Lips Red As Blood

50 |

"Taxi!" Cora flags down one of the yellow cabs, nearly throwing herself inside the car. She's breathing too fast, too hard, aware that she looks like a mess. But Cora doesn't care, blood roaring in her ears, anxiety and unease thrumming on her pulse. "Get me out of here." 

"Pardon?" The taxi driver looks confused. "Do you have a certain destination in mind?" 

Out of the corner of her eye, Cora sees a demon saunter out of the restaurant, unscathed. As if feeling the heat of her gaze, Brielle looks up and smirks. Like a cat ready to play, Brielle moves towards the taxi hungrily. 

"Go!" Cora orders, and at a moment's hesitation, the driver stomps on the gas pedal. Buildings blur past, all modern glass skyscrapers and city lights, yet Cora's focus is entirely on Brielle. She turns to the driver with a pleading look. "Can you go a little faster?" 

The car veers sharply around a corner as the driver glares. "We're at maximum driving speed," he grunts. "So unless you want me to get a ticket, just let me do my job, ma'am." 

Cora feels a rush of panic. With startling speed, Brielle is racing at the taxi, teeth bared. She looks hungry, like a hound dog here to retrieve the fresh meat she deserves. There's a crazed look in her eyes as if this game has dragged too long and she wants to end it. 

The moment the taxi slows to make a right, Brielle coils downwards — and then leaps up, landing on the windshield. Cora screams, watching as the window cracks ever so slightly. 

"What the hell is that?" the driver bursts out, gaping in horror. "Why is there a girl on top of my window?" 

"Sir, I know this may sound a tad bit insane," Cora interrupts. "But drive at the fastest speed." 

Startled, he turns to her. "She's a murderer that escaped from Hell," explains Cora. "So drive fast. Otherwise, she'll find us and make us suffer in the worst possible way." 

The driver increases the taxi speed, looking entirely freaked out. "I got this job because my Uncle Nathaniel suggested it be the best way to help civilians get to their destination. An easy job, he said. A normal job that pays well. He never said anything about breaking the speed limit, driving around half-blind, and a psychotic murderer that's on top of my goddamn window!" 

As if on cue, Brielle clamps her hand against the passenger window, making the most god-awful screeching noise with her nails. Cora sucks in a deep breath, resisting the urge to retch. The driver swerves, barely avoiding a wave of moving cars and honking horns. 

"Oh my God, I just ran a red light." The driver looks like he'll start crying any minute. "Uncle Nathaniel will be so disappointed." 

"Well, Uncle Nathaniel will be disappointed if you get killed!" Cora shouts as Brielle starts hitting the window. It's slowly cracking under all that pressure and a hot bolt flashes through Cora. "Please go a little faster." 

The driver weaves through cars as someone calls out a muffled swear, accompanied by a middle finger. Brielle grins madly, wind whipping through her hair and she lifts her right hand. Then she slams her fingers against the window so hard, the window entirely comes crashing down. Glass spills everywhere, sending spirals of sharp objects crashing onto Cora's body. 

Cora briefly feels pain and sees fresh blood cascading over her vision, but none scares her as much as when Brielle pops her head inside the car. "Hello, children," Brielle says, and then that's when the car is suddenly flying through the air in slow mode. 

She barely registers when another car crashes into theirs, barely registering the glass gliding across the air and slicing across her skin, sending blood splattering everywhere, barely registering how the world tilts upside down before turning outright. 

Cora does, instead, think about death. 

Death that warps her in a layer of velvet-red and shadows, made of nightmares she so very tried to avoid. Is this the end? A wave of unshed tears burns behind Cora's eyes as she prepares for the incoming impact, for the car to slam into the ground at full force, for her body to lurch forward and for death to hug her in a deep embrace. 

None of that happens. Cora waits for a second, squeezing her eyes shut. Nothing. She slowly opens her eyes, before a gasp escapes her. 

She's inside an iridescent bubble, floating mid-air. That's not possible, Cora thinks, looking around. Below her, the cars are smashed together, smoke trailing up in the air. The taxi driver is still in the car, passed out. Nearby, civilians approached the cars with obvious panic and a child begins to wail. 

Cora bites her lip, a stab of guilt and sadness smearing within her soul. If she didn't get in that taxi, the driver would've been perfectly fine. 

She glances up, where Brielle is casually surveying the scene, stepping into the bubble. "Why did you save me?" Cora chokes out, voice scorching with hate. 

"Because"—Brielle turns, something like sadness clouding her expression. "—it's about to get worse for you." 

Then the demon snaps her fingers and the bubble disappears, suspending Cora in the air. Before she can scream or cry for help, she plunges downwards, air sucking away. 

Cora wakes up, unscathed, in an entirely new world. Plump red apples glitter from the clouds and when Cora exhales, her breath comes out in breathy puffs. This new world is freezing, sending tingles up her skin. Gold snakes slither around and she gasps softly, watching them disintegrate into dust when they reach an invisible slope. 

When her eyes travel forward, horror seizes her body. Dalton looks dazzling, whiskey-brown curls dripping with tiny gold snakes crawling all over him, blue eyes laced with a touch of madness, mouth curled in amusement. His lips are painted with... is that blood? Dalton licks his teeth and that's when Cora knows he's gone completely insane, drunk on whatever power was given to him. 

His head jerks to the side, fingers twitching ecstatically when he sees Cora. "It seems we have a guest," he coos, laughing out loud, a sound that's so spicy and full that it sends shivers down Cora's spine. "Isn't this wonderful? All of us together, one big family. Oh, except for poor Kai and Yuna, who didn't make it." 

All of us? wonders Cora, and when she looks behind Dalton, she sees her answer. Bloodied and utterly defeated, Asher lays on the ground, as if he's a broken porcelain doll. Upon seeing her horror, Dalton grins with delight. "One big happy family," he repeats loudly, kicking Asher's limp body. "Isn't that right, Mr. Asher?" 

Asher doesn't respond. It seems like Cora isn't the only one filled with repulsion, because Leticia lurches forward, chains wrapped around her body. The air hums with gold magic, but nothing happens and Leticia lets out a frustrated scream. "Stop hurting him!" Leticia pleads. "Why are you doing this to us?" 

"Why?" Dalton frowns, bemused. "Well, you're getting in the way of my plans, so of course I need to eliminate you." 

Author Note: 

has anyone listened to O.O by nmixx?