Hellfire

Vaughn

Vaughn had had enough of surprises. When Morgan had first found him and flown beside him, he had almost tumbled from the sky. Then, when she told him what she could do once they had landed, his osprey form had almost squeaked. Now, it was all he could do to stop his jaw from dropping. Grandmother. Hell, he didn't even know Maeve had had a child, much less a grandchild. But Maeve had stiffened enough that he knew it was true, and that it was a fact she hadn't wanted anyone else to know.

Maeve turned her dark gaze to him, eyes landing on the young queen in his arms. He knew what she was going to ask before she did. It was time to see if Morgan really did know how to break blood oaths.

"Vaughn," Maeve said sweetly. "Bring Aelin here." Vaughn waited for that tug, braced for his limbs to move against his will. But they did not. He held Aelin tighter against him.

 "No," he responded, quiet death lacing the word. 

"Bring. Her. Here," Maeve snarled, a single finger pointing at the ground beneath her feet. But Vaughn held firm. There was no pain when he didn't heed his words. His tongue did not loosen to spill secrets he knew Morgan had fought so dearly to keep. He had complete and utter control over his own body, and there was nothing Maeve could say or do to make him move a single inch towards her. Fenrys and Connall were gaping at him, and their dark eyes glinted enough that he knew they understood what was happening. Maeve's face had gone somewhere between white and purple, as rage and disbelief warred across her features. She turned toward the twins, the twins she had made crawl for her. 

"You two," she said, voice cracking. She pointed that deadly finger at his face. "Kill him." 

Well, he had expected nothing less. Fenrys and Connall looked at each other, and Fenrys cracked a grin. Vaughn prayed to whatever dark gods were listening that Fenrys had enough sense to not say anything damning. Fenrys just placed his hands in his pockets, that infernal grin on his face, and said nothing. Connall stood beside him, less indolent, but his eyes shone with relief and - joy. That was joy dancing in his eyes, while he fought to keep his expression blank. Vaughn wondered if Morgan knew the extent of the gift this freedom was to him.

Maeve just stood there, shock finally showing itself on her face. She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, and Morgan let out a chuckle. 

"Calling for Cairn, now? I'm afraid that won't work, you snake bitch." Maeve's eyes flew open, blind rage freezing her face. Vaughn marveled at how quickly Morgan got under her skin. 

"What did you do," Maeve growled, each word spoken through gritted teeth. Vaughn felt power building, and braced himself to break down the ship's walls to escape. 

"Enacted justice," Morgan answered smoothly, a dark laugh dancing on her tongue. She stared down Maeve's blistering wrath. "I'm going to turn you and this ship into nothing but dust dancing on the waves," Morgan breathed, grinning. Vaughn jolted at the sight of her iron fangs, and her narrowed golden eyes that seemed to glow with bloodlust. Maeve stilled, that unearthly anger slipping away, her face going pale. Vaughn crouched slightly, preparing to spring away from this ship that was soon to be ash as he felt Morgan's power emerge. It hadn't been Maeve's power he had felt surging. It had been Morgan's, and it promised death and destruction. He felt movement from his left, and leapt backward to avoid Maeve as she sprinted for the wall. A wave of her hand had it splintering and she jumped. Vaughn just watched as the Fae Queen tried to flee from the behemoth rising from the deep. But Maeve didn't get very far. He blinked as his former queen was enveloped in dark, twisting tendrils of magic. Morgan kept grinning, and he felt himself shrinking back a step as she approached Maeve's writhing form encased in that dark bubble. 

"I don't deserve your killing blow, you know. There is a long line of people who are just waiting for a turn." Her voice was soft, but held such promise of death and Vaughn found himself backing away, bit by bit. "And not just people," Morgan went on. "Things too. Such ghastly things that slipped in through the cracks when the world was new, things you made a point to hunt down and torture. And yet they wait. They have waited for revenge for many, many years Maeve." Vaughn could've sworn Maeve began silently sobbing. "So you see, I can't kill you just yet. So you will wait too, until those beings have sensed your presence and awoken. Such promises they have made on your behalf, Maeve." Vaughn felt the magic of several of his former Queen's underlings try to spear the room, only to be vanquished by the dark power encasing the entire space. The golden head in his arms shifted, and he found Aelin watching Morgan with an expression of awe and fear.

Morgan smirked, and flicked her wrist. The sphere of dark magic enveloping Maeve shot out from the ship, speeding over the waves before disappearing over the horizon. 

"Where did she go?" Vaughn dared ask. Morgan turned towards him, iron appendages still glinting in the early morning light. 

"Away. For now. But she will not be free until I allow her to be. My magic is stronger than hers, and that particular spectacle is meant to keep her own magic under control. She won't be escaping anytime soon," she promised, iron fangs receding. Vaughn just nodded. A splash sounded outside, and the three males blinked as a smaller boat appeared in the water. 

"Maeve tends to keep several escape boats on board that have protection spells already built in," Morgan said casually. He felt Fenrys grin beside him. 

"Convenient," he purred. Morgan gestured for Aelin, her iron nails now nowhere to be seen. Vaughn handed her over before leaping down into the boat, Fenrys and Connall doing the same. Morgan's wings flared, and she drifted down to them, fighting the winds that battered her to keep Aelin steady. She handed the young queen off to Connall before facing the mighty ship.

 "I keep my promises," she stated, then cast her hands towards the large vessel. Viridescent light poured off of her palms, setting the ship ablaze. Not really ablaze, Vaughn noted, as the ship began to crack. Connall choked beside him. 

"Hellfire," he whispered. 

Fenrys, who had been readying the boat, whipped his head towards Morgan. 

"Your power is hellfire?" he breathed. Morgan slid her stunning gaze with such irreverence that it rivaled Fenrys himself.

 "One of them," she answered simply. True to her word, in less than a minute, the ship was no more than bits of dust dancing in the morning light. The rest of fleet was now visible, and Vaughn could make out figures standing aghast at the handrail. 

"Shall I burn them too?" Morgan inquired, rolling up her sleeves. Vaughn considered. 

"Burn a few of them, but slowly. It will buy us time because they will have to reorganize before after us." Morgan nodded, and sent her hellfire streaking across the water. Vaughn heard the shouts of the soldiers as they realized what she was doing. The five of them sailed away as the fleet began to go under.