The Reaper Saga [Book 1-3]

CHAPTER 16 [EDITED]

5132

TWO MONTHS AGO

Guess I had gluttony for suffering cause I didn't bat an eyelash when I looked at the source of blood.

A girl on the floor, bleeding from a wound on her neck.

Zach did though. He was yelling for help while pressing something down to her neck to stop the blood flow. "Lana, come on!"

I walked slowly, dropping down to touch the wound once I reached them. A fresh one. If I didn't just come from Byron's room, I would have accused him of feeding on the patients. It was just that easy. But the wound looked nothing like a vampire would leave. It was nastier, intending to make a point rather than just a little tasting.

"Where is everyone?" Zach yelled again, looking for a pulse.

"No one's coming." I gathered that much. After Era ended up in the tunnel, no one would want a case like this so soon. So, we'll have to do.

"Bring her to the bed. Make sure there's no blood on the sheets. I'll have to fucking clean it myself if you do." I ordered, looking around to find something helpful when my eyes locked with something else. Something not possible.

"What the hell?"

"What-" Zach started only to notice the same thing. His eyes widened and if he was still holding 5133, she'd been dropped on the floor for the second time. "Why's a dog there?"

As if the dog could hear him, it growled. Definitely not how a dog sounds like.

"That's not a dog. Dog's don't have eyes like this." Like red. Glowing.

"Then what the fuck is that?"

I'd like to know the same thing but my cellmate's bleeding on my sheets. Thoughts of Byron making me clean every part of it made it easier for me to focus on her rather than whatever creepy-looking thing that was.

"We'll look into it later. Call Sandy."

"What?" He looked at me like I'm insane. "And leave you with that thing?"

"Yes, Zach. Your abandoned issues are not new so just..." I trailed off, remembering how I was crossing a line I wouldn't dare in the past. No talking about his parents and no talking about Samara. Dammit. I didn't want to but if this was what took him to finally leave me be, so be it. "She's bleeding. She needs help."

He looked troubled, maybe because I brought his abandoned issues up for the first time ever or maybe he was truly afraid for me. Who knew what the fuck went through his head nowadays? But thankfully, with one look at the new addition in the room, he left.

Sighing, I looked at the wound again. Damn. It's a blessing that she's even breathing.

"5-513-" I heard a wheezing and immediately went closer to hear better. "Found us. Run."

What?

"Who found us? 5133, tell me!" But she was already coughing, letting more blood seep through than words. Fuck. What's taking so long?

Cursing, I looked at the dog again. In the dark, I could only see its eyes properly but it was bigger than an average dog. Bigger than a wolf even.

"What are you?" The question left past my lips before I could stop myself. In answer, I heard a bark.

Intrigued, I whispered again. "Can you understand? Do you know me?"

I heard two barks at once.

Holy hell.

Before I could think deeper into all of these, I heard footsteps and then a voice I really didn't expect to hear.

"Er ta culsu ki paya re na ma."

My head throbbed and a whimper left from my lips at the pain. I was starting to see two of everything. Fuck. I shook my head to stop the dizziness but just as I turned, I saw Fredah smile, her voice getting higher by the second.

"Te yare he mi nco la eram."

Bloody witches and their spells. That's the only thing I could think before everything went black.

***

"Wakey, wakey."

Struggling to open my eyes, I groaned, wondering what's the new plan this place had for me today.

"Wake up!" Someone shouted, kicking whatever thing I was laying onto.

Scowling at whoever was making this much fussing, my eyes opened only to find myself in a stretcher and Fredah hovering over me. Funnily enough, even 5133 was with us in another stretcher, looking better than she did when I saw her last.

"What the hell, Fredah?" I asked at last. "Seriously. If you are looking for ways to bring trouble, just kidnap Byron. He's more vulnerable than any one of us."

She laughed but something told me it wasn't a friendly laugh. "You think I want to bring trouble here? Huh? Do you know where Era is right now?"

"In the tunnel. Giving up her flesh for some kind of nutcase who feeds on fleshes?" I wondered aloud, watching her face getting red. Ok, so the rumors were somewhat true and I just pissed off a witch.

"You think this is funny."

"I don't." None of this was funny. Besides, my arms were starting to twitch. I had neither the pill nor a soul in my body. Honestly speaking, she couldn't find a worse time to kidnap a Reaper.

"You fucked us over, you know? Letting us do magic but not do something when we were caught." She started circling me, stopping near her. "Poor thing would have died if I didn't heal her. You attack one of your own and don't get punished. We practice some magic and get punished to not even breathe? How's that fair?"

I couldn't stop the chuckle. "Um, have you noticed where you are? This place isn't fair, these people aren't fair. And, you did practice for me like four years ago. Why should I care what happens now?"

"Because you started the circle! Et kem." I was starting to choke up again, the pain hitting too fast for me to not notice. "My sisters are in pain because of you. Because they think you'll start a war in here. Everyone loves you."

Even in pain, I had to snort. "Yeah. Tell that to the people who died in my hands. Sure they love me."

"Shut up! I'm going to keep you two here until I can get Era out of there. You two are my leverage now." She told me that quite clearly but the way she was shaking, it hadn't been a long time plan for her. She just crossed my room and thought to take us on a whim.

That's even worse.

"I didn't hurt her, you know? 5133. Something else did, a dog or a wolf. I don't know..."

"Stop lying!" She got into my face, screaming until my eardrums almost gave up. "You're a liar. A liar. A liar! Why don't you just die!?"

"Um, there's not enough hole in the ground for my lovely personality to fit. I'll pass."

She backhanded me, bitch. "Shut up!"

"Don't believe if you don't want to but you're using magic now. Don't think they'll know?" I blurted out, stalling her from doing something stupid. Something like, kill us. I didn't know if I was even killable but I wasn't interested to find out any time soon.

"We're way down below, 5132. These walls block magic from getting outside. I found this place yesterday when I was trying to find my sisters." The way she said it... "Even your screams won't get out of this room."

Fuck.

I was screwed.