Neaera aka. "Moon Goddess" (as played by Colbie Smulders) ^^
MADELINE
Madeline, Xavier, and Elder Williams all stood there, shocked less by the men's appearance, and more by the people accompanying him, rather, the wolves accompanying him.
As Xavier kept edging closer to her, Madeline could only stare at the men before her. Only moments ago she'd witnessed one of these men single-handedly cause the demise of her mother. Because he simply wanted more power. She was disgusted, disappointed, and devastated in the actions of the men, one of which was meant to be her father. How could one person be so single-minded, that they'd no only cause others pain, but put themselves through the pain of losing their mate? To live, as though they'd done nothing wrong for all these years. Madeline simply could not comprehend it.
One of the men began moving slowly towards them, as Madeline desperately searched for a way out.
"Maddie, Xavier and Elder Williams are both linking the pack, they're telling them, well, showing them what you just showed them, if you can keep him talking, reinforcements should be here soon!" Martina's explanation was rushed but provided a small piece of mind for Madeline.
Looking at the man approaching her, she noticed that the emotions flowing over his face were torrential. A culmination of guilt, love, confusion and understanding wafter from him in waves. She assumed he was her father, and acknowledged him as such,
"Dad," she whispered quietly as he fell to his knees. She watched as the other man scoffed, rolling his eyes at his twin on the ground.
"You see this," he said as though he were disgusted at the form before him, "This is why I had to take control of the situation," he snorted as he paused. Madeline was slowly piecing everything together, and as she did her heart broke for him.
Still, looking at the man before her, she couldn't bring herself to consider him her father. Sure, she could see the resemblance between them, but this man, even though he didn't seem like an evil genius, had systematically been the cause of her entire life being a lie.
Madeline was feeling as much anger, as she was feeling terror. She wasn't sure where the emotions of her mother began, and where they ended. They'd become part of her when they shared their mind. She was glad she'd experienced what her mother had done for her, what she had felt for her sake.
Arthur, she decided to call him, definitely looked as though he'd been having a hard time. Madeline wasn't sure, but he looked even more decrepit than when they first met, even though it had been less than a week ago. Her suspicions of magical intervention were confirmed when a person with extreme power walked out of the trees, stopping behind Albert.
"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered to her, "I didn't know what he had planned, I didn't know he'd assume my identity and come back... I loved her, and I didn't know." He stopped, sobbing into his hands. She felt her heart break. Her train of thought had been right, the man before her, her father hadn't killed her mother, he hadn't been actively involved in whatever plot Albert had planned.
She wasn't sure how long they'd been standing there, but as she glanced pack at the people who had power reverberating from them, she instantly recognised them as one of the people the Alvarez' had introduced as their family. In that moment, she began questioning the motives of the people she'd considered her parents. She supposed that if they'd wanted to hurt her, they'd have sent her here years ago.
Suddenly, Madeline realised they'd been surrounded. Everywhere she looked, throughout the entire clearing, there was a wolf guarding any space of escape. She knew she herself could escape, she'd simply use a spell or two, but she couldn't find it in herself to leave Xavier, or Elder Williams here to face the man who was only here because of her.
"I see you've worked everything out," she twisted to face Albert, snapping her head around sharply, he'd gotten closer than she'd like. She knew she'd not stand a chance against a fully trained wolf with a faerie on their side,
"Or should I say, you've been shown the answers to everything." he laughed at her, again taking steps forward. Madeline glanced behind her and knew there was only so much distance to cover before they'd be stuck. She began forming a plan in her head, hoping beyond hope that it'd work, all she'd have to do is keep him distracted enough to not notice their movements.
"You know Madeline, you could just agree to help me, a simple blood pact and everyone lives," he smiled in a way which she thought was meant to be convincing, but she'd seen it moments before through her mother's eyes, and she saw the malice hidden in his eyes. Madeline wasn't going to be easily convinced or swayed, especially when the man before her, the man who was supposed to be her father was plotting ways to kill her. Again, he took a step forward, and she took one back.
"I had a lovely chat with my mother," she began sarcastically, "she explained a mans need to," pausing slightly she gestured downwards, "compensate for their inability to perform, or their lack of power." As rage flickered through his features, she quickly grabbed Xavier and Elder Williams' hands, before taking one last step backwards, and into the circle, closing her eyes as she dragged them with her. Surprisingly, she found little resistance and looked down to see they'd all made it into the circle without issue.
She felt, rather than saw, as Albert lunged forward in an attempt to enter the circle after them. As he hit the barrier Xavier had encountered a few hours earlier, she felt it reverberate through her body. She'd made the assumption that as her Mother and Neaera was responsible for the protective circle, that she'd be able to bring her soul-mate into the circle, and she'd sent her hopes, and prayers to anyone who was listening, that Elder Williams would also be granted entry in. She felt a touch on her shoulder and glanced slightly behind her to see the slightly visible form of Neaera. She'd assumed Neaera would be watching, and knowing she was there to support them sent a boost of confidence through her.
Arthur's wolves all lunged forward at the flick of his wrist, and Madeline found herself gritting her teeth as they started banging against the barrier. There was no way for them to enter, but she'd been intrinsically linked to the defensive wall, meaning she felt every blow they laid against it.
"Oops," she said, flicking Arthur a grin, "Your army is a little ineffective if they can't reach the person you're going for," she stepped forward taunting him,
"dontcha think?" he stood there growling before his eyes glazed over. Madeline knew that he was being linked, and desperately wanted to know who it was, and what they were telling him.
"You know Madeline, you are just as misguided, and honestly stupid as your mother and father were," he chuckled before continuing,
"How trusting does onehave to be? Your mother knew when we returned from the high council that Iwasn't her beloved. She couldn't feel the bond, and yet she still acted asthough we were mates, months, I managed to fool her. Your father, he blindlyaccepted my offer of a respite from the fighting, didn't even realise what hadhappened till he woke bound with silver. Naive fool that he was, I'd beentaking his place in the pack for years in small ways. Learning how to becomehim. I killed your stupid mother, that wretched woman deserved death. All that power, and never using it? How pathetic! I never understood why that power didn't immediately come to me, until Sanchez were called in. Low and behold! Who is it they choose to send? Just the person to answer all my questions."
He began smiling before it turned into hearty laughter. Before the faerie walked forward passing him a gun. Hesitance flickered through Madeline's stomach, as she again stepped backwards. But this time, her heel met with the stone, and she knew she had nowhere to go.
"You see, Madeline. The funny thing about magic and curses is that it often doesn't affect humans or human weapons. Even funnier than that, it's quite recently been discovered that the blood of the caster plays a large role in the reversal or by-pass of a spell. So," he glanced down at his hands, as he rolled a rusty looking bullet between the tips of his fingers,
"say you have a gun, one made after a curse was first created, meaning that the caster didn't think to incorporate such a weapon in the protective nature of the spell, and a bullet coated in the caster's blood, or the blood of the caster's descendant," he looked at the wolf they'd encountered in the forest days earlier, indicating that it was responsible for the access to blood, "how well do you think that would work?" he finished his sentence as he raised the gun, pointing it directly at Madeline.
"It should've been me" he yelled, not giving her a chance to form any thoughts, "I'd lived my life perfectly, all I had to do was wait until we'd been together for 10 years, and then killing her would give me the power of the monarch," he growled, flailing his arm around as he spoke,
"I didn't understand!" Madeline knew he didn't, and she wasn't going to begin to explain all of the pieces of the puzzle he seemed oblivious to. He'd assumed killing her would gain him the power of the monarchy, but it wouldn't make him a hybrid, nor would it allow him to rule over both races fairly.
Madeline began to open her mouth, a sarcastic reply on the tip of her tongue, as she heard the unmistakable sound of the gun firing. She blinked twice and found herself staring up at Xavier. As pain spread through her abdomen. Madeline wasn't sure how he'd missed, but a quick glance around found all the wolves fighting with who she assumed were a mixture of the pack, and faeries summoned by the same necklace her mother had worn, gave her an idea.
She felt tears pricking the corner of her eyes, and saw the same in Xavier's, lifting her hand from where it rested on her stomach to Xavier's face, she lightly wiped away the tears. Chuckling to herself, she noticed that in her attempt to comfort him, she'd only spread blood on his face. She opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn't form any words. Instead, she laid there, coughing, unable to do anything, or help anyone.
She wondered if her mother had known this was how her life would end as well, although she supposed that would've defeated the purpose of her mother's sacrifice. She glanced around again, eyes connecting with Arthurs. He was in the same place, but instead of sobbing he appeared to be thinking.
"I'm truly sorry," she felt the thought enter her mind before he suddenly approached Albert, extending his claws and running rampage on his brothers body. She could tell they were both in entirely different worlds of pain.
"But, they said..." Albert trailed off as Madeline watched Elder Williams growl in his face, before swinging his half-shifted hand towards Alberts stomach, leaving blood pooling in its wake. She watched as Elder Williams and Arthur tortured the wolf before him, and wondered why he hadn't died yet. She answered her own question as she looked further to the side, and found Elenor and Robert standing, hands clasped together, a bright blue surrounding them. Madeline assumed it was their way of exacting revenge for their daughter, without having to physically harm him.
"Why," she managed to splutter out, looking back at Xavier, "is he so mad.." she trailed off, nodding slightly towards Albert and Elder Williams,
"My mother died in childbirth, the curse has been around for years, and although it didn't physically affect our crops, it managed to work its way into our water system, she somehow managed to become pregnant with Annabella but sacrificed her own life in order to give birth. It didn't just cause infertility, it caused miscarriages. So many women lost their children, and so many sacrificed themselves for the lives of their offspring," he too trailed off, staring at Arthur with hatred. She felt the comforting presence of Neaera and looked to the side to see her and her mother standing there.
"I'm sorry," she whispered towards Xavier, "I didn't know the power of the curse, I only wanted to preserve my body, and allow the next person that entered to fully see what had happened, but between Neaera's power, and that of my kin, it warped the spell." Madeline saw Xavier nodding slightly, and felt his forgiveness through their bond, he understood.
Madeline looked down at her stomach again, and found the blood had soaked further into her clothes, she wasn't sure why she wasn't healing and directed a questioning look at Xavier who's eyes were full of pain,
"It's the silver." he simply said, but it was all Madeline was able to hear, as she once again watched the world spin around her. The only thought she could manage was, at least this time she wasn't passing out, instead, she was dying. She smiled up at Xavier again, noticing an ethereal hand on his shoulder before her hand fell from his face, and everything in front of her faded into darkness.