Candles and Broomsticks

The Color of Roses

It's a funny thing. You see I can't remember if I'm supposed to go towards the light or stay away from it. I could see it there. I stood and wavered. On one side I saw a woman with a bright smile. She held out her hand to me. Then slowly Taehyung appeared on the other side. He, too, held out his hand.

"Raven," The woman smiled. "You did good. Come rest. Aren't you tired?"

I didn't realise I was crying until that moment. I nodded. Taehyung moved towards me.

"I did a spell to be here." He laughed and shook his head, then I saw tears coming from his face. "I know you don't have any reason to love me anymore. I... I want you to know I didn't... I wasn't just with you because of the prophecy, Ray. I love you. I love you more than anything I have ever loved and it consumes as the days pass to the point where I cannot think of anything if you are not part of that future. Please, please... I can't lose you, Ray. Please, come home. I can't lose you..."

"Tae..." I whispered his name. He held out his hand. I turned back to look at the woman.

I looked back at him with tears in my eyes.

"I'm scared." I looked into his eyes.

"It's okay to be scared." He smiled and stepped forward, his hand still outstretched. "Take my hand. Whatever it is, we get through it together."

I turned back to the woman. Her soft smile still stayed put on her lips. I saw the peace she offered. I saw the things she could give me. There would be no shame in letting her take me to the place where I would finally be free to rest and let everything go. She could give me a life where... No, that's not what she was doing. She wasn't life.

I turned back to Taehyung. His eyes were wide and desperate. They were alive. They were desperately filled with vitality and passion. It was intoxicating and tasted warm on my tongue. I watched his chest rise and up down and his hand shake as he continued to hold it out.

"You're totally cliché you know." I frowned. He laughed through his tears. I reached out and took his hand.

...

I gasped for air as I opened my eyes. I looked all around me. I was in the school's infirmary. Taehyung and Sanderson were sitting by my side. I moved and groaned in pain. I put my hand over my stomach and let out a small whimper.

"How the school's resident clutz became High Witch is beyond me." Vickers laughed as he put medicine by my bed. 

"I think we're all asking that question." I murmured. "I'm not even confirmed."

"You will be." Taehyung took my hand. 

"Stars, Tae. Did I kill her?" I gripped the side of the bed. I had gotten so mad at him for the very thing that I had become. Was I any better than any of them?

"You won a duel, Ray." Taehyung stood up. "She challenged you. She stabbed you."

"If I killed someone-"

"She killed people. She tried to kill you. The difference is she didn't regret it and she did it over and over to get the power she wanted. You are better than her in so many ways, Ray. I believe that you are going to be exactly what the Coventry needs right now."

"What if I'm not?" I asked. "What if I can't be what they want me to be?"

"Then you'll have been better." Taehyung smiled. "I believe in you."

"You both make me sick." Sanderson growled. "I'm sorry we lied to you, Raven. I didn't want to risk you telling Winters about it all. It would be hard to convince you that the blood moon would bring back all the people we'd used. They all consented, Raven. Mind you they were sworn to secrecy. They all were willing to temporarily lend you their powers to help defeat Winters. All of them had deep personal interactions with Winters that led them to be so willing as to nearly give their lives to defeat her. They put their hope in you, Raven. So, yes, it's good to be a little scared of how you might fail people, but that's good. Let it motivate you to do better and to continually learn and grow and be the leader the people need. You were destined to shine and lead our people. You were made to do this, Raven. All you need to do is allow yourself to become everything you were meant to be. I won't accept anything less. You're better than all of this waffling. It's time to step up."