Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of A Father's Love
By Moon Mistress

Chapter Twenty-One

“You’ve grown more intelligent in your old age, Dan-yell.” Kanan commented as he motioned for the Shadows to gather up the weapons on the ground.

“Let her go.”

Kanan looked down at Calla sitting so calmly at his feet.  “We have pavlar to finish,” he said slowly and watched her turn her head to look up at him. “I think we need to renegotiate it seems there are more things in my favor now, wouldn’t you agree, Cha’Dech?”

“Hei, Naganti Kanan.”

“Take them put them with the others.” Kanan ordered. “You’ll get to see your little Annie, Nicholas.” He said with a smile as he took in the fallen expression on the young man’s face. “Doesn’t that make you happy?”  Nicholas only sneered at him. “And you, Dan-yell, you can get reacquainted with your old friends O’Neill and Samantha.” Kanan went on happily. “You,” he looked at Duncan and shook his head. “I don’t know you so I have no one for you, perhaps you can keep Ares company.” He suggested. “I don’t suppose you know anything about bandaging wounds?”  Kanan laughed at his little joke and pulled Calla to her feet. “Who are you anyway? What’s your business here?”

“I’m Duncan MacLeod,” he said as he took a step forward. “My business here is killing you.”  While Duncan was very serious he said with a smile and that made Kanan laugh all the harder.

When he was finished laughing Kanan looked down at Calla. “Is this the best you’ve got?”

Her head tingled and buzzed as she found herself caught between the master ring and the other medallion.  Calla’s vision blurred and she rocked slightly on her feet as she stood with him looking over at her Husband, her Son and her very dear friend Stan being taken prisoner.  Kanan had been able to call her over to him during the heat and confusion of the battle but now she was fighting him and trying to kick him out of her mind. “They will be enough.” She muttered. “You’ll see.”

“Always the optimist.” Kanan sneered. “What do you call it up there where you come from?” He pointed upward to the ceiling but indicating the Upperworld as he pondered his own question and then a sly smile returned to his lips. “Pollyanna.” He said with a nod.

“A gesture of good faith, my lord?” Calla asked coyly.

“It seems I have the upper hand,” Kanan returned swiftly. “Why should I give you anything?”

“Oh, no, my lord. That’s not what I meant,” she said softly. “I have a gesture of good faith for you.”

Her words made him take an involuntary step back as his eyes narrowed on her.  She had something up her sleeve something cooking and bubbling on boiling in that pretty little head of hers. “What is it?”

Calla motioned toward Daniel.  “The Elixir of Life.” She said sweetly. “He has it.”

“Calla!” Daniel shouted. “What are you doing?” She’d seemed so happy to see him and so angry over him having brought the Elixir to the Underworld. Why would she just hand it over to Kanan?  Even with his new ability to grasp any situation and understand any equation this one eluded him.  He didn’t dare try and use the power in the medallion around his neck—if there was any—not with Kanan in such close proximity.  Kanan was still unaware of the second medallion and Daniel would like to keep that way for as long as he needed to.

To Calla’s way of thinking the Shadows were going to find it anyway when Daniel was relieved of his vest before being putting into the room with the others.  If she handed it over to Kanan willingly then he would be more likely to trust her. “I admit I was keeping the knowledge of the potion from you,” she cast her eyes to the floor as if in shame. “I thought I might fool you but as you said our pavlar has changed drastically and so I offer it to you freely.”  Now she looked up at him again.  “It is required for the spell.”

“Now it’s you who lies.”

“I do not,” She said truthfully. “I don’t know how you knew of the spell to begin with, Naganti Kanan, but somehow you missed this key component.” Calla thought she knew how that came to be.  During her sessions with Morgan they never took the Elixir from Harry and as she thought about it they probably never mentioned it other than to call it the libation or the offering.  All Kanan ever saw was wine being poured into a chalice and ceremoniously given to the one being raised from the Underworld. “Daniel has it you will find it a fine decanter in his breast pocket.”

“Go get it.” Kanan said to the Shadow nearest Daniel and watched while his old buddy was stripped of his vest and the pockets were turned inside out.  A small cut crystal decanter was produced from the vest pocket just as she said. The Shadow handed it to his master.

“Is my gesture acceptable to you?”

“We will see how acceptable it is.” Kanan countered. “You and I have much to discuss.”  Feeling very confident he wrapped the chain around his wrist and took off down the dark corridor. “Take them away and don’t forget to search them very thoroughly.” He ordered as they began to pass by Daniel and company. Kanan stopped in front of Daniel and then stooped to pick up Excalibur. “I’m sure you’re not worthy of such a fine weapon.”  He turned it over in his hand and felt the weight of the balanced blade. “I’ll take it and everything else you’ve got just as you did to me.”

“I’m going to kill you.” Daniel threatened even though the odds were not in his favor.

“You already did that. See how well it worked out for you?” Kanan sneered and looked at the three men presented to him then he looked over at Calla. “I see something is wrong here, Cha’Dech…humm…what could it be?” He pondered. “Father, Lover, Husband, Brother.” Kanan whispered and watched her face whiten. “How many times did you chant that in your whispered voice night after night as you knelt in the corner of my chamber? Father, we have, Husband, we have.” He smiled at Daniel. “I see no Brother but I might soon,” he added easily, “David’s life is hanging in the balance.” Calla turned her questioning eyes to Daniel but he said nothing. “Lover?  That you MacLeod?”

“You’re a pig,” Duncan returned and spat on the ground. “She’s more Daughter to me than anything and I love as her though she was my own flesh and blood.”

“Two Fathers?” Kanan asked. “How interesting. You, Nicholas?” The corners of Kanan’s mouth turned upward in an evil grin. “I know you’ve had her once and it’s hard to stop at just one time,” shifted his eyes to Daniel, “as your brother found out.”  Now he looked back to Calla. “It seems you do not have all that you need, do you Cha’Dech?”

“Not that you care, my Lord,” she said softly, “Daniel is both Husband and Lover.”

While she and Daniel engaged in more sex than any couple ever had a right to, ‘Lover’ in this instance did not refer to that act but to a confident with certain pleasurable benefits. A Wife could not tell her Husband everything that was as true on Tiberia as it was here on Earth and all planets in between.  Sometimes it was the Husband driving the Wife insane or making her feel unloved, unwanted or no longer needed. Husbands took Lovers for sex Wives took them for companionship. “Brother?” Kanan countered.

“Has turned into Son.” She offered. “I have all that I need.”

“We’ll see about that and for just how much longer you have any of it.” He threatened as he tightened his grip on the chain.

“Shall we continue our pavlar?” She asked trying not to sound frightened or as though the pricks were not biting into her neck.  

Cha’Dech was cunning, she was slicker than an eel and a pain in his ass. Kanan shortened the slack on the chain as he smiled maliciously at Daniel and then lead Calla down the corridor on their way back to the room where they held their first pavlar.

“Kitty!” Daniel shouted as he struggled against the grip of the Shadows at his sides. Calla turned around to look at him she even seemed to smile but then Kanan yanked on the chain and the slightly upturned corners of her full mouth fell as she cringed and then turned her head away.  What was she thinking? What the hell was she doing?  She couldn’t possibly believe that she could negotiate with Kanan.

Suddenly he was shoved forward along with Nick and Duncan.  It was time to go to wherever Jack, Sam and Annie were being held.  Daniel wondered if Ares was in the same place or if Kanan had a little something special in mind for the God of War.  That thought sent a shutter through him as he thought of the detached penis hanging around Calla’s neck.  What had Ares done to make Kanan cut it off?  Why the hell had his dick been any where near the space between Calla’s legs when the slicing and dicing occurred?  Perhaps it was Ares who’d thrown in with Kanan and then it backfired on him?

No, after a decade in exile Ares would never do that.

**

Kanan sat Calla down in the same place she’d sat during their first pavlar and then took his own seat at the head of the table.  Holding the brilliantly cut vessel in his hand he turned it over and over again before opening it.

“Don’t drink it now.” Calla advised. “It won’t work.”  She didn’t know if that was true or not surely Merlin’s most powerful potion would have some effect on the person who ingested it even if a spell had been cast.  She watched him sniff it and then turn up his nose.

“It smells bad.” Kanan put the crystal stopped back in the bottle and then placed it on the table.

“It is a few hundred years old,” Calla sympathized being careful to sound genuine while feeling anything but.  She tried to keep her wits about her and look for signs of Kanan crawling around in her head.  “I’m sure it still works.”

“Anything that smells that horrid must work.” He agreed.  “You will take me to this Stonehenge now.”

“Now?”

“Yes, right now.  My guards will retrieve Annie, I’ll let her say good-bye to Nicholas,” he added in a magnanimous voice. “I’m not heartless.”

Oh yes you are, she thought but didn’t say.  “I’m sorry my Lord but I thought we’d agreed to find someone else and leave Annie out of this.”

“I’ve changed my mind. She is acceptable and she is right here in my grasp, why should I look elsewhere?”  He countered.

Calla got the distinct impression that if she didn’t agree she’d soon be watching either Daniel or Nicholas strung up on the chains and being tortured.  That didn’t sit well with her but neither did sacrificing Annie.  Still she went along hoping to gain a bit of his confidence and trust. “If it suits you, my Lord.  Nicholas can always find another wife.”

Kanan slammed his fist down on the table and laughed sharply.  The sound of his fist hitting the table made her jump in her chair and it wasn’t until he laughed that she realized she was safe and had made a good move.  “Hei, if he survives.”

“Why would he not?”

“It all depends on you.” Kanan leaned forward. “I will let your friends O’Neill and Samantha go free but the rest stay here until your task is complete.”

That she didn’t like. “Daniel and Nicholas go free.” She countered and made an attempt to push him through the power of the jewels they both wore.

Kanan tapped the side of his head. “I hear you.” He said lowly. “They stay. If you don’t want to see their flesh peeled from their bones you will agree and not give me any trouble.”

The last thing she wanted was to see their flesh peeled from their bones and Kanan would do it, of that she had no doubt at all. “If you wish.” Calla said contritely as she wished Daniel had never show up here. She’d made a good deal with Kanan and she could have seen her plan through without much trouble but now Kanan held more cards. “You will see that I intend to keep my end of this bargain.” Yes, she did, right to the bitter end.

“We have a pact?”

“We do.”

End of Chapter Twenty-One
Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of a Father's Love
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
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Chapter Twenty-Two