Lord of Ends

by Sam Ryder

  “Now we’re talking!” Elias shouted. “There’s nothing like killing an Ender. Get to work.”

  As I got closer, I looked her in the eyes, forcing truth into my expression, willing her to see who I was. Her friend. Her lover. Her advocate. Her ally.

  She frowned slightly, and I could tell she felt something in her chest—her instincts firing.

  As I stood before her, I glanced down at the blood-tinged knife, then back at her. I cocked an eyebrow. She shot me a knowing glance. Gehn knew the plan.

  “Why aren’t you killing her, Cutter?” Elias said. “I’m getting impatient.”

  “Hang on, okay?” I barked back. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this. I’ll get better at it again over time.”

  Without taking my eyes off her, I lifted the blade to her throat, my back blocking much of Elias’s view. Then I winked.

  I slashed violently, careful to cut nothing but air, and Gehn fell like a tree hit with a nuclear blast. She covered her neck with her hands and fell face-first into the rocks, rolling away, writhing, twitching, really fucking selling it. In the old world she’d have won a goddamn Oscar for her performance.

  Slowly she stopped moving, as if she really was dead. She left one of her hands lying palm up at her side. Blood covered it, looking like she bled all over her hands trying to save herself, when in reality it was covered in the blood of the guard whose neck she’d bitten.

  That’s a nice touch. Damn, she’s good.

  Elias stepped gingerly to her, his own injury slowly him down. Gehn didn’t move a muscle. He poked her with his foot. She lay there, motionless.

  Hannah looked up at me with a stunned look on her face. She couldn’t believe I “killed” Gehn. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She shook her head, a mix of anger and sadness blanketing her face. “I trusted you, Cutter,” she said. “Gehn trusted you.”

  Again, I felt awful, but all would be forgiven when the truth came out. “You should’ve paid me more,” I said, putting on my own act.

  “You fucking bastard,” Hannah said, about to throw herself at me, but the other woman grabbed her and held her back. I wondered whether she knew the truth, whether she had some Ender sixth sense like Gehn that told her Gehn was faking it.

  Elias turned to me with an impressed smile on his face.

  “Well done, Cutter,” he said. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think you had the guts to do it. But you still have the heart of a ruthless killer in there. And now that you’ve joined the dark side once more, there’s no going back. Like you said, your word is your bond.”

  Elias reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of silver dollars. “Here’s some starter money for you,” he said, tossing the coins into the air. I caught two and let the others fall to the stones.

  “That’s a pretty good advance,” I said.

  “Yeah, well, you’re about to earn it,” Elias said. “You’ve killed one, now kill the others. We can collect the rest of our fee and then spend some of it on getting your knee fixed up.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” I hopped over to Alpha, who was lying in between two large rocks. Careful not to put any weight on my bad foot, I picked her up and checked the barrel, clicking it into place. I’d been mistaken before—she had one bullet left. I swore she’d been empty before and I was rarely wrong about my ammo. But hell if I wasn’t wrong this time.

  “All right, you ready?” Elias said. “Shoot the other two, I don’t care. Just get it done so we can move on. This job has taken forever. I’m bored.”

  I hopped back over to the girls. The one I didn’t know stared at the ground, resigned to her fate. Or was she? Something about her expression seemed to indicate she knew more than she was letting on. She was continuing to hold Hannah back. Hannah stared me down, a murderous look in her eyes. In that moment, she hated me. It hurt, but I was willing to take that hatred for a thousand years if it resulted in her safety.

  I stared down the barrel at Hannah, pulling the hammer back. “You want me to whimper, to cower?” she asked. “Well, fuck you, Cutter.” She stared right into my eyes. I loved that fire in her eyes—it meant she was still alive, still fighting. She was a survivor.

  I jerked the gun to my right and put my last bullet into Elias’s chest.

  Hannah screamed in shock. Elias slumped onto the rocks. He dropped his gun and clutched his chest. His body trembled.

  “I—I don’t understand,” he whispered. “You killed the Ender…”

  “You can get up, Gehn,” I said. With a smile, Gehn pushed herself up and revealed to Elias that she was fine, her throat bloody but not with her blood. Hannah threw herself at her sister, hugging her, tears mixing with the blood.

  I stood over Elias. “You were desperate,” I said. “You never got over the fact that I left. Your desperation to have me back clouded your judgment. You got sloppy, Elias. It was rather pathetic, to be honest.”

  “This isn’t over,” Elias said to me.

  “Not for us,” I said. “But for you, it is.” Once more, I picked up the sword.

  “No,” he replied. “War is coming. I’ve heard them talk about it. If we didn’t get the job done, they would unleash hell. The Rising is coming for you, Cutter. You signed your death warrant. You’re on the wrong side of this one.”

  “If my side is the ‘wrong’ side, then that’s where I want to be,” I said. “The Wanderer’s Guild dies with you.”

  “Yes, it does,” he admitted, his voice tight, strained. He was on the verge of death.

  He twitched and took a few shallow breaths before his chest stopped moving. His eyes fixed on the sky, and his head slumped to the side.

  Gehn wrapped her arms around me from behind and I almost toppled over on account of my bad knee. Still, it was a good moment for us.

  I managed to turn around, touching a hand to her face. “You’re…not disgusted by me?” she asked. Her lips were bathed in blood, as was her chin and dress.

  I shook my head. “I could never be. Nothing a little water can’t clean away. Anyway, have you seen me?” I was bloodstained and filthy.

  She laughed and I handed her the sword. “I have a feeling you’ll make better use of this than me.” Her eyes widened and she accepted it.

  Hannah approached. “You bastard,” she said, slapping me playfully on the shoulder. “And you bitch,” she said to her sister. “Your little act almost gave me a heart attack. How did you know he would fall for that?”

  “Every time we talked, he mentioned how I left the Wanderer’s Guild,” I said. “He couldn’t let it go. All he wanted was for me to come back and help him. He never got over it. That’s why he wanted me dead, because he thought he couldn’t own me anymore. Once I dangled that bait in front of him, I knew he would take it and let his guard down. I just needed to convince him I was telling the truth.”

  “Gehn, that was a hell of a performance,” Hannah said.

  “Yeah, well, I’ve had practice,” she replied. “Most of my life since transforming has been an act.”

  “We need to get moving,” I said, bringing us all back to reality. Atticus had fled to the city, presumably he would send reinforcements. I turned to the third woman. “You’re coming with us, yeah?”

  She shrugged. “If you’ll have me.” I could feel that little bit of Ender doubt in her words, despite all that had happened. It made me angry, not at her, but at the fucked up system we were trying to change.

  “Of course. I’d take you over a million humans any day,” I said. “No offense, Hannah.”

  “None taken,” she said. “But hold on one second.”

  I frowned, confused, watching as Hannah strode over the rocks and picked up a gun one of the guards had dropped. She strode back and then aimed it at Elias’s corpse. In rapid fire fashion, she put six bullets into the dead man’s chest. Seemingly satisfied, she said, “Okay, now we can go.”

  I whistled. “Damn, woman, you’re scary. Remind me never to actually get on the wrong side of you.”
>
  She laughed and then led the way from the Killing Field, our own blood and the blood of our enemies adding to the stains on the rocks. I gave Elias’s body one last glance. If his boss, Atticus, wanted a war, he would get one. And who needed Three when we had Four?

  Despite the pain shooting thing my leg, I hustled to catch up to Hannah and Gehn and threw my arms across their shoulders. They supported a portion of my weight, which helped. The third woman stayed a few feet apart, but at least she came with us. There would be time to get to know her soon enough.

  Chapter 39

  Cooldown

  At first, we didn’t cover a lot of ground. All the hardships endured during of their captivity had weakened the women. My knee being blown apart meant hobbling was excruciating.

  Out of breath and devoid of energy, we paused only a few dozen yards from the Killing Field.

  “We need a ride. Or something,” I said. “We’ll never reach a safe distance like this.”

  “I can help,” the third woman said, stepping forward.

  “How?” I asked.

  “Sit down,” she said.

  We didn’t have time to sit, but at this point I had nothing to lose. I flopped down into the dirt. She knelt down next to my bad leg, then placed both hands on it—one on my thigh and one on my shin.

  “What are you—” I started to say.

  “Ssshhh...” she interrupted.

  The woman closed her eyes and took several deep, long breaths—In through her nose and out through her mouth. Her hands grew warm.

  Very warm, actually. The heat kept rising. I worried that she would burn me, except I couldn’t figure out why so much heat was pouring out of her hands.

  “What is happening?” I asked. No response. The red horns cutting through her hair grew brighter and brighter, matching the intensity of her hands, which grew hotter and hotter. The heat traveled from her hands and into me, engulfing my knee. As the knee heated, I felt the bones knit themselves back in place.

  This can’t be happening.

  When she lifted her hands off my leg, she smiled at me. I looked down at my knee with disbelief, then bent it.

  No pain.

  “Better?”

  I nodded, somewhat shell-shocked.

  Hannah appeared just as confused as me. Gehn, on the other hand, did not seem surprised at all. “So that’s what you got,” Gehn said to her.

  The woman stood up, then I followed. I squatted down, bending both knees, then sprang up. My knee was better than ever, like I was a young soldier in basic training, eager and invincible. It was awesome.

  “When I mutated, I gained the power of healing,” the woman said.

  I still couldn’t comprehend what had happened. I’d never heard about Enders having any kinds of superpowers, at least not until Gehn had revealed her sixth sense and clairvoyant-like dreams. “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “I’m Belenie,” she said. “And thank you for saving me.”

  Gehn reached out and took Belenie by the hand. “We’re so happy to have you with us on this journey.”

  “She’s right,” I said. “Belenie, I stand by my previous words. You’re welcome to travel with us. And as much as I would love to talk and get to know each other, I think we need to keep moving right now.”

  For the next several hours, the group moved much more quickly. The women had more energy since they didn’t have to carry me around, and I was walking better than I had in days. The sheer motivation of getting away from Rome pushed us forward.

  As the sun set, I built a fire and we rested for the night.

  Darkness hung over the wasteland. By the fire’s glow, we discussed our options.

  “We should go to Paris,” Gehn said. “The home of the Enders. There must be some there who will want to join us. If others know about the prophecy, maybe they’ll join us.”

  “I agree,” I said. “The tricky part will be convincing them. Their mistrust of human men will run deep. We’ll need a plan.”

  As we talked, Belenie ran her hand up and down Gehn’s thigh. She was very affectionate toward her. It distracted me enough that I spoke up.

  “Did you two know each other before today?” I asked.

  Both shook their heads. “We met while being held captive,” Gehn said.

  “I’m just... you two seem very comfortable with each other.”

  They giggled.

  “Many female Enders are starved for affection, so we gravitate to each other,” Belenie said. “It’s instinctual.”

  That’s when I remembered Gehn’s comments on male Enders and their lack of libido. I assumed Belenie was anxious for some attention.

  “I really want to thank you for inviting me to go with you,” Belenie said to all of us, though her eyes lingered on Gehn.

  Gehn smiled. She knew what Belenie was talking about. I glanced at Hannah, who wore a knowing smirk of her own.

  Hannah slid down the log until she bumped shoulders with me. “I think we could all use some relief,” she said.

  Before I could answer, Gehn and Belenie exchanged a long, passionate kiss. Hannah ran her hand up the inside of my thigh, brushing against my cock, which responded. Watching Gehn and Belenie was enough for me, but Hannah showing me attention pushed me over the top.

  Belenie pulled down Gehn’s top and cupped one of her tits, squeezing it as Gehn sighed. Both their horns began to glow. Belenie took Gehn’s hand and slid it between her legs, encouraging her to explore.

  It was almost too much to handle. Hannah kissed my neck, reaching into my pants to grasp my now-hard manhood. She stroked it gently, sucking harder on my neck while I watched Gehn and Belenie slowly undress.

  Gehn lay down on the log, inviting Belenie to slide between her legs. She complied, running her tongue around her pussy before slipping it into her. Gehn moaned, and soon her horns outshone the fire.

  Still a little concerned for our safety, I glanced around the area. There seemed to be no company for miles.

  I pulled Hannah’s shirt over her head, and she tugged my pants down so that she could access my dick freely. She moved down and wrapped her lips around my head, stroking the shaft while flicking the tip with her tongue.

  Meanwhile, Gehn watched me from across the fire, a small smile flitting across her lips as Hannah bobbed her head on my cock. She rubbed her own clit, spreading her lips so that Belenie could lick deeper. Her eyes rolled back as the ecstasy built in her.

  Gehn then pushed herself into a seated position and lifted Belenie from between her legs. She spun her around and bent her over, so Belenie was on all fours, straddling the log with her ass in the air.

  With a smile, Gehn ate her out from behind, gently tapping Belenie’s clit with her tongue. Belenie threw her head back, her ample tits swaying in the night’s breeze.

  Hannah was ready to get some attention herself. She stood up and wiggled her pants off her hips, sliding them down and tossing them aside. She pushed my shoulders down, pinning me against the log. Then she straddled me, lowering her pussy down onto my cock and sliding it in deeply.

  She rocked her hips, feeling the head of my dick push deeper inside of her while she watched Gehn eating Belenie out. The sight spurred her on, and she bounced her ass hard, letting the slapping of our skin echo across the plains.

  I grabbed her tits with both hands, and she gripped the backs of my hands, pressing my palms harder onto both of her breasts. I squeezed with the encouragement, and she rode me harder.

  Gehn had Belenie sit on the log and spread her legs. Lifting one of her own legs, she straddled Belenie until their clits rubbed together. Belenie grabbed the back of Gehn’s head and pulled her in for a passionate kiss between moans. She squeezed her own tit, tugging gently on her hard nipple while enjoying the feel of Gehn’s heat against hers.

  Together, they rocked back and forth, scissoring each other and clutching their bodies tightly.

  Hannah leaned forward and propped herself up by her hands, lifting her ass in
the air. I responded by lifting my hips skyward, plunging deeper into her. She let out a scream, and I kept pumping.

  Gehn and Belenie nodded at each other, then walked around the fire to join us. Holy mother… I thought.

  Gehn grabbed Hannah by the sides of her head and kissed her own sister—which was exactly as hot as it sounds—while Belenie straddled my face, lowering her pussy over my mouth.

  Not one to argue, I continued fucking Hannah while I gripped Belenie’s ass and licked her shaven vagina.

  Belenie’s legs shuddered with pleasure the deeper I licked. Hannah gave her a turn, knowing she hadn’t had access to manhood for a long time.

  Gehn smiled, watching Belenie climb off my face. I gestured for her to lie down, and she spread her legs, eager to feel my cock inside her.

  I slipped the head just inside her pussy. The slick wetness engulfed my cock the further I pushed. Belenie’s eyes grew wide and she bit her lip to keep from screaming.

  Hannah and Gehn sat down, kissing each other and exploring each other’s pussies with their hands. Soon they were vigorously rubbing each other and moaning loudly. Talk about sisterly love.

  Belenie ran her hands up and down her own body with pleasure as I pumped faster. She squeezed both of her tits, sinking her fingernails deep into her skin. Then she wrapped her legs around me and locked her ankles, holding me deep inside her.

  I stopped moving, letting her enjoy every inch of me sitting in her heat. Her breath fluttered against me. She stared into my eyes, a look of disbelief on her face. Then Belenie shifted her hips and grinded on my cock from underneath me.

  I slumped forward, outlining her nipples with the tip of my tongue. She pressed her body against mine, holding me as tightly as she could while gyrating her hips into me. I pushed her other tit into my mouth and sucked hard while she moaned.

  Belenie sped up and her body quivered as she reached her climax. Her entire body tensed up, then slowly melted. Gehn and Hannah furiously rubbed themselves, muffling the moans of their orgasms with a deep, passionate kiss.