Killing Me Softly (Reaper Romance)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Burnt Offerings

"Just look at him. He's worse than I thought," Gideon's voice broke Micah's heart. He shouldn't  have been surprised at the betrayal,  yet it hurt all the same. "He can hardly stand."

Essence shook her head in disgust. "They're right, Micah. You've been grounded too long. Look at you. You've become weak and short-sighted. Playing doctor with that necromancer."

Abraham lifted his head to her. "Speaking of which, don't you two have somewhere to be?"

Essence frowned. "We're in no hurry. There's nowhere she can go where we can't find her. The mortal coil is a pretty small place. She won't get far."

Micah looked up at them all, his rage tempered by heartbreak and confusion.  "You won't fucking touch her!," he growled before Essence pushed him back. He shook his head, bleeding. "Why are you all doing this? Did Abraham put you up to this?"

"No. You did."Gideon replied. He squatted down, examining him as if he stared at a stranger. "I trusted you, Micah. We all did. And you lied to us. Broken that trust and left us all holding the bag while you betrayed us all. It breaks my heart, but you made your choice. You aren't fit to be a reaper anymore and for that, your fate is sealed."

Micah caught his breath. "Then let it be mine and mine alone. Leave Briseis out of this. I'm the one who broke all the laws. It's me. Don't have her pay for my transgressions."

Gideon's face softened only a second before it turned as cold as the Void. "You know we can't do that. She's broken laws as well, while in your charge. And she's just as a threat now as she was before. She hasn't respected any warnings, so you know how this goes for her. " He stood up to his full height. "She'll be judged."

"No!" Micah leaped to his feet and attacked Gideon. His blows to his face had no effect on Gideon, who returned punches of his own. Each more devastating than the last as Micah fell to his knees, groaning.

"Stay down Micah," Gideon warned, shaking blood off his knuckles. "There's nothing you can do."

"The hell there isn't. I'm not letting either of you lay a hand on her. Her judgement deserves Divine Intervention."

Abraham stomped on his spine, forcing him down. "Now we know you've really lost it. She deserves to be a witch kebab, not having her case brought to the Divine. She's no innocent bystander in all of this. She did damage to the system. And you don't have the power to even request it."

Micah willed all the strength he had to stand up, but his body throbbing with debilitating distress and pain. His body wasn't as strong as his will to keep Briseis safe and as long as they were fighting him they weren't going after her.

Essence leaned forward. "Just stop, Micah. Stay down for your own good."

Abraham connected another jab to his jaw, planting him back down against the floor. "You think you can stop us from bird-dogging that witch by throwing your body at us? It's cute. Misguided and futile. But cute."

Gideon sighed. "Stop toying with him Abe and let's do what we came here to do."

Micah sat up, barely. His vision blurred from blows and blood in his eye. "What you all came to do here is heresy and vulgar." He spat crimson on the floor. "This is not your place to judge you know that." He looked over to Abraham. "And you--so jealous of my station and your failure you can't help but bring everyone else into your shit. A rebellious coup so Azrael would finally notice you and maybe make you his golden boy. You don't care about the others here. Just yourself."

Abraham grabbed Micah by the hair and pulled him upward to his face.

"You want to speak of heresy? We have to rectify all the damage that your little necromancing bitch has done.  You chose her over us now you reap what you sow. There's no coup, here. To be that, you would have to be in a position of power." He scoffed. "Look at you. There's no power anymore." He threw him aside. "Don't worry Micah, we'll clean up your mess and give you a chance to be the reaper you once were, but this will come at a cost."