Just One Drop

Chapter 22- The Execution

Felicia's POV

Awake. Asleep. Awake. Asleep. Awake. Asleep. Repeat. A never-ending cycle. If someone had asked, I couldn't have told them if three hours had passed or three weeks. As the evening rolled around, I thought about 10 hours would be most accurate, but it was of course only an estimate.

It was a few minutes after my latest repitition of the cycle that I came to the realisation that my body would not sleep again. And a few minutes after that realisation, the doctor came. She looked extraordinarily somber now, for obvious reasons, I supposed.

"It's time," she said.

When I didn't respond, she sighed. She brushed one of her dark locks out of her face and pushed her spectacles even higher up the bridge of her nose. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Please."

I looked up at her and nodded. I was ready.

Braith's POV

The moment I had been dreading all day was finally here. I would never see Felicia again after today. Never ever ever. The thought pained me.

Everything was set up. Now I simply awaited her arrival.

Both Edmund and Morina had advised my against it strongly, but it was the only way I could be free. Truly free from... From whatever we had.

I passively wondered what was taking so long. Was she struggling? Or did she simply have that unwavering air of slow, unfeeling calm about her? That terrible calm, disguising all the pain that had been inflicted upon her. That I had inflicted upon her.

I didn't know. I hated not knowing.

I sent a message telepathically to the doctor, asking when Felicia would be ready.

'Give me ten minutes,' the doctor replied.

Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes. What was I going to do with all that time? Immediately, I knew. I knew exactly the person I had to go to. She would put my mind at ease, at least for a little while.

I stood up from my chair -my 'brooding' chair as Chloe laughingly called it- and made my way to her room quickly. I knocked carefully. There was no response.

"Imogen!" I called.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," a muffled voice said.

The door opened and a sleepy Imogen stood there, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She smiled at me sweetly.

"Hey there!" she laughed. "What's all this about?"

"I just... Wanna talk to you."

I explained my intentions to her, and she frowned.

"Are you sure this is..." she began, before abruptly cutting off her sentence. "Actually, you know what? This is your decision. I have no right to make it for you. Make the decision you think is best."

"But Imogen, I just- I can't, I... I'm not strong enough. What if I can't let go? What if-"

She cut me off with a hard and determined glare. In another situation, I might've chuckled. She looked so cute trying to boss me about. But this was far too serious. I nodded at her.

"Braith, listen. This is your call. No one can make this decision but you. But always remember that you are capable of anything and everything you set your mind to. And no matter your choice, you will never be alone. You will have me; me, and the rest of our family. And once you've set everything back on track, you'll have an entire kingdom on your side. Now go. You have a hard choice ahead of you."

I smiled. The wisest words do truly come from the smallest mouths.

Felicia's POV

When we finally arrived, Master was sitting in a chair looking rather... Thoughtful. He looked up, hearing our footsteps, and brushed a lock of hair out of his face.

I looked down at the ground rather than meeting his eyes, disguising my own eyes, which were brimming with tears. I wasn't upset that I was dying or that my life had sucked or that I'd never even had the chance to find love. For I was not despairing over my hardships, but rather dreaming myself away to the rare happy times that had occurred in my life. And it had occurred to me that I'd never had the chance to say goodbye to Tristan and Maddie. And I never would have.

The doctor took her leave, leaving just Master and I in the dark, dark room. Suddenly, he stood up.

"Come," he commanded.

I obeyed.

He brought us down, far down into the basement. We moved past the punishment room, further down the dark hall. Even down here everything was decorated lavishly, with fancy paintings and such randomly placed here and there. It didn't brighten my mood.

We entered another dark room. This one was rather bare, with only a chair in the middle to furnish it. There was a small lamp hanging above the chair, only just lighting up the area slightly.

"Sit," he commanded.

I obeyed. He continued standing, pacing around me in uneven circles. Though I had many questions, I didn't dare speak. Suddenly, he stopped. His dark eyes bored into mine with a cold determination, but I felt like I was seeing a cover-up for some pretty powerful emotions. Or I was just imagining things.

"Are you ready?" he asked coldly.

When I didn't respond, he hardened his gaze even further and leaned forward slightly.

"Are you ready?" he repeated.

I nodded slowly, subtly at first, then more obviously. I couldn't meet his eyes. He nodded.

"Good."

Then everything went black.