Chapter Text
Looking up at the night sky and contemplating her life, her choices, her inevitable escape (because she would escape – she will get herself out of this, herself, her partner and her students). What an absolute shit show. She shouldn’t have turned her back. Why hadn’t she anticipated this! Of all the fucking things Rosalind could have in store, imprisoning her hadn’t crossed Farah’s mind. She had genuinely anticipated death. Absolutely sure she would be terminated for imprisoning her mentor for 16 years by certain death. She had planned for death, planned how she could make her death as realistic as possible… she hadn’t fucking anticipated the fucking bracelets.
She had barely stood from the bench when she had felt the sharp sting of metal thorns piercing her left wrist. A quick turn with the intentions of a right hook and her arm froze mid swing as the second metal bracelet slapped and wrapped itself around her empty wrist. The immediate departure of magic from her body felt like death or how she imagined death would feel. It was cold and it was empty. She felt empty and her thoughts were still. Her mind empty and the silence deafening. The mind fairy had never known this kind of quiet. It was cold and unfamiliar. She couldn’t feel her Saul. The panic began to set in… she could feel her heartbeat reaching a crescendo before giving way to gasping breaths… she couldn’t breathe… she was hyperventilating. Fuck, fuck, shit! She wanted to scream but her eyes caught on the ice-cold glare of her former mentor. She had once again underestimated the vile woman in front of her and she had failed. Failed herself and her partner. Failed her fucking school and now she needed to get them all out of this mess. The coldness of Rosalind’s eyes more piercing than the metal embedded in her wrists – sending an excruciating chill through her veins. Then the expression gave way to that fucking smirk.
“Well, well Farah, looks like you are my prisoner now. Shall we keep you in stasis for a couple of decades hmm? Lock you beneath your precious Alfea with no one to visit?” Rosalind took a swing at Farah, which she was able to block, but her reaction speed was too sluggish as Rosalind’s left hand clasped around her throat keeping her at arm’s length. “Now Farah, play nice!” The grip tightened, eyes flashed blue and Farah dropped to the cemetery floor unconscious.
Slow claps echoed in the night and through the trees as Andreas made his way into the clearing. They shared a look of pride before he scooped Farah up and they made their way across the school grounds. The building Farah and Saul had kept Beatrix in had been rearranged to hold two cells side by side. Saul was to be held at Alfea until Luna was ready to transport him and herself back to Solaria. Apparently, she still had business to attend with the new Headmistress and Lead Specialist. Saul had been cuffed and knocked unconscious which was his current state as Farah was deposited on the bed in the cell next door.
“Saul” Andreas’ voice sung out. “Saul, wakey wakey” His enjoyment of this current situation laced his playful tone as he coaxed his former friend from his imposed sleep. “Saul!” He yelled whilst viciously banging his hands against the bars joining the cells. He watched Saul’s body jerk slightly and wary eyes open and quickly analyse his surroundings. A little tap against the bars again had Saul turning in Andreas’ direction, but his eyes quickly fell to Farah’s prone and unconscious form.
“What the fuck did you do to her you crazy bastard!? Farah! Farah!” Andreas smirked at him gleefully. “She’ll be out for a little while Saul, don’t waste your breath.” He was shaking his head and between his actions and tone Saul knew he was being played with, tret like a child who should know better. He half expected to hear a tut or two. “I have waited for this moment for years! Waiting to have you and her at my mercy!” He spat towards Saul then glared over to Farah. “Waiting to torture you and punish you for trying to kill me, for taking my son.” He moved over to Farah as he spoke, leaning over her body to get a closer look at her face and lifted a wrist to show Saul her new accessories. “She won’t be much good to you or anyone with these” He smiled down at her and took in her body. He swept a hand over her face and tucked a fallen piece of hair behind her ear. The actions could be misconstrued as caring, loving even. There was a menacing glint in his eye that gave him away though. Saul could see it and the anxiety kicked in as he watched Andreas sweep his hand down Farah’s throat, her breasts, to rest on her stomach where he paused to look at Saul once again. “She is even more beautiful with age isn’t she Saul? She’s magnificent. Did she help you raise my boy? Did you play mummy and daddy together?” His tone mocking and envious. It chilled Saul but not as much as watching Andreas’ hand continue its sweep further down Farah’s body. Her hip, down her outer thigh and her knee, curling around and sliding up slowly to rest where thigh meets groin. “Did she ever eventually let you between her legs Saul?” He caressed her inner thigh as he spoke, watching Saul watch his hand with a fierce intensity. “Did you fuck her like she deserves?”
Saul launched himself at the bars of his cell, reaching ineffectively through. The beds were central. Just out of reach for Saul to have any hope of reaching either of them. His animalistic growl before he spat “Get your fucking hands off her you sick bastard!” had Andreas laughing coldly. He tutted as Saul’s pathetic attempts to reach for him and shook his head amusedly “Oh don’t worry Saul, I won’t touch her until she is awake, until she can respond as I give her the pleasure she must desperately need. Until we can both hear how much she enjoys my touch.” The cold dread settled in Saul’s stomach. They needed to escape. They… he needed a way to get them out of here. It was his job to protect his fairy. They were both trained in physical combat. She could hold her own, but she had never been without her magic and they both knew she was always weakened when her magic was near burned out, he couldn’t imagine how she’ll respond to it being completely inactive. The affects could be devasting. He needed her to wake up.
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Saul had barely taken his eyes from Farah’s still body in what felt like hours. Eyes dry and bitty, back aching as was his heart. He’d had long enough to contemplate an escape, to test the cells that held them, to watch and listen for the goings on around them. It was more than likely Luna had Solarian troops guarding the doors… they couldn’t trust the Alfean students to turn their backs on their former Headmaster and Headmistress so soon into the new and still unannounced reign. They’d need a loyal guard to ensure the prisoners wouldn’t escape or be released.
He jumped slightly as the external door was opened and Beatrix walked towards the cells with a tray of food in each hand. “What? You thought Rosalind would let you starve?” She sassed. Who sends a 16 year old child to do their bidding he thought sadly? “She seems to want to keep you both alive a little longer. Thought she’d be awake by now.” Beatrix said with a nod towards Farah’s cell. First, she unlocked a window in Saul’s cell to slip his meal through. But he heard a sharper click as she actually entered Farah’s. He watched the young student move towards her former headmistress, she placed the tray on the floor and trailed a finger over her wrists slowly. “Those hurt like a bitch!” she said flippantly as she left the cell as quickly as she arrived. What an odd child he thought.
“Farah? Farah, come on love. Wake up.” He stood and walked to clasp his hands around the cell bars separating them, this seemed to be his place. “Farah” It was only on his third attempt did she begin to stir. He watched her eyelashes flutter slowly and then her dazed eyes glance around in the dim light. He smiled at her as she finally found him. “Hi” she whispered. He could see the inky black bruises on her neck and knew that her voice would be strained for a few more hours if not a day or two. “Take a drink love. Beatrix has just dropped off some food and there’s a bottle of water just by the bed.” Her movements were weak and listless. She was barely managing to push herself into a sitting position. Instead of reaching for the water as he suggested she continued to push herself up to standing before making her way towards her Specialist.
The soft touch as her hands wrapped around Saul’s on the bars was what they desperately needed. Each other’s touch was generally soothing. Her hands were much colder than normal. Her magic must keep her warm he thought woefully. Saul slipped his right hand from beneath her left and placed it on top, hoping some of his warmth would transfer to her. They just looked at each other. They hadn’t broken eye contact since she had managed to stand. As he slipped his other hand from beneath hers, he stretched his arms through to grasp her elbows and tug her closer, until their foreheads met. He watched her eyes close at the contact and the first tear fall. He moved to pull her even closer and tilt her chin so their lips could meet briefly. “I love you” she whispered against his lips. His heart soared. They’d never said it. Always relying on their bond to feel each other’s warmth and love. His heart sank. They’d never said it. If she was saying it now, it meant she had lost hope. She looked defeated.
“Hey, come on, we’ll get out of this!” he reassured. “We’ll fight and we’ll…” Farah shook her head looking at her wrists. “I thought she was going to kill me Saul. I had a plan.” She swallowed and her hands shook. “I was so sure. I don’t know why she’s kept me alive but it can’t mean anything good.” She stepped away slightly and watched Saul’s hands fall from her body. She felt the loss of his warmth immediately. His hands had allowed some transference of body heat to tingle up her arms. She was cold without her magic. She was cold without his touch. She was cold.
“You need to sit down and eat. You need the strength. Please take a drink” They both sank onto their beds, he watched her take a sip and take the first bite of the sandwich before he started his own meal. They ate quickly and settled down facing each other. Watching each other until sleep finally came.
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Despite their soldier training, they slept deeply for several hours, both in need of the rejuvenation only sleep could bring. They needed to discuss their former friend and mentor’s intentions. Whilst neither knew of Rosalind’s plans for Farah, Saul needed her to be informed of Andreas’ threat.
Another meal was brought to them. They believed it must be around midday. It was a Solarian guard this time, he slipped in and out with no conversation, no acknowledgment. They discussed Saul’s assessment of the stability of the cells, Farah’s strength and her ability to protect herself without magic. The possibility of when and if Luna would come and take Saul to the prison underneath her Castle or whether Rosalind had other plans for him. With the passing of every hour the pair grew more solemn and fretful. An evening meal was brought to them much the same as lunch. The waiting and fearful anticipation of Rosalind or Andreas’ appearance was exhausting. They had been on alert for hours! They were being played with. They knew this. They knew how Rosalind worked. This could go on for days. Rosalind always did enjoy the torture.
They were never sure who was outside. The guards moved silently. The same guard who had brought them lunch had brought them their dinner so the shift hadn’t changed yet. But they had no knowledge of when this man had been stationed. There had to be at least two guards, not unlike when they had kept Beatrix here. They estimated it was around 11 when the doors were opened and a set of footfalls echoed through the room.
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He played with them. Word games. Mind games. Walking around their cells dizzyingly. Mocking them and their relationship. Their bond. Questioned how they raised his son. If they had finally allowed themselves to begin a relationship or whether they were still just friends. He regaled them with 16 years of stories, 16 years of plans on how best to punish each of them individually and together. For betraying Rosalind, for his attempted murder and for stealing his son. How he waited for this day, anticipated it. How Beatrix kept him updated and finally receiving news of Rosalind’s rescue. Of the pleasure he took when he first stepped foot out of the car and back onto Alfean soil, watching Saul’s eyes register his resurrection and the look of defeat when he was cuffed and finally knocked unconscious with several blows to his stomach and head. He wasn’t above playing dirty. Attacking a restrained man. He felt justified in his actions, victorious, invincible even. But nothing was going to be as sweet and triumphant as his next actions.
Andreas stepped into her cell with a predatory look. He stalked toward her as if she were prey. She was prey. If he had no reservations about attacked a man already cuffed he most certainly did not have any about attacking a fairy devoid of their magic. Saul watched on helplessly. Every lunge, dodged. Every swing, blocked. Over and over. Again and again. Until. One was exhausted the other exhilarated. The lunges become more lethargic. The swings occasionally hit their mark. Saul tried to give her words of encouragement. Tried to push actual strength through their immobilised bond. He was powerless to help. Powerless to protect her. She had to do it for herself.
With a punch to her stomach and a right hook to her face, Saul watched the moment she faltered, exhausted and winded. Yes, she was fit and trained with the best of them, but that was 16 years ago and with her magic freely running through her veins. The stifling of her magic had had such an impact on her energy levels and he could only watch on helplessly. She had fought continuously for over 20 minutes. It hadn’t escaped their notice that no one had entered. The guard had either been told not to interfere or been relieved of their duty.
Andreas had her pushed to the bed in seconds where hands ferociously ripped at the fastening of her trousers. Saul’s pleas for him to stop, his growls of anger and frustration ignored by Andreas who was focussed intently on his goal and was barely a whisper in Farah’s mind. She was dazed, her eyes unfocused and her ears ringing. Andreas had her trousers and underwear around her ankles and took his first thrust.
Several things happened at once. The external doors opened, the thrust was seen, the guttural sob from the former headmaster was heard and the screech, not unlike from a Burned one, was pulled from the former Headmistresses lips, bouncing around the four walls. Beatrix looked on in disbelief, yet she could not form the words needed to interfere… she didn’t have to. Two more people flung themselves through the door and jolted her forward as they all witnessed the slow withdrawal of Andreas’ hips and a second thrust. He didn’t get the chance to repeat his actions. A brilliant white light engulfed the room.
Saul who had fallen to his knees, still held the cell bars between his white knuckled hands was watching wide eyed. Beatrix and her two companions were all frozen in fear and awe as their headmistress rose above the bed. The bracelets of thorns trapping her magic crumbled from her wrists and turned to dust. Her body now encased in an elegant, full length white gown. Her hair flowed in long waves and the most beautiful pale blue wings swept up behind her and danced to their own tune. She looked magnificent. Her eyes, the same shade as the wings, only had one focus.
Andreas’ body had been flung across the cell and suspended against the cell wall. He tried to gasp for breath, to speak or beg, but no words could be formed. His hands grasped unsuccessfully at the invisible hold tightening around his throat. His legs kicked out repetitively at nothing making the cell bars rattle dully as they swung back and forth.
The students seemed to come around first. Running forward with no clear plan on how to help. “Aunt Farah!”, “Miss Dowling!”, “Stop!” were called simultaneously but each unheard. Beatrix pushed further towards the locked cell door but her hands fumbled with the device to unlock it… A pair of hands settled over the top to relieve her from her attempts. Saul’s commanding tone drew their intention to him “Don’t! Sky let me out! Let me get to her!”. All the while Andreas’ attempts to speak turned to gargles, his legs had lost momentum and now only seemed to kick sporadically and with no real fight. Sky, Bloom and Beatrix looked from Andreas, to Farah, to Saul. Sky looked to each of each fairy before moving towards the man who had raised him, who he had trusted, who he still loved and unlocked the cell door. Saul launched through and swept around the side, quickly pulling the key device from Sky’s hand and unlocking Farah’s cell.
In any other situation, the fact that the three kids attempted to follow him into the cell but pulled up short as he shut them out, would have been comical. But this was dreadful and utterly tragic. He needed to get to her. Farah had not lost focus on her task and didn’t show any signs of stopping. “Farah?” Saul moved to position himself between her and their former friend. “Farah? Love? Can you hear me?” Saul’s tone was calm and soothing, a glance over his shoulder revealed an unconscious Andreas, head slumped forward but still held against the bars above the ground. Saul inched closer to his fairy. She was within touching distance now. He could reach for her now, her legs, hips and hands within grasping range, but he remained cautious. Prior knowledge of her in an overly emotional magic trance made him wary of pulling on her in anyway. “Mr Silva, do something!” Bloom’s cry reached his ears. He ignored her. He didn’t… couldn’t lose focus.
Instead, he took in the deepest breath and closed his eyes. He focused himself inwards, on their friendship, on their partnership and on their relationship. Their friendship, held memories of laughter and pure joy; their partnership shared blood, sweat, pain but also victories; their relationship… their relationship held love. A warmth built up inside him. He pulled it to the ends of his limbs, allowing it to fill every piece of his physical being before he pushed it out. He pushed it towards her, through their bond and kept pushing. The soothing touches, the platonic kisses, all the times he wanted to say ‘I love you’, everything he loved about her, her smile, her whit, her empathy and her mind. He loved her intelligence. She was remarkable.
First, he heard the dull thud of Andreas’ body falling to the floor as it was release from its invisible constraints. The gasp from at least one of the students followed immediately. He looked up sharply as Farah floated elegantly back to the floor. He flung himself forward to catch her as her body gave way with a heart wrenching sob. He swept her into his arms and held her under his chin as he sat on the edge of the bed. He didn’t attempt to hush her cries. She was entitled to them. He wouldn’t silence her. He would comfort her. He rocked her and clasped her more tightly to his chest. He felt the eyes of their students on them. He knew if he looked up he would likely see shock, devastation, guilt, some or all on any of the three faces. He flung the key towards the entrance to allow them entry. He made eye contact only with his son. An understanding that he wanted them to move Andreas’ body from the cell.
Sky, Beatrix and Bloom manoeuvred the heavy body into the adjoining cell. Laying him on the bed he watched Beatrix search for signs of life. Her hands poised over the body and for a moment Saul thought she would perhaps try to shock him back to life. Instead, the electricity crackled and lit up the now dimmed room. Andreas’ body separated into a million particles, momentary retaining the form of a body before disappearing. Saul watched the teen try to hold her anguished moan inside with the back of her hand as the tears fell. Sky remained an impassive observer. His eyes haunted as he looked at the empty bed. Bloom attempted to comfort Beatrix. She placed a hand on her arm but was shrugged off as the distraught fairy rushed from the cell and then the room entirely. Sky however allowed Bloom to tug him from the cell, then to a nearby wall, opting to stay in the room for now.
Farah had kept her face tucked between Saul’s neck and shoulder. She felt dizzy, exhausted and in pain. Some awareness returned to her slowly. She became aware of the magic coursing through her veins. Familiar and yet not, an element of something stronger and more powerful even in her fatigued state. Aware of Saul’s beating heart and the warmth both his physical body and his soul emitted which she absorbed greedily. His comfort and strength washed over her cool body in waves. She also became aware of the presence of others. Whilst she lacked the energy required to access her enhanced hearing or any other forms of magic she knew who was also in the room. She had helped raise the boy and had always held a familial bond, she could feel his sadness and guilt. And Bloom, she could sense both her magical and emotional energy as it fizzled throughout the room. A third presence could be felt which she knew belonged to a fairy and not her tormenter, the distinct absence of his being told her he was dead. She had an inkling of who the magic wielder might be but could not be certain.
She felt Saul nuzzle into her hair and press a kiss to her forehead. “Farah, we need to get out of here. I’m going to wrap a blanket around you and carry you out, okay?” It wasn’t a question. He was going to carry her and she was going to let him, without protest. He couldn’t protect her before. She had to do that for herself. He would protect her now. He pulled the blanket from under him and manipulated it around her body. The children approached as he stood from the bed and helped hold the door open as he stepped out with her in his arms. Strained smiles had the teenagers leading the way to the exit. Both willing to aid their escape. To fight, defend and ensure its success. They were all shocked to discover a stone-faced Beatrix just outside leaning against the wall. Her cheeks flushed pink and damp in the moonlight. Her eyes mournfully swept over her former headmistress tucked in her Specialist arms.
A sweep around revealed only two guards’ unconscious bodies at the entrance to the courtyard. The teens shrugged. “They were like that when we arrived.” Sky husked out, he swallowed deeply and shook his head woefully. “We can probably get you to the cottage safely where you can shower and change.” He spoke a bit more clearly glancing at Beatrix for confirmation. She nodded, her eyes moved from the headmistress to the headmaster but quickly fell away. ”Rosalind said she wanted to let you stew, she had every intention of leaving you until the day after tomorrow before… whatever” She took a deep, shuddering breath. Saul realised then that Andreas had acted alone. Rosalind likely had no knowledge of his intentions. “We need to get moving. I don’t know what he did to the guards but they should be out until morning when they’ll be relieved of duty. We can talk at your cottage.”
The group moved swiftly across the grounds of Alfea. Beatrix had the knowledge of patrols to move them undetected, through the shadows of the trees to the lone cottage. The cottage was set back from the school, but it would be visible should they light it up using electricity. They opted to use only the glow of candles. The students moved to the kitchen where Sky began the process of boiling the kettle on the stove of his childhood home. “Bloom?” Saul caught the attention of the fire fairy, he glanced at the candle in her hand and tilted his head towards the hall. She climbed the unfamiliar stairs ahead of them. “Second door on the left.” She stood aside as she opened the door for him. “Thank you Bloom.” The concern for the woman who hadn’t moved or made a sound since her crying had subsided was evident in the teenager’s eyes and face. “We’ll be okay Bloom. Go and sit with the others. We’ll be down in a bit.” Bloom nodded and placed the candle on the nightstand before allowing a small, controlled flame to flicker in her palm to guide her exit.