Sebastian's Daughter REVISED VERSION (COMPLETE)

Chapter 12

I sprinted out the tall front doors and straight into the garden. I searched for Finny for a couple of minutes, but couldn't find him anywhere. I shrugged it off and decided to pull some weeds while I waited.

After about ten minutes of intense weeding, I finally spotted Finny clipping away at some rose bushes. I gave up on one particularly stubborn weed and made my way over to him.

I walked up right behind him and poked him. He looked to his left, so I dashed to his right. He shrugged and glanced back in front of him, so I hid behind him again, smiling.

"Hi there!" I said happily, mimicking my father's signature closed eye smile.

Finny jumped about three feet in the air, then turned to face me. He let out a sigh in relief, and I opened my eyes.

"You look just like Sebastian when you do that," he informed me.

I giggled. "I was trying to."

"Then A+," Finny smiled.

I smiled back. "So what are we doing today?"

Finny thought for a moment, "You can go water the lilies while I finish up here, if you'd like," he suggested.

"Alright!" I replied, then dashed for the shed to find the watering can. It wasn't there, so I searched the garden. Unfortunately, I had no luck.

I eventually found it on the porch, half-filled with murky-looking rainwater. I dumped it and filled it with fresh water, then sprinkled it over the lilies.

Finny came over before I was even half finished. I was straining slightly with the weight of the the water, especially since I still hadn't completely healed. He took the watering can from me and finished up the job, then gave it back to me. It was much lighter, and I was able to hold it with ease.

"Why don't you go water those flowers in that corner over there," he suggested, pointing to a small corner near a large fountain.

I nodded and hurried over to the indicated area. I glanced around at all of the flowers and instantly knew why he had pointed it out to me.

There was a small patch of black roses standing right between the red and white ones, and they were absolutely gorgeous. The I looked closer, and saw one flower next to the white roses that made my breath catch in my throat.

The rose was half back and half white, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

*

I plopped down on my bed after taking a long, hot bath. Finny and I had gotten bored and started throwing dirt at each other, and I could happily admit that I won that fight.

I had on my thin nightgown that didn't have a back, so I could easily spread my wings as I slept if desired. I also had a robe sitting by the bed, in case anyone knocked on the door.

I brushed out my wet hair and looked at my reflection in the mirror, extending my wings. They weren't at their prettiest when they were wet, but I still thought they were pretty amazing.

My demon wing was as swift as ever, moving with ease. My angel wing, on the other hand, still hurt a little when it was moved, and there was a scab from where the bullet had gone straight through it.

I decided to try to hover a little, since the ceiling was pretty high. Once I thought I was okay, I tried going a little higher, but my wing couldn't take it and I fell to the floor. I also made a loud crashing sound, which probably caught a couple of people's attention.

I stood and grabbed my robe. I folded my wings, only to find that my black wing wouldn't fold into place. A sharp pain went through it. Biting my lip, I put on the robe.

There was a knock on the door, and I made my way over to the window, opening it, and judging the height of the third story from the ground.

Whoever it was knocked again, more insistently, and I ignored the height and jumped through the window.

When the door opened, I was already on my way to the ground.

*

I sat on a small pile of leaves right inside the forest on the outside of the manor's property. I had taken off my robe, and was attempting to fold my wing. It refused to move, and every time I tried to force it, there was a sharp pain that spread throughout my entire back. I gave up, and sat in the damp grass, my eyes filling with tears.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps crunching the dead leaves on the ground, and I quickly stood and hid behind a tree deeper in the woods. I heard a fallen branch crack under my feet, and knew I'd just blown my cover. I stayed where I was, anyway, putting the robe back on, hoping it would work.

"Selena?" my father's voice called out against the night air.

I didn't move. I didn't want him to see what I had done to my demon wing.

"Selena, I know you are there," he said gently. "What happened? Why are you hiding?"

"I tried to fly. I couldn't do it. I fell."

"Are you alright?" he asked, suddenly sounding much more concerned.

It's now or never, I thought with a sigh, and stepped out from behind the tree, clinging to the robe around me. My angel wing was tucked safely into place, but my demon wing was crooked in several places, and wouldn't fold, so the robe over it stuck out oddly. I faced my father, but stared at the red and brown assortment of leaves on the dying grass at my feet.

"What happened?" he asked again, stepping closer.

"I told you," I answered, refusing to meet his gaze. "I fell."

Dad reached out and gently removed the robe around me, leaving me in my nightgown, my black wing open and crooked. He gently stroked my wing, and while his touch was comforting, it only made the pain worse. I pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I said, holding back sobs. "I didn't mean to."

"That is not important now," he said, his voice strong but gentle. "What is important is that your wing is broken and we have to find someone who can fix it. But in doing that, we risk you being found again."

Then an idea came to me, and I smiled through the pain in my wing. "Dad," I said, finally glancing up at him. "I think I might know who can help."