~Playlist: "Irresistible" by Fall Out Boy (ft. Demi Lovato)~

"I love the way you hurt me"

Willow's POV

The door slams shut behind me as I stalk into the passageway, clutching a dripping candle in my hand. How dare that girl steal my father from me! She was supposed to be enslaved, not special.

I storm down the hidden hallway, struggling to keep down the urge to go out into the castle and find somebody. Hopefully Annabeth. Her death would absolutely kill the Prince. And her kidnapping would convince him to give me anything I want. Although it didn't work the first time, now I know what to do. Now I know how to break her.

A small chuckle emerges from the shadows. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

A knife appears in my hand with a flick of the wrist. I curse myself for being to distracted to notice another presence in the tunnel.

I point it to the source of the voice, keeping my hand and voice level. "Who are you?"

Another laugh. "I'm offended that you don't recognize me. It hasn't been that long, has it?"

A shape emerges from the darkness and steps into the light provided by my candle. The familiar crooked smile is all I need to see.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss at Finn North. "My father will kill you if he finds you here!"

"I came here to see you, sweetheart. Isn't that enough?" He tilts his head to the side, looking like a curious child.

I paste a convincing smile on my face and lower the knife. But I don't put it away. Not yet.

"Of course it is. I was just asking since my father didn't post you at the palace. You didn't... run away, did you? Did you abandon your post?"

He gives a dark chuckle. "You think I'd be that cowardly, Willow? Of course not. I came here to see you."

I raise one eyebrow coolly. "Did you now? That's sweet, but not at all true."

Finn advances towards me, his face suddenly centimeters away from my own. Stubble shows me that it's been a few days since he has shaved.

"You've always been able to see through my lies," he breathes. "I missed that about you. I've missed so many things about you."

"Do you want to know what I missed?" I whisper in his ear.

With a casual flick of my wrist, I slash the knife across his arm. Blood immediately stains his white shirt in a small line, crimson coloring appearing like spilled wine. Finn glances at it before smiling at me.

"You're eager, aren't you? Don't you have someone else to help you with that?"

"Not like you do it," I breathe, pressing my knife into his hand.

"If that's what you want."

Finn moves the knife to my throat, and delicately draws a thin line. I exhale as a liquid pools out from my neck, but it's not blood.

It's a pitch black substance, resembling tar more so than blood.

I release a low moan as my headache disappears, the ache in my bones gone. A low growl crawls from my throat, and I dig my fingernails into his arm.

Then his lips are on my own, the knife clattering to the ground as he drops it. Finn's lips cut mine like a razor as his hand moves on my back, cutting through the dress material and onto my pale skin. I lean into him, savoring the metallic smell that lingers on his neck.

"What do you want?" I ask him. "Why did you come?"

"I came for you, Willow," Finn replies, the raw honesty in his voice cutting me sharper than any blade.

"I'm a monster."

"No," he says firmly. "You're not a monster. You're much more than that."

I smile at him. "That's all I am."

Before he can respond, I hiss in pain as part of my headache returns.

"Do it," I beg. "Please."

Finn picks up the knife again, and presses it this time to my arm. But he doesn't put any pressure down.

I squeeze his arm forcefully. "Do it!"

Finally, he obliges, drawing the same inky black liquid from before.

"I can stop if you want. If it hurts."

"It will take more than you to hurt me," I growl.

Finn laughs. In response, I pull him towards me. All that remains is him in my arms, and me in his.

"Esmerelda," Finn says suddenly.

"What?"

"You asked why I came. Esmerelda is suspicious, I think. It's possible that she suspects me."

I growl. "That's not possible. Have you been playing your part?"

"Of course I have!" he exclaims indignantly.

"Then she shouldn't suspect you of anything."

Finn sighs, and plays with a lock of my hair. I swat his hand away, and he gives me a sheepish grin.

"It's not that simple, Willow. I think. . .I think she's bugged my room or something."

"Then don't relay any messages from your room! Tartarus, Finn, it isn't that complicated!"

Finn opens his mouth to retort, but quickly closes it again. "Can we. . .can we just sit in quiet and not argue? Is that too much to ask?"

"No."

We sit in a forced silence for a bit, but I can't find it in myself to enjoy it. My bones are still threatening to burst, and my skin is humming. Against my will, my nails dig into my skin.

My stomach turning, I clench my teeth and swallow the growl that threatens to crawl from my throat. I clench my eyes tight, and curl my hands into fists.

Fight it.

I bite my lip so hard that it draws blood. Then, I let my blood trickle down my chin. A hot pain pressed against my eyeballs, and I clenched them tight. It did nothing to stop the pain.

"Willow?" Finn asks uneasily. "Willow, you okay?"

I open my eyes to see his blue ones looking at me with concern. I nodded my head, but he didn't look convinced.

"Is it bad?" he presses relentlessly.

"Yes," I spit out. "Yes, it's bad. But it's always going to be bad, and it always has been bad."

"Let me help you."

I eye him uneasily for a minute. Finn looks at me with such unwavering concern that it makes my monster heart hurt. So, I pick up the fallen knife and hand it to him.

"Where?" is the only thing he says.

I extend my left arm, and show him my pale forearm.

Finn carefully presses the blade against my soft skin, drawing more of my blood. It escapes my body, and spills onto the dark floor. I sigh in relief, but it's not enough.

"More," I gasp. "I need more."

Finn looks at me like I'm crazy. "I don't want to hurt you, Willow. You can't risk losing this much blood. Besides, some of these cuts scar over, you know that. Your father hates those scars."

I laugh dryly through the hot wave of anger that crashes over me. "It's my father's fault! Why would he hate them if he made them? It's his fault. Besides, it's not blood; it's just the monster."

"Willow."

This time, Finn says my name as a warning.

"He's ashamed, isn't he?" I ask. But it's not a question that needs to be answered, not when I already know. "His only daughter the power he's chased after his entire sick and miserable life. His one wish was granted through me. How could he possibly be ashamed of me if I'm exactly what he wanted?"

The pressure in my skin is too much, now, Finn's cuts already fading. My eyes are heavy as I look at Finn with them.

Without warning, I release a scream. Shadows peel from the wall and fill up the secret corridor, surrounding Finn and I. I can see through them, but Finn, judging by his eyes frantically darting around the hallway, can't.

"Willow!" he shouts. "Stop it, Willow!"

His voice isn't loud enough to drown out the one in my head.

More, it whispers gleefully. Release more.

I instantly oblige, the shadows coming this time from me. They swirl together, different shades of darkness colliding and mixing with each other. I smile coldly as they trap a flailing victim inside, one whose name I feel I should know, but can't remember.

"Willow!" he screams. "Stop!"

More! The voice demands louder.

Without any control, darkness surges from me. I try to bring it back, but it's beyond my control.

The darkness is too heavy to penetrate, even with Daphne Fitzgerald's flames. Part of me wishes she was here so I could destroy her, so she could see how powerful I truly was.

This isn't even all your power, the voice purrs. You have so much more than this. Let him see it. Let him feel it.

"Ahh!" The boy screams. "Willow!"

Finn. That's his name. He's my friend.

"Finn?"

"Willow! Stop this!"

My knees buckle, but I stop myself before I fall. I'm exhausted, but the shadows continue to swirl.

"I can't, Finn. You have to leave!"

"Gods, don't you think I would if I could!" he shouts back at me, exasperated.

Don't help him! Kill him! He's your prey, and your his predator. End him.

I focus hard, and make a tunnel clear of shadows, one that leads straight back to the exit.

"Go!" I bark at him.

Finn hastily obliges, running away from both me and my shadows.

No! Get him!

With all my concentration and power, I let him leave. Once he's out of sight, I let the shadows have free reign again.

He ran from you. He ran from the monster.

"I am not a monster!" I shout.

The voice laughs. You are one, crazy. And you don't have to shout--I can hear you here in your head.

"Get out! Get out of my head!"

He ran away from the crazy monster. And who can blame him? Even you know how dangerous you are. You're a ticking bomb, Willow Livingston. And when you explode, you'll take out everyone close to you. Finn North has an idea of how dangerous you are, but he doesn't know the depth of it. Even after not seeing all of it, he ran. And you think that it's him who loves you.

"Stop it," I command through gritted teeth.

Even your father, who made you this way, stays away from you. He doesn't fear you, Willow: he's disgusted by you. No one expects you to be anything but a monster. Meet that expectation, and show them how monstrous you can be.

I release a scream, shadows surging from me. I scream louder than the voice, drowning out all the noise. My voice cuts through the air and shadows and secrets the palace holds.

And I pray to all the gods that everyone in the palace can hear the monster within the walls.

A/N
I needed to update and I finally did! I've felt sick for a week and I'm still injured, but who needs health when you have fictional characters? See you next time for a hopefully less dark chapter.