𝕋𝕙𝕖 H𝕖𝕝𝕝'𝕤 𝕄𝕚𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕣

Chapter 17: There's More?

Another boring day within the cathedral as dust particles floated through the air being seen in the rays of the light that filtered through the glass windows.

Niece, being ever jumpy and bored, already found herself exhausted from listening to her music late at night until Gem came knocking on her door, like an angry neighbor, complaining about needing to sleep and to turn it down.

"I'm bored" she uttered audibly, lazing on the couch like a red house cat.

"What a shame," came Aunt Gem's sarcastic response, dancing to the soft music of the mirrors. It amazed the Niece how she never seemed to get a foot cramp when standing on her feet doing ballet all day.

"Can we please go somewhere?" Niece pleaded sitting up and crossing her legs like a toddler waiting to listen to their teacher, "How about you show me around one the Rings?"

A quick and stern expression on Gem's face was enough to dash her hopes of that happening along with vividly thinking she heard glass breaking given how ridged Gem stopped her fouetté.

"Guessing the rings are off limits then?" Niece concluded sheepishly, holding up her hands and shrugging her shoulders.

Sighing through her nose Gem relaxed her position, fixing her arms to the center of her stomach, and began a series of piqué turns before ultimately doing her dance swaying with her reflection as the light gleamed off her hair.

"They aren't off limits," Gem stated, raising an arm and leg into the air and holding for a moment, her white dress fanned out, casting her gaze up to the family tree. "There just happens to be rings that I prefer not to venture."

Finding her talk to be sentimental and unsatisfactory for her curiosity the Niece huffed. "Then I'll just go by myself," she declared defiantly jumping off the couch and walking toward the mirror of pride using her granted mirror piece to allow through.

The silk of Gem's pointe shoes roughed against the floor as she ran and spun gracefully blocking the Niece from the pride mirror holding a clawed hand with white nails that fanned amongst the glass.

Startled by her aunt's action the Niece leaned back looking at her with wide eyes.

In a voice that was almost desperate Gem spoke, "You'll be dead before you can even see your first extermination if you dare go without me."

Seeing the first glimmer in her aunt's reflective eyes and the apprehension across her pearlescent green face dotted with mirror freckles she tried to cover up. Her body was slightly raised like an animal on the edge. It was like she knew what would happen should she venture alone.

Unable to think of any other way other than to delicately take Gem's hand off the mirror watching as the tension released from her body grasping it between her own hands and staring up at her face giving a reassuring smile.

Gem gazed down reflecting her smile before taking the Niece's hand, "Do not let go of my hand," she instructed sternly, waving her other hand at the Pride mirror, allowing it to open for passage. "Should you have to? Hang onto my dress instead."

—

There always was a bit of paranoia that chewed at the back of Gem's mind whenever venturing outside. Possibilities of those she's turned down in the past wanting to come back with irrational hostility towards her past decision of not joining them.

Venturing out from Pentagram City to make their way into Imp City passing by the heaven clock tower creating its ominous ticking till the next extermination.

When seeing how fascinated her niece was when pointing out the different shops upon entering Cannibal Town. While her niece's fascination was understandable Gem on the other hand didn't feel that attracted to eating the flesh and guts of other demons much less humans rather she felt immoral and dirty just thinking how persuaded she almost was when first arriving in hell.

The people were civil today thanks to Rosie's influence no less. Glancing at her Emporium as she walked by and squeezed her niece's absent hand.

"Where did you go?" She whispered, looking in every direction keeping her panic contained with a small smile and nod of the head when individuals passed her giving a good day.

Searching around felt like finding a spider lily amongst a bunch of thorned roses. Felt a heaviness dawn on her shoulders, fixing the sleeve of her dress when it slipped down.

It was almost angering how her niece could have vanished so quickly from her sight. Caving into her second nature of using the mirrors. Digging into her dress pocket about to pull her compact when feeling a tug on her dress. Whipping her head down seeing her niece holding a tongue scooped onto an ice cream cone.

"There was an ice cream shop. Decided to get a cow's tongue flavor." Gem released a breath she didn't know she was holding, placing a hand on her niece's head mindful of her horns, "Just warn me next time," She said softly.

Continuing on their stroll the niece broke the peaceful silence.

"How does your cathedral work?" Niece questioned, taking a lick from her tongue ice cream causing a tinge of disgust from her aunt, "Like how is it we can move from one place and be in the next from the mirrors alone?"

Gem hummed, popping a chestnut into her mouth, and savoring the nutty taste before speaking, "It moves by itself," she stated casually, smiling as if proud, "When in danger it will move to wherever it finds safest and given I am also part of the mirrors it is similar.. to how Vox and his electronics."

"Huh," Niece droned, not having thought it that way. In a sense, it reminded her of when in her high school library and found a copy of the book Howl's Moving Castle. Niece smiled contentedly, her tail swaying at the memory, "Are there perhaps any bookstores in Hell?"