Death's Successor Completed.

Chapter Twelve The Leacher

Logan breathed deeply, trying to control his trembling hands. Ignoring the steaming water in the enormous bathtub, he retreated to his room after returning to death's realm. Submerged in the water, he found an uneasy peace. His mind was his own, but an emptiness flickered inside. Something was missing. Flashes of the abyss queen's ritual played repeatedly behind his closed eyelids.

Scorching pain filled his limbs, muffled screaming filled the water, Logan sat up alert realizing after he emerged, the screaming came from his strained voice. He shook his wet strands of hair, breathing erratically. His heartbeat thudded uneasily in his chest, the queen plagued his thoughts, the echo of her hypnotic voice lingered in his subconscious. Ordering him to find a legendry weapon named the Leacher.

Logan pulled the plug. Stepping out, he slipped the towel around himself, shaking her annoying request out of his mind. He slipped his wedding ring on, wishing Layla was here right now. Instead of searching for Luna, he never heard of a champion of the goddess betraying their own.
'It made no sense. Why would Luna kill Cole? What was the motive? None of the evidence David clammed pointed to Luna being the killer. She said she found Cole dead.'
'So, why would death accuse her?' Logan sat in his living room of his and Layla's apartment. Their altar to the goddess lit with burning candles. A skeleton servant brought him a streaming mug of coffee and a tray of souls.

David ordered him to take leave of his usual duties until he could figure out what happened in between the time of Logan being sent to investigate the crypt and the weeks he spent imprisoned in the abyss.

He watched the soul bane training in the coliseum. His window offered the perfect view, wishing he could join them. Half the soul bane never turned up for training. He hadn't seen the newer members slacking off around the cathedral either. Lurker sightings increased over the last week.
He tried the coffee. Inhaling the bitter taste of burnt coffee beans. He tipped out the mug, preferring the smell of the spiced souls. He tried one shallowing it; it weighed on his stomach. Logan got dressed, leaving an offering of garnet stones to the goddess. He kneeled by the altar, asking her for help.
Slithering sounds and something dropping to the floor, more slithering sounds. The feel of a wet and smooth body coiled around his arm startled Logan. He stared at the electric eel gently coiling its body around his elbow.
He exhaled in relief.

'Zap, you escaped from your tank again?' Logan asked. He stood. Their pet eel was an escape artist, but he never hurt Layla or Logan with the electrical current flowing through his body. He inspected the tank, his grey body coiled around Logan's arm tighter. Causing discomfort.

'Ow, you're being a pain in the ass today. I fed you this morning. Now let go.'
'You broke the lid on your tank.' Logan let out a frustrated groan, trying to untangle the eel from his arm. He stopped. The creature's blue eyes flared with intelligence.

'My apologies Logan, I am borrowing your eel for the moment, he is a very obedient creature.' The goddess said. The eels' eyes glowed with blue flames.

Logan stumbled backwards, leaning his back against the tank.
'I... My goddess, I thought you were zap, uhhh, what brings you here? Logan stammered.
'Well, you called me here. I heard you asking for help, so something is wrong.' The possessed eel peered into Logan's hazel eyes. A quick gasp left the eel's mouth.
'L...Logan, your soul is not only missing, it's gone. How long were you in the abyss? Answer me!' the goddess's fury zapped Logan's arm as he dropped Zap in surprise. It landed in the water.
An angry burn mark covered his wrist. Zap poked its head out. "I'm sorry Logan.'
'The Lurkers kept me trapped in the abyss for weeks. The queen performed a ritual and stole my soul from my scythe.' He opened the hidden compartment, showing the queen of phantoms.
'I see, without your soul, you'll become more corrupted and easily swayed under her influence, Logan returning your soul is propriety. The longer the abyss queen owns it, the more of yourself you'll lose, till you're nothing but a mindless lurker.'