Moon Flowers (Book 1 of the Flower Trilogy) #Wattys2016 #Featured

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE - HALIA (Edited)

HALIA'S POV

The woman was going to kill Phi! I watched the scene in horror. I pushed my way through the crowd, shoving aside the creatures that stood there watching, like statues.

"Let me through!" I shouted. But I was so far away.

I stopped my run short when Phi, with eyes redder than I had ever seen, lifted her hand and beckoned for the woman to stop.

"You can't kill me," she said plainly. "If you kill me, the evil that is inside of me will go to you."

Moisa's face still read anger and pain, but she knew Phi was right.

The green fairies approached. "We've all lost people we care about today," they said tentatively. "We lost our king, our husbands, our friends." They took the dagger from Moisa's hand and let it drop on the ground near her son. "Let's not lose any more."

I glanced at Phi. Her face was smeared with tears, although she appeared calm. Too calm. The calm before a storm.

"I lost my happiness," she muttered. "And I will never get it back." She then lifted her head and addressed Moisa and the crowd. "It is true that the shadow of death was following us when we came to this land, but it was without our knowledge or intention. We came to this land with the hope for a better future, one where we would be reunited with nature, our Mother. We are people that came from far away and we want no more war. We have met you and want peace; we have met you and fell in love—if I have only one wish left is that once I am gone, my people will be well cared for."

She went silent for a moment, to observe the amassing crowd before her. A few applauded in agreement. I heard a few goblins murmur that she was King Siegfried's true daughter.

"It's a promise you people are making," Phi said. "And your promise is sealed."

She rose her hand and sigils appeared on her body. The markings crawled down her arms, her back, and extended in the air to reach the people's palms. Everyone who had nodded or applauded, who had also wished for peace. It was a powerful spell.

Phi reached for the dagger that lay on the pale yellow grass near her foot. She kneeled.

My heart raced. "Phi!" I screamed. "Please Phi, don't do this!"

Her eyes met mine. I felt the connection to her thought. She had to, she was telling me. She wanted peace for her people, but also herself. And that was the only way she felt she could get it. She was sorry.

"Please!" I told the others while frantically trying to get to her in time. "Don't let her do it!"

The Tisannieres and Moisa, the people closest to her, were too slow to respond. Already, Phi had jabbed the short knife into her abdomen and drew it from left to right. She didn't even hesitate.

She fell with her face resting on Feyn's chest. A gloomy embrace.

I arrived at her side. My eyes were so full of tears I could not see well. I only could distinguish her shape and the warm red liquid pouring out of her wound.

The blood stained my white dress. The dress Nixie had given me. In honour of my nymphic ways. I didn't care about my honour anymore. I wiped up my cheeks wet with tears, smearing my face even more with blood.

I screamed. I only kept screaming. It hurt so much I, too, thought I would die. Right there and then. No need for a knife. Only the pain.

Aras and the Tisannieres took me away. They said nothing. There was nothing to say. Nothing could have made me feel better.