Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

9-Hope (2 of 2)

"You're one to talk," I told him, lowering my voice so it wouldn't break. "Don't ever take a hit for me again."

As his lids got heavy and his head began to sag, I saw him blinking back the tears.

"So what am I supposed to do? Live without you?" he murmured, voice cracking. The tears finally fell again. With every drop, I felt as if the world was slowly crumbling to pieces.

"I'm so sorry, Vincent," I breathed out, blinking fast to clear my eyes. "God knows how much I want to just... hug you right now."

He forced the corner of his lips into a smirk. "Well... N-no one's stopping you—"

Suddenly, a groan pushed out of his clenched teeth. His wound was mending; flesh weaving over each other, stretching and pulling. He did his best to keep quiet, to keep from blacking out but the tortuous process was slowly consuming him.

I started to get up. "I'm going to get you help."

He shook his head, struggling to keep his eyes open. He tried to reach for my hand. I hid it behind me.

"Stay," he murmured.

"You're bleeding to death, Vincent! And I can't do anything to help you. I'll be quick—"

"Please... Just d-don't leave me alone."

One look in his eyes and I knew I couldn't refuse.

Again, he went into another spasm. I was so helpless and useless all I could do was watch him suffer. Just seeing him like this, it felt like I was slowly being ripped apart from the inside. And maybe I deserved every second of it.

"I'm so sorry," he said as soon as he had taken a breath from the fit.

"For what?"

He let out a weak snicker. "F-for dragging you into... all this crap. For everything."

I narrowed my eyes. "Vincent, no. Don't start with me on this. Just... rest. We'll talk about this some other time."

"I didn't believe you... back there," he went on, his breaths shallow, his lids slowly drooping. "It's just that... I've done so many horrible things. I... I wanted to think I can undo e-everything. I'm such a jerk."

"You are a jerk," I answered jokingly. "If 'everything' you wanted to undo includes me."

He blinked as if to think then lifted his gaze. "No, no. I think... except you."

"Good."

"But not the fact that I..." He sighed. "Ruined your life."

I threw him an incredulous look. "You didn't. You saved me."

"You're suicidal, Aramis." He looked me in the eyes to validate that assumption.

"I... I'm so not—"

He shook his head. "W-whenever things get hard, your first solution's always throwing yourself wherever there's danger. And every single day, I... I'm losing my mind thinking 'will she do it now?' Or how?"

"Look who's talking." I feigned a clueless air. "Weren't you the one who's 'so tired' you actually wanted Adrianna to 'end it all'?"

"I am tired," he admitted, resting his eyes for a few seconds. "I've been here a while. But you? What're you, seventeen?"

"Eighteen," I corrected, managing a chuckle. "Actually, I lost track. How long was I in Hectorland? Because that felt like decades."

He wasn't laughing. Clearly he didn't get the joke. "I did this... to you. You're stuck. Just like me. So maybe you're... looking for a way out. All of us are."

"Vincent, it's messed up," I answered, nodding. "I'm not going to lie to you. The future's just not too bright for me anymore. But I'm on my way out at any rate, so I was just thinking—"

"We can't know that for sure!" He started wheezing. Putting him in panic was the last thing we needed so I just shut up. "There's got to be... a way. I will find a way. Just... promise y-you won't bail."

"You know what?" I sat in front of him and fidgeted with my hands as my eyes searched his face. "I wish I had an answer to that. Because if I did, maybe..." My eyes hurt and my throat tightened. "Just maybe, I could make it better for you. But I can't tell you everything's going to be okay because, me? I'm not exactly the optimistic type. I don't know how it is to live forever. Or how hard it is... But I do know I'll be here for you as long as I can. And whenever you get tired and you feel like the sky's caving in, I'm here to carry some of the weight. And maybe tell the rest of the world to go to hell while we're at it."

"Ugh, Sappy McGee. Did you rehearse that?" He finally smiled that sad smile that wrung my heart.

"Maybe."

"D'you think I can still... uhm... maybe take that hug?"

Jokingly, I opened my arms wide. "You want to puke blood?"

Sighing, he closed his eyes, the space between his brows furrowing slightly as his flesh continued to put themselves back together over the jagged hole on his shoulder.

I ripped my remaining sleeve and wiped the sweat on his brow, making sure I didn't touch him. He was running a very high fever.

"When y-you're... cured then?" It must be the fever talking because he had this stupid grin on.

"Cured," I murmured. "Yeah, sure."

Somehow, I doubted that.

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Yo! How's everyone doin? So here I was going over your messages and comments and it never fails to make me write my butt off. I know I don't update regularly like before but I'm so so grateful for your patience and support. Many of you are asking:  If I'm not from the Philippines, how can I buy Reapers Thirteen Brothers? Well, we could do it the easy way or the hard way. Easy way is to download the Buqo app to your smartphone or pc and buy the ebook from there for about 2$. Or if you're feeling extra hyped, you can have someone from the Philippines buy the paperback at about 5$ and have it mailed to you. My bud from the post office tells me regular snail mail to US/Canada costs around 6$ or so. BUT, if you're from the RP, you can find copies in NBS, Pandayan or 7-11. Again, my deepest thanks to everyone who bought it. I'm hoping the second installment will be published soon too, if Summit accepts it because I'll be doing a major rewrite!

Enough about the blabbering and lemme hear from you. For some reason, the last chapter brought some of you to tears and I know all of you hate Vincent now. Haha. So yeah. In Lieu (did I spell that right?) of the Anti Vincent Movement, here's a poll:

How do you feel about Vincent so far?

a. I just want to punch him in the face! (summons Cataclyst)

b. I don't care. Just bring out Amyr already!

c. Vincent who? Where the hell's my Alex?!

d. I'm trying to decide if I want to kick him in the crotch or hug him or both

e. I just wanna take care of him 'cause he's like a scared lost puppy.

f. I don't care what he does. I'll do anything he wants.

So there! Ready Set Vote!

Eldest Grace You!