Twenty minutes later, I was following Melissa and her ‘soldiers’. We had agreed that for the time being, I wouldn’t attack, and would call back the demons. I could feel Eliet trying to force me to cooperate with what he wanted, but I was trying to resist. This was the one thing I wasn’t going to give into. I didn’t want to hurt these people, and didn’t want Eliet to think he had more control over me than myself. We were heading back to the fence. I knew what that meant. I was going to see people that I knew. People that I knew before. It didn’t matter, though. I was different now, and these people would either need to recognise that or forget me. The flames were getting closer. The fire was spreading across the entire forest, and it was denser near this part of the fence. “Juliet,” I said. “Get rid of the fire. Take a few demons with you, and be back to me within the hour.” Juliet nodded. “Yes, Reaper.” She took off running in the opposite direction. “Where are you sending your little minion?” one of the dagger-carrying women asked. I didn't respond, keeping my head straight. “Hey, you'll answer me when I talk to you, idiot.” With a gloved hand, she grabbed the blade of one of the daggers and drove the hilt into my side. It didn’t hurt, exactly, but the pressure was enough to make me lash out. I swung one hand, and it sent her flying backwards, into a tree. Her daggers were scattered on the ground. I lunged forward to grab one. But, I felt a sharp prick in the back of my neck. I felt around the back of my neck and pulled out a small dart. It had passed through my robes, and whatever was inside it, was already coursing through my body. I knew Eliet could tell, but I hadn’t seen a difference yet.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qi2iNVUgO
“Reaper, I thought we made an agreement,” Melissa said, trying to keep the peace. “I believe our little agreement got forfeited after your bodyguard decided to hurt me,” I growled. I stalked towards Melissa, whose three other bodyguards created a wall in front of her. I laughed. “Protecting your leader, are you?” I kicked my leg out, and it crashed through the guards, leaving Melissa alone and defenceless. I reached out and grabbed her underneath her shoulder. The added height and strength I got as Reaper allowed me to pick her up easily. “Now, why don’t you show me the way to the rest of your friends?” I asked. Melissa nodded calmly, not showing an ounce of discomfort. “Reaper, you must know, I am not scared of you. You are not someone to be feared.” I tightened my grip. “That is where you are wrong.” I felt the pull of sleep in the back of my head. Whatever serum had been shot into me was taking effect. I dropped Melissa back to the ground and took one of the knives off my belt. Kneeling down next to her, I whispered. “I’m sorry that it’s come to this, Melissa. Under different circumstances, maybe we could have been friends.” Hot blood spilt over my fingers as I carved a Tribaum into her neck. So much for the plan, I thought as her screams echoed through the woods. The screams died out as the sun snaked across the sky.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HayPc7hgF
I continued to the fence. The fire was mostly gone, though the ground was still hot. Juliet had done her job. At the fence, I saw the line of people had dissolved. Dozens of bodies were on the ground, but there wasn’t a demon in sight. Had Juliet called them all back? A few people were still standing, and a half dozen more were checking the ground for survivors. None of them had seen me yet. They were too busy with their own tasks to notice me. I staggered forward, nearly falling over. The injection was threatening to bring me to my knees. “Mariah!” I said loudly. My voice boomed across the area. Everyone stopped and turned to face me. I heard whispers of, “Reaper,” and, “Look, it’s him.” I scanned the faces of all the conscious people. I saw two I recognised. Maggie. I remembered her. And Sammy. He was a bit more blurry. Sammy was staring at me, his gaze ice-cold. “I need to speak with Mariah.” Sammy laughed harshly. “We’re not letting you anywhere near her, you monster!”
“Don’t speak to me like that!” I roared. “Remember who is in control here.” I could see anger bubbling inside of him. He tried to run at me, but Maggie held him back. A few other people helped to pull him back and forced him to the ground. “Don’t,” Maggie hissed at him. “I need you here.”
“Let me speak to Mariah,” I said again, calmer this time. I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to stay conscious. “Unfortunately,” said a voice behind me. “That is not possible at the moment.” I turned around and saw Melissa leaning against a tree, her hand pressed against the injury in her neck. It was remarkable that she hadn’t died from blood loss yet. “Why?” I asked. She didn’t respond. Instead, she walked over to Maggie and Sammy. After having a quiet discussion for a few moments, I said, “I will ask again. Why can’t I talk to Mariah?” Melissa placed a hand on Maggie’s shoulder and walked back over to me, this time carrying a touchpad. “Just look at this. Then, maybe, things will make a bit more sense.” My eyes quickly scanned the screen.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e8oLcCCxN
ESCAPE FROM SALEF, PLAN 2.0
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAbVNATnEK
The screen was flooded with maps, graphs, emails, and newspaper articles. Mariah was planning to escape Salef? How? Swiping through notes, I found one that read, In my research, I found that there is a theory that the day the demons are completely eradicated, for good, will create a weak spot in the fence. If it’s timed right, a small group might be able to get out. Oh. So her plan was to destroy the demons. Including me. She was planning on killing me and Logan for the possibility that she could escape with a few people. That was insane. No one could leave Salef. Why would she even want to leave? Why would Mariah want to leave me? My breathing was getting faster, and it was getting harder to see. “I need to speak with Mariah,” I growled. “Now.” It was practically impossible for Melissa to understand the urgency of this situation. “Even if that were possible, I wouldn’t be able to allow that. You’re Reaper. I don’t think I could trust you with the leader of this rebellion. You are the very thing we are hoping to destroy. I know you saw the Brick. Do you wonder what all those people were trying to do? They were trying to get inside to kill the Elite. With them dead, the demons would be gone, and Salef could work again. People could go back to a time when they didn’t have to worry about being killed outside of their homes. So, I’m sorry. But you won’t be seeing Mariah any time soon, Reaper.” This was when I started begging with Eliet. I knew he could hear me. The question was if he would respond. Please, Eliet. Just let me get rid of this skin, and go back to normal for a few minutes. Please. I need to talk to Mariah, and I can’t do that if I’m like this. I’ll do whatever it takes. Miraculously, he responded. I felt the true strength of my powers unfurl, and everything faded to a blinding white.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3eXkQKbLf
