To Heaven and Hell

Chapter 25

Mila's Night

Muttering under my breath is keeping me sane at the moment. A little piece of salt digs itself underneath one of my finger nails.

Where the hell is Andi? Her job was to round up bodies and I only have twelve. Twelve guilty bodies, where is the last? I already have a place where the innocent will lay. Yet it is empty. Have I put too much faith in a stranger? Was I wrong for trusting Andi?

There's an echoing thud and the door to the other side of the room is thrown open. The light from the other side is in deep contrast with the dark from where I stand. It shouldn't have been hard for Andi to have found this place, it's not that far from the ballroom. And plus, aren't insiders supposed to know where everything is?

"Where were you?" I hiss at Andi who is standing alone at the doorway.

"I had to deal with someone, alright?" Andi snaps. "Now let me drag in the body."

"We have a time schedule." I mutter to myself. I know Andi can't hear me. When Andi reappears I can only see the limp body of an unknown person clamped beside her. "Right there." I point to the middle of the wide circle indicated by salt.

"Damn." Andi whistles. "It seriously looks like hell. Are you sure your ancestors weren't crazy?"

"I swear to god- just set down the body." I'm now moving to each candle. Each time a wick ignites harsh orange light jumps against the walls.

"Are you going to begin?" I can hear Andi tapping her foot against the marble floor.

"Calm down!" I light the last candle and make my way carefully out of my drawn circle. I then draw in one final breath.

This is it.

All I have wanted was to make everything okay. I've waited for my family to be one. I have waited to my life to be content. This will change everything. Milo will thank me later, he has to. I suck in a breath and close my eyes.

"Perfectio

I'm doing all this for a chance

I call upon my ancestors

For perfection we shall dance

All I want is to do is my duty

For lifelong bliss it is worth the chance

nec facio animam meam perfectionis."

"Is that it? Nothing is happening, Mila!" I open one eye in annoyance. I find Andi pacing in the corner.

I bring one finger to my lips to silence her. Slowly I close my eyes again. It's as if the candles are right beside me and the flame is licking my legs. I know that they are not, I'm just paranoid. I stand and reach behind my back. My long fingertips graze the feeling of bone. One side is smooth like the marble on which I walk. The other is sharp and draws blood to my palm. I stride into the circle and my whole body shudders. I should have finished this a long time ago. I remember killing each one of those people when I was alive and know the memory of fresh blood is even more so prominent.

Before I could not do this step, so my hand is shaking. I look down to calm myself. My black dress is quickly highlighted by the flickering of candles. I raise my hand holding the knife.

"Is there such innocence?

The kind that is such spoken?

Take this blood

Take it to mend the broken

Bring the power from generations

To bring another to its knees

Innocence shall not exsist

While others are never at ease

With this offering

There's once thing I ask

For eternal content

Take away the holy mask.

fiet."

I reach my hand to turn the body. I won't be able to look into the persons face. I know when they wake they will fight. Shouldn't they know? This has to happen. I grab at the girls dress to spin her to her back. Her soft dark blue dress slips in my fingers. I've seen this before. I grab the pale shoulders and toss the girl sideways.

Nix.

"Andi?" My voice raises in pitch. "This isn't right. This girl can't be innocent. We can't fuck this up Andi! This will ruin us!" I'm tempted to fall back from the body. How could I be so stupid? How would we even have gotten innocence in hell of all places?

"She is!" I didn't notice is before but Andi's fingers are twitching. "She's my sister! Do it Mila, do it! Her perfection has gone on for far too long. Listen, we can both get what we want here. You get your fucking ritual and I get her killed." There's a slight bit of spit coming from Andi's mouth as she speaks.

The knife is slick from the sweat off my palms. This is not right. Nix's eyes are still closed and there's a slight gash against her temple. I bring two fingers to her neck. There's still a heartbeat.

"Mila!" Andi is in pure hysterics. "Kill her! Fucking do it!"

I bring the knife to the pale curve of Nix's neck. I fumble as there's a profuse pounding at the door.

"Let me in!" There's another thud and Andi nervously glances at the double door in panic.

"Who is that?" I ask. I have to rub my palms along my dress again. I hear a soft gurgle from Nix's throat.

"Let me take care off it." Andi's eyes seem to be working over time as she moves towards the door. I look back down at the girl beside me. I've never truly seen her. I've always seen her as a nuisance, a problem. But looking at her long dark lashes and full peony lips I am struggling. I could kill myself, I could kill my brother, but not a near stranger? What is this? The pounding is growing heavier and so is the feeling in my stomach.

For the second time tonight the doors are thrown open and smacked against the wall. Greyson Forbes is trying to get past a flailing Andi and all I can do is watch. He is shouting Nix's name and eyeing the knife in my hand with desperation.

"No!" Andi screeches. "You fucking fool, can't you see? She is no better than the rest of us. She is not perfect! You're under an impression of her. You don't know her Greyson Forbes. This has to happen!" Andi is tossed aside as Greyson's elbow makes contact with her chest. Greyson falls forward struggling to stand upwards. His right foot smacks a candle down and I scream as the line circling Nix and I erupts in flame. I can't hear anything over his shouts, the screams of a fallen Andi and the chorus of lapping flames.

For the last time I bend over her body. I can see her eyelashes start to flutter. I press the knife hard, but unmoving onto her neck. A teardrop of blood starts to form.

"It shall be done."