Ah…yes, there. The hospital. A place, to my understanding, full of desperate sickly mortals clinging to life.
With time against me, I infiltrate the building, cognizant of my fading strength, humans of varying statures all around. I don’t have the luxury of being picky, but at the same time, it would be unwise to pick one as strong-willed as Sailor. The perfect mix of hopelessness, and desperation, that’s what I need; a willing slave with nothing left to lose, one that will do little to resist me from within.
I search the halls far and wide, analyzing the humans as they sleep in the night hour, careful not to alert them with my presence. Room after room, floor after floor, I scour the building until I find a peculiar candidate in which I see potential. Yes, him…he will do. And thus, I will rise once more.
“Wha-wha…who are you? Where are we?”
My name is Vartal, and we are inside your mind. Quite simply, you are a prisoner inside your own body. Your brain has been damaged. I, however, hold the key.
“The key?”
Yes, and I will give it to you under one condition. Allow me to bond with your soul.
Chapter 15: Survivors
I killed that kid…Nathan. I didn’t even try to save him. I sigh and run my fingertips along my forearm as I shake my head. I could have at least tried.
A set of knocks taps against my door from the other side. “Sailor?” The door creeks and Valerie peeks through the cracks.
“Come on in, Val.”
Valerie walks toward me in a different set of clothes, ones that haven’t been bled on or sliced into. She’s pale and looks a little tired, but despite all that she’s been through, she still has her smile…and that’s great. Honestly, it is. Shaking off what she’d just been through can damage a person. As the reigning queen of baggage, I should know.
“I know you were resting and everything, but when Blaze told me you were up, I had to see you. I figured I could catch you before you go back to sleep an—”
“If you’re attempting to apologize, don’t. You don’t need to. Whatever Blaze told you, don’t worry about it, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“So, how are you doing? You feeling okay?”
“Yes…no, not really. It’s a lot. Blaze and Abby talked me through some things, but it’s hard to wrap your head around things that—”
“Shouldn’t exist?” I finish.
“Yeah. There’s just so much. It’s rough, but I’ll adjust. I’ve got no other choice.”
“You’ll be fine, just be more cautious, that’s all. You’ve made it this far in life.” I chuckle but flinch from aggravating my injuries.
“Part of the reason I haven’t lost it yet is because of you.”
“Val…”
“I’m serious. In the house, if you would have died and I would have somehow made it, I would have been devastated. Part of the reason I was so tough was because I had you with me. As long as you were fighting, I planned on fighting, too.”
“Don’t cheat yourself. You did good.” I pause and wonder if I should tell her the full story—how she helped me in more ways than one. “…I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m just happy that you’re alive.”
“Same goes for you, Val, but you really should get some rest.”
“Yeah, you too.”
“Right.” My eyes drift downward momentarily before realigning with Valerie’s gaze. “But I’ll be on my feet sooner than you think. Vartal kept me relatively healthy in the bigger scope of things. You saw what happened, I should be long gone, but I’m just sore in a couple spots…well, not sore, that’s an understatement, it feels like someone cut me up and dropped hot coal into my insides… the sad thing is, that’s not that far from what actually happened, but I’ll heal just fine. Nothing’s broken. Not many people can walk away after what I’ve been through, so I’m thankful, even if it means I’ll be stuck in bed for a while. So, what’s next for you now that you know the truth? I don’t recommend telling anyone. Unless they see something for themselves, they’ll call you crazy, drug you up, and throw you in a mental home.”
“Well, I figure we’ll be here for a couple of days. I didn’t plan on telling anyone before, and I don’t know. As far as anyone is concerned, we’re on vacation. I still have a couple of days before I’m expected to go back. I plan on using that time to adjust…maybe pick up a thing or two. Definitely getting a gun when I go back home.” She laughs. “Do I need silver or—?”
“It’s complicated. Depends on what you’re up against. Does this mean you’re going to actually look into taking some classes in Krav Maga?”
“Yeah, it does. If something like this happens again, I want to be prepared…oh and Sailor, another thing.”
“Yeah, shoot.”
“I know you know this, but I just want to say it again. If you need to talk about anything, I’m here for you. You’ve been through a lot, and I still don’t know the whole story…and I don’t necessarily need to know, but remember this…you’re a survivor, and I’m in your corner.”
“Thanks…I appreciate it.” I smile at Valerie as genuinely as I can, but my lips depress as soon as she leaves. She has good intentions, but a few kind words can’t erase a bad decision and everything that comes with it. She is right though, I am a survivor. I’m a lot of things. Some better than others, but most importantly, I’m far from okay.
The End
The Pact Book Four: Sailor Ray and the Beginning of the End
He’s gone. He’s finally gone, and I’m free. But what now? Blaze seems to know the answer.
It’s the same as it’s always been ever since he started—hunt. Make the world a better place.
Blaze has been working on setting up a strike on a number of key points in the Sphinx operation. If we shut them down, it’ll be a step in the right direction. Sphinx is pretty much a death sentence.
I’m going to help, too. It’s the least I can do, and honestly, maybe it’ll take my mind off things. Being alone isn’t exactly good for me right now. From my parents’ deaths to my past mistakes, it doesn’t seem like I can catch a break. I have to keep moving forward, or at least try… I have to. If I sit still, I’ll just be eaten up inside. I hate what I did—what he made me do. It’s like a splotch of black I can’t wipe clean. I want to wake up one day and be okay, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen anytime soon.
Not as long as I’m having nightmares of Vartal’s return. Until then, I’ll do what I can.
~
“Sailor, you ready to go? Thirty-minute warning.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready right now. I’ll be at the rendezvous in time. No worries.” I study the finish on my Beretta before tucking it into my coat. “If I get caught up in traffic, go on without me. I know where to go.”
As soon as I finish my sentence, I hear Blaze groan into the other side of the phone. I want to pull away, but my cell is pinned between my ear and my shoulder.
“We’re playing this safe, remember?”
“I remember.” I tuck another gun into the opposite side of the coat. “You don’t have to remind me. If anything, I’ll be there early,” I respond flatly.
“Okay, we’ll talk later at the spot. Be safe.”
“Yeah, you too.” The phone clicks and the call drops. Him being nervous is making me more nervous than I already am. I know I’m not invincible…and I’m well aware that this is my first outing since Vartal and I parted ways. There’s a lot less room for error now.
The plan is to bust into a warehouse and ruin their operation. It’s a smaller target. The main one is further north in a different city. Our job is to divert their resources while another group hits them hard. I’m all for it. Anything to clean up the streets while I’m here. Chicago has enough problems without a demon-inspired drug flooding the streets.
Hopefully, things will go smooth.
The Pact Book Four: Sailor Ray and the Beginning of the End
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Sailor Ray and the Beautiful Lie
Sailor’s Lie
So, Vartal is gone, but what does that exactly mean? Sailor is still trying to figure that out. During the past three books, Sailor often wonders if the choices she made are really hers. A fear she has is losing herself to the darkness that comes along with sharing her soul with a demon. Her choices have been ripping her apart. There’s a lot of guilt associated with what she’s done and is still doing. She even regrets being alive. Sailor mentions multiple times that she’s ready to die if it means getting rid of Vartal, and while she doesn’t want to lose control of herself, a major part of her decision is the guilt she feels from her past.
She’s free now—and it’s an immediate win for her team, but Sailor is afraid of herself. She’s had a considerably long stay in a dark spot, and she knows what she’s capable of when pushed. Sailor is angry, depressed, and slightly unstable. In a way, Vartal allowed Sailor to release her emotions, but now that he’s no longer in her body, how will this affect her? Vartal is a demon, yes, but Sailor’s been dealing with her own inner demons, separate from him. Bottom line, Sailor is far from okay, and it’s a lie she’s stood behind for far too long. If the events of this story didn’t take place, how long would it have been before Sailor sought help or ended her life?
And what about Vartal? We last see him on the hunt, wounded and looking for another vessel—a more compliant vessel. Sailor is bothered that the team couldn’t confirm Vartal’s demise. We know that he’s out there as the reader, and while Sailor doesn’t know for certain, she knows he’s tough, and his survival is a possibility…one that she dreads.
She forced him out, and if he’s alive, he’s a deadly threat who now has a vendetta against her.
And of course, Vartal has plans of his own.
About the Author
Alex Villavasso was born and raised in Louisiana where he first found his love for fiction while reading through the summer months. When he is not working on getting his thoughts out of his head, Alex can be found doing things that everyone tends to do, like sleeping, catching up with friends, and spending copious amounts of time on Netflix.
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Sailor Ray and the Beautiful Lie (The Pact Book 3) Page 16