Reaper Society

Chapter 21: Runes 101

"You two should practice the modified runes in preparation for the plan." Nikki tells us once the portal's disappeared. Asher sighs and stands behind me, taking the time to tuck in his chair before speaking.

"When, exactly, are we to report to the site?" He asks Death. The two Ancients stay quiet until I turn to glare at them, waiting to hear their answer. Lady Ire's words are running on a loop in my head, pissing me off further each time they echo in my brain.

I want to fucking punch something, and right now I don't give a shit if it's a bag or a body.

"We estimate the Gate will attempt to break through the veil in the next eight hours, though the timing isn't solid at the moment." Nikki replies, her eyes distant as a frown creases her perfect face. "Though...it may be sooner if things...escalate." She add distractedly. Viv stiffens, his head tilting to the side and annoyance rippling across his face for a second as he stares into nothing. Suddenly, his hood jerks up and a long pole with a wickedly sharp, curved blade appears in his right hand. In the blink of an eye, he disappears. I stare at the seat he just vacated and blink a few times, wondering if I'm seeing things...

"Did he just-?" Asher begins on a whisper, disbelief making his raspy voice sound weak. Viv reapers before Asher can complete the sentence and drops his hood to share a worried look with Nikki, his eyes wild and wide.

"She's doing it again." Viv growls at Nikki. Nikki's eyes widen incrementally and her lips part to reply when Viv blips back out of existence.

"Well...fuck." Asher breathes beside me, one of his arms wrapping tightly around my waist and pulling me tight to his body as he looks around the room, as if he's expecting Viv to pop out of anywhere at any second. There's an intense power pulsing off him, washing me in hot and cold waves. I curl against him without thinking, absorbing the feel of the power as it seems to shield me in...something.

"That's not necessary, Asher." Nikki frowns at us, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows at my mentor. "He will not harm his own daughter-"

"Right." Asher snorts, pulling me even closer to his side as Viv reappears, his hood covering his face once more.

"-It's not her time, regardless." Nikki continues as if Asher hadn't just questioned her.

"We're running shorter on time every time she uses that blasted gift." Viv growls, gold and silver eyes burning brightly as he pulls his hood off and stares at Nikki with a pleading expression.

"You know I can't see how that's going to play out. The draki is making it difficult to predict-" Nikki chastises Viv from her seat, looking at him coolly now. Viv slams the long pole-and-blade-thing on the table.

"If I have to Reap the hybrid before we close the Gate it could spell disaster-" Viv shouts back, a slight pink hue turning his dark skin rosy.

A loud hum begins to drown out the rest of his words. The air crackles with what feels like electricity, but I know is more like the manifestation of their power. My whole body shudders as I press myself closer to my mentor, trying to get away from the now rippling air around us. Strings vibrate around us and it's like something's been pulled from my eyes as flashes dance across my vision.

"Fuck." Asher growls, jerking back as the two Ancients stand toe-to-toe. "We're leaving." He yells at them, though the sound of his voice barely makes a dent in the high-pitched hum now building in the room and in my head. I think I black out.

One second we're in the room with Death, the next we're in a large room with shelves upon shelves of books. My stomach flips, black spot skittering across my eyes as my body settles into place and I register we're no longer in the same room we were a second ago. My knees threaten to buckle under me as the feel of the Ancient's power falls from my skin and relief floods me.