Broken Wings [Completed!]

Chapter 8

Evira rounded the corner to see Jasper leave Cain's room, one hand on the doorknob and the other hiding the redness in his cheeks. His eyes were wide with fervor, as if his muscles couldn't keep up with the millions of thoughts inside of his head.

"At least someone looks a little happy," Evira said, with salt in her tone.

Jasper unconsciously stepped backwards, hitting the heel of his foot against the door. "E-Evira," he stammered, not knowing what else to say. "Please -- please don't hurt Cain."

"Why would I?"

"Of course you wouldn't," he answered quickly, standing a little straighter. "It's just -- Cain's still recovering..."

Evira sighed. "Oh, I know." The fact nobody trusted her to not harm others caused the sensation of stinging to run up her arms. Yet they were right to do so -- Evira would harm them, would burn the world if it meant getting her sister back.

She used to be scared, long ago, to stand a threat against justice, against what was morally right. But didn't family come before everything? Wouldn't justice excuse her just this once? She was a hero, a saviour to attempt to save what she loved dearest.

"You shouldn't play at God." Jasper stated, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

Jasper took his time to search for Evira's eyes. And even when he did, fear was clouding his vision. Evira knew that look too well -- the first time she'd arrived in Hell and wiped the blood off of herself in front of a mirror, she'd seen the same thing scratched into her eyes. Her death gave her one thing as tribute -- something lurking inside of her head, her heart. The body she had was a puppet of a monster's.

So she'd never looked at a mirror again.

"I mean," Jasper started, weighing his next words. "Maybe you don't have to do this. You don't have to make everyone else suffer."

Evira's eyebrows furrowed. "Won't we starve if we don't?"

Jasper gulped, swallowing back his saliva. "Some of us... aren't worth saving, don't you think?" His eyes flashed.

"Isn't that morbid." Evira walked up to Cain's door and now had to look up to face Jasper. "Not all of us are worth saving," she agreed. Hell, she definitely wasn't. "But none of us deserve what happens after -- when we don't finish what Callopia wanted." An image of torture chambers and dark, cramped walls and shattered glass flashed through her mind. She flinched and wrapped her arms around herself. "Callopia chose us," she whispered. She couldn't get the truth out -- that she'd agreed to do it, just for herself. Just for that fighting chance she could see her sister. "It has to account for something."

"Even if it means... putting family in danger?"

Evira's monster inside of her answered immediately,"Yes." Jasper had put so much emotion and passion into the word 'family' and Evira had knocked it out of him until it broke into pieces. Because that's what family is -- a weakness. But Evira would get back hers, just so that she could end it all, once and for all. Properly.

"W-what's th-the c-commotion?" The door had opened, framing Cain himself. His golden, blonde hair was rumpled, like he'd just woken up. "Jas?" He blinked twice, clearing the sleep out of his eyes. "Y-you're still he-here?"

Something like hurt catapulted across his eyes when he recognised Evira. "Ah, Cain," she said, leaning in. "Do you have a sec?"

He hesitated, and Evira laughed. "Don't tell me... you're afraid?"

Cain had suddenly found interest in the wall behind her. "I am."

A moment passed; Evira's lips were parted slightly in surprise. She smiled. "Good." Pushing past the door, she looked behind her shoulder. "Don't worry," she winked at Jasper. "I won't hurt him."

The state of Cain's room hadn't changed that much from that morning. Windows were closed tight, banishing the howling wind that prowled outside. There were no lights, yet the room seemed brighter.

Cain stood at the entrance of the door and the look he gave made Evira chuckle. "You do know you have an advantage -- seeing as you can control ghosts and all." Her lips carefully lifted into an innocent smile when she saw Cain's expression. She noticed that he didn't come any closer to her; his weight was on his leg closest to the door, ready to escape. Cain paled at her words, so in comparison his hair looked sharper in colour. "W-who told you?"

"Just my own sources," she shrugged. Truthfully, Zoya had hacked into Katherine's computer, taking in as much as possible at Cain. He was new here, after all. Blowing out hair from her face, she crossed her arms. "Look, Cain, I need to know if you're willing to help us. You have powers..."

He took in a breath. "A-all p-powers ha-have consequences. I-I will l-lose my i-identity..."

Identity. Evira had always thought of herself as Alys' second identity. And she knew... she'd never trade her memories of Alys for the world. She knew that, and yet...

"We are nobodies." She looked at him, finally scrutinised him, stripping away layers of his skin to catch a glimpse of who he was. "But now we can be heroes."

"H-Heroes?" He said helplessly, and gave a forced laugh. "We are villains." Evira shivered, not because it was said with such conviction and his only sentence without a stutter, but because he was right.

"But, I-I'll do it," he said quietly, voice weak. "I-I want to be f-free, too."

Evira wasn't sure about that. Cain was one of pawns on her chess board now--to be used just for her own selfish reasons. "Thank you."

"T-thank Adeline." Evira was about to ask why, but his head was already bowed, hands clasped, as if he was praying.

"I'll see you in five," she told him, exiting the room.

As the door opened, Adeline pushed herself off the wood, immediately changing her stance to a mid-walk. Layers of brown covered her irises, removing the flare of curiosity she'd held just a moment before.

Once, Evira had imagined Adeline to be a trainee in acting in her past life--those who'd been caught red-handed always had some sort of mistake in their footing, whereas Adeline's was neutral. It had taken Evira a year to finally grow suspicious of how Adeline was always overhearing gossip and not blaming it on coincidence. If there was something Evira learnt, it was that there were never mistakes--there was always some sort of purpose.

Adeline must of known she'd been found out, because she gave Evira a hopeful glance.

"What did you hear this time?" Evira ruffled Adeline's hair, feeling the softness of her curls. She'd always been jealous of her hair and her summer-tanned skin, so smooth and young.

In return the girl shrugged, but her cunning smile told Evira she'd heard most of it. "Whatever you're doing," Adeline said carefully, "I want in."

Tapping her feet on the floor tiles, Evira pretended to contemplate her actions. "Your brother's going to kill me if I bring you."

"Not if we don't tell him," she winked. Checking her watch, she said, "according to his timetable--" she rolled her eyes at the word, causing Evira to smile. "--He has two hours of studying some Callopia history."

"And what are you meant to be doing?"

Adeline waved off the question. "You know what? YOLO."

"You're already dead," Evira pointed out.

Despite herself, she grinned, watching Adeline make her way to the weaponry hall with a skip in her step.