As I peer over Persephone’s shoulder, I see nothing but fear in the eyes of a monster so worn and wicked that I can’t help the powerful feeling consuming my body. Although I am fully aware of Persephone’s inability to see Ivory, I know she feels her presence. She knows she’s here. As I reveal myself out from behind the Warlock that spent my entire existence protecting me, I notice Ivory’s stance: weak, feeble, and withered. She stares into my eyes, as if she were making an embarrassing attempt at causing me the same fear that she was experiencing, I take note of the Banshee’s eyes. Her eyes dart back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. She bounces from my eyes, to my necklace. The necklace my brother gifted me only a day before he was killed. I can’t believe I am getting used to saying “killed.” For so long his death was a mystery, and now I know it wasn’t. The necklace that seems to be constantly catching Ivory’s eyes, is a full moon pendant, with a picture of Hunter inside. I never questioned why Hunter gave me a picture of him the day before he died: it makes me wonder if he knew. I make my way towards the ice cold being that my brother once called “lover.” As I advance in her direction, Ivory begins to raise her hands and cover her face as if I wielded enough power to bring her down for good. I don’t. But it would be nice.
I stand still in front of her. She begins to lower her white hands and speak to me. “Be careful what you do here, Lyra. We all know your bloodline is prone to making mistakes against me.” She whispers. As she speaks, I can feel the cool air brushing past my face, and I can smell death lifting off of her. She dares to speak about my brother, the one she murdered in cold blood for simply choosing the right side.
“Ivory, you can do whatever you want to me. But you will never let my brother's name leave those fowl lips again.” I warned her.
Before I knew it, Ivory had lunged towards me, opening her mouth and letting out a mind bending screech so loud that all of the Fae World was quickly made aware of the goings on in Warlock County. I was thrown aback against Persephone, who was scrambling to cast a spell on the Banshee. Unable to find one fast enough, Persephone began to run into the forest, where Ivory soon followed, passing over me. I muster up all of my existing courage and strength to follow them into the dark, howling forest that seemed to have been moving. Persephone soon finds a clearing in the warm woods, and begins to use her magic to stop Ivory, but is faced with no luck.
“What are we going to do, Seph?” I cry as Ivory starts towards me. She begins to screech at me once again, this time louder. I know there is a curse on me, yet I don’t know what it is. Can it possibly help me? Can I defeat Ivory?
As she screams, spitting violently into my face while doing so, I start to feel a fire creep up inside of me. I can feel everything in my body, every emotion, every bit of anger and the slightest bit of fear. But the fear dissipates, and I start to get stronger.
I can feel the fire light every part of my thoughts, and I can also feel my necklace crack open. A picture of sweet Hunter is presented to Ivory. As she faces me, she takes quick notice of his picture, and begins to stand back up on the ground. Her white, lifeless eyes start to tear up. This is when I realize that even the most evil of beings can still feel some kind of emotion towards another person. And although it was done horrifically, a part of me is happy that somebody loved my brother enough to do anything to get him back before he died. She is vulnerable. I can finally end this. Except I can’t. I have no way to hurt her, or end her.
“Lyra! The curse! Let it take over, awaken the anger and pain, you don’t need to be 18, you can do this now.” Screamed Persephone, on the ground, quivering away from Ivory. What is she talking about? Can I really do this?
I let the anger in, just like Seph told me to do. I’m scared. I look up to Ivory, standing my ground, and before I can blink, I can feel my eyes turn cold, and the fear, memories, and connections slowly fade away. I don’t miss Hunter, I’m not scared of Ivory, and I am not worried for Persephone, who is laying on the ground, face in the dirt, hanging on by a thread. I feel my eyes go cold, I feel my heart turn to stone. I let out a halting scream, and Ivory slowly falls out of the sky, onto the ground next to Persephone. I did it. I killed her. As I watch her lifeless body lay on the soil, I feel nothing. I did it. I saved us, but at what cost?
Comments