Dying Lily & Wilted Rose

Once Again, Will The Thread Snap?

Yvonne was a ghost. A ghost no one except Penelope could see. Which meant it could get pretty awkward for her to be able to see the things Yvonne came up with when she got bored.

Things like what she was doing now, floating disturbingly close to Vinter Berdandi's face and whispering shit like:

"There's a tree working very hard to replenish the air you waste everyday. Go apologize to it."

"You have a single hair in the middle of your forehead. Pathetic."

"The Fitness Gram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that..."

"I'll make every waking moment of yours hell as soon as I get my body back."

Penelope didn't think Yvonne liked him. She wasn't doing any harm (unfortunately) so Penelope didn't bother her about it.

She turned her eyes away and settled them on Callisto, who mounted his horse. She squinted in disgust, "Are those white boots that you're wearing? Ever heard of grass stains?" She criticized.

"Don't judge what I wear," Callisto said haughtily, turning up his nose. "And aren't you supposed to be on patrol?"

"I'm an imperial wizard now, your excellency. So from now on I will be excluded from such activities," Penelope stopped swinging her legs at looked down at Callisto curiously. "Unless you don't want me here?"

"Who doesn't want you here?" The prince snapped faster than one could say murder. His red eyes pierced directly into hers. "Don't go anywhere."

"How could I ever disobey the crown prince?" Penelope let the sarcasm drip all over her voice.

"That guy is way too clingy," Yvonne suddenly popped up next to her and said in an irritated voice.

Penelope eyed her with amusement. Well, he isn't that different from you. Except that you're undoubtedly cuter.

"Also, when do you think the hag will strike again?" Penelope swung off the tree branch she was sitting on and dropped down next to him.

Callisto hummed. "Right now probably?" He said before riding off.

Penelope glided past the trees after him, followed shortly by Yvonne. And in that moment, it was like the both of them were ghosts, flying through the forest with smiles on their faces.

—

"This is completely your fault!" Penelope accused angrily as she put up a barrier of magic against the shower of arrows that rained down upon them.

"How is this my fault?!" Callisto gawked as he drew his sword.

"Because you jinxed it!" Penelope yelled back, growling as she turned back to the assassins. "How many do you think there are?" She hissed to Yvonne under her breath.

"Twenty, I think!" Yvonne answered. "The fastest way out of the forest should be–PENNY, WATCH OUT!" Yvonne suddenly screamed.

Penelope saw it from the corner of her eye just as Yvonne warned her. It was an object, about the size of Penelope's fist, flying through the air. It glowed, and just as it hit her barrier, it exploded, shattering the barrier and throwing Penelope and Callisto back before she tethered them down with her thorns.

Fuck! Penelope winced at the scorch mark the explosion left behind on her arm.

"Get back!" Callisto shouted as he fought off two assassins.