Page 27 of Hollow Nights

“Can you help me with something?” He narrowed his eyes, nodding. “I need you to seal the doors and windows.” I motioned in the air. “All of them.”

“Why?”

“I have to make the ultimate sacrifice, right?” He nodded, still confused by what I meant. “Well, the only person here I care about, other than you, is Sterling.”

“Libra—”

“No.” I stopped him. “All I need from you, my demon, is to seal this house shut so when I burn it down, everyone inside, every human, dies. So that Sterling dies.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, gripping my face. “Is this really what you want to do? Kill your best friend? Murder him and countless others just to save me?”

A tear fell from my eye and onto his claw.

“Yes. I’d do anything for you, Axelle.” He kissed me with fiery passion, forcing himself to break from my lips.

“Show me every window—every door. I need to seal them individually. Then, you can burn it all down.”

Axelle

Libra had grabbed my hand, dragging me all over the house and through the thick crowd of masked and costumed humans. They were all so unaware, too drunk or high, too lost in their own minds to realize what was about to happen to them. One by one, I sealed the doors and windows, leaving only the back door left to seal. I couldn’t believe she was doing this for me. She was sacrificing her best friend, not even sure if the ritual would work, willing to lose him and risk it all for me. She was unlike any other fleshbag I had ever had, and I damn sure wasn’t going to fuck this up and lose her now. Even if in the end the sacrifice didn’t work, I knew it wasn’t for nothing. It was all for her.

“Libra!” Sterling appeared by the back door as she gasped, shocked to see him inside.

That’s odd.

“What’re you doing? Are you leaving?” He gave her a look, noticing the face she made. “Is everything okay?” Libra grabbed the drink from his hand, shoving him outside through the open back door. “What the hell?” She slammed the door shut in his face, locking it as he tried to get back in. “Libra, let me in!”

“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled as she tried to hold the door shut, keeping him out.

“Libra, open this door right now. Libra!” Sterling yelled.

I grabbed her arm, turning her to face me as I slammed her into the door, startling Sterling as he backed away. My tail wrapped around her throat, anger enraging me.

“Why did you do that?” I demanded. “If you lock him out, you can’t make your sacrifice! These humans—they mean nothing to you!” She didn’t fight me, only lifted my claw, touching it to the door as it sealed, leaving her inside with everyone else.

“I know.” My tail released her as I stepped back, realizing what she was doing.

“No,” I breathed. “Libra, you can’t.”

“It’s the only way, Axelle. What better sacrifice is there than to kill yourself?”

“I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you fucking do this, Libra!”

She ignored me, gathering bottles of alcohol, filling her arms with them, pouring the liquid around the door. I followed her, trying to get her to stop, but she refused, randomly spilling and pouring the flammable liquid all over the house.

“Fuck, Libra! You can’t do this!”

She stopped at the basement door, opening it as she made a puddle of alcohol, pouring a trail down the stairs and into a large circle with herself in the middle. I rushed to her, ripping the bottle from her hand, tossing it against the wall as it shattered. I grabbed her face, forcefully making her look at me.

“Libra!”

She smiled, touching my face sweetly. “It’s okay, Axelle.” Her eyes began to water, burning with tears as she smiled. “I’ve made my choice.”

“Libra,” I choked. “Even if you do this and it works, I’ll be alone. My life will be chained to a new soul, haunting them. You’ll be gone.”

“I know, but at least you get to live.”

“What about you? I want you to live.” I grabbed her body close, inhaling her scent. “I need you to live. Please,” I begged. “I’ll do anything. Anything, Libra. Just don’t do this.”

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