Poison Princess

Arthur begins to rise, lumbering to his feet. This is . . . Surprising. I'd heard him drinking something downstairs, but I didn't figure he could counteract my poison. When he stands, I realize his torso is healing with a speed matching my own regeneration. "You will pay for that Evie." he sneers and then smiles, a plan obviously forming in his mind. With a grunt he grabs the large mahogany table from the floor and hurls it towards me. I dodge it with a speed I didn't know I had. I am still discovering some of the Red Witch's powers. My powers. "That was mahogany!" I shriek mocking him, luring him into my trap.

I summon vines from the army of plants that await my call outside. I will make him pay for being the one who will change me, who made me embrace the side of myself I have keep under the surface for so long. Green vines descend upon Arthur, wrapping around his body until he looks like a pig in a blanket. He struggles and I know he will soon be free.

His muscles bulging, he lets out a bellow that will sound for miles, and my beautiful vines are torn apart. Knowing what will come next I take control of the oak tree outside and it falls in front of me, taking out most of his side of the house with its thick trunk and many boughs. It was an old tree. From the corner of my eye I can see a blur of movement and then I feel a stabbing pain in my thigh. As I watch Arthur emerge from the leaves of the downed oak I collapse and let out a scream from the pain of the dagger that protrudes from my leg. I hear Jackson's voice in the distance. "Evangeline!"

No! Not him, please let this be my imagination. I don't want to see him again after watching him kiss Selena. Arthur takes advantage of my distraction and materializes in front of me. Before I can react he has a hand around my throat, lifting me into the air, my back pushing against the papered wall behind me. I try to kick him but the pain in my leg is too much. "Evie, where the hell are you!" Why is there so much angst in his voice I thought he was done with me? In front of me I can see Arthur grin but it's becoming harder. "Well. Well. Well, is that the boy who broke your heart I hear calling for you." He cackles maliciously. "I can't wait for him to get here and see your mangled body lying on my floor." I can feel him pressing another dagger into my stomach and I let out a wail at the feeling of it easily slicing through major organs. As my vision wavers from the pain of the daggers inside my small body and lack of oxygen I hear loud gunshots and feel the pressure on my throat lessen considerably. I gasp, trying to get as much air into my lungs as I can. I begin to push Arthur away but he isn't there, he's on the floor. Dead.

I hear Jack again "Evie! Damn it! What's with the tree? " But closer this time, much closer. I press a hand to my stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding and fall to my knees, then to my back. "Evie!?" I can hear him but I'm to weak to lift my head to find him. I feel strong hands remove mine and take their place, pressing down on my torso, and then Jackson's face comes into my line of vision. "How do you get yourself into these messes girl? Why did you leave?" He knows why. And yet he still asks. This day had not gone according to my plan. Leave Jackson so I could get to my grandma in North Carolina; maybe kill that creep Arthur along the way. "I'm going to die aren't I Jack?" he gives me a stern look. "No. Never ma belle. I'm not going to let you take the easy way out." I crack a smile at this, it may be my last but I don't mind wasting it on him. The easy way out sounds nice. No more bagmen, lack of rain, crazy armies or cannibal miners. I can feel my life trickling out of my body with my blood. "Why am I so cold Jackson? Is that all death is? Cold sleep?" I am so tired and my eyelids are trying to close, I am so near the end, and I want to go to that cold sleep now but not until I tell Jack how I feel. "Jackson, there's something I need to tell you, but I don't have a lot of time." "I . . . I love" I cough; my lungs are filling with blood. "You" He finishes his bayou accent thick with emotion. I feel tears welling up in my eyes and can see the same happening to him.

And

Then

The

World

Goes

Black

And

He's

Gone.