[attr="class","barnaby-words"]
The scent of earthy wine was replaced by the salt of the sea.[break][break]
Barnaby's vision blurred for a moment, leaving Elisa's crumpled face to dim from sight, only for it to resurface as that of a monster. Scaled, dead-eyed,
familiar...[break][break]
He remembers it as a misty shape on the set of his talk show. Knows it to be
TAPU FINI, a deity once connected so intimately with
FERNANDO SILPH.[break][break]
Recognizes the white-haired woman, too.
freya morningstar. [break][break]
Within seconds
BARNABY FINCH snapped back to reality. He removed his hand from Elisa's cheek and replaced it on his temple, shaking his head lightly to try and rid of the unsettling disorientation he was suddenly feeling.[break][break]
What did it mean? He had little time to process the vision.
Elisabeth Fiorelli continued to crumble before his very eyes, trembling and weeping more than he'd ever seen her do. [break][break]
"
..." It was a rare occasion when
BARNABY FINCH was left speechless.[break][break]
But there was no solving this problem for her. No amount of consoling would take these overwhelming feelings away. There was no making her harsh reality any more tolerable. She was held by forces out of Barnaby's reach.[break][break]
What she wanted was taken from her more than a decade ago. Her autonomy had been stripped away over and over again throughout the years, leaving her barren and raw. Open in a vulnerable, wounded way... an easy target for the opportunistic to take advantage.[break][break]
But who would have thought
two would come for her?[break][break]
It was more than her mortal psyche could bear.[break][break]
With a deep sigh, Barnaby plucked his wine glass from the floor and drained it in one long chug. Then, for good measure, he took a deep swig from the bottle as well. [break][break]
"
Here, come with me." Pushing himself up off the floor, he leaned down and pulled
Elisabeth Fiorelli into his arms. Holding her as he did, the filth and grime layered into her clothes was more obvious now. The scent of the sea marked her as its own.[break][break]
She needed to be freed from that, at least. One of the few tethers that Barnaby
could relieve. [break][break]
A short walk up the stairs and through his bedroom led them to the master bathroom, where he let her carefully slide from his arms until her feet hit the tiled floor.[break][break]
Barnaby remained behind her, intimately close, to steady her if need be.[break][break]
"
When you don't feel human," He began, his voice soft, as he gently swept her still-damp hair away from the back of her neck. "
You come to me."[break][break]
Careful fingers pulled down the zipper of her dress, letting the garment fall to her ankles. Now on stark display, it was obvious that beneath the fabric she'd hidden bruises and cuts from him. They marred her beautifully pale skin, the most egregious of which lay deep in the tissue where shoulder met neck.[break][break]
Imprints of canines, incisors, molars. Perfectly aligned in a halo of festering red.[break][break]
"
When the pain is too much," Lips brushed against the hairline of her neck, kissing softly downward until they reached the bite mark. He kissed that, too, and murmured into the angry flesh, "
You come to me."[break][break]
He pulled away, only to take her hand and have her follow to the bathtub. Spouts twisted, warm water sputtered out, calming oils drizzled into the tub.[break][break]
"
When you feel empty inside," Barnaby continued, guiding her into the bath with the same hand he'd used to lead her there. [break][break]
"
Come to me, mon fleur."[break][break]
Releasing his hand from hers, he'd sit on the edge of the tub and use it to cup her cheek instead, looking deep into carmine eyes made redder by her tears.[break][break]
"
And I will do my best to ease the burden."