THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Not a soul could be seen lining the dim streets. Night had fallen long ago, leaving only an unnerving blanket of silence. The night sky was swollen with storm clouds, the pallid glow from the moon barely getting the chance to break through. Perfect.

The only disturbance around her was given by the soft footfalls of her feet, cushioned by the ice-covered cobblestones. She watched as random flecks of white danced down from the sky to cascade around her. She reasoned the storm, along with the cold, was what kept most sensible people inside tonight. The white mist dissipating from her lips was another casual reminder of the frigid temperatures nobody else but her was currently forced to endure. As angry as she wanted to be at that fact, she didn’t mind, knowing why she was out here in the first place. 

The sudden rattling chorus of hooves and squeaky wheels notified her of the occasional carriage that passed her by on the street, signaling even with the snowfall London refused to sleep as people still tried to go about their business. This worried her for a moment, but it seemed that her anxiety had no cause, for her lone form was the only thing to be seen standing before the abandoned bridge she was to rendezvous at. Well, nearly abandoned that is. 

She could just make out his figure standing near the railing of the bridge. As she made her way towards him, she already knew he was aware of her presence despite not acknowledging her arrival yet. The crunching ice under her feet saw quickly to that. He only turned when she neared him. 

His long black coat and hood easily shielded him from the elements, but the ever-present smirk on his face was instantly recognizable to her as she came to a stop in front of him. She couldn’t help but to give him a somewhat flirtatious smile of her own.

“You’re late” the master assassin stated, his deep voice practically husky as he spoke quietly to her. Despite there being no people around, the streets of London could easily carry their voices for blocks; especially on nights such as these, with barely any carriages about to cover the sounds they made. The woman tried to keep this in mind as she kept her playful grin, a sly look crossing her features.

“Actually, I’m on time. You’re early. What, couldn’t wait to see me?” she cleverly responded, her eyes alight with mischief as she hoped to give the master assassin a taste of his own medicine. It seemed for a moment she might have done just that as she watched Jacob chuckle lightly at her remark, looking down for a second before once again meeting her gaze.

“Well, love, your guess is as good as mine. But we’ll worry about that later in a nice warm pub. For now lets get the mission over with.” Jacob suggested, his eyes only leaving her form to look over the ledge of the bridge. For a moment, the woman wondered if he swiftly switched topics on purpose, but the first part of his words left such a warm feeling beginning to buzz in her stomach that she was too distracted to properly analyze what he was saying.

It had been like this between them for quite some time, the obvious flirtation, the tension between them so thick that even Evie was starting to chide Jacob on his obvious love interest. She only knew about that as she had accidentally caught her teasing the younger Frye twin when she went to go see Jacob on their train. He of course tried to play it off naturally, but there was no doubt that she now knew there was some reciprocation to the feelings she had for the man.

She had to force herself to not get lost in her thoughts and to keep her mind in the present, knowing it was no time to zone out with her fantasies about the man before her. He was relaying vital information she already knew, but it was still necessary to hear to ensure she wouldn’t forget. Just below them was the river Thames, and they were destined to go on a boat raid tonight as the weather provided more coverage than usual. That meant this raid should be relatively easier than previous ones, but the sparkling white blanket that began to cover the decks of the boats could also prove dangerous if they weren’t careful. That, and the thought of falling into the icy river this time around could be lethal in and of itself. 

“So, think you can keep up?” Jacob teasingly questioned as he finished going over the mission, his smirk flirtatious as he stared at her. The words didn’t faze her as she kept her eyes locked on the river in front of her, still trying to ensure she heard everything Jacob had just explained. The only evidence she gave that she had been listening was the cunning smile that couldn’t be helped at his coy remark.

“Do learn to shut up, Frye.” She responded, her tone lighthearted to indicate she was also giving him a hard time. She would expect nothing less if she heard another carefree, questionably flirtatious comment from the assassin at her words, preparing to pull herself up onto the ledge they were standing by to jump onto one of the many boats passing below. Before she could even properly position herself to do so, however, what the master assassin managed to say next instantly rooted her to the spot.

“Why don’t you make me?” Jacob’s warm, low voice boldly offered, the woman suddenly having to swallow hard at his words. They weren’t too far away from each other in the first place, her body turning to see his form only a foot away, if anything. Once she saw the mischievous glint in his eye coupled with the full on flirtatious smirk he was wearing, her sudden surprise was replaced with a mixture of emotions. 

Was this it? Was this the queue she was looking for? Was this the invitation that Jacob had finally plopped down in front of her? Her uncertainty threatened to dominate her thoughts, but her sense of happiness quickly trampled the emotion as she suddenly felt a boldness of her own sweep over her. No, no more of this. Two could play at his game. It was time for her to test him.

She made sure to flaunt her impish grin at him, fighting against her hormones screaming at her to just kiss the man already- 

Her form closed the space between them. She looked up at him with a haughty gaze, matching the cocky smirk the assassin proudly wore. He was probably assuming she was merely going to throw another snide remark his way before running off. Oh, how wrong he was.

“If that’s what you truly want…” she trailed off, her words barely above a whisper, yet suddenly heavy as they indicated a deeper meaning. Her tone went from sassy to soft, the playfulness in her gaze fading as it was replaced with hesitation. Her eyes flickered down to Jacob’s hand, watching as he did the same, before she tentatively went to intertwine their fingers. There was no reluctance as the man reciprocated the action, giving her a boost of confidence as she felt him lock her hand in his own.

The normally self-assured master assassin suddenly felt an unusual wave of anxiety and anticipation wash over him, unable to help himself as he swallowed thickly. He was not expecting this. He hopelessly tried to calm himself, hyperaware of his emotions as he nearly lost all control when she grabbed his hand. And oh God the sudden way she had begun to stare at him-

Their lips were mere centimeters apart; their hot breath tickling each other’s faces in the freezing cold. He noticed she was about to say something, probably some witty remark to finish off what she was saying earlier, but he could care less as he couldn’t take it any more. His eyes darkened as he instead opted to cut her off with a response of his own.

His lips crashed against hers; hard, desperate, as he showed her that yes, this is was what he truly wanted, more than anything. His hazel orbs closed as his hand slipped out of her own to come up and cup her cheek, his other hand at the back of her head as he took control. 

Wow, her eyes practically closed the moment she felt his lips embrace her own, her head turning slightly to deepen the kiss. Her mouth had of course opened from the surprise of Jacob’s actions, which she quickly realized had allowed him to easily slip his tongue inside the cavern of her mouth, her body relishing how his practiced tongue danced with and dominated her own. She could feel herself being moved unconsciously backwards from the force of Jacob’s kiss, though, her back only taking a moment before bumping into the concrete railing of the bridge. She paid no mind, however, enjoying the dominance he displayed as her hands somehow found themselves snaking around the man’s neck. 

Unfortunately, it seemed their moment of passion was forced to come to a rushed close, for all too soon the pair was rudely reminded of the aggravating need of oxygen.

As they broke apart their hot panting created a misty haze that surrounded their face, the snow that fell between them melting practically on contact. She felt him move the hand resting at the back of her head to her other free cheek, his cool fingertips welcoming to the sudden fire that had begun to spread across the sides of her face.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?” the younger Frye twin suddenly mentioned, still panting as he looked down at her tenderly.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?” the woman could only retort, sounding breathless as she gave him a giddy smile. It seemed her happiness was not exclusive as she felt Jacob’s chest rumble with a chuckle, kissing her once again as his laughter passed from his lips to her own. The woman inevitably erupted into a fit of giggles due to the action, causing the couple to break apart, Jacob instead resting his forehead against her own as their smiling lips brushed up against one another as they released their mirth. 

Jacob pulled away once his laughter began to quiet down, wanting to take in the face of the woman he could finally call his own. Doing so allowed him to notice how his lover’s eyes were suddenly bright with the sparks of love, her gaze holding nothing short of adoration, and it was all for him. The thought alone made his chest tighten with an uncontrollable amount of happiness. The moment just felt so right, so perfect, the both of them completely unbothered on the bridge with the sparkling flakes falling softly around them-

“I love you.” He suddenly blurted out, the words falling off his tongue before his mind could even register what he had said. He went rigid, and it had nothing to do with the cold. His eyes anxiously scanned the woman’s face, his mind instantly regretting the outburst as a sense of panic trickled through him, especially when he noticed her smile falter-  oh please, no.

All of a sudden it was back. Her smile was brighter than ever as she giggled again, burying her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around him. He nearly sighed in relief, his hands snaking around her lower back as he watched her look up, resting her chin on his chest.

“I love you too.” she happily responded, causing his heart to practically soar as he couldn’t help the joyful laugh that escaped him. He gave a peck to her forehead, relishing in the blissful moment they were currently sharing.

Oh, how he wished it could just go on forever too, but a sudden glance over the river Thames gave him the only reminder he needed as to why they were here in the first place. He groaned in annoyance.

“Damn this blasted mission…” the master assassin grumbled, sighing in disappointment. The woman merely glanced where he had across the river before giving him a comforting smile.

“Let’s just get it over with. Like you said, we can worry about this later in a nice warm pub.” She suggested, mocking the words Jacob had spoken earlier. He merely smiled slyly at her words.

“I think a nice warm bed might be better.” he teased, and his smirk broke into a full blown smile in watching her gasp at his suggestive comment. He quickly took that opportunity to once again steal another kiss, no less passionate than the first, but unfortunately so much shorter as he made sure to abruptly pull away.

“Now, don’t make me have to come save you.” he said smugly as his form finally unlatched itself from her own, leaving her to stand there in a daze, a chuckle escaping him as he jumped onto the ledge behind him. In one swift movement he expertly landed on a passing cargo boat below. 

For a moment she merely continued to stare at his form slowly moving away while she still stood on the bridge. It only took a moment for her to come to her senses though, her gaze turning into a heated glare.

Pompous fucker.

She quickly followed suit, jumping off the bridge and onto a boat that was travelling right next to the one Jacob had chosen. Oh, she would make sure to get him back once they were through with this. He should learn not to start a fight he would be unable to finish. Let the games begin she thought, a smirk once again finding its way to her lips.

The sudden turn of events with her relationship with the assassin helped fuel her adrenaline, but she made sure to clear her head of any distracting thoughts regarding the man as she followed along behind him to get to the ships belonging to the blighters. They were on a mission now. One she refused to mess up.

She was unsure if Jacob was thinking similar thoughts, but either way they stealthily made their way onto the blighter’s boats with no issues. He must have put his desires to the side for the moment as well as he continuously proved his role as a master assassin, taking down any thugs that happened to be in their way without sounding the alarm. As she set the explosives to the designated cargo she couldn’t help but think how easy he made it look, how in one swipe he had targets slumping to the ground and-

Footsteps. Heavy and fast. Was that running? So far their mission had truly gone off without a hitch, her fingers just finishing up rigging the last stack of supplies, that is, until she saw Jacob run past her position. 

“Time to go!” He merely stated as she immediately became aware of the shouts of anger trailing behind him. If Jacob Frye said it was time to go, it was time to go. She didn’t even need to look back to know there was probably a hoard of blighters he had managed to piss off. Why wasn’t she more surprised by this?

  No matter, it wasn’t her main concern at the moment as she suddenly heard gunshots, hearing a stray bullet embed itself into the wood much too close for comfort on either side of her. She cursed under her breath as she made deft work in following Jacob’s footprints on the boats and miscellaneous floating cargo, making sure to jump and land where he did and never letting his back leave her line of sight.

“Can I go on one mission with you without it ending with us running for our lives?!” She angrily shouted over the next few gunshots aimed at them. The immense amount of adrenaline pumping through her veins allowed her form to easily keep up with the man, hearing his cocky chuckle at her question despite his back facing her. Ugh, what an ass.

“My apologies, love!” he merely shouted over his shoulder in a carefree tone, the woman almost unable to hear him as the sudden explosions behind them roared across the river. At the exact same moment, she went to jump from the moving cargo bed she was running across to the stationary tugboat docked at a landing stage; she was supposed to then follow the stage as it would lead her out of the port and into the streets of London. Oddly enough, it seemed she was not destined to come into contact with the deck of the tugboat.

She was unsure if she had become startled by the explosions, or if the slick snow was to blame, but she barely registered hearing a gunshot and feeling a searing hot pain in her side as she suddenly found herself submerged in what she could only describe as a frozen hell.

She must have been just shy in reaching the edge of the boat, her body going still as she was completely saturated in the frigid water, chilling her straight to her core. 

It was oddly silent as her mind took a few seconds to register what just happened. Once the shock faded, however, her reaction was instant as she forced her body to move, panic easily taking over. She rapidly found the water felt more like syrup though, the cold relentlessly sucking the energy out of her muscles. Her form vainly tried to create some semblance of swimming, yet the moment she managed to make a successful attempt, a stabbing, acute pain in her lower right side instantly forced her to stop as she let out a silent cry of agony. 

She tried to see something, anything, but she was only greeted by a murky darkness as she did her best to ignore the pain, kicking her legs with all her might in a desperate attempt to reach the surface. Air. She needed air. 

She was unsure how long she was already under the freezing cold water, but it honestly didn’t matter as mere seconds completely immersed in the chilling waves felt like ages. All she knew was that by some miracle her face finally managed to break the surface of the water, but she was unable to cry out for help as the need for oxygen became more important as she tried to gulp in the bitter night air. She briefly heard screaming, explosions, before she was gone again, sinking back into the terrifyingly still depths as the pain in her side dragged her down. 

Her brief inhale was not enough, her attempt to breath more so coughing out the water already in her lungs before she could take a proper intake of air. With her limbs stiff at this point, coupled with the sharp pain at her side, she was forced to stop thrashing in a desperate attempt to save herself. So cold. It was so cold.

This was it. This was how she was going to die. Her body was no longer able to move as her lungs were already burning from the lack of oxygen that was just out of her reach. Through her poor eyesight she could make out the light above her, but it was just too far, she was right there yet she couldn’t-

Something broke the silence. How far was she from the surface? Something wrapped around her wrist, a tug, a great tug, and suddenly the water rushed past her until air. Her body instinctively coughed and spluttered as her head broke through the water, whatever was grabbing onto her wrist suddenly taking her from under the armpits and effortlessly hauling her onto solid ground. The air somehow felt warm now, much like the presence by her side. There were hands touching her, rolling her onto her back.

“Just take deep breaths love! Just breathe!”

Jacob had no time to spare. The night itself was already relentlessly cold, yet here she was drenched in the subzero water. He got a taste of it as he had to submerge his head and arms into the water to drag her out. He would have taken her up in his arms and made a run for it, knowing she needed help as soon as possible, but it was not an option at the moment. 

An unbridled rage welled up inside him at seeing her practically coughing her life up at his feet. Never before had he been so overwhelmed by the urge to kill. His mind went blank as he acknowledged the approach of the last few blighters that made the fatal decision to still tail them.

He stood from his kneeling position beside the woman, a vicious snarl erupting from his throat as his protective nature went into overdrive. The three blighters that were left, initially zoning in to attack the assassin, suddenly hesitated at seeing the feral state the man was in. Jacob was blind to all of it as he took a man by his coat and threw him over the side of the deck in one easy motion. He was out for blood.

 No sense of mercy was left in the assassin as he dispatched the last two blighters, slapping the gun pointed at him out of the coward’s hand before shoving him into the river with his foot. He never let the last thug even react as he drew his own pistol and shot him point blank. He couldn’t waste any more time.

Without a moment to spare he turned in her direction, noticing her shaking violently, and she had moved herself so she was clutching at her side in agony and- wait, why was she...

His eyes grew wide, his body physically unable to breath as he became choked with horror. 

Crimson. A beautiful ruby red, leaking past her fingers to pollute the water that pooled around her.

No.

His legs couldn’t move fast enough as he sprinted the few steps back to her, fear instantly clawing at his heart as he already tried denying what he was terrified to find out was true.

No.

His knees nearly buckled at the despair that slammed into him. The bastards had shot her.

NO.

“Love! Love, can you hear me?! Open your eyes!” he pleaded, his voice nothing short of desperate as he dropped down beside her and frantically gathered her in his arms. Her teeth were chattering so badly he was honestly afraid it might cause her teeth to fall out of her head. Yet, by some miracle, she did as he asked, some form of relief finding him for the briefest moment as he watched as she weakly blinked her eyes up at him.

“J-Jacob…” she barely mumbled, causing said man to clench his jaw. Her body was practically seizing from shaking so hard. She wouldn’t last much longer out here. And the blood, the blood, he had to suck in a breath to keep himself in check at seeing the stain steadily growing across her side. No, she would not leave him like this. Not now. Not ever.

“Stay with me, love. Keep your eyes open, we’ll get you help in no time.” He said in a stubborn tone that refused to believe she were to perish now, yet his eyes flickered over her form in a frenzied rush. There was no hiding the distress and alarm that caused his hazel orbs to glaze over. 

He had picked her up as gingerly as he could, yet he had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment at hearing her whine in agony. Her freezing form lied limp against his chest, and he could care less that she was sopping wet, partially soaking his own clothes with her blood along with the stinging cold water. Her head slumped against his shoulder as he practically flew out of the harbor and towards the main streets, her body resembling nothing more than a rag doll in his arms. 

He didn’t think he could ever recall a time in his life where he had run so fast, the night air harshly whipping at his face, his hair still dripping with the polluted water of the Thames. He paid no mind to it though, his breath coming out in misty pants. The hospital was still quite a few blocks away, and knowing this threatened to cause him to lose hope, wondering if she could make it. He urgently tried dashing such thoughts from his mind, but he could clearly hear her whimpering under her breath, and each time she did he could feel a painful stake get hammered deeper and deeper into his heart.

“I’m s-sorry…” he suddenly heard her mumble, making his heart stop as he could literally feel the blood drain from his face. The terror he felt was shadowed by the stubborn resolve he had to see her live, unable to help the resentment that crept into his voice along with the concern that dominated his tone.

“No. Don’t you dare start with that.” He commanded, leaving no room for argument. Even if she did want to argue, there was little chance of it happening as by some heavenly miracle, just up ahead through the falling snow Jacob saw the golden lights of a carriage turning down the street. A green carriage. 

“ROOKS!” he screamed in absolute desperation, his voice echoing down the street at how loud he yelled. He was sure to have woken at least a few people up on the block, but he didn’t care. There was a man and a woman driving, both immediately turning their heads at the sound of their leader’s voice, his terrified voice, something they would have never imagined to hear. They were of course greeted with the sight of Jacob running at their carriage at full speed, and if that didn’t prompt them to skid to a stop then the sight of the bloody woman in his arms sure did. 

It was the female rook who jumped down from the driver’s seat, swinging open the door to the carriage with a quiet “heaven ‘ave mercy” that Jacob barely heard as he came sprinting up to the godsend carriage. 

“St. Bartholomew’s, now.” The assassin hastily ordered in a stern tone, not even sparing a moment to look at his comrade as he clambered into the carriage with the woman protectively in his arms. He didn’t need to look back to know his ever-faithful ally quickly did as she was told, slamming the door shut and barely swinging herself back up next to the male driver before the carriage set off to its new destination.

Jacob made quick work, trying to ensure the woman was as comfortable as possible as he delicately placed her form on the floor of the carriage. She was already so pale, the outline of her lips beginning to turn blue. He had no idea if the symptoms were due to the cold or blood loss, but either way he had to take a deep breath to compose himself as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He would not cry. There was no reason to cry. He couldn’t help the flash of anger he felt at the small voice in the back of his head chiding not yet at least, his obstinate mentality forcing himself to refuse to believe that the woman before him was about to be taken from him. 

In normal circumstances, Jacob wouldn’t even think about stripping the woman before him in such a fashion, but there was no room for modesty as he removed her outer clothing, the material now practically turned to ice due to the frigid water. His coat was still relatively dry, only the sleeves still damp as the leather had not dried yet from being dunked in the river. He hoped it wouldn’t make a difference as he basically ripped his coat off, wrapping it around the woman’s shivering, weak form. 

The hand she had limply placed over where her wound was located was removed as he placed his own hand there, a cry of pain erupting from the woman’s lips as he did so. 

“I’m sorry love, I know it hurts, I know.” He tried to console. He would never want to be the source of pain for her, but it was a necessary evil in this situation as he would rather risk putting her in pain than having her bleed out on him. He was taken aback a bit at the sudden sound of her voice.

“You were n-never one, to be gentle…” she managed to softly mutter, a faint smile on her lips as she looked at him. The fact that she was trying to lift his spirits, despite the amount of pain she was most likely in, made his heart break more than if she were to have gone silent with whimpering. He was barely able to respond with a smile that never reached his eyes.

“I can when I want to be. As soon as you get better, I’ll make sure to show you.” He promised, and despite wanting to keep his tone lighthearted, he was unable to help the crack in his voice as the last of his words left him, his eyes starting to go glassy. The woman of course knew their little game of pretend was a hopeless failure, but that didn’t stop her from still trying. 

“Ever the c-charmer…” she could barely respond, giving a feeble excuse of an eye roll. Before Jacob could respond to her smart remark she suddenly moaned in agony, inviting another wave of concern and panic to wash over him. Her breathing was but short, rapid puffs, and there was no use in denying how she was slowly becoming more and more disoriented. She ultimately had to squeeze her eyes shut due to the pain, which Jacob could understand, but when she didn’t reopen them after a few seconds Jacob was barely aware of his own breathing increasing.

“Love, look at me. Don’t close your eyes.” he instructed, his other free hand coming up to cradle her cheek. Upon contact her eyes fluttered open once more, but this time it didn’t leave him with any sense of relief. 

“Boss! Bart’s just up ahead!” A sudden shout from the front of the carriage alerted Jacob, a sudden pang of hope overpowering him.

“We’re almost there love, just stay with me!” the assassin announced as his anxious gaze never left her, the desperation in his voice stronger than before as he refused to believe she wouldn’t make it. There was still a chance, there was still hope. 

“I will… I’m, I’m always going to be with you, Jacob.” She responded, and despite the word’s intention to be comforting, he felt anything but as they instead produced a feeling of despair. She shouldn’t have to say those words, let alone have the thought of saying them. 

“Darling, I only want you here, with me, in the flesh.” Jacob persistently replied, not wanting to give in to the scenario that she was implying. How had it come to this? It felt like just seconds ago they were back up on the bridge, her in his arms, smiling, safe, in love. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Was this life’s idea of a sick joke? They should have been wrapped up in each other’s arm, but not like this. 

His hold on her subconsciously tightened as his throat grew tight. He had nowhere near enough time with her. That thought alone forced his eyes shut as his face contorted into a grimace. They couldn’t take her away yet, please, not yet, please, I’m begging you, don’t take her away, not yet.

She could barely keep her eyes open, her skin cool to the touch as she gave the fresh snow outside a run for its money with how white she had become. She was starting to go numb to the world, unsure if Jacob was still holding her or not. Somehow she was still aware enough to pick up on the feeling of something wet dropping onto her face, something warm. 

“If that’s what… you truly want…” she mumbled in response to Jacob’s request, unaware if her words could even be properly heard. All she knew was that the pain in her side started to grow dull, her vision growing hazy as the multitudes of colors and sounds started to become garbled together. 

Her body felt heavy, was someone picking her up? He was yelling her name, yet she was unable to respond back. Darkness had already begun to creep around the edges of her vision, the last sights of the world coming to her.

The night was so beautiful. Through the fog she could just barely make out the white blotches dancing down from the sky. She wished she could keep her eyelids open to watch them, but they were just so heavy.

 Everything had become a blur now, her eyelids finally closing as she could still hear the sound of his voice. He was still screaming at her, yet she was unable to decipher what he was saying. 

An odd sense of peace came over her. She could no longer fight the drowsiness that was insistent on winning her over.

Then darkness finally came, along with the ever-comforting sound of his voice.