Alchemy of Love

“Simon,” her sweet voice called to me like the strings of a harp being plucked. I went to her side and took her hands in mine as I studied her pale drawn face. Dark red streaks marred her beautiful skin and her veins bulged on her arms, black bruises outlining each one. “I want you to make me a promise.” her every breath was a wheeze. Tearing myself from my work had been almost impossible, but I’d do anything for her. Anything for my sweet April. “What is it, love?” I questioned as I stared into her eyes.  “When I’m gone-” I held up a hand interrupting her. “No, we already agreed. We will have none of that negative talk. You’re not going anywhere. I’m going to find a cure and you’re going to get better. You promised me." Her beautiful blue eyes narrowed on me and she glared. “It’s time you stop pretending, Simon. I’m not going to get any better.” She coughed the action shaking her tiny frame. "I don't want to suffer anymore, Simon, and more importantly, I don't want you to suffer." The hand not supporting hers clenched and my overgrown fingernails sliced into my fleshy palms. I didn’t care, I would cut off an entire limb for my beloved. “You promised me we wouldn’t talk about this. You promised, April. You said you trusted me, remember?” She let my hand go and her head sunk back into the fluffy pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. “Simon,” her voice was softer now, the sparkle that had been there a moment before was gone. This voice I hated, it made my eyes water. This soulless voice that wanted to accept defeat. “Simon, look at me.” “April, please don’t do this,” I whispered as a giant’s fist clenched around my heart and started to squeeze. “Please, don’t make me.” “Simon,” she whispered again and with a strangled sob I leaned against her chest. She ran a hand through my hair and hummed to calm me down. I couldn’t help it, I started to sob. My hot tears soaked through her thin nightgown but she didn’t stop trying to comfort me. All of this was backwards I should be trying to make her feel better not her take care of me yet again. “April,” I whispered and tried to rise up. She clucked her tongue at me and pushed my head back down holding me in place until I settled. She smiled down at me and stroked my hair again as she started to sing. Her voice was raspy from everything she had gone through but it was still the most beautiful sound in the world to me. “Simon, listen to me, and don’t interrupt.” With a choked sob I nodded. “When I’m gone I want you to remember our good times. Don’t remember me like this, and I don’t want you to stay sad forever. Promise me you’ll find a way to go on and that you’ll smile again. You have the most amazing smile, it lights up your entire face.” She stopped talking as coughs racked her small frame. She put a fist to her mouth and scarlet blood splattered her skin. “Simon, I love you,” she whispered through coughing fits. I held her to me as tight as I could as her blood pooled onto my shirt. Nothing mattered to me but every breath that escaped her lips. “Don’t leave me,” I whispered close to her ear. Even with her lips so bright with red she smiled at me and leaned forward until our foreheads touched and she stared into my eyes. “Simon,” she whispered as she put a hand on my heart. Her coughing had stopped but each breath she took was raspy and labored, each more so than the last. She closed her eyes as she pressed against me. I kissed her cheeks as I used to and her lips pulled up in a smile. “Thank you.” As the words left her lips she gave one last shaky breath and went still in my arms. I stayed like that cradling her to my chest until her skin started to turn cold and I gently tucked her back into bed. I would make other arrangements later for what else could I do? I stalked back to my work table where all the charts and plans I had written so meticulously lay scattered all over the surface. With one hand I threw them all off until the table was bare and empty once more. I smirked at the symbology and shook my head. One of the papers I had scattered floated down by my shoe and I leaned down to pick it up. All the research notes I had taken down were worthless now, I couldn’t save her. I glanced over at her spot in the room and my gut clenched as a fire kindled inside. No, I had worked too hard to give up now. True, to bring someone back from the dead was forbidden, and finding out what I needed would be no simple task, but I wasn’t about to give up on April. I picked up another crumpled paper and straightened out the creases as I studied the mythical being sketched on its surface. A fairy had started this whole mess and I had a premonition that a fairy would be the answer to solving it.