Ruined || n.h.

Chapter 13: Targets

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~previously~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Such a shame. You're dying. You did serve me well." He sighed. "You know, Daffy," he whispered close to her face as she closed her eyes. "I think I like you."

Syrus bit her and put her into a semi-preserved state so that she would not die until the transformation could be completed. Then he grabbed her body and cloaking them both with invisibility he left the prisons and disappeared into the night.

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After Niall surged into the castle things were completed much more accurately and successfully than they usually may have due solely to the harshness of Niall's rage.

Meanwhile Mae was sleeping.

If you could call it that.

It was a nightmare.

Both metaphorically speaking and literally.

As she dreamed it seemed all too real and she screamed. She did not know it but her body was thrashing back and forth in her bed. She tangling herself so tightly with her own bed sheets and blankets that it was constricting her, only making the nightmare worse.

She sweat heavily but her body was cold and clammy to the touch. Her eyelids were shut way to tightly and yet unmistakable tears found there way out and roamed down her face.

She was not screaming but it was obvious that if she was awake she would have been. But she was not awake so instead of screaming like she would have she was hyperventilating and gasping with the strength of a sharp cough, and was squeaking and whimpering in low mumbles and groans.

No one came to her aid. Mostly because, they were not aware of her current state. A strong magic was masking Mae's nightmare from anyone who could be of any help and it was controlled by a young figure with pale icy eyes and short hair who laughed as they watched safe and hidden far away.

Although an image of this silhouette flashed through Mae's dream, Mae was not aware of their presence foreseeing these events. The only other person aware of what was taking place in Mae's bedroom was currently engaged in other business.

While she was dreaming it was as though she was living in reality and she felt-heard-saw- everything as though it was. But then, when she woke up she could only remember bits and fragments of what had just taken place. And all she knew was that something terrible had occurred in that dream.

But what? Mae was not sure and that scared her more than anything.

She did not even bother trying to fall back asleep. She just laid there in bed, hands folded neatly over her stomach, listening to her pounding heart while she thought about the dream. And eventually, without realizing it, she feel back asleep.

She dreamed again. But this time it was not nearly as scary. It was still creepy, but not nearly as terrifying as the previous one. And she actually remembered this one when she woke up too.

Mae sat up in her bed suddenly. Something was amiss and it had awoken her. She shivered. Wait, she shivered? Why was she shivering? She had her blankets on.

Mae looked around the room for some sort if explanation and found one. The window was open. How odd. She thought that she had closed it. Oh well. It was no big deal, she would just get up, close it, and go back to sleep. And that's just what she did.

But it was still cold. She was still shivering.

Mae turned around and was suddenly paralyzed by fear. She would have screamed, but she was too scared to do so. In front of her, standing in the middle of the room was an all too familiar face.

"Daffodil?" Mae whimpered.

Daffodil bowed. "My Queen."

"B-But how! You're in the dungeon!"

"I'm afraid not, my Queen," Daffodil said sadly.

That was when Mae realized that Daffodil was different. And in more ways then one.

First of all, although she still had the same voice, it carried a very different tone; it had a much more polite and kind one. Then, second, and most obviously, Daffodil was pale- like creepy ghost pale and it was startlingly hard to avoid noticing. Third, she looked the same, but she seemed much younger and more nymph-like. And fourth, Daffodil was clearly energy deprived and terribly utterly sad.

Seeing Daffodil now made it clear to Mae that when they had first met, it was not the real Daffodil that Mae had met. But the oppressed, depressed that stood before her was once anything but what she was now and upon realizing that, Mae was no longer afraid.

Instead, Mae was now curious. What had happened to this poor creature? Who was she really? And who, or what, impersonator that Mae had met in person? But she did not know which question to ask, so she said nothing and just walked up close to Daffodil.

"My name is Daffodil. And I'm a nymph- was a nymph," she declared sadly.

"Was?" Mae asked. She reached over to offer some sense of comfort but her hand passed right through. She gasped and pulled her hand back slowly. Daffodil just stared at her shoulder where Mae's hand had passed through.

"I was possessed and my soul was killed as an end result. My body was stolen from. I committed horrid crimes and my hands became stained with the blood of others."

"I-I'm so sorry!" Mae told her.

Daffodil blinked and returned her gaze back to Mae. "Me too," she said in a dead tone.

"What happened?" Mae asked.

Daffodil suddenly became very nervous. Her voice hitched as she spoke.

"I cannot tell you his name." Daffodil swallowed hardly. "But I can warn you of him and that is why I am here."

"Warn me? Go to Niall or Liam and warn them. They're the ones with the power to do anything."

"No." Daffodil refused loudly. She shook her head fiercely. "No. I am sorry-"

"No, it's fine!" Mae insisted sincerely, trying to calm the nymph down. "But why me? I can't to do anything?"

"Because he is after you, my queen. Telling the King or the General would do no good

when time is of the essence and I do not know when He shall strike. It was urgent news that shall affect you, and so, it was to you I came first. That and-" daffodil took a breath. "-I had a debt to repay. I am so sorry, my queen." Her voice trembled as she said 'sorry'.

Mae knew exactly what Daffodil was referring to. Daffodil was referring to when she had attacked Mae and cause her injury back at the main headquarters.

"Am I forgiven?" Daffodil asked. Tears were in her eyes.

"Of course you are." Mae said kindly. "But you never said what you were warning me of."

The nymph let out a long overdue breath of relief. "I cannot tell you his name. But he is dangerous, as is his family. They cannot strike directly but they can and will use others, as they used me, to get what they want."

"And what do they want?"

"You."

Mae shivered.

"Why?"

"They- this family that I speak of- they are powerful, unimaginably so, and they crave anything that will make even more powerful. You have power and power makes you a target."

"How?"

"You are human and you are free in a world now overtaken by non-human creatures. Being human makes you powerful. Being powerful makes you a target."

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Dedicated to @niallhoransgirl93 because a friend of mine told me that she specifically, really loved this story and that made my day!

And I don't know about you, but I love how I ended this chapter with what Daffodil said. What do you think about it?

~Ari