Devils Roses 04 - Witch

nowhere close.
    She pulled her underwear and tank off and stepped into the huge tub. Aimee sat on the toilet across from her, "I don’t have to tell you what this has done to him."
    Ophelia shook her head, "I know why Lydia told me not to meddle. She told me not to do magic."
    Aimee shook her head, "When I was changed at first. I murdered a girl in the woods outside my town. Dorian let me kill her. I thought she was a sweet innocent girl." A tear escaped her hard grey eye. She wiped it away and laughed at herself, "I knew nothing. She was a nanny to these kids and she hurt them on purpose. She was a bad woman. She would have become a serial killer possibly. Anyway Dorian snatched her and let me murder her and he let me believe she was an innocent. He did it to scare the shit out of me so I wouldn’t murder anyone else. I would remember the look on her face and never let my powers get the best of me."
    "Have you ever again?"
    Aimee shook her head, "Nope. I've only killed what deserved death. Her face haunts me."
    Ophelia shivered, "The look in Sam's eyes, it was madness. He wasn’t himself. My magic has ruined him. He was a bright beautiful person and I've ruined him."
    Aimee nodded, "You will never forget that pain Ophelia. I swam all the way to Portland the morning I murdered her. I was terrified to be with my family. I crawled from the harbor and slept amongst the homeless and disgusting garbage of the city. Lydia found me one day. She sensed me. I was starving. She used magic to hold my hands at my sides and brought me home. She locked me in a room and once a day she would unlock the door and put a bad person inside. I would kill them and then she would take them out. She did it for two months until I'd gotten to the point I could talk again. Then she forced Dorian to help me get it under control. Aleks came everyday to check on me. I killed sixty-one people in two months."
    Ophelia watched her relive the moments. Her face softened, "Everyday I imagined what it would have been like if none of it had happened. What university I would go to and what city I would live in. What my husband would look like and my kids. I imagined the Christmas holidays and lazy summers. I imagined what the girl who I murdered would have done with her life."
    Her eyes flickered at Ophelia, "There is no fixing what we are but there is learning to control it. Take the pain and make it the parameter that you never leave."
    "What am I going to do about Sam?"
    She shook her head, "We have to focus on the big stuff Ophelia. I need to rescue my sister, you need yours and we need to stop your dad. We don’t have time to worry about that right now."

Chapter Thirty-Four
    Sam

    Shame and pain battled for the top spot in his heart. He was mortified at his actions. It was hazy. His Siren side had taken over and nearly done something he would never be able to take back. He wanted nothing but to touch her and tell her he was sorry but he knew she would be terrified of him.
    He paced his bedroom at Lydia's. He flashed instantly to Giselle's. He stood outside in the woods looking at the windows.
    He felt the air stir and looked back at Oliver standing behind him.
    He lunged at him but Oliver pulled him in and hugged him. Sam felt the warmth of the embrace and collapsed. Heaving, crushing sobs shook his body.
    "I didn’t know Sam. I didn’t know." Oliver chanted, holding him tight.
    Sam felt the energy and anger rush from him as sorrow filled him up.
    He was lost in a sea of hopelessness. The emotions and loss caught up with him.
    Oliver pulled him to the ground and cradled him against his chest. Sam tried to ignore the shame he felt for crying in front of the man.
    "What are you guys doing here? Get off him."
    Aimee was on her knees shoving Oliver away and pulling Sam down into her embrace.
    "Sam, it's not your fault. She knows it's not. She knows." She whispered into his ear and ran her fingers through his hair.
    He felt himself stiffen against her, "Aimes I can't do this. I need to spend some time away from you guys. I can't do this." He looked at Oliver and nodded, "I know you didn’t know this would happen."
    Aimee stood up looking defeated, "I love you Sam."
    He felt the breakdown coming again, "I know. I love you too Aimes. I just need some space okay."
    She bit her lip and was gone in a whirl of the wind. Oliver smiled at him and followed Aimee out in a whirl of wind and color.
    He flashed home again before anyone else saw him.
    He