𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 - 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬

forty two | i will have my revenge

-FORTY TWO-

Laurel's head snapped to the side, an an expression of utmost horror and anger came over her features. Juniper's already aching body now had an added stinging pain where her knuckles were red and bruised. She heard Thing skittering away, and noticed Kelpie prowling behind Laurel, his long sabre teeth bared in rage.

"You...you took everyone from me," snarled Juniper, using nature magic to split the tiled ground of the conservatory to grow vines that snaked around Laurel's ankles, pinning her in place.

"You used my trust," the dryad growled, her true form slowly growing on her as she balled her fist and punched Laurel again. "You used me."

The woman's jaw was bruised, and she nearly lost balance as another blow landed on her.

"You killed my best friend," Juniper leapt at her and slammed her down on the ground, letting the vines slither away. "And you killed the person who was like a mother to me."

Laurel screamed as Juniper dug her claws into the woman's chest, her now-green eyes glowing with pure, white-hot fury.

"So I am going to make you pay," whispered the dryad, slowly dragging her claws downwards, ripping the woman's shirt open and making strips of blood bloom on her chest.

The screams of agony were music to Juniper's ears, and a small smile took over her features as she dug her claws in deeper.

"You don't get a quick death, you little bitch," laughed the dryad coldly, pulling her claws out of the woman. She traced the tips down Laurel's arms, a crazed and feral look in her eye. "How should I kill you? Slit your throat like Lyssa's? Poison you with nightshade like Weems?"

"You...you will never find anyone who cared for you like me," growled the woman, glaring at her.

"Please," scoffed Juniper. "Don't lie to yourself. You never cared for me. All those days I stayed at your house, those endless nature walks, every game of chess we played, each moment we sat together in that little reading nook of yours, studying flower theory for hours on end, it was all so you could earn my trust...and so you could achieve whatever twisted little goal your convoluted mind had," the dryad dug her claws far into Laurel's forearms, barely missing her main vein. "I've got enough blood on my hands as is. Weems', Santiago's, Lyssa's. One more won't make a difference."

"You can't do it," said the woman, breathing heavily and wincing as she felt the stabbing pain of wood splintering in her tender skin from Juniper's claws. "You'll die of the guilt and shame."

The dryad barked a laugh humourlessly. "Oh you idiot," she pulled her sweater collar down, revealing her pale skin, almost grey like a corpse's. Where there should've been flowers were patches of what looked like dry bark. "I'm already dying."

Laurel's eyes went wide, and she gasped, "June Bug, I—" Juniper pulled her claws out of the woman's arm and plunged them back into the scratches down Laurel's abdomen, glaring fiercely. The woman cried out in pain and corrected herself, "Juniper, I'm so sorry, I didn't know!"

"Of course you didn't," said the dryad, laughing coldly. "Murderers never think before they speak."

"All this because Larissa's dead?" Laughed Laurel. "What was she to you anyway?"