An hour passed by and the sun rose higher into the sky, but still there was no sign of Xaldar. They had searched the great hall from top to bottom after Mordred had passed on, but Xaldar had slipped away during the commotion of her dying.

They searched the palace gardens, the courtyards, the stables the kitchen. They had split up into two groups of three people, Sinbad, Maeve and Dermott going in one direction, Rongar, Doubar and Firouz in the other, yet they had turned up not a thing.

That is until they entered Maeve and Sinbad’s sleeping quarters. Dermott cried out a warning only an instant before the future Xaldar leaped out of his corner directly upon Maeve. Unable to see what was happening, Maeve was caught off guard, and where she once would have easily evaded his strike, she was thrown to the ground, pinned by the older man’s weight.

His fingers wrapped tightly around Maeve’s throat, and he began choking her violently. "Why must you always be taught your place! Why must you always fight your superiors! Why must you always deny that I am better than you and always will be! Why must you force me to kill you?!!!!!" Xaldar screamed statically, as though each word caused him great pain. Maeve’s head began to crack against the floor as he squeezed harder, shaking her up and down.

Just as she began to black out, his weight was suddenly removed from her body and her neck was free. Drawing in deep, gasping breaths, Maeve turned to Dermott. "What’s happening?" Her dark world was perforated by light as her mind fed upon the images in Dermott’s mind. She could see Sinbad fighting Xaldar, see his fist connect with the older mans belly, see his knee break the older man’s nose. Sinbad was a ferocious fighter when he was battling for something he loved; Maeve winced as Xaldar’s fist connected with Sinbad’s jaw; her head almost exploded with the pain her husband must be feeling, but shaking it off, Sinbad returned to the fight.

Quickly the young captain drew his sword, circling around Xaldar, protectively moving to stand in front of Maeve. She scowled at his back, knowing that he was in the right, but still she hated being weak.

The king rushed forward as Sinbad glanced over his shoulder to make sure Maeve was recovering. This time it was Dermott who saved the day; the hawk suddenly swooped in upon the king, his sharp talons clawing at the flesh on Xaldar’s face, sending the older man to his knees in agony. Sinbad turned at the sound of the commotion, only to see the king spread out before him, being held to the floor by the bird. As soon as he was sure the captain was ready to fight once more, Dermott flew back to the window sill, crying out in glory at the blood he had shed. Clutched in his talons was the tiny crystal that would decide the future for Sinbad and the crew.

Knowing he was defeated, Xaldar still refused to give up, and drawing out his dagger, he lunged at Sinbad’s chest. More so in a motion of defense than one of attack, Sinbad raised his sword out before him. Xaldar’s forward motion drove his body onto Sinbad’s outstretched sword, running the blade through his chest and out his back. Xaldar looked down in shock as the pain began to rip through his body, only to see the hilt of the sword protruding from his chest. A trickle of blood dripped from the older man’s mouth, and he fell to the ground, dead before his body even struck the floor.

Maeve broke the connection with Dermott’s mind; she didn’t need to see her old friend in such a position, even if he had treated her badly, and was to kill Sinbad. Maeve shook her head; this time thing was really confusing, could this Xaldar be blamed for the things the young Xaldar did, since what ever the young Xaldar did was part of this Xaldar’s past? She sighed, the less she thought about the circumstances surrounding this adventure, definitely their oddest yet, the more it made sense.

"Sinbad, Dermott has our talisman. Let’s return to the great hall to meet up with the others, then perhaps we can get this over with."

Sinbad nodded as he moved to take Maeve’s hand, and lift her from the floor. Dermott flew off ahead of them, signaling for the others to meet them at the alter in the hall; now they were truly going to go through with this. There was nothing left to stop them.

************************************

Believe in herself and in her duty? Maeve thought incredulously as she clutched the crystal talisman in her hand. What in the name of the gods was that supposed to mean? She believed in herself, she always has, and in her duty, well she was here wasn’t she? Maeve sighed and decided to try again.

"Let my spirit fill you, let my powers will you, let your soul lead me to where I must be. Future to present, present to past, past to future, all times in one send me."

She felt the crystal talisman warm in her fingers, she was getting somewhere, finally! She redoubled her efforts, "Let my spirit fill you, let my powers will you, let your soul lead me to where I must be. Future to present, present to past, past to future, all times in one lead me."

The course of magical electricity flowed through her veins and the power reached into her soul. "I have it now!" she cried reaching her free hand out to hold Sinbad’s.

At that moment the door to the great hall burst open and young Xaldar plus several members of Thalderon’s militia stormed the room. Doubar called to his brother and Maeve over his shoulder as he charged into battle. "Girl, you get that talisman working and get yourselves out of here, Rongar, Firouz, Dermott and I will hold these ones off until you have reached safety. May Allah be with you both!"

"And with you, dear brother. Maeve, do your thing." Sinbad never took his eyes off Doubar as his brother fought valiantly. That’s why when the sword passed by Doubar’s block and sunk into the large man’s ribs, Sinbad saw everything. "DOUBAR!!! NO!!!" Sinbad cried, tears streaming down his face, wanting to run to his brother’s fallen body, but finding himself bound within Maeve’s spell.

"Let my spirit fill you, let my powers will you, let your soul lead me to where I must be. Future to present, present to past, past to future, all times in one lead me."

"DOUBAR!!" So caught up was he in his brother’s death that Sinbad never noticed Xaldar coming at him with his sword raised to do battle. He turned only moments before he would have been struck down, unable to defend himself, but Dermott flung himself in the path of the sword.

The sword pierced feather and flesh, hacking into Dermott’s fragile frame. Still the bird didn’t give up; as he was dying upon that sword, he flapped his wings wildly, throwing the sword off target.

"Let my spirit fill you, let my powers will you, let your soul lead me to where I must be. Future to present, present to past, past to future, all times in one lead me." With the last repetition, Sinbad and Maeve began to fade from that plane of existence; and it was then as her concentration faded, as the spell took on a life of its own, Dermott’s agony ripped through her body.

"DERMOTT!!!" She screamed but it was too late to stop them from leaving. Concentrating with all her might she thrust her mind out to her friend, her brother.

"I am here sister."

"Dermott, don’t die, please."

"I love you, Maeve, I will always love you."

Maeve sobbed wildly, "And I you, brother."

"Remember, I am not dead unless you cannot change time. Be successful, sister, and I will come back to you. But if not, I am only a memory away. Peace be with you, my sister."

"And with you, sweet Dermott. Rest well." As the tears slid down Maeve’s face, she felt the last ember’s of Dermott’s life fade away, and then there was nothing but an all encompassing emptiness filling her heart and soul.

"Maeve?" Sinbad’s soul wrenching voice reached through her tortured thoughts.

"What?" she murmured.

"I don’t think we’re in Thalderon anymore."

Maeve set aside her heavy heart for the moment; Dermott could still be saved at merely the expense of her marriage. What ever the cost, Dermott and Doubar would be brought back.

"Hello?" A young man’s voice reached their ears.

Sinbad turned and looked at the young man; audibly gasping at the sight of him. The boy couldn’t have been more than eighteen or twenty years old, and he was stunningly beautiful. He had the most shocking sea blue eyes that Sinbad had ever seen, with the most unruly dark red/ brown hair. Sinbad almost smiled, thinking that this young man had hair just like Maeve’s. His skin was sun bronze and he was a powerful looking boy even though he was not large. His eyes sparkled with hidden mystery, Sinbad thought, he would be a real lady’s man with those eyes.

"Hello, sir, my name is Declan and I live just down the lane in the Palace of Thalderon with my mother and step father."

Maeve’s face remained hidden from the boy as her back was turned and she was trying to compose herself. "Declan, I always loved that name, I always said I would name my son Declan."

Declan nodded, "Aye, my mother too. Are you Irish?"

Maeve nodded, "Aye."

Sinbad stepped forward. "I am Sinbad and this is my wife, Maeve, we are strangers in town. Could we possibly impose..." Sinbad’s voice trailed off as the boy turned pale white. Maeve had looked up at her name, and at the sound of the boy’s gasp.

"She found you. Mother found you." Declan reached out towards Sinbad, touching the sailors vest as though it were treasured jewels. "Sinbad," he whispered, his eyes welling with tears, "Maeve," he drew in a deep breath, bending down to gather the sorceress in his arms, "Mother, Father!"

Sinbad’s knees gave out from underneath him, and he had to sit down on the ground. If he was supposed to die today in their time, that could only mean one thing. Looking to Maeve, his heart stopped beating and he stopped breathing, he reached out towards her.

Maeve breathed slowly in shock, feeling the arms of the boy around her, feeling his presence fill the empty place in her heart. Ever so slowly she wrapped her arms around her stomach, cradling the life that lay dormant with in her. A baby. A son.

Continued in Shared Admissions: Part Thirteen.

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