors, had been crushed by the reality of his situation long ago. And Devin.

God, Devin. 

Heath put his head between his knees and breathed. 

There was a tapping at the window. Heath's eyes went straight to Stiltskin. He lay fast asleep. The tapping sounded again, soft and insistent. 

Heath stood and walked toward the window. He slowly unlatched the clasps and quietly opened it. When he saw the outside, he had to stop himself from gasping. 

Once he had regained control of himself, he whispered, "Devin?!"

"Heath." She had grasped each edge of the window and was leaning against the balcony it led to. 

"How did you.."

"Olivina's room is right above this one," she spoke with deadly silence, "I just dropped down."

"But-it's really dangerous-"

"Heath, did you have any dreams tonight?"

The question threw him off. "No, I haven't been allowed to sleep."

"Neither have I. Do you remember your dreams from last night?"

Heath remained baffled. "No, I never do."

"Think, Heath. Think."

And Heath obeyed. Reaching past the fog of his brain, desperately trying to get a hold of the previous night's visions. A wisp of blonde hair, a laugh. He shut his eyes and concentrated. 

Something snapped.

And it all came flooding back. A girl, trying to leave her own carriage without an escort. A boy, coming to the rescue with suave smiles and sarcastic words. 

Blonde hair shining in the light of the dance floor, as she spun around with another boy, unaware of the dark eyes staring after her. 

An endless drop off a plank, the girl's hesitation. Her refusal to allow him to protect her. 

Sitting up on a high castle tower, soft lips against his own. 

Years of captivity, with only each other for company.

Screaming and crying as they were ripped from each other, imprisoned in a dark, vast cage with no knowledge of where the other may be. 

Brown hair in braids, tears dripping from a pair of emerald green eyes. Damn. Now there are two of you.

Heath stumbled back with the force of it, choking back a thousand statements. He rushed onto the balcony, seizing Devin and wrapping her in a crushing hug. Tears spilled from his eyes. "Devin," he whispered, "Devin."

She hugged him back with twice the force. And suddenly his lips were against hers, the familiarity of the feeling sending a rush of blood to his brain. He couldn't get enough, not enough of her arms lacing around his neck, of his hands through her tangled blonde hair. 

He had to force himself to break away. "Devin," he said, as if a trance had been broken, "We have to find the others. Logan, and Raina-Raina. Oh, G-"

"I know what we need to do," Devin said, without a trace of doubt "Come with me."

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