Stark's Deadly Daughter (S.P.N.D. Book 4)

Chapter 16: I Kill a Possibly Magical Plant, And That's the Least of It

***

We once again found ourselves on the landing of the stairs, overlooking where we walked through. Hylla led us back down and deeper into the spa. Annabeth is beside me, still in amazement at our surroundings.

I unconsciously reach my hand out to the plant box lining the path, running my hand along the edge of a leaf. Before my eyes, it seems to die at my touch, spreading from my fingers to the rest of the plant. I pull away quickly and let out a quiet gasp.

The leaf is now brown and dry, as if a single touch of mine could turn it to dust.

I froze, realizing what I had done.

"What the..." I begin, turning to Annabeth. After a moment she realizes that I am not walking with her, she looks for me. We make eye contact and she shakes her head as if coming to her senses.

Did I just do that? Did I just kill that plant with a touch?

My friend looks between me and the plant, not making the connection. She just thinks that the dead plant was out of place, but not that I caused it to die.

Hylla realizes that we both stopped following her, and gives us questioning looks. My eyes flick to the plant before I could stop, and she looks between me and the plant, having an idea of what happened.

"We'll get you some gloves, dear." Hylla tells me, earning a confused glance from Annabeth. "Let's keep going."

***

We enter a room almost as grand as C.C.'s.

One of the ladies sits me in front of a large mirror. She begins to undo my messy braid, though there isn't much of it left. I wince and she brushes it, getting the larger knots out.

"Let's start by washing your hair, then we'll get you changed." She tells me, looking at my reflection in the mirror. "How does that sound?"

Before I answer Hylla comes back with a pair of white gloves in her hands. "Sienna, these are for Lillian."

The girl who stood behind me- Sienna -looked between her and I, but just took the gloves without questioning it. She set them in front of me, but didn't put them on yet.

Instead she finished with my hair, taking the rubber band and placing them on the table. Sienna washed and straightened my hair, taking stands of a gold material and tying it in with small braids before putting my hair in one main braid.

She applied a light layer of makeup to my face, and I resisted the urge to push her away.

"What do you think?" she asked, spinning me in the chair to face the mirror.

"Wow," I breathe. "I look..."

"Beautiful," she finishes, and I nod in agreement.

***

When she was done, I was dressed in a sleeveless dress. It was like C.C.'s, only mine was the same whaite as the streak in my hair. Annabeth was dressed the same, hair braided with the same gold as mine. It was strange to see Annabeth in makeup, because I never thought it was something I would see.

Sienna had covered up the scar on my forearm from Pitch, because the gloves only covered half of it.

I sat beside Annabeth in the spa as she got her nails painted. The place was so relaxing, I could have sworn I dozed off for a few minutes. 

***

Eventually we went back to see C.C. We waited outside her room for a moment, but Annabeth was the one to speak up. "Miss C.C.?"