Reset

Emma was about to complain to Regina when she turned and saw Archie suspended just off the ground, eyes wide and not moving. A red mist was swirling around his body and he looked like he was encased in some kind of clear jelly.

“What the hell..” Emma muttered as she stared at the sight.

Regina examined the situation and took a step closer to Archie and waved her hand and the jelly seemed to dissolve and then Archie fell forward towards Regina who held her hands up to steady the distressed man.

“Oh boy,” he said in a whisper as Regina held onto his arm to support him, “thank you, Regina.”

“What happened?” Regina asked him as she looked at him with concern as he leaned forward and fought to get his breath back. She looked up at David, “can you get him some water?”

David nodded and quickly left the office and Archie wiped at the tears in his eyes which had formed while he fought for breath, “it was Sidney,” he said.

“Why would Sidney attack you?” Emma asked as she stood on the other side of Archie.

“He thought it was me,” Regina said stiffly, “he doesn’t know that I’m no longer Mayor.”

David returned with a glass of water and handed it to Archie who took it gratefully and drank half of it in one go, “he certainly looked surprised to see me,” he almost laughed.

“He burst through the doors and I was stood there,” Archie pointed to the side of the office, “he threw some.. red dust at my face.. and then he seemed to realise it was me and he.. he used magic and threw me over here. And then he lifted me up and froze me in place.”

“Red dust?” Regina frowned and walked over to where Archie had pointed and noticed some dust on the floor.

Just as she bent down to look at it Gold burst into the room, “don’t touch it!”

Regina paused mid-motion and looked up at him in surprise, “what is it?”

“If I’m right then Sidney has managed to recreate a very old spell,” Gold plucked a handkerchief out of his trouser pocket and bent down beside Regina and looked at the dust, “stand back, Dearie,” he told her.

Regina stood up and took a couple of steps backwards with a frown.

“Miss Swan,” Gold called her over and handed her the handkerchief, “gently pick up some of the dust with this and look at it and tell me if you can see anything specific about it.”

Emma picked up some of the dust particles and looked at it with a frown, “the dust is.. kinda moving.. the particles are spinning around.. actually,” she squinted, “the look like tiny triangles.”

Gold nodded and stood up, “Sidney has a way to temporarily contain magic,” he looked at Regina, “if you or I were to come into contact with this dust our magic would be useless for a period of time.”

Regina took a tentative step away from Emma and the dust, “so he can make us powerless?”

“In effect, yes,” Gold said, “you can’t rely on your magic, Regina.”

David had helped Archie to a chair but he was still struggling to catch his breath, “Archie I think we should get you to the hospital,” David said.

Regina turned around and regarded the two men, “I might as well do some good before I’m defenceless,” she said and waved her hand over Archie to heal him.

Gold turned to Emma and said, “keep the handkerchief, Sheriff,” as he left the office. Emma carefully wrapped the handkerchief up and stuffed it into her jeans pocket.

Archie was now taking deep, cleansing breaths and smiled up at Regina, “thank you.”

“It’s the least I could do,” she looked down at him guiltily, “if it wasn’t for me this wouldn’t have happened to you.”

Archie dismissed the thought we a wave of the hand as he stood up, “rather me than you,” he said with a smile.

David looked at Emma, “you should probably get Regina back home and keep an eye on her,” Regina glared at David and he added, “no offence.”

“Yeah, I could do with some socks,” Emma said with a pointed look to Regina, “if you don’t mind poofing us back?”

Chapter 91

Emma and Regina appeared in the hallway and silently regarding one another. The attack on Archie had been unexpected and a wake-up call to Sidney’s state of mind, the inclusion of the red dust was worrying for both of them.

“I’m going to.. finish getting dressed,” Emma said with an indication to the stairs.

Regina simply nodded and turned towards the living room.

Emma hesitated for a moment but decided the brunette needed time alone so she walked up the stairs in search of some desperately needed socks. Storybrooke was not the place nor the temperature to be wandering around without socks.

She opened her bedroom door and walks in and immediately knew someone was there with her, she spun around and behind the door stood Sidney. She tried to speak but with a raise of his hand he rendered her mute and found that no matter how hard she screamed at him no words came out.

He chuckled as he pouted at her, “problem, Sheriff?”