Chapter Ten - In My Time of Dying

Hehe, now the fun really begins! Let's get back to our darling Mina, shall we? We dwelt on Teague long enough...Okay, I'll stop trying to sound all dramatic and stuff because it is failing. Anyways, keep the title in mind!

Evx : I know, they both have such good reasons...I do have a set ship for the story (that I will not be spilling, hehe) so let's see if you guys agree or not!

Guest : Trust me, I do to! In case you guys haven't noticed, I have a writer side and a nonwriter side. My nonwriter side reads majority of my fanfictions and weeps.

"Is it safe?" That takes me by surprise, and I can see it takes Jared by surprise too. Must we always mirror reactions?

"What?"

"Is it safe to go with you?" She asks again. "Will you protect me...Like you did before?"

"Of course." He scoops her up in his arms, cradling her. "But we have to go. Now. I can't stay here, and you have to come with me."

"We're leaving now?"

"No better time than the present."

They hurry away to the castle, and I turn the mirror over on the bed so I don't have to see it. I slam my fist into the table. No! It can't be! I thought she left! I thought she was gone! This can't be my fault!

But deep down, I know it is. If I'd only checked...If I'd only looked after her better...If I hadn't given up...The blame bounces around in my head, all narrowing down to one thing. It's my fault.

Mina's POV

I stand on the deck of a ship, clutching the rails. A few days since leaving. My arm is healing...I think. There are some black cracks still on the palm, but it's not covering my arm, so that's good.

"Jared?" I ask, turning around. He's nowhere in sight. He hasn't been for awhile, and I've called for him quite a few times. I'm starting to get worried. "Jared?"

"Right here." There he is, with a mischeavious grin on his face as he crouches up in the crow's nest. He swings down, landing beside me.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I decide to try and ask again. All the other times, he's never told me, but I figure asking now might get him to tell me. There's no harm in trying.

"Oh, you know." I don't know, actually. "The human plane."

My smile of relief slides off, and I stiffen. "Jared, I can't go to the human plane!"

"I know." He just smirks, flickering slightly.

"You're going to kill me! Jared, what are you doing?"

That's when he flickers out, revealing the Grimorie. Horror fills me. "What have you done with Jared?" I cry, jumping away from her. I can see the rocks ahead. Jared mentioned them once. A large portal to the human planes.

"How did you not notice I took his place yesterday, leaving him tied in the woods? He may be untied by now, but you'll be dead before he gets here." She steps forward. "Of course, I am a good actor."

"Just leave me be! I won't bother you!"

"Foolish girl! If that's what you wanted, you should've stayed away from Jared!" She's laughing! She's crazy!

Something echoes in my head. A memory. No, not a memory. A dream!

The spinning stops after who knows how long, once again dropping me off somewhere different than my starting point. Where did I even start? I have no idea anymore. My bearings have been scattered by the wind. I can make out a forest around me, and a lake.

Before me stands a laughing figure, right by the shore. She's turned away. In fact, she looks an awful lot like the Grimorie. Fear ripples through me, tightening its grip again. "Foolish girl. You should've stayed away."

"Wha-What?"

"Now you have to die."

"No, wait, please!" I take a step back, but a root trips me, sending me flailing. That spill has me hit the ground with a terrible thud.

Now the Grimorie looms over me. It's definitely her...But then I see her eyes. Black, cat-like eyes. The image of her and the sea witch collide, melding into a monster. I scream as she grabs my wrist, pulling me closer. I'm frozen at her touch, unable to move and free myself.

"Good girl. You should know that screaming and struggling will do you no good. But what to do first?" She tilts my head up, as if she's a sculptor examining me. "Should I slit your throat? Cut off your ears? Drown you? Perhaps even plunge a dagger through your heart?"

I tremble. Whatever she's going to do will be horrible. But I never envisioned dying any of those ways! Except for possibly drowning. I imagined that a lot...Mainly whenever I had the reoccurring nightmare of drowning.

"Yesssss...Yessss, I have the perfect idea." She drags out the s like a snake, yet I still am frozen, unable to move. I must be held captive by some form of magic. But what? And how do I escape it? "You will die the same way you killed-"

Two voices hit the air in unison. The first is like a hiss, garbled, as if an animal is speaking. "-me!"

The second is the one that belongs to the Grimorie. Melodic, as if an enchantment, and happy, but with a sinister underlying aurora. "-her!"

She pulls out a dagger, and I finally manage to release a scream, before she plunges it into my stomach. I find myself falling backwards, into darkness. Coldness seeps through me, and I feel as if I'm in the water. I probably am, actually. But I should be dead. I can see specks of gold dotting my skin, twinkling like starts. It's starting to take effect.

My dream! She's going to stab me! I look into her eyes, but they aren't cat-like. Unless that's a warning about the water? Or a clue?

"Now you have to die." Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I step back, and end up going flailing over the railing, into the water.

"Foolish girl! You're going to seal your fate!" She's still grinning like a maniac as she jumps in after me.

What was I thinking? I can't swim! I begin to kick and flail, panicking. I can't swim, I haven't in ages so it makes sense I've forgotten everything, and the Grimorie is after me! She's right! I've sealed my fate!

I see her bobbing towards me, and kick, just trying to stay afloat. I'm going to die!

Her time of dying...Uh oh. This isn't good at all.

~ Dagger