Glaide scrunches his nose, his lip curled in disgust. I reach my hand to his shoulder and squeeze. “I'll be okay.” I whisper.
Before I reach the stage, I turn to hug Glaide and Ivy. Glaide’s embrace is especially tight and I return the same strength. When we pull away, I give them a brief smile before my throbbing lips make it falter. Glaide’s eyes water too and Ivy scrunches her brows together in concern.
A part of me is dying today. In just a few minutes, this version of me will be dead.
“Goodbye,” I whisper. Glaide sniffles and Ivy wraps her arm around his. I turn away and walk up to where Grandmother stands.
"Smile," Grandmother instructs me. "And stand straight."
I straighten up my posture, and tug my suit jacket that has white tree branches threaded all over it. Apparently, the color white and the branches symbolizes rebirth according to Glaide.
How ironic.
"Alright then,” Grandmother says. “Just stay silent and drink the cleansing serum. Things will run smoothly."
I slowly nod, my nose flaring in disgust.
“And don't even think about trying to escape it. You already know that I'm not afraid to do what it takes to get you to do this.” She strokes my neck, touching the skin still tender from her choking me.
I flinch. My body shuddering. That touch alone was a threat enough.
If it were to happen this time, she might actually kill me.
Then she would strangle Ignatia to death.
I take in a deep breath. I can't let Ignatia die. I’ve done all I can to make sure neither Grandmother and myself after the ceremony will find her. I’ve destroyed everything I’ve found about Caelestia last night. I burned every book, article and map. I’ve deleted every bit of information on my phone; every account and every ounce of data, before crushing it with a hammer and burying it in the backyard. There’s nothing from me that they could use to find Ignatia.
In the case my cleansed self does find her, I hope Glaide will keep his promise.
The only thing now is countering Grandmother’s strength. Her being a powerful Gift gives her an advantage to finding anyone. My only chance to stop that possibility is to go through the cleansing, and pray that my cooperation makes her lose interest if I can’t find Ignatia.
Grandmother grunts, still looking at my neck. “Glad you understand.”
She walks through the pink curtains before us, and I follow her onto the outside stage. The sound of millions of clapping people fills my ears. I slowly widened my eyes to look at everyone, most of them dressed in white, some with signs saying “Cleanse him!” And “End his dictatorship!” Only a few seemed to be sweet with those signs saying “Here's to Healing and Renewal!” and “We forgive you, Amias.”
So many people are here to witness my cleansing.
“Welcome, my lovely Amarians,” Grandmother announces beside me. I flinch at her louder voice. “I'm so glad you are all here to support us during this difficult time.”
I narrow my eyes at her as the crowd gets silent. Again with the victimizing.
“My dearest Amias has been in contact with the cruelest creature known to us in this kingdom.” She sighs, her head bowing sadly. “This creature had come under the guise of love and manipulated my grandson to fall for her. She had made him into a shell of who he is.”
The crowd shouts insults towards my dreamscreecher. “Baby eater!” “Monster!” “Fuck that dreamscreecher!”
I sink into my shoulders. Ignatia doesn't deserve this.
“Now, he will get a cleansing, and get a chance to start over.” She looks over to smile at me. “His mother will bring out the cleansing potion, and he will begin healing.”
My body tightens as I turn behind me to see Mother coming out from between the pale pink curtains. Her lips are curled into a frown as she nearly stumbles under her pastel dress with a rose gold goblet in her hands. Her hair is adorned with a crown of Amara flowers.
“Mother…” I whisper.
“Dove…” she murmurs with a sniffle. She holds the goblet towards me. “I'm so sorry. I don't want to do this.”
“Mother, it's okay,” I whisper, taking the goblet from her.
Mother sniffles again, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stares at the goblet. “No, it's not. I should've-” She glances towards Grandmother and flinches back. “Don't you dare!”
