Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

33 - Spell (2 of 2)

I feel like I'm drowning

I'm sinking deeper

White light fades to red

As I enter the city of the dead

33 -  Spell

Soon, the familiars went to their positions. Seven crossed the bridge and waited at the other side of the abyss, directly across from us. The remaining four took their posts just a couple of feet away from the edge. Behind the familiars were Rajinder and Joaquim. At the very back, was Vincent, guarded from either side by Darius and Pierre.

"Get back," Vincent told me.

I was about to object when I felt Yuki's hand turn cold. One look at the boy and I knew I couldn't just leave him by himself. Sighing, I towed him away from the abyss, just behind the line of trees bordering the abyss.

Vincent tore his gaze away from us only when he was satisfied with our position. When he did, he went silent for a few seconds, apparently to talk with Vlad.

"Get ready!" he barked.

The others began summoning their weapons. Most had their scythes out. Some resorted to their Cataclysts. A few who couldn't summon both, Darius included, unsheathed their Helcium blades. The familiars on the other side of the abyss mostly wielded long-ranged weapons from bows to throwing daggers.

Taking a deep breath, Vincent touched the mark on his forearm. It glowed, sending crimson sparks running down his hand. The tips of his fingers bled flames that licked the ground, creating a smoldering circle around him. A crimson lance with a diamond-shaped tip pushed its way out of the circle's center. The second Vincent closed his fingers around it, a wave of blistering heat surged outwards from around his feet, making the air shimmer.

As hot air hit us, I covered my face with an arm and protectively pulled Yuki behind me.

Killing any trace of fear from my face, I conjured my Cataclyst. As much as it wouldn't be as effective on Legion, I didn't particularly like the risk of my scythe breaking, and consequentially, me dying so... I was hoping maximum effort would do the trick.

Wiping his tears on his sleeves, Yuki pulled a tiny Helcium blade from the side of his boot and tried to look brave. That alone calmed my nerves a bit. Having someone to protect gave me a purpose, a motivation to stay strong.

When I turned my eyes back to Vincent, he was already chanting under his breath. His brothers tensed up protectively around him, their eyes vigilant.

It wasn't long before mist began to rise up to the skies in a spiraling motion, creating what looked to me like a vortex on top of the abyss. Light flicked on and off in the eye of the vortex like mute lightnings.

The air became very still, and our surroundings eerily silent except for Vincent's incomprehensible mutterings. I couldn't even hear my own breaths. My scalp prickled. A cold shiver ran down my spine. For a moment, I was frozen in fear. I bit my tongue if it was just to feel something, to fight off the feeling of powerlessness that overtook me.

Yuki's fingers tightened against mine. He was shaking. Instinctively, I looped my right arm over his shoulder.

"It's okay," I tried to say, but no sound came from my mouth.

The light from the vortex grew blindingly bright, swallowing the once midnight blue sky. For several seconds, there wasn't anything to see but white. Then, it dimmed, leaving only a single pulsing dot of light in the sky.