Of Fire and Waves

Chapter 10: The Choices We Make

"This is fun!" She exclaimed. I clocked her across the nose. Dark blue blood poured out onto the ground. She fell, one hand clamped over the waterfall that is was her nose. I stood before her. Crouching, I gently placed my hand on one of her tentacles. Then I set it on fire. She screeched, trying to get away from my scalding hands. I grabbed 2 other tentacles and burned them too.
I dragged her to her feet by her throat. "You killed her."
"Of course I did! The Rose Company offered my land, money, power. And you know what? I enjoyed it! The deal however has changed. They want me to either kill you; or I can bring you to them!" She laughed in my face.
My hand began to heat up. She clawed at my burning hand, choked laughs shaking her.
I heard wings behind me. Griffin touched down and screamed, lunging toward Volt, who was just starting to regain consciousness. She helped Volt up, pulling her wife's arm around her shoulders.
"She's going to kill her." Volt croaked.
Griffin's head snapped toward me. "Day no! You can't kill her! It's not what she would have wanted." She means Night of course. But I'm not Night. I am the fire breather, the sun goddess, Daytime's warrior, the successor of Night. "Felicity please! Don't do this!" I heard sirens in the distance. "Felicity please! They'll take her to a secure facility, you'll never see her again!" I have to kill her. She'll escape and kill someone else if I don't. Smoke rose from her throat. The smell of burning flesh wafted into the air. "Day please! That's not what a hero would do, what Night would do! Please, just let her live!"
"A hero is supposed to help people, not kill them! Heroes save people's lives and have mercy and are forgiving of people's mistakes! Let her live please Felicity!" Volt croaked at me.
Nessie's struggles weakened. She gasped, pulling at my fingers and hands. I spoke, my voice booming and backed by fire. "I am not Night. I cannot let her live because she will breakout and kill someone else. There is no other option than death."
"No!" Someone yelled.
"Let there be light" I set my hand on fire and slid it onto the gills on her throat. My left hand touched the gills on her ribs, and burned them until they were a dripping blob of flesh. I repeated the process on every set of gills she had. I dropped her smoking, unconscious body to the ground and walked away. My hands shook. I don't understand, I had did the right thing, what I needed to do, why am I shaking? Griffin looked at me with horror written in her eyes.
"She will never be able to breathe underwater again," I said. "Her lungs are human, the gills are the only thing that allowed her to breathe in the sea." I took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry." I rasped, tearing up. I realized that my friends reaction was going to be much scarier than destroying everything that woman was.
Volt reached out and touched my soot smeared cheek. She tilted my head to look at her. "I understand. And I forgive you." She whispered.
I burst into tears. She pulled her arm off Griffin's shoulder and embraced me. Griffin did the same.
After the cry fest was over, they stepped away.
"Thank you." Griffin said, relieved. Volt stood, and pulled her arm of Griffin's shoulder.
"You did what you had to do without killing her. Holly would be proud." She said.
Griffin smiled, "the police and the science facility where she'll be held are on their way."
I nodded. "fantastic."
I smiled and collapsed. Griffin lunged forward, catching me by my shoulders and slinging my arm over her own shoulders. My head lolled to my chest and the fires that burned in my eyes and bones faded and went out.