Reapers - Thirteen Brothers

XV - Vladimir

--XIII--

So much for presentation.

All of Mei's efforts hadn't paid off.

My dress was ruined. My hair was messy and I was all dirty. Most of all, I was half-dead as Byron Flynn tried to drag me back into the house. The stabbing pain in my ribs exacerbated when the dog lifted me up with his teeth by the collar of my dress, then slung me over his back before he began loping to the front door.

Once we were already inside the invisible barrier, Byron Flynn barked at Amyr and Mei. They both dashed back and reached the porch before I could even blink my eyes.

Archie carefully scooped me up from Byron Flynn's back and hurried into the living room.

I fought the urge to scream in pain as he put me down on the recliner. Then I heard the double doors close, followed by metallic clicks of bolts being secured. Although, without the barrier, I doubted if any kind of lock would stop those creatures from coming at us.

"How's she?" Amyr asked feverishly.

He was panting. Beads of sweat trickled on his forehead, the lust for battle slowly being washed away from him as he knelt beside me. It must be the lack of oxygen in my brain but I thought I noticed a bruise over his left brow. The round patch of blue suddenly turned into green, then to yellow. A few seconds later, it was totally gone.

With a gentle shake of his silver head, Archie disappeared into the corridor. He came back in no time with what looked like a first aid kit.

"I can only do so much." He placed the kit on the center table, nudging Amyr out of his way. "Some of her ribs appear to be broken. Only Master Vincent can help her now."

Byron Flynn growled menacingly at the silver-haired familiar, baring his fangs as he did. Maybe he didn't like his breakfast (me) pounded until tender. That or he didn't like Archie's pessimism.

Archie spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, mostly to the dog. "I'm only stating the truth. Without her master, her chances would be slim. Perhaps if Rosario was here, she could—"

"First aid is better than nothing," Mei interjected as she knelt down to check my injuries. "Leave her to me."

Amyr started to refuse. "She won't stand the pain! You've got to be kidding—"

The Asian girl glowered at him, silencing him in an instant.

"Okay. But I won't stay to see her suffer. If you need help, just..." he trailed into silence, dropping his clear brown gaze to the floor. Resignedly, he tugged on Byron Flynn's collar. "Let's go Flynn," he urged.

When the dog let out an ominous growl, Amyr pocketed his hand and slung his black coat over his shoulder before walking away. For a moment, Byron Flynn looked reluctant, turning his reddish-brown head to my direction. With a quiet whine, he padded after Amyr.

"Are you sure you can handle her?" Archie asked without so much as moving a facial muscle. But after receiving a silent nod from Mei, he too disappeared into the corridor.

The whole room whirled around me. The stabbing pain kept coming with every shallow breath that I took. Mei drew a pair of shears and cut my clothes before assessing for damage. I stared vacantly at the arched ceiling, eyes wide, stifling the screams that formed in my throat.

"This is going to hurt a bit more, but you will feel better afterwards," said Mei as she put some pressure on my sides followed by the cracking sounds of bones—my bones.

The screams tore through my throat as the sharp stabbing pain gushed from my chest. It nearly had me passing out. After a while of feverish thrashing, the pain eased a bit, replaced by a dull throb.