|[ The Soul Reaper - 2 ]| [UNDERGOING EDITING]

Epilogue // Return of the Old One

“It was a gift.” I shouted back. “Granted with the power of the Soul Reaper, I release myself from our deal. My soul is mine, not his.” A blue light emitted from Abbadon and from my skin simultaneously. I felt sharp pain pierce through my body and fell to my hands and knees as Abbadon seemed to suffer the same affliction.

“You cannot do this!” he groaned, “You are meddling with things you don’t understand.” I ignored him. The pain abated and I staggered to my feet, stumbling over to the fallen arrow. Grabbing it I began to turn before I remembered what the Pareģis had requested. Abbadon growled at me, his hood falling back to show his young face, the blue lines covering his dark skin no longer bright and glowing.

“I need your cloak,” I said softly, holding my hand towards him. He bared his teeth, dark eyes blazing with fury.

“You cannot have it.” I reached out towards him, only for him to jerk away. “No!”  There was a flurry of wind  and suddenly his scythe was in his hand, gleaming. Though he no longer had magic the blade had a wicked edge. I backed away, eyeing the blade.

“Did she give it to you?” Abbadon cried, “Did she?” I stared at him, confused. Was he referring to the Pareģis? Suddenly Claude’s soul walked towards me, still hazy but now bright blue. Without knowing how, I used my newfound power and watched as Claude appeared as he had in Eltor, with dark hair and green eyes, now filled with sparkling happiness.

“You did it, Irene!” he cried, running to me. He pulled me into a hug and I couldn’t help but laugh and hug him back.

“I did! Claude, I can bring you back too, I can…”

“No.” Claude said, his voice suddenly sharp. “My body will be long gone. Besides, Haiden is here. I am not alone.” He stood back, leaving his hands on my shoulders. “No, you return alone this time. You can be happy. I won’t cause you anymore trouble.”

“Oh, Claude, you have always been so stupid.” I laughed, feeling tears leak down the sides of my cheeks. “No matter what trouble you caused, I never wanted you to leave.”

“I know.” Claude smiled gently. He took a step backwards, letting me go. I released the magic and his form faded away once more and all that was left was his blue, hazy, formless soul. I turned back to Abbadon, tightening my grip on the arrow.

“You can have your power back,” I said softly, “I don’t need it anymore.” I raised it higher.

“No!” Abbadon cried, “Stop!” it was too late. As I brought the arrow over my knee it splintered in two, like wood, the glass shards glittering. It broke surprisingly easily, considering other treatments it had undergone.

As the shards hit the ground black and blue and white smoke billowed out, mingling with the mist around us. Abbadon screamed as some flowed back to him and an eerie blue light glowed from his cloak and skeletal hands.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!” he bellowed, “YOU HAVE DOOMED US ALL!”

“No!” I cried. I had no idea what he was talking about, “What did I do?”

“You should have listened to your friend when you obtained that arrow! You should have heeded the word of those who are older and wiser! You….you!” Abbadon screamed, words almost failing him in his fury, “The Pareģis used you to free herself!”

“H-How?” I stammered, “How did she…?”

“That arrow!” Abbadon growled, “My brother and I created it using both our magics, to keep the Pareģis locked away where she would cause the least harm. And you just freed her!”

“No. no. how? What can she do?”

“I do not know how she came by that arrow to give to you, but I should’ve realised sooner. She needed you to break it, for she could not break it herself – her power was inside it.”

“But she still had magic…?” I whispered. I felt ashamed, and awful. This was my fault… my fault, and no one could shift the fault anywhere else. “Can’t you trap her once more?”

“We can try.” Abbadon rumbled. “But you! You foolish, stupid girl. She could reduce Eltor to rubble before we can contain her power once more!”

“But… if you took her magic before… how did she still have it?”

“Her magic matches that of mine and my brother’s combined. That arrow took the bulk of its power, but not all… but now…” he turned away from me and hurried along the trees towards his throne. I chased after him, not bothering to be cautious anymore. I heard him uttering enchantments and a second later a red glow burned through the blue and white beside his throne.

A moment later a black hooded figure rose from the light and Death stood before us. His skull mask gleamed like ice beneath his hood, red eyes gleaming.

“Brother, what is the meaning of this?” he bellowed angrily, “Why have you summoned me from my domain? You know the laws we hold, the sanctions we uphold. What on earth could…?”

“The Pareģis is free.” Abbadon said darkly, interrupting Death, “As we speak she returns to power.”

“No! How?” Death demanded. The hood turned to face me. “Her!” he growled, “Did she do this?!” Abbadon bowed his head. Death stormed towards me, his black cloak billowing out behind him in fury. I saw red flames dance across the palms of his bony hands and a furious light glow from the eye-sockets of his mask.

Just as he reached for me a sharp wind washed through the forest, causing the glass-like branches to whip back and forth.

“She’s here…” Abbadon breathed, “She’s here.” Death and Abbadon lost interest in me and stood side by side as the figure of an elderly woman appeared before them, purple robes flowing from her shoulders. I recognised her, with her old, yet young face and now bright eyes. She grinned at us all, watching with amusement. Her skin grew a pale alabaster white and flawless as her face grew young and deep, purple lines etched her skin in the same fashion as Abbadon.

“Dear brothers,” she grinned, “How the tables have turned.” She drew her own hood up and so that the three figures faced each other, purple, red and blue. I scrambled away – none of them paying me any attention.

“Pareģis, what is it you want?” Death demanded. She laughed deeply, her voice echoing through the trees. She raised her hand and a long wooden staff extended from her palm, adorned with a large amethyst. It glinted with a jagged gleam and her eyes sought mine.

“Revenge.”

End of Book 2