Distorted Affliction

Chapter Ten

"I think you were right," I teased, pulling my jeans up to button them. I glanced around the floor, searching for my shirt before Sin scooped it up and brought it to me slowly. He held the fabric over my head when I reached for it, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me to his bare chest.

"How so?" he asked, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"I think if Lucas saw that in my memories," I started, looking up at him through my lashes. "He must have found some satisfaction in making me forget. But that's fine, because remembering it felt damn near as good as living it again."

There was a soft creaking, and then the sound of boots walking slowly across the floor. Sin and I shared a glance and then sprang into action, throwing our shirts back on quickly and heading to investigate. I followed him down the hallway slowly, calling every ounce of magic within my body to focus.

When he stopped at the top of the stairs, we both listened intently, waiting to hear the movement again. We were met with silence, though I could somehow sense that we weren't alone in the house. Sin started down the steps quickly, and I glanced behind me instinctively, caught off guard when I saw the shape of someone standing just beyond the shadows of the hallway.

They moved quickly towards me before I had time to react, slamming the palm of their hand into my chest so hard that when my body tumbled down the stairs, I missed the first four entirely. I felt the air leave my lungs, but when I cried out, the sound of boots scuffling against the floor followed by a loud curse was the only response I was given.

I laid on the floor for a moment, trying to regain my bearings as I listened to Sin fight off a second intruder in the entryway. Before I could manage to pull myself up, a strong hand gripped my throat, lifting me straight off the ground and pressing me against the wall.

"Where is the boy?" I could feel the Mouri's breath against my face as he growled at me, his eyes dark as he looked into mine. "You can't hide him forever."

"Fuck off," I breathed, narrowing my eyes and pulling my magic into focus once again. I imagined the blood inside of his body boiling, pushing the power inside of me to do as I willed. The intruder's face contorted in pain, and he released me as I watched him stumble backwards away from me. My breathing was ragged, but I stepped closer to him, never releasing the magical hold I had on him until he fell to the ground, and his body stopped moving.

I scrambled around the space for a moment, looking for a weapon I could use to ensure he wouldn't get back up. When I found nothing off hand, I kicked the last piece of banister so hard it split in two pieces. With shaky hands, I grabbed one of the broken pieces and drove the wood through the Mouri's heart without a second thought.

"August!" I heard Sin call, and when I turned back to him, he was on top of the second intruder, his fist pulled back and aimed, ready to rip his heart from his chest without hesitation.

"Wait!" I urged, rushing over before he could finish him. Sin held him by his throat, a look on his face that I had never seen before, and I knew that he would relish the moment he took his life.

"August," he said through gritted teeth. "Whatever it is, you better hurry."

"Who sent you?" I asked, though I wasn't sure what response I was hoping for. The Mouri grinned, blood painted across his teeth from where Sin's knuckles had collided with his face several times.

"You're running out of time," Sin spat, tightening his grip on the Mouri's throat. "Who sent you here?"

"He's going to find him," the Mouri said through a grimace. "You can't outrun him forever. He's following you. He's going to find the boy, and when he does, he's going to rip him to shreds and use his blood to lead an army."

"Who?" I pressed, fighting the urge to put my foot through his head. "Who's following us?"

"Lazarus," he breathed quietly. "Lazarus is going to kill every last one of you until he gets what he's after. You can kill me, but for every one of us you take out, three more will follow. There aren't enough of you to stop him, and when he finds the boy, and he will, his army will reign hellfire down upon the world. You can't outrun him, August. He's coming, and he's going to kill you first."

Sin's fist shot down and through his chest, and when he pulled it back, he brought the Mouri's heart with it. His face went slack, and his body slumped as Sin tossed his heart across the entry room floor.

"We need to get out of here," he urged, moving quickly to his feet and heading for the front door. I followed, breathing heavy as anxiety rushed through my body. I flew down the porch steps into the night, rushing to the car before I noticed the figure at the end of the driveway.

"Sin," I whispered, freezing in place. "There's more of them."

"No," he said, grinding his jaw and staring at the figure. "He's not with them."

"What?" When I glanced back down the driveway, the figure was slowly walking our direction. It took me a moment, but I realized that I recognized the saunter of the silhouette before he ever got close enough for me to make out his appearance. Rage burned inside of my chest, and I left the passenger side of the car in a march towards Lucas.

"August," he greeted in a casual tone, but I was beyond rational in that moment. Every ounce of anger I had towards him, for leaving me, for erasing my memories, for all of it, took out any sane thought I might have had. When I reached him, my hand flew towards his face, the palm of my hand connecting with his cheek so hard the sound echoed off of the house in a way that felt more than satisfying to me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I demanded, pressing myself into his space and forcing him to look at me. "After everything that's happened, you think you can just walk up here and act like I should be glad to see you? Two Mouri just attacked us, threw me down a flight of stairs, and you come walking up after the threat is neutralized like we're swapping custody of the kids for the weekend. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"It seems you're still missing the most important parts of your memory," Lucas responded quietly, and I scoffed. "Maybe I deserve that."

"August," Sin's voice called from behind me, and when I felt his fingers graze my arm, the rage melted to frustration. "I've spent months looking for him, if you kill him now, I'm just going to have that much harder of a time finding answers."

"Sinclair," Lucas greeted with a nod. "Seems you're the rational one these days. Such a drastic change from the dynamic I grew accustomed to."

"That's subjective," Sin replied curtly, and I could see that he was clenching his jaw tightly.

"August," Lucas said, redirecting his attention back to me. "I'm sure you must have a lot of questions. Please, come with me, and I'll do my best to catch you up on everything. We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up. Lazarus has Mouri crawling the city searching for us, it's not safe out here."

"I'm supposed to trust you?" I scoffed, ignoring the way Sin's grip on my arm tightened ever so slightly.

"Listen," Lucas snapped, stepping closer to me, and I felt great satisfaction in the way Sin's body moved just a bit closer to match him. "There was a time when you trusted me above everyone. Despite our differences, I'm the only one here who has any real idea what's happening, and beyond that, I'm the only one who knows where Silas is. Now, put whatever it is you're feeling aside, and light a fire under your asses before Lazarus's minions do it for you."

Despite everything, I could still rationalize that he was correct. That didn't mean I liked it, or the idea that we were following him on blind faith, but without Lucas, I was back to square one looking for my son. So, I pursed my lips, gave a deep sigh, and did as he asked, because honestly, what other option did I have?