The Reaper Saga [Book 1-3]

DYING ON YOU

PRESENT

"Emeline?"

The knock made me jolt back from the state I was in. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, revealing Zach.

"I'm not too early for the training, am I?" His grin was too genuine which made it harder to not reciprocate it. The best thing after the shitshow I went through was taking 5132's advice into the heart. 

"Not at all." I pretended to be interested in his trinket as he started to lose the hook. "In fact, I'm happy to see what we are going to learn today!"

"Today we're doing a magic trick." As soon as his words were out, the trinket fell on his hands, releasing a few souls in the room. I immediately recognized those blank eyes swirling around us. Sometimes they reminded me of Lex when he took his true form but I had to grit my teeth to not think about that man.

"You always take souls, right?" Zach asked to which I nodded. "These souls can be used as a weapon if you want to. Now, I'm going to give you the same advice I gave Lana. They don't harm me as I'm their wielder but you be careful."

My heart was beating too fast but not in fear. For the first time in weeks, I was excited. Those souls roomed around freely and Zach kept telling me how and where to touch for them to not freak out. As a soul ran through me, I raised my hands, touching the face that looked so small for it to be trapped.

"He was just a kid." A breathy sigh left my lips.

He nodded, coming closer. "I don't make the rules but he didn't want to go to Hell, you know? He fought everyone to escape his punishment but at the end of the day, we can't."

My eyes closed in pain. The kid never had a choice, did he?

"I'm upsetting you. I always end up upsetting people." I had to smile at the sulky voice. Zach was at a time funny and friendly but he was quick to blame himself. Something told me that it was because of 5132 and their past.

"You are not, Zachery Carson." Zach groaned hearing his full name but I wasn't done yet. "No. You need to stop blaming yourself for petty things. Besides, if you keep it up, how on earth will you go through the engagement this week?"

He winced. "For God's sake, woman, just because I let you use my bindings as your lab rat doesn't mean you can give me heart attacks any moment. I'm not talking about that."

"But..."

"The Volkios wanted a grand engagement and that's why Mikhail is going to propose but I'm not a part of it, Ok?"

My throat constricted like someone coiled a rope around my neck. Propose. I knew, of course. Mikhail wanted my blessing and asked me to help him choose two rings. I had been trying not to think about my own doom of marriage since then. I was happy for them, I truly was but it was hard not to think about Lex sometimes.

"You know the rules, Zach." I heard myself say. "The Volkioses would never allow you to marry her. It has to be Mikhail."

His face hardened and there was a faraway look on his face when he smiled. "Because fate made it that way? Because I'm really not her beloved?"

Shit.

If 5132 ever knew, I could already see the chaos it would bring. "Zach, that's not fair. 5132 is legally marrying Mikhail and she thinks you are ok with this, you were ok with it when she discussed it with you."

"I know." Desperation clung to his gaze as he nodded. "I know and I am happy for them. So happy."

"Zach-" Before I could finish my words, screams filled the walls of the whole manor and my blood ran cold. I looked at Zach to see him mirroring my expression. Without wasting any minutes, he called back his souls to go back into the trinket where I ran out of the room to see where the screams were coming from.

When we finally walked into the hall, the anxiety building inside me was almost unbearable. What the heck was happening here? I wanted to shout at everyone.

"Hey, breathe." Zach said, patting my shoulder.

Easier said than done.

There were some odd creatures lurking around the whole place.

"I think they finally attacked." I said almost robotically.

He nodded, making me follow him down a flight of stairs. We were entering another wing of the manor. In this section, the rooms were full of warlocks. As we passed open doors, I could make out shapes fighting demons.

"Emie!" A panicked voice made me turn around but I wished I didn't. It was Lex, standing there as if nothing happened.

"Oh thank fuck, you are alright. You are here." He tightened his fingers around mine. Zach took one look at our joined hands and left to help others. As soon as Zach left, I shoved Lex away from me.

The pain in his eyes broke my soul but I had to keep myself strong. "Emie, please, we need to talk-"

"I'm not dealing with you right now. I need to help others. You know...the people who actually matter and don't lie on a whim?" He looked like he wanted to say more but one ruthless glare from me shut him up. But did he ever stop?

"I need to talk to you, little soul. You better hear it before I lose my life."