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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 5, 2016 22:14:52 GMT -5
Nik was trapped inside of himself trying to break free. He had been stunned before, business dealings weren't always above board and he had been in more than one tight spot. He wore a charm that helped loosen the stun early. He was on his feet quickly and after the attacker.
"Levicorpus!" he shouted as Lyra became weightless and then pulled backward toward Nicolas.
The man scrambled back and threw a spell at Nicolas which he dodged. When Lyra was safely back on the ground Nicolas could focus on dueling with the masked man.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 5, 2016 22:40:29 GMT -5
Lyra's screams filled the air, interrupted only by Nicolas' incantation. She knew about the evils ravaging the wizarding community. The Death Eaters who attacked Hogsmeade and nearly killed Samantha last year. The serial killer who kidnapped Christine and murdered a woman in the park near Lyra's flat.
Lyra scrambled toward Nicolas and away from the masked man. Through the terror Lyra could recognize that Nicolas was helping her, despite his feelings for her. When she had time later to think on it, she couldn't possibly hate such a man. In the moment she simply wanted to survive.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 5, 2016 22:43:19 GMT -5
"Run! Get back to the carriage!" he ordered her, still dodging and hurling attacks toward the masked man. He was using his body as a shield providing cover for Lyra to get back to safety. It was instinctual for him to protect her. His feelings for her didn't affect him, she was under his care and therefore he would protect her. Besides, Sam would have murdered him if he had let her best friend be kidnapped.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 5, 2016 22:50:48 GMT -5
Lyra didn't hesitate to follow his orders. She pulled herself onto her feet and ran toward the carriage. She felt useless as tears poured down her face. Her experience with dueling in school had not prepared her for an actual fight. She was panic-stricken. But nevertheless she drew her wand from the garter belt under her dress and gripped it tight.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 5, 2016 23:07:19 GMT -5
Nicolas remained outside dueling and fighting the most intense fight of his life, when he was nearing the end of his reserves he managed to put up a barrier and get to the carriage. He pushed aside the coachman who was dead and got in the driver's seat. The masked man raged at him, and in a chilling voice revealed, "She wasn't the one I wanted anyway."
Nicolas didn't bother to stay and find out what he meant, soon hexes and curses flying over his head, but the horses were able to out fly M's attacks.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 5, 2016 23:27:51 GMT -5
Lyra curled into the corner of the carriage, her wand tight in her hand as they flew. She didn't know where they were going but she knew Nicolas was with her. Strangely the man she hated now gave her a sense of comfort.
Nicolas brought the carriage down but when they came to a stop Lyra didn't move. She shook with fear, her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her dress was torn, ripped when she was pulled from the carriage. She stared at the door of the carriage, afraid of who was on the other side.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 5, 2016 23:32:36 GMT -5
Nik got down from the carriage quickly and opened the door looking for the girl inside, "Are you alright?" he asked with authority. He was bleeding and breathing heavily. He looked like an avenging angel hell bent on destruction, but his voice was surprisingly gentle the second time around, "Lyra, are you hurt?"
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 5, 2016 23:54:14 GMT -5
As the door opened she raised her wand, prepared to fight back this time. It was Nik. Her arm shook as she began crying again then her stance faltered and her arm dropped to her side. She shook her head in a stunned response to his question then clambered toward him and flung herself on him, crying so hard her chest hurt.
"Why didn't you let him take me?" She asked through the tears.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 5, 2016 23:59:59 GMT -5
Nicolas wasn't prepared for her to launch herself at him, but he did what came natural to any man with a truly terrified woman. He put his arm around her and comforted her.
Her question surprised him as well. Nik was a noble man, he would do his damnedest to protect any woman he was with against an attacker, even one he disliked as was the case. It surprised him that she would question his motives in rescuing her, but then neither of them had presented themselves in favorable lights toward the other.
"Sam would kill me." he teased, then repeated what he told her before, "I don't hate you Lyra." he told her honestly, but this time there was a softness in his voice that wasn't there before. He pulled back to look at her, "And I certainly don't want a masked man to abduct you."
He gave her a small hint of a smile, "But mostly, Sam would kill me."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 0:28:13 GMT -5
A small part of Lyra wished he had let her be taken. The man would kill her like all the other girls and then she'd be free of the pain she had caused everyone she loved. Her parents would no longer have a disappointment of a daughter. Sam wouldn't be shunned for being her friend. Mason wouldn't have to know that she had broken his trust. Julian would simply love Belle and forget about her. Dying would have been so easy.
She sat back from him, resting on her knees on the floor of the carriage. "You should have let him take me. At least then there'd be a reason for my leaving."
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 6, 2016 0:37:05 GMT -5
As Nik's heart rate returned to normal so did the feelings he had for the girl in front of him. He didn't like her, but he didn't like the lost woman his words had turned her into either. A con artist wouldn't wish for death, though a con artist might be melodramatic.
Con artist or no she had caused problems, big problems that Nik was going to have to fix, and yet after what they had just gone through, even he wasn't so cruel to suggest she start packing, or that she should have been taken.
"Nonsense, and turn you into a martyr? Then none of them would ever be able to get over you." he told her honestly, " Hey look," he said showing some discomfort, "I appear to be wounded," he gestured to his side where his black dress shirt was sticking to him and seemed to be darker with blood.
"And Carson is dead. We don't have time for self pity, where is that saucy spirited woman who slapped me? She may have to drive us to St. Mungos."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 0:59:22 GMT -5
Her eyes still sparkled with tears as she nodded and silently climbed out of the carriage. She returned her wand safely to the band on her thigh which was visible now through the tear in her dress. On their way to the hospital she considered again how easy it would have been if she had been taken. But Nicolas was right. That would have hurt her loved ones more. It was better she just leave, then they could hate her instead of mourn her.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 6, 2016 1:07:52 GMT -5
Nicolas tried in vain to stay awake as she drove them, but with the blood loss as well as the energy it had taken to duel with the masked man in the first place he ended up falling asleep on her, leaving it up to her to see to his care.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 1:33:37 GMT -5
Lyra hadn't called Sam or Julian. She had decided that neither needed to know about the attack. It would make things too complicated. Lyra had gotten him into the hospital and waited while the nurses and doctor attended to him. While she waited wrote out a list of things for Nicolas to take care of. One last thing to piss him off before she left.
The black bag by her sofa was to go to Sam. The decisions for the next month's Enchanted issue were ready and just needed her approval.
Mimsy was to go to Julian, but she had written a letter to the house elf explaining why she mustn't be mad at the "handsome man". It wasn't his fault that she cried over him. He was a good a man and she needed to take care of him and not let him drink too much.
She had also written a letter to Mason explaining that she wasn't ready for a relationship and wished that she was, as he was everything a fairytale prince should be.
Lyra waited in the hospital room until Nicolas awoke. She just needed to explain and then she would go. Lyra left the list and two sealed envelopes on the bedside table. The doctor said he would be fine and he mostly just needed rest. There would be no scars and no lasting effects; he would be released soon and they'd be on their way. This would help him pretend that the attack hadn't happened.
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 6, 2016 1:44:09 GMT -5
When Nik woke up he was in the hospital. He felt remarkably better, as his eyes adjusted they landed on Lyra, "You're still here." he said sensing the time change.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 2:07:11 GMT -5
"I might be a lower class harlot, but I wasn't going to leave you alone in the hospital," she said flatly. "I need you to do something for me, and then I'll go."
Lyra looked at the letters on the table next to his bed. "Make sure those get taken care of. I know you won't think they're important but they are." Lyra stood to leave, but stopped at the door. "And don't tell Sam about today. It would only make her worry. I trust you're man enough to hide any discomfort you leave with."
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 6, 2016 2:17:28 GMT -5
It might have been the potions running through his system but her words gnawed on him. She had cared for him during their brief ride back. She could have easily left him to bleed out and have her financial problems solved were he not there to ruin her plans.
Though he stiffened when she asked him to do something for her.
It took him a moment before he realized she intended to leave, as in disappear.
"Are you daft?" he asked shaking his head. "You can't leave."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 2:36:25 GMT -5
Misunderstanding his meaning, Lyra sighed. "I've told the nurses it was an accident. The MLE don't need to be involved. If that man was who I think he was, they're already looking for him anyway. One report from me won't make a difference."
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Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 6, 2016 2:41:09 GMT -5
"You are daft." he said shaking his head at her, "You can't leave now. And you were in the carriage when-" Nik sighed. He didn't really trust Lyra, but at the same time it was her life that had almost been sacrificed, "He wasn't after you. He was after Sam. As for an accident you're forgetting our noble carriage driver Carson who was murdered and who is likely still rotting back where we landed. The details of this attack are not going to go unnoticed."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 6, 2016 2:57:45 GMT -5
Lyra hesitated. She hadn't thought of their driver. She hadn't even seen him in all the commotion. She whirled around and glared at him. "I don't know Nicolas! You're so brilliant at creating elaborate works of fiction, I'm sure you can come up with something!"
She took a breath. "You were right. I've messed things up too terribly and there's no way to fix any of it without more heartache. You should be happy, you're getting what you wanted. They're all yours again."
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