Lips Red As Blood

42 |

The banquet is gorgeous. As in, jaw-drop-eyes-widening gorgeous. 

Chandeliers drip from the ceiling, sending clean-cut diamonds sprinkling through the air. A table is set in the middle of the room, overflowing with food and mouthwatering scents. Next to it, a gilded cage hangs, filled with roses that look like blood-colored petals. 

Cora frowns, scanning the banquet. There is no one sitting in the seats or walking around — just beautiful useless objects that stand in place. "Where is everyone?" Cora asks in a hushed murmur. "Yuna went in, so how come she's not here?" 

"Maybe she's using the restroom," Asher whispers. When Cora raises an eyebrow, he protests. "What? It could be possible, you know." 

The sound of footsteps resounds against the floor, slow and mocking. Cora spins around, tensing slightly, ready for an attack. 

Instead, a boy with whiskey-brown curls and too-bright blue eyes approaches them, giving them a slow applause. Dalton's dimples materialize, as he regards them with satisfaction. "Well done," he says with a mysterious grin. "I'm glad you two won." 

Cora relaxes. "Thanks," she says before glancing pointedly at the banquet. "But where is everyone? I thought there'd be more people than this." 

Dalton casually trails to the chair in the very front, lounging in the seat. It seems unlike the cold and stiff demeanor he carried earlier, and for some reason, Cora feels wary. "Well, one of the guests is currently on her way," Dalton replies, tracing his fingers over the marble armrest. "Another one is arriving soon. The Yuna girl is facing the same fate as her brother, so she's not here. And..." Dalton peers up. "Two of them are here." 

Alarm bells ring in Cora's head too late. "What did you do to Yuna?" Cora breathes. "She isn't dead, is she?" 

He ignores that question, still smiling. "Sit." 

Cora doesn't move, too shocked to move. She's trying to wrap her head around his words, but they're not clicking. Why? Why, why, why — she thought everything was going to be okay after they won. So why is she seeing a smiling boy telling her that yet another person might die? 

Dalton's bee-stung lips purse in subtle irritation. "Sit. Please." 

There's a sense of fear folding through Cora's stomach, like she's on a rollercoaster and is about to fall — but she can't do anything to stop it. It eats through her body, making her want to puke. 

"Angel, come on." Asher's warm voice is beneath her ear, as he gently sets her into a chair. His voice lowers, gaze darkening as he glances at the relaxed boy. "He's dangerous, so we shouldn't provoke him." 

Cora barely registers anything, except for the soft simmering that bubbles on the inside. She can't process what her emotions even are, except that she no longer feels like a goddess. She feels like a little girl, whose dreams have been stomped on until it's no longer recognizable. 

"What do you want?" Asher demands warily. "We don't mean to pose a threat to anyone, okay? We're just here for the prize and then we'll be on our merry way." 

"What I want—" Dalton leans forward, until he's an inch away from Asher. "—is for you to disappear. Forever." 

Asher jerks back, like he's been stabbed. "Okay, I know I've done a lot of bad things," admits Asher, raking fingers through his hair. "But I don't remember doing anything bad to you. Like, not trying to be offensive or anything, but I'm drawing a blank here." 

When Dalton frowns, Asher slowly backtracks. "What I mean is that you can punch me until you feel satisfied. I just don't really know what I did wrong to you, specifically." 

Dalton is silent, as if mulling over something important. Then he glances at the doors. "You broke my queen, so I want to break you, just as you broke her," Dalton murmurs. "After you crushed her heart like that, you left her for the dead — and because of this, I'm going to destroy you." 

"Not gonna lie, you sound like one of those stalker people who're obsessed with their loves." Asher starts to stand up, grabbing Cora's hand in the process. "We're going to leave now. I think I've heard enough." 

Asher's gaze turns icy, as he stares the other boy down. "If this is about rejection, think about why she might've rejected you. Don't take it out on innocent people like us. Whoever the hell your queen may be, she has emotions and I'm sure she doesn't appreciate you trying to kill innocent people because of a simple rejection." 

Cora finally snaps out of her blank stare. "Wait," she sputters, as Asher pulls them towards the exit. "This is because of a rejection?" 

"Probably?" Asher guesses. "I mean, I'm not a hundred percent sure, but it seems like it. Plus, if that's really the case, then the whole situation ticks me off. You shouldn't kidnap anyone's sister, kill anyone, or drag innocent people because of a rejection." 

Asher reaches for the doors when suddenly, it swings open on its own accord. 

The air suddenly drops a degree colder, cold prickling Cora's skin. For a moment, everything goes still. The air stifles, Asher's movements stop, silence drips through the air — except for Cora's heart, which swirls. 

In a bad or good way, she can't tell. 

Cora's eyes shift subtly to the right and that's when time starts moving once more. Her breath catches, lips parting in surprise, heartbeat getting faster and faster and faster until she can't breathe because there she is, standing in front of... 

Harper. 

Everything feels like an inhale of something fresh and new. Like watching the sun cast its soft warm glow against cool grass coated with melting frost. Like watching two people confess their love, cheeks pink with exhilaration. Like a guarded expression that slowly starts to melt away into a hesitant smile. 

Harper looks beautiful, wearing a white chiffon. Gold roses linger on the fabric, illuminated under the lights. A ruby choker graces her neck, as a blood-red headpiece nestles through her silky gold hair. Recognition lights in Harper's honey-brown eyes, before her mouth tilts into a dazzling slow smile. 

Cora launches herself into her sister's arms. She's real. This is real. At the realization, Cora starts sobbing. "I thought you were gone forever," Cora sobs, squeezing Harper harder, as if this is a dream that will disappear if Cora lets go. "I thought I wouldn't see you again." 

Salty tears slide down Cora's face, and she probably looks like a zombie bride, but she doesn't care. All that matters is that Harper is here. 

"Jeez, someone's excited to see me," Harper laughs, but her voice chokes up in the end. 

"Of course I am!" snaps Cora. "I haven't seen you in forever and you have no idea what me and Asher had to go through to find you, right Asher?" 

Cora turns to the devil expectantly, expecting him to chime in — but he's frozen, staring at the girl next to Harper. 

Then he stutters out one word. "Leticia?" 

Author Note: 

um. panics. also this story is almost done (i think) based on my calculations as;dlkfjl-