Hello, my lovelies.
First off, thank you so much for all the amazing comments. I also want to thank you for putting up with my pathetic uploading schedule. I really appreciate you all waiting for the next chapter.
Mwaahhh.
Chapter 28
Pain. That was all Flora felt. Then pain of being beaten down, of someone's boot pressing down on her neck. She tried to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out someone standing just in front her.
Helia. He was talking to the voice coming from above her.
Krystal. She could hear their voices, but she didn't know what they were saying. She couldn't think through the pain.
She wanted to reach out, to save him, but she could barely breathe.
This was it. She failed. And she, no doubt, got everyone killed along the way.
Helia, though, he still had a chance to escape.
The boot on her neck felt heavier and heavier, pressing down harder and harder.
Run, Helia, she begged. Run, please, run.
But he wouldn't move. Why didn't he run?
"So, Helia, what do you say?"
Krystal stood before him with Flora's life in her hands. He had no choice. To save Flora he would do it.
"Fine, I'll do it…just stop."
He had just agreed to marry Krystal. And in return she would spare Flora's life. Helia knew that Flora would hate him for it. But he didn't care. So long as she lived. That's all that mattered.
"You could be a little more enthused, but…you're handsome, so I will forgive it."
She finally took her foot off Flora's neck. Helia expected Flora to come sputtering back to life. But she lay there, still as stone. He dropped to his knees and gathered her up in his arms. He saw now, that, on one side of her head, her hair was matted with blood. Was she dead all this time?
"Flora?" He put his ear close to her nose. He sighed in relief. She was alive
"Relax, my love," Krystal said, "I didn't kill her. Now, say your goodbyes, and send her on her way."
She turned slowly and walked away, wearing her victory like second crown.
Helia hate himself. But he loved Flora more than anything. He couldn't let her die, even if it meant selling his soul. He held Flora tighter, brushed the hair away from her. His fingers came away red. If only he had gotten to her sooner. He wanted to cry. This was all a mistake. He should've talked her out of it. He suddenly realized that Krystal would still kill Flora. His agreeing to marry her gave Flora only these few seconds of life.
How could I be so stupid.
He willed Flora to wake up, so that he could explain; so that he could ask her forgiveness.
"Flora…"
It was a relief to breath. It hurt like a hell to do so, but she had to stick the pain. She swallowed the coughs that set in her throat. She had to make Krystal believe that was almost dead. She didn't have a plan, but for anything to work, she had to catch Krystal off guard. But then Helia lifted her onto his lap, and she realized how weak she really was. She wanted to open her eyes, to speak, to move, but her body wouldn't listen. She felt heavy. Move, goddammit.
Helia was apologizing, for what she didn't know. Whatever it was she forgave him. Then suddenly it hit her. The words she couldn't make out before, became clear as day. To save her, Helia had agreed to marry Krystal.
How dare she?! How dare she manipulate Helia like that! Anger took over. She would rather die than let Helia be shackled to that evil thing for the rest of his life. She tried to move again, but all she felt was the ground shake beneath her.
Then darkness.
Krystal was almost out of Helia's sight when the ground began to shake. She stopped, turned around, looked at Helia as if he was at fault. Then, thick vines tore through the ground, wrapping around Krystal. She struggled, but to no avail. The vines held on.
"Let me go!" she yelled. "Helia! Tell her to stop or I will kill all of you!"
"She's still unconscious…" he said, mostly to himself. Then he remembered what Flora had told him about her powers acting in defence. Was it going to kill again?
"Flora wake up."
But she remained still, breathing shallow.
"Helia!"
Bloom was suddenly next to him.
"How is Flora doing this?" she asked. Helia saw fear in her eyes. Of Krystal or Flora?
"I…I don't know…she won't wake up…"
"Let me try healing her."
Bloom set to work by healing Flora's head wound first. Helia felt like time stretched while she did this; that any minute now Krystal would break free from the vines and unleash hell. He looked up to see her still struggling, her guards trying to hack away at the vines. But new vines grew in its place. Helia was beginning to feel afraid too. Did Flora know what she was doing?
Flora felt a strength flow through her veins. She tried moving again, but her body wouldn't obey. How could she feel tired and strong at the same time? Was she dying?
And then she felt warm; the kind of warm that made her want to sleep forever.
She was probably dying.
Someone called her name.
"Flora?"
She opened her eyes. Helia's face hovered over hers. She found that she was in his arms. She saw that Bloom was with them too. This was not part of the plan. She looked at Bloom. Bloom looked at her. She didn't know what to say to her. Before she could think of anything, the large vines behind Bloom caught her attention. And in its grasp, she saw Krystal, struggling to break free. The vines…did I do that?
Flora turned to Helia, "What happened?"
He helped her sit up. She expected to feel heavy and tired. But she felt quiet well.
"Krystal almost killed you. Bloom healed you," replied Helia, worry etched in his brow.
Flora faced Bloom, "Thank you," she awkwardly. Bloom just smiled. Flora then looked to Krystal.
"I did that…' she said absently. She stood, pushing away Helia's assistance. Bloom did a great a job healing her, as she didn't even feel the least bit dizzy. She made a note to thank her properly.
STOP! She directed her energy at the vines. The vines fell away, leaving Krystal a seething heap on the floor. She stood, hair messy, her clothes torn, crown somewhere lost
"YOU!" she raged at Flora. "How dare you!"
Flora pushed passed Bloom. She had unfinished business to attend to.
Helia and Bloom watched as Flora walked toward Krystal, picking up her sword along the way. Krystal waited for her, her own sword appeared in her grip, ready for blood.
"What happened to her?" asked Bloom, still fearful. Again, of Krystal or Flora?
Helia wished he had an easy answer for Bloom
"Too much," was the answer he gave.
