T'was Arranged

♆Demise♆

"Because death is just so full, and man so small.

I'm afraid of what's behind, and what's before." - After the Storm, Mumford and Sons

Dedicated to the Queen of Paranormal stories, AuRevoirSimone. You're writing is breathtaking and beautiful; you inspire me.

Demise

My father was gasping for breath and slowly bleeding to death, pinned to the marble floor with a sword sunk deep into his stomach when I found him. So I did what any other witch in my situation would do. I started chanting like hell.

Healing spells, restoration spells, regeneration spells; all of which didn't do a single thing to save my dying father.

Why isn't anything working?

"Daddy," I choked on sob as the last spell I knew should've been able to help didn't work. I glanced at the sword protruding from my father, wearily. The intricate designs on the hilt of the sword seemed to be incantations of some sort that I couldn't identify for the life of me, but they certainly caught my eye.

"Oh my God," I whispered, falling to my knees next to my dad's body. I placed a trembling hand over my mouth as the severity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks crushing my heart. Warm, salty tears streamed down my face in rapid currents.

My father's handsome face was pale white, paler than I'd ever seen it. His eyes were wide open, darting around as if they were looking for something when they finally landed on me. His mouth was moving, but his voice was inaudible. The thought of sending a message to my mother crossed my mind, but I knew it wouldn't reach her in time, let alone for her to get here from her business trip. I thought of my brother whom was at the neighboring kingdom, doing who knows what.

"Who did this?" I almost yelled in outrage, but my voice stayed quiet for fear of how it might affect him at the moment.

Immediately after asking, I focused all of my energy on the hilt of the sword and the air around me. A dark aura clung to the scene around me, and it was then that I knew exactly who attacked my father.

"Reid Rhys," I answered for him. "Oh my God. No, no, Daddy," I sobbed, my hands maneuvering around the hilt of the sword, wanting to pull the blade out but too afraid of the extra pain it'd cause. "What spell do I need to do? What spell?"

I was frantic for a way to save him, and I was shaking with fear for what might happen if I didn't find a way. He was losing so much blood. It was pooling around his body under his back and soaking into my jeans.

The sound of his voice made my heart skip a beat.

"N-no spell, Sage," my father's frail voice was finally able to vocalize. "Letum lamia. Malleus Maleficarum."

Witch death. The Hammer of Witches. The only weapon in the world that can officially kill a witch, that can get rid of our connection to the earth and keep us from coming back, and that can completely get rid of our essence.

I cried a loud when my suspicions of the hilt's inscriptions were confirmed. I refused to believe this was it, that he was just going ot die on the floor of his thrown room. That Reid had just killed him, just like that.

"No, Daddy. There has to be a way--."

"No. No..way," Father said sternly. "All...my...fault. I-I h-have..to..end this."

I could tell he was using a lot of his energy to speak to me. The sound of his voice that'd first excited me, had now made my heart hurt. He was suffering, and I couldn't stop it. I shook my head rapidly. My vision was blurring, so I quickly wiped the tears away. I had to be able to see my father's face. I needed to see his face.