Claimed

by K. H. Kate

  "I told you the truth!" He yelled out between the wild trees. It was like a nightmare that came true. One of my hands moved across the surface of my arm and I flinched in pain. He must have grazed my arm. Hot furry made me run faster.

  Screw him. "You will regret this, asshole!"

  My body turned almost immediately with the scream. I could see better and run faster. There we go. Quickly masking myself from the madman, I almost knocked myself out by hitting a tree. Somewhere around I could still hear him, gaining speed at each second. There was no doubt what he would do once he caught me.

  Shit.

  My chest was burning, I was gasping and my legs refused to go on. Changing tactic, I tried to dematerialize out of the woods. Every molecule of my body protested to hold on when I was finally thrown into a building that looked like it was still going through construction.

  Bingo.

  It wasn't the manor but at least I was out of there. I didn't know how long I stayed huddled behind the wall but when I finally emerged, it was midnight and cold. I cautiously looked around the corner. No cars anywhere. The place was deserted. I had no idea where I was or if I could make my way back to the Coven.

  I could feel the blood draining from my face once I came to the realization.

  I wanted him to lie.

  But he told me the truth instead.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I was drowning.

  I was drowning in the endless abyss made of my own memories. I wasn't in the Coven anymore. I was back in Hell, standing in front of thousands of hungry hellhounds. Ironically, that didn't scare me to death.

  The only thing that scared me was the man beside me.

  "You look afraid, my love. What's wrong?"

  I refused to take a role in his cruel game. "No-no. I can't be here."

  "My sweet Emeline, what happened?" His smile was gentle but I couldn't calm down. Was this a memory or was I really back? "Is this because of her? Did she say something?"

  Looking at the woman in question, I wanted to cry. If I was desperate for any way to leave, Prophesy was just there, numb to any feelings. Her only job was to listen to Demos, do anything Demos asked and hurt herself if he wanted to.

  Her life started and ended with him.

  Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze. "You know she's not right in the head. You ruined her, changed her into a creature worse than death. I will never be like her. I don't belong here and I sure as hell don't belong to you!"

  "What happened to you? You can't escape Hell, you never wanted to. You promised me an eternity of us!" As soon as the words were out, all the hellhounds jumped at me.

  I let out a cry, my eyes opening in shock. Was I still dreaming or was it possible that I never left?

  "Emie!" I heard a scream. It was...Zedkiel?

  I was here, not in Hell, not with those hellhounds.

  "I am here, it's real." The words came out in a sob. I must have looked like a mess cause 5132 was there to quickly wrap me in a hug. I wanted to bury my face into her neck and never let go.

  "It's OK, you're here. We are all here, see?" She softly murmured, turning me around so I could watch Allegra in the room along with Zach, Mikhail, and Zed.

  That should have made me feel comfortable. I should have felt safe but I didn't. Not when the memories were still potent. Did I trade one hell for another?

  "What happened, Emie?" Allegra asked first.

  I couldn't tell anyone the truth even if I was on the verge of breaking down. They trusted Lex more than anyone and if I blurted out what really happened, it'll break their heart. He could break mine all he wanted but I won't let him break others. "I don't know. How did you find me?"

  "Zach saw you running toward the woods in a rush. He panicked and called for us. We looked everywhere but couldn't find you. So when Zedkiel got to know that you went missing, he immediately went to the woods to look for you. Finally, he found you unconscious in a construction site near the manor." So Zed was the one who found me. I looked at him, fully intent to thank him with a smile that didn't feel so real anymore.

  "Thank you-" He shook his head, making my smile drop.

  "We'll talk later." His voice left no choice for me. I nodded, turning to 5132 who had another question for me.

  "How did this happen?"

  "Umm..." I stuttered, trying not to panic now. "I-I panicked so I thought a stroll in the woods will calm me down. But when I reached there, a hooded figure attacked me. I ran but when that didn't work, I tried to dematerialize. I must have miscalculated cause I found myself on a construction site so I decided to hide there. I don't know how I passed out."

  "Shit, Emie, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have overwhelming you with the speech when there are other things bothering you. Like Darkness." I could see the guilt in Allegra's gaze but how could she have known that Lex was the one who hurt me? So the only thing I could do was stand up to wrap my arms around her, the woman who months ago would have killed me for touching her.

  "It's not your fault, Allegra. I-I just need some time." I smiled for their benefit. "It's been a long night. I'd like to rest."

  5132 looked like she wanted to argue so I shot her a pleading look. "Please?"

  "Fine." She nodded, clenching her jaw. "But anything happens, anything, and you call for me."

  Only when I promised to call them that everyone started to get out of the room. Even then Zed hovered over me until everyone left. I stared at him, trying not to cry again. How could I look at him and not reminded of Lex?

  "Cut the crap." I jumped at his harsh tone. "I know you saw who attacked you."

  "I-I don't know what are you talking about." I looked away but he gripped my chin to make me look at him. Those hazel eyes looked painful and I wanted to slap myself for being so stupid. He lost Lex and now he almost lost me. Of course, he was hurt.

  "It's just..." Words flew from my mouth even before I could stop myself. Maybe it was the desperation in his words or the look he was giving me. "Tonight I-I knew who attacked me. It was Lex, Darkness, I don't know. He was taunting me, trying to hurt me and I had to run away. Was it exactly what you wanted to hear? To tell you that my own husband tried to kill me!?"

  "Emie..."

  I didn't know why I was shouting at him. Maybe I was throwing my frustration at Lex's friend now that I knew Lex would never come back. We were done, he certainly made sure of that.

  "I'll get better, Zed. I know you think I can't but I will. For me, for my sister. For you."

  If anything, that made him angrier. There was something off about his expression. I'd been with him long enough now that I was able to read his body language. Who knew? Maybe he felt betrayed too. His fists were coiled tightly as he gritted out. "He should have paid for what he has done."

  "Does it matter?" I asked bitterly. "Perhaps, she was right all along. We are like a doe, always coming back to our cages no matter what. Not because we love to, it's because we forgot how to fly at all." And as I turned my back on him, I wondered if that's what Prophesy always felt too...

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  I kept my gaze locked in the mirror and no matter how many times I tried to smile, I no longer could. It wasn't just the way I looked. I felt entirely different.

  Numbness and bitterness now filled me to the core.

  Even after a week, I couldn't just get over the betrayal. Not when the whole Coven was waiting for some kind of attack. They thought it had something to do with the demons but I knew better.

  I had to know better.

  "I need something distracting."

  Allegra looked like I told her I wanted to birth a demon and that made me madder. "I know you are going to tell me to take it easy but I have. For the whole week, I've been cooped up in my room unless I had to eat. I want to change that."

  "Impressing speech but I will have to say no."

  "What, why!?" Really. What was her problem?

  She lifted her fingers to count. "Because one: it might come as a surprise to
you but I actually care whether you live or die. Two: lately it's the death part that's haunting you. Three: what kind of a Volkios would I be if I let you walk right into trouble?"

  I was touched but if I stayed here for one more day, I was going to end up killing something.

  "Allegra, you don't get it...I haven't been able to sleep lately. Every time I was reminded of what happened and I can't go through that pain again. I just need anything-"

  "I am ready to leave-" 5132 shot through the door with a grin but the moment she saw me, it vanished. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed, resting."

  Wait, leave?

  I tried to smother my curiosity but failed miserably. "Where are you going?"

  "Nowhere." Allegra spoke out before 5132 could. Now, that's sketchy.

  "5132-" I warned, ripping a page out of Lex's books. "If you don't tell me now, I am going to tell your beloved that you are replacing your meds with candies.”

  Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!"

  "I would."

  I wouldn't but she never had to know that. Besides looks like it was working anyway. She looked at Allegra once and then back at me before I saw her crumble. "Fine! Allegra wants me to visit Colorado and look over a clan. They were attacked recently and they might be planning something for the demon who should have been swallowed in the first place."

  A violent cough wracked through me. I knew she hated Demos to an extent too but I wasn't expecting her to say...that. Gulping down some water from Allegra's desk, I finally found my voice. "Why wasn't I told?"

  "Because you would want to go...like now."

  I couldn't disagree with it. "You know why, right? I was with him for years. I know his weaknesses but you guys refuse to let me help. You think I don't hear the news? The deaths? How's that fair?"

  "She is right in a way. Let her help. Maybe we can finally put a nail into this bastard." I could sense 5132's words made difference to Allegra. Her frown lines disappeared and she truly stood up taller but there was still some hesitance by the way she stared at me.

  "What if whoever attacked you back then-"

  "They won't." I would make sure of that. Didn't matter if it was Lex or not.

  "Fine." She said at least. "Follow me."

  "Reapers."

  I wasn't expecting a warm welcome yet the way the clan leader spoke the word, it almost sounded like an innocent term. Like he was just describing how nature worked. Even 5132 seemed to think so cause the scowl she was wearing when jumping to the portal wasn't there anymore.

  "Greetings. I am Emeline and this is my sister, 51-Lana. The Coven sent us." Allegra had warned us about good behaviors and I couldn't disappoint her. "Pleasure to meet the Clan."

  Lana offered her hands. "Hello."

  The clan leader, Louis took it with a small smile only to kiss the back of her palm. Surprise marred her face but in a second, she was static. "Didn't have to do that."

  Louis didn't lose the smile. "It's a custom."

  Sometimes it was really hard to understand what was going on in her head. Especially when she just said what came to her mind. Before she could do that kind of thing again, I jumped into the conversation. "I admit I was surprised when I heard you found something for the clans?"

  He quickly ushered us inside where we met a few of his members. They didn't glare and stare like the Red clan but they sure did look interested. I couldn't ignore the sobbing though. It was coming from every corner. If I wasn't sure before, now I was.

  The faint scent of those people was still there.

  The people that I woke up.

  The thought was both dangerous and pathetic at the same time.

  "Please sit." He gestured to the chairs before claiming one for himself. "I also admit I was not hoping to meet you two together. You have quite a reputation here."

  "Hope they were good." 5132 blurted out almost immediately.

  "They were mixed." I was happy that he didn't make white lies just for pleasantry's sake. I could only take lies so far. "You must have heard what happened. I am sorry if I sound angry but I told Allegra to give me some time to build our lives back to the way it was. Our people are suffering and seeing two Reapers...no offense, it pains them."

  My lips twitched to a bitter smile. Wouldn't I know it? "I understand. Is there anything we could do to help?"

  His eyes drifted down to his desk where files upon files were laid down. Some of them were smeared in blood so it was safe to assume they almost succeeded in killing the leader. I wanted to meet the culprit myself. Then I wanted to torture him until he gave me an answer. Every one of them thought I was doped in his blood but there were times when I wasn't.

  Where I'd have given my life for him.

  Where did that Demos go?

  "We've been planning this for a while but I never realized we would be forced to make a decision now. Look at this." He pointed to a specific document or more like a blueprint. I didn't get what I was looking at until he explained further. "We were building tunnels where no magic works. We thought if there was no magic in our bodies, we would basically be just a human. Demons can inhabit human bodies but for that, they would need to use their magic. Now in a place where none works? They can't hurt us anymore."

  5132 hovered over me to see the file. "Tunnels? Godfrey Sanatorium had one like this. Not a tunnel but a room closer to it."

  "We had the inspiration from there. I was hoping to pitch the idea to the Coven but I was too late for mine." I could see how much it took him to actually keep talking. We had the answers but I wanted to help more. Any way I could.

  "My question still stands. Is there anything we can do?"

  "Can you bring dead people back?"

  "We haven't had the time to hold a funeral so you're going to see a lot of bodies."

  I thought I was prepared but nothing he said made me ready to see the actual damage when we finally got to the basement. The place was absolutely stinking and it was hard to even breathe. 5132 shared a look with me, a look that basically said to speak the truth.

  "Can you help them?" He gritted out, glaring at nowhere specific.

  The truth was on the tip of my tongue but I could only utter one thing. "I can try."

  "Good enough for me."

  Definitely not good enough for me.

  I had raised the dead before.

  I had inflicted towns with those people.

  But I also knew the consequences. Would he agree if he knew?

  "Louis, you should know something before I start it. I can try to bring them back but most of them will listen only to me. And the biggest pet peeve...they won't be a sorcerer anymore. They will lose their magic, what they are."

  I saw him gulp, looking at the bodies with a mournful gaze. I guessed he felt responsible for them in a way. I didn't blame him, even Zed used to think so until Keisha died. Just when I was starting to think that he would refuse me, he nodded, the rough edge in his voice sounding more haunting than ever.

  "Do whatever you need to do."

  I expected him to stay but he slowly moved without another word until I couldn't see him anymore.

  Even 5132 stayed silent.

  "You are thinking about something." I found myself asking.

  "Honestly?" She wrinkled her nose. "I both love and hate being me. You feel their pain, their cry to come back and you do something about it but me? I only hear the call for death until I almost become him. Even now you're worried about disappointing a complete stranger where I couldn't give a rat's ass about him. To me, he's mean to an end."

  Despite what she just said, I couldn't help but smile. "Which version of you just think that? The Reaper one or the real one?"

  "Should I care?"

  Of course, only she would say that.

  "Ok, I might need your help if I'm successful." I didn't forget the first couple of people going all crazy on me. I didn't need another reminder. "They might look hungry."

  She threw me a grin. "So am I."

 
; Shaking my head, I pressed my hand against the temple of the first body. I could feel something building inside me, the urge to just connect with them. I could even feel the body respond in their own way, their thoughts mixing with mine.

  The shock was always the same.

  The dread in my heart increased until I could hear a weak groan.

  "It's working." 5132 whispered, her eyes turning from brown to black.

  Words escaped from my lips and at the same time, something clutched my wrist. I could feel its strength even if it was weaker. Beside me, 5132 gripped my hands too, letting me channel her in case they took too much of my energy.

  "Ekiem, less fe ra ke lias toras." My voice raised, liquid dripping down my nose and if my sister didn't shove me in time, someone would have grabbed my throat by the way one of their hands was outstretched.

  "Behave!" She shouted, her hands poised in a way to show threat. "Now."

  "Listen to her." I mumbled, watching them stare between us. They might look confused but in their heart, they always had to listen to me. True to that, they stepped back a little. Maybe they even realized what just happened cause some of them hissed, seeing the rest of the bodies.

  Some got peace.

  Some got back.

  There was no telling.

  There were only words being exchanged as Louis came back to reunite with his members. He looked between shocked and impressed but he wasn't lacking his duties either. In a minute, he was busy explaining what happened to them or any caution they needed to use right now. I didn't want to leave right then but Allegra only gave me a day.

  Any more than that and she would have dragged me back home.

  "I think we should leave now."

  Louis paused, turning to look at me with gratitude. "Please, stay the night. Let us show our hospitality properly."

  "Thank you but we really have to go." 5132 spoke out on my behalf. Maybe she could see the hesitation in my eyes. "We will call to talk to them from time to time."

  What?

  How did she know about that?

  Even if I was surprised, I suppressed it with a smile. "She's right. Anything unusual happens, let me know. The Coven will be happy to take your idea into consideration."