Rot & Romance (Rewriting)

Chapter 49

"How c-could you?" Lainey exclaimed. "How could you be this immune to compassion for the innocent? Especially as a so-called 'Guardian of Nature'? Do you feel no guilt?"

"I'm no guardian of a deity that has forsaken me," Ursula heartlessly said. "And, no, I don't feel any guilt. I don't feel anything but indignation. Despair. Apathy. It's been this way for what seems an eternity. And as you'd imagine, an eternity of scorn, hopelessness and indifference—it changes you. I'd even go as far as to say you may grow an immunity to compassion. Now give me your hand."

"I-I don't want to," Lainey said.

"Then you'll be forcing me to take what I need by force."

"You promised not to hurt me."

"I wouldn't have to touch you—or have you forgotten about the living room full of dead walkers?" Ursula looked at the room door and it flew open. "All I have to do is free them from the stasis spell they are currently under, and put out the sage. I assure you, you'll be begging for death as they devour you alive—"

"O-Okay!" Lainey choked out. "Y-You don't . . . have to do that."

"Give me your hand," Ursula demanded.

Lainey slowly reached her arm over the table. Ursula placed a small cup underneath Lainey's wrist.

"This will only hurt for a bit," Ursula assured, placing the cold blade against Lainey's skin.

"Just get it over with," Lainey said quietly.

Ursula stared at Lainey.

"As a descendant of the Dark Sorcerer, your blood has value," she said.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Lainey slowly said.

"Haven't you wondered why Nature created a new breed of witches just to defeat Demetrius?"

Lainey shook her head.

"No."

"Demetrius had become . . . something else," Ursula said. She she slid the knife down Lainey's wrist and blood effortlessly seeped through her fresh cut and into the cup underneath.

Lainey winced, looking away from her arm.

"His continued rebellion against Nature over the years warped his soul," Ursula continued. "Made him malevolent. And he contained enough malice in his heart to birth dark magic. Dark magic, in general, is stronger than natural magic, as it draws on the user's own natural life. The life force."

"The life force?" Lainey winced.

Ursula nodded.

"Life is a dark magical accessory, and the most powerful in witchcraft. It's also one that shortens one's own life."

"So, the more one uses dark magic, the shorter their lifespan becomes?" Lainey said.

"Exactly," Ursula said. "And Demetrius used dark magic like no tomorrow. He was a young sorcerer but looked hundreds of years his senior the day we sealed him away."

"Why was he still alive if he'd been using dark magic?" Lainey asked.

When the small cup was full of Lainey's blood, Ursula dipped her finger into the red liquid in the wooden bowl and slid it against her fresh cut, causing it to instantly heal. "Saffron," Ursula said. "Nature has blessed the plant with substantial healing properties. It was a prominent ingredient in the Demon's Spirit. It's why the undead heal so quickly."

"Why was Demetrius alive?" Lainey repeated.

"Because he created the Death Spell," Ursula said. "He created a spell that not only instantly kills its targets, but absorbs their life force. That is why Demetrius was able to practice dark magic and live for as long as he did—he did so on borrowed lives."

Except the lives can't be returned.

Lainey felt ill. As if she'd vomit any minute.

"He was worse than a monster," Lainey said.

"He was the only known sorcerer that could challenge Nature," Ursula said, staring Lainey in the eyes. "The only known being that Nature considered equal. He became a force all on his own. Where Nature created, Demetrius destroyed. Where Nature provided solace, Demetrius fostered discord. Where Nature was the light, Demetrius was the darkness. The faithful contradiction to Nature, he became known as the Unnatural."

"The Unnatural . . . ," Lainey whispered.

"A perversion of Nature, Demetrius had essentially risen to that of a deity himself. Do you see why Nature Itself viewed Demetrius as an adversary?"

"A-And I'm supposed to be a descendant of this m-monster?" Lainey said. "That's like telling me I'm the descendant of . . . the devil."

Ursula poured Lainey's blood into a small glass vial and stood.

"I appreciate your cooperation today," she said.

"It's not like I had a choice," Lainey muttered.

"No. You didn't," Ursula said heartlessly. She began gathering all her belongings from the bed. "I'm curious to see just how spiteful Nature can be."

"What do you mean?" Lainey said, standing from the table as well.

"The power of all four elemental witches was needed to seal Demetrius away." She placed all of her belongings in her sack. "As you know, I no longer work for Nature." She looked at Lainey and smiled. "Either Nature finally release me from my torment, so that a new elemental witch could be born, or . . . Nature watches as the world burns."

"That's the real reason you want to free Demetrius, isn't it?" Lainey whispered. "To force Nature to free you from your curse."

"I can't anticipate how Nature will respond to this," Ursula said, amusement in her voice. "But I am looking forward to it."

Lainey swallowed to remedy her dry throat.

"C-Can I go home now? You got what you want."

"You can do whatever you wish," Ursula said, throwing her sack over her shoulder. "My work here in Sancova is done." She grabbed the burning sage on the table, muttered something under her breath, and instantly it stopped smoking. "Earlier, you said what I'm doing is evil." She looked at Lainey. "People don't choose to be evil. Somewhere on the road to doing what we think is right, we make a wrong turn—and we embrace what we become, so long as the destination's the same."

Lainey nodded.

"Okay. If that makes you feel better."

Ursula narrowed her eyes and grinned.

"Don't be vexed at Benjamin for bringing you here. He had no control over his body. He will be freed soon enough, as will his friends. You should go. Get as far away from here as you can."

Lainey didn't know what to say. So she said nothing as she quickly exited the bedroom, past the living room of frozen dead walkers and out of the old house.

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To be continued in Chapter 50...