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

12 - Saved

I just stood there like a total idiot, my feet seemingly impaled to the ground as I watched Vincent sprawled on the floor.

Byron Flynn barked at me once, bringing me back to my senses. All he could do was keep Calyx from making a move and even that was starting to look more difficult by the second.

"Saul!" Calyx called desperately, turning his head to the pile of broken wood where Vincent left the familiar. "Stand up, brother! Stand up!"

When it appeared that Saul wasn't going to move anytime soon, Calyx began to wrestle Byron Flynn. Angrily, he kicked the dog in the stomach. In return, Byron Flynn kept snapping at his neck. They rolled on the floor, both attempting to land a lucky hit. Despite Byron Flynn's size advantage, Calyx was able to strike back more forcefully.

As they went on pinning down each other alternately, I ran to Vincent. Carefully, I placed his head on my lap. It looked like all the blood was drained from his face. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing shallow. His whole body was limp as he helplessly gasped for air. When I lifted his shirt, the fractured rib was still poking out of his side. How he even gathered the energy to stand up, much more beat up a perfectly healthy, rage-driven familiar was a total mystery to me.

"Oh, God..." I choked out in panic.

With no time to think, I looped my arm around Vincent's back, took a few deep breaths and strained to pull him up. This time, it seemed a lot harder carrying him. From what I heard, dying people had always seemed to be heavier. Not good at all.

I hobbled to the door, catching a passing glimpse of Saul, barely recognizable underneath all that blood and broken wood.

"Byron Flynn!" I called as soon as I reached the hallway. "Let's go!"

The dog suddenly trounced violently until he broke free of Calyx's headlock. Turning around, Byron Flynn bit at the familiar's robe. In retaliation, Calyx tried to summon his Cataclyst but before it could form, Byron Flynn had already pulled his robe backward, causing him to lose balance. Byron Flynn immediately took the chance and charged. He ploughed through Calyx, his massive head ramming the familiar's chest hard before they both crashed against the wall.

That knocked the wind out of the enemy. While Calyx was still down, Byron Flynn bounded for the door. Together, we ran feverishly down the corridor, skidding to halt as we took the bend that headed straight to the training room.

Vincent's head lolled back and forth as we scrammed. Under my hand, his chest barely moved at all. It was as if he was ready to give up. With a lump forming in my throat, I tightened my hold on him.

Just a little more, Vince. Hang in there. I tried to tell him through the link.

There was no response. His life-force seemed so weak I could barely feel it.

My hopes went up a little as I saw the stone walls where several life-sized portraits of Vincent's brothers hung up. Their identical sinister looks made the butterflies in my stomach go out of control.

Silent and empty, the right wing hallway bathed in shadows with the curtains drawn. The ridged pillars looked like sentinels in between the ceiling-high windows. And though it was dark, it was not creepy at all. More like sad, really. It used to be my favorite part of the mansion. Now, without all the noise of endless bickering and laughter from my cabal, all the warmth seemed to have disappeared.

I struggled to quicken my steps. In my head, I counted down from the First to the Eleventh son's portrait. I had never thought I would ever be happy seeing Pilgrim Reaper. His full-scale statue stood at the end of the hallway just before arriving to the double doors of the training room. Very much life-like, it was almost as ominous as its real counterpart, its billowing hooded cloak appearing to move even as it was motionless.