The Queen Is After Me

April watched quietly, before following a little bit behind. Watching the woman with a great amount of caution.

"I just wished he didn't have to die," Orion replied mildly. "He's only a littl'un. Got caught in a cross fight over territory. Bled to death in five seconds. Barely any pain."

---

The woman looked up at seeing Keagan and gave a crooked smile, walking towards him as she said brightly, "Good, you're here. I was waiting for you; get him to let me in."

Keagan's expression tightened, as he was clearly angry.

((After today, won't be on until about the 10th of August - going to Darbyshire and there's no internet in the log cabin.))

April frowned as she watched, narrowing her eyes a bit at the woman.

"At least he wasn't in any pain."

"Come on Keagan, stop with the scary faces, you know you can't hurt me. Don't tell me you've forgotten." The woman suddenly reached out and snatched Keagan's wrist, skin on skin and nothing happened.

Keagan had gone pale at this, anger disappearing into surprise and something close to fear.

---

"He had so much going for him though." Orion sighed. "It's always the innocent who get the worst of it."

"How do you do that?" April asked with wide-eyes as she watched.

"Yeah it is."

The woman glanced at her briefly and then ignored her. "I need you to let me in so I can help him."

Keagan stared and then suddenly relaxed. "You're Riley."

"Bingo."

"Why should I let you in?"

"So I can reverse what's been done. My contract's over."

---

"Same age my little brother'd been if he was alive." Orion sounded wistful.

"It sounds like you really cared about him."

"Keagan, how can she touch you? Who the hell is she?" April asked, voice hinted with a bit of iritation now that she had been completely ignored.

(( Be back in 30 mins or so )))

"Just wonder what could have been. Denny was six months when sickness took him away from us." Orion's mouth twisted almost bitterly before he suddenly bounced back, smiling brightly at her. "Are you here to see me?"

---

"She's the witch - "

"I prefer the term 'Gifted'. We're a society of special skill sets." Riley peered at April from the corner of her eye, as if she was appraising a piece of meat. "I was contracted to place a curse on young Daniel so he would be unable to leave the house. My contract has expired, the initial contract holder has died, I've come to undo what is done. Why I can touch him is my business. It isn't without difficulty."

"I was going to see if you wanted to come swimming."

"That'd be fun an' all if I knew how to swim." Orion shrugged. "Wasn't something I need growing up."

"Dan will be happy," She whispered quietly to Keagan before sighing, "Please tell me how you can, I'be been trying to figure out a way I could for a while, you know without having to use Daniel as a constant healer. The more ways I know people can the easier it'll be to figure out."

"I'll teach you."

"I sacrificed a young girl on the way here, bled her like a stuck pig to gain enough energy to be able to sustain contact with such a monster like Keagan. This isn't a game, child. Some things are better left untouched and forgotten. You aren't so old that you would throw your life away for nothing, so leave him be."

Keagan had completely stiffened, mouth pressed into a line, his face blank of emotion as Riley spoke.

---

"I'm a little old, don'tcha think?"

((Gonna poof soon))

"No, anyone can learn."

"Don't you dare call him a monster," She replied sharply, "He's nothing of the sort. You don't know him, not properly. He never choose to do what he can do. Don't you dare call him a monster or I'll make the water in your body flow into your lungs and watch you drown on dry land."

"Not sure I trust water. Got a taste of death in it, always."

---

"Don't," Keagan said very quickly and quietly to April, barely a breath. "Not when I don't know if I could hold her. Defending me isn't worth it if you aren't alive to see the result."

"You're smart, Keagan, I'll give you that." Riley patted his cheek condescendingly with her free hand and snatched her hand back when her nose started bleeding. More than one hand of contact was her limit. "Just let me undo the locks on little Danny and I'll throw in a charm bracelet, free of charge. Show him how to warp it for you, nice and strong."

Keagan swallowed once but didn't move except to say, "I'll get Danny to open the door."

"Good boy."

"Just try it... for me?"

"You wouldn't need to hold her off, she'd be gasping for breath in a millisecond." April grumbled quietly in response, so quietly she was hoping only Keagan could hear. Asking Riley as she wrinkled her nose, "What'd the bracelet do?"

"No river or lake swimming." Orion made a grimace.

---

"Unlike me, she doesn't need skin contact to cause a fatal blow." Keagan replied at normal volume.

"The bracelet will do whatever it wants to do. Daniel is a bowl underneath a tap. The bowl was half full when I turned off the tap, you can guess what will happen when I turn it back on. The overspill will mix with the bracelet and then it's a case of finding out what it does." Riley shrugged. "Healing energy isn't something to be frowned upon."

"Ok...How about a resevoire?"

"The braclet might make it so I can touch, Keag?"