Legacy (Lycan Series: #4)

XI

KRISTOS

"You knew." 

His shaky voice, anger barely concealed, lashed out in the empty cathedral.

Kyo stood up. His mismatched eyes something that once enamored him. Now, Kristos revolted them as they twinkled with a cautious prowl. Kyo was a friend of his, and as all good friends, he knew the cues of a pissed off reaper.

"Do not disrespect the House of Sakurai. We will continue this conversation outside."

Kristos was at his heels as he walked out into the stone garden. 

"Enough, Kyo." he growled. "No more running from this. Kendra was frightened out of her mind."

"Then go to her." Kyo said, obviously miffed.

Kristos grabbed the Japanese servant reaper, yanking him back before he crossed the wooden bridge over the manmade river. "I asked about Anya Sakurai almost thirty years ago. You told me that she died during childbirth with Mikhail and that you absorbed her soul. But that's a lie, wasn't it? You lost her soul!"

Kyo scowled. "I didn't lose her soul. It was taken from me. I was too busy with little Mika to worry about her soul-"

"Because of your laziness, Auguste has her!" Kristos snarled. "I remember that night. Stephanos Vasilakis was distraught about her soul. He knew something happened to her. And you thought it was wise not to let Grimm know about this?"

"I do not want to hear about Stephanos Vasilakis." he jerked his arm back, mismatched eyes glowing with rage. "The only good that came out of the Vasilakis bloodline is Katya Anosova."

Kristos untapped reserves nearly exploded. "Do not speak of my charge like that ever again."

"It's true!" he clenched his fists. "Anya was devastated that he even entertained Devanna's little crush. I don't believe for a moment that he was distraught over Anya."

"You didn't know." Kristos stepped back. Hands shaking. 

"Know what?" Kyo stepped forward.

"They were soulmates," he whispered. "Fated to each other. Stephanos...he really did love Anya with his whole soul. But once she died, the bond broke. As punishment for defying the Anosova's wishes and eloping with Anya, he was forced to marry Devanna to appease her. You know how powerful the Anosovas are. The only rival is the Lumescents... and now I know what really happened all those years ago. Where her soul is."

"Are you suggested Auguste didn't consume the soul? That he's broken Grimm's Laws?" Kyo face was sheet white.

"Tempest- Luna Katya said he killed his mother. Francesca Lumescent was missing as soon as the news broke of Anya's death- her body gone. Varanicon was all that was left- the only clue. And Klaus Jaeger's mind was melted. The same way a Reaper clears the minds of others after being viewed in the mortal world. There's something dangerous going on. Auguste is up to something, and I have a feeling it has to do with Anya's soul."

"While this is concerning- I do not see Auguste's motive." Kyo took a seat on the white birch bench, beckoning Kristos to sit beside him.

Kristos shook his head, crossing his arms to hold his shaking hands. "You know that Auguste hates being a servant reaper. He's always been cold towards Royals, despite the quality soul one achieves after a Royal's death."

"Well." Kyo sighed, pulling on his hair tie to redo the messy ponytail. "We can not exactly ask Klaus what happened."

"But Kendra can." he said firmly. "I know you're close with Felix. I just need a few minutes- Kendra and I will extract what we can-"

"You know I cannot ask that of him." Kyo snapped hastily. "You cannot be near any of the Royals. The only reason we aren't crossing scythes now is because Riko is not here."

Kristos stiffened. "What?"

"Riko is with her father. They're attending a funeral for Yuna. Someone brought in her body."

"That's not possible." Kristos shook his head, mind racing. "We called Luna Katya- Yuna's body was found in Lux's room only a few hours ago. Who made the call?"

"It was anonymous. A woman's voice, I think. They called Takashi, not the main house." Kyo stood straight as the gears clicked in his head. "Kuso, it was bait.

"We need to go. NOW." Kristos called his scythe into his hand. "All the Royals need to move to my house. Your place isn't safe- the property is owned by the Royals, that's how the creatures of the Underworld have been getting into the Anosova's Sicily residence. Demons won't willingly cross into my territory. I'm going to find Riko before she's killed too- don't give me that look, your magic reserves won't allow you to teleport. You need to spread the word about moving into my house in Greece."

"You know that they won't be happy about it." he warned, conjuring up a sleek black flip phone.

"It's either they're unhappy, or their youngest is dead." Kristos grimaced as he teleported. 

Following the scent of Varanicon, he was able to track the demon by the copious amount of miasma it left in its wake.

He apparated in front of the two Royals. Riko had her chain whip, crackling with electricity as it encircled a demon wrapped in a potato sack texture. Its mouth was pried open, green gas emitting from the broken stitching.

"Kristos?" Takashi stepped in front of his daughter. "What are you doing here!"

"At ease." he approached slowly, careful to keep his hands at his sides to not alarm them. "I'm not here to steal your souls. I just want to get you both to safety."

Riko yanked harder on her chain whip.  The creature bellowed in pain.

Rustling from the trees on the west side of the cemetery. 

"Yuna-nee, her body is there." Riko pointed to a black hearse that was driving off. "A brunette woman said she found Yuna-nee. But then this thing attacked and-"

"Enough." Kristos moved forward briskly, scythe gleaming. "That's not Yuna. That woman lied to you. I'm going to kill this demon and teleport you back to the main house. You and Takashi-san need to get out of here. Kyo will take you to my home. You'll be safe."

The demon caught his eye and slowly began to dissolve as it struggled further with Riko's chain whip that crackled with each movement that tore at the seams.

Kristos raised his scythe high, bring it across diagonally. It cut through like butter- until it didn't. Pain radiated throughout his body, agony like no other.

He collapsed onto the ground, his scythe vanishing from his grasp. There was only one way the scythe wouldn't work. If used upon a living being, the scythe would reject the action and inflict it upon the user. A punishment Grimm had made for any reaper who tried to gather the goods before the expiration date hit.

"There's a body inside." he gasped. "A living body."

The hearse became smaller and smaller in the distance. He couldn't exactly leave Riko to hold down a demon while hunting down the hearse. But at the same time, that hearse was the only clue they had as to who was truly behind all this. Though 'brunette woman' gave him some semblance as to who they were dealing with...

"Riko- I can't kill this thing." he got up to his knees, the action itself taking quite a lot from him. "You need to. Otherwise, it's going to catch up to us even if I teleport us out of here."

Riko channeled more electricity down the length of the chain. It fried the demon to a crisp, the outer half dissolving until there was only a body within the demon remaining.

Kristos' throat closed up. "Klaus?"

"Klaus Jaeger?" Takashi stepped forward, Kristos raised a hand gesturing for him to stay back.

"Franka." he gasped, body shaking as he touching himself as if to check if he was okay. 

His eyes looked lost, a once vibrant green that was now a mottled marble of camouflage. He reached forward, grabbing onto Kristos' trembling hands.

"My beloved is back. My Francesca."

~