Mother’s mouth dropped open as she took in the blood covering me. “Wha-what happened?” She stuttered. “Have you finally come home to me?”
I cackled and threw my head back, then turned to see Jax’s hands balled by his sides, glaring daggers at mother.
“Actually, yes. I thought to myself, it's been a long time since I caught up with Mother. I wonder how she’s fairing.” I threw her onto the floor with my magic, then slipped the athame dagger from her waist, always ready just in case I was stupid enough to come home.
“You're looking a little peaky mother. How long has it been since you've had my blood?”
She sneered, but whimpered as I pointed the weapon at her. “Unholy Shit! I think I see some wrinkles!” I gasped, then waved the dagger over her face and body. “Honestly, you're looking a bit old.”
Mother shrieked and she went to stand up, but Jax placed a boot on her chest. Fuck. I really do love him.
I channeled my inky void through the dagger, then gripped my hair. In one swift movement, I slashed through the golden mass cleanly, then dropped the heavy weight onto her stomach. My equilibrium shifted and I stumbled. So heavy was the literal weight of my thick, blonde hair that I had to learn how to balance without it.
Jax caught my waist before I could fall, then pressed his boot harder onto my mother’s chest. She coughed and wheezed as she fought to breathe.
“How could you Rapunzel?” she yelled, thrashing beneath Jax’s hold. “All of that magic going to waste! Why? You should've given it to me! Why did you waste it?”
“Given it to you?” I scoffed. “You took everything from me, and all I did was give and give. Any morsel of love you thought you showed was just pure manipulation. I lived with guilt,” I poked a finger against my chest, “every damn day. And for what? So you could be young and beautiful.” I inhaled sharply. “Your fucking despicable, and now you’ll rot within these walls just as you deserve.
I leaned down, then whispered close to her ear, “Goodbye, Mother. I hope the King of Demons himself tortures you for all eternity.”
Blood sprayed against my face as I brought the anime dagger down, swiftly slicing it through her throat. The dagger was so sharp it nearly severed her head completely. Warm drops splattered against hands and arms. She had drunk so much of my blood over the years that I could taste my magic in it.
My lips pulled back and I growled deeply before stabbing the dagger into her chest over and over. I had to make sure the bitch was actually dead.
Jax gently gripped my shoulders and pulled me up, then backed us away from her rapidly decomposing corpse. I panted into his chest as we watched with morbid delight. The flesh of her face had already turned a mottled gray and wrinkles rapidly formed on her face before the skin sloughed off and plopped on the floor, revealing muscle and a yellowed skull beneath.
I laughed. “She rotted in this house just as I said she would,” I said, then beamed at Jax, and something within me screamed in victory.
“It's over,” he said, then kissed my bloody cheek. “Let's get the fuck out of here, pet.”
I walked through the door for the final time without a backward glance, then whipped my magic toward the stove, turned the gas burners on high, then ignited the flame.
