They began chanting in earnest, louder and louder as the light grew brighter and brighter.
Crying out, I whipped my head around just in time before the window exploded—showering the room in shards of glass that disappeared before they hit the ground.
“So that’s how they did it,” Lucifer breathed, losing his clownish smirk for the first time since we met. “They turned one of their sisters into the All Hallows, and then shared her power among the coven.”
All Hallows?
“With that kind of power, they could’ve turned the sky into a funny hat! Closing the gates would’ve been child’s play. But I thought that was only legend,” he muttered to himself, pacing the floor. “I’ve lived for an eternity— I’vesearchedfor an eternity, and there was never any proof that the All Hallows was more than fiction. How could a bunch of painted cunts get their hands on its power before me!” he bellowed—finally dropping his funny, wicked uncle act.
“Fuck!” he roared, kicking a sacrifice pile across the room and shattering the demon blood jar on the wall. “And it didn’t even tell us what any of that fucking shit is supposed to mean! Who are the hallows of the air, sea, fire, and wood?
“Steal what he has given thee? Why in the fuck would you need to steal what someone already gave you?! Fuck!” He jumped up and down—stamping his feet like a flipping toddler. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
Mother wasn’t paying this tantrum any mind. She returned to the table and picked up a large, black book. Calmly, she started writing.
“What are you writing?” Lucifer demanded. In a blink, he was in her face—snatching the book from her. “You know what it all means, don’t you? Don’t you! You know who the hallows are.Youknow what we need to create the All Hallows!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three heads whipped to the door, and I meant three—Mother included. She could hear.
And I had a lot to fucking say!
“How could you?” I screamed, snapping her attention back to me. “You killed my sister for a fucking nursery rhyme! You—”
Bang! Bang!
“Charlie?” Tristan shouted through the wood. “Are you okay? Can you hear me?”
“Ugh. Are you certain she’s even in there?” asked a lazy and distinctive voice.
“’Course, I’m fucking sure! I can smell her scent.” Someone roughly yanked and rattled the doorknob. “Fuck! Why won’t this open!”
Something moved out of the corner of my eye.
I turned my head... and landed on Dora just as she sat up.
“D-Dora?”
Head down, my sister stared at the knife in her chest.
“Dora!” I shrieked—laughing a loud, jubilant sound as joy and relief blew away my grief and rage. “You’re alive! I can’t believe it, you’re okay. Sis, can you hear me?” I asked, fighting anew in my binds. “Just hold on, okay. I’m going to get you help so— Wait! Don’t!”
Grasping the knife hilt, she yanked it from her body and tossed it aside.
My speech died in my throat.
“Charlie?! Charlie, what’s wrong? Why did you scream?” Tristan called. “Dammit, Belphe! Stop fucking standing there and get her out!”
Their words reached me from far away. Lucifer and Mother’s heated argument didn’t touch me at all. All I could see was the knife’s blade... covered in black blood.
Dora raised her head.
The last thing I saw before Ronin’s magic winked me out of the room... was Dora’s ruby red eyes.
