Melody.

Chapter 8: Jasper

She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. Even with the makeup streaks from her many tears, the shallow gash on her forehead, she's still the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. The way she sighs in her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheek. Her hair cascading all over the bed like water.

I grab my phone from the desk, wincing when it scrapes the wooden table. I can hear Dad snore through the walls. I leave Melody a note, reading, 'Go out with me?' And then one for Dad, explaining the situation. Then I take the house key and unlock the door. Closing it behind me, I dial my twin's number.

"M'n'yello?"

"Hello, Jaidon."

"Little brother! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Meet me at Arbor Park in 20 minutes."

"Should I wear a tie?"

I hang up.

25 minutes later, I decide he isn't coming. I turn and walk to the gate, kicking it in frustration.

"Sorry I'm late, baby brother."

"Took your time. I thought you weren't coming."

"I'll always make time for you, sweetheart." He grins.

"What did you do with Harmony?"

"Ugh, you as well? If you must know I took her to a little place in the woods."

"Oh. Is she there now?"

"Yes."

I start off in the direction of the woods, determined to find Melody's sister and return her home.

"Where are you going, little brother?"

"To find Harmony."

"I'll take you, if you want."

"Ha. You'll take me to a cliff, you mean? And throw me off it."

"No, I'm serious." He rubs the back of his neck. "Thing is, I'm a little bit tired of having no friends."

"Tends to happen when you're a prize jackass."

"Noted. Thanks. I know you'll never trust me, but can I start trying to earn it?"

"I'm not daft."

"I will take you to Harmony, let her go, and disappear. Just say we're good and I'll do it."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. Not until I've earned it."

"And this girl's life is your choice peace offering?"

"I'm sorry."

"You will be."

"I am. I feel like crap and we'll go get her. Just say the words. For her if nothing else."

I say nothing for a moment. And then, "Okay. We're good."

"Thank you, Jasper." It's the first time he's ever called me that. Maybe he is serious.

He starts off, climbing through shrubbery and low tree branches. I follow him. It's pitch black, but he makes enough noise that I can follow him blindly. I wince when I brush past a thorn bush, scratching my arm and hip where my shirt has ridden up. I just decided it's hopeless and then we're out of the stifling woodland.

Never once, in all of my time, had I thought for a second that the clearing from my dream was real. That the grass could be that green, the water, that sparkling. It's not even raining anymore. It look different at night, the water seeming to glow as it falls so beautifully down the textured rocks. And there Harmony is, hands and ankles bound. When she sees me, she cries my name.

I run to her, tearing at the duct tape and freeing her. There's a nasty bruise underneath her wide blue eye, and I frown, brushing my finger gently over it. She flinches and looks at Jaidon.

"Did you hit her?" I turn and stand.

"Huh?" Jaidon is facing away.

"Did. You. Hit. Harmony?" I spit through gritted teeth and clenched fists. "Did you hit a girl?"

"Hang on, your girlfriend's here."

"Huh?" Harmony and I say in unison. Jaidon reaches through the shrubs and pulls his hand back sharply. Melody flies through the shrubs and sprawls on the floor. Being still for a moment, the irrational part of me thinks she is dead. Then she groans and rolls onto her back.

"Sup, guys." She says, descending into a coughing fit before silence.

"'Sup, guys?' Oh, how the English language is evolving." Says a new voice. Husky yet feminine. Padding barefoot through the clearing, leaving footprints of dead grass in her wake, is a young woman. Wearing a red dress made only from red gauze and thread, she approaches Jaidon, pulling him into a long, deep, fiery kiss.

She's beautiful, but not like Melody. Her beauty is cruel.

"Hello, Jasper. My, you're handsome." Smiles the woman.

"Who are you, ma'am?" I ask.

"I'm Lilith." And with those words, she turned. With the ends of her hair to snakes, her skin turning red and her dress setting itself alight, fire writhes all over Lilith's body. She holds out a hand to shake, each finger topped with a razor-sharp talon. She's exquisitely horrifying. "No? Straight to business then."

"How did you find us?" Jaidon asks reverently. "I thought you'd never come."

"It was the song. It called to me, like the mark on your neck. Drew me here, pulled me to this place. My Calling."

I shake my head. The song that we sang, every time we sang it we drew the Devil closer. I feel like an idiot...

"My King, finish the job." She addresses Jaidon, licking the side of his neck. The skin turns red and sore. He turns to Harmony, who looks terrified. I dash to her, helping her up and then throwing her to the ground as a knife whistles past the place where her head was. This just got serious.

"Crawl. Go." I shove Harmony toward the woodland. Then I stand and square up to my brother, who holds more knives.

"Jaidon. This isn't you. Remember what you said?" I say desperately vying for time.

"Jasper. Darling. He's evil. Through and through. I got to him before he was even born. Your attempts at last-minute side-changes are whilst noble, futile." Lilith smiles.

Google pages flick through my mind and I remember something about the Devil corrupting kids in the womb. Half a set of...I look at Jaidon, understanding.

"Why Harmony? Why Melody?" I ask, lost. Risking a glance back, I see Harmony is gone. Melody is still lying on her back, seemingly in too much pain to move. She must have broken something. I search the corners of my mind for ways to buy time.