To Barry’s mind, Kajou’s cry for her sister tore at his soul. A deep rending within his chest, a gaping bleeding wound that was threatening to spill everything out and leave him hollow. It was a battle to turn his gaze away from Pan’s corpse and down to Orion. The Hound was damaged, badly, conscious but struggling. She could live.

The door to the room exploded in a rain of splinters. Embla hadn’t just knocked the door, she’d traversed it as if it hadn’t been there. The gleaming armor rushing inside before anything or anyone could move.

Barry reacted faster than anyone else. His voice came out in a below as he focused his attention entirely on her. “Save Orion!”

It was as if Embla had been physically struck, her momentum arrested within instants. The large war-axe in her hand dropped. Her visored helmet barely acknowledged Kajou and her sister before she took Orion into her arms.

“GUARDS, TO ME!” Her command shook the building to its foundation. Within seconds three guards had entered. “Take Barry with me.”

Her command left no room for rebuttal or complaints. Her steps were swift as she moved out of the room with the dark maiden in her arms. Four more guards were rushing in within the seconds that had taken them to walk out.

“The Amazon does not leave the room.” The command was cold, the growl of an angered beast.

Whatever thoughts he had on the matter were fighting against a tidal wave of sorrow and grief that was not his own. The further away he was dragged from the room, the clearer that distinction was becoming. But it was like a tide that threatened to drag him off. He could barely pay attention to his surroundings, to the growing number of maidens that were following them.

Embla, still carrying Orion, was throwing orders like a machine-gun.

Barry was dropped on a chair inside the apothecary while Embla proceeded further in, putting the Hound onto the old woman’s table, much to her complaints. She grew pale as she stared into the armored visor and began working faster than she’d likely ever had.

Embla did not wait, turning to Barry and bodily lifting him from the chair. “Hey!”

His complaint fell on deaf ears. She pulled him out of the apothecary and all the way into a different room. One with twelve guards standing at attention and waiting for them. The door closed behind the two of them with finality. Barry recognized the room. It was the one with the stool that doubled as a throne, the place where Embla had attacked Pan and Kajou before locking them up.

He was put on the stool.

“What is…”

The slap from her naked hand stung his cheek with a fiery bite.

“Never.” Embla spoke, reaching up to tear her helmet off, throwing it across the room. “Ever.” She removed the second glove. “Do.” Her breastplate complained. Straps tore with a shriek of broken buckles. “That.” Her hand shredded what was not there, her face contorted in rage. “Again.”

The last of her armor was gone, the metal parts in pristine condition, but everything else shredded in Embla’s rush to take it all off. Her hands fell on his shoulders with a death-grip that made his bones groan.

“Am I understood?”

Her eyes were wild.

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Barry could only nod.

She pulled him into a hug with one hand, the other ripping her own shirt off. Her skin was flush, hot, her hands were trembling as she pinned him against her own body in a hug that threatened to break him into fine powder.

Too many things happening at once, too many confusing things. “Orion?”

“Will survive.” She spoke into the nook of his neck. “And I will punish you for releasing Pan from her restraints without permission. Later.”

Barry could only grimace. “Are you… alright?”

“No.” she stated flatly.

He had done this, somehow. He trembled, wrapping his arms against her as the emotions from Kajou did not stop. Was Embla suffering something similar? What had happened exactly? It was a swirl of unresolved things that were coming too fast, too quickly, too soon. He couldn’t process it all. He could only tackle one thing at a time. “How… do you feel?”

“Like I just lost my mother.” Her voice was strained in ways he’d never heard before. Her body was shaking slightly. “When you gave the order, it had power, and it was…” She slowly pulled him away from her embrace, looking into his eyes once more. “You must never use this on me. Ever.”

“I… I understand, but it’s… everything is…”

“I can sense it.” Her large palm pressed against his chest. “Like a psychic I cannot defend against. It will take time to learn.”

“Kajou…”

“Fuck her.”

The brusque response startled Barry.

“We are the Court. She is not. You put your life at risk for her and her sister. She is fortunate I do not march there to finish the job.”

“Embla-.”

“No.” She stated, more firmly now. “I do not need to read your mind to know you did something incredibly stupid. She was almost fully feral, you could have died. I am sure you would have if not for Orion.”

“She killed Pan.”

“And I’m sure she would do so a thousand times over, not just for her concern over you but also for the things those two sisters did to her.” Embla let out a slow, shuddering breath, releasing him further.

“I… she didn’t jump in until I… I killed Pan.”

This gave her pause. “Yes.”

He hesitated. “But if… I…” His words stuttered and faltered.

“Your actions resulted in her death.”

“But… you would’ve killed her.”

“Yes.”

“No, I, you…”

Her hand rose, patting his cheek with a firm but soft pat. It didn’t sting, but it felt like every thought in his head had been rattled loose. A well of emotions exploded through him, meeting her eyes and finding them firm.

“Let them out.”

“What?”

“Let them out, as I had.” She replied. “You must allow your emotions to exist. You must be true to yourself.”

“I don’t…” He stumbled back, out of her grasp, slumping onto the stool. “I just… I don’t know what to think, I… I failed? Kajou’s hurting, her grief-.”

“Is her own, not yours.”

“I got Pan killed.” The words repeated themselves, weary, heavy, dull. His eyes widened. “I should… I should feel bad. We bonded, right before-.” He swallowed, his hands began to shake. “I should feel bad.”

Embla, slowly nodded. “Do you?”

“There… there was a bond.”

“It might not have had the chance to fully form before it was cut off. Perhaps it had no depth yet.” She was wary, watching as Barry’s gaze was becoming lost in something only he could see.

“I… Orion almost died.”

“Yes.”

“… because of me.”

“Yes.”

His voice caught in a hiccup. “I… that stings.”

“You care for her.”

“But… I tried to save Pan, she didn’t deserve…”

“Did you care for her?”

“No, she was… I-.”

“You are in shock right now, Barry. Whatever your feelings and thoughts, they will come later.” She remained standing next to him, her hands pulling him closer. “I will stay here. You are safe.”

He found himself leaning against her body.

The room was silent, but he could hear it.

From the other side of the palace, Kajou wept.