CHAPTER 75: A God-Sent Accident

May 13

I woke up to Peater knocking on my door.

"Get up!" he yelled as he whacked me with my pillow.

That gave me a little reminder of what Ash would do when he was leader and assigned missions. I groaned as I stumbled after Peater, wiping the last wisps of sleep from my eyes. He put a leaf on my shoulder and grinned.

"Today is a turning point, Elyssia. Today is gonna be an important day for Toronto!"

I turned around and looked into his sparkling green eyes . . .

Then, next thing I knew, he pulled me into a kiss. I began to feel dizzy, like my head was gonna explode. In a good way of course., After an eternity of being glued to one another, we broke apart, smiling from ear to ear.

"You're a marvel, Elyssia. A miracle from God." Peater whispered as he tweaked my nose.

I giggled, and let him kiss me one more time, before playfully shoving him out the door. He laughed, before saying some of the most haunting words I've ever heard in my 13 years in this world.

"See you in the square . . . Madmoiselle Executioner."

Hearing those words, my stomach became a giant, twisted knot. Those words made me feel imposing. Intimidating. Big. In a very bad way.

After scrubbing my face so that I looked presentable, I put on Peater's pendant, which had somehow gotten repaired. It was the pendant that had stuck with me, even through the darkest of times. I tucked Peater's gold pin into my crystals, before deciding to look into the mirror to see how I looked. As I stared at my reflection in that looking glass, I didn't see plain old Elyssia Antonia. I saw a beautiful warrior staring back. With immense confidence, I walked out of my room, humming a little tune. As I was about to go down the stairs, I heard a sour laugh behind me.

"Hello, girl who should have been mine."

I turned around and gasped, my crystals a bright purple.

"YOU!" I screeched as I jumped up and prepared to shoot him.

But he was too quick for me. The Flaming Pea immediately pinned me to the wall.

"Calm down!" he growled.

I made desperate attempts to squirm out of his grasp, until he managed to wrap a leaf around my throat. I quickly surrendered, and decided to make do with staring into Ash's eyes.

"Elyssia . . . why did this have to happen?" he whispered.

He softened his grip on my body as he leaned in.

"Whoa . . . whoa . . . what the hell ―"

My protest was cut short as we found ourselves kissing. Instead of trying to pry myself away, I returned the kiss. After a few minutes of being glued to one another, he pulled away. I looked into his eyes and threw myself at him, letting the warm, happy, memories wrap me in a soft blanket of bliss. After softly stroking my head, Ash gently detached me from his stem.

"I . . . you shouldn't be doing this . . ." he stammered.

"You belong with Peater. Even though I'd give anything to be with you for the rest of our lives, I . . . I'm no good for you. I won't be able to take care of you. But Peater will."

With that, he walked away, his flames a mousey brown.

That day, the weather was exceptionally torrid. The sun was high in the sky, like a boiling blinding torch. As was tradition every time there was a trial or an execution, we walked through the Ontario Courts. I led the procession, my crystals sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. Ash was close behind me, his flames the same dreary shade of brown. He was flanked by Eric and Savannah who were positively glowing with happiness and pride as they followed me to Nathan Phillips Square. The square was crowded with plants from all around the city, who were dying to see me shoot an arrow at the twisted, wretched heart of the boy-plant who had worked so diligently and faithfully alongside Zomboss. The throng of plants, as well as the heat and the blinding torch that was the sun, was overwhelming and dizzying, but I kept my cool.

Ash was led to the centre of the square by plants who were draped in black, while Eric and Savannah made their way up to the platform that overlooked the majority of the square. And up there, with a face more radiant than the stars, was Savannah's great-great-great grandmother, Madra Magia Dionne. On her face, there was a dark shadow of worry, and her eyes had a slight warning glimmer to them. She seemed to be praying.

For me. For us.

Savannah had more than a sisterly grasp around Eric's middle as he looked around at the rabble of plants that were gathered in the square.

"Today we witness the death of one of the greatest threats to Toronto. Ash Phobius Lethus shall take his last breath as a devil and as a troublemaker, courtesy of the radiant magical leaves of our hero, Elyssia Antonia Maccabaeus.

Lies, lies, lies. Empty, crappy lies.

The spectators of the execution whooped, whistled and hollered. I distinctly heard Peater yell through the thunderous applause, "That's my girl! That's my beautiful gift of God!"

I blushed as I silently waved back at him. Eric, meanwhile, continued prattling on with his empty speech.

"And now, let us say the Peace Prayer."

Dear God,

This was has dealt its ugly cards

And left our hearts quite broken.

Up in the sky, the lovely stars

Are mere souls of the fallen.

Help us find peace where we are

And avoid all these losses.

For we have all these nasty scars

And bear too many crosses.

Amen.

While they recited this prayer, I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and started saying my own prayer to ask God for an answer.

Dear God,

Help me . . . please! I . . . I've decided I don't wanna kill Ash. He's just a lost soul who can't find his damn way, damn it! Please . . . don't let this be the answer . . . please . . . help me . . .

When I reopened my eyes, things just seemed much less threatening. Madra was smiling, as if to say, "God's help is on the way, lassie."

"Any last words, Ash?" Eric asked pointedly as he patted Savannah's shoulder.

Ash sucked in a deep breath.

"I . . . I didn't wanna leave this life without Elyssia knowing that I love her, okay? She's still the same wonderful girl-plant inside, no matter how many terrible things she's done. I . . . wouldn't blame God if he sent me plummeting straight down into the flames of hell after the way I marred her poor soul. I ask for forgiveness from Him and from Elyssia." He sobbed.

"And though this is the first and last time I'll say it, Elyssia . . . I love you, here and now. I'm not just throwing it around for sympathy . . . I just . . . I love you."

My eyes were filled with tears at this point, and I willed myself not to let them spill. I looked into Eric's cold, steely, gray-green eyes, and caught a whiff of his bright blue rose. I began to feel like I was drowning in a sea of regret, dread and doubt. But then, I flashed back to last evening, when Peater whispered into my ear.

"God is watching out for you, and so am I."

Then, I could feel him hugging me as he sent me a telepath.

"Elyssia . . . It's gonna be okay, love. I'm right here . . . just gimme a shout if yo need me. I'm watching out for you . . ."

Although he wasn't hugging me for real, I could feel his arms wrapping me in their security. I felt the spark of courage deep inside of me being reborn. Then, I knew exactly what I had to do.

I raised my right leaf and started swirling it round and round in a circle, until an imposing, silvery-blue arrow of ice was produced. I aimed my arrow at Ash's wounded hear . . .

Then, all time slowed down.

Now, in a perfect world, I would've shot Ash and got it over with, but allow me to relay the reality . . .

As my eyes pierced into Eric's, the arrow deflected upwards, like God had yanked it up towards the heavens. The next few seconds were a blur of screams and whiteness. What actually happened, ha, only God is the witness for all I know! All I remember was that Eric was looking smug and triumphant as the arrow whistled towards Ash's heart. And then, when the arrow switched direction and started sailing upwards, he looked alarmed. Then, there was that flash of light and the ear-splitting screams.

Finally, it all ended with Eric flopped over on that platform, dead.