Face Of The Monster

~17~

Lillian slipped off her shoes, letting the grass caress her calloused feet. The wind combed through her hair with affectionate fingers and the drizzling drops of rain kissed her cheeks with fleeting, airy lips.

She and Agatha strode through the dewy grass hand in hand, the rest of the crew left far behind. This was the next stop on the map, the next colorful illustration with no tangible meaning to be grasped. Lillian, however, had an advantage. She had this beautiful shimmer goddess at her side, and she knew something.

The chains remained around her wrists, the skin of her forearms burnt to unfeeling black. Halfway through their walk, Lillian had noticed some new deadly jewelry on Agatha's person. There was a silver choker around her next sizzling each time she moved her head along with a pair of dangling earrings that blew in the wind, catching Agatha's jaw in their fiery hands.

"Where are you taking me?" Lillian finally asked.

The rain had begun to come down harder. Agatha lifted her face into it, letting the sky's tears suck away the sting of her wounds. "Somewhere important," she said.

"To a cure?"

"No," said Agatha. "I cannot lead you to a cure, Darling. But I can set you on the path to one."

Lillian reached up to touch the small burns forming on either side of her jaw. "Perhaps Gabriel isn't the only one who needs a cure," she said.

"There is nothing you can do for me, Dear," Agatha sighed. "My suffering is mine alone."

"But Agatha," said Lillian, "It almost seems to be my fault, don't you think? Ever since I first summoned you, it seems to be getting worse and worse."

Agatha looks away, dark eyes filling. "I cannot lie and say it is unrelated to you, my love," she says, squeezing Lillian's hand. "But I also would not say you are at fault. These are the consequences of my choices, not yours."

"Your choices?"

"Put it out of your mind," Agatha soothed. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me." Lillian put her foot down, refusing to go any farther. "Tell me who is hurt you," she demanded. "Tell me why."

Agatha stopped, holding Lillian's hands a bit tighter. She closed her eyes, her doll-like lips parted in agony as the choker settled at the base of her neck and the cuffs slid down to her wrists once more. "It is only fairness, my dear. My purpose in this world is to guide, to advise, to heal. I am not to be healed by another. Not to be loved or to love."

"What do you mean?"

"Only that," said Agatha, gently stroking a bit of wet hair from Lillian's face. "I should not love you the way I do." She let go of Lillian's hands, turning back in the direction they had been headed. "It's only a bit farther, now," she said.

Still confused by Agatha's words, a bit frightened, Lillian hastened to follow. "A bit farther to where?"

"The home of the monster, of course."