“What is it?”
“It’s Lock, he’s done something really, really stupid. I couldn’t stop him and we can’t reverse it.” Betrayal was pacing the floor and running her hands through her hair.
“Slow down; just explain it to me simply.”
“The forbidden act.” As if expecting me to know what that means, Betrayal shook her head and cupped her forehead into her palm.
“Betrayal, I need to know what that means?”
“It’s something that Banished can do, it’s a really old ritual only practised to extend the life of the host. I had only mentioned to him briefly once, I had never thought that he would actually go and do it. Basically, it’s almost like putting a safety switch on how much of the Host’s soul a Banish can take. It allows for the Banish to stay connected with the Host, but to not drain them by remaining in spirit form and using magic. It’s forbidden because it builds a mineral copy of the spirit’s previous body, pretty much creating a corpse to carry the spirit in. Instead of living within the Host’s body, he lives within a copy of himself and is exposed to all Hunters and Reapers.”
I gritted my teeth. “Why would he do such a thing?”
“He had spilled the beans to his host about everything. About the staff, about banished and Hunters, apparently they are going to be working as a partnership or some crap. She’s really messing with his head; she had even revealed his position to the Hunters just a few days ago-”
“She revealed his position to the Hunters?” I could hear my voice jumping and my heart pinching in my chest.
“A Reaper turned up, tried to take him but I was able to beat them off. Jordon, we need to fix this, we have to get him out of there but he’s too stubborn, he won’t listen to me.”
“Then I’ll get someone who he will listen to!”
Betrayal’s shoulders relaxed, “You’ve got a plan?”
“I have an idea, let’s just hope it works. I’ll find out a way to allow Evan to move without detection. Thanks for telling me.”
Betrayal nodded her head then turned to leave. I stopped her and glanced over my shoulder once more, “Please stay safe Betrayal.”
“You too… Wolf Reaper.” She dispersed into smoke and returned to her host before leaving.
I raced to wake Teresa and Elliot up, shaking them out from their separate beds. As they grumbled and glanced around in blind alarm, I tossed them their cloaks.
“It’s time we paid lovely Mother a final visit, bring your Goons.” I don’t know exactly how I was going to do this but I needed to try. The attack I was planning for a weeks’ time suddenly prioritized to tonight.
The three of us had formed and waited within the quiet forest of Mother. All of us were nervous, obviously so, no one in history had ever attempted what we are going to attempt. And in good sense too, the creature Mother was obviously not one to bully and push around.
“Remember, they are third and sixth hand moving from the left, we get only one chance at this let’s make it count.” The ripple of Mother’s presence had the soil by our feet trembling. As usual, the sheet of dark shadow swept across the floor before pausing not two meters in front of us. She started to build herself upwards, starting from the base of her body and moulding out her giant eel tail. Raix was by my side, confident with himself and his ears pinned to his skull.
“How do you know this is going to work?” Elliot asked again.
“Concealed behind the faceless. Break the masks and you bring them. What other masks are they aside from Mothers’?”
“That’s what the Blue Spirit meant?” Teresa pondered.
“I still don’t know how you spoke to the Blue Spirit and didn’t have Miira explode on impact. If we survive through this, you must tell me all your secrets.”
I was too nervous to laugh, “Gargoyle saved me, and he’s about to do me another favour too.”
Almost like waiting at the starting line of a 100 meter sprint, I started to get that pre-toilet urge from my bubbling nerves. Mother’s body had formed into plumb hips and narrow chest, her head still bowed as her seven arms started to stretch out from the skin in her back. Any second now. Any second.
The arms sprouted upwards like stumps before uncurling her wrists, palms, fingers and lastly the masks. As soon as the masks came into sight, both Elliot and I commanded our Goons to attack. The abrupt move had pushed Mother backwards, the hyena Goon leaping onto her back where he dug his jaws into her shoulders. Similar, Raix went for her other shoulder trying to pin her head down and to stop her arms from flailing to shove him off. In a frenzy Mother started thrashing downwards, using her elbows to drive down in-between Raix’s shoulders blades and punch First against the jawline. Her tail lashed out and hit Elliot’s stomach, throwing him against the tree as both Teresa and I tackled Mother’s remaining arms. Trying to restrain her was like trying to slow down the force of a wrecking ball mid swing. We were being scooped up and thrown with a careless ease. The easiest arm to catch was the third, which both of us attempted to cling onto and pry the mask away from her grip. It was closer to the ground but still in-between two other arms that were flinging blindingly around us.
Suddenly she lurched backwards with such force that Teresa lost her grip and Mother tore through a thick tree pillar like snapping a twig. It was a rollercoaster of bruises and black goo, Mother’s head held forcibly into her chest by the Goons that her hair kept slapping me across the cheek. Surprisingly it was warm and smelt of rotten fish. From the outside it looked like a contortionist’s game of twister, on the inside it was just a giant blur of limbs and pain. Above her head Teresa’s vulture had managed to grasp onto Mother’s sixth arm and force her palm open. Now more enraged that the masks was taken from her, Mother’s thrashing only got worse and more desperate. She was trying to snatch the mask back but couldn’t reach past Raix and First’s heavy bodies.
Elliot and Teresa who were both on the ground now raced to the third arm, the one which I was clinging to, and together heaved at the mask from within Mother’s claws. Violently Mother’s tail lashed outwards and ringed around my body. Like a toy in a dog’s mouth she unhooked my arms and proceeded to knock me about against the ground. I cradled my neck into my hands to prevent her from smashing my head down first and snapping my spine.
“We got it! We got it!” Teresa and Elliot successfully pried the mask from Mother and scrambled to get out of range of her flailing limbs. Raix was first to let Mother’s shoulder go, dropping down to bit into her tail. With only First still attached, Mother was able to easy pull the Hyena off of her and thrown him mercilessly into the air. I could hear the desperate shrill in her gurgling, almost like a parent having their only child stripped from their grasp. Her arms struck Raix with such force he didn’t even get a chance to yelp before hitting the ground meters away. Uninterested in me, I was quick to be flung away also as Mother made a direct dash for Teresa, Elliot and the Vulture. She was impossibly fast. Her speed quickened as she used her seven arms to haul herself forward.
“Go! Just go!” I shouted.
Without needing to be told twice, Teresa and Elliot teleported through the darkness and made it just in time out of Mother’s lunge. Lost without her complete collection, she was tearing through her hair and withering on the ground like a worm. Before her blinded rage moved onto me, Raix teleported us back towards the surface as well.
As agreed earlier we teleported into the sunniest, most populated area we could think of, an open beach during university orientation week. The white sand front was littered with women in bikinis, towels and young adults knocking a giant beach volleyball over each other’s heads. We couldn’t stay for long, avoiding now both sunlight and shade meant we needed to keep our locations changing. Hunters saw all in the light, Mother in the dark, I started to understand how cornered Banished must feel.
“Are we all okay?” I scrambled up to Teresa and Elliot from where they rested across the sand. Elliot was cupping his stomach and groaning.
“No, she lashed me
with her tail and First got hit pretty badly.” I briefly inspected his wound where a massive bruise was colouring his tanned skin purple.
“Okay, Elliot you sit out and let First heal, you’ve done enough. Can I have your vial?” A little reluctantly Elliot handed over the vial containing his soul.
“It won’t come after me, will it?”
“Don’t worry; you’ll be safe if you stay down here. Teresa I’ll need yours too. Remember to get the others and meet me at the oval in an hour. They should be starting by then, just remember stay out of the spirit realm, don’t stay in the sunlight and to move quickly through jumps. I’ll be back soon.” Nodding promptly, both Teresa and Elliot teleported away. Scared of the shade the Goons had to remain in the sprinkle of sunlight with us, the touch of the sun’s warmth an unpleasing sensation to their usual cold, dark home. With Mother furious in the Spirit world, avoiding darkness was our best bet.
The university students bounced about the beach oblivious to the giant, demon wolf panting by my side, some of them even stepping through his spirit body where Raix growled disgruntled.
“Okay Raix, take us to Gargoyle, make sure you are fast. She’ll be waiting…” Silently Raix attempted to teleport, and like expected, Mother’s presence was waiting in the spirit realm. I could feel her stretched scream chase after us and her arms attempt to pull us under before we finally stepped out onto the other side where Gargoyle was.
Obviously not expecting to see me popping out of thin air, Gargoyle almost tumbled backward into the fountain of water behind him. We were in a remote town a few states over from Whitehaven and thankfully he was alone.
“W-What? How did you…?” He was sitting under a large umbrella with a novel opened on his lap.
“Shut it!” I stormed up to Gargoyle and took him by the collar. “I was meant to be in there for only 9 months you bastard!”
“Look Reaper-”
“No! You look! I know exactly what you were planning on doing; you had no intention to get me out of there. As long as I sat in that hell hole your secret was safe.” Raix growled next to me as Gargoyle titled his head away.
“You gave me no choice!”
“Yeah? Well now you have to do something for me!”
“Get lost Reaper! I will not do anything for you!”
“You don’t have a choice this time either! I know you know there’s a banished in Whitehaven. You sent a Reaper on them didn’t you?”
“What of it? It’s my job!” Gargoyle grabbed my hand to pry my grip off of him but I only held on tighter. Angered I even rattled him a bit.
“At exactly two o’clock you are to approach this Banish and his host and reveal to them exactly what you are. You are to show them that Hunters are no longer tracking him, then you will leave Whitehaven and neither you nor your Hunter friends will approach them ever again. If you don’t do this, I will tell your precious Miira that it was you who lead me into the Castle and because of your negligence I escaped. I will tell her that I not only found her precious blue spirit daughter, but I also spoke to her and I told everyone about where she is hiding. They’ll banish you on the spot for being an incompetent Hunter, you’ll never get your full title and you’ll be shoved in the Realm with the other Banished.”
Gargoyle was sweating. “She’ll destroy you too!”
“I’m just a messenger, even if I did vanish nothing will change. Exactly two o’clock, not a single minute early or later.” Gargoyle’s eyes widened in his dread, even as he tried to keep his composure, the colour that drained from his face and how his nostrils flared meant my threat had worked on him.
I shoved him off me in the same moment I stepped away, teleporting back through the darkness to where Teresa and the rest of the Reapers waited. Again Mother made another attempt to catch us but Raix was able to navigate around her hands safely.
Chapter Twenty-Five:
We were stationed just behind a Sport centre club near Whitehaven Parks. The noise of the arriving crowd was deafening as they climbed the stadiums to get themselves a seat and a view over the oval. They even had the big screen turned on, a young reporter speaking into the microphone and trying to keep her short blonde hair pinned behind her ear. Perfect. As I turned to face my team they greeted me with stern glances. Another gang of Reapers were blocking their route and it was just my luck that the Masked Reapers decided to choose today to pick a fight with me.
“Not now!” I growled at them with Raix next to my hip. He really had become a dependable companion, a complete character adjustment compared to when he originally just wanted to bite my head off.
“You are a fool Wolf Reaper; you’re going to kill them all with your selfishness!” The lead Reaper snapped. They had their arms crossed their chest and their Goons sitting in the shade behind their backs. I could feel them there, even if I couldn’t see them.
“I am going to free us! I know you don’t mind Reaping day in and out, but a lot of Reapers just want to return to the spirit world with their family. Reap or be destroyed, why stand loyal to a system that only represses you? You don’t have to join us, just step out of the way.”
“Just so you know if the Hunters ask for my help I will help them. I rather spend my days reaping than falling apart in the realms. This is YOUR fight, the fate of these Reapers rest in your hands. I also want to make that clear to the Hunters, when you are caught they would know we weren’t with this ridiculous rebellion.”
“You plan to fight us then?” Teresa questioned.
“If it comes to that.”
“What hypocrites! You only want the system to stay as it is because you benefit from it. You act all noble now, but I remember clearly you pouring smoke on Reaper Charles when he refused to give you his territory. I remember Reaper Sophie and how you punished her till her last vial and the Hunters came down to destroy her, all because you thought she was gossiping about you. You stand here preaching to us about the good of the Reapers when all you’ve done is bully us and repress us. You’re no better than Hunters! You have no allies here and I will gladly fight you.” One of the older ladies roared followed by the support of the other Reapers standing among her. It was thirty-five against their eight, and I could see the realization register in their widen eyes. I glanced upwards at the large screen just as the team’s anthem blared out from the speakers. It was time.
“You make your own choices Reapers,” I turned to them one last time, “I hope you make the right one.” Reluctantly they took a step back before vanishing from sight.
Sweet justice was waiting for me and timing couldn’t have been better. We all scattered out across the stands and grounds as I made the long walk across the oval. The sun touched my back, alerting the seeking Hunters of where I was. But today I didn’t care, I wanted them to watch.
The young reporter had just taken one of the football players by the shoulder, pulling him aside to interview him on the large t.v screen. His board smile made his eyes squint into half-moons, even seeing such excited joy on his face made me want to punch him even more.
My heart was heavy. My footsteps were loud. I could smell the sweat on him as he ran his hand through his short cropped hair. Luke Thompson was about to have the shock of his life.
“Here I am speaking with Captain of the Tigers Luke Thompson, now tell me Luke how do you feel about today’s game?” The blonde reporter moved the microphone under Luke’s chin.
Before he could answer I stepped up to them soundlessly. Unalarmed both the reporter and Luke glanced once at me before back onto each other. They obviously couldn’t see how my eyes strained with rage at being so close to him.
I held my hand out and wished him good luck. Luke reached over without looking at me and shook my hand with a firm grip. Time started to slow, the mask quickly unravelling as I refused to let his hand drop when he tried to pull back. He glanced over and in an instant he froze.
My skin tingled as the illusion was broken and my true face was pushed to the surface. His lower lip d
ropped and his eyes popped from his face. As if a switch had been flicked on, Luke’s whole body tensed up in disbelief. I could feel my lips curl into a smirk.
“You’re not crazy,” I said at him calmly, “This is definitely real.”
He was looking between me and the reporter until Raix made his debut appearance from within the shade. Raix’s heavy steps rounded up from behind me, the large wolf growling from the depth of his throat and steaming with ash smoke out of his nostril, eyes and mouth. The sight of the massive demon had Luke stumbling backwards. Panicked he tried to wrench his hand free and I let him go without hesitation. He toppled over onto his rear before kicking back against the grass.
“Wh-what is that? H-H-How is that possible?”
“It’s gutless vermin like you that make me sick. You really think I wouldn’t come back for you? You really think you could get away with what you did, you coward? Tell them Luke! Tell them exactly what you did!”
“Umm… are you okay Mr Thompson?” The reporter awkwardly glanced between Luke and me.
“B-But you’re dead…” Luke stuttered.
“Exactly, so unless you want to join me you better speak up.” Raix snarled and snapped just to prove my threat was real.
The cameraman followed Luke’s desperate scrambling and fed it live up onto the big screen for everyone in the stands to see. At first they gasped and laugh to each other, pointing at how silly he was acting. Till they noticed the pure fear run down his leg like urine and silence suddenly fell upon the whole stadium. He couldn’t tear his eyes off from Raix whose exhaling breath was close enough to skim Luke’s glistening forehead. How long I had waited for this moment? To finally face down my killer, to watch him squirm in his skin knowing he couldn’t get away. Try and hit me with a car now you bastard! Try and beat a rock into my head while your buddies watched! I promised I would come back and seek my revenge and now is my time.
“T-This can’t be real…”
“Tell them the truth!” I repeated myself, allowing Raix to stalk up to him like a cat cornering a mouse. He was crying so much that his face bloomed pink and his nose ran with snot. It was so pleasing to see him emasculate himself in front of all his supporters.
My Demonic Ghost Book two (The Reapers 2) Page 23