Reaper Kissed

28. Entombed

Melina came home ahead of her family. The place was quiet as she entered and she called out Evrard's name. He was a young soldier that was staying with her and her family until his next dispatch. They were all agreed that he seemed like a nice guy. She climbed the ladder to the second floor, a sealed lunchbox tucked under her arm for him.

"Mr Müller?" She called again – anxious about accidentally walking in on him changing or something. Popping her head up through the trap door, Melina saw that he wasn't in the smaller room. "Soldier Müller?"

She clambered all the way up and padded over to the larger room. Stepping over the threshold, she peered confusedly down at the mess on the rug. It looked like a pile of clothes slumped over a greenish husk. Her first thought was that the clothes had been draped on a deformed manakin, so she approached closer to pick it up. The clothes were definitely Evrards...

Melina screamed, dropping the lightweight husk in her hands – realising now what it was. She stared at Evrard's stretched and lifeless face, the skin suctioned towards his mouth in rolls. His skin had dried like that of a mummy's but he still had some hair on top of his head. She screamed again, this time dropping the lunchbox. It landed with a thud next to Evrard's skeletal hand.

                 Seo examined the body, his expression grim.

"You were right to come to me about this," he spoke in a low voice to Melina's father. The rest of the family were huddled downstairs, under order not to disturb the general. 

"Good god!" Secretary Bellman exclaimed, peaking at Evard's remains over the general's shoulder. It was not a sight for the feint hearted.

Seo stood erect, still as a statue, his expression inscrutable. Years as a soldier and then Politician had taught him the importance of always appearing calm. But in that moment, that was far from what he really felt. Daniels and Dubiki had lied to him, they'd told that they were dealing with a potential demon threat in the city. But no demons did this. And, now that his suspicions were aroused, Seo realised that no small number of demons could have killed all of the city's witches. He should have demanded to see Romina's body – he'd been far too trusting, an imbecile of a leader...

Demons couldn't suck the life from a person. Seo remained outwardly stoic, but inside he felt himself betrayed. Chaga had warned him that the vampires shouldn't be trusted. Seo had dismissed Chaga's theories over the missing people as wild accusations. The general took a deep breath. What ever monster had done this, it was involved with the vampires – there was no other line of thinking he could follow, not now his naivety had been shaken. Either it was now outside of their control or they were puppeteering it to threaten the city, perhaps even himself. That they were protecting it was without doubt. Why else would they have lied to him. 

Seo turned on his heel, swiftly departing the room with Bellman scampering after him. Daniels and Dubiki had the sanguinem guard – the best army in the resistance. If he was going to deal with them, he needed to divide them from their troops. Seo nodded farewell to the tearful, pale-faced family and stepped out onto the street. He was met with the clashing sounds of the bustling metropolis. Gommorah was a vibrant city with a fierce energy created by its thousands of refugees always flooding in. It was his city, his to protect – his duty to guard and shelter. Now, with a threat from within, he needed to protect as many souls as he could.