(David's POV)
I coordinated Luke and Elizabeth to fetch what we needed. I didn't have everything in my kitchen. (No surprise there).
Once everything was collected up, Saoirse started work on a concoction that would cleanse and heal Sinead's wound.
Saoirse accused me of hovering over her while she worked and complained that I had the nervous energy of a terrier.
Though I took offense at this, I left the kitchen and went to keep watch over Sinead, in case she awoke, or got any worse.
When I got to the doorway, I stopped. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms raised. Something weird was going on in this room. Very weird.
The energy was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was so calm and soothing, but the power was so strong and the air so heavy, you could choke on it.
I took a step back. I didn't think I could enter the room. Didn't think I would be able to. I felt like I had walked into a party that I wasn't welcome to.
I backed up until my back rested against the opposite wall. I slid down the wall into a seated position. This was as close as I would get. I could still observe from here.
Meanwhile (Sinead):
Far away, images came into my mind, unbidden. I observed them from afar, but did not engage with them. They were as distant from me as if they were from a stranger's life, even though they were memories from my own.
My sister, Siobahan and I practiced dancing in front of our Grandmother. My brother shared a secret with me. My father, the only time I saw him cry, was at my sister's funeral; as I ran away from it all, through the woods. The last time I saw my wolves, the day I decided to run away. The last time I saw my home realm; my planet.
Then the images changed. They were no longer memories.
'Were they visions', I wondered.
These were a mix of things and places and people both known and unknown. At first I couldn't concentrate on any one of the many things swirling around me. And then suddenly, I could.
Before me was the castle complex of the King of the South. I could see high stone ramparts. Standing along them, here and there were some guards. But they weren't the figure that I focused on. It was the King, facing the direction of the sunset.
Somehow I got closer to him. He didn't move, not to turn and face me. But his one hand shook like he had some nervous energy within him. Like he couldn't wait to grab the pummel of his sword and kill something; someone.
Moving around alongside him, in front of him, I felt a jolt as I saw his face. It was not normal. There was no way he was himself; in his right mind.
His eyes had that glazed, half-with-it look of a person high off mania and far from medicated. The 'crazy' eyes look wasn't the only thing I worried about. Despite the demons he was clearly fighting in his mind, more pressing was the actual Demon he had in his body.
I could feel the evil, anger, hate and cruelty leaking out of his body with the aura of the demonic being.
'Um…mental illness and possession. That's a bad combination.'
The second I thought this, the eyes lost their distant unseeingness and snapped into focus on me. Suddenly afraid, and not sure if this vision could hurt me, I filled with panic.
I fled away from the possessed King. A dark shadow untangled itself from him and followed me.
'Wake up, wake up, wake up!', I urged myself.
I wasn't done healing myself, but that didn't matter. I had to get away. This thing wanted me. I could tell, without knowing, it hungered to devour me. I knew if I was in the present, Earth realm, it couldn't reach me. But how I knew all this, I didn't know.
At the same time: (David)
I was still contemplating the strange energy, when Saoirse came up the stairs and gave me an odd look. She followed my gaze to the open doorway. As if doing a double-take, she looked from me to the doorway and back.
"I'm going to chalk that up to the Great Goddess.", she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
She stood on the threshold as if gathering her courage or debating if she should enter or not.
"Okay. I have something here that will help. Sinead, I am coming in.", Saoirse called through the doorway.
From my spot on the floor, I could see past Saoirse, and I watched with her as Sinead slowly sat up from laying down. She opened her eyes in a sleepy way, the lashes fluttering a couple of times and the eyes unfocused at first. Once her vision was in the here-and-now, she opened her mouth and spoke.
"Ah. Yes. Come on in, Saoirse."
Saoirse walked across the threshold of the doorway.
"How did you get here, Saoirse? I am surprised to see you."
"The Goddess only knows how these things happen!", Saoirse muttered to herself. Then, louder, to answer Sinead, "He brought me here. Dragged me all the way from work at the hospital."
She sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"I don't really trust him, you know. The whole situation seemed suspicious. Some guy I don't know shows up at my job, claims to know you, is in possession of your cell phone, needs me to go with him, and says you are really hurt and need my help."
Saoirse glanced at David.
"It has kidnapper written all over it."
I let out a derisive snort. I felt like laughing at the nonsense, but I didn't. Mostly because I knew that from Saoirse's point of view, it probably seemed exactly like that. Maybe she thought I was going to 'kidnap' her too.
"I can promise you, Saoirse, that you are not a captive here. No one is kidnapped."
Sinead lay a hand over one of Saoirse's.
"David and I are on friendly terms."
I got the feeling that she said this not only for Saoirse, but for me, as well. Sinead looked meaningfully and directly into my eyes as she said this.
"It was kind of him to try and help me."
She smiled then and said, "Through these past few years, you should know that not all is as it first appears."
She let go of Saoirse's hand.
"And I honestly don't need that." She pointed to the potion.
Saoirse looked surprised.
"But I saw the wound, and the infection." protested Saoirse.
She reached to touch Sinead's forehead.
"I know you don't have a fever or coma now, but…"
"I really don't. Look." insisted Sinead.
She showed Saoirse where the wound used to be. There was no wound now, only a scar.
"But, how?", asked a shocked and confused Saoirse.
"The Goddess healed me. It's all her doing."
Saoirse looked from me to Sinead. Setting the potion on the nightstand, "Okay.", was all she said.