\10/
The End
Faux-Raven turned around and pointed his glowing finger at a wall and stairs revealed themselves. He turned back to Rose, "He's up there. You go alone."
Rose contemplated this for a moment then said, "Fine." But he grabbed Faux-Raven and shoved him against the vine-covered mace and let the vines wrap around him as well. "I'll come back and let you go when I have Raven."
"Great, I suppose I'll be left here forever."
Rose ignored him and went up the stairs.
The stairs seemed to go on forever and Rose wondered if this would be a never-ending staircase like the rooms were never-ending. He tried to ignore the possibility and focused on Raven. He climbed the stairs some more.
Rose reached the top of the tower and thrust the door open to find Raven laying down upon his back, hands clasped at his chest, with his eyes closed. "Raven?"
There was no answer.
Rose glanced around the room. Cautiously, he approached Raven. Rose checked his pulse. It was slow. He checked his breathing. It was sluggish.
Rose shook Raven and began casting healing spells in vain. "Wake up, Raven!" But nothing affected him.
The sun began to set and the crystals in the chandelier glittered over Raven's body. A breeze made the curtains surrounding the bed waver and moved the rose petals about in swirls. Rose paused a moment and thought about his grandmother's story. He thought about how the beauties had got their story. He then slowly leaned in and let his lips touch Raven's.
Rose pulled away and gagged. When was the last time Raven had brushed his teeth?
An evil laugh interrupted Rose's thoughts. He spun around and found Hawthorn outlined in the window holding a broomstick. "I win."
Rose scowled, "It's not over yet, Hawthorn. I will save him."
"It's too late. And you've sealed your own death already."
"Stop thinking you will win!"
"I already have, Rose."
She held three fingers up and put them down one by one. When her index finger went down the room began to swim around Rose. "Wha-what is happening?"
Hawthorn stepped down from the window and approached Rose as he sat down hard onto the floor. "I have one. You're already dying," she took a finger and brushed it against Raven's lips, "And so is your precious boyfriend. Poison, Rose. Poison coating your boyfriend's lips. Your kiss killed you."
"There has to be a cure. I'll find it."
Hawthorn shook her head, "Our morgrifs went together quite well. Maggie is my beautiful owl much like you have your fluttering Beatrice. Arnold was turned into a dilitírio spruce which produces a horribly painful death for the consumer. You'll be dying for the next four hours, Rose. Raven's lucky. He only has two more left.
"Your morgrif was a," her eyebrows knit together, "farm-farma-farmake . . . farmakeftikós tree. The only cure for the poison of the dilitírio spruce. And we've already burned it to the ground."
"We'll find another one or another way . . ."
"Shhhh, Rose, you aren't feeling well. Don't excite yourself. Just rest. It will be over soon. A couple more moments and you will pass out and won't be able to feel a thing."
Anguish overcame Rose's face, "We-we can't be done yet. I-I never told . . . never told Raven that I-I . . . I . . . I love him."
"Touching. And you never will. Good-night, Rose. It's time for you to rest your eternal rest. Do not worry, my sweet opponent. You will rest well and I am sure you will be able to rest with your boyfriend." Her words began to fade to Rose, "Find peace six feet under. Raven will be beside you."
Hawthorn watched as Rose slumped against the bed. That was it. She had won. Nothing could save him now. Their tree was gone. Their hope was gone. She had won.
She couldn't help but smile over the boys' bodies that laid in the top of her obsidian castle in her story. She turned and looked out the window at the sun which was almost set and looked down upon Beatrice resting upon a rock awaiting for Rose or some other team mate unbeknown of that she had already lost. Hawthorn closed her eyes and let the wind flow around her.
A muffled noise from somewhere down in the castle distracted her. She left the window to investigate. She hopped upon her broom and flew down the stairs. She wouldn't need a slide after all.
She reached the obsidian room where she had left Eustis to fight Rose. She frowned as she saw him tied up with vines, "You are lucky Rose did not kill you."
Eustis laughed. It mildly creeped Hawthorn out that he looked like Raven still. "Rose couldn't kill anyone. This was probably the easiest win for the Nevers."
Hawthorn frowned even deeper. He was dimming her glory. "Be quiet while I let you loose, or I shall leave you there."
He kept his mouth shut while her finger glowed and burned at the vines. Eustis shrugged the rest off and stood up.
"Where is Corrin?"
"Probably still stranded where I last saw her."
"You didn't help her?"
"No. I came back to follow Rose to help you."
Hawthorn rubbed her temple, "Well, go get her."
"What about Rose? And Raven?"
"It's over, Eustis. We won."
Eustis blinked, "Can I see?"
Hawthorn hesitated, but then nodded and the two went up the stairs together. (He walked. Hawthorn rode her broom.)
Hawthorn opened the doors and screamed. There were no bodies in the room. "Find them!"
Eustis walked over to the petal covered bed where the imprint of Raven remained. On the pillow was a piece of paper. "Hawthorn, look at this."
Still furious, she snatched it out of his hand and read it out loud, "'Courtesy of the new guardian of the Garden of Good and Evil.'" She frowned. They weren't supposed to be dead yet.
"Do you think it's a trick?"
"I don't know. It is unlike Good to be tricky. That is our virtue."
The castle began to rumble and both Eustis's and Hawthorn's eyes widened with terror as a massive tornado snatched up the castle until the castle came crashing down into the mountains.
Hawthorn looked out into the woods as the bitter mountain air swirled around her and she grinned, "I suppose that answers the question. We're out of the forest, Eustis. It is over."
