Reapers

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Husband and Wife

“Shut up, Carol.” David scowled.

She smirked.  “Oh, but sweet, peacefully Adria should know your love, should she not?  Or was it her role as the last keeper of the Divine Sword, and title of innocence incarnated, that kept her from ever realizing your feelings?”

“Carol.” David said from between clenched teeth.  His jaw tightened, the electricity surging through him no longer bothered him as it had once.

“I’m curious, David.” she began, “Did she even know?”

David gripped Leto until his knuckles turned white, “She did.  Now stop this nonsense.”

“Why?” she smiled, “Come now, David, this shall be our last conversation before you take to Death’s slumber once more.  Although, I believe this time will be quite permanent.”

David felt his anger snap as he charged forward with Leto.  Carol swung the Divine Sword through the air before her, a wave of electricity went through David.  He collapsed to his knees, Leto still in his grip but useless with his immobile arms.

Carol strode forward, standing before him.  She knelt in front of him, “I can control the sword, David.” she whispered, “It’s keeper is dying, it requires a new protector, I shall be its keeper.”

David watched as she studied him for a moment before sighing deeply as if something truly troubled her.

She smiled softly at him, running a hand through his short, dark hair.  “An Angel of Light and Darkness.” she whispered, “Oh, how odd are we?”

David was urged to grab her neck, to choke her on the words she spoke, to kill her anyway he could, but it was impossible where he was on his knees, paralyzed by the Divine Sword’s power.  So he remained there, powerless, and victim to the Angel.

Carol looked at him, “I didn’t notice your bloodied clothes.”

“Chiara.” he managed through the electricity surging through him.

“Oh.” she said shortly.  “She is still alive though, yes?”

“Yes.” David confirmed.

“I see.” she looked back at him.  “I may not care about you, David, but I will miss your company.”

“You’re still...trying to kill...Darcie.”

Carol sighed, “I have a vision, and Damaris was a simple piece that now has completed its role and must be eliminated.”

David felt his jaw tighten at her words.  She had been Darcie’s foster monster for longer than most, and yet throughout all of her pretending there wasn’t even the slightest remorse?

Carol took her hand out of his hair and placed it on his cheek.  “I never loved you, David.” she kissed him softly before pulling away and standing.  

David would have spat if he was able.

Carol flipped the Divine Sword in her hand.  She thrusted it downward into the building, “This world will end the same way Damaris ended your home, the Dark Heavens, David.” she let go of the blade’s glass hilt and walked toward David, over the cracking roof.  “It’s over, David, you failed.  Both your love and daughter are dead, it is only right for you to join them.”

“Kill me...then with the...blade.” he muttered.

Carol chuckled, “No, that would be to easy.” she looked to the edge of the roof.  “That jump would kill any mortal.  Despite your accelerated healing, you must survive the initial injury before you may heal.  And you shall fear your end that will come.”

David bit down hard, “What then?  Have me jump?” he said through his teeth.

“Quite.” she smiled taking hold of his shoulders and forcing him to stand, she pushed him forward with greater force than she should have had access to.

David stared down at the ground about three stories downward.  He looked back at Carol, “You really have fallen.” he managed.

Carol scowled, “And so will you, David.” she pushed him forward.

David felt at first weightless as if he had regained his dark wings, but he knew that falling flying were indeed different.  He saw the ground getting closer, a sense of panic increasing.  A funnel of wind caught him, placing him on the ground softly after a moment of holding him.  He laid on his back for several moments staring up at the sky and the overgrown trees that branched up to his right.

Damien stepped out of the shadows alongside Valcon.  

“Your plan was to lure the Angel away from the Divinus Ensis, Jaron?” Valcon asked with a tone of disapproval.

David began to stand but winced as the electricity that remained faded with a quick and powerful zap.  He laid back down staring upward at the two Reapers, “Yes.  I apologize I did not succeed quite in the way you believed I would.”

“No, this will suffice.” Elvira said joining the other two Continental US Reapers.  “This process is for her to create disasters, yes?  The result of which will level nearby structures and kill a great number of mortals in the process.  Although it seems the process has not begun quite as it did for the Dark Heavens so long ago, but as then and now, the process requires the blade to remain where it is.”

“How would you know this?” David asked curiously.

Elvira looked down at him, “I know quite a lot about your...daughter, the Lady Damaris and currently the mortal Darcie, as it seems.  Including that she brought the end of the Dark Heavens as to hide the Divinus Ensis amongst the ruins, as well as give a type of rebirth two both of our dark races.”

“And we never did discover the blade.” Damien added, “We believed it was simply a creation of a spiritual plan, such as a Reaper’s Scythe, but the blade exists in a plain both spiritual and physical based plain of which only a Lord of Lady may perhaps unlock.”

“We believe this is why it was hidden and not simply pulled out of existence such as we may do with a scythe.” Valcon continued.

David looked at them sideways from the ground, “Why not look for it then?”

The three exchanged a look.  Elvira cleared her throat, “We were tired of war, Jaron.”

“As was I.” David began to sit up then looked upward, “We must kill her.” he murmured.  “The Divine Sword, or the Divinus Ensis, is bonded to Darcie, Damaris, if perhaps we can reunite them then maybe she will ascend…” he trailed off.

Elvira offered a hand to David of which he took, standing, he looked toward her.  “The blade is of importance, and so is Darcie, but to ascend...would that not burden her with what appears to be what you have been avoiding?”

David sighed, “She knows the truth now, I can not make her forget that and just start over like I did when Carol first took her...now that burden is necessary if it is to save innocent lives.”

“I understand.” Elvira began, “What do you ask of us?”

David frowned, “I ask that you assist me in killing my wife.”