Lips Red As Blood

17 |

This is like a never-ending nightmare, one that shrouds Cora in a thin veil of shadows and constant fear. She's stuck in an impossible deal, demons are trying to murder everyone around her — and on top of that, her sister's soul is in Hell. 

Maybe it's because of the pressure, slowly tipping Cora like she's a glass jar, free-falling towards the ground at full-speed. Or perhaps it's because she's witnessed too many near-death situations, each one leaving her feeling more numb every time. Or possibly, with circumstances that seemed impossible a month ago, suddenly coming alive — her ex probably hooking up with a demon who wants to kill her, her mother crying for her half-dead, and a devil looking concerned for a human — but all this makes Cora snap. 

Like a fragile blue ribbon, holding together at its frayed edges, it rips apart until all that's left is a tattered and broken fabric. 

Cora bursts into laughter. 

It's the kind of laughter tinged with disbelief, an implied what-the-hell-is-my-life question hovering through the air, as a sort of demented cackle escapes Cora. 

Asher sends her a look, like he's genuinely concerned for Cora. "Are you okay?" he asks cautiously. "I broke you, didn't I—" 

She interrupts him with a loud wheeze as if she's dying, followed by another too-loud roar of laughter. "Uh." Asher looks down at his shoes. "I don't know what I should be doing right now. Should I comfort you, or fear for my life?" 

Cora bends over, gasping for air. "Do you think I'm joking or something?" He frowns solemnly. "Because I'm not. Harper is actually in Hell." 

She covers her mouth, muffling a snicker. "No, sorry," she gasps out. "I knew you were serious. Unfortunately. I just had that why-the-freaking-hell-is-this-my-life kind of thing." 

Her laughs slowly drop to slow pants, gaze drifting over to her sister, who stares back. 

"She can't see me, can she?" Cora asks the question, though she already knows the answer. Without waiting for any confirmation, she continues. "She can only see you since you're a devil." 

Asher nods slowly. "More specifically, I have the blood of Hell in me." 

A pause. Then Cora looks up. "Asher, you're going to teleport us to Hell. You told me that most demons and devils and whatever evil creatures are in there all have access to teleport from Earth, back to Hell. So if you just teleport us there, we'll be able to land in the hospital Harper's in, rescue her, and then leave." 

Silence. 

"I can't," Asher says seriously. 

"Why not?" A thought strikes her, as she laughs. "Wait, is it because you forgot how to teleport? I mean, it has been a month since you got here, so I guess that's possible. Anyways, if that's the case, it's totally fine! We'll just practice—" 

"Cora." Asher's voice cuts through her rambling, but she ignores him. 

"—and take baby steps. Just practice teleporting in and out of the hospital, until you get that feeling of knowing how to teleport confidently—" 

"Cora!" 

"If it's possible, though, could you make the practice a little shorter? We're a little tight on time and I really don't want Harper to get hurt, so—" 

"Cora." Asher grabs Cora's shoulder, a dark edge in his voice. Cora blinks back, watching as his green eyes blaze with a foreign emotion. "I said I can't teleport to Hell." 

Stunned, Cora takes a step back. 

"What are you talking about?" She lets out a nervous laugh, though the tiniest hint of fear cuts through her stomach. The hope she desperately clings onto is starting to sink, down and down to the deepest part the ocean and darkness, the one she so wanted to avoid. "Is it because you haven't completed your mission with me? Because if that's the problem, it's completely fine, we'll just avoid people and hide—" 

"You're not listening to me." There's a dangerous softness that etches in his tone. Cora flinches. If Asher was shouting, it would be less scarier than the soft voice he's using. "I can't go to Hell, because I'm banned from Hell." 

Banned? 

Cora tries to wrap her head around that word. It's one simple word, but she can't accept that her plan is already doomed to fail. 

"Cora?" Asher looks bothered. "I know this is a lot to take in, but—" 

"Why?" croaks out Cora, very aware that her mind is going haywire. "Why are you banned from Hell? What did you do wrong? Why is everything going horribly? Why? Why is this happening to me?" 

Her voice pitch is rising feverishly, growing even more hysterical. Asher is at a loss for words. He reaches for her, but Cora knocks his hand away. "This is your fault." Her cheeks go splotchy and she feels the same heaviness as she did early: Cora wants to cry. 

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry... 

Channeling all her focus into not crying, Cora lets anger sear through her. A slow burning rash crawls all over her skin and her eyes narrow. "If it wasn't for you and your stupid deal, then Harper and I could've lived a perfectly fine life! If you weren't here, Harper wouldn't be in this state and a demon wouldn't have Ryan in her claws. If it weren't for you, I could be happy. I could've spent the rest of the summer doing normal teenage stuff, instead of being chased by freaking murderous demons!" 

Her voice rings through the room and Asher's expression goes sad. "Cora..." 

If Cora has learned anything in the past eighteen years, it's that the right words can either make someone the happiest person in the world — or completely cut them down so badly, they get destroyed. 

When Cora looks at Asher, she sees mixed feelings. A flurry of happiness, of exasperation and laughter and stupid, somewhat funny, conversations — but also a bit of regret, sadness, and anger. 

The emotion that boils over the edge, bubbling to fizzing bubbles, is pure outrage. So even though half of her mind is screaming to be rational, to just keep quiet and stuff down her feelings, because it's not even Asher's fault in the first place— 

Cora's mouth moves on its own. "I wish I never met you." 

Author Note: 

so like, i honestly think i like making everyone mad/sad/kinda emotional because i'm taking out my emotions from my life lololol