Blood Bind (Feitan x Reader)

Chapter 39

That morning, you and the Troupe ate a leisurely breakfast around midday, all scrunched together on the porch discussing the final aspects of the plan before you dispersed. You, Anaia, and Mai would head out early to scout to town. Then a handful of Troupe members would attend the rally itself disguised under cloaks. Neither Phinks nor Feitan were included. Even though they'd known this would be the case, it didn't alter their vibrant distaste for it. Phinks shattered a mug (which elicited no response from anyone) and Feitan's eye twitched like he wanted to object. But both kept their dissent to themselves.

Even without a shimmer of Fei's voice in your head, he dared not hide from you anymore. He'd learned slowly and excruciatingly that you would always haul him back to face you.

A hodgepodge of fury and understanding rippled through Fei's stare. If you'd still been in his head, you would certainly hear a litany of curses in multiple languages. But when his gaze slipped from Shalnark to you, something changed in the darkness embedded permanently in his stare: belief in you.

You swallowed hard.

They trusted you; every one of them trusted you to some degree with the lives of the people they cared for most. Though birthed from necessity, it was still a burden you wouldn't take lightly – a creed greater than revenge.

"Those motherfuckers cooked my cars," Phinks said, waving his arm about, the other resting over Mai's shoulders.

"And tried to kill us," Mai said, patting his chest.

"Yeah," Phinks said like it hadn't occurred to him prior and he was adding it to the list of TPI's crimes, "that too."

Mai continued to quietly list all TPI's crimes to Phinks as the rest of the group moved on.

"We go in on her hand signal in the window," Shalnark said, motioning towards you. His leg bounced. Shalnark was uneasy. With what, he didn't share. "We cause a scene as payback, snatch our traitor, make the shot, and get out."

"And if he's not there?" Hisoka said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"He'll be there," Anaia said, resting her hands over her crossed knees. Disguising her true feelings was as natural to her as breathing, but as you'd spent more time together, you'd realized even Anaia had tells. Like how she rubbed her thumb and pointer finger when she wasn't at ease, like she was doing then. "Many of The Thirteen attend rallies to make themselves feel important to give meaning to their miserable lives. This rally should be the pinnacle of showmanship." She graced you with a nearly sympathetic smile that faded as quickly as it came. "There should be no reason he won't attend."

Shalnark nodded, and his gaze flicked between every individual on the porch like he was hunting for something. Then he landed on you.

"Remember, you and Anaia reveal yourselves only after we or TPI themselves start a riot. We're pretending we tracked you to the rally to get you back after you murdered Fei and escaped when TPI burned the house down."

Feitan snorted softly. "Could still have both of them in the basement."

You shoved him playfully and Fei's lip quirked up into a smile.

"Best part of this plan is that it makes you look like a fucking idiot, Fei," Phinks said. A knife flew past Phinks' head and he laughed. "Murdered by your soulmate. Pathetic."

You grabbed Fei's wrist as he suddenly had another dagger in hand. He put it down reluctantly, eyeing you, deciding how easily he could overpower you.

"From what Anaia got out of the man she interrogated yesterday, our traitor hasn't revealed who we are to TPI. I don't know why," Shalnark said, "so we act carefully and conceal ourselves until we have our man in hand. Gareth will track him and I will snatch him before he recognizes me." Shalnark twirled an antenna between his fingers. "Then we help you and Anaia," Shalnark said. He gave you a pointed look. "No going rogue. I'm serious this time."