The God and the Healer - RP

I don't even say a word to Cora and nothing else to Aaron, I get into a cab that has come to pick me up or us, I look at her "Are you getting in the cab?" She marches over and gets in, so do I. We ride in the awkward cab ride home and we go inside the house, the door closes and I look at her "Okay, home sweet home...get it all out."

Oscar stands behind me awkwardly, "That is my cue to leave...Niamh and I played peek a boo, she won several times. I can see you both are having a fight, please continue." He leaves.

"Oscar, good friend...loyal friend. I was right about Aaron and no I was not jealous of him." I say, Cora laughs at that and goes into the kitchen, "I'm not. I think the guy is pathetic really, exactly what I said..at least own up to it."

"Cora, I was not flirting. I bought the bride to be a drink, she then touched me and I moved away, told her I am married. I am just going to not speak to other women." I say in defeat and grab a bottle of water.

It blows my mind how thick my husband can be. I throw up my hands in frustration and march right up to him, fire in my eyes. “I trust you won’t stick your dick in them, Lochlan, but marriage and respect are about more than that!” I take a deep breath and shake my head. I can’t lose my shit. “Most women would expect their husbands not to go out, drink too much, and flirt with any whore that comes along! You party with women, get their hopes up, and then you expect a fucking prize for not fucking them! Am I not enough? Is that it? Because I don’t feel the need to have constant attention from men, Lochlan. I don’t need to flirt. I have you. You, Lochlan. You’re the one I want, for some fucking reason!”

I look at her, "I screwed up again, I know, I'm sorry. I'll stop, I tried...you even came with me tonight then you and Aaron started talking in your own little world and then one thing led to another. I don't want a prize, I want you. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say."

At this point, we’d usually be having make-up sex. I can never keep a fight going on too long with him, because I hate when we don’t talk. But I’m tired of the same apologies and promises to do better, only to revisit the discussion when he fucks up again.

“Say you don’t need to flirt and party just to stay sane in this marriage,” I reply, my tone soft and dejected. “Lochlan, I love you. I love you so much, it hurts to think of being without you. You’re my every thought, from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. You and Niamh are my world. But sometimes I wonder if I love you too much. If this was too fast.”

I hate to vocalize it, but it’s there in my mind and my head is pounding. I promised to always be true and honest with my husband, and I won’t stop now. “Babe, I wouldn’t trade our life, our daughter, for anything, but sometimes I wonder. If it weren’t for this prophecy, our destiny, would we have ever loved each other? Or are we in love because we’re supposed to be?”

I remain silent, thinking about what she has said. I would be lying if I didn't say I thought of this too. Before we can say another thing, Niamh cries and Cora offers to go. I sit at the kitchen table and I am not sure what to think.  I adore Cora but is it love? Why am I even questioning this now, it took a lot time for me to settle down, let's be real.

Cora is perfect but I still look. I don't know what to think and I just leave the house for awhile. I need a walk, to clear my head. I do so, I walk down to the ocean and look out at the water. Hawaii was so beautiful, just as beautiful as my wife. I had the perfect life but something was always missing deep down for me, I feel useless still.

I rushed into all of this, this all made sense. Cora makes sense. Is that why? It just makes sense?

Suddenly I turn around and Caius is there of all people, "I could sense some trouble, normally I would go right to Cora but you seem to be fighting with yourself. You need to figure it out before you make a huge mistake."

"I am going to make a mistake..." I just say, admitting it. Caius seems surprised, he steps up and I don't want his sympathy. I step away and he stands still, "Lochlan, you are a good man. You are far better than the man who raised you. Love your wife, it's enough.  You don't need to be a leader in some army. Cora, she sees you as perfect now."

"Caius, I know you are trying to impart some wisdom on me but this is territory that I don't even understand. I appreciate it but you should get back to her family." I say, looking at him to please do that. Caius nods out of respect and he goes away.

I come back into the house and crawl into bed, next to her. Her back is facing me and I am not really sure what to say. I close my eyes.

It’s been a week since our fight. An awkward, depressing, sexless week. I go back to work and my friend is no longer my friend; he’s an acquaintance. We pass each other in the halls, we nod politely, and we keep to our own rooms. I know Aaron is trying to be respectful, but I miss the music. I miss the jokes. I hadn’t laughed so deeply in a long time before I took this job.

Finally, I’ve had it. I’m waiting for Lochlan to show, and I’m not just going to sit and mentally prepare myself for a quiet ride home. I walk down the hall to Aaron’s classroom and step inside. He’s arranging sheet music on each stand, tidying up for tomorrow, and he looks up in shock when he sees me.

“Cora.”

I offer him an apologetic smile. “I know I’ve said I’m sorry a thousand times now, but I hate this. It’s awkward and I should respect how you feel, but I miss cutting up with you. You made the days a lot shorter.”

His sad smile in return hurts my heart to see. “I miss you too, Cora. I didn’t want things to get weird, but I can’t be the third wheel.”

I nod. “I know. And you don’t need to hear my drama, but it’s been a pretty fucked up week for me, and I just wanted to make sure you were well.”

He laughs humorlessly and shrugs off my concern. “I’m fine, Cora. Really. I should be asking how you are.”

I sigh. “Not great, but that’s what they say about relationships, right? Maybe it’s a little more work than I remembered.”

I’m trying not to, but I’m crying. I miss my family, Aaron was the closest thing I had to what I’d lost by moving here, and my husband gets his rocks off by flirting with strangers. Is a little normalcy too much to ask for?

Aaron approaches slowly, cautiously, and then his arms are around me. I rest my head on his shoulder as the tears fall, as my upper body quakes, as his hands rub my back with the most delicate of touches.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, and he hushes me. I take in the smell of his cologne, something sweet and woodsy, and I take solace in his embrace.

“You’re a good friend,” I add, but he laughs against me.

“Believe me, I’m not.”

He lets me cry for a moment until his body tenses. His mouth is at my ear. “Your husband is here,” he whispers, and I step back to see Lochlan at the entrance to the music room, madness in his eyes.

“Lochlan,” I choke, but no other words come. We’re going around in the same old circles, and I’m tired of fighting.

When he walks toward us, Aaron steps aside. “We haven’t spoken for a week and that’s the truth,” he says, doing his best to keep the peace. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble. She was upset and I hugged her.”

I look at the both of them, "I don't know if I am more mad about you two hugging or making me out to be some out of control husband." I walk off unsure what else to say, Cora rushes after me and stops me outside. I look at her, "This is fucked up, I know I screwed up and he's right, you deserve a lot better. I can't say anything else than sorry and I hate, absolutely despise that I am the reason you're upset and hugging him...crying to another guy than to me. That is what makes me jealous."

"I give up okay, he wins.I'm sure he'll be happy about it. Take the car, I am going...I don't know where." I hand her the keys and walk off. She calls me back but that's it, I don't know what else to say. We can't divorce, we are tied and I did it that way for a reason. I always cheat, what the hell is wrong with me?

I remind mysef I haven't cheated yet. I get home finally and I don't see Cora anywhere yet. Ava is there, she sees me come in and I am very quiet,more than usual. Hell I probably flirt with her too much. Never has a woman made me question my behaviour but Cora.

Ava has been great, she comes over whenever a sitter is needed and we trust her. She finds me in the kitchen and I am grabbing a beer, "You are upset..,talk to me."

I shrug, "I'm a dick, that's why I am upset. I have the most amazing wife and I screw it up. Probably because I feel guilty having to keep her away from everything."

Ava looks at me, "Keep her away?"

"It's a long story, moving to Hawaii has felt like a psych experiment." I conclude.

Ava grabs a beer and asks me to open it, I do. She takes a long drink, "Yeah, relationships suck. The last guy I dated, if you can even call it that. He wanted me to drive him around basically. I am so sick of these guys."

"On behalf of my gender, I apologise." I say, she laughs. 1 beer turns into 6, split between us. Cora still hasn't come home yet and it's been hours. I am wondering if she's taken me up the offer to go be with Aaron and Ava looks at me, "I think you are a great guy, not many would stay home and have their wife to go work. You bend over backwards for her..."

She leans in slightly, I know what she's doing and I can't believe she is, after all I just said but maybe this is meant to happen. Get it out of my system, prove if Cora is meant to be. I kiss her back. It starts to become more steamy, I stand up and lift her to the kitchen table, kissing her more when I then hear that sound, Cora came home.

Aaron and I stand together awkwardly when Lochlan leaves. He needs his space, and I’m not in the mood to be a supportive wife. I’m hurt and I’m angry and I’m not allowed to have friends because they’re such a threat to our marriage, yet he can flirt and apologize and then go right back to his old ways whenever he wants to. I’m sick of making excuses for him. I’m sick of being protected and kept away from my family. I’m sick of waiting for a battle and keeping my emotions in check for fear of drawing the gods nearer to us. I miss healing and helping and being the person that I used to be before all of this.

Before the god who loves me, yet doesn’t find that I’m enough for his personal fulfillment. I gave him a taste of his own medicine with Aaron, and it hadn’t even been my intention. I’d never even flirted with the man. We’re friends. Or, we used to be.

I feel Aaron’s hand on my shoulder. I turn and apologize, but he won’t have it. “This is not on you. Look, come with me.”

I think more alone time is exactly what we don’t need right now, but he presses on. “No ulterior motives, Cora. I can’t leave you like this.”

Finally, I acquiesce, and he leads me past the school property and to a row of shops next door. I’d never even gone to check it out, and I’ve been here for months.

“Pineapple’s your favorite, right? They make this incredible frozen yogurt here, and then there’s a record store right beside it. My treat.”

I shouldn’t be doing this. My heart sinking in my chest, I continue walking beside him. “Aaron, this feels wrong.”

He stops and turns to face me. “It’s not a date. I’m trying to lift a friend’s spirits. You can go back to Lochlan when you’re feeling a little less blue. Hell, he can track me down and whoop my ass if he needs to. He knows where I live.”

The last thing I want to do is go back home. I give him a nod and a small smile, then stand back as he opens the door for me to walk in first. He leads me to a booth and wanders off to grab our orders, then returns moments later with two pineapples cut into halves, their insides brimming with a creamy yellow concoction. I dig in and let my eyes drift closed. “This is delicious.”

This time, his smile is genuine. “I’m glad you like it. My boys always beg to come here on my weekends with them.”

We spend over an hour talking about family, exes, careers, and everything in between. He shows me around the record store and we discuss music. We make a game out of picking up random albums, covering the titles, and making the other guess what it is. He blows me out of the water, ninety percent of the time.

Finally, he leads me back to my car, and I lean against it with my arms crossed. Again, I thank him.

He gives me a hopeful smile and keeps his distance. “You going to be okay?”

I nod. “Yeah. I will.” He doesn’t seem convinced. “Look, we’re happy. We love each other. Most of the time, it’s smooth sailing, but we’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and I guess we’re just getting restless.”

“I can understand that. I just... I hope this works out for you. You deserve that.”

I hug him again. I’m past caring what Lochlan thinks. I’m over the hypocrisy and the arguments and walking on eggshells. He hugs me back gingerly, taking his time before pulling away.

This time he regards me with sadness in his eyes. “Cora, I’m crossing all sorts of lines by saying this, but...” He sighs. “If only I had met you first. In some other life, maybe, we could’ve had something. You’re incredible.”

I hate myself for understanding his words, but I do. I can’t acknowledge it, but I do. Aaron would make sense. My heart is Lochlan’s, though, no matter how difficult our lives may be. No matter if it’s destiny or it would’ve happened anyway, I love my husband with every fiber of my being. I look to the ground, then off to the side, trying my best to come up with a polite way to let him down.

When I face him, he’s already inches away from me, moving slowly toward me. Before his lips can connect with mine, I’m moving back. I shake my head in protest and pat my pockets for my keys. It’s time to go home.

“Aaron, no. This isn’t happening.”

He steps back, his eyes wide as if I’d slapped him. There’s instant regret in the way he looks at me. “Cora, Jesus, I’m so sorry.”

I palm my keys and throw open the door to my car. “I have to go. I have to see Lochlan and fix this.”

There’s desperation in Aaron’s eyes. I can tell he means what he’s saying. “I’m so sorry, Cora. I wasn’t thinking. If I could take it back-“

I’m already in the car, revving the engine. A small part of me wants to console him, to tell him it’s okay, but the biggest part of me is only thinking of my husband. He’d been right to worry. My thoughts jumbled and my heart in pieces, I slam the door shut and race home.

---

I don’t know which emotion to choose from when I see Lochlan kissing Ava, his body between her knees as she’s hoisted on top of the kitchen table, their tongues in a frenzy. His fingers are curled into her hair and she’s writhing her hips like she can’t get enough.

My eyes brimming with tears, I let out a wordless scream. When they turn, I step forward, and a burst of pure power springs forth from within. She slides off of the table and crashes into the kitchen counter, but I’m not done with her yet. As if being thrashed about by some unseen monster, her body skids across the linoleum and down the hallway until her head smashes against our closed bedroom door.

Next, I set my gaze upon my husband. I’ve never felt such energy inside me; it’s almost painful, the yearning to set it free. I know my pregnancy did something to me, but I’d never had a chance to test it before. Now I can.

Lochlan is frozen against the same table, regret and worry in his eyes, and I step closer. Somewhere from deep within me, I have the knowledge that I can rip him apart without thinking. I can incinerate him in the hottest fires of my anger. I can turn him to dust if I choose to. Yet, I can’t.

Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I’m shaking with fury. I’m staring down the man I love, the man who wrongs me at every turn, and I can’t do it. After all this, I still can’t.

“Why can’t I hurt you?” I sob in desperation, my lips trembling, my heart in shambles. “When all you do is hurt me, why can’t I hurt you back?”

My frustration is reaching new levels. All I want to do is destroy, and the one man who even halfway deserves it is the one I couldn’t wound if I tried.

I can’t contain the next surge of energy. It escapes me, busting out the windows of our home, glass fragments spraying every which way around us. I’m out of control, and yet I can do nothing.

Picture frames on the walls that depict our wedding, my family, our beautiful daughter, tremble and fall to the floor. The earth shakes beneath our feet and the house vibrates in response. The air grows hot.

How easily I could decimate our little abode. How easily I could end it all.

I look at the scene before me, what have I done? Why am I not even thinking? I wanted to screw this up, I can get the girl but I never keep the girl.

Ava is thrown around and I hurry over to Cora, she threatens me though to stay out and I do. I can smell Aaron’s calogne but I don’t say anything. She can have male friends, it’s male friends who try to take my wife I don’t like and the guy is sleezy to me, of course I just cheated on my wife.

I would sure love to her Aaron’s wife side of things.

“Cora, I don’t know what to say...maybe I thought this would solve it. I could, I don’t know, see....it’s not an excuse. We rushed into this so fast, we fell in love so fast...and we are so different. I don’t know if we would be together if it wasn’t for the prophecy...I care about you and seeing you like this, you don’t deserve it but you have to stop using anymore magic right now.”

I hear a chuckle, I look behind me to see Ava and she’s laughing, “it is a little late for that handsome...” suddenly it’s not Ava zbut someone else standing in her place.

“Eli?” I say and turn angry, I approach and he holds up his hands.

“You got a healer pregnant, I had to see for myself. You were so high and mighty about rules.” He says,looking at me with lust of all things and this plan totally reaks of Eli.

Cora stands up now and looks to this man, he looks at her “It’s nothing personal deary, I just hate your husband and his whole dimension....”

Cora laughs, “Join the club...”

“Eli leaves out that he——-“ I start to say and Cora tells me to shut up and no one cares about an explanation.

I look at Eli “So, you told them...all gods where we are.” I say and it’s not a question but a statement.

Eli smiles, “I didn’t have too, you did it all yourself. Imagine, you worked so hard to protect your family and now you’re the reason it gets destroyed!”

I look at Eli and he’s right, before anything else can happen and I know we have just seconds before gods start showing up at my doorstep, I say a random word out loud. Eli looks at me confused but then rushed to the babies room. Gods are coming anyways, so I gladly use my power and pull Eli back and throw him, he flies through the wall and I look at Cora “I know you’re pissed but listen to me, go to niamhs room, Oscar is there to take her to safety and he can take you too.”

Before a step is taken, our front door is opened and in walks Kane, he had blonde hair and he always had a smug look on his face.

He was from a dimension that did very bad things.

Kane who has a few cronies following him,”Nonsense, no need to be leaving...you can’t keep all this power to yourself Lochlan.”

Cora looks at Kane, who looks back “Did you think this was all about love? No, you and your child are a meal ticket for him..”

I protest, “That is not true...”

“Isn’t it though? Come on Lochlan, son of the famous general and could marry anyone, you choose the one who would piss off your dimension but give you access to the most powerful weapon, they can’t touch you, they are afraid too because of her. You like that.”

I do some magic on Kane and shields himself he throws some back, “our child is gone, you can’t have her, so leave.”

A cronie goes to look and comes back, says I am right. Kane looks to Cora, “I will search the ends of this earth to find her unless you come with me and I keep you for now.”

“What? No...” I start to say but soon Kane has this powerful rope and it holds me down from fighting.

“He broke you, you don’t need him. I see you as amazing...I will treat you as such, play along or I kill him.” He says and a crony takes out an axe. I am still held down with this rope.

I watch as my husband struggles, as our home is filled with soldiers who want to leave with me and our child, and my chest constricts at the sight of the axe being held above Lochlan.

Without thinking, I use my power to take it away. It hovers in the air, and then at the speed of light, it travels backward and slices through the neck of the soldier who wielded it. His body falls next to Lochlan, bathing him in blood.

I turn back to the ringleader with the rope and gauge my next option. If it has the same powers as the restraints in Thaddeus’ basement, I don’t want to test it. I stare down the blond asshole in front of me, poised to set him and his army ablaze. “You came for the kid. She’s gone. Touch my husband and I’ll torch every one of you to the ground.”

Kane looks at my wife, "Really? Still loyal, you got a good one here Lochlan." The cronies let me go, out of the ropes constraints. Caius has turned up suddenly and everyone looks at him.

Kane gets impatient, "Do I have to threaten your family or anyone else? Come with me or I will not be a happy man."

"You are never finding our daughter, get over it...your dimension lost decades ago and it will lose again!" I snap at him.

Kane pins me to the wall himself, he starts to feel hot and lets go, we both look at Cora.

Cora agrees to go as long as Kane doesn't hurt anyone else, she tells Caius to get back to her family.

"Cora, don't..." I plead with her. She looks at me but with sadness, "I'm sorry, your family is safe...you can't go with him." I say.

My family may be safe, but I don’t see many ways out of this. I know that if I take these men down, more will come.

I don’t trust that they’ll simply stop looking for my daughter if I go with them, either, but they could do without the man I pledged my eternity to. They’ll kill him without a second thought.

I look at Lochlan, the man who holds my heart and yet breaks it at every turn, and survey our surroundings. At least forty soldiers fill the space of our kitchen and living room, daggers and axes at the ready, murderous gleams in their eyes.

We’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, and now the fight has been brought to us. I’ll take as many down as I can, secure in the knowledge that Caius will keep my family safe and Oscar will watch over Niamh.

With a look, I break the bones of the soldiers around us; I cripple and maim and bring them to their knees. I keep others held in place, then watch as their bodies are swallowed up in flames, their screams shrill and horrendous. Lochlan rises and grabs the axe that nearly killed him, slicing into every fighter who comes his way as our quaint little home catches fire around us.

The curtains go first, flames licking at the walls, the ceiling, traveling along the floor, charring the sea of bodies lying atop it. Kane stares at me in awe more than anger, and I can see the bloodlust in his eyes. This is more an experiment in my abilities than it is a battle.

With his men down, he summons more forces. Lochlan and I fight side by side, I with fire and he with a blood-soaked axe, but the more soldiers come, the weaker we get.

Negan leaps through a busted window toward freedom, and my gaze settles on the door to our daughter’s nursery. Fire will consume it, consume the room that we worked so hard on, the butterflies and the signs on the walls, the lavender blackening into soot and darkness. Smoke fills the air. The fire is closing in, and so are legions of warriors.

We fight, we move backward until we’re backed against the door, and they keep coming. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold them off, and from the look on Kane’s face, he knows it. His men are expendable because there are thousands more at the ready. These men are nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Before long, I’m on my knees, panting and soaked in sweat. I’m shaking with the need to keep fighting despite my weakness. I feel depleted and sore, my limbs jelly at my sides and my head close to bursting. Lochlan fights, still, taking down men with the cry of a warrior, but eventually he falls, too. If we don’t get out soon, we’ll all burn.

When the last soldier approaches to take Lochlan on, he’s devoid of the strength he needs to fight him off, though he tries his best to do so. With the okay from Kane, his soldier brings the axe down hard, but somehow I’m faster. One minute I was on the other side of the room, yet in this second I’m hovering above my husband, my hand stopping the blow. The blade embeds itself into my palm, slicing through bone and tendon, making a clean cut through to the other side. I cry out and watch as the blood pools and cascades down my arm, drenching both me and the man beneath me.

I look down at my husband with desperation in my eyes. I want to tell him I love him despite his faults, that I hate him despite my love, that he’s my everything and yet the end of me all wrapped up into one package, but I can barely speak from the agony.

I speak to Kane without facing him, my gaze piercing into Lochlan’s, and scream when the axe in my hand is ripped out without warning. I collapse onto my husband’s chest and softly murmur, “I’ll go.”

"No, no, no..." I say desperate but she's pulled away from my arms and dragged away. I lay defeated, Eli makes a noise and suddenly nothing. I had enough force left to make him fly into the flames inside the house.

I leave the house and I feel desperate enough. I disappear and reappear in New York. I have blood all over me and I go to a motel, I step inside and call for Caius to appear.

He does so, I stand in the room pacing. He looks at me and I look at him, "Call my mother, I want her to show up. Make her appear like you did for my father."

Caius saw everything in Lochlan’s racing mind, so he knew enough not to ask. Full of worry for Cora, his heart aching for her family, he nodded and brought Marit forth.

I just nod to Caius, nothing else is needed. I know he can read my thoughts.

My mother appears and she looks very confused, she narrows her eyes to Caius but then looks to me and she gasps. I am still covered in blood.

"Hello Mother" I say simply.

"Lochlan..., what has happened?" She asks, concerned.

"This blood all over me, it belongs to my wife and myself...and about 25 other soldiers we had to kill just two hours ago." I state.

My mother stays silent.

"I just wanted you to see the cost of...what you wanted, this war, to find my child. This is yours standing in front of you. Happy at all?" I ask, I go up to her. She looks at me, unsure what to say.

"Lochlan, I am your mother yes but we have roles to play. You chose to marr----" she stops, I yell and pin her to the wall with my strength, she starts choking. Caius pulls me off and reminds me we need her.

"This, this is why I can't be normal. Yes, I will be that guy who blames his childhood. I love Cora, she makes me feel the happiest I have ever been. You are going to help me get her back." I say, with determination and desparation as I look into my mothers eyes.

"Back from where?" She asks, I tell her all that has happened. She looks not very happy at all, "Kane? Lochlan, he is not a God I wish to cross right now."

"I need you, please help me." I plead, I almost in tears and I don't care.

I must’ve passed out during the trip to the Dark Dimension, but as soon as I open my eyes, I know where I am. If the basement in the General’s home hadn’t been formidable enough, this room certainly is. This is a genuine torture dungeon, and it seems like it stretches on for miles. My gaze travels down a multitude of long, dark hallways that seem to extend in every direction. The only sound I’m greeted with is the steady, echoing drip of water from a leaky pipe somewhere in the distance.

This place is a sadist’s wet dream. I’m seeing devices and machinery and wooden instruments that I don’t recognize. Whips and chains and mideival weapons line the hooks on the walls around me. As for myself, I’m sitting against one of those walls, my wrists bound together with chains remarkably similar to the ones I’d been restrained with before. I look up and see that they’re attached to a pulley system, the chain running through a thick steel loop that’s fastened to the ceiling.

I make out the sound of approaching footsteps, and before I can turn, I hear a lever being pulled and suddenly I’m no longer sitting. I cry out as my arms are yanked above my head and my chain shortens. I writhe while I’m being suspended painfully by my wrists, the tips of my bare toes just barely dragging along the floor.

Kane appears, then, and offers me a friendly smile dripping with darkness.

I give him my best glare in return. “You’ll never find her.”

Kane laughs, "Oh I can see why Lochlan likes you, such a firecracker. Look, I can be your friend or your enemy, that is entirely up to you. My dimension, it needs help as you can see and you are going to offer your unique, shall we say, services? If not, you know the drill. I track down family, I kill Lochlan...I do it all. Of course, I am sure your family is well protected and not easy to find...that could pose a problem for me but I can find Lochlan. I can make his life a living hell..more than he has already done for himself."

"So? Voluntarily are you going to help or am I forcing you with pain and discomfort?" He asks.

I snort. “You think I don’t know what you really want? It’s not me you’re after. I’m just a bonus until you find my daughter. It’s what all you fuckers want, because you fight like bitches and you want an easy win.”

I want so badly to use my power, but I’m chained up and I’m still weak. I’m surprised I had enough juice in me for my hand to heal.

Kane looks displeased with my words, but not entirely surprised. A group of soldiers emerge from the shadows to flank him. I know what comes next.

“You want my services? I’ll start with your army. Bring them in.”

Kane nods toward the soldier at his right, and of course he’s the biggest and meanest looking asshole of the bunch. He walks wordlessly toward the wall lined with instruments, and I tense in anticipation. This won’t be good.

When he chooses a long, black whip with an ultra-thin, braided tail, I curse myself for the attitude. Then I remember Niamh and Lochlan and my family. I had worked so hard to keep everyone safe, and one fuck-up, one moment of pure rage, destroyed it all. I slipped and I broke the shield.

The big guy eyes me, his gargantuan biceps straining against his black v-neck, and stalks toward me with the grace of a snake ready to strike. In seconds, he’s behind me, and I feel a rip. He’s torn my shirt to pieces to expose my back, and my bra comes next. I’m only covered in the front, but with enough movement, I’ll be practically bare.

I grit my teeth and twist my head to look back at him. “You know, steroids shrink your balls. You might want to lay off the-“

My sentence goes unfinished. The whip tears into my flesh, the deafening sound of the crack filling the dungeon, and my screams follow. Another crack and I’m wailing, my body hanging and swaying above the ground, my toes grating against the rough concrete with each slow swing.

Why am I even fighting this? I agreed to come. I wanted them away from my husband, and I got what I asked for. I’m too mad to care.

I clench my fists and try again to channel my powers. No dice.

I’m getting really fucking tired of being tortured.

Kane smiles, "How I knew it would go this way. Fine, you want to be an idiot. More torture and force it is....,boys." He calls out and Cora's cell opens, 3 humans walk in. They look nervous.

"All of them healers, I want to see your abilities on them. Now." He says, with another whip on Cora's back.


https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=654&ei=goS1WtXSAYGp_QaCyouIBQ&q=uncle+john+vampire+diaries&oq=uncle+john+v&gs_l=img.4.0.0j0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1l4.646.6462.0.7698.26.16.6.3.3.0.166.1784.6j10.16.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..1.23.1768....0.Q29pas6LBe0#imgrc=acKiol3TsAEnsM: (Kane, it's not letting me select anything to post it. Weird forum).

I shake my head and grind my teeth together through the pain, my eyes set on the prisoners. Healers, just like me. One man looks middle-aged, the woman in the center appears to be in her early twenties, and the boy to her side looks no older than fifteen. Each figure is pale and gaunt, their clothes tattered and dirty. They look up at me with fear in their eyes, then avert their gazes toward the ground when Kane turns to face them.

“No no no,” I groan, jerking against the chain around my wrists. “You people are so fucked up.”

Kane sighs. “I fail to see the issue here, Cora. They’re Healers. The solution is in the name. If anything, it’s more humane this way.”

Tears blur my vision. These are people just like me. People born to help and to comfort others. I don’t care that they’ll heal. They’re innocent. They shouldn’t even be here.

I can try to negotiate before they return to torture. “My husband had me practice on him. Bring me a god. Gods heal, too.”

There’s no reply. Kane nods his head and the whip cracks across my back again. My scream echoes through the dungeon; the Healers across from me cringe in response.

I look around. A small group of soldiers, one leader, three prisoners. I don’t know my way out of here, but I’m not sticking around for this. I got everyone away from my husband, I came here, and now I’m ready to leave.

I have to make this believable, though. I wouldn’t turn on a dime and acquiesce. And so, I let them whip and cane and poke and prod. I reach my breaking point before I give in.

Blood seeps through the cuts on my back, running over my shorts and down my legs, and each movement brings a sharp, burning sting when they lower me down and let me stand on my feet.

“So stubborn,” Kane says with a shake of his head. “Gentlemen, surround her. If she attempts anything, put her back in the chains and kill the boy.”

The youngest prisoner clenches his eyes shut but keeps his head down. I’m not about to let that happen. So when one cuff opens and my left arm falls numbly to my side, I feign contrition and nod. I plead for them not to hurt the prisoners. I tell them I’ll do whatever they ask of me, as long as the Healers live.

I’ve always been a shit liar, but in this instant, I’m flying through the bullshit like a seasoned professional. I’m playing up my helplessness, the pain and the worry, and it’s not long before the last cuff is removed.

“Go ahead and heal yourself,” Kane suggests to me, smiling like we’re now friends. “I can imagine you’re in a great deal of pain. The big guy behind you is an expert in this particular field.”

I’m on my knees now, resting and rubbing my wrists. It takes longer to heal because I was utterly depleted before coming here. I haven’t had long to recharge. “He and my mother-in-law would get along splendidly.”

Kane chuckles. “Marit, you say? I can’t say I’m surprised.”

My torn shirt has slid down my arms by now, and I’m too over it to care. I let it fall to the floor, then reach behind myself to fasten my bra. When I bring my hands back around, they’re smeared with blood.

“Shall we get started?” Kane asks, although I know he doesn’t need an answer. He brings forth the oldest of the prisoners and then stands back to observe. “We know you can start fires, break bones, and cause severe internal pain. You also seem to have a touch of telekinesis. What else might you have up your sleeve?”

I shrug. “Beats me. I get pissed and shit happens.”

Kane grins and nods toward the man in the center of the room. “Well, do your worst.”

I look straight at the prisoner, my heart dropping at the sight of pure terror in his eyes. He trembles and tenses, waiting for whatever comes next.

When I send my energy forth in one fiery blast and pin his captors against the walls of the dungeon, he falls to his knees in shock. The Healers huddle together, moving backward and away from the punishing heat, as I approach Kane and the others. Every god in the room is being consumed, burned alive, their wide mouths making bloodcurdling screams.

To finish the job, I use my power to collect the axe nearest to me, and with one quick sweep across the room, the head of each god tumbles to the floor, their charred remains plastered to the walls.

I turn to the Healers, knowing we don’t have long before more appear. “Where’s the exit?”

They shake their heads in desperation. Figures.

I hear a door being kicked open, then the thunderous sound of numerous approaching footsteps, and I send forth a blast of fire in that direction. I leave it burning, scorching the men at the front line and blocking the rest from entrance. I turn and take in every other point of entry. We’ll be blocked in before long.

Three more doors open, and I quickly do the same as before, hearing muted screams and sounds of chaos on the other side as fire swallows them whole.

The prisoners are crying, appearing almost more scared of me than the gods who imprisoned them, and I step closer.

“I’m getting you out of here. I promise.” I don’t know how, but I know I can make it work. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Lock hands.”

They obey, and we form a circle, hand in hand in the center of a room going up in flames. More men approach, but all I think of is family. I think of my daughter, of my husband, of protecting the Healers whose lives I now hold in my hands.

I want to be where my husband is. With that as my last thought, we disappear.

I am leaning over the desk in my fathers office, I feel so at home and it pains me I am here for a reason I wish I wasn't. My mother agreed to ease up, help me, I needed an army. Cora is my life and I will do whatever I can to get it back.

I have been up for hours upon hours, planning the best routes to take. A back plan after back plan.

I finally look at my soldiers, all whom bow to me and see me as the actual General of this dimension. I say it's time to go, we stand up straighter when suddenly the doors to the office bust open and their stands, "Cora...??" I say and rush over to her, I hug her and she slightly hugs back, I know she's still pissed. Rightfully so.

I look behind her to see three others with her, she's barely covered in any clothing but is also covered in blood. I take my jacket off, the one I was going to wear in battle and I put it over her. I tell the soldiers in the room to leave, they do so without question. I lead Cora to a couch in the office, I have a maid coming with water.

"Cora, what...what happened? How did you get away? Who are these people?" I look behind her to them and back to her, confused and also not surprised she got away. "You killed him didn't you?'

I hug his jacket tighter to my body, hating his generosity. I’m still pissed beyond measure. “They’re prisoners,” I respond, my tone bitter. “Healers they wanted me to torture. I expect them to be taken care of. Fed, clothed, and bathed.”

Just then, the maid arrives with my water. I know she heard me, not to mention the harshness in my words, because she bows her head toward me and motions for the Healers to follow.

I turn back to Lochlan. “Kane is dead. A good handful of his men are dead, too, but more will come. We have to prepare.”

My heart aches at the thought of my family. I give him a questioning glance. “Niamh?”

I look at her, "Of course you brought healers back and yes, killing Kane is...first of all, amazing because I was going to do it but it does come with a price."

"Niamh is safe with Oscar, only I know where she is and even then, Oscar knows to change it up as well..." I start to say, "Yes, this child a war has started over is very safe."

We hear, I look to my mother "Mother....,you said you would try."

My mother purses her lips, "She's already acting like the boss here, ordering my maids around...who does she think she is?"

"My wife, the wife of the person who should be the General here." I say, determination in my eyes. My mother looks at me, "Lochlan, I agreed to help you get her back, do not expect miracles darling."

One look at the bitch and I’m enraged. When I see her, I see fire and electric shocks and pain. I see stabbing insults and threats and searing hatred. Let’s see how she likes it.

With a mere glance, I send her flying back across the office and crashing against the wall. When soldiers arrive to assist their new General, I throw them back as well, then slam the door shut to afford us some privacy.

Marit is stuck in place, her eyes wide with fright, and I’m enjoying every second of it. Lochlan yells for me to calm down, but I’m way past that by now. I watch as her arm is engulfed in flames, then the next, giving her a slow burn much like the one she gave me. Her screams are horrendous and shrill, tears pooling in her eyes. I stand and watch her burn as she pleads for mercy.

“Hurts, don’t it, bitch?” I seethe.

"Cora, stop" I say even more urgently, still nothing. I grab her arm and I am flung back next, I hit the wall with a very hard force. I look over to Cora and my mother, Cora bends down to Merit.

Merit looks at Cora, "You are never going to be good enough, to be part of this family. Kill me if you must, show your true colours and the reason we warned Lochlan about mating with you."