4.28 Marked

Standing outside the silent house Keenan alternated his weight from side to side. A slight frown furrowed his brow. Where was she? Cupping his hands he peered through the window trying to see inside. Nothing. No light. No movement. No sound.

She could have left. Gone somewhere with Velvet and forgot to tell him. Pulling his phone out he checked his messages. Nothing. No missed calls. No texts. Where was she?

A sense of foreboding engulfed him. She needed help. He was sure of it. He succumbed to the urgency overwhelming him. He brought his fist up to pummel the door. "Lydia" he called her name to no avail. He twisted the door knob until he heard the distinct ping as the lock gave way. He'd apologize later if it proved she wasn't home and not in danger at all.

Entering the darkening house eyes and ears alert. "Lydia" he called again. The silence even more ominous now than it had been moments before. He hesitated outside her bedroom door. Breathing hard, heart pounding inside his chest, his pulse race.

"Lydia" he cried stumbling towards her crumpled form. "Lydia" he repeated lifting her in his arms "Lydia honey you're going to be alright," he whispered in her ear unsure what else to say.

"Keenan" she mumbled eyes flickering open then closed just as quickly. She moved her arms around his neck as she nuzzled into him. Her lips caressed his sensitive skin along his neck behind his ear.

He stumbled into the living room where he laid her on the couch. Turning he turned on a nearby light. When he was finished Lydia pulled him down beside her "don't leave me" she requested her eyes bright with fear.

"I won't" he murmured moving to cradle her in his arms.

She clung to him shivering "don't go" she repeated.

Stroking her hair he held her tight until her tremors lessened. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked his voice free of stress.

"It's here" she cried clinging to him.

"What's here?" he tried to keep the confusion from his voice. Other than him it didn't look like anyone else had been here.

"The darkness" her voice was little more than a whisper.

Taking her face between his hands she peered deeply into his eyes. He could see the fear in her eyes. Large deep pools of fear. He had to know "what's the darkness?"

A tear trickled from her eyes and down her cheek "it came for me once before. I was so little. It devoured the light....it wants to eat me now."

"I'll protect you" Keenan assured her wiping her tears dry "the darkness can't hurt you here."

She shook her head whimpering like a hurt puppy "you can't protect me. Nobody can. I've been marked. Marked by darkness. My brother was right. I don't belong...."

Keenan wrapped his arms around as if he were afraid she'd run away or disappear if he didn't. "He's wrong. I'll spend now and forever proving it to you." Those damn spots. He'd lay odds that those were the marks she had received as a small helpless child. "You're not marked for evil" he spoke with a ferocity he hadn't felt before "those marks mean you survived. The darkness has no hold on you. It marked you. It didn't win. It doesn't own you." He was guessing but he knew he was right. Somehow she was key to saving Kimberly and Phoebe. "We have to go baby" he spoke softly "we need your help to save another little girl fighting the darkness."

"I'm scared" she clung to him.

"I know baby I know" his lips tenderly graced her forehead "I'll protect you."

***

"Heath honey we're here" Don gently shook Heath's shoulder to wake him up.

"Mmm" Heath muttered drowsily nestling his head further into Don's shoulder.

"Come on wake up" Don chuckled as Heath moaned loudly like their teenagers did on a weekday.

As Madeline and Noah dispersed from the limo the cool night air blasted Heath in the face. "I'm awake" he complained "there's no need to blast the air conditioner."

Shaking his head Don reached over to wake their youngest son. "Owen it's time to wake up." He gently shook him "Owen sweety wake up."

The urgency in Don's voice broke through the lethargy in Heath's brain. "Owen this is daddy. Wake up baby" after several minutes of getting no response from the boy Heath turned to Don "what's wrong with him? Why won't he wake up?"

Numbly Don shook his head as fear seeped deep into his heart. He should have realized. The way Owen spoke with such conviction that Kimberly was ok. He should have known he was being affected by whatever the darkness is. Strong arms shoved him to the side. 

Heath scooped his son into his arms and ran to the house. "Help. Someone help" he screamed as he kicked open the door.

He ran up the stairs to the room Kimberly was in. Upon entering he knocked into someone who was talking to a man he recognized as the doctor in charge of his daughters case. The man turned around saying "Heath" in a shocked surprised voice.

"Dad" Heath cried almost falling to his knees as relief flooded through him. His dad would know what to do "he won't wake up."

***

"Phoebe you need to make another rainbow" Owen screamed as a tentacle snaked out of the swirling mist and wrapped around his ankle.

"I don't know how" she cried grabbing his hand.

"Yes you do" he assured her gripping her hand "close your eyes and concentrate."

Tears streaked down the girls cheeks as she tried and failed "I can't I'm too tired."

"Don't let go of me" Owen cried as another tentacle wrapped around him pulling him towards the thickening mists.

"I won't. I promise" Phoebe cried pulling on his hands with everything she had.

Through the swirling mists an ethereal voice was heard singing a haunting tune

"Come play with me

On the swing.

Up and Down

and round and round.

We'll have fun

All day long"

"Who is that?" Owen asked relaxing his grip on Phoebe.

"Don't listen to her" she ordered "she's a bad person. She took my dollie away and brought the darkness."

"She sounds too pretty to be so bad" he spoke in a tired dreamy tone.

"Owen please don't listen to her" Phoebe pleaded digging her heals in attempting to slow the boys progress into the void.

"Come play with me Owen" the wandler invited "I'm lonely."

"She's pretty" he said as one hand fell from Phoebe's grasp "we should go to her."

"No no no" Phoebe screamed "I won't let you take anything else from me."

"What can you do to stop me?" the wandler asked taking solid form walking from the mist. With ease she took the boy from Phoebe's feeble grasp. For a moment the tentacles receded. Owen stood beside the wandler dazed and confused. "This boy is completely under my control." The wandler raised her hand immediately Owen raised a hand in quick compliance "shall we make him dance?" she asked the girl.

In horror Phoebe watched her favorite Uncle prance around the tiny clearing unable to control his own body. Tears ran helplessly down his cheeks "I don't like this game anymore" he cried as he gyrated to an unheard symphony.

"Well" the wandler challenged "you can't stop me can you? I have all the power and you have none. One by one I'll suck everything and everyone you know into the darkness. I'll grow stronger from their fear and you'll be unable to stop me."

Phoebe gasped taking an involuntary step backwards. Eyes fixed on Owen as an idea came to mind "I wont let you" she screamed.

"You can't stop me" the wandler taunted "you have no power here."

Stomping her foot Phoebe screamed "it's my dream world. I can do whatever I want." Squeezing her eyes tight she cried "I want rainbows and unicorns. Hearts and streamers. Puppy dogs and kittens."

A soft lick on her hand made her open her eyes wide in alarm. Looking down she found a large puppy licking the back of her hand. Owen was sitting on the ground in the middle of a litter of kittens climbing all over him. "It worked" she cried jumping around clapping her hands "it really worked."

***

Tommy and Velvet walked into chaos as everyone scrambled to wake up Heath's six year old son. Their questions went unanswered or unheard. They couldn't really tell. Tommy went to follow the clamber of voices when he felt a tug on his arm. Glancing down he found Velvet shaking her head at him an urgent gleam in her eyes.

He allowed her to pull him into an empty room. "What?" he asked once they were alone.

"I'm sorry for that little boy" her eyes darting around the room "we need to stay focused. We need to find that possessed object."

Tommy walked away from her breathing hard. He closed his eyes attempting to block out the sounds of the distraught family. This family was important to him. They had been close for years. He had heard the stories Peter told about William, his great grandfather. He ran a hand through his short hair turning to face Velvet a resolute expression on his face "let's do this."

She nodded moving towards him. She could see the pain in his eyes "this is the best way we can help" she assured him taking his hand.

Nodding he followed  her up the stairs "what do we do?" he asked looking around wondering where the family had gone.

"Where's the little girl's room?" she asked.

"I..." he closed his eyes willing himself to remember. He had been here plenty of times. Had volunteered to read Phoebe bed time stories. He knew this. "In there" he pointed towards a closed door.

They slipped into the room a small light cast a soft glow in the darkness. A small child slept fitfully on the bed nearby. Drawn to the child's side Velvet reached a hand out as if to soothe the child.

She halted the gesture afraid to wake her. She leaned in close as the child mumbled something. 

"What's she saying?" Tommy asked beside her.

Shaking her head Velvet said "something about rainbows and unicorns."

"Does that mean anything to you?"he asked.

"No" she straightened looking around the room "the poor sweet thing."

"Where do we start?" he asked uncertainty in his voice.

"How about you check the toy box and I'll check the closet" she suggested.

"I wish we knew what we were looking for?" he said opening the toy box.

"So do I" she tried to smile knowing it was small assurance that they were doing the right thing.

She reached into the dark confines of the closet. She felt drawn to something. Something evil, sinister. She gasped as her hand encountered something warm and solid to the touch.

"That's mine" a voice hissed.

Velvet groaned in pain as the dark fae grabbed her hand pulling her further into the darkness. She tried to scream. Tried to warn Tommy before she was sucked into the void.

***

Quinn could hear the thunder as it crashed over head. Knew it was the manifestation of her own anger. Who wold bring a wandler into her domain? Silver. It had to be him. Who else would want to destroy everything she worked so hard to save?

Where is that loathsome creature? She demanded of the air around her. She'd destroy that cockroach if it were the last thing she ever did. Council rules or not. She'd had enough. If it meant the survival of her dimension she was willing to ignore the rules. Her eternal damnation would be worth it if it meant Silver would no longer be capable of destroying anymore innocent lives.

She knew she was letting her anger take control. She needed to calm down before she did something irrevocable. It wasn't only her dimension anymore. It was too interwoven with Audric's and Phoenix's. She could feel the delicate balance she had achieved beginning to falter.

She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Breathing in and out. Pulse slowing the crashing of the thunder until it faded and was gone.

"When did you take up yoga?" Silver asked appearing before her.

Quinn's eyes flew open "where did you find a wandler?"

"Me?" he asked innocently "why must you always assume everything that goes wrong is my fault?"

"It always is" she said as her head began to pound.

He smiled at her like a little boy given a new toy "what a delightful new development. Wish I had thought of it."

She blinked in surprise. If not him than who? She had been so sure. So positive. Could someone else have convinced a wandler to help them? Had the wandler been here all along? Her breath caught in her throat. There was one other possibility.

Silver gave her a nasty grin "I see you have figured it out. My job is done."

"If you didn't do this then why are you here?" she demanded.

The room filled with his loud obnoxious laughter "your misery brings me such keen delight."

"Did you put them up to this?" she demanded.

"They don't trust me well enough to take my advise" Silver's eyes danced merrily in his head "they wouldn't have listened to me if I had suggested it." He walked nonchalantly towards her a sneer on his face "whoever thought you were capable of running an entire dimension must have been out of their ever loving minds."

Quinn reached out to grab the offending menace but came up grasping air. He vanished with only the echoes of his laughter resounding in her ears. What he said made sense. The counsel lacked foresight in their assigning dimension watchers. None of them had any training. Most of them were put in their positions as a punishment for their misdeeds. What qualifications did any of them have in running dimensions?

Was that the point? She felt the air drain from her body as she dropped into a nearby chair. Did the counsel expect them to fail? Was this struggle to fix things all a waste of time? Were they all meant to crumble and fall so they could reset and start over? 

It was a sobering thought that left a sour taste in her mouth. She disliked being a pawn in someone's game. She wouldn't lose. She was through with following the rules.

***

"Erix" a voice said from behind him. Turning from the window a pained expression upon his face "we should not have unleashed that wandler."

His wife frowned at him anger flashing in her eyes "it's doing what we wanted it to do."

Shaking his head he glanced out the window "a little too well my dear. We wanted chaos. We got it. We wanted the child tormented. She is." He turned to face her "I have no stomach for it. I can't justify what we're doing to accomplish our goal."

"We need Quinn to give us what we need" the woman cried "she needs to see her favorite play things tortured before she'll take us seriously."

"It's wrong" his voice filled the room "I can't. I won't do this anymore. Recall the wandler."

"No" she said defying her ruler and husband "I commissioned the wandler. It does as I say."

"You want children that much that you would disobey me" Erix asked voice devoid of emotion "I won't torture an innocent child. The ends don't justify the means."

"You're weak" she screamed spit flying into his face "spineless."

"I advise you to hold your tongue" his voice sounded like doom "or I'll have it removed."

"I want my own children," she cried turning from him.

"Then you'll have them without me" he said coldly waving for the guards to take her.