It was winter, the forest was all white, white trees, white ground, even the very air around her was white. Well that isn't completely true, the mass fires from the village right beside the forest through black ashes into the air that mixed with the snowflakes.
The girl sighed gently pulling up the hood of her deep purple cloak. She pushed her way through the snow until she found some bushes and set down to collect the berries in her basket. It was nearing her older sisters wedding and she hoped that with some berries she could add just a bit of exotic flavor to the cake. Her mother had died several years ago and it had just been her sister and her. They had a father but he worked all day and he was pretty much a stranger to both his daughters, they loved him but they were simply friendly strangers to him.
The girl finished gathering the last of the berries and hurried back to her home near the center of the village. Entering she quickly threw off her cloak and put it on the handle before running over to the cake batter. It was the day of her big sister's wedding and it was to be held in the town square and than they would have a dance in the meeting house. The benches and such had already been cleared out and all that was left was for her to finish the cake and than everything would be finished.
The girl added the berries and the cake was ready to go into the oven. She quickly put the cake tears into the oven and washed off the flour and egg residue left on her before hurrying upstairs to her room to pull out her and her sisters gowns. As being the sister of the bride she was a brides maid, along with her best friend, and her sister's best friend was the maid of honor.
The girl, Devi, had taken to doing for her sister all the things a mother would do for the bride's wedding day. She had been working on the dress since spring and it was finally done. It was a simple white gown that was long sleeved with intricate lace work that made it seem like fresh snow falling on a field of flowers. Devi had to make the brides maid dresses also, she had made them simply a tan color with a black sash across them.
Devi finished the last touch adding the final snowflake and ran back down stairs to gently pull the cakes out of the oven. They had come out great and Devi took to finishing by putting the modest three tears together and covered them in the white icing.
Devi smiled and had just finished in time for her sister, Amethyst, her sister's best friend, Tess, and her best friend, Tenna, to come in. They all smiled at Devi as she smiled back, she had just finished in time.
"Perfect timing." Devi smiled, "I just finished the cake and everything's waiting upstairs." With that said the four girls all ran up to the room to dress. Soon enough they heard a doorbell and Devi ran down in order to give the cake to the men to bring to the wedding. It made sense since Tenna was doing Amethyst's hair while Tess helped with her dress.
The party that was bringing the cake was three men who were the grooms men. Edgar who was the best man along with Dillon, and Johnny. Oh the joy. Dillon had been courting Tess but it had ended...badly. Along with Johnny who had been a close friend with Devi and had started courting her. That had ended up even worse, she hadn't told anyone exactly what happened, but he had tried to kill her. Johnny looked at her with sad eyes but she simply ignored him. She refused to even look in his general direction.
Edgar who was a friend of both Johnny and Devi's knew this and simply took up the reins, and successfully getting the attention off each other. Devi led them over to the kitchen and handed the cake off. Johnny looked at her with wide eyes and begged silently for her to talk to him. She didn't though, how could he have expected her to? The men all started loading the cake gently but Johnny trailed behind. He saw Devi start to go up the stair and he called out her name. She turned to him with a glare in her bright green eyes and he let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm sorry Devi. I never meant to hurt you." Johnny whispered quietly.
"You pulled out knives and ran at me, I am pretty sure you meant to cause me harm." Devi said quickly pushing a lock of black hair out of her eyes.
"It's not that! I didn't want to hurt you. I just...I wanted us to be together." He whispered sadly.
"We were already. You ruined it." Devi said not looking at him. "I let you in and you attacked." She said walking up the stairs leaving Johnny to watch her go. He sighed and followed the men outside to help set up the cake. He'd convince her, he had to. He had sworn that he'd give her his nothing, that he'd eradicate his feelings for her to save her. But he knew he couldn't do that, couldn't even try anymore.
He had to be her something.
Even if she would only ever think of him in anger.
Johnny thought about that. During the entire time they were finishing setting up he was pondering how exactly he was to win her back. He had tried to eradicate his feelings for her to save her, but he couldn't. He couldn't bear to think of not feeling the pleasant thumping in his chest and throat when he saw her. Couldn't bear not to feel that slight happiness.
The others all noticed that Johnny was out of it, Dillon didn't know him that well and he was arrogant and cruel. Edgar on the other hand knew Johnny well and was humble and kind. Edgar signaled for the other groomsman, and the groom-Jasper, to leave him and Johnny alone.
"Do you want to talk about it Nny?" Edgar asked once the two other men had left. He and Johnny were very close, at first Johnny was going to kill him, but upon seeing how nice of a person Edgar actually was, and realizing that he already had blood to sacrifice Johnny had let him go.
Edgar had been sure that he was insane but once he got a chance to realize what had happened he had relaxed. Johnny was from a long blood line of people who did this. He needed to sacrifice blood in order to keep a monster from terrorizing the village. It was told before, that many harvests ago-back when the elders of the villages great grandparents had been children. That then there was a monster who would ravage the village, destroy and plunder. Then the person who was an ancestor to Johnny stopped it, at the cost of her life. She left behind a husband and a son, and they must sacrifice blood to it to keep the wards and magic that she used strong.
Johnny did something that made sense, instead of killing people on basis of whoever he graves first, he takes people who are bad people. If he must kill either way, it may as well not be a good person. There were many people in other villages, he would go off in the middle of the night and go to villages that are three days journey and grave the inmates from cells and pull them back. He was an amazing man, he was much faster and stronger than most men in the village and yet he was extremely thin.
Johnny let out a sigh. It was about time that he told Edgar what was going on. Edgar was his friend, and he only had one other. A little boy who he had saved from a bear, the boy's name was Todd but he preferred to call him Squee. Besides, Edgar was smart maybe he'd know what to do.
"You know how me and Devi were really good friends?" Johnny asked with a sigh.
"Yes, you were courting her. But then one night she suddenly started to hate you." Edgar said with a compassionate nonjudgmental face. "You must have done so-" Edgar suddenly stopped with a gasp and his face showed immense shock. "Nny! You didn't!"
"I did." Johnny said grimly. Edgar put his hand to his head and let out a sigh.
"The damage?"
"Just two knives. I told her I wanted to immortalize the moment. She didn't find it romantic and beat me up, smashed me into a looking glass and ran away."
"Nny..." Edgar let out a sigh, "why would you do that? I thought you said she was the one. And how, by the grace of our good Lord, could anyone find that romantic?"
"I figured we'd die together." Johnny answered simply, "we'd be together forever."
"In theory that may have been a good idea." Edgar said with a surprised face, he hadn't thought of it that way. "But it is more for after being together dieing at the same time naturally, because your souls can't stay away from each other." Edgar said explaining why it would have been considered romantic but was not in practice.
Johnny gave a great huff, "I know that now. But it would have been useful information a few moons ago." Johnny glared, Edgar never bothered with telling someone to close the door after the horses have already left.
"Okay, now here's what you've got to do. Tell her what you just told me. Devi's a smart girl and she's compassionate, and she really did feel for you. Maybe it isn't too late to resurrect what the two of you shared. You are soul mates, I'm sure of it."
"You make it sound so easy." Johnny whispered sadly.
"It won't be." Edgar said honestly, "but if Devi means to you a half of what I think she does, you will do whatever you need to do in order to make it up to her."
Johnny smiled a little, how could he not? He always felt better when he had a plan. He didn't quiet yet, but a plan was rapidly forming in his mind.
"I know that look." Edgar said with a smirk, "I'll cover for you until it's show time. Good luck Nny." Johnny gave a smirk as Edgar left, what would he do without Edgar? His life would be fucked without his help.
Johnny ran out to prepare everything. There were simply two ways the sun could set on this day. With Devi in his arms. Or with the destruction of all of his emotions.
He ran back just in time for the wedding and he could see the plain relief on Edger's face. "Good, your here Nny. I was starting to get worried." Johnny nodded to Edgar but didn't get a chance to say anything before it was time for the march down the isle.
It started with Dillon taking Tenna's arm and going down the isle first, it had originally been stated that Dillon would take Tess's arm and Edgar Tenna's but seeing as how things were tense between Dillon and Tess they had switched partners. Johnny held out his arm for Devi next and she had no choice but to take it. And then Tess and Edgar followed with Amethyst and her father last once all the bridesmaids and groom's men had gotten there.
Johnny walked slowly with the measured steps of one foot to the slow march. He was a bit closer to Devi than he needed to be but it was necessary. "Devi, after this, can we talk?" Johnny whispered to her gently.
"Why can't you just leave me alone, Johnny? I don't want anything to do with you. I don't want you to even come near me!" Devi shot back.
"I know." Johnny said in a heartbroken voice. She could almost hear the sobs in that voice, it sounded at first like just a long sob but thinking back to it she felt as if it voiced every manner of suffrage mankind could go through. She felt bad about it.
"Fine." Devi muttered just as they got to the end of the aisle, no one else had heard their whispered conversation. Just like when they had been on good terms, they were the only ones who were in the conversation, no one ever even realized they were there.
Johnny couldn't help but smile all through the proceeding vows, Devi had agreed to talk to him, he could at least explain to her what was going on. Devi on the other hand was deeply annoyed. This was the biggest day in her older sister's life, and all she could think about was Nny. Not Nny, Johnny. Nny was the man who would come to her and talk, who always had time for her when she needed someone, who used to hold her hand. Nny didn't exist. All that existed was Johnny, the homicidal maniac.
After the ceremony as all the village started coming up to congratulate the couple Johnny and Devi snuck off. Johnny led Devi to a meadow not far from where the festivities were being held. The very meadow where she had picked the berries for the wedding cake. Devi had kept a good amount of distance from him the whole way and when they arrived she glared at him in a way that made him feel much colder than the snow that surrounded him made him feel.
"Okay Johnny, explain." Devi said with a no nonsense tone. She was far past the point of having "enough". She was tired of feeling this way for him when all she wanted to do was hate him. Her mind was saying one thing and her heart another. It was starting to tear her in half, unscrewing her mind, and leaving a gaping hole in her.
"Devi," he whispered it and his very voice felt and sounded like a gentle caress. Damn him. "I just wanted to apologize first. I am so sorry I did that. You gave me happiness and I tried to kill you, but I was doing that in the nicest possible way."
"Yeah, because killing someone can ever be nice." Devi growled. She would hate him, if it was the last thing she did she would. If she had to seal her heart off forever to gain the peace she once possessed she would do that.
"Devi, please let me explain, if you ever had any feelings for me at all let me explain." Johnny said staring into her eyes. "I'm from a long line of protectors. When a evil monstrosity came to the village my ancestor stopped it. But the ward she used needs fresh blood. It is my job to do it. I know that it goes against what we are taught but we sacrifices are the only way." Johnny finally said looking down.
"But why did you have to do that?" Devi asked glaring at him, "I'm not saying that I believe you, but why would you start to court me just to sacrifice me? Why go through all that trouble? How many other poor girls have you done the same to?" Devi shouted with tears running down her cheeks. If anything he was hurting her more.
"No!" Johnny yelled jumping foreword to grave onto both her shoulders. "There was never anyone else Devi! Only you! Just you." He whispered looking deeply into her green, shocked, eyes. "Just you." He whispered tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "We were supposed to die together, to sleep forever. I'd kill you and then myself and I'd have you forever and you'd have me." He whispered this stroking her face, she did not fight him simply because she was far too shocked to.
Johnny calmed a bit and let go of her shoulders and steeped back. "I just want you to know I didn't do it to hurt you. I just wanted us to be together. I reacted in the only way I knew how."
Devi stared at Johnny, she couldn't help but feel guilty and to feel sympathy for him. If he was telling the truth than he had been through more than enough already. But what if he wasn't? She had trusted him completely before, with her mind, heart and soul. He had betrayed her then. Was he doing it now?
"You have it all Devi." Johnny whispered and she looked at him surprised. All of what? "My heart, my soul, it's yours Devi. All yours. I don't want either without you." He whispered and it was then that she could see tears slowly falling from his eyes. "I don't expect that to change anything or make you forgive me. I just want you to know that they are yours. And please don't take this as you having to be with me. I just want you to be happy Devi. Just be happy-that's all I ask of you." Johnny whispered turning to leave.
And Devi silently rushed behind him and graved his arm, stalling him. Johnny turned to her looking surprised. He had expected suspicion of what he said, or anger, or even happiness he was leaving. He didn't think she'd stop him.
"Dance with me, Nny?"
Johnny looked at her surprised, the wind was gently blowing her hair over her shoulders and she looked up at him with emerald eyes that had gotten used to the dark and so wide to a point they reminded him of a cat. He knew this might be the only chance he got ever to be with her again so he pulled her to himself and put an arm around her waist and gripped her other one and started dancing with her.
They did not have any melody to their dance, no music. Just the two of them. It was gentle and loving. It felt so strange, yet so good-it was forgiving and acceptance, love and friendship, it was the two of them, both dark and light at the same time. It was Johnny and Devi. No other words would ever truly describe it.
They danced and danced, no music accompanying them meant that they had no time limit. And after awhile of dancing, which was a simple waltz Devi looked up at him and stood on her toes to reach his lips and kiss him.
After that they gave up the waltz and Devi stood with her arms around Johnny's neck and her head resting against his chest while his rested on hers and his arms around her waist.
Epilogue:
When the spring sprouted from the winter Johnny asked Devi to marry him. And during the autumn Devi became Johnny's wife. They had taken to caring for the small little boy after his parents had died, little Todd, or Squee as they called him was slowly acting like a healthy boy his age should. They were his parents, it didn't matter that they hadn't given birth to him. Tess and Edgar were now courting each other and everyone in the village knew that a proposal couldn't be far off, Tenna had fallen for a man in another village and they were engaged.
Devi and Johnny were now also a aunt and uncle since her sister had a baby boy that they had named James. It was now the beginning of the first summer of them being husband and wife, and when they were alone Devi was going to tell him what she had found out.
They could except their first born some time in winter.