CURSED: FROM THE BEGINNING [D.M]

-(87) you never deserved it

Without another word, they separate to catch up with Blaise and Theo. They walk together in silence. But this time, it wasn't a silence that sucked all the oxygen out of her lungs. It was a silence that helped her breathe better and make some part of her uneasiness calm down. It's as they reach their separate paths that Zilliah breaks it.

"I've thought about what you said last night. And I think I am ready to do it."

Layla smiles then, turning to her with crinkles near her eyes. "You sure?", she asks, trying to compose herself but Zilliah can see how pleased and relieved she is by her decision.

"Yes, I'm sure", she assures her, offering a genuine smile herself.

But Theo groans, having been in earshot of them now. "I still don't think it's a good idea."

"I don't see much harm here", Blaise chimes in, taking Layla's side. "So after you do her, do me."

"That sounds weirdly sexual", Layla scrunches her nose up in disgust, the smile on her face still intact. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be", Zilliah mumbles back, edging closer to her and clasping her head, and invading her mind. It's easy as there is no resistance and she instantly finds herself in a garden, little Layla picking peonies, humming a low tune to herself. She gathers them all and makes a run towards the village, and finds young Theseus and hands it to him. He offers a smile and a thank you, and walks back into his hut. Later that evening, she finds the flowers thrown away in the backyard. Considering it put a knife even through Zilliah's heart, she doesn't want to find out what it did to Layla.

So she instantly gets to work and mutters the mirage spell under her breath, weaving through her mind and altering it so that that particular instance never happened. It's obvious that it was what Layla wanted her to do for it was at the forefront of her mind. So she respects her wish and removes it from there, thereby claiming her mind as her own. After that, she builds up the duplicate wall and erases all traces of herself from it, safely tucking all the original memories behind the real wall. It takes merely five minutes and a great deal of concentration. But at last, when it's done, she pulls back. Blaise takes out his wand and invades her mind, but he finds no traces of Zilliah, even though Layla is putting up little to no resistance. 

"It worked!", Blaise exclaims, smiling at Zilliah.

She shoots a smile back at him and turns to Layla. "How do you feel?"

"I feel completely alright", she replies, and one look at her and Zilliah knows it's true.

"Me now", Blaise approaches her and she repeats the same process to his head. To claim his mind, she erases the memory of him fucking a random girl in his dorm. It makes Zilliah want to throw up but it's what he wants to be erased, so she wills herself to do so. After that, she does the same as she did to Layla and when it's over, Layla invades his mind, bringing about the same result.

"I don't feel any different", Blaise's eyes shine with relief. "Thank you, Zilliah."

She feels like she should be the one thanking them because they were doing this to keep her safe. But before she can voice it, comes Theo's words, accompanied by a scoff. "I'm not putting up with this", he says, backing up and walking towards their path.

"But mate-", Blaise makes to convince him but Zilliah's look tells him not to.

"He'll come around. It's better if he is not pressured into it", she tells him and pulls him into a hug, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Be safe."

"You too", Blaise gives in and mumbles into her ear, picking her off the ground and spinning her around a little, making her laugh out in pure joy. He sets her down and cups her cheek, peering deep into her eyes with an emotion so intense it nearly makes her knees give out. "We're going to get that cure and we're going to keep you safe". he says, and she realizes that the emotion is the very fear of the possibility of losing her.