The God & The Shadow

Chapter 50

PERSEPHONE

The goddess slowly shook her head. "He deserves this."

"Indeed, he does." He concurred, internally surprising her with his answer. "But your well-being is much more important than his punishment."

As if he had lifted them up, her bloodied wrists came into view. Her hands were now bathed in blood, some of it still dripping on the ground. It didn't hurt as much as it did earlier, but she guessed that it was from the adrenaline of using her powers.

"I can't heal." Persephone quietly admitted.

She heard him chuckle behind her. "That is no problem when I have the power to. The question is, are you willing to bargain?"  Persephone turned, unable to contain her curiosity of his identity. But when she did, she was met with the darkness.

The man chuckled once more from behind. She turned, and all she saw was the body against the wall. Finally realizing what she'd done, she gasped and approached the mortal.

With all of the power exuding from her, she called back to it, willing it to return to her. The withered roots soon started retracting from the man, turning to dust taken away by the wind when it did.

The mortal slumped on the ground and Persephone rushed to him, perusing his bloody body.

She heard the ghost sigh next to her. "Pity. The mortal received an earlier fate than what was written."

"Be quiet." Persephone ordered and scrambled to heal him even though she knew she couldn't. Her powers were unpredictable, maybe they'd do something different this time?

Her hands hovered over the large puncture wound over his stomach. She knew an injury like it could prove fatal to any mortal and he could very well die from the numerous wounds in his body, but this one too big could speed up the process.

She sent up a quiet prayer to the gods and closed her eyes to concentrate. It had to work, she thought. If Demeter could heal herself, she probably inherited it from her. If her mother had the ability to heal, it was impossible for her to not learn such a thing as well.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes. Slowly, she looked down at the wound.

It was still there and it bled even more, if it were possible.

Frustrated, she stood and wiped off the sweat on her forehead. She looked at the mortal's body again and watched as his chest slowly fall and rise, readying herself for when it would soon stop its continuous pattern.

"My offer still stands." He whispered again, sending up chills through her spine.

"What offer?" Persephone whispered back. At this point, she was turning desperate and if there was the smallest chance of bringing the mortal back, she'd take it.

She was a god that was supposed to create life, not destroy it.

He felt his fingers on her hair, stroking them like a lover intent on memorizing every inch of her. "You and the mortal will be taken care of. I can heal the both of you."

"And? What do you want in return?"

"I'll come to collect one day, when I deem it best for your end of the bargain."