Picking Petals:

Chapter 23: To the Grave

  "I still dont get it, how could I be your creator? I died, I should be immortal like Raven or whatever she goes by," I said to the demon.

   "Look I will explain everything more in depth as soon as you learn how to heal yourself, now try again. Remember dont think about it to hard, its natural, its who you are remember that," The demon instructed.

   For the last half an hour I've been trying to heal myself, with little to no improvement. The most I got to was a faint buzzing sound that filled my ears, if that even meant anything. I closed my eyes laying my hand above my stomach, as I've seen many healers do. The demon insisted restoring his natural form would be easier. When he fades out of Gregory's body, I am to stab his demon form, right in the heart with a dagger coated in my blood. Seemed easy enough, if I could only heal myself and regain my strength. "Okay it's not working," I growled, only to regret it as the iron poisoned thorn dug deeper in my stomach. I was now drenched in sweat, bouncing between burning hot, to deathly freezing.

   "You dont look to well," Gregorys face looked over at me wearily.

   I scuffed, "Neither do you."

   "I assure you my true form is quiet handsome," the demon rolled his eyes.

   "Do you look like us? Like humans?"

   "of course," the demon gave me a hot glare, maybe that was a stupid question. "Although apparently you didn't deem it necessary for us to have our own gifts, as the Fae would protect us. Look how that turned out, maybe you'll learn you just cant trust people, especially family."

   "How are we even related, who were our parents?" The questions spilled out of me, their was just so much to still know.

   "You didn't have parents, you just existed if that makes sense. Now back to business, lets try this. Think how high the stakes are, if you die, if Raven is killed by Josephine there is no re birth. Valkri is good as dead, Fae might as well be extinct, humans too. If you dont survive, you will fail all of Valkri, and whatever future can be made of it, you will never reclaim your power."

   "You think I dont know all of this, who created the witches anyways?" I snarled.

   "That would be sweet vile Raven, I wouldn't say they are worse then the mermaids, when you conjured them to life the seas became unbearable," Gregorys hand waved almost as if the demon was remembering the exact moment.

   I eyed the demon wearily, "How old are you exactly?"

   "One of the oldest," he said. "Now close your eyes and focus, we have maybe five hours. You look like you aren't going to make the night."

   I nodded, trying to regain control, focus. My mind fluttered straight to Rone, if Josephine hurt him I would make her beg for mercy, even then I wouldn't give it to her. I was supposed to see Rone, I was supposed to make a decision, and I knew my heart was with him. Even if I had 24 hours left in this world, every bleeding part of my heart would be his. I loved him from my very first breath after all. "Whatever you're doing keep doing it, you're glowing," the demon whispered.

   With every senseless craving of love I bundled up, I could start to feel my body vibrate in place, the humming in my ears growing louder. My eyes flickered open and the demon wasnt lying, a faint golden glow coated my entire body, even my hair. Suddenly the bliss sensation was over too soon, replaced with a splintering pain that ripped through my upper stomach. The sharp thorn began to push its way out of my body. I was expecting more blood to flow out of the gaping hole in my body, but my skin began to stitch itself together slowly. Nothing about healing myself was easy, the pain was unbearable, and draining.