Bloom

28: The Other Scary Goddess

Five petals. Five deaths. Blue with a sun-shaped centre.

Scorpion grasses. Which are also known as forget-me-nots.

Boraginaceae is the family.

Tulip stares out at the deep black abyss. They know a few steps to their left is the mortar with medicine, and five steps behind lies the book collecting dust. They regret not telling Pepper they have finished the book, memorized the flowers. When will they return? What if they got caught? The barriers gleam, ripple, but Tulip hasn't heard a pitter-patter, a giggle, a jingle of a tea plate. They want to know. They ache to understand that Pepper might've come face to face with one of the most powerful entities in all of time.

The image of Death renders a blur. Life also remains as nothing but unfamiliarity. What was it Pepper told me before?

"My mother, the goddess you met before, named me that because she found me in a bed of peppermint leaves."

Their eyes get wide. That's right. From what it sounds like to Tulip, Pepper was an orphan. Mortelline found them and scooped them up, then took them back to her mansion. Tended to them like a mother. Where did they originally come from, though?

All of a sudden, there is a knock on the large door. Loud enough to vibrate the space around Tulip. The barriers fade. The door opens. They know who that is, despite the lack of heels to indicate it.

"This is one of the troublemakers," Mortelline's voice booms in the room.

"Oh, you've captured more?" An unfamiliar voice rings.

"No, unfortunately. Just the one."

Tulip looks up and is met with the eyes of terror. Mortelline stands tall, and beside her is another tall goddess. They can feel the flowers on their back shudder. Pain starts to throb.

Both goddesses are wearing elegant attire. Mortelline wears a wine red dress and has her hair up in a bun, while the other goddess is adorned in a yellow, jewelled frilly dress. Her hair is the same colour as Mortelline's, except it runs down her back in a single braid. Tulip's eyes are locked onto the shimmer of the other goddesses' dress, almost enthralled, bewitched. It's a sight they want to look away from yet their body refuses to move.

"Prisoner," Mortelline's voice brings their focus to her, "this is Stellalume, one of the more beautiful goddesses of death."

"Oh, please, you," Stellalume waves a hand in a flustered manner.

Mortelline chuckles, then gestures beside her. "And this is her son, Dante."

Tulip's eyes sore from a singular blink. They're confused from the last part, their eyes warily searching between the two. Then suddenly, a figure appears. A shorter deity peers around the other tall goddess. Dante. His hair is a caramel orange. He's wearing an orange toga. A hand is behind his back. Something about the orange-clothed deity brings upon a stifled feeling in Tulip's chest. Stellalume approaches them with her gloved hands behind her back. The stride she makes mimics Mortelline's movements, only slower.

"My, my," her voice comes out of a commanding expression. "So well behaved. How long, Mortelline?"

Tulip watches as she paces around them.

"Oh, quite a while," Mortelline huffs. "You will not believe the amount of work this pest has been, from capture all the way to now."

Stellalume stops at their back. "Is it due to the flowers here?"

Mortelline waves a hand. "Oh, goodness no! That was all my doing. It's a rather interesting curse."

"Really?" She looks up. "Do tell me more. You know how I love to hear about the different spells casted."

Both goddesses leave the room momentarily as they chit-chat away, leaving just Tulip and Dante. Tulip meets his eyes. They feel an instinct to run away, but the pain holds them down. Dante takes a step closer. His hands remain behind his back. Tulip knows. Knows just from that gesture that something is wrong. Suddenly, Dante lunges at them.

Up against Tulip's throat is a sharp dagger. If they swallowed, their neck would touch the blade. His eyebrows are so furrowed it looks like his eyes are pure black.

"Hello again, traitor."