by Ali Winters
She lifted her arm to strike. As a soft gasp escaped her lips, the power faded from her grasp. Looking down, Silas’s hands were on her core.
“I am sorry, my love. I wish it did not have to end like this.” Slowly, Silas removed his hands. Scorch marks ran from her hip to her ribs. The material of her dress had melted away. The skin and part of her muscle were gone from the power of his direct attack.
She let out a cry of defeat. White-hot pain lit up her eyes, blinding her. She gasped for breath. Her knees gave out from under her. Silas reached out and pulled her into his arms as she fell. Lifting her, he held her tightly against him, turning to follow where the others had gone.
He reached the tree Kain had watched the entire exchange from and stopped. Without turning his head, he called out. “You can come out now, hunter.”
Kain cautiously stepped out from behind the tree. He didn't know what to say, as he stood awkwardly.
“So, now you know the truth.”
Kain nodded. This was not what he had expected. How much of this whole fight had been set up to happen for his benefit?
“I would not advertise it to the others just yet. The consequences could cause an imbalance we will not be able to recover from. I am removing your mark.” With that, Silas turned away, and took a few steps before pausing to add, “Make sure the fight ends now—for all our sakes.” Silas turned, once again, leaving Kain standing alone.
Gracefully, Silas walked through the forest past fallen trees, Kain walking several paces behind.
Silas
Reaching what was left of the hunters and his reapers, Silas paused.
The three hunters and two reapers were all that were left. The losses were regrettable, but there had been enough of a power shift to correct the balance… for now. Silas took in the destruction. The forest was torn apart, the terrain jagged and broken. Few trees made it out alive. The damage from the imbalance as well as the fight was catastrophic to the island.
The small group of hunters stood over the two reapers. Silas looked over at Nivian and Caspian. Both were injured, but they would be all right once they healed. Nivian could be injured and weakened, but only Kain's attack could kill her. Judging from her injuries, that was her only saving grace.
"It is done," Silas announced.
Finn stepped up, his face devastated, his eyes darting to Yeva's lifeless body in the reaper’s arms.
Silas answered Finn’s silent question, “She lives, hunter.” With a heavy sigh, he continued walking, vanishing from the earthly realm.
Thirty-Two
Kain
The small group watched as Silas faded, still holding Yeva tightly in his arms. Unlike his entrance, there were no effects. Kain was relieved. He didn’t want to deal with that again anytime soon.
“Where is he taking her?” Finn demanded.
“My guess would be the reaper world.”
Finn whirled around, his mouth gaping. “Kain, you—you’re alive. When you didn’t follow us, I thought Silas had killed you.”
“No. I’m very much alive. At least I think I am.” Kain grimaced. His shoulder burned. He’d never experience pain like this before. It wasn’t so much that the pain was intense, but it was a pain that made him sick and weak. It was more unsettling than anything else. The skin of his shoulder tugged and pulled as it knitted itself back together.
Caspian stirred and let out a low groan. The reaper opened his eyes and rolled to his side, pushing himself up. His hand shot to his side as he let out a long hiss. Kain watched from the corner of his eye, as the reaper peeled his hand away, checking the extent of damage. The skin was torn apart, as expected, but the damage wasn’t as bad as it should have been. Kain made a face, at least his wound wasn’t that bad.
“How…?” Caspian’s eyes dropped to Nivian curled up on the ground beside him.
At hearing Caspian’s voice, the others turned their eyes on him. Finn’s eyes cut to Karen’s body lying crumpled in a heap off to the side. The hunter clenched and unclenched his fists, his lip curling in anger. He seemed unaware of his actions. Sparks of light energy pooled around his hands. Finn’s eyes narrowed.
Caspian pushed off the ground and stood.
Kain’s gaze settled on Nivian’s unmoving form. The world disappeared around him. She didn’t seem to be breathing. Did reapers even need to breathe? Ignoring everyone else around him, Kain walked over to Nivian’s limp body. He lifted her head onto his lap and cradled her. Tenderly brushing the hair out of her face, he watched and willed her to wake up.
Holter saw the light emanating from Finn. Following his gaze to the reaper, he placed his hand firmly on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t you think enough blood has been shed tonight?” His voice held an air of authority.
“No. They must die. You heard Yeva’s final orders before that reaper took her. She’s probably somewhere we can’t even get to this time.” He shook with rage. The power he held continued to grow, threatening to burst from his hands.
“Silas would not kill her,” Holter reassured him, “To do so, would destroy the balance in one fell swoop. Destroying these two will not bring Yeva back to us. It will not bring back the fallen. No good can come from it. We will get her back.”
“It would make me feel better,” Finn muttered with contempt, his narrowed eyes focused on his two enemies.
“It will drive Kain away from us for good. Our duty is to keep the balance, not revenge. Remember that.”
Finn sighed in frustration and released his hold on the built-up power. He slumped his shoulders and hung his head in defeat.
Kain let out the breath he had been holding. The fight was over, but tensions were still high.
“Clear your head and focus on the duties ahead of us,” Holter admonished. “Come. We need to take care of Karen and Daniel.”
Walking over to Karen, Finn gingerly picked up her body, wincing at the pain in his leg. Holter waited before he began leading him away. Pausing as he passed Kain, he said, “We will come back for you.”
“I’ll be okay. I’m not leaving her.” Kain didn’t take his eyes off of Nivian’s face.
Holter nodded. Grunting once in acknowledgment, he walked to the clearing where Daniel’s body lay. Finn limped behind, holding Karen tightly in his arms.
Caspian stood watching the exchange between the men, having been forgotten. “You are free to leave now, hunter. I will take care of her,” Caspian said.
Kain lifted his head and regarded the reaper with narrowed eyes. “I. Am. Not. Leaving. Her.” He punctuated each word so Caspian would have no doubt about his intentions. He dropped his head to watch her, willing her to wake up.
“I do not have the power to transport you both with me. Leave now, and catch up with your kind while you still can,” he said tersely.
“You can leave if you want to, Caspian, but I’m going to stay by her side until she wakes up.”
“Don’t be foolish, Kain. I would be your only way off this island alive,” Caspian reminded him.
Kain stared at him, stone-faced and unwilling to budge on the matter. They weren’t going to get anywhere like this. The reaper wasn’t going to leave Nivian’s side anytime soon.
“Attempting to transport us all now would drain me to a point I could not recover from. You, hunter, are not worth it.”
Kain refused to budge on the matter.
“Fine. We shall wait until I can gather enough strength to transport us all safely.” Caspian sat across from him, crossed his legs, and waited.
Caspian studied Kain as the night went on. Kain could feel the weight of his gaze on him. Caspian could stare all he wanted. He was staying with her. Eventually, his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. Lying down next to her, he placed her head on his arm, weaving the fingers of his free hand into hers.
The sun broke over the horizon, waking Kain from his restless sleep. He took stock of his body, mentally scanning himself from his head down. His chest burned where he'd been hit the day before
. Legs, arms, even his fingernails and hair ached. Overhead, birds chirped. In the distance, the sound of waves crashed gently onto the sand. Kain sighed, enjoying the early morning peace and attempted to block out the pain.
It doesn’t seem real. None of this seems real, he thought, as he lay on the soft, cold ground, not yet ready to open his eyes and deal with the world. He just wanted a few more moments of peace. Beside him, Nivian sighed and shifted into him. With slow movements, he opened his eyes. Of course, his eyelids hurt. Her hands were curled up under her head, her face nestled into his chest.
He shifted his head to look at Caspian. The reaper gave him a nod of acknowledgment. Caspian was sitting in the same position he had been in last night before Kain had fallen asleep. Kain turned back to look at Nivian, surprised to find her awake now, her eyes serenely scanning his face.
She sat up, wincing from the pain. “Well, that escalated quickly,” she said dryly.
Kain smiled. Near death and she still had her sense of humor. Placing a supportive hand behind her neck, he took her hand, and helped her to stand. Nivian cried out in pain, arching her back, causing him to freeze in mid-motion. Caspian was by her side in a flash, helping to support her.
“Don’t push yourself. Your injuries did not heal last night. Your powers are too weak.”
Nivian attempted to smile up at Caspian, but the expression turned into a grimace. Slowly, they helped her to steady herself.
“Caspian, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Nivian smiled weakly at him.
“Yes. Thanks to you, Nivi. My wounds have nearly healed.”
“But—” She started to deny.
Caspian held up a hand. “My wounds should have been worse. In fact, I should have been destroyed. I am not strong enough to withstand an attack from two hunters at once. A lesser reaper would have been destroyed instantly. But I lived long enough for you to waste your powers on me. Being the first reaper created by Silas was my only saving grace. I felt your powers coursing through me during the night.”
“I couldn’t let you be destroyed. I had to try.”
“Thank you.”
Nivian nodded. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”
Kain turned to Caspian. “Do you have the power to transport us back home?”
“Yes,” Caspian replied tersely. “Of course I do.”
Kain bent down to pick Nivian up, stopping partway. He held his breath as sharp pain radiated from his shoulder.
“Step back, hunter, I will carry her. Your injuries are also still too great.” Caspian stopped him before he could hurt himself even more. “If we waited for you to pick her up we would be here another week.”
Kain stepped back giving Caspian the room he needed. He was too tired and in too much pain to bother arguing with him.
With one smooth motion, Caspian lifted her in his arms, careful to not make contact with the large wound on her back. Kain stood awkwardly, unsure how they were all going to transport together.
Caspian sighed. Then it dawned on him. They would transport the same way they got here. He wasn’t looking forward to this but doubted the reaper was either.
“Put my hood over my head and … hold on to me.”
Kain raised an eyebrow. “Uh—”
“Just do it, hunter.” Caspian’s mouth set in annoyance.
Blinking once slowly, Kain surrendered. He placed the hood over the reaper’s head and awkwardly wrapped his arms around Caspian. Pressing his eyes shut, he readied himself for the effects of being transported.
A soft breeze brushed his cheek.
“Ahem,” Caspian cleared his throat.
Startled, Kain’s eyes shot open. They were in Nivian’s apartment standing in the foyer. Dropping his arms, Kain released his embrace from the reaper and took a step back. He never thought he would be so relieved to see Nivian’s nearly empty apartment. The bare walls, the few pieces of furniture, and the old coffee pot on the kitchen counter, it was exactly the same as the last time he had been there.
Caspian walked over to the bed and placed Nivian gently on her side.
“Thank you. Both of you.” Nivian gave them a weak smile and then closed her eyes.
Finn
Holter and Finn trudged their way back to the clearing. The journey back to the plane was slow. Walking most of the night, they only stopped to rest after the terrain had become too dangerous to continue in the dark. Finn held Karen’s body, trying to hide his limp, knowing Holter would have a hard time carrying both bodies. Unfortunately, it would take a while before they would reach their destination.
They continued as soon as the sun rose, reaching the clearing at mid-morning. Holter’s breaths came in short, shallow bursts. His broken rib had kept the old man from walking at a normal pace. The first time they stopped, Holter had removed his shirt and wrapped it around his ribs in an attempt to secure them, though it seemed to do little for the pain. They would see one of the doctors when they got back to civilization.
Finn’s leg throbbed and felt as though it were on fire, but he could breathe normally. So at least there’s that, he thought, giving a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Well,” Holter said, placing his hands on his knees and pushing himself up, “we should get going if we are going to make it back to the plane before night.”
They had rested for minutes. Finn was tired; how the hell was Holter not falling down with exhaustion? It was all he could do to stay on his feet. Finn bent and picked up Karen’s body. He shifted her weight in his arms and noticed Holter was already holding Daniel and waiting for him. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself to make the long trek back.
Together they ambled on, carrying their fallen brethren as they walked, not stopping to rest until their legs threatened to give out on them. Silence filled their journey, neither of them having the breath to spare for conversation. There was nothing they could say that could improve the situation.
The jet came into view just as the sun dipped low on the horizon. The pilot waited patiently for them on the ramp as they climbed the stairs inside. Not bothering to lift a finger to help the obviously injured and weary men with their burdens, the Pilot secured the door behind them. It was just as well, he was paid to shut up and see nothing—not to assist them.
Once inside the plane, the men lay the bodies in the back and covered them with blankets. They limped to their seats and collapsed into them. Starving, in pain, and exhausted, they promptly fell asleep long before the pilot managed to take off.
Thirty-Three
Kain
Kain rested on Nivian’s two-seater couch, his long legs dangling off. It wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t want to leave her side. He had slept for a full day, and when he woke, he was starving and unable to remember the last time he had anything to eat. Taking a quick glance at Nivian, he knew she would stay asleep for a long time.
“I need to eat.” Kain had fought against his angry stomach for as long as he could. His head spun, and he found it difficult to focus on the simplest of thoughts. “I’m making a run to the store. Get me if she wakes up before I’m back.” He said. Caspian nodded. He’d been sitting in the chair across the room, silently watching over her as she slept since they got back.
Jogging down a flight of stairs to his apartment, Kain grabbed his jacket and wallet then headed out to the nearest store. He wanted something quick and easy. Grabbing a small box of noodles and some sauce, he checked out and jogged back to the apartment. He was out of breath when he got back, and spots danced in front of his eyes. All that jogging had his shoulder on fire again. There was nothing he could do for it. The injury was internal, an after-effect of the dark energy that had hit him. It would heal in time.
Searching through Nivian’s cupboards, he couldn’t find anything other than three coffee mugs. His eye twitched. He ran down to his apartment, grabbed two pots and a few other cooking tools as well as a bowl and fork.
Back at Nivian’s place, he was past the point of caring. Kain dumped the enti
re box of pasta into the water before it reached a boil. Verging on an irrational hunger, he was dangerously close to eating the uncooked noodles. Kain placed the other pot on the stove and poured the entire contents of the jar of sauce in and turned it on low. Everything was cooking, with nothing left to do but stir and wait.
Turning to check on Nivian, he ran face first into Caspian’s chest. Bouncing off, he backed up, and rubbed his nose.
“Why are you so close?”
“What are you doing? You said you were hungry. Why are you not eating?” Caspian peered over his shoulder at the bubbling contents of the pots.
“I have to cook the food first,” Kain said irritably. At that moment, Caspian reminded him of Nivian when they’d gone to the diner. It felt like a lifetime ago, rather than days—or was it weeks? He didn’t even know what day it was anymore, so much had happened since then.
Kain took a calming breath. It was hard to slow down, even knowing things would turn out fine. He explained the cooking process to the reaper, who listened to him as if he told the most fascinating story ever in all history.
“I would like to try this… cooking. Show me.” Caspian waved a hand at the boiling pots on the stove.
Kain shook his head, trying not to laugh. “I’ll tell you what, I will check on her, and then we can start.” He didn’t wait for a response and strode into the other room.
Nivian hadn’t moved yet. He saw the slight rise and fall of her chest. Walking around the bed behind her, Kain carefully rolled her over and lifted the back of her shirt up, peeling off the gauze. Her wound was healing slower than his. It still looked as though she had received it minutes ago. He shook his head. She had given up too much of her own power. He cleaned it and redressed the wound before returning to the kitchen. It might have been pointless on a reaper, but it made him feel better to do something for her.