Reapers -- The First Familiar (Reapers Chronicles Book II)

1 - Dilemma

“I can’t believe you dragged me into this,” Carter mumbled, dishevelling his sandy blond hair with his hand.

He nervously sat beside me, laying his left arm on the table. His face looked as white as paper, turning to a hue of green. It was obvious that he didn’t want to do it. I didn’t try to force him into it. But he kind of insisted. Guessed it was his way of manning up. He couldn’t have people thinking he chickened out on me. Not with two hardcore dudes—with tattoo sleeves and piercings in nearly every part possible—watching us.

I lifted my gaze to him, letting it linger for longer than normal. “It does sting a little. You totally don’t have to do it, I mean if you’re—“

“I’m not scared,” he cut me off, sounding too defensive.

“Okay, okay. I was gonna say, if you’re not ready,” I shrugged, trying not to smile. “But since it looks like you’re already decided…”

Eagerly, I waited for Rico—the tattoo artist—to finish the final touches. It was exactly as what I had asked for—a three-inch long rosary on the inner aspect of my right forearm. Not too flashy. Not too noticeable either. That is, if I didn’t raise my arm or deliberately showed it to someone. Dad would totally freak if he saw this. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. And before I knew what I was doing, Rico was almost done with my tattoo.

“There,” Rico said, lifting the tattooing instrument so that the needle pointed to the ceiling. “Are you sure you don’t want any anesthetic on that?”

I felt a smile twitch the corner of my lips as I gazed wistfully at my new tattoo. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

It hurt a bit but not the kind I minded. It healed almost instantly as the needle left my skin. I could only hope Rico hadn’t noticed. The pain was good. It kind of felt nice to feel something after a long time. Five long months, actually. Five long months of thinking and worrying and being left hopeless. Too much time wasted with so little accomplished.

Every day, I thought of them—the people I had left behind. And each passing minute reminded me that I didn’t deserve to be here. Alive. Without having to worry about greater good and things like that while all the others had to suffer in another world only I knew existed.

Compulsively, I searched inside me for Vincent’s presence. Or at least, the piece of his soul that he supposedly shared with me. It was a habit I did whenever I got really anxious. But like any other time, all I found was a blind spot somewhere deep within me. Like some barrier was preventing me from exploring the spaces where the Transference link—my only connection to him—used to be. Vincent was impossible to reach. And he made sure of that when we parted ways in Roselle’s Labyrinth.

I want you to forget about me. About my kind and what we do. Never try to find me. Don’t ever try to come back. I want you to live. Live a long human life… That’s an order.

Those was his last words to me. A Master’s order to a familiar. Doing otherwise would trigger the Bind—an invisible force similar to your very own disciplinary committee, maybe worse—to punish me. He was so impossible. Despicable for telling me to forget him. How could I? It would have been easier to forget. Move on. But even the Bind seemed not powerful enough to erase my memories.

Not knowing how he was doing on the other side was the hardest part. I was sure he had been captured after I caught a glimpse of his mind last January. But after that, I got nothing more.

Mindlessly, I touched the Diviner’s Charm on my left ear. It’s an enchanted pair of earrings that lets us communicate telepathically. Vincent and I had each one of the unique pair. Normally, a fully resurrected familiar should be able to hear his master’s thoughts and vice versa. My case was different because I wasn’t properly resurrected. Thus, the Diviner’s Charm.