CHAPTER 12
Frost’s POV
It has taken a while, but I have managed to explain everything I know about the situation to Eva, Isabelle and Tybalt. All three have been sharing their intakes and thoughts about it, and honestly, I wanted to wringe my neck around Tybalt’s throat. He has the audacity to play with both woman’s feelings, hinting at emotion to both while the other is turned. It has me dying literally inside. I choose, and I could possibly lose my Mary. Dante has stood next to Rhea his entire visit here, and though he was worried about the palm print pinking her cheek when he first entered, he still seems to be angry at her about what happened all those years ago. He stands next to her with his arm, draped in fine leathery sleeves, crossed stubbornly over his chest. Even with my height, I have to look up to see his scowl. He speaks and adds to the conversation, contributing an idea of what is happening while Rhea does as well, since acting like a child would not help the situation one bit, and if he wasn’t helping, I’d snap his neck.
Eva has been quiet the entire time I have been speaking, and while others do as well. She was…. surprised, the epitome of the word, to find out she died and that she had come back to life this very day. I apologise numerous times to her for being the reason she died, and she forgave me almost instantly the first time, and many times after that, which I still find rather surprising. Her personality has always surprised me, because Maria and her have always been polar opposites in my eyes. If Maria had been in Eva position, she would’ve killed me and muttered that my death was just returning the favor.
Sometimes like now, I am grateful that Eva is so kind and forgiving. It helps me deal with my guilt a little better. Not entirely.
“Why is this happening to Mary?” Isabelle asks, awkwardly running a hand down her arm as she shifts her weight. Her vibrant red hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and standing next to me, she appears displaced. I feel like patting her back in a motion of support, but I feel that would be inappropriate since I’m already spoken for and she… was. Her relationship to Tybalt is rather difficult to seek out, because NOW, Eva, her original form, is back--Tybalt’s original love. Her eyes trail to Tybalt’s and Eva’s intertwined hand, and I believe she realizes that too.
Dante opens his mouth to say something but Rhea beats him to it. He appears not to be pleased, but before I can note on his demeanor, Rhea speaks. “I have no idea.”
“Does it have something to do with her being a doppelganger?” Matt muses, slouching forward from his position leaning against Rhea’s table. He nearly drops one of her scrolls, which he clumsily holds to his chest for a few moments before placing it back on Rhea’s desk.
“I don’t think so, I mean, Isabelle is a doppelganger and she hasn’t had her body taken over by Eva. In fact, Eva can’t, she’s back from the dead in her own original body.” Dante answers sarcastically, which causes Rhea to slap his arm in a scolding manner.
“Does it have something to do with Eryn?” Erebus says.
Before anyone can answer, a knock on the door catches our attention, and Callista pokes her head in.
“Yes Callista?” I ask.
She shifts her eyes to Eva, who smiles at her tentatively. “Miss, your bath is running.”
Eva nods. She turns to face Tybalt, her face brightening at the sight of him. This makes my face line. I want to be able to do that, with my Mary. I want to be able to be around her, to witness how her aura makes everything about the castle seem better. It kills me internally again that I can’t. Eva plants a kiss on his cheek, then shakes their intertwined hands.
“I’ll be right back.” She says. “I can’t stand standing in my own filth, it annoys me immensely.” she soon leaves after saying this.
Isabelle does not look pleased. From what I gather about her, it seems like she has feelings for Tybalt and his lost love returning is definitely not good for Isabelle and Tybalt. She tries to pretend like it doesn’t bother her but I can tell it does.
The tension in the air is nonignorable thick. It’s as though the silence, with each passing moment, is coaxed with a series of tension and untold words and emotions we would like to tell to one another, but don’t. Nobody can explain what’s truly happening. It feels like nothing is getting accomplished, even with eight brains pondering on what would be the phenomenon that caused this entire thing. It feels more like a stiff Sunday gathering than what it actually is.
“I think we should try speaking to Maria.” Isabelle finally chirps up after moments of silence. She glances at Tybalt, meets his eyes, and turns her head. Both are avoiding each other’s gazes.
“I don’t know if that would be a good idea, Issy.” Tybalt tells her.
My brows shoots up, Issy? He has a nickname for Isabelle? I look away from the two of them. It seems like there is going to be conflict with the two of of them because of Eva’s return. Which reminds me, why is she back? Even with Maria returning, why did Eva have to as well. What is happening? The fact that I didn’t know made me feel smaller in my shoes. It’s as though everything has begun to shift. Our momentary haven in the castle, with happiness after Mary chose to shift (and didn’t turn rejected) seems to have been knocked down into scatters. In my head, everything plays out like a game of chess. Right now, everyone is faced with an opponent--Maria and the unknown.
Rhea has explained to me that Maria might have been able to resurface when Mary had been turned. And since her soul momentarily died, it gave Maria an opportunity to portal back to her body. It all is very confusing, because since Maria’s body was very much the same, the soul and body was compatible. Instead of returning to her dead and ashened body, Maria’s soul took the next best thing, the vessel of her reincarnation. Which, as crazy as it sounds, would explain Mary’s sudden change in character after she turned.
What I do not understand is, of all people, why resurrect Eva Beaumont? Yes, Eva Beaumont is a considerably kind person, but ‘nice’ doesn’t get you a second chance on life. There could have been many others that could have been resurrected, many other more powerful beings. Rhea had told me many times that a resurrection spell is a complicated and hard one to cast. She told me this because when Maria died, the part of me that still loved her, could not wait for her reincarnation to return. I wanted her to return more than I wanted my next feed. So, a resurrection spell can only be casted by an experienced and powerful witch.
Which perplexes me as my brain goes back to my first thought. Why resurrect Eva?
“I still think we should talk to Maria.” Isabelle says, moving deeper into the room. She crosses her arms once she reaches the center. “I mean if you really think about it, why come back now? Will Mary’s soul be obliterated after a certain amount of days? Where is Mary now? I’m sure you, of all people, Frost, would have thought about that.”
Isabelle’s words snap me out of my daydream. I look up and realize she’s look directly at me and so are the others.
“I have thought about it but I have also been with Maria the longest and what I’ve learned is that Maria will never spill her secrets, especially if it ultimately removes her from the land of the living. She’ll do literally anything to survive and keep herself two steps in front of her opponents--which,” I motion a figure around us, “is basically our entire lot. The land of the living.”
“Living dead. Most of you are dead.” I think these words escaped from Isabelle’s lips but I’m very mistaken as I see everyone’s eyes shift from me to the doors. “And you are wrong, Frost. I have been with her longer. I understand how her brain works, how she works. I know her better than anyone. Even if that means I know her better than you.”
Eva has returned. She’s dressed in a black gothic victorian corset dress. She looks very much like Maria used to look like considering the dress she’s wearing is actually Maria’s. “You forget, I was married to the vixen.”
Eva cocks an eyebrow, “And you forget, I grew up with her. Sex does not equal to closeness, Frost. If it did, you would have already claimed Mary for yourself.”
“How do you know I haven’t already claimed her?” I ask, amused by Eva’s sudden comment. Back when Tybalt, Eva, Maria and I were both still courting, Eva and I would always get into sly arguments and feuds like these. It was one of my highlights of the day, butting heads with the red head. It’s why when faced with the choice, it made killing her the more difficult.
“You also forget, Frost. I have lived in this very castle for many years before Tybalt was banished. I was a servant here while Maria played with you and some of your knights.” I flinch at this course of words, knowing that it is true. “I know you, and I know your tendencies, honor and tradiciones. You would never claim a lady’s innocence without first courting her and marrying her.”
I open my mouth to respond, but no words leave my mouth, instead they leaves someone elses. “Okay. This sounds like total bullcrap and also sounds like medieval porno. So, can we just get to the point? Can we or can we not get Maria to spill her guts out. Not literally, I mean.” Isabelle says glaring at Eva. It’s obvious Isabelle has this strong dislike for Eva. I do not blame her.
My eyes dart to Erebus for a second, as I myself clearly do not like him.
Eva nods slowly, she inspects Isabelle and snorts. It’s clear Eva does not approve of her own look-a-like as well, “Yes. We can but provocation will just make Maria more cynical.”
“As if she wasn’t cynical before.” Tybalt snarkily advises.
Eva’s eyes dart to him, “I said more darling.”
“Okay! Well, now that the question is answered, Frost, Dante and Eva.” Isabelle says ‘Eva’ as if it is a dirty word. “We need to get our butts to the dungeons and have a talk with Maria.”
Rhea looks at Isabelle as if she is insulted that her name was not called, “Why must Dante go along? Why was I not summoned? I am clearly a much more powerful oracle than he.” She points a finger in Dante’s direction.
Dante rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath, “Arrogant.”
“Because Rhea, you are clearly in no position to be using up more energy than you already have.” Isabelle explains.
Almost as if on cue, Rhea’s legs give way and she falls to the floor. The sound of her back hitting the stone floor echoes in my ears in an eery way, and I watch as she positions her elbows underneath her to support herself into a upright structure.“I-I’m fine.” She stutters.
“You aren’t and you know it. Stop being such a bother and let me handle it. I may not be as powerful as you Rhea, but I can hold my own.” He hisses Rhea’s name, as if he were ashamed of being weaker than her, which he most likely is.
Matt, who seems to have been growing on Rhea, rushes to her side. He grabs her forearms and helps her up. He then whispers something to her which I’m sure that every vampire with supernatural hearing can hear, “Don’t push yourself, let Dante handle it.”
Isabelle does not wait any longer. She begins leaving the room and the three of us trail behind her. It surprises me that Isabelle’s walk and stance is much more confident than it was when I first met her. It feels like she’s slowly molding into people would go to for guidance--a ruler. Hopefully, not a ruthless one.
“Your majesty,” a guard in charge of watching Maria, bows and acknowledges my presence, “the captive has not been let out of my sight.” He says.
I nod. “Good, you may leave now. I need some privacy with her.”
“To do what sire?” The guards asks.
I give him a blank look. He should not be asking. “Nothing that concerns you, I can assure you. Now, please leave before I place you in the dungeons as well for conspiracy.”
Isabelle and the others give me odd looks, silently asking why I am being so forward and harsh. They too would understand why I am so blunt if they were losing the one they loved as quickly as I am, I’m sure.
He nods before he leaves. As soon as we’re close to her dungeon cell, Maria’s expression suddenly changes. She looked irritable before, but now she’s amused, “My, my. What has little old me done to receive the pleasure of being visited by King Frost?” Her eyes dart slowly towards each of us and finally her gaze stops on Eva. She’s taken aback, I guess, that Eva is alive, but her confident and all knowing smirk does not fade, “Why hello, sister.” It feels like the word sister sounded like an insult when it left Maria’s lips.
“Nice to see you too, Maria. Happy to see you’re finally caged like the animal I suppose you’ve always been.”
Maria’s eyes never waver from their place on Eva. It’s difficult to see the family resemblance, since Maria’s hair is so dark whilst Eva’s is a cherry red. Her expression still nonchalant, she asks. “What’s got you in a bad mood? I’m sure it’s not returning from the dead.” She fake gasps. “Don’t tell me you’re still harboring hatred because I sold you, got your lover banished and was the reason you died?” She asks, her voice full of taunt.
It feels like Maria didn’t leave us at all.
Eva, who seems completely unaffected by her sister’s taunting tone. “Oh, that little thing? Darling, I’m not harboring hatred for that because I know you only did it to survive, in fact, I know every decision you made was to survive but where did those decisions get you?” Eva pretends to think for a while, pouting her lips in a meaningful manner while creasing the space between her eyebrows as she arches them, and looks back at Maria. “Oh! Right! You’re in a dungeon cell.” Her last sentence comes off so cold, it almost feels like my skin is colder than it should be.
Maria stands up and straightening the creases out of her shirt. Mary’s shirt. The one I got for my Mary.
She walks closer to the bars, her smirk never leaving her face. “You can laugh now Eva, but in the end, you will end up dead again and I’ll finally be alive after three hundred wretched time of staying on The Other Side with those old hags.”
“Stop with your vague responses.” Isabelle steps in. She walks past Eva and stands right in front of Maria. “Where is Mary?” Her voice is as cold and hard as Eva’s had been before.
Maria rolls her eyes, “You doppelgangers are the same. No fun at all.” She groans, “Mary is here. She’s watching everything and she can hear everything, she’s just hidden in the back of my mind so that only I can speak to her.”
“Well, can’t you go find someone else to occupy or something?” Isabelle asks. She sounds like a child when asking this.
“I can’t. Mary’s body is the only vessel that I can occupy.” She states boredly.
Isabelle looks over to Dante, “Is there any way we can remove Maria from Mary?”
He nods, “Yes. With a knife my mother had. Rhea took it and she has it. Just stab Mary while Maria is not out and Maria’s soul will detach.”
“Good. Dante, go fetch the knife.” Eva orders, her eyes never leaving her sister. Not even for a second.
Maria’s eyes light up. I have a bad feeling about this. Why does she look so confident? Why does she look like she knows something none of us do? Something that could jeopardize Mary’s life?
Maria shoves her left hand in Mary’s jacket pocket, pulling out a knife with a golden handle, “You mean this knife?” Her eyebrow raises slowly with every word she speaks.
My heart is pounding.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
All I can hear is the nervous beating of my heart against my ribcage. I have a very bad feeling that Maria is about to detach Mary from her body and I do not like Maria’s idea.
“You wouldn’t.” Isabelle says as soon as her eyes see the knife in Maria’s hand.
She nods slowly, an all knowing smirk still plastered on her face, “Oh, trust me, I would.”
Eva, whose voice and expression has been calm and collected this entire time starts to crack. “Sister. Stop. Do not do this. You may be capable of many things but not murder.”
Again, the smugness in Maria’s voice starts to make me boil with rage. “If I were not capable of murder, sister.” She spits out the word ‘sister’, “I would not have left you for dead at the hand of vampires. I would not have left Evangeline at the mercy of more vampires just for my crown. Trust me, I’m completely capable. Don’t let looks deceive you.”
I have a feeling this ‘Evangeline’ seems to be only known by Mary as everyone else is confused. It feels like Mary is the one this threat is for.
Eva gasps at the mention of another girl that was sacrificed by Maria to vampires. “You let another girl die because of your selfishness? How could you do that?”
“The same way I’m able to do this.” With one swift movement, all my fears are brought to life. Maria stabs herself with the very knife that could have destroyed her soul. Instead, she had just destroyed Mary’s soul.
“It is done.” She says, gripping onto her stomach, covering the obviously bleeding wound. She doesn’t have to cover it for too long because what is supposed to be Mary’s vampire healing kicks in and the wound is soon closed up.
I want to reach out and strangle her from the outside of the cell but my main priority now is to save what remains of Mary’s essence as her soul had just be severed from her body.
Mary’s POV
It feels like I’d just been stabbed. My stomach hurts. Shit. Don’t tell me everytime Maria gets hurt, I get hurt too. Ugh. I hate this. Can I get a hello kitty band aid or something?
I look down at my stomach and my heart rate speeds up considerably, my stomach is bleeding. “It is done.” I hear Maria’s say. Her voice stripped of emotion.
As if on cue, I feel a strong gust of wind inside my head. The pressure blings. I close my eyes. Then the pressure leaves. I open my eyes and suddenly I’m not in the comfort of my own mind. I’m somewhere else. I look around. I’m standing in front of someone’s house. There seems to be a man standing. His back is turned and he’s dressed in a totally sick outfit, with a black trench coat, black jeans, black jacket. He’s punking this stuff out! Weirdly enough, he’s holding a scythe. He’s waiting impatiently on the other side of the door. His right arm, the one that’s holding a scythe, has an intricate looking tattoo which makes him even more attractive. The Tattoo though, is made of swirls all stemming from a skull shaped outline in the middle of his arm. I can see the tattoo because his shirt sleeve that covers his right arm is rolled up a little, exposing said tattoo.
“Go away, you weirdo!” A female’s voice shouts from the other side.
“You can’t deny who you are, Aurelia!” He shouts back.
I venture cautiously, “what’s going on?”
The man turns almost too quickly, he’s surprised, “Are you real?” he asks.
I feel like face palming myself right now, “What does it look like, genius? What the hell is going on here?”
He turns his back towards the door, “You’re here to join them, aren’t you?”
I give him the most confused look I could conjure right now, “what the eff are you talking about? I feel a headache coming on right now and if you continue on acting this vague, I’m just going to hit you.”
There’s an amused smirk on his face, “Feisty.” He crosses his arms and cocks an eyebrow, “I’m guessing you don’t know, then.”
I resist the urge to smack the effing answer out of this imbecile's mouth. “What. Do. You. Mean.” I say slowly through gritted teeth. I’m feeling extra agitated right now. I don’t know why.
“You’re dead. Want me to say it slowly?” He does, “You. Are. Dead.”
Once more, I resist the urge to smack this fool. “Obviously I dead! I’m a friggin vampire! Vampires are technically dead.” I decide to give up on this fool and find someone else who can provide me less vague answers, “You don’t seem to be helpful, so, I’m leaving.”
“You can’t go anywhere.” He says as soon as I’m halfway down the steps of the entrance.
“Watch me!” I scream back.
“I literally mean you can’t go anywhere!” He says, his voice distant.
I spin around, entirely out of curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are dead. As in, really dead. The name’s Axel.” He hands out his hand to shake my hand, I don’t take it and he drops his arm to his side. He could have STDs or Herpes for christ’s sake. “I’m a Soul Reaper, meaning supernatural souls pass through me to get to the other side.”
“Wait. Hold up. A Soul Reaper?” I ask raising both my hands to stop him.
He nods, “I’m not the only one but from the way you’ve appeared in front of me, I’m guessing that I’m the closest Soul Reaper you can find.”
“How did I die?”
He shrugs, “Beats me. I’m not the Banshee, I don’t know why you died. The only Banshee I can find is the one behind that door and she won’t answer me.”
I roll my eyes, “That’s probably because you’re freaking her out. I mean look at you” I gesture towards his outfit, “You look like a thug, especially with that tattoo.” I point at the tattoo. “You look like someone who’d rob me blind.”
He glances at me, taking in my appearance. He looks back towards the house boredly. “There’s nothing on you worth taking. Besides, it’s not like I could anyway.”
“Excuse me?!”
“Sure, you’re excused.”
“I was trying to help you. No girl with a full mind would let you into their house dressed like that. I mean, just standing here, probably a few feet away from you, I’m afraid you’re going to attack me and leave me for dead. Like seriously, cover up that tattoo dude.”
“Well, Banshees usually aren’t full in the head…” He muses, tilting his head slightly at a 30 degree angle. “Besides, it’s not like I can do much about the tattoo.” He says.
“Excuses.” I say rolling my eyes and walking past him so I can knock on the door.
The door opens after the first knock, “I said, get los-” she stops mid-sentence when her eyes are laid on me. “Mary Hale?”
The girl looks eerily familiar but I don’t ponder on how too much. I have to get my ass back to Frost.
“How do you know me?” I ask, unable to fight back my curiosity
“It’s Aurelia. Aurelia Cavalier, I saw you at therapy once.”
I flinch at the word therapy. Okay. So, apparently, this girl has seen me in therapy before. I try to dismiss the thought.
“Look, I don’t understand what’s going on but crazy over there,” I gesture towards Axel, “says I’m dead. Whatever that means, and he can’t tell me how, only a Banshee can do that and according to him, you’re a Banshee.” I look at her. “From the looks of it, you don’t know you are and I honestly don’t care, just tell me how this shit happened.”
She hesitates.
I don’t let her answer because I still feel impatient and unable to wait. I grab both her arms and almost as if electric, I feel a spark push through my entire body.
I see my memories flash through me, I see them. I didn’t realize it before but I see Maria pick up a knife, she hides it in my jacket pocket. I was too pissed to realize it since I was closing my eyes and imagining Maria dying when she stole the knife. Apparently, she stabbed herself with the knife and I’m severed. I didn’t realize I was stabbed or listen to what Maria said because my eyes were on Eva. She was alive and I was too stunned to pay attention to Maria.
Oh, my, pewdiepie.
She severed me from my body and now my soul is wandering like a weirdo. I pull my arms back from the Banshee and turn to the Soul Reaper, “If I pass to the other side, is there a way I can be brought back?”
He nods slowly, “There might be, I haven’t heard of it yet. But usually downworlders don’t spread knowledge like that around with the possibility it might get back to the Big Guy.” He motions to the sky with the front of his scythe.
I do not turn to thank the Banshee or the Soul Reaper. I just walk towards him and and feel myself slowly dissipate within him when I finally touch his tattoo with my hand.
When I open my eyes, I’m in a dream like place. It feels strange. I’m in a desert. The ground seems to be filled with cracks and the sun, it’s burning my skin, not literally but I can feel it’s rays on my skin and it’s uncomfortable. The only thing I see for miles is an old woman wearing a cloak, the hood of the cloak is off from her head. She’s doubled over, her mouth is moving. As if she’s chanting something.
“Hello?” I call out, walking closer to the old woman. She does not move, she continues in her position, still chanting something I don’t understand. I walk closer to her, her voice becomes audible now, “hello?” I call out once more.
She still stubbornly does not move, When I take another step closer to her. She stands up slowly, her back still turned, her mouth still chanting. She turns to face me and she seems to look like the definition of a hag. She looks like that mean old witch from Snow White. Her white hair looks messed up. Her eyes look so scary, it’s as if she could see through me and not in a good way. Her cheeks are sagging, more than it should. Her teeth, they’re rotten, some even missing but that does not stop her from chanting.
“Who are-” I stop mid sentence, I realize she’s not the only one here. I’m suddenly surrounded by various looking women, some as old as her and others around my age. All chanting the very same words this old hag is chanting, “This time, you shall stay dead, Eryn.”
As if on cue, a pounding pain hits my head. I groan, slowly lowering myself till my body is on the ground, their chants getting considerably louder and my cries doing the same. My breathing suddenly feels constricted. I’m afraid.
I black out.
“Mary! Mary! Are you alright?” Frost’s voice calls out to me. My eyes snap open. My heart pounding erratically against my chest.
I blink my eyes because the entire scene looks blurry. From the blurry shapes and sounds, It seems like I’m back at the castle, in my shared bedroom with Frost, to be exact. I feel overjoyed right now because I’m back. I’m not dead.
When my vision is regained, I focus my eyes on Frost. He’s not looking at me like I thought he would. He’s looking at Maria. She looks like she’s in pain. Like she’d just fainted or something. She’s doubling over in pain.
She nods slowly, “I’m fine, Frost.”
I stand up and run towards them, “Frost! No! That’s not me!” I shout at him.
He turns his head slowly to face me, the red in his eyes considerably darker. I feel his glare on me, “Get lost, Maria.” He shouts at me.
It feels like another knife was stabbed into my chest, “I’m not Maria. It’s me Frost.” I say, my voice weak and shaky. I hate the way my voice sounds. I’m not weak but it shows that I am.
“Stop it, Maria. I can see you for who you are.”
Like magic, My clothes suddenly change, I’m wearing the black corset dress Maria was wearing and she’s wearing my black hoodie and jeans, my hair is magically straightened and her’s is magically wavy.
“No.” my voice cracks, “I-It’s me.
“No. It is not.” He looks away from me and helps Maria off the ground, “I have grown tired of your lies, Maria. Leave. I do not want to see you again.”
As if his words somehow affected my movements, I am somehow unable to move. I’m stuck there like a statue.
Maria looks back at me, a smirk slowly growing on her lips, her eye colour darker, “I win.” she mouths.
“Come, Mary.” he tells Maria.
“Wait.” She says and crashes her lips on his soft full ones.
Eek
Eek
Eek
The sounds of something shattering fills my ears. It feels so surreal right now. Frost is kissing Maria and I can’t move and I believe the shattering sound is the shattering of my own heart.
The air suddenly slows down around me, once again, I find it hard to breathe. I close my eyes, I don’t want to see this. Not in the slightest. I love Frost and I don’t know if this is a dream but I don’t want to see his lips against Maria’s.
“Mary!” my mother’s voice calls out. My eyes snap open and I’m suddenly at home. I’m in the living room. My mother looks terrified and my father, his eyes, they’re filled with hate.
I look at my hands and see my hands covered in the scarlet red of blood, I lick my lips, blood is in my mouth. My eyes dart to my parents and realize my mother is covering a wound on her neck, it’s a bite mark, from me.
“What are you, you demon!” my father shouts at me.
I take one step closer to them and my mother whimpers, “Mom, dad. It’s me. Mary. Your daughter.”
“No! My daughter is not a blood sucking demon! Stay back!” she shouts.
“Please. Don’t. I won’t hurt anyone.” as soon as my words are uttered, I feel a terrible stabbing pain pierce my back. I look down and see a wooden stake through my chest. I’m breathing heavily now.
I turn to my back and see Isabelle, her eyes filled with rage. I fall to the ground, fear most probably radiating from me. I feel like I’m at the edge of death. Isabelle kneels over until her mouth is close to my ears, “Remember the time I said I didn’t care if Maria was the reason Eva died? I lied. I hate you. You are Maria. Whether or not you want to admit it. You are Maria.”
She stands up and pulls the wooden stake out of my chest. She laughs hysterically and stabs me once more with the wooden stake causing me to black out.
My body feels like it’s floating and suddenly it feels like my body has been thrown on the ground. My eyes open slowly, I turn to my side and see Erebus, the edge of his mouth is bloody. I look to my other side and see the same hag from earlier, she’s cackling. “Any last words, Eryn?”
I don’t know why today is mess with Mary day.
“Eryn!” Erebus cries out and pushes his body forward trying to get in between the hag and I. She pushes him back and his body hits an alarmingly large rock. It’s triangular sides are rough and sharp.
Crack
The sound of something cracking grabs my attention. I turn my weak head to the right and see Erebus grabbing onto his wings. That’s why his wing broken.
My heart breaks even more. I want to run to him, to comfort him. His wings are apart of who he is, his being. To have one broken must be painful. He faces confirms this as he screams, clawing at his oddly bent wing as he does so.
I turn back to the hag, a black tendril seems to be escaping from her back, it’s slowly but surely crawling towards me. It grabs a hold of my left leg, which seems to be too tired to fight back. The touch of the black tendril chills to me to the very core. Slowly, the tendrils consume all of me, I scream and once again, as my face is being covered by the tendrils, I black out.
My eyes snap open and I sit up. Breathing heavily, I look around. I’m lying on the bed of my shared room, I’m surrounded by everyone. “Mary, are you alright?” Frost asks, moments before I’m actually conscious. It takes me some time to make out what he is saying.
I nod slowly, pushing my hair back as I do so. When I pull my hand back, I realize how terrible I have to be looking right now. Slyly, I ask. “What happened?”
Before Frost can say anything, some else does.
“Hello to you too Frost.” Maria’s voice fills my ears. At first I think it is sourced in my head, possibly like she’s still here, but then I look up and see that Frost is glaring at something besides me. My head snaps to my side and I see Maria getting up, from the same bed, she’s stretching herself, “I told you I’m here to stay.”
Please tell me this is a dream.
“It isn’t a dream.” Maria tells me as if she can hear my thoughts.
Well, shit.
~Author's Note~
Yes. The biatch is back. *Hides behind a tree* Don't kill me. Trust me, I know what I'm doing.
Also, if you guys haven't realized just yet, I've been rewriting the earlier chapters. I'm done with Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 for now. I'll start Chapter 3 in a bit.
I'm doing this so the story flows much smoother for the new-er readers. That and the fact that I'm not satisfied with the earlier chapters.
Chapter 13 will be posted a little bit later due to the fact I need to finish Chapter 3 to Chapter 6 first but I might probably break my rule on not starting it first later and write part of it.
I'm really sorry my updates are very frequent but I really hope you guys can stick to me and this story till the end.
Oh! And there WILL be a sequel to this book! Don't worry about that. I want to thank @_queenofthedamned because she's my official editor to the book :)
Anyway, vote and comment below if you guys liked it and I promise I'll update as soon as possible.
EDIT: The story ad to the side was made by @AlyxMck , isn't it pretty?