The Daemon's Poison

I don't remember much of what happened after I lost myself. I faded in and out, almost like a dream, but I still caught some things. Lyon carrying me back, Kari shouting at him to hold me down, Jayde and Zierra's muffled and worried voices from behind a door, then nothing for what seemed like a long time. When I finally woke up I was in my room, and I wasn't alone, Zierra sat in a chair she had drug from my desk. She was asleep and a book lay awkwardly in her lap.

I wonder how long she's been here. I thought and sat up as mild panic coursed through me. Goddess how much did she see? I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "I really didn't want her to see me like this."

"You should be resting," My head snapped up to see her awake and smiling. "Your wound is still healing and I don't want to be the one to tell Kari you ripped the stitches she gave you."

I ripped my blankets off and lifted my shirt, finding a piece of gauze taped to my side. "I won't rip anything," I assured her and pulled the bandage off, revealing a completely healed scar. "See?"

Zierra awed and leaned forward to inspect the new addition to my body. "It's only been a few days. How did this heal so fast?"

"Kari has always been an excellent healer," which was true but the reality of it was that I simply healed faster than others. "You said it's been a few days?"

She nodded. "Five to be exact. Kari only just permitted me to see you yesterday. I haven't left since."

My face flushed. "That's very kind of you."

She frowned. "I don't know what happened out there Sapphyre. They wouldn't let me help but I could hear you, your screams, they were agonizing. And not just for me but for Jayde as well. He thought you were dying."

"Getting stabbed tends to hurt," I tried to laugh about it, glad that she didn't actually see me when they brought me in, "but I'm a lot harder to take out than that."

"You weren't just stabbed. I saw the remedy Kari made when I tried to offer my help. It's the same treatment my people use for those effected by henbane, people who've gone berserk on it. And judging from the clashing I heard on the other side of this door, it sounds very much like you had henbane poisoning."

I stared at my hands for a moment. "I know you wanted to help, but I didn't want to risk hurting you or Jayde. Lyon and Kari have dealt with this before, it's not the first time I've been poisoned, so they knew what to do. Besides, look!" I jumped out of bed, making her squeal in worry. "I'm fine, see?"

"But you almost weren't. Henbane can be deadly, you could have died!"

I shrugged. "Then I would have died."

In a sudden motion her hand flew across my face and I held my stinging cheek in shock as she stood, shaking, in front of me. "Your life isn't something to be reckless with!"

I must have touched a nerve. I wasn't angry, shocked and a little concerned at her outburst, but not angry. "Death is a part of my job Zierra," I sighed and sat back down on the bed, deciding not to ask why she slapped me. She stood for a moment longer but eventually sat next to me. "I see it more than I hope anyone has to in their lifetime and I'm the cause of most of the death I see."

"That doesn't mean you should have such little regard for your own life."

"I'm not a good person Zierra, my life is about killing people. They're bad people, sure, but they're still people they have friends and family. I turn people in widows or orphans. Good people don't do that. I'm not looking to die but it isn't a huge loss if I did. My life isn't something to care about."

"You think you're a monster," her green eyes searched mine with an intensity that made me feel vulnerable. Her anger, gone, was now replaced with concern.

You still kill humans, little sister, the only difference is now you get paid for it.

Vivian's words stung my mind as I managed to tear my eyes from Zierra. "Who else does the things I do?"

"Do you think Lyon is a monster?"

"What? No!"

"Why not? He's an assassin too isn't he?"

"Yes but our circumstances are different."

"Different how?"

"I was a monster before I was an assassin," my voice was quiet but it still shook. "The work I do now is saintly compared to what I used to do, who I used to be."

"Sapphyre do you know what your reputation as an assassin is?"

"The Mistress of Death?"

She chuckled. "No, that's just who you're known as, a failed attempt to hide your identity. You're seen as an assassin with a heart."

"And how do you know that?"

"You'll be amazed what one can learn in five days," she winked. "You kill people sure, and you think that makes you monster, but in killing those people you save countless others. Gods you saved Jayde from being forced into slavery and in getting rid of that woman you saved countless other children who could have fallen victim to her. Monsters don't save people, Sapphyre, but you do. I don't know who you used to be in your past but it's not you now."

"I'm scared it's who I'll turn back into," my jaw hurt from clenching it so tight.

"Think I'd let that happen?"

Our heads snapped to the door where we found Lyon leaning against it. He barely got out of the way in time as two blurs darted by him. Shade planted himself at my feet and rested his head in my lap, whining in worry, and Jayde jumped behind me on the bed and wrapped his arms around my neck.

"You're awake!" He cried. "We were so worried you wouldn't wake up!"

I reached behind me and messed up his hair. "You worry too much kid! Best assassin in the country remember? It'll take more than a stab wound to keep me down for good."

"Not to break up this touching reunion but I need to talk to the boss lady for a second," Lyon motioned for them to leave.

Jayde hopped down and waved as he left, Shade following at his heels. I huffed. "Well I feel replaced."

Zierra stood and looked reluctant to leave. She stopped in the door frame and looked over her shoulder at me. "For the record, Sapphyre, I care."

I smiled and it wasn't until Lyon closed the door behind him and sat in the chair across from me did I let my face fall. "How bad was it?"

"Saph we don't have to talk about-"

"How bad was it?" I snapped at him.

He sighed and lifted up his shirt, revealing a new set of claw marks down his chest. Claw marks from me. I suddenly felt cold and couldn't breathe. With a yell my fist connected to my wall, breaking the skin on my knuckles.

"It's not as bad as it looks really," he tried to assure me. "Kari has been taking good care of me."

"Why didn't you do it," my voice broke.

"Sapphyre I never said I woul-"

"Why didn't you kill me?!"