Elite I1 stared distantly at the blue bunny. It was clearly treasured, the soft fabric worn with love. They had each gotten one insignificant toy when they had joined as rouges. It was a gesture that showed they made the right choice, that they would be cared for. Most got rid of them by the time they became Serpent Verts to show that they were strong and worthy, but there was no requirement to do so.
Her head pounded, and her hands shook. Blood dripped off her face, landing helplessly on the floor. She blinked, trying to clear the blood out of her eyes. Grime and sin covered every inch of her soul, and she knew that no matter how much scrubbing she was allowed, it would never come off. She cursed the dream that swallowed her sister whole. The dream that stole her reason, her mind, and let her drown in the hope that she would suppress each and every agent and become Mère's favourite. It didn't work.
Mère stood to Elite I1's right, but she did not touch her.
Elite I1 tried not to look at the body, the lifeless, cold body of someone who used to smile at mealtimes, and stare at every flower she passed. Struggling to breathe, Elite Il's stomach turned. She clenched the knife in her hand, hoping the cold metal would ground her.
But the knife, the weapon, wasn't cold. It burned in her hand, it was warm, dripping with a heartbeat, with the life that she had stolen.
Mère shook her head. "Youe were doing so well," she tsked, and very carefully wiped the blood off of Elite I1's forehead with her thumb. It was careful, and so tender, and Elite I1's chest started to shudder, "And then youe had to disappoint me." Her eyes weren't on Elite I1, but the body that laid still.
Tears threatened to expose I1's feelings, but Mère's thumb kept wiping the death off her face. "Ki marinette, don't cry. Youe don't deserve it. Save thee tears for thei masses."
Elite I1 straightened her back, shoving the squeezing feeling down. "Yes, Mère."
Patting I1's cheek a little too hard, Mère's eyes sharpened on the dead body, and then shot back to Elite I1. "She just wasn't ready to be perfect. Youe would have done well today."
Pride warmed I1's chest, and she struggled to keep it down. Bile rose in her throat; she was feeling pride when her sister was dead. She felt loved when she had killed her own sister. One she had fought with, killed with, laughed with. It was her hands that had taken her down. Her hands that committed the sin.
And yet, it was Mère's order, so shouldn't she need to be forgiven, not praised?
The way Mère looked at I1 made her feel like she was a tool, a knife in the hand of someone stronger. I1 relaxed at the notion. There were bigger things planned for her.
Mère just hummed, watching her with careful eyes. "Youe'll have to get used to it. For me."
I1 nodded. Mère smiled and crouched down, so I1 would look her in the eyes. "Youe did very well today. Iy am so proud of youe. Youe did the right thing. Elite W5 would have killed me." Mère cradled I1's head. "She was ai flawed creature, jealousy and pride riddled all over her. Youe were good today."
Mère stood up, not a hair out of place, and sighed at the mess. She gave I1 one last smile, and walked out of the room, carefully putting on flawless white gloves over her red-stained hands. She addressed the guards outside of the chamber, her voice cold. "Don't let it out until it cleans up thee mess."
The door slammed shut, and it locked, silence taking reign.
And I1 stared at the child that she had fought with eventually against. Blood had slowly stopped pouring out of her mouth, and the tears that once traced down her eyes, now only stained her face. She was frozen, forever dead. Elite I1 sighed, staring at the body, "Why did you try?"
The body didn't respond, but she knew why W5 lashed out, why she had gone against the code: W5 had wanted to be the Renegade, the top and only position under Mère. She stared at the body. "Mère always said that pride was ai flaw." Silence passed, but the body didn't say anything back, so Elite I1 sighed and started to clean.
YOU ARE READING
Target To Save
Science FictionNo one breathed. No one blinked. The only thing Ileia could hear was the sound of death. It was going to happen, There was nothing she could do except keep Kallen safe. -------- Feelings are useless, they get in the way of her job, in the way of the...
