Bound (The Reaper Saga Book 2)

by K. H. Kate

  "You found us and what? Thought to get yourself in the middle of it like a damn child?" I asked, puzzled. He shook his head with a small laugh.

  "No, I didn't find you all just like that. I had someone ask for my help. Someone I hate yet willing to work with him just to save your life. Think, Lana, think."

  My eyes widened. "Mikhail."

  ***

  It all felt like a dream once I took notice of what Zach was saying.

  I told Mikhail to accept me as I was.

  Accept him.

  Was it his way of saying that he could? God, I didn't want to raise my hope that high.

  I closed my eyes and tried to remember what it felt to be a predictor. The souls I took hummed with me to take more. Reaching for the souls that were standing in the room, I pushed myself toward them. The humming grew louder alongside the screams. I didn't know if it was five or ten minutes yet but when the screams finally stopped I knew I'd done it. I had taken them all.

  "Your time's up. Zach...bring her." Roth's voice filled the air and a wicked grin spread across my face. They were too stupid to only let one person take me. For a second, Roth looked shocked before her eyes turned to Zach who gave her a daring grin.

  "Who are you?" Guess mama Roth didn't get the chance to see his evil face years ago.

  Looking at him, I noticed his face morph into a monster's. He was no longer the man they saw when he came here. He was the person I saw for a year in that sanatorium. Only a blue phantom of nothingness.

  "You're...your face, how?" Roth stuttered, before covering up the slip with a cough. She wasn't that intimidating now, was she?

  With a glint, I forced myself to look at Roth who was turning into a hellhound. Before she could finish the transformation, Zach and I both called our force on Roth. The souls inside of me and the lonely souls Zach had trapped inside his body worked together to head toward Roth. She didn't even have time to register what was happening. Roth let out a loud scream and right before my eyes turned to ashes. When I looked at Zach, his eyes turned to normal but we had yet to fight the final battle.

  One down and many more to go.

  When Zach and I got upstairs, every person was looking at me like I was supposed to change somehow, be more broken. With a bored look on his face, Zach took me to Sage. Sage was still unaware of the things we did in the basement or even if he knew, he did a very good job at hiding his expressions.

  "So...is she going to do everything we want?" Sage asked Zach who nodded with a smirk.

  With a grin, Sage pointed at the pentagram for me to sit again. I could have fought against him, but Sage shoved me on the pentagram before I could so much say a word.

  "Where is Roth? She was supposed to bring you." He asked me to which I shrugged. When Sage turned to Zach for an answer, he made up something like her leaving a while ago to bring more ingredients. Satisfied with the answer, Sage started to chant. But he wasn't summoning Keisha yet. He was going back to the person he really was...a hellhound. He was gnashing his teeth and his whole body lighted with flame.

  I didn't remember what happened next. I didn't even know where I found that power to stand up and give Sage a daring smirk.

  Surprisingly, Sage didn't retaliate yet. He merely gave me a curious glance to see what I would do. Anger and pain sharpened my focus. I imagined the horror they created, the pain they gave Hannah and the coven. Then I glanced down to see red lights at my fingertips. I might not be a witch but Keisha's words resurfaced on my mind, making sense for the first time. "Ancestral magic isn’t just about magic between families. It gives you strength, sometimes even let you channel them. Doesn't matter if you are a witch or not.”

  Keisha did me a favor when she channeled me. Now I could channel her.

  I reached out and with every ounce of strength I possessed, pushed the light out toward the people who were coming close to me. Drops of blood and ash rained to the floor where once the creatures were standing. I was outnumbered but it didn't make me afraid.

  Hell, it was a great way to pass time if I ever had one.

  Suddenly I saw Sage slam past me, straight into Zach making them both shatter the glass on impact. Zach was too shocked to do something and to my horror, Sage's mouth opened and he took a big bite of Zach's arm. I didn't know who screamed first; Zach or me.

  "We killed Roth." Zach let out a chuckle and if possible Sage got even angrier.

  "And you couldn't do anything about it." He finished. What the hell was wrong with him? Did he have a death wish?

  This time Sage chucked a flesh from Zach and he screamed out in pain. He looked tired, ready to give in and when his eyes found mine, he managed to gasp. "Run!"

  Fuck, Zach. Why do you keep doing this to me? I couldn't give him up without a fight.

  I looked for the dagger that was thrown away in the chaos and found it on the floor covering it in ash and dust. Taking a deep breath, I picked it up and looked down at the dagger still clutched between my fingers. The dagger in my hand started to hum and that drew the hellhound to look at me. I could see his eyes darkening at the thought of using that on me.

  "I'll summon my mother once you let go of him," I yelled in his direction and he growled in response. As much as he wanted to kill Zach, he wanted to kill me more. So it didn't surprise me when he left Zach who was coughing out blood.

  "Zach, I need you to go."

  "No! I won't-"

  "Now, Zach, now! Find that fucker." To Sage, it would look like rambling but to Zach? His face showed immediate recognition and thankfully, he didn't waste his time arguing. Only when he staggered out of the room that I ran the dagger down to my palm to draw out blood. Sage looked confused as he stared at the dagger now mixed with my blood.

  "What are you doing? That's not how you summon someone." A voice growled and looking up, it was Sage who was now shifting back between half-human and half-hellhound.

  "You had a vampire as a pet but you were too desperate to get out of here that you forgot one important thing." I teased, making him take a step forward.

  "And what will that be?" He snarled again.

  "The moon goddess blessed the vampires and we are descended from them. We Reapers are practically blessed by her and you took a blood moon for this sacrifice when she can easily be summoned by a vampire. Or a Reaper if the situation calls for." I smiled, knowing that the humming now was almost unbearable.

  "So what?"

  As soon as the words left his mouth, the wound from my palm patched up by itself. Sage horridly looked behind him to see the commotion. It was a cloud of silver and dust when suddenly a woman dropped from there. Whoever raised from the ashes, she was beyond graceful. I noticed the terror in every hellhound's eyes. Sage himself looked ready to run as he stared ahead.

  "So who summoned me?” A melodious voice asked.

  "A Reaper."

  "Selene?" I asked, not letting myself believe that I just summoned the moon goddess.

  "Dear goddess," Sage whispered, immediately dropping on his knees. Why was he acting like such a good minion? My eyes narrowed at the show but she didn't look away from me at once.

  "You summoned me and I'm at your service. What do you need, my child?" Selene slowly spoke. Hell, even her voice sounded like an angel or Raphael.

  "I need revenge." Without thinking, I pointed at Sage. He was the reason Keisha turned into a Reaper, killed my sister and now we were all going to be killed. Indeed, he needed to be punished.

  He needed to be killed.

  Without warning, the moon goddess flew toward Sage and screams began to ripple through the wind. The great Selene was here to protect us. I looked around to see some were trying to run away and some bold ones still trying to attack them. High pitched, wrenching screams filled the air as we fought against the creatures. Someone in there must have had eyes on me cause suddenly I was flying off the entrance only to hit the ground with force.

  "Are you alright?” I heard Mikhail's voice, trying to stop the world from going ro
und and round. A sigh of relief left my lips. At least he was here now. I moved again, pain hitting me too fast. Concerned, he started to probe and poke my head until he touched where he hurt most. His fingers came up covered in red.

  "Shit! You're bleeding! C'mon, let's get you out of here." He offered me his hand and I gladly took them. But still, I wanted to know that if Sage was really dead. As if reading my mind, he shook his head urgently. "We'll come back but right now you need help."

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of Sage's minions was still chanting.

  How many people did he actually have?

  I tried to hear what he was chanting about but before I could do that darkness consumed us. How the hell...The moon was hiding itself. That's when it clicked. He was trying to kick Selene back into her world.

  Selene let out an inhuman growl and was quickly turning into nothing. I tried to help her but before I could even move, arms grabbed me roughly from behind. I struggled but they were much stronger.

  "Mikhail, she's leaving! Can't you see?"

  "I can see it. That's why we need to go." He groaned causing me to roll my eyes.

  "The more reason to help her." The moon was going down and Selene was fading away. Something bad had to have happened.

  He met my gaze with a stern look. "It's suicide to go back there so I suggest we run."

  I looked at him with disbelief. He was kidding, right?

  "No. I won't run until I know Sage is dead." I snapped, trying to walk out but his hands tightened around my arm.

  "No, you're not going anywhere. I promised your mother that I'll safely return you to her and I don't break promises. Don't make me do it, please, 5132." He said through clenched teeth.

  I ground my teeth to stop myself from saying anything else. He called me 5132. Holy hell. It had to mean something. When I didn't say anything, he just led me through another passage and came to a hidden door. He opened it and stuck his head through but not before grinning at my pouting face.

  "You coming or not?”

  With a scoff, I made my way to the room only to see Zach and Keisha in a heated conversation. Frowning, I looked at Mikhail for any kind of explanation but he just shrugged.

  "What were you guys talking about?" I asked the duo that immediately made them stop.

  "We were discussing how to get out of limbo but Zach thinks my way is too risky," Keisha replied to which Zach scowled. What was the way that was too risky, even for Zach?

  Zach stepped forward. "She wants to pretend that she's ready to help Sage and then open a portal to get out of here. Now there's a 99 percent chance that we can all get killed. Your mother is insane."

  Shit, Zach was right.

  Though before I could even open my mouth, suddenly a gust of wind knocked me off from my feet. Instantly, I pulled myself into a standing position and saw that Zach was pinned to the wall and Mikhail was bound to a chair. Only Keisha and I were left alone.

  Sage was once again in the form of a hellhound. He didn't die, he just found out about our hideout. I wanted to slap myself for being this stupid. Obviously, he had followed us here. He was bleeding out yet his first thought was to capture Lana, kill poor Lana.

  Just give me a break...

  Without warning, Sage went for my neck which I neatly dodged. Keisha was furiously chanting something and this slowed Sage a little bit but he was still after me. Just what did I look to him that he couldn't just let go!

  "I told you I'll get that gate open today and when I say this know that you'll die and kill your own mother to do that." He snarled, pinning me to the wall next to Zach who was trying to break free but failed. Mikhail looked like he could murder Sage in cold blood as even his muscle didn't move despite the things he started to murmur. I guessed that none of their magic was working right now.

  What could I do now? Think, think!

  Suddenly I remembered that I still had the dagger with me in my left pocket. Now if I could just reach my hands in there only then... After trying four times, I successfully pulled the dagger out. Now! Something in me claimed. Kill him now. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and pushed the dagger deep into his heart.

  Silence...

  I was met with silence. I was expecting some kind of animal growl but I only heard a sharp breath. Slowly opening my eyes, my jaw dropped. Instead of Sage's blood, my hands were smeared with Keisha's blood. She was clutching her heart and her eyes showed relief. How could she look relieved? I just pushed a dagger in her heart.

  No.

  No, no, no.

  "One part of the ritual is now completed. I told you fate always wins."

  Sage was saying something more but I couldn't hear a single word coming from his mouth. I did what they wanted me to do. I killed Keisha, she's gone. Before Keisha could slump to the ground I caught her and we both ended up on the floor, Keisha's head dropping on my lap.

  "Lana?"

  This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a horrible nightmare. I needed to wake up. I needed to wake up right now. I didn't even get to vent all my anger yet.

  "I'm so sorry."

  I heard the whisper. But I also noticed the lack of a sound.

  Her heartbeat.

  I didn't know how long I was staring at nothing.

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I thought I saw the hazy outline of Zach. Sighing, I slowly rolled onto my side. I was back in my cage and next to mine was Zach where Keisha was thrown into before.

  Keisha...I killed her.

  I closed my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts but every time I did, I saw the image of Keisha's lifeless body. No tears streamed down my face. I felt nothing but a dark, deep void of pain. It was strange really. I hated her at the same time, I wished I had enough time to know the mystery that was Keisha Deshayes.

  My heart ached as I finally got a good look at Zach’s face. His whole body sagged with exhaustion and he had dark circles under his eyes. His hands were painted red, the skin underneath rubbed raw from the ropes. He looked unconscious when I was looking at him but as if knowing someone was staring, his eyes opened.

  "How are you feeling?" He whispered.

  "Just breathing," I whispered back, ignoring his knowing gaze. We were here but Mikhail was nowhere to be found. I didn't know what happened to him. When Sage knew that I didn't have any strength left, he snatched Keisha's body only to hand it to one of his people. I tried to stop him but whatever he chanted, it knocked me out in a second. The next I opened my eyes, I was already here beside Zach.

  "Where's Mikhail?"

  "They took him. I don't know where but I tried to fight. I swear! I wanted a way to end all of this but that bastard..." He trailed off rubbing the pale line in his wrist. "Sage saw the trinket on my wrist and put two and two together. So he gathered that taking my lost souls would be the best way to punish me. Now, my bindings, all I ever had is gone. Just like that."

  Mikhail was gone and Zach didn't have any soul in him...

  "Does that hurt? Without them binding to you?"

  "Hurts?" He laughed, clutching his stomach. "What hurts more is that if I ever get out of this alive then I'll be put in a trial. You know, by the King of Hell? And trust me, that guy is way worse than a thousand Sages combined."

  So without the trinket, he was practically fired from his job.

  "Where are they?" The numbness was creeping into my bones.

  "The moment he took the trinket, it became his. I can't believe my own bindings are his now. He had no right to do that. I would be happily dead if he rather killed me."

  When I didn't answer, he grabbed my hand through the bars and I let him. He looked at me like the night of Samara's death. "When everything ends, I want you to know something. I never meant to hurt you the way I did in that sanatorium. I was so confused, hurt and betrayed. Everyone I knew had moved on with their life. Our friends were finishing college where I was just a guy that was killed by his crazy girlfriend."

  I didn't know what to say.
/>
  I thought back to all the things we did together and the years in that sanatorium. I couldn't blame him for the voices and I also couldn't support his actions.

  "I never knew who killed you really. Was it Emie or Keisha?" No matter how many times I said it wasn't me, he was hell-bent on telling me that it was me that killed him. But he had to have known the truth now.

  "I...I was killed by your sister but it was Keisha's fault. Your mother told me in the middle of an argument. I didn't know you had a twin sister so I assumed it was you. And I knew of Roth before. That's why I started to avoid you, I needed solid proof that she was not the mother you knew her as."

  Emie? Emie killed him? My fists tightened but in a minute it uncoiled thinking of what Hannah told me before. It was unenviable.

  "Tell me everything you know, Zach."

  "I-I accidentally saw the powers Roth held. I was so freaked out, I mean, wouldn't you? I was just a human, how the fuck would I react if I saw the mother of my girlfriend shifted into something else other than a human?" I could just imagine him pacing around in his room with a shocked look on his face.

  Fuck, this was the reason he was avoiding me all those times?

  "Dammit, Zach. Why didn't you tell me?"

  He chuckled. "You think I didn't try? Hell, even if you would have paged me as a lunatic, I was ready to tell you everything. But every time I tried, Roth was mysteriously there to send you away. Remember the misunderstandings we were having? She was the one doing it. Google wasn't exactly helping either. I met with so many fake people who claimed to know about Hellhounds until I found someone who would help me in real but I needed to give them something about your bloodline in return."

  "Who?"

  "They made me swore an oath for protecting you. And that's what I broke. Guess hell didn't give me a joyful ride for that." When I didn't laugh he made a huffing sound.

  "Look it's all over and old news now. But what's important right now is..." He trailed off with a frown. "Mikhail told me something recently. Something you said to him about me. You said you loved me, with all your heart. More than you can ever try to love him. Is it true? It was too damn hard not to fall for you before, Lana Deshayes, same goes for the second time."