The sky was overcast as August made her way down the hill, towards the field. She rode on Kirin’s back as the breeze played with her hair and her griffin’s feathers. It felt almost welcoming, but for August, she took it as a means to prepare. The wind sent a chill through her, but reminded her to breathe. She needed to do this. Arabelle had gone too far.
A valley gaped below her. August could see the large white snake coiling in the grass, likely around the length of a small house’s perimeter. Its rider sat relaxed on top of the snake’s spine, holding a long wooden staff. Her golden braid was draped over her shoulder, shining in the late morning sun. As August approached, she could see a smile spread across the rider’s face.
“It’s good to see you again,” she called out.
“Is it?” August called back.
“Yes. I like when I get to see you, even if you apparently hate me and everything I’m trying to do.”
August felt Kirin tense up as they came near the giant white snake. “You’re here early,” she remarked. “This is like back when we were dating.”
“Oh? You have a point.”
They fell silent. A breeze swept through the field again. For months they had done this in such an organized, planned way, that it really did feel like dating. August sighed. She missed those days, before everything went wrong.
“I think I would like you to be yourself again, Arabelle. Then I could say I like it when I get to see you, too.”
“Ugh, this again?” Arabelle scoffed. “Spare me.”
“Really? You’ve killed so many. I know you’re not the kind of person who’d do that. You’re sick, Arabe—”
“Can you stop?” She snapped. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve had enough. You’ll never understand that I’m trying to build a new life for us.”
August’s heart sank. She always tried to reason with her, even though she knew it would never work. She directed Kirin to step back. They stared at each other, and Arabelle quickly raised her staff. August felt the air around her grow frighteningly hot, so she and Kirin rushed forward, flying to the other witch. Behind them, the air was split and exploded, propelling them forward even faster. Small thorns burst all over August’s skin, and she attacked Arabelle with a full hug, the thorns digging into her and drawing blood. Her lover cried out, and as she tried to move August away from her, they both slid off of the snake’s body and fell towards the ground below. Kirin was able to catch August on his back, and Arabelle used the rising air to slow her fall. As Kirin dropped August off in the grass, she retracted her thorns and stood across from Arabelle.
She opened her mouth and screamed. She poured out her anguish and desperation, pulling it from her throat as the piercing sound echoed through the field in a superhuman display. Arabelle fell back, plugging her ears as well as she could. Soon, August couldn’t scream any longer, and the other witch immediately stood up and let go of her ears. She had lost the staff, so she raised her hand to her arm, bloodied from the thorns, then made a sweeping motion, spraying blood that boiled with heat onto August. She hissed in pain, bringing her arms up to shield her face. Arabelle then made to close the distance between them, but August inhaled and raised her head to scream again.
“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? STOP. PLEASE.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. Her voice wobbled, but she managed to keep the scream up. Arabelle fell back again, holding her ears in pain. August coughed. “I… I’m sorry.” She stumbled over to her, shaking from the sizzling blood on her skin.
Arabelle was crouched on the ground, hands holding each side of her hanging head. “You don’t… understand,” she growled. “You’ll never understand.”
August stood over her, panting. She gritted her teeth and bent down, going to grab her shoulders. “I think I do. But you’re worth more to me than immortality.”
Her old lover glanced up at her, but August struggled to recognize what she was seeing. Arabelle’s eyes were wide, far away. Did she even hear what August had said? She let out a breath and raised a hand, preparing to strike.
Arabelle was faster. She kicked August in the knees, knocking her down. Stunned for a moment, she could only extend the thorns from her skin as Arabelle stood over her now, holding out a hand and causing the dried blood spatter on August to sizzle and burn once more.
There was nothing superhuman about the way she cried out. The thorns retracted, giving Arabelle the chance to throw an old fashioned punch to her gut. The other witch was prepared in spite of the pain, rolling over to block the strike with her back. The blow still caused her to grunt and lose her shielding position. She was shaking, the blood spatter on her still steaming as Arabelle went in for another hit to the chest.
She couldn’t block it this time. August let out a pained sound and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shield herself as her lost love bent over and grabbed her tightly.
She opened her eyes, and the two shared eye contact. Arabelle’s face was bloodied and red, her russet eyes hard as diamonds yet quivering with madness. August looked back, her eyes filled with grief and pain, pleading for an end to all this. Then, a burning flash shot through her body, emanating from Arabelle’s hands. She groaned.
“Arabelle…” she rasped. “Please…”
Something in the russet eyes of the other witch shifted. Her mouth parted, her brow upturned. “August…? Wait, wait— what? August!”
August could feel the blood rushing to her head, the hum in her flesh as her body temperature soared. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. “Heh… I still love you. Are you… yourself again?”
Arabelle’s eyes filled with tears as well. “Why… why, why?” She shook her head, her hands shaking as she set her old lover down on the ground. “Why did I— why did you— you’re so warm. You’re so warm. Oh, August…”
She could barely move, but managed a teary eyed smile. “I’m just glad I got to see you be yourself again.” She was also glad when the numbness replaced the pain.
Arabelle felt her throat close up as she quickly took her lover’s hands in hers. “No… I love you, August. No, please…”
August squeezed the other’s hand, a weakened gesture of reassurance and farewell. The numbnesnts crept through her limbs and reached into her torso, making her body stiffen. Her hand went limp as her vision began to blur.
Arabelle bent down to touch their foreheads together. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
August managed the faintest smile.
Her vision went black.
When she saw August’s eyes lose the light in them, when she felt her body go limp, something in Arabelle snapped.
“August?” Her hand reached to caress her lover’s face. She couldn’t breathe.
What had she done?