Hope Falls

“They’ll be out of it, there’s no point us showing our faces when they don’t even know we’re there. Crowding them won’t make their pain any less.” Andrea pointed out as she too got to her feet. “Are you offering me a drink?” She hummed as she turned to Dušan, eyebrow lifting.

“Me and Laosie enquiring with the acolytes about their condition isn’t smothering them. But we’ll add your well wishes too.” Hendrix rolled his eyes when he realised that the majority were in agreement and not wanting to visit them. Pushing out his seat before heading out.

---

“Florence, they’re burning her.” Thea gagged out, beginning to cough heavily as sweat beaded on her forehead.

---

“Mm? The windows open, I can move the sheets if you need?” Emmett asked quietly, moving over to their bed to check on her.

"No, no it-" Karina cut off with a flinch, curling in on herself and pulling her knees to her chest as much as she could as she screeched in agony. Her eyes rolling and showing white as Florence's heart would have stopped and the vision would have started.

---

"Florence.. oh." Magnus grimaced, moving to the bathroom and soaking a rag in cold water before returning to sit at Thea's side. Trying to pull her in close again and press the cold to her forehead for some relief.

---

"Drinks are on the house for you." Dušan grinned, though smile faltering briefly as he watched Laoise follow Hendrix out. "She goes from being fun to being boring."

“Magnus? Magnus!” Thea screamed, grabbing hold of his arm tightly, beginning convulse with the pain.

---

“Oh, Kari? What is it? You’re seeing something?” Emmett slipped onto the bed beside her and gently scooped her up into his arms. “I’ve got you my love. I’ve got you.” He soothed gently,

---

“I believe she and Hendrix call that… responsible.” Andrea chuckled, taking his arm.

"I'm here, I'm here." Magnus assured softly, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it tightly as he pled her onto his lap properly. Resting his cheek on top of her head, "It'll be over soon, you'll be okay."

---

Karina jerked in his arms, searching blindly for part of him to grab as a shrill sob escaped her lips, tears of blood accompanying it as she cried - sheer terror in the sound.

---

"It looks miserable." Dušan chuckled as he led her out of the room. "Everything about these meetings normal is though so it is silly to expect anything else."

“Your Daddy dearest would be so disappointed if he could hear you now.” Andrea teased gently. “He adored this council.”

---

“Make it stop. Make it stop!” Thea begged, screaming and squirming in pain.

---

“Oh Karina, oh I’m here. I’m here. It’s going to be okay, it’ll be over in a moment. Kari listen to me okay? I’m here, listen to my voice.”

"Sshh, sshh." Magnus soothed, "Lets try and distract, hm? What names would you like for the baby? Are we going to appoint god parents?"

---

"No! No, no, no." Karina cried, back arching upwards in a convulsion. Choking as she gasped for breath, deathly silent and trapped in that position for a minute before her eyes returned to normal and she slumped against Emmett's chest - breathing fast.

---

"Daddy dearest is probably clawing to get out of his pit and batter me and I love every moment of his disappointment. Sucks for him that I'm not like Hendrix."

Thea pushed him away, only just managing to roll herself to the side of the bed before she threw up black, concealed blood, the mixture steaming as it hit the ground, having boiled in her stomach.

---

“It’s over now, it’s over, you rest, it’s okay now.” Emmett gently cleared her face with his sleeve, kissing the top of her head and holding her close.

---

“How’s your mother doing these days? I’ve still not forgotten the dinner she made last time you hosted a council meeting, that woman is a gift.”

"We - we heard from the Fae that she didn't make it home and we didn't- we didn't do anything. We just.. we just assumed she ran like some coward." Karina stumbled over words, staring distantly ahead of her. "That was - the fear. I - none of the others have died that scared and - and lonely. It felt lonely... it felt... We let this happen."

---

"Shit, T." Magnus grimaced, moving to pull her hair away from her face as he rubbed the small of her back with his free hand. "Are you okay?"

---

Dušan traced his fingertips against wooden hand rails as they followed the stony path towards one of the surrounding villages - every so often widening his stride to avoid any uneven or slippy rocks. "She is happy, she's excited for the meteor shower tonight. She's become obsessed with astrology, it's the main topic of conversation. Have you had news from your father?"

“Absolutely nothing, he doesn’t want to be found and so he won’t be, he’s still cloaked.” Andrea shrugged. “I only wish he’d at least relinquished his seat on the council before he fucked off so this wouldn’t be so awkward to navigate.”

---

“She’s dead… it felt like they burned her…” Thea panted, limbs going limp as she lay back against the bed, still dripping with sweat.

---

“We cannot interfere with another nations Seer… we didn’t allow this, don’t say that.”

Florence awoke with a gasp, her heart jolting back to a quickened pace and her body suddenly sitting up right along with it as she looked around with wide eyes, blinking to clear the mist of her vision as her fingers dug into the blankets.

---

"Respectfully, Draven, that hurt like a bitch. Next time you kill or turn one of my kind, make it quick and clean to spare me the pain of it?" Matilida mumbled as she leant forward on her sofa, placing her head in her hands and massaging her temples to try and ward off the tension. "Since the vampires got a vampire - Seer fucking monstrosity it feels unbearable."

---

"We knew she didn't get back home!" Karina screeched then, peeling herself away from him and trying to hide the wince that accompanied the movement. "She spent as much time with us, with Thea and Magnus then she did with the Fae! She protected us from Isolde! We let her down, we-" She cut off with a sob.

---

"Did you see anything, or was it just feelings this time?" Magnus asked quietly. "Who are they? The fae?"

---

"Selfish fool." Dušan mumbled quietly. "You're doing fine though, in spite of the responsible ones and their comments."

“Respectfully, Matilda, there is no quick way to turn someone. And to be honest I’m not even sure that was my intention, my wolf took over, I fucked up.” Draven muttered as he took a swig of his drink, staring into the fire in Matilda’s room.

---

“My vision was blacked out, there was pain from injuries, my head, my arms, shoulders… my neck. And then it was just fire…” Thea murmured, curling into him for comfort, still twitching slightly from the pain, her heart still racing.

---

“She was miserable. Assuming she had left her post wasn’t criminal of us Karina. She was unhappy with everything to do with the Fae. You didn’t cause this, stop that.”

---

“Oh I know, which is why it’s so frustrating when members like Hendrix treat me as if I’m no more than an incapable child.” Andrea sighed, shaking her head.

---

Hendrix was on his chair by the fire, eyes closed as he rested them after clearing Florence up.

"We caused this! We did! All of us! Dagmar and I claimed to be her friends, Magnus and Thea made her welcome too! That fucking Fae representative said he cared and I bet he never looked either! We all promised her it would get better and that people cared just to do nothing when she disappeared and then she's killed! Tha- that was dark and terrifying and excruciating.... lonely." Karina yelled

“Stop now Kari. We couldn’t very well go marching into other territories and look for her and you know that. I’m sorry she’s gone, and that you’ve lost another friend… but we didn’t do this.”

"We didn't do anything to fucking stop it! She wasn't meant to give us food when Isolde threw us in the cells to rot but she did! Don't you dare say 'but', don't you dare! You don't feel it when your friends die!"

---

"The poor girl." Magnus grimaced, running his fingertips up and down her back gently. "I wonder where she has been all of this time."

---

"You've put the Alpha in an awkward position. Sarika is going to have to be seen to do something to punish you for this, that'll hurt her." Matilida mumbled.

---

Florence swallowed thickly as she spotted Raffetry, holding her arms out to check her skin over for blood before dropping them to her lap again. "Raff?" She squeaked hoarsely.

---

"He is the child, to take things as seriously as he does will just drive him to an early grave."

“I respect that, I know what she has to do. I’ll take whatever punishment she gives…”

---

“Mm? Oh - you’re awake.” Rafferty yawned, stretching his arms out before standing up and approaching her.

---

Emmett was silent then, gently rubbing her arm in comfort.

---

“Going to be no Seers left at this rate… how could the Fae be so careless with her?” Thea whispered, shaking slightly, as she tried to get considerable.

---

“Like I say, born with a stick up his ass that one.”

"You encouraged her to whip the last wolf that turned someone without permission, before we'd lost so many you both agreed that execution was the way; to make an example." Matilida whispered, lifting her head up to look at him properly then. "You'd allow her to order you whipped, you wouldn't let something like that effect your relationship?"

---

"It - it was Draven. I gave him infomation, and he.. he..." Florence lifted her hand up to touch her cheek, flinching at the swelling. "I'm scared."

---

Karina stared at him for a few moments before letting herself slump back against him. Fixing her gaze on a spot of wall to stare at, haunted.

---

"I don't think their personalities particularly melded well, did they? We.. we aren't going to know what happened that led up to this." Magnus frowned, kissing the top of her head gently.

---

"Mm," Dušan hummed in agreement. "Will you be a volunteer later? Try some fire breathing?"

“Fire is your speciality is it not? I’d rather watch you.”

---

“I feel sick… and charred.” Thea frowned, closing her eyes. Groaning as she shifted.

---

“Draven did this? I - Christ.” Rafferty rubbed his jaw in contemplation. “Christ…”

---

“She’s the alpha before she is anything else, and if she shows me any special treatment that undermines her and puts her at risk of dissension… if it’s what she had to do then it’s what she has to do.” Draven nodded, jaw tensing as he swigged the last of his drink.

---

"I am part of the troupe, we mix movement with our ability with the more human aspects of it." Dušan grinned. "Dancing is a guilty pleasure of mine."

---

Magnus moved off if the bed and went into the other room, coming back a moment later and offering her a glass of water. "Here, it may help. At least she were blinded folded, if she were burned - that must be why you didn't see anything, right?"

---

"Isolde will never have me back now, I was hanging by a thread on her nerve before... but - but Draven said that no one has even tried to ask about me. None - None of them." Florence whispered shakily. "And Draven done this so my home can never be here. So I- What now?"

---

"Do you think she will do it?" Matilida grimaced, getting to her feet and grabbing the bottle of whisky, making her way over to him and resting one hand on his shoulder. Squeezing as she topped up his glass, swigging from the bottle a moment later.

“Sarika is smart… once she’s discussed with her advisors and it’s what they’re telling her is the thing that must be done… she will. She knows I accept Im beneath her when it comes to this.”

---

“I believe what Draven has done means here is the only place you’ll be able to call home, now. The others may mingle in small migrations but our kind have never been welcome anywhere but here.”

---

“I think there was just too much to process for my eyes to tune in properly.” Thea whispered as she took the glass and gulped it down. “The only other people I can think of doing that to her are the The Council. The Witches execute by burning at the stake still for the more intense crimes but… would they risk breaking their neutrality in this war by executing another nations Seer?”

---

“Mm, I do believe I’ve seen you dance once or twice however I was so drunk I assumed I was hallucinating.”

"Why would they waste their time doing this? It would gain them nothing, it'd just be a massive waste of resources for the witches."

---

"I'm a fucking artiste, with my people and paired with fire it is magical. Pun absolutely intended."

---

Matilida massaged his shoulder with her thumb as she watched the fire in front of them, pursuing her lips thoughtfully before stating with quiet certainty. "If you don't want to be near her afterwards, you can take my spare room. You'd need to stay here anyway, if it is a whipping, so I can ensure the wounds don't get infected."

---

Florence swallowed back a sob, though wasn't able to stop tears escaping her face as she sniffled.

“Unless… unless she managed to make it back to the human realm and this is just something that happened… the injuries… her shoulder, her face… could’ve been a car accident and the thing exploded…”

---

“He’ll be punished for what he’s done to you. Sarika’s mate or not she can’t let him get away with it or they’ll overthrow her and she knows it… Draven won’t get away with this.”

---

“Colour me interested then.” Andrea chuckled. “I’m sold.”

---

“Them getting infected would be what I deserve anyway for humiliating her like this.”

Matilda sighed, pushing her hand across the back of his shoulders as she perched herself on the arm of his chair. Pulling his weight against her and leaning her head to the side to rest it on his; "You're welcome here if you need space from her, or she from you. You're mate isn't your only ally, Draven."

---

"And my troupe can pull you in tonight, I can guide you through the human aspects of fire breathing. You'll impress people, I see you fitting the part." He grinned.

---

"It wasn't done where people could see, it was in their rooms. They can twist this however way they want. I'll probably end up... imprisoned or.. or executed. I - What happens to me now I mean with... t- turning? Or.. or shifting? Whatever it is..."

---

Magnus grimaced. "It isn't worth thinking about. Whatever she went through, her pain has stopped now."

“Draven can shift at will, but your first few times shifting will likely be an emotional response rather than something you do willingly. Usually anger is the first trigger, something will make you snap and… yeah. With any time shifters their parents tend to chain them and force them to shift back and forth until it’s a controllable thing rather than a reactionary one.”

---

“You imagine me in situations like that often, mm?”

---

“Nobody can be seen to be too nice to me after what I’ve done, don’t make life difficult for yourself.”

---

Thea was silent in contemplation then, moving her hand to her stomach. “Do you think this will affect the baby?”

Matilida sighed, putting the whisky bottle down so she could hug him properly, tightly. "I don't give a shit what the people think of me, I am in a position of power thanks to my gifts. Sarika may have to fight to keep her place but there are a lack of Seers, and I know that our alpha loves you with every speck of her soul. If she is forced to hurt you, it will break her heart. It would destroy her if she had to do that and you didn't have one nice hand to turn to, so here it is. Here I am. Beside that, I remember you before Sarika - when you joined to protect the monarchs and you could barely pick up a sword... I was new to it then too. We have grown together, Draven."

---

"Please don't make me do that." Florence whined, voice close to hysterics.

---

"Would you like to go to a healer to have her checked over?"

---

"Not creepily often." Dušan grimaced.

“Would they be able to tell so soon? If there’s not even a heartbeat yet?”

---

“Ah, so that means you do in some capacity!”

---

“I was weak back then, and wrong…” Draven swallowed thickly. “Though I can’t claim I’ve grown more right since then.” He murmured as he rested his hand on her back.

---

“It’s done for safety… yours and others. If you won’t do that then… you can’t go out Florence. Or what Draven did with losing his temper will be you every five minutes if you don’t have a modicum of control.”