by Suzy Turner
Declan nodded and smiled. ‘Giovanni, we’d be honoured to have you join us.’
The man threw the cigarette on the floor, standing on it and twisting his foot. ‘Thank you. I’ll wait to hear from you, then.’
‘Soon,’ Declan replied as they parted ways.
The group finally arrived at Sthenelaus’ cell, and Emma was surprised to see that it looked more like a hospital room than a cell for someone so evil; but he was on death’s door, so it made sense. She turned her nose up at the sight of him, wishing she didn’t have to do what she was about to, but it was necessary to find their loved ones.
‘I think we ought to restrain him in case he suddenly comes to,’ Declan suggested.
The two men who were responsible for watching over Sthenelaus walked forward and cuffed him to the bed. His legs were chained as well, just in case.
Theo stood behind Sthenelaus’ head, Emma stood to his right and Diarmuid to his left.
‘You ready?’ Theo mumbled.
Both of them nodded and they placed their hands above the man who had caused so much pain and heartache for so many people over the years.
Emma had to try and push the thought from her head in order to focus on getting Eleanor back. ‘It’s the only way, it’s the only way,’ she kept whispering to herself under her breath.
Soon, the thought disappeared and all she could think about were the healing powers around her. The warmth from all three of them began to create a deep light in the centre of Sthenelaus’ body, which moved up and down around his chest, over his heart and lungs, and up to his face.
Slowly, they moved their hands, following the light, concentrating on nothing but the warmth and light and making him better, so he could talk.
After about fifteen minutes, Theo released his hands and gently tapped both of them on the shoulder. Brought suddenly out of their meditation, Diarmuid and Emma looked at each other and smiled, before they glanced down at their patient. His eyelids flickered, like he was dreaming, before suddenly opening.
Emma and Diarmuid stepped backwards suddenly. Declan stepped forward.
‘Hello, Sthenelaus,’ he said.
‘Wh…where am I? Aren’t I dead?’
Declan shook his head, ‘You would have been, had it not been for our healers.’
‘You should have let me die. It was time.’
‘No,’ Declan growled.
A tiny speck of fear glistened in Sthenelaus’ eyes before it disappeared.
‘We want answers and you’re going to give them to us.’ Declan said.
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Look, do you know the real reason you’re here, half dead?’
‘I’m sick,’ he said.
‘No, Sthen. Not sick. Someone was poisoning you. On and off, for years.’
‘No, I would have known.’
But Declan shook his head. ‘No, you wouldn’t. She’s smarter than you ever knew.’
‘She?’
‘You really don’t know do you? It was your wife, Sthen. Your wife wanted you dead.’
‘Aria?’ asked Sthenelaus.
Declan laughed. ‘Yes she probably wanted you dead too, but I’m not talking about her. I’m talking about your other wife. She’s been poisoning you for years.’
‘Madge?’
Declan nodded. ‘Afraid so.’
‘No, you’re wrong. She wouldn’t.’
‘She would and she has been. Hence your so-calledcondition. All because of the poison she’s been feeding you. She even planned for us to find you.’
‘No,’ Sthenelaus croaked.
‘Uh-huh,’ Declan nodded.
‘Why?’ he cried.
‘Beats me. Maybe she hates you? Wants all the Skulls to work for her. Wants to rule herself, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah.’
‘It’s true,’ Emma whispered.
Sthenelaus’ eyes moved and focussed on her. He tried to lift his hands, banging the metal cuffs against the metal bed, making Emma jump nervously.
‘No point in being frightened of me now, little girl. I’m just an old man. My powers faded some time go.’
‘They didn’t fade,’ said Lana from beside the door, ‘they were taken from you. By Madge.’
His eyes looked around the room until they stopped on her face. ‘Ah yes, I remember you.’
Lana looked ready to strike him at any moment. ‘You son of a—’
‘Lana, no,’ Emma said. ‘It’s pointless.’
Sthenelaus’ eyes returned to meet hers. ‘You’re a healer?’
Slowly, she nodded.
‘You healed me?’
She nodded again. ‘Just a little.’
‘But not completely?’
Emma shook her head.
‘Thank you.’
Knitting her eyebrows together, Emma stole a glance at Declan, who shrugged.
‘I just want to die in peace, now.’
‘Not before you tell us…’
‘Tell you what, little girl?’
‘Where we can find Madge.’
His eyebrows rose and he coughed. ‘You want me to help you?’
Emma nodded. ‘Will you?’
He looked at the faces all around the room. ‘Perhaps, under one condition.’
‘You’re in no state to be making demands, old man,’ said Declan.
‘I want you all to leave this room, except you,’ he said, his eyes focussing on Emma’s.
She stepped backwards and shook her head.
‘I will only tell her,’ he said. ‘Take it or leave it.’
After giving it some thought and seeing Declan eventually give a reassuring nod, she said ‘It’s ok. I’ll do it.’
‘Oh and one other thing… No cuffs.’
Declan laughed out loud. ‘You must be crazier than I thought. No way.’
‘Well, then, what I know will go with me to my grave.’
‘Declan,’ Emma whispered, ‘I’ll do it. It’s okay.’
‘Emma, no. He’s dangerous. He is—was—the leader of the Skulls.’
‘Declan, he’s just an old man who’s dying. What harm can he do?’
‘She’s right, Declan. If it’s the only way we can get Eleanor back, then we must try,’ Lana whispered.
Sthenelaus watched the conversation, his eyes moving from one person to the next.
After a couple of minutes, Declan nodded. ‘We’ll be right outside. Are you sure?’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Emma whispered.
oOo
‘You’re a very brave little girl to agree to this.’
‘I’ve got nothing to lose,’ Emma said. ‘You’re dying, there’s not much you can do to me now.’
‘I am and will always be a… Skull,’ he said, trying to sit up. ‘You don’t know what underlying power I have. Please, help me sit,’ he said.
Emma contemplated his request for a second before she stepped forward and put her hands on his arms, pulling him very gently until he sat upright, leaning to one side.
‘Not many people, let alone Watchers, would have done that for me, little girl. Thank you.’
Emma nodded.
He patted the bed next to him. ‘Sit down for a moment.’ When she hesitated, he smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I can’t hurt you. Not anymore. Just sit, and I will tell you what you need to know, under one condition.’
‘I thought the condition was for me to be alone with you.’
Again, he smiled. ‘I just have one request of you.’
She looked at him and dropped her head to the side, ‘What?’
‘I want you to use those healing powers of yours and reverse them.’ Sthenelaus lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘I want you to kill me.’
Emma suddenly stood up.
Lana banged on the other side of the glass.
Turning to face the window, Emma mouthed, ‘It’s okay. I’m fine.’
She turned back to Sthenelaus. ‘Why? Why me? I don’t kill people.’
‘It’s not like you’d be murdering
me. Look at it more like assisted suicide.’
Emma was horrified. ‘I can’t. I won’t.’
‘My dear, this is the only way I’ll give you what you want. What you need. Help me or lose Madge for good.’
After a couple of moments, Emma slowly nodded.
He grinned and fell back down into the bed. ‘Very well,’ he said quietly. ‘Start the process and I’ll tell you everything.’
Emma nodded and turned away from the others at the window. Holding his hand, she focussed on pulling the healing from him, sucking out the goodness she, Theo and Diarmuid had given him earlier.
As his breath started to become more shallow, he began to talk. After twenty minutes, she knew all that she needed to know and Sthenelaus was no more.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Emma walked out of the room and didn’t say a word to anyone, despite them all trying to find out what had happened. When they arrived back at Praxos, she wrote down what Declan needed to know for their trip and then she went to her room and sobbed for hours.
When Lana followed her, Emma asked her to leave. She wouldn’t even speak to Diarmuid, or any of the others who tried to get through to her. There was one person who she would have liked to speak to, but that person wasn’t there. Eleanor. She really needed Eleanor.
That night, she dreamed of Sthenelaus; the life seeping out of his body. The life she’d taken. She felt her body shuddering with sobs, even in sleep. She knew Lana had climbed onto the bed with her and had tried to comfort her, but nothing would take the pain away. She’d killed a person. Willingly. She would never be able to take that back, and she hated herself for it.
As she dreamed, she imagined Eleanor sitting beside her, stroking her hair. ‘There, there, my dear Emma Jane. Don’t be sad.’
Emma sat up. ‘Eleanor?’
‘I’m here, I’m right here.’
‘I killed a man, Eleanor,’ she whimpered.
‘No, child. You didn’t kill anyone. He was an evil beast who was already dying. You didn’t kill him, you merely sped it up a little. This is precisely what he wanted. He wanted to get to you. It was his dying wish, to take a little of the innocence from a dear, sweet Watcher with a heart of gold. No matter what he made you think or feel, you did what was right. I would have done exactly the same thing. And so would Declan, or Lana, or even Diarmuid. It needed to be done so you could find me.’
‘Are you still alive, Eleanor?’
‘Barely, my dear. If you get to me in time, I should survive. But John is close to death. He has been in this condition, on and off, for many years. You must hurry. Tell Declan to hurry.’
‘We will, Eleanor. We will. Do you know where you are?’
‘Canada, Emma. We’re in Canada. Sthenelaus told you where to find me, didn’t he?”
‘Roughly, but he said Madge would certainly not stay there for long. Can you be any more specific?’
‘In the mountains somewhere, lots of snow. Alberta, perhaps? I’m not sure. I must go now. Sleep, Emma Jane. Rest. I have confidence in you,’ Eleanor smiled, stroking her face.
‘Oh, Eleanor?’ Emma whispered.
‘Yes dear?’
‘Your daughter has returned. Marlene is here.’
Eleanor’s face filled with light and joy for a split second before she faded back into the darkness.
‘Eleanor? Eleanor? Eleanor?’
‘Emma? Wake up, wake up.’
‘Huh? Lana?’
‘You were sobbing and talking in your sleep. Are you alright?’
Emma slowly opened her eyes and hugged her sister. ‘I’m fine, sis. I’m going to be just fine,’ she smiled.
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