Sacrilege (Theo Raeken) [2]

foray

He furrows his brows. "A lot of things, actually," he declares matter-of-factly. "Want breakfast?"

I clear my throat, taking a seat. "What's for breakfast?"

"Cupcakes," he says with perhaps the most serious and nonchalant expression I've ever seen.

I grin. "Why not," I shrug. He puts a pink cupcake in front of me. It looks like possibly the worst thing I can have for breakfast health-wise, but I wolf it down anyways.

"You look like hell," Kai says. "Pun not intended."

"Thanks," I say. "Which is why I'm gonna go get ready right now."

I try to make myself look as intimidating as possible. After all, I'm going to need the witch to know I'm serious about getting Theo back. When I walk out, Kai cocks his head to the side and says, "You know, you really were prettier as Bella."

"Kai, I swear to god if you don't —"

"Just a joke," he says. "Calm down."

I look around. "Where's Sienna?" I ask.

"She's got some vampy business downtown to deal with," he says.

"I never knew she was a vampire. I never even knew vampires were, like, real in the supernatural world up until a few months ago."

"Well, you know now," he says. "Ready to go?"

I nod. "Let's go."

***

Christie's house is a normal one. Where I was expecting high ceilings, looming chandeliers and an overall extravagance, it is just a regular house.

Kai knocks on the door. I hear shuffling inside, before the door is opened. "Christie," Kai smiles. The witch is a short, thin young lady with pale skin, cascading black hair, almond shaped black eyes. She's dressed in black jeans, a long black cardigan and black boots.

"This is the siren?" she asks, looking at Kai. "You bought me Lucien Caraway's sister, Kai?"

I panic slightly. "Help her, please," Kai says calmly. "Tell us what you want."

She hesitates, before opening the door wider. "Come in," she says. She leads us to the dining room where I take a seat next to Kai.

She sits down gingerly. "Why should I help you?"

I clasp my hands together on my lap. "I need to bring someone back," I say. "Please. I know you're hesitant to help me because of my brother. But he has no pack now. I destroyed his pack. He doesn't have nearly enough power to hurt you now."

"You destroyed the Vinceret pack?" she asks curiously. She leans forward.

"Yes."

"You want to go into hell?"

"Yes."

"I can't bring that person back," she says. "But I can take you to and from hell. From there it's your responsibility to find them."

"Arden..." Kai starts.

"I'll do it," I say quickly. "It's the only way. Tell me how, please."

"I have to open a portal," she explains. "It's hard opening a portal to hell, but it can be done. It takes something from you. I don't know what. But you won't feel the same afterwards. Your body on earth goes into a comatose state as you're transported into hell. From there, it's your own call. You have an hour in hell. Nothing more, nothing less."

"What if something happens and I have to get out quicker?" I ask.

"You can't die," she answers. "The worst thing is that your soul could be kept by the King of Hell. It's happened. It's rare, but it happens."

"What happens then?"

"Your body will be left in that comatose state on earth," she says. "Other than that, I don't know. There's no reason why he'd want your soul, though. It's rare."

"Where do I go in hell?"

"You'll know," she says. "You don't know how, but you'll know. The portal is opened in a quiet area and from there you'll know where to go. People will know you're different as soon as you transport there, but don't let anyone, anyone, except the person you're bringing back know where it is."

"Anything else?" I ask.

"I need your blood," she says.

I bite my lip. "Bring me a knife."

While Christie goes to fetch a knife, Kai turns to me, his voice quiet and his hands in his pockets. "I knew you were crazy. I didn't know you were this crazy. Are you actually going to do this?"

"Yes," I say.

"You're an absolute nut-job, my friend," he says. "Absolute nut-job."

"I know," I say, avoiding his eyes.

"Anything I can do to stop you?"

"No."

Christie comes through the door with a knife and a brass bowl. "We need to go outside," she says. I make a beeline to the door after her. Outside, there is a circle of candles. She places the bowl on the outside gingerly, before handing me the knife.

"Ready, Arden?" she asks.

I nod. I place the point of the knife on my forearm and drag it. Blood squirts out and drips into the bowl as I wince.

"You okay?" Kai asks. I nod.

She takes the bowl and places it in the middle of the candles, in front of her kneeling figure. I stand up and watch as she chants. She chants in a powerful, sharp language, with strong consonants and velvety vowels. She looks to be in pain as she continues chanting. I hear my name spoken in the sea of foreign tongue.

I start to feel faint, wavering on the spot. Christie stops chanting and opens her eyes. They're nothing more than black, shiny, marbles.

I gasp, my body suddenly losing all form. My body is crashing to the ground, I feel two arms catch me on the way down, and then there is nothing but a cold, dead blackness.

***

IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING THIS PART FOR AGES ASGDHDH I hope you enjoy it because honey you got a big storm coming in hell

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED

XX GEORGINA