Chapter #10: The King Of Death

"I… said… GET OUT!!!!!!" I gasp, pouring the entire bottle of holy water over Quinn's face. Barbas screams in anguish, black smoke, as well as some type of thick liquid looking like tar, seeps out of Quinn's pores and mouth, staining his skin. He lets go of my throat and I crawl away, gasping for air desperately as I rub my bruised neck. He continues to roar in a fit of rage, kicking over the table and throwing chairs so hard across the room that they break on the walls, leaving the paint chipped, even cracking the foundation in certain areas. I catch my breath while he blindly rampages and approaches Rory, who's still balling his eyes out. I search around for anything useful, eyes landing on the altar once again, where I spot a chain necklace with a cross of Jesus on it.

"You little shit!!! When I get my hands on you again, you're dead!!!" Barbas roars in fury, his foot kicking Rory's leg. "There you are!!!" Quinn grabs Rory by the ankle and twists hard, ripping the entire bottom half of the leg off at the knee. Rory shrieks hysterically as blood gushes from the severed limb, slicking the hardwood floor with crimson. Quinn lifts the removed leg, and brings it down hard, beating him with it.

"Quinn!!! Please, I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry!!!" Rory pleads with the demon. Barbas doesn't like his groveling, and wastes no time caving his skull in with the severed limb, until his head is mashed into a pile of brain matter, bone fragments, and a lone eyeball staring out at me. Sean screams, drawing the demon's attention. I make a run for the altar and grab the cross off of it. I turn around to find Sean sprinting for the back of the house, slamming a door shut and locking it. Leaving just my possessed brother and I in the room, who glowers at me behind the smoke, now finally dissipating.

"Looks like it's just us now Fay. Nowhere left to run, and no more weapons for you to hide behind," Barbas grins menacingly. I glance over to the board, wondering if I close it now, will that help, or just make it worse by trapping him here with us. He follows my gaze and scoffs. "That won't help you. It'll just make you look like a fool while I rip your body to shreds!"

"You shall not touch him again!!!" Aina shouts, shoving her hands inside of Quinn's chest. For a moment, I see her almost drag out the demon's spirit, only for it to slash her across the face, and knock her back against the wall beside me so vigorously the entire house shakes, and the ceiling cracks in half. Aina lets out a deafening wail, and crumples to the ground, the scratches on her face oozing golden ichor. I hold her up and shake her a few times, finally getting her to wake up. "Run, little one… I cannot go with you… I will only slow you down…"

"You're the only one who's ever really looked out for me, I'm not leavin' you behind. I would've died when I was a kid if you hadn't saved me over and over," I tell her, lifting her up and hurrying to the far side of the house.

"Where are you going?! Do you really think you can run from me you little shit?!" Barbas yells. Using Quinn, he waves his hand to the side, shoving all the objects in his path away. I flit to the closest open door and slam it shut, locking it. We're in Rowena's bedroom, full of weird gothic shit. I toss Aina on the bed and grab a dresser, knocking it over in front of the door just in time as Quinn beats against the door. He tries to shove it back telekinetically, but I hold strong, flexing all of my muscles to keep the demon out. The shaking stops, and I let myself slide down, tired and panting. "Fay? Open the door Fay, it's me. He's gone. I don't know what happened, but he's gone!"

"How fuckin' dumb do you think I am you motherfucker?" I retort as I haul over a bookshelf and let it tumble onto the dresser for added support.

"Dumb enough to think that you can hide from me in there!!" Barbas calls out.

"Fay, you cannot stay here with me… you need to leave while you still can." Aina says weakly, her face and neck glossy. "I am too weak. I cannot fight or assist you, even against Deirdre now… You will be truly alone in this fight…"

"That's fine with me… I'm not gonna let him get us now."

"Please… Fay, I beg you, leave me and run from him. He is the demon of fear. Even the most powerful spirits and deities fear him. You cannot force him out now that he has chosen a host."

"Just you watch…" I tell her as I grip the chained cross. Before I can get another word out, the wall beside me begins to crack. Before understanding what's going on, Quinn breaks into the room and grabs onto me while I'm disoriented, wrapping both hands around my neck as he slams me against the wall.

"There we go! Now, why don't you show me how frightened you truly are Fay. Let the tears stream down from your tired eyes," Barbas grins, his eyes glowing bright yellow.

"Hahahahaha!"

"What's so funny Fay? Have I driven you to insanity?" 

"No… you're just stupid enough to think you can scare me wearing that face, when all you're really doin' is pissing me the fuck off… Now… Get… Out… Of… My… Brother…" I gasp, slapping the crossing against his temple and holding it there. Barbas screams in pain, his grip slipping instantly. I press it harder against him, until his mouth opens as wide as it can go, and he drops to his knees. I shove the chained crucifix inside his mouth and clamp his mouth shut, pushing him against the ground and holding him there as black smoke begins rising from his ears and nose.

"What are you doing?! Run!!" Aina shouts, still immobile on the bed. I ignore her.

"Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name," I begin, Quinn's eyes growing wide and flashing yellow once more as he thrashes against me, trying to throw me off. I throw all of my body weight against him, holding his mouth shut with both hands and locking my legs around his. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven… Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation…"

Before I can finish, Sean stumbles into the hall, stopping at the breached makeshift doorway Quinn had made in the wall, as he wobbles almost drunkenly. I become distracted, glancing back to find Sean had jabbed scissors into his eyes, a blade sunken diagonally inside of each gooey globe. While I'm distracted by my cousin's mutilation, Quinn bucks me off and smacks the fuck out of me so that I land directly beside Aina. He spits the crucifix out at me in disgust and begins to vomit thick black sludge as he stumbles out of the room. Recovering from the massive blow, I glance down to notice that he had hit me so hard that my shin is actually cracked in half, part of the ivory sticking out through my skin and pant leg. While the shock does its job to numb the pain, it also leaves me a bit dumbfounded, until I hear Sean.

"Help me… Fay… make it stop…" he mutters slowly, in a slurred manner. I gawk at him, noticing that he is much worse off than I initially was aware. His hands and bare feet now both have the markings of the stigmata, his head bleeds from a row of barbed wire he shoved on himself. His back is torn up, as though something had whipped him 200 times over, leaving no skin, only shredded flesh and ripped tendons. His chest, now shirtless, has the words "Help Me" sliced on it too many times to count, looking like a strange tribal tattoo. All of his toes are cut off, and as for his fingers, all the meat is stripped off, leaving only boney digits that can't do much but flop around. He continues to call out for me desperately as I watch on in horror.

"He must have tried to escape from a window to get outside. Deirdre did this to him, just as she murdered his sister," Aina remarks as I glance back, spotting the witch licking at the window, leaving nasty blood smears that spell out my name. I shudder in revulsion, surprised that the witch is honestly somehow more terrifying than the demon of fear with her intricate torture methods, most of which were probably enacted on her before she was crucified. If she wasn't such a bitch, I would feel bad for her honestly.

"Fay… Fay, where are you… please help me… please make it stop… make the pain stop…" he begs. Searching for me wildly, he stumbles as he tries to listen for me, unbalanced by the lack of sight and toes, balancing on the balls of his heels. I hold my tongue, not wishing to go near him, and pick up the chained cross as quietly as I can. It's horrifying to witness, even if Sean is the same piece of shit who had thrown me to the demon just a second ago. "Fay… Fay-"

"Just die already!!!" Barbas yells in frustration, grabbing Sean's head with both hands and twisting violently, turning the head around 180 degrees, his neck making a sickening crackling SNAP and turning a blackish purple instantly. Sean tumbles backward onto the hardwood, his back and face smashing into the ground so hard that the scissors jam themselves in fully, bursting out of the back of his head and spouting crimson against the white walls. I grimace at the sight and try to back up as Quinn approaches. "Who the fuck do you think you are, Fay? Do you honestly think you can exercise ME from this host? Even the pope himself would struggle to force me out! HAHAHA!!! You small minded worm, how much power do you think you have?"

"That's the same thing I wonder about you. Why do you think you have any power over me?" I retort angrily.

"Because I wield true power, something you could never even begin to comprehend, but you… You have nothing but objects and futile words to help you cling to life. You have no power over me. And… I can smell your fear," Barbas seethes, inching closer.

"Heh! You don't scare me."

This causes the demon to halt, a perplexed glare fixed upon his glowering brow. It studies me for a minute, but all I can see is my brother making a screwed up face at me. I chuckle again.

"Yeah dumbass, you can't scare me. Not wearing that skin."

"Just because I wear this skin does not mean I am any weaker. If anything, I am more powerful with the use of a vessel. By all means, after all you've seen me do, you should be pissing your pants right now," I just scoff and laugh at him, hoping to draw him in again. It doesn't work, he waits for an answer.

"My brother doesn't scare me. He never has, so you chose the wrong host."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, let's change that then…" Barbas sneers, bending Quinn over as he begins to vomit forcefully, so much so that he might be shredding his esophagus to a bloody raw mess, black tar seeping from his lips to the floor before he falls back, collapsing against the wall, staring at me wildly, pale and weak. 

"Run… Fay… RUN…" he manages to get out before the tar quivers and takes form, back to its original horrendous form. I stumble back, but running isn't an option anymore with how my leg is broken and torn now. Before I have time to prepare, it leaps at me, sinking into my skin. Gradually, I begin to lose control of my own body, starting from the feet and moving its way up, until I become trapped in my own mind, all the worst fears I've ever faced or imagined flooding my every waking moment, a millisecond stretching on to infinity as I try to regain control, only to have my soul fed deep down, into the heart of the Abyss.

"Now you will know true fear, as I rip apart the only family member you have left with your own hands, and have fun with that pretty little redhead, all while you watch," Barbas says with my voice, eyes fixated on the wounded and helpless Aina and Quinn.

"No…" I say as my body dances towards them. I can feel the sickening anticipation of the demon's bloodlust coursing through my mind, wrapping itself around my consciousness, trying to wrestle it into submission while I continue to fight for control over my body. My hand stretches towards them when I hear Aina's voice scream out.

"You are a King, Fay! A KING!!! Do not let this be your downfall!!! You are the last of the royal Savage bloodline!!! It is why I have watched over this family for centuries!!! And you are the last to hold the title of the True King! The last to hold sensitivity towards spirits, to hold some power over them!!! YOU ARE A KING!!! NOW TAKE CONTROL AND ACT LIKE ONE!!!!" she screams desperately, inching away from my possessed body.

"Your desperation is appeasing, if perhaps even a bit arousing, but you shouldn't lie to the boy and give him false hope. And to go so far as to say he's a king, no less… that's just a straight out lie," Barbas picks up Quinn and caresses his face, drawing his hand back and gripping his jaw tight, tensing as he readies my body to tear my brother's lower jaw off.

"No, stop now… Stop! I SAID STOP!!!" I command, and my body freezes, fingers slowly loosening enough for Quinn to struggle away. He glances to my side, spotting the chained cross I had dropped when Barbas forced his way into my mind.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!!! I WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU LOVE!!!" Barbas yells through my clenched mouth and grinding teeth.

"You will not touch them. KNEEL!" I demand, my words coming out through my own mouth now. A battle ensues inside of my body as I feel my skin begin to burn and my blood boil over. I blink a few times, seeing only red as blood leaks from my eyes. "You motherfucker… I SAID KNEEL!!!" My body trembles, and my legs buckle until I fall hard, hearing a sickening thud, probably my kneecap breaking as well.

"No matter what little hint of power you think you have now, you won't be able to push me out. I will kill you, Fay, and I will make sure to drag you back to hell with me, so you can suffer for eternity with the rest of your useless bloodline!!! You are doomed, no matter what you do!" Barbas growls defiantly as blood seeps from my mouth. Quinn hurries over to the cross, snatching it up and smacking it against my forehead hard. I scream out with Barbas as we feel the burn of the metal against my skin, thick black blood leaking off of the area. It takes all my will to keep my body still as Barbas tries to strangle Quinn, my entire body beginning to tremble from the effort.

"Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," Quinn begins the prayer. I catch on and begin to chant with him through strained effort. "Hail Mary… Mother of God… Pray for us sinners now… And at the hour of our Death… Amen!"

"The hour of your death is here!" Barbas hollars, enraged at the sudden turn of events, no doubt in disbelief that he not only has become overpowered by a mere human, even if just barely, and is at the mercy of my will, so long as I can hold strong. I feel a twinge of pain and my vision goes black for a few seconds, the world spinning around me. "I already have you Fay, you are MINE!!! NOW PREPARE YOURSELF FOR HELL!!!"

I fall back as the convulsions begin, my head slamming itself hard against the ground, my teeth grinding together as froth pushes itself through my bared lips, leaking to the floor. My body, tight, rigid, and trembling as I seize uncontrollably, the cross remaining stuck to my forehead while Quinn watches fearfully, unsure of what to do or how to help. After three minutes of the atrocious convulsions, I feel my body tense up worse than before, and my back begins to strain as it arches up in the air until it won't bend anymore.

"I will break you, and nobody can save you this time!!!" Barbas screams out, laughing triumphantly in my skull. A series of flashed images float before my eyes, images of me that I've never experienced before, with people I've never seen before. It's all so fast that it's nearly blinding, as I try to keep my back from snapping in two, right before the final flash lingers in my mind. It's of me, looking not much older than I am now, with longer hair, surrounded by five people I've never seen before, as well as Quinn, lying either hurt or dead on the snow covered ground. In my arms, is Aina's severed head, her purple eyes gazing back at me lifelessly. I start screaming, the demon chuckling at my anguish. "Yes, cry out at the events you cannot change!!! Your biggest fear is what will come to pass, so I have shown you! Welcome to your future, Savage King! You will bring about the destruction of your kind! YOU ARE THE KING OF DEATH!"

FUCK YOU, YOU GODDAMN DEMON!!!

"Our Father… Who art in Heaven… Hallowed be thy name… Thy Kingdom Come… Thy will be done… On earth… As it is in Heaven… Give us this day… Our daily bread… And forgive us our trespasses… As we forgive those who trespass against us… And lead us not into temptation… BUT DELIVER US… FROM EVIL!!!" I manage to roar out, shaking the foundation of the house as the remaining windows burst outward, swirling gusts of wind howling into this horrid house. As the windows burst open, dozens of crows fly through the house , cawwing menacingly as they watch on intently, as if encouraging me, their cries turning into a chanting mantra as I fight for control. "NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BODY AND GO BACK TO HELL DEMON!!!!!"

My body flops to the floor with a harsh smack as I turn to the side, feeling incredibly sick. I spew up the black ooze, a thick stream of it seeping from my lips onto the ground. Once it stops pouring out of me, it jiggles in place for but a moment, before absorbing back into the earth, leaving this realm once and for all. Before it's completely gone, Barbas' voice echoes into the room, speaking directly to me.

"Enjoy your minor victory, human. It is the only one you will ever have over me. When next we meet, after you have brought death to all of your species, you will become my pet, and I will torture you for eons for all the shame you have brought upon me and my name… Count your days, Savage King, for I am inevitable… I WILL BE YOUR END…"

"Fuck you, asshole… You'll never see me again," I groan as I slide over to the wall, prying the metal cross from my forehead and dropping it to the floor. "Fucking demon piece of shit…"

"Is it gone?" Quinn asks tentatively, his voice trembling with fear and his mouth still tense from where I'd grabbed him, no doubt hurt in some way or another. I nod, trying to stand, only to cry out in pain, crumpling back against the ground. "Hold on, here, grab onto me." Quinn mumbles as he helps me up, lifting my arm over his shoulders to support my weight.

"How do you feel?" I ask him as we head over to the doorway, but he just shakes his head. Not good, apparently. Suddenly we hear pounding on the door, startling the both of us. We stop, unsure of what could possibly be waiting for us next.

"Police!!! We have a noise complaint filed against you!" we hear the first officer shout out, shining his light through the house.

"We needa go in, look at all the broken windows man! And I think I can see bodies inside! And what the fuck is up with all these birds?!? I've never seen crows act like this!" the second officer responds. There's a silence as they shine lights around the front room, spotting Rowena and Rory's mutilated bodies hidden amongst the flock.

"Call for backup, I'm gonna head inside to see if anyone else needs help!" the first officer responds, but the second stops him, saying they need to wait for backup at this point.

"Quinn, get us to the board. We needa close the portal!" I whisper, and we slowly head into the family room (directly next to the living room) making sure to avoid their peering lights and any loose glass that can give away our position and draw attention to us. Quinn leans me against the wall and says goodbye with the planchet, the dark energy of the house disappearing instantly, and makes his way back to me, leading us back into the room. "Aina, is it safe to go outside? Is Deirdre still waiting for us?"

"No, she vanished the minute you banished Barbas… It seems as if she has given up on harming the two of you, at least for now," she responds as she comes near me, wiping away the ichor on her cheek with her sleeve, the golden blood staining the green dress in a disturbingly beautiful way. "We can leave now. It is safe to approach the constables if you wish."

"Help… HELP!" I call out hoarsely, and the biggest crow in the house comes over and sits on my shoulder, peering into my eyes. As it rests on me, all the other crows land as well, an eerie silence filling the house before the two officers come rushing into the house, weapons drawn, finding the both of us slumped in the corner of Rowena's room, bloodied and busted up, but still alive. As they approach us, the crow on my shoulder shouts out "KING!", followed by the others in and around the house, startling the officers so much the freeze in place, unsure of what to do. And with that, the murder of crows take flight, hovering above the house, shout that word over and over again until there's a crowd outside.

"What the actual fuck is goin' on?!! There was already that shit with the cult upstate not too long ago, and now we have this shit happening? Is the world goin' crazy?!!" The first officer mutters before helping us up. As we're moved, the flock follows, and the crowd begins to record the strange events.

They take us to the back of their cruiser, locking us up until the paramedics arrive to take the both of us away. I get my leg fixed up, and my knees looked at, which luckily aren't broken, just bruised beyond compare. They bandaged the back of my head which was leaking blood. Three of my ribs have been broken, and during the convulsions I had cracked four of my molars which I need to see a dentist about since I can't chew much of anything at the moment. Quinn's jaw was broken during the skirmish with Barbas when he was controlling me, which resulted in him having to get his jaw wired shut after a minor surgery to fix it unfortunately, but we're both just happy to be alive honestly.

The police initially believed we were the ones who had murdered everyone, especially with the crow incident, and the fucked up part is that they weren't necessarily wrong, but by the luck of the Irish (I guess? Or maybe it was God?), they couldn't register our fingerprints to any of our cousins' bodies after we had been possessed, letting Quinn off the hook. We both ended up saying that Rory had brought one of his friend's over and that his friend had been the one who murdered them and hurt us. We sounded convincing enough for them to let us go at least, though they have been keeping a close eye on us, still not completely sure of our story with how everything was splayed out at the scene of the crime. We've been in the hospital for a week now, both of us laid up in the same room, with a murder of crows constantly waiting outside of our window, tapping at the glass to come inside. Quinn has been in shock ever since, still appalled by everything that went down, both at the house and afterward.

What we didn't know was that after Deirdre had left the house, in a fit of rage (as Aina had described) she went to each of our other family members that were still left alive, and murdered every single one of them within one hour. As far as we know, we are the only surviving Heirs to the Savage bloodline. This also helped the police disregard us as suspects, labeling us as victims and leaving us with a security guard outside our door at all times. Aina hasn't left my side since the whole Ouija board incident, no doubt guarding me from Deirdre's attempts on my life. She is fully healed now, no scars where the demon scratched her, and her presence is back to being as powerful as before, which is welcoming to see.

"How are you feeling Fay? Are you still in pain?" Aina asks as she walks to the side of the hospital bed, concern furrowing her brow.

"No, the pain medicine they gave me has been doin' wonders, thankfully… I was just thinking about… everything… Tell me, Aina… Did you always know? About me? About what I could do? About my heritage?" I ask honestly. She nods slowly, almost unsurely, not meeting my eyes.

"Yes, to an extent. Yet I never imagined you would be able to wield the power so greatly, Fay. If I had, I would have helped you confront Deirdre years ago to save your family from such suffering. You have to understand, before you, there was 99 other descendants who could interact with spirits. And of those 99, 97 of them could only see and speak to spirits. And none of them, until you, had influence over animals. I knew you were different Fay, but I didn't know you could wield your bloodline's power so perfectly."

"Who were the other two that could use this power?"

"One was the original Savage King, a cruel man who used his power to manipulate and force everyone to do his bidding at the command of his voice. He was the one who burned Dierdre at the stake, the one who brought this curse upon your bloodline. And the other, was your great grandfather," she explains and I nod slowly. It's a lot to process, but sounds pretty accurate. 

I never met my great granddad, but from what I was told he was a great man. During World War II, my grandfather was the captain of his platoon, and had only ever lost one of his unit due to an aerial bombing. He was also one of the men who had liberated the Dachau Concentration camp, one of the oldest and most horrific of the slave camps, right behind Achuwitz. From what I understand, Dierdre was the one who killed him, about five years after he returned from the war.

"I am sorry Fay, if I had known sooner, you could've avoided so much hardship and heartbreak…"

"Hey," I say, grabbing her hand to draw her attention. She finally looks at me. "I don't blame you for anything. Even if I did have this power to ward spirits off, it probably wouldn't've made a difference as a kid. I can barely get a grasp on it now as an adult. Thank you, Aina. You're still always here for me, even when I don't know how to make it up to you."

"You should not feel that way about me Fay, you are my friend, and I always will be here, just as you will always be my King," she says with a smile.

"I don't wanna be your King though, I just wanna be your friend."

"Who is to say that you cannot be both?" she counters, still smiling slyly with a wink. I let out a small sigh and give up on it, knowing she won't change her mind either way. Then her smile fades quickly as a snarl forms on her pretty face, her head turning toward the window, even though we're on the 7th floor of the hospital building. I follow her gaze to spot Deirdre hovering outside. The witch drifts inside of the room, attempting to come close. Aina glides in front of me, blocking her path. "What do you want, Witch?"

"I mean no harm. I simply wish to speak with the boy," the witch admits, holding her hands up submissively. Aina remains unmoving, her guard up fully.

"And why should I believe you now, of all times? You are a deceiver, Deirdre, as well as a murderer, continuing your rampaging campaign of violence for generations for no true reason aside from feeling bitter about your own unjust passing, only to force the same injustice upon other innocents!" Aina retorts with a scoff.

"It's fine, let me talk to her." 

Aina gives me another look, but moves aside so that the witch can approach. She snickers as she moves closer.

"Well boy, it looks like it's time for me to finally move on. I would've liked to have taken you and your brother as well to truly end this bloodline, but I don't see that ever happening. And with how you were both forced to grow up, it would be like forcing the same punishment I had endured onto you both after you have already suffered so much. So, I will be letting go of my revenge against your bloodline. You won't need to worry about me coming after your children or descendants. You can finally live that peaceful life you always dreamed of Fay," she tells me, her eyeless sockets peering down into my soul as she smiles sickeningly.

"Have you even released all of the souls of my family that you sent to Hell?"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me about that…" she murmurs, focusing for a few tensely silent moments before she smiles again. "Okay, they're free now. Those that belonged in Heaven are now there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will take my leave."

"No. You will tell me the truth. are my family's souls at rest and no longer in hell?" I order, as she's forced to halt her pace, her head slowly shifting toward me.

"Yes," she seethes through clenched teeth. 

"Good. Thank you for that," I sigh with relief, before steeling my gaze and staring deep into the Abyss that is Dierdre's eyes. "Now, You will go to Hell to burn, just as you did to my bloodline for centuries, Deirdre. And you will remain there until all life ceases to exist in the universe."

"You dare try to curse me?! After I have the decency of sparing your worthless lives?!?! YOU DARE?!!!" she shrieks, her face contorting to an uncanny look of hatred. 

"You will burn, Deirdre, just as you did on that cross. For all the misfortune you have caused, this is your punishment. You will never be at peace. For all the wrong you have done, all the innocent lives you have taken, Witch… I STRIP YOU OF YOUR POWER. Now, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!" I command as she wails in anger and fear, her spirit melting on the spot, through the floor as it begins its descent to the fiery pits of Hell. Aina stares with a mix of satisfaction and disbelief, before turning towards me with a pleasant smile.

"It seems I do not need to look after you as carefully as I once did either, little one," she remarks with a teasing smirk. 

"Well, I definitely wouldn't mind it if you did. I love it when you're around, though I do wish you wouldn't follow me into the bathroom anymore," I admit.

"I do not see the harm in it. It is not like I have not seen everything anyway," she says with a much broader smirk. I just chuckle and lie my head back against the pillow. "Are you going to rest now Fay?" 

"Yeah, it always drains me to banish anything. This happened with the demon as well. Normal commands are fine, but to condemn someone takes everything out of me," I respond, clutching her hand as she begins to move away. "Stay with me, okay?"

"Of course," Aina says, as I begin to drift off to sleep, her smile comforting me. She bends over low, kissing my forehead. "I will always remain at my King's side, Fay."

For the first time in 17 years, I'll be able to sleep easy, knowing that all the drama, all this bullshit to do with the family curse is finally done with, and that Quinn and I no longer have anything horrifying left to worry over. We can finally just live our lives, and live normally for a change, whatever the fuck that means. But for what it's worth, I'm ecstatic about this change in our lives, and how something is actually going to be moving forward for the better in our lives for once. The only way to go now is forward, and that's all I want right now. 

As my eyes begin to slowly shut, with Aina's face lingering on my mind as I feel the heaviness of slumber creeping in on me, I have just one thing that hangs on my mind, causing a small smirk on my tired face. 

All Hail The King…