the sweetly scented killer

sinner

flora

I walk to my mother's study with freshly bloomed flowers. It is our day for bonding. The day before my creation date.

I absolutely adore the time I get to spend with my mother. She is a very busy woman, and rarely has time to spend together, so I appreciate every second of it.

Instead of going on my morning stroll through the gardens, I spent the time crafting the perfect bouquet of flowers to present to my mother. I hope she is proud of me, for the sammy flower. It is quite beautiful, if I do say so myself, but then again, I am a bit biased.

I smooth out my dress, and make sure my hair is perfect before walking into the study.

"Good morning, mother," I smile.

"Flora," she says, neglecting to look up at me. I don't let my smile fall.

"I—I've brought you some flowers." I hold them out to her, and she looks up with a frown.

"I don't need more flowers, Flora. I've got a vase of them at my bedside. It's already enough."

"Oh. Well maybe you could put these in here for—"

"Flora."

"My apologies, mother." I sit on the other side of the desk and set the vase at my feet. I pick a sammy flower out of the bunch. "Perhaps you would like to see a flower I made just yesterday?"

She sighs and looks up. I show her the flower with a hopeful smile resting on my face. She looks down again once she's seen it. "That's nice, Flora. Shouldn't you be helping your sister with the humans?"

"Today is our bonding day, mother," I remind her.

"That's right, I seem to have forgotten. I'm afraid I'm unable to 'bond' today, Flora, I have too many tasks at hand." My face falls.

"But—"

"I cannot accompany you today, Flora. You may take this day off, but I am unable to spend it with you." I pause before gathering a smile on my face once more.

"I understand, mother." I pick up the bouquet I so carefully put together and go back to the room I share with my twin.

I set it on my dresser with the other bouquet that my eldest sister Astrea rejected. I smile, thinking about her. She is probably the most beautiful out of all of us. My second oldest sister Dina is the smartest. Hariel, the second born boy is the more logical. The triplets, Charmeine, Evangeline, and Darlene, are the most distant. They're closest in age to Fauna and myself, but I think that they don't like us very much. Or, at least, they don't like me.

It saddens me greatly, but I adore the time I spend with them.

I sit in my room, sewing a dress of mine that I accidentally ripped a hole in. I was in my beautiful gardens, and a thorne startled me when I ran into it. I jumped away, tripping over a rock, and I fell onto my stomach. A branch hitched it, ripping a hole in the dress and splitting the branch in two. I healed the branch, and I laughed at myself a little while looking at the hole at the very bottom of the skirt.

I jump at a knock on the door. I set my materials down, and open the door. "Samuel," I grin.

"Good afternoon, Flora. How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. What brings you here?"

"I was passing by on my way home, and I thought I would come see you. Care to take a walk with me?"

"Of course." We walk through the gardens together, chatting lightly. During a comfortable break in conversation, Samuel pauses in front of the oleander.

"What kind of flower is this?" he asks, reaching out to touch it. I use my gift to clear the plant from his path. He looks at me curiously.

"That is a nerium oleander flower. It is poisonous to the touch."

"Poisonous?" I nod. "Why do you keep it?"

"Well, even predators deserve a place in the ecosystem. They create balance, and that is exactly what this beauty is representing." I tilt my head and smile at it. When my eyes lift back to Samuel's face, his full lips capture my attention.

He takes my face in his hand, and combines our lips to form a savory kiss. He makes it last by placing his large hands gently on my waist. I stand on my toes to reach him better.

"Flora!" a shriek catches my attention. I jump and pull out of the kiss. I turn to find my dear sister.

"Fauna—"

"You sinner!" I do not have the slightest idea what she is talking about. It is only a sin for a woman to lose her innocence before she is assigned her mate—suddenly I exit the realm of my fuzzy brain from my first kiss.

"Fauna, I'm so sorry!" I run to her. She turns away from me. "Fauna!" I take her hand. She snatches it away.

"I trusted you, Flora! And you kiss the boy I love!"

"I am so sorry, Fauna," I shake my head, tears forming in my eyes. "I never meant to hurt you!"

"Well you have." She heads inside with a slam of the door. I face it in shock, tears running down my cheeks.

"Flora," Samuel touches my shoulder. "I am so sorry. I had no idea."

I turn to face him. "It is not at all your fault, Samuel. I made a horrid choice, hurting my dear sister." He wipes the tears from my face.

"Well tomorrow, we will be mated, and we can be together freely."

"We do not know that we will be mated, Samuel. And if we were, all it would do is hurt my dear sister." I bow my head in shame.

"Would you like a hug, Flora?"

"You are very kind, Samuel," I smile at him. "But I must make things right with my sister."

"Of course." He lifts my hand, and bows to kiss it. I give him one last smile before running inside to find Fauna.

I find her with our mother through the cracked door to her study. She sobs into her arms. Guilt turns my stomach while I push the door open.

"Get out!" Fauna cries.

"I am so very sorry, dear sister," I say quietly, tears sticking to my cheeks once more. "I never meant to hurt you in any way. I should have respected you, and that is the biggest mistake I have made. Please forgive me." Father walks in behind me.

"What is the matter?" he asks, walking over to Fauna and mother.

"Flora coveted the boy I am in love with, and I found her kissing him in her gardens. Behind my back!" Fauna shouts.

"Flora, is this true?" father frowns at me. I look at all of them as they glare back at me. I lower my head and cry silently.

"It is true, father." I look at him again. "But I never meant to hurt her. You must believe me, I had no malicious intent!"

"To covet is a sin, Flora," father says calmly.

"And you must be punished for it," mother adds. I start to cry again when I lower my head.

"I understand."

"Karma, your father and I will decide your punishment," mother continues. "Malaki," she calls. He appears next to her. "Please take Flora to the underworld."

"Wait," I frown. "Mother—"

"Are you sure you would like me to escort Lady Flora to the underworld?"

"Yes. Retrieve her when it is time for her mating."

"As you wish, my lady."

"Mother, no!" I cry. "Please do not make me go to that horrid place!"

"It is where sinners belong, Flora," Fauna says.

"Father!" I scream, my vision clouded by my tears. He looks away from me.