by K. H. Kate
"What's happening?" A voice, not mine cried out. My gaze went to the door again, to see the man with blond hair and silver eyes on his knees, clutching his head now. If my hands were free, I'd do the same thing because even I was starting to burn up, the tingling in my body making me whimper.
"Shit! Shit." I heard 5133, finding the desperation in her voice kinda new. "What's happening? Answer me!"
Before the man could utter a word, I heard some more footsteps and then someone else calling my name out. "Lana! Are you there?"
Zach.
I wanted to call out to him, fuck, maybe I did. But I could only hear another voice as he choked out. "B-Beloved. Found my beloved..."
TWO MONTHS AGO
I didn't have time to understand what this beloved thing meant but apparently, it's something that made 5133 almost lose her breath. If I wasn't trying to fight with my own body, I'd be more interested in her words.
"No. That's not possible. You're not making any sense!"
"It's true. I can feel it." Came the voice from the door. "Ask her. Ask her what she feels!"
A whimper wretched through my lips. "I feel like dying."
It wasn't entirely true.
I wanted somewhere to sink my teeth into. I wanted this hunger gone but dying? Nah, nah. I had no desire to bring back that feeling ever again. Not when Zach was also there, witnessing it with a frown on his face.
"What's going on here? Why can't we get inside?" Zach asked, seemingly the only one who had half a brain to realize that we needed to leave this place. Shit, I could kiss him right now. Albeit chewing a cactus at first so we both could bleed in shame but still.
The man glanced at me, his stare burning up my skin. "She's channeling her. That's how the shield is still up. I can't get inside without hurting her. I can't do this-"
I watched as they argued for like half an hour while my cellmate wept with the idea of me being a beloved or whatever fuck that meant. I almost wanted to ask if that meant the world was ending but I was momentarily distracted by Zach.
"What's going to break the shield then? If you can't do it, I will."
I could feel his glare even from here when he went to shove Zach out of the way. "You don't understand. The only way to break the shield is to hurt either one of them. Now I'm not interested in hurting my beloved even if I meant to...I'll just wait until that witch returns. Now her? I'll happily chop off her head."
5133 looked me over and then the door. "We don't have much time-"
"I'll wait." The man insisted with stubbornness. "Damn it. En ke sa fyh jekium muha."
I felt the hunger drop in the pit of my stomach and I couldn't help but cough at the intensity of it. It's like the aftermath of exercising. You feel all those sore limbs and pray it's not just your soul that left your body.
Zach let out a huff. "Which one is this she?"
Without looking, I knew the man was pointing at my head. I could literally feel Zach going through a different range of emotions. His face paled and he took a double look.
"You can't be serious. Fuck, this isn't true."
"It is true."
I hated how everyone seemed to know what they were talking about but me. Groaning, I finally spoke. "Can anyone just tell me what the fuck is actually going on? I don't care if it's going to hurt me. Just fucking break it."
"Not a chance in hell-" The man began only to be interrupted by Zach. From here, I couldn't see how he looked but the edge in his voice was enough to tell me that something had ripped him apart. Be it the situation or what this man was just talking about.
"I'll do it." He started rolling his pants and I was about to raise an eyebrow until I saw what he was hiding there. A knife. The same one I used years ago. Fuck, talk about ironic.
"Sorry if it hurts. Then again, you know how it feels anyway." Before I could chalk up a joke like don't kill someone twice with the same weapon, I felt the knife fly until it was jabbed in my stomach, making me cry out.
"Now, do it now!" I almost forgot about my cellmate but the way she yelled out, I could just say that we had a little time to escape. Knowing damn well that my wrists would be free, I tried to pull it out by the handle. True to my thoughts, there were no barriers stopping me.
Finally.
I was overwhelmed but thankfully I was also learning to be patient. So, I didn't ask a question until we both walked through the shield without a scratch on our bodies. Something told me that the two men behind us had nothing to say either. There was an awkwardness in them that I didn't like.
What was happening?
"Are you going to give the knife back?" Zach asked finally, breaking the silence.
I shook my head, keeping a tight hold on it. For some reason, he was keeping it with him. Now I didn't know him to be sentimental but the only reason I could come up with because we had a shortage of things and he couldn't afford to lose something like a knife as a weapon. Now, that was rational and more like Zach.
"You're bleeding too. You need to heal-"
"What I need to do is clear my head. Then hunt Fredah down and kill her." I heard a groan and a disappointed sigh from the men in my back.
"No killing anyone. You need to eat, 5132. You're practically growling." Technically my stomach was but 5133 was close enough. I needed something in my stomach after not having the pill for God knew how long.
"Fine. Where to find a human?"
I was kind of ignoring the man's stare but I couldn't anymore when he threw his hands up with a disgruntled laugh. "How are you ok with this? How can anyone be ok with this?"
"Who even are you?" I sneered in his direction. He was kind of bugging me the whole time and I didn't like it. Didn't like how my heart dropped to hear the disappointment in his tone.
I've been shamed for being a Reaper before but I didn't care a bit what they thought about me. I wasn't the kind of girl who was big on reputation. Yeah, I killed and maimed people to live and so did the Godfather.
Sue fucking me.
"Name's Mikhail." He spat and if I wasn't currently thinking of his blood in my hands now, I might want to lick those veins on his neck. He looked so hot like this, like want to burn you up inside hot. Yeah, I was totally fucked.
"Name's 5132." I matched his tone, staring at him intently. "And you have no fucking business in telling me what I should or shouldn't do."
I expected him to back off but he moved forward, gritting out every word of his. "As your beloved, it should. Fate made you for me but looks like she did a mistake. I should have been happy the moment my eyes took you in but instead I wanted to kill you, watch your blood drip into that stretcher. I had to make sure we can’t touch so we don’t accidentally kill each other. The only reason I can even look at you is because of that spell and now you want to kill an innocent? I never wanted my beloved to be a-"
"A psycho. Pity, that's what you got."
“Did you kill them too then?” He asked suddenly, giving me a once over. “Those civilians? Him?”
By him, I think he meant Zach who winced. I could tell him the truth. That I didn’t kill Zach, didn’t kill those people but the look on his eyes said what he couldn’t say out loud. He already thought the lowest of me. There was no point.
“Yes. Mikhail, I took great pleasure in killing them.” Out of everything I could have done, I stunned him by dragging Zach with me. Though who was more surprised between us that I wasn't sure of. Zach, who looked behind him with a scowl on his face? Or me, who was starting to look for that decaying smell?
It didn't matter.
I needed to think of Fredah now. That bitch was planning something.
I couldn't let the sisters get together. No now, not ever.
Thankfully, the janitor must have come down to clean the place because I didn't even have to walk five minutes for me to reach the man and grab his neck. A scream was bubbling in his throat, alerting the outside world. Now that won't do. Swinging him around, my mouth opened, the pure hunger consuming him into nothi
ng but ashes.
My keen eyes searched for more but I was distracted when Zach came between me and the door to the stairwells, gripping my wrists so I couldn't move. Now I could move if I really wanted to. But I kind of wanted to know why he looked like someone kicked his puppy.
"What's up?" I asked with a grin.
His eyes narrowed and the grip on my wrists tightened, making me whimper. I liked when he held on tight. It made me remember why I had to let go. "You know what's up."
"Do I?" I broke free of his hold, rubbing his chest with a finger of mine. His eyes took in the action and if possible, he went even more rigid.
"Mikhail? That son of a bitch is your beloved. And your reaction is zero, absolutely zero. What's up with that, Lana?"
"Are you jealous?" I mused, laughing. "I don't particularly care about that so you two can have pissing contests all you want. Just leave me out of it. Better yet, how did you even find us?"
He let out a sigh. "That's the point, I can't. I left to get Sandy only to hear she's been MIA for a while. One nurse said she's on leave. I came back to see you both gone, that dog was gone too. I was about to call for Byron but thought better of it. Two days. Two fucking days of looking for you when that fucker comes out of nowhere to save you. Even now my blood is boiling to end you. I have to fight for control, to not give in to the impulse to end this, us."
"There's no us-"
"Or so you keep telling me but why am I still here then?"
I leaned closer to him, really wanting to bite his lips as he spoke. Fuck, old memories were something like cocaine. Too much of it and you start to become an addict. "You are still here because your ego can't take in the fact that I'm still alive. Admit it. That's the only reason."
He should show rage at my admission but he only laughed. "You can easily kill me but you didn't. You ignored me instead."
Byron once said I had teeth now, maybe I wasn't using it enough. I moved as close as I dared without actually kissing him. Then bit right into his soft lips with a sneer. "What the fuck that's supposed to mean?"
If I hadn't noticed our audience, maybe my reaction could have been different when he groaned, slipping his tongue inside my awaiting mouth. We had no right, we were nothing but fuck, maybe I wanted to taste guilt on his tongue. I wanted him to suffer knowing I had someone else other than him.
Instead of driving the knife in his heart, I tugged his hair, earning another well-received groan. I let him believe we could be this close and not kill each other. Maybe he did too when he broke the kiss, leaving a sting. "It means we still have a chance together."
I had lots of things to say but I didn't.
I just took a deep breath, leaving Zach with the knife to walk over to Mikhail who was watching the entire time with a torn look on his face. The closer I got, the more his eyes hardened in a way that spoke volumes. I didn't look back, didn't dare to see the look on Zach's face. When I thought he’d just ignore me, a hand wrapped around my neck, the zap of his touch almost making me whine.
It was hurting me as it was hurting him.
I smiled at the challenge.
His didn’t, his stare icy as a finger dabbed my mouth harshly. “Missed a spot.”
There you go. I interpreted his next words when the hands returned to his side and his stare solely went to what I assumed to the man behind me. I paused, speaking only for his ears. "Hope you enjoyed the show cause that's the only time you'll ever get to see me like this."
These men had agendas of their own. Pride and Gluttony. But they had to be taught a lesson if they wanted me close. I wasn't someone anyone could keep without consequences.
And those consequences were as damned as I was.
"Dear diary,
Talk about irony.
I just found out that this place used to give protection to people like me until Byron took over. I knew something was shady about him. He didn't want us here to keep us safe. He just wanted to torture us for being different. 5133 asks me why I didn’t kill him yet. What she didn’t know that listening to Byron gets you insane, not listening to him gets you killed. I know how to pick my battles. That doesn’t stop her from shit talking about him all the time though. It's entertaining, really. I have learned quite a few curse spells.
Esti am mi ekius murvulas.
Ei mi yam makuru herium.
She also talks about Mikhail...
The last time I saw him, my whole body wanted to rip him to shreds. But I also wanted to sit on his lap and kiss him.
Great, I must be off my meds.
Unlikely but still.
Speaking of that, today a vomited a soul. Mikhail thought I was a soul junky and that's not even the worse part. When I feed, I don't have the same pleasure I usually get. It's almost like eating a boring meal you don't even care about. 5133 thinks it's because I've been closer to Mikhail that the urge to take souls is going away.
So, Mikhail, if it's your fault that I can't enjoy my meal? Go suck a cactus on my behalf."
"Esti am mi-"
I paused, cursing at the way my voice shook. It was a literal clusterfuck trying to find the right words to enchant.
"Esti am mi ekius murvulas." I started again, gazing hard at the diary in front of me. "Ei mi yam makuru herium. You have got to be kidding me."
It definitely was not a curse spell.
"Actually it's spelled yami makuru herium."
I flinched, finding Aaron not far away. He was supposed to be out on a hunt when Ivy invited him to a branch. It worked for me, really. He would be out of the house for a few more hours and I could figure things out myself. In the back of my mind, I wondered if this was Ivy's way of punishing me. Not telling me they were back so I get caught by Aaron. Low blow, sister, low blow.
Trying to laugh the uneasiness away, I shrugged. "Yeah, they don't make sense either way."
"It does to me. Curse spell, was it?"
Shit.
"Aaron. I get that you are reading the diary without telling me but I'd appreciate it if you did. We could both laugh at it together."
"There's nothing to laugh about, partner." His words felt slurred like he was drunk but I've never known Aaron to be drunk on a job. He just wouldn't. "You brought this body here, knowing what's waiting for you. You never cared about anything, do you, boy?"
Immediately my instinct was to harm him but it was Aaron or someone else in Aaron's body. I couldn't hurt him without hurting the host’s body. Dammit.
"Who are you?" I formed a fist, ready to attack if he did.
"A well-wisher of yours. The spirits talk, boy. What you have done is an atrocity to their legacy." Trust a spirit to be a dick too. "You've brought shame to the clan-"
"A clan I'm not even a part of nor do I believe in their practice." I reminded him, even managing a smile. "Now tell me what are you really doing here?"
He sneered, advancing toward me with anger in his eyes. "The door was supposed to be shut closed forever. You've let him in once, he'll want to come back again."
"I'll love to see him try." The words left a bitter taste.
"You're not even afraid? There's an army of him that will despise you, use you-" He paused, his eyes widening. "Um, what am I doing here?"
Just to be sure, I touched his shoulder. No magic. "Aaron?"
"Yeah. I was just sitting with your sister at that shitty cafe..."
I was smart to recognize the fear in his eyes so I quickly blurted out. "Ivy said you wanted to see the bars here so you two kind of hopped from one bar to another. Getting shitfaced drunk. Come on, man, let me take you to your room."
"I don't forget, I'm not that type of drunk." He frowned, breathing air into his palm. Shit. "I don't smell any alcohol. Hernandez, are you lying to me?"
My jaw clenched, ready to defend myself. "No! Of course, not-"
"I don't feel that good. We'll talk later. Don't run back to Memphis."
Suffice to say, Aaron freaked out enough to shut himself in the room.
Fuck,
I should have put on a ward around him. Or warn Ivy about it. Do anything other than hiding the truth. But I didn't and now Aaron was suffering for it.
"Everything alright?" Mom asked at night, noticing the way I kept my eyes on the closed door. He hadn't left once to eat or talk. I was terrified of just what kind of conclusion Aaron would draw from whatever happened.
"He wouldn't do anything stupid, would he?"
Mom was fidgeting. Not good. "I hope not. But son, if he remembers something or asks you a question-"
"I'll deal with it." I inhaled sharply. I had something else to worry about. Like, stop him from getting possessed again. "Have you warned the clan?"
"Yeah, she wasn't so happy about it but also, kind of expected it. Look, Sullivan and I, we both knew one of these days we'll crash. I'm surprised she didn't order you to take his memories away yet."
Yeah, that's definitely odd.
I rubbed my few days’ stubble with a frown on my face. "You sure we don't need Zedkiel's help?"
"I don't think that's a good idea." I picking up the nervousness coming from her, forcing me to look at the far end of the kitchen.
"Fine. I'll go to Ivy then." I could see mom starting to protest so I grabbed her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Look, it's only to help Aaron. It may be a good way for her to release her energy. We'll be fine. I promise."
With a new determination, I marched toward her room, pausing right before I could enter. After Valentine's betrayal, her room was always left dark. She wouldn't talk to anyone or even face anyone. Not even me. Taking a deep breath, I got into the room, noticing the telltale sound of scrapping papers and pencils.
"What is it this time?" I asked her but there was no answer. Hovering over her, I swallowed the uneasiness as her speed increased, the shadows going more disturbing, darker as she kept putting all her sight on paper.
"Eli ès inyat arrivola! Darkian tis è! Nes sloino ci uò salouare! Il futuro, cme acquas ek in troe la! Ti bas yoi. Erà Seaker seak, Reaper scari inirà!"
Suddenly she jumped from her chair making me fall to the ground. She was screaming so loud that the windows rattled and the door started to shake. Red painted my vision right when she started puking ants from her lips. Those tiny insects looked dead.
