Reaper Society

Chapter 3: The Soul-Stealer

Some time in between the sixth or tenth wave of fire rushing up my bones, my mind goes numb and blankets the nerves in my body, muffling the extent of the pain enough that I think I black out. When I come to again, I'm shaking, still hunched over and gripping the sheets with my hands and dripping sweat. It chills against my skin as I blink the haze from my eyes and see Asher watching me. His face relaxes a degree from the usual empty calculation into the hints of relief.

"Still conscious," Asher's voice is almost...approving... I blink at him in reply, relieved to see him recapping the scalpel. The silver is glinting with the red of my blood, making a shiver flutter through me.

Asher peels open another couple of alcohol pads and cleans up the bloodied mess of my legs. As the stinging from the antiseptic dies, the pain subdued when my mentor lightly blows over the fresh cuts, I can only gape at him. The mess of wet gauze in my mouth falls into my lap in a gross mess, but I can't be bothered to give a shit right now. Ash-hole is trying to ease the sting from the alcohol on my wounds. What kind of alternate universe is this? Did I die for real when I blacked out? Or is this some kind of screwed-up dream?

As my mentor lifts his head from my legs and the shock of the moment continues. This time, it's the actual sight of my legs that's making me gawk. Intricate and delicate black lines have taken the place of the scratches on my skin, patterns of the ink-like darkness look almost exactly like those I'd seen on the Reaper, Glory. I lean a little closer, nearly doubling over to stare at the nearly-invisible puckered, white lines beneath the gorgeous runes.

"That's amazing," I whisper, reaching one of my uncoordinated hands to trace up the aching flesh. I wince as my scarred fingers make the skin smart. "Do they always hurt after?" I ask Asher, looking up at him. I'd failed to realize just how close our faces were before that, now just an inch away as our eyes lock. Asher's reddish-brown eyes have that ember-like glow warming them as he studies me, a carnal hunger echoed deep in the depths of his dilating pupils.

"They'll be sensitive for a few hours until you heal completely," Asher replies without missing a beat. I almost jump as a tingling pressure rolls up from my ankles. I look down to see his hands moving slowly up and down the fresh runes - but where my touch had caused pain, his is...

"Wh-what're you doing?" I stutter out the first word, my voice roughened by strain and lust. His hands apply more pressure, fingers working over the tensed muscles and attempting to soothe the wave of goosebumps there. I let out an embarrassingly loud moan as an intense pleasure shoots from his fingers right to my core. My body tenses as my skin heats and my breathing becomes ragged.

"Making it feel better," Asher mutters softly, continuing the massaging assault over my calves and coaxing another moan from me. "Relax, or your muscles are going to cramp up." He hums at me, his voice taking on a more melodic quality that sends more heat zinging through me. I shudder, but comply without a word, allowing my leg muscles to relax under his expert fingers. "There you go," He breathes almost sensually. I shudder again, fighting to keep some semblance of control as pleasure continues to work it's way through me in waves.

Has it really been so long that a man's touched me even remotely sexually that one massage has me careening towards the edge? Or is there something about this guy that gives him an edge? I can't just be so attracted to this asshole that the barest hint of kindness has me metaphorically tripping into lust for him. No... It has to be some sort of trick. Some power or something. I can't be lusting after him for no reason. I just can't.

"Teach me!" I burst out, so loud it makes heat rise to my cheeks the second it explodes from my mouth. Asher quirks his eyebrows at me, a knowing smirk twitching the edges of his pouty lips. I shudder and force my annoyance up to the surface as I clear my throat. "Might as well teach me something while we're waiting for my legs to heal enough." I clarify in a more controlled tone, but the words still come out a little breathy and high for my liking. "I keep seeing glowing eyes." I blurt out one of the things that have been simmering in the back of my head.