I opened my eyes to a smell I was all too familiar with. The smell of sweet jasmine tickled my nose and it made me almost cry. Light green eyes hovered above me. Looking right into my lavender orbs.
"You're awake. That's really good," he says smiling.He was small no taller than 5' 5" and he smelled of ginger. His pink locks cascaded to the floor and fell around his petite body.
"Primrose, don't bother the patient too much." a gentle soft-spoken voice said.
I looked up to be met with the duo toned crimson and golden eyes of my childhood friend Valerian, or as I called him, Willow. His periwinkle locks perfectly framed his face.
"Willow, is that really you?" I am almost amazed. "You're supposed to be dead."
"Quite the contrary, dear Datura. It's nice to see you. You look well…"
I envelope him in a hug as a wave of pain tears through me. He caresses the back of my head. Tears run down my cheeks as the pain worsens but my grip around him tightens.
"Let it all out. You feel so much pain. What is wrong?" he asks, pulling away to look me in my eyes. He lifted my chin up to meet his gaze as it only made things worse for me as a flood of tears came down.
"Betrayal? Who betrayed you to hurt you so?" He asks, caressing my cheek.
"I feel emotions. I don't mind read Datura."
"Mother and Mandrake. I'm going to die, " I explained.
" Here you stand alive. Here you stand untouched. You're going to be okay. The hell spawn specifically asked for your sparing. Here he is, go thank him, "he said pointing behind me.
I turned around to be met with the same gentle red eyes from before. Chains cascaded from his legs and feet and he had long claws I hadn't noticed before. His green hair was messy and his coat hung to the ground.
" It's good to see you well, "he says in a cold voice."
"I told any of the other hell spawns if they feasted upon your flesh I'd kill them and that I wanted to save you for myself. "
Fear shook me yet again as he gazed into my eyes.
" I'm not eating you," he says laughing." You should see the look on your face right now. Tell your sister Mandrake this is payment for saving my life when you return home. I will escort you myself if I must," he says offering his arm.
"I would like to see Mandrake as well," Willow says, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the hell spawn.
"Dionaea, stop staring at her. It's obviously freaking her out. Read the room if you will," Willow says as I instantly relax with my hand in his.
"It's not my fault she gets nervous easily. Mandrake talks about just you. I thought you'd be a little more like your sister in person."
"Mandrake is strong and fierce in battle. I haven't ever been able to train in battle like her. And we've met before," I explain.
"Tell me about it. I have an older brother and he gets sent on every campaign and I'm stuck healing on the back lines with Master Valerian." The pink haired fae says interrupting.
"Stuck? Didn't you beg your father to let me teach you?"
"Yes, but I begged him to let Commander Vervain teach me first and he said no," he explains.
"My younger brother would chew you up and spit you out young Primrose. He's quite the opposite of me," Willow explains.
"What? Tansy is a shy crybaby," I say laughing.
"Obe has changed him a lot and not for the better. He's not the same anymore. He's a cruel commander and his betrothed has only sped up the process. If you do see him, don't look him in the eyes. He hates half breeds-"
"And Hellspawns. He spit in my face a day or two ago."
"Hell spawns like yourself destroyed our home.Your kind are the reason we lost everything," I explain.
"Dionaea was born here. He's not your traditional hellspawn you think of. His loyalty lies here. He still has trouble even eating to survive," Willow explains.
"Thanks for telling her I'm the weakest hellspawn. Half breeds upset my stomach and we haven't taken any fae captives to feed me in a thousand years. I'm starving," he admits.
"So you would have never eaten me anyway?" I ask.
"Never no. Ogre is gross and their skin is tough," he explains cringing at the sound of it.
"How do you survive?"
"Blood. I drink it like smoothies. I'm almost ravenous at this point," he explains rubbing his stomach.
"Ogres were traditionally cannibals. Maybe that's why we taste so bad," I explain.
"Wait does that mean you've eaten another ogre? That's so cool," Primrose says, looking at me with sparkling eyes.
"No traditionally. I grew up around blessed beings and other fae half breeds," I say.
"That already sounds more interesting than here," he says.
"Datura, let's go ahead and get you home. Before dark. Primrose here will talk your ear off," Willow says giggling.
Primrose looks down almost sad.
"Sorry for wasting your time. You should get home safely. Your family is probably worried sick. Please forgive me for my intrusion," Primrose says, bowing and walking away almost disappointed.
Willow and Dionaea begin to walk me through a labyrinth of stone walls.
"Where are we?" I ask as I look at the high carved ceilings.
"The castle. Dionaea and I are Overseers and I'm also a high healer. Those are just fancy titles for being the king's slaves," he explains.
"Willow, you aren't a slave so stop calling yourself one. You don't wear chains and you aren't tortured daily either. You also don't have to sneak out to do things. You're a valued advisor and you know it. Me on the other hand…"
Dionaea gestures to the cuffs and chains that hang from his legs and arms.
"Why don't you break those? I'm sure a hell spawn can."
"Last time I did, I did something I regretted. These help hold my powers and help Oberon control me," he explains.
"You're the most fae-like hellspawn I've ever met."
"I'm half. My mother is a Sundew fae. Was a Sundew fae. My father is well...a demon."
"You sound like Venus from the epic of The Blood Prince," I say giggling. "The one that goes Beauty in Cruety…"
"The children's story lullaby. Those aren't real. I don't think they are at least." Venus says looking down.
"In some versions, Venus killed our people. But I feel that to be untrue. I didn't sense any halfling magic that day," Willow trails on.
As we turn a corner, we see a bright red haired fae. She's plump and the king walks next to her. Willow grabs me and covers my mouth as he hides.
"Oh Dionaea is that you? I want to go to war soon. I need plans on my desk in the morning."
"As you wish, your majesty," Dionaea says.
"I will also need my shoes cleaned and my robes as well. I need to look well for when I announce to the kingdom we are invading Rene Alari and Neptdore. Neptdore, first."
"Why Rene Alari? That is where your trusted advisor Willow is from."
"If they can produce Willow and Tansy imagine what other things they are hiding. We take all their gold and children and scorch their land. It'll be easier than the genocide of the Deadnettle," the king explains.
I gasp looking up to Willow as he nods confirming what the king said.
"Now hellspawn, bow before me and my wife so that we may step on you."
We see them walk by us as Willow rushes to Dionaea who lays on the floor.
"I don't see why you let him ridicule you. You deserve so much more," Willow says, caressing his cheek."Why do you feel-"
"Don't touch me," Dionaea says, removing his hand. "I told you not to feel my emotions without my permission. Do it again and I'll break your fingers," he finished shoving Willow into a wall so hard he knocked the breath out of him.
"He's just really hungry and I don't think my blood is sufficing him as much.Or anyone's blood. He needs to eat a fae heart. He is literally starving. I'd be that cranky too if I hadn't eaten in a thousand years. Let's get you home Datura," Willow says, giving me a gentle smile patting my hand. "Bombing should be over."
"You don't seem to be scared of him at all."
"Dion isn't scary. He has no intention of hurting us. I know he'd never hurt me ever. Of all the people in this castle I trust the hell spawn the most. Insane I know. Once you come into this castle, you realize all the squeaky clean images of everyone here is just a facade. Everyone is rotten and it's rare to meet someone as genuine as Dion."
"Geeze, you sound like you're in love with him," I tease.
He blushes letting go of my hand looking away.
"Does it really, I didn't mean to come off that way. I was just praising Master Dionaea simply, you see. He's helped me so much since I came here."
"Willow, I was just teasing you. If you do like him, I see why. He's the protector of Nylian," I say, elbowing him as he hides his face blushing.
"Master Dionaea doesn't want me the way I want him," he says, looking down with a sad expression.
"Have you even ever told him?"
"I could never. My mother wouldn't approve. The sacred tree would never approve two male faes. Plus I have a girlfriend."
"Damn the sacred practices. They're ancient for a reason. Old antiquated practices shouldn't stop you from pursuing someone you truly love. I have never seen you look at anyone the way you look at him. Don't settle for someone you think your mother would approve of. Be with the person that makes you the happiest in the world"
"To be fair, the last time you saw me I was 10 and you were 8," he says.
"Still. My point still stands." He laughs at me.
We make it out of the palace gates. Willow holding my hand guiding me. As we leave, we pass a guard with dark purple hair and green eyes. He cuts his eyes to look at me. Staring me down as I look back.
"Don't let Amaranth scare you. He looks at all people he's never seen before like that. It's nothing new."
We make it back to my family's shack in lower Obe, knocking on the door as Willow stands in front of me.
Mandrake opens the door. Tears dried on her cheeks. Willow moves to the side to reveal I'm okay as Mandrake hugs me immediately. Squeezing me.
"Mother! Mother!" Mandrake calls as mother runs toward us.
"Master Dionaea also told me to tell you his debt is paid," Willow says, relaying the message.
"Tell him thank you."
My mother cries holding me.
"Willow," my mother says, bringing him into the hug.
"I'm so happy you're okay," my mother keeps saying.
Our happiness didn't last for long as a group of soldiers came marching up to our house.
"Your sacrifice wasn't received." A girl with black hair explains.
Willow walks in front of us.
"They were exempt. Master Dionaea said ogre flesh was too rough to eat in the first place," Willow explains.
"Willow, I don't want your weak excuses. Those creatures will eat anything. I'm sure Dionaea threatened them. Move over or my sword will impale you as well," the soldier says.
"Over my dead body Lady Iris," Willow says, standing in front of us.
"You're so self righteous. It's annoying and hot all at the same time. I can arrange a sword through you, if that's what you're into," she says, winking at him. "We can't play right now, but later I'll impale you over and over again with as many swords as you like."
"Iris, please stop flirting with me. It makes me uncomfortable when you go this far in front of my friends," he explains.
She blushes.
"Sorry Valerian. I'll not be so bold next time. Back to the execution. Move over honey buns," she motions Willow away.
"I can't do that. I will not. I've lost so many others that were dear to me , I refuse to lose anyone else."
"Babycakes, I'm just doing my job. You don't move over and I have to get the big scary mean guards to move you and I don't want to have to beat the shit out of one of them for hurting you," she explains.
"Stand down, or I won't make you dinner when you come home tonight," he says, pouting.
It was like we were witnessing a lovers quarrel in the middle of them arguing over my execution.
"Willow, stop acting like this, you're embarrassing me in front of my subordinates," she yells.
"And you're trying to kill one of my dearest friends. I think I will win this one, Lady Iris. Just get lost," He yells.
She flips over him stabbing towards me as Willow hops in front of the blade and she stabs straight through his shoulder. He bites his lip to the point it's bleeding using me for support.
"Willow," she says, quickly laying him down on the ground.
"Did you just stab me?" he asks.
"Baby, I didn't know you'd move so quickly. Please forgive me," she pleads, removing the blade."Get me my potions bag quickly, hottie down!" she yells at the soldiers.
"I'm so not talking to you for like a month," he says, looking away from her. The blood from his shoulder quickly stains his white robes as Iris silently weeps to herself.
Willow sits up.
"Let something like that happen again after I've said what I said to you and this relationship is over. Everything here is about communication. I poured my heart out to you and you ignored me," he says cupping her face."Next time listen, hun."
"Reporting back to King Oberon that she's still alive could get me stripped of rank. I just became captain," she says.
"I know. And you're great at it. Just tell him I intervened okay. Tell him the truth," he explains to her.
"I'm guessing this is your girlfriend," I say, breaking up the moment.
"Yes. How rude of me. Iris, these are my childhood best friends Datura and Mandrake and This is their mother."
We wave to her awkwardly.
"When we were younger, we thought WIllow was going to marry a tree," Mandrake says awkwardly.
"I have heard that before from his friend Dionaea," she says. "It's nice to meet someone dear to my lovely Willow."
"It's getting pretty late and we have to get our afternoon run in. Okay bye," I say, grabbing Mandrake and running off.
"That was the most awkward thing I've ever experienced in my life and I have walked in on male comrades peeing into each other's mouths."
"What?" I say.
"Nothing," Mandrake quickly says.
"Your comrades are weird."
"The military does stuff to you," she says laughing.
As we walk through the streets I feel eyes on us. I grab my sister's hand speeding up and we make it to an opening of grass. Trash littered the ground and stone buildings surrounded it. From a dark shadow, red eyes stared back at us. As the wind blew the shadow's smoke away, there stood Dionaea with 4 other smoky figures behind him each with two red glowing orbs looking at us.
"Take another step and lose some teeth," Mandrake says, putting a knife to his throat immediately.
"The Bishop of the Damned herself in the flesh. You live up to said reputation," he says.
"So you already know I'll pick each tooth out one by one and make you swallow them then," she says, not backing down.
"You think your torture techniques scare me? Hellspawns wrote the book on torturing creatures. I'm here as a courtesy."
"Wait, I know this voice? Master Dionaea is that you?"
"I know I've never shown myself to you, but I think it was best you didn't know I was a hellspawn when I trained you. People tend not to listen to me when they know. After all I am a demon," he explains.
"What do you want?" Mandrake asks menacingly.
"I've come to warn my greatest pupil. King Oberon will be coming for you and you will possibly lose everything you love, including your sister. You must remain strong through all of it."
"Why should we even trust you?"
"I may be a demon, but even demons care greatly for their students. You have 2 weeks time at most to prepare. I'll give you all the help I can give you. The other hell spawns will be helping, but they rather keep their identities a secret. They live as normal faes they want to keep it that way," he explains.
"What can we do against Oberon?" I ask.
"It feels like nothing, but I will see that you all keep your lives. In one hellspawn's visions, he sees death and smells blood close to Mandrake. So I fear for you both. Don't take this lightly. Stay alert, and we will be watching."
Dionaea and the puffs of smoke disappear into the wind quickly. My sister and I look at each other with panic stricken expressions.
"Who are you? Who are you really?" I yell into the air.
"A shadow of my former self," he replies In the wind.