Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

World Warp IV (A Reapers Year-End Special)

"See?" I told him, making an effort to smile. "It's not that hard to get off. The eggs might even make your car shinier after you rinse it off."

He didn't move. He just stared at me, more surprised than disappointed now. I went back for him and practically tow-pushed him into the driver's seat.

"You can still drive, right?" I asked him.

"Y-yeah," he answered, looking distracted.

I hurried to the front seat. Half a minute of silence passed before he finally moved to fish the keys from his pocket and start the engine.

"Wait," I said before he could step on the gas pedal.

I leaned over him to reach for his seatbelt, maintaining my distance as far as the interiors of the vehicle allowed. I could feel his eyes on me as I secured it but I pretended not to notice.

Once I had buckled myself, I looked at him and said, "We're not immortals in this world, Vincent. There's no harm in being careful."

Curbing a smile, he met my gaze, his eyes still wide with surprise and curiosity. "Now that you're saying weird things like this, I'm just going to start thinking again that you're not from this world."

I returned his smile. "What if you're right?"

"What now?" he laughed quietly. "Is this the part where you'll be confessing to me that you're an alien?"

As we drove out of the parking lot and into the road, I kept gazing at him. This Vincent was the total opposite of the Vincent I knew. In fact, everyone in here seemed to be totally different from the people I used to know. Or at least, thought I used to know. Still, as imperfect as this life was, it was still better than the one I had—or thought I had.

At least here, no one was trying to kill me for my soul. Vincent wasn't my master and if he was, he didn't seem to me like the type to order me around like a slave.

"We should get you to the hospital," I told him worriedly.

"Nah," he answered with a shrug. "This is nothing. I've had worse, really."

"Vincent," I said, managing a tinge of threat into my tone.

The corner of his lips pulled up before he flinched upon straining his sore facial muscles. "I'm gonna be okay, Aramis. I swear." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Dad always keeps a med kit at the back in case we get injured during camping."

"You camp a lot?"

"Used to," he answered, his eyes turning vacant.

"Vlad too?"

He nodded, his face unreadable. "He never really liked camping, but he loved following me around so..."

I knew I shouldn't pry, but my curiosity got the best of me. I never really knew much about the Vincent I left in Halo. I thought maybe I could compensate for that loss by knowing a little more about this Vincent. "What happened?"

With a shrug, he glanced at me, his eyes betraying wistfulness. "We used to go camping—Luci and Dad and me—every so often. Dad was so good at it. We would sing campfire songs while he played the guitar and we would stay up all night listening to his stories about angels and demons and spirits. Thinking about it now, I don't think I ever believed any of it..."

"How come?"

He gave me another shrug. "Because none of it was real. When I was a kid, I wanted so much to believe. I mean, it's Dad. I used to think of him as some kind of hero. Now, I just think he's a liar."