The Exodus

by Ali Winters

Casually, he leaned back against the trunk of a tree, arms folded across his chest.

  “Who are you? What do you want?” she demanded. Who was this person that could see her? He was no Reaper, that much was for certain.

  “Well now,” he spoke slowly as if there was nothing better to do than talk to a stranger outside of a nursing home. “Is that any way to talk to the man who is about to rescue you?” His voice held a hint of amusement.

  As if anything about the situation was amusing. Camira glared. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t need rescuing. But if you wanted to help you should have come to me weeks ago.”

  “You weren’t ready then.” He smirked. “But, I wasn’t talking about location.”

  Hunter. Camira realized with a start, and took a step back before she could stop herself. So much time spent on anger, she hadn’t realized how deeply the fear had burrowed deep inside, rooting itself through every inch of her.

  “You should be more careful who you sneak up on,” she warned, attempting to put on a show of bravado.

  “I don’t think you’d risk reaping me now.” He pushed away from the trunk. His confidence irritated her and she could feel a twitch under her left eye. “Not, when it would ruin the chances of you getting what you really want. Upsetting the balance would call more attention to your,” he paused as if searching for the correct word, “activities, than I think you’d want right now.”

  “How did you find me?” she asked cautiously. He knew too much. Somehow he’d found out what she’d done and what she was doing now. But how?

  “I am a Hunter.” He walked forward, closing the distance between them. “It’s what we do.”

  Camira stepped back, heart pounding. “Stay away from me!”

  “I won’t hurt you, Camira. I was there, during that pathetic excuse of a fight. I watched you disappear. I knew you would make it.” He moved closer as he spoke. “And I was right. I could tell by the fire in your eyes that you wouldn’t give up.”

  He reached out and brushed her wild hair back over her shoulder. She flinched. With his touch, Camira was tempted to move away, but it struck her that he was trying to get that reaction from her. She wouldn’t give it to him. The dark eyes, deep brown or black—it was impossible to tell in the dim lights coming from the building—studied her with amusement.

  “Who are you?” she demanded. Her heart raced. How long had this Hunter been following her?

  “You can call me Jack.” He grinned and leaned forward at the waist, bringing his face within inches of hers. “And I am here to help you get revenge.”

  “I don’t need your help,” she whispered trying to keep the shaking from her voice.

  “Yes, you do,” Jack stated simply.

  “What could you offer me that I couldn’t do myself?” Camira retorted, his arrogance slowly replacing her fear with anger.

  “Power, for starters. And a place to hide while you prepare, if you need it. Anything you could want, I can give you. And I can also protect you from discovery.”

  “What do you know of my needs?”

  “More than you think.”

  Camira straightened her back and laughed loudly. “You assume too much. I’d be a fool to believe the words coming out of your mouth, and you’d be a bigger fool for thinking I would.”

  “Oh? My mistake then.” He waved his hand dismissively and turned his back on her, starting to walk away. After a few steps, he paused and spoke over his shoulder. “And here I thought you wanted revenge against the Reapers for leaving you to die alone in that desert. Especially that blonde one… what was her name again? Was I wrong to think they couldn’t care less about what happens to you?”

  Swirling her cloak around her, Camira appeared in front of him, abruptly halting him. She pushed against his chest with her finger. “What. Do. You. Know?” she demanded between clenched teeth, punctuating each word with a stabbing poke. “You weren’t at the fight! You know nothing!”

  Jack’s nonchalant expression morphed into an amused smirk. “I was there. You didn’t see me because I didn’t want you to. My mission was so much more important than fighting a few weak Reapers.”

  “Speak plain and speak fast or I will reap you where you stand. Damn the consequences.”

  “Very well, Camira.” Jack folded his arms across his chest and pretended to think. As if she would believe for half a second that every word from his mouth hadn’t been planned. “The Hunters and Reapers are moving to work together, against Yeva’s orders. I don’t think I need to tell you what a bad idea that would be.”

  “What do I care for her wants?” she spat.

  “Oh, you should care very much. You want the same things. After all, it was the other Reapers who abandoned you in your moment of need. Not to mention, now they are becoming friendly with the very Hunters that tried to destroy you.”

  Her stomach rolled. He was right. It was a punch to the gut that the ones who should have had her back were betraying her once more. As if everything she’d gone through meant nothing… as if she were nothing.

  “How could you give me power?” The words felt thick on her tongue as she fought against her better judgment and her hatred of the man before her.

  “Yeva has her ways.”

  “Maybe for Hunters, but what could she possibly know about a Reaper’s powers?” Camira moved away. He was wasting her time. Trying to trick her with false promises and words that he somehow knew she wanted to hear. He was no more useful than a flea. “I am done with you, Hunter.” She spun to leave but he reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

  Camira stared in horror, frozen in place as she waited for the blow he’d deliver to destroy her.

  But it never came.

  “She knows a lot more than you realize about a Reapers’ powers. Yeva has the means to give you what you want. The blonde haired Reaper will be made to bow down to you,” he spoke in a dark voice, barely above a whisper.

  Camira’s lungs refused to work, as if they were made of marble. He was close enough now that she could see the varying hues of rich browns in his eyes, ranging from light chocolate to almost completely black, with flecks of amber that held her gaze for longer than she cared to admit. Jack was a Hunter, no Reaper could—or should—trust one. They were lower than the scum of the earth. But what if he could give her everything she needed? Was it worth the chance to make Nivian suffer? As it was, she currently had nothing in her power she could do that would satisfy the pain that Nivian deserved.

  Jack released her and moved away. She inhaled sharply, finding her breath again.

  Camira studied him, his face impassive and his posture relaxed. The Hunter wasn’t afraid of her; he hadn’t been for even a second of their encounter. If he were right though, if he could give her all that he promised then it would be worth it.

  That decided it for her. She would follow him, take what he had to give, and when she was done, she would give him exactly what he deserved.

  The Reapers had abandoned her. They hadn’t cared if she had lived or been destroyed months ago. She was not even a passing thought in their minds. Their refusal to even attempt to search her out proved as much. She was on her own. No one would help her; no one would look out for her if she didn’t look after herself. Camira would take everything she needed, everything she wanted, and anyone who got in her way would fall in her wake.

  Revenge.

  The word tasted so sweet. They would feel exactly what she felt all those lonely and painful months.

  Nivian would pay for what she had done.

  They would all pay.

  “All right. You have one chance to prove to me that you can do all of this. If you fail me, I’ll reap you before you can even blink.”

  “I will find you in three days’ time. Be ready,” he spoke sharply, commanding her.

  His words set her blood boiling anew. Nivian would be delivered to her and she would be punished or the Hunter would pay.

  Camira held her scythe out in front of
her and willed it to shrink. Placing it in her pocket, she swirled her cloak around her and transported to G.R.I.M. Headquarters.

  She walked down the halls of the massive stone building that was the nerve center to Reapers, leaving the crowded halls of the main area behind. Camira wandered around to the less populated areas, searching out a small sanctuary so she might think.

  Caspian had once again been cold to her when she turned in her assignment. Looking into his midnight eyes in that moment, she just wanted to see him hurt. And she wanted to be the one to make him hurt. Perhaps, her feelings for him were fading, becoming nothing more than dust after he had broken her heart. It had been the final straw. She would endure this disrespect no longer. She was done.

  To betray them felt strange. But was it really betrayal when they had turn their backs on her first? It was nothing less than they deserved. Though, to trust a Hunter didn’t seem to be much better…

  “Hello, Camira. I didn’t think I’d see you again after that fight. Where have you been?” asked an overly sweet feminine voice that grated against her mind like sandpaper.

  Camira turned to face a Silencer she’d hardly ever given any attention to in the past. The girl leaned against the stonewall just inside the archway that led to the circular garden that overlooked the edge of Mophar. She wore a haughty expression that matched the mocking tone and the childish pigtails that sat low behind each ear.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know, Star?” Camira snapped in return and moved to walk past her.

  The brat forced her to stop in her tracks, blocking her path with a wide stance and outstretched arms. Camira could feel herself reaching her limit.

  “Move,” Camira demanded.

  “Mmm, no. I don’t think I will. You should go somewhere else now.” The sickening sweet tone of her voice was still present, contrasting against her all too obvious feelings. “You were always so annoying.”

  No more. Camira’s pulse roared in her ears, she was done being treated like this.

  Red filled her vision as black moved in from the edges. Without hesitation or warning she reached for her scythe and swung as it expanded, slicing through the air. Star’s eyes grew wide as Camira used her other hand to call forth Star’s thread, dark and sparkling like a strand made of glittering black diamonds. Star’s mouth fell open ready to scream.

  But Camira severed her thread before she could even finish inhaling.

  “I told you to get out of my way,” Camira said, walking down the now empty hall. She grinned, knowing that nothing would stop her from what she wanted. Not anymore.

  SIXTEEN

  NIVIAN

  NIVIAN WOKE TO the morning light streaming through the sheer curtains. The sun was rising earlier everyday as spring bloomed in full. She sat up in bed, dragging her feet over the edge and rested her face in her hands, elbows propped on her knees. She’d returned the night before from Hunter Corp. While she was there, she’d spent almost all of her time by Kain’s side, meeting the Hunters. It had been a cool reception. No one had been mean or against her presence, but a touch of fear lingered. And now without Kain by her side, her apartment felt empty.

  Or maybe it was the result of her dreams. Dreams that were nothing more than shapeless echoes. Dreams she hoped would take shape as memories of her life as a Hunter. When she first met Kain, memories of her death had come back within days, but the ones of her life fought her, refusing to return.

  Her only hint of what they had to tell her, was a faint feeling of nostalgia. Then there was the guilt that tightened her chest when she spent time with Kain. It still felt like she was using him, even with the real reasons she had to be around him. Not that she needed reasons. All the reasons in the world didn’t matter; she would still want to be near him. It just felt right. When stress threatened to overwhelm her, a simple touch of his hand seemed to right her world again, anchoring her.

  What is this feeling? Nivian tried to find a word to describe it. Friendship didn’t seem to fit it quite right. She’d been friends with Caspian and Cami for as long as she could remember. While she cared for them differently, it felt like solid friendship with them. It fit.

  But with Kain, it wasn’t so simple. The same word and the same meaning just didn’t work.

  Nivian frowned, unable to define her feelings. It made her feel as though she were missing the obvious. That, combined with the missing memories, made her wonder if the two things were connected in some way.

  She walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would clear her scrambled thoughts. When she came back out, a piece of parchment with a name scrawled in messy handwriting was sitting on her bed, waiting.

  She would have to figure out her endless questions another time. She was awake and Caspian was expecting her at any moment. Nivian dressed and wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and transported as she walked toward the door.

  Nivian appeared just outside the gates of G.R.I.M. Headquarters mid stride and kept her pace.

  Passing a group of Reapers, their murmuring caught her attention. Tones that would usually be lively and bright were now hushed and low, silencing as she passed. Her eye caught theirs and they watched her with curious looks. She frowned at the subtle oddity of it but moved on, pushing it out of her mind. Idle gossip held no interest for her.

  Caspian’s door was ajar as she approached. She knocked twice before stepping through the opening.

  “Ah, Nivi, I am glad you are here. Come, sit,” he said motioning to the chair across from him. “Tell me about this alliance that the Hunters want to form.”

  “There wasn’t much time to get far. Kain and a few others just showed me around their building and explained what they’ve been doing. I met several Hunters. It went well; it was just strange at first.”

  “And no one threatened you?” he asked sternly, letting her know that he expected nothing but honesty.

  “No. I could tell it was hard for some of them to trust me, but I think they’re genuine in their desire to work together with us.”

  “That is good to hear.”

  “I think it will just take time adjusting to letting go of a fight that has been happening for so long. They asked me to return with you at some point, if you agree to continue with them.”

  Caspian frowned. “I am afraid I cannot leave G.R.I.M. That can be discussed sometime in the future, but for now, I regret that is not a possibility. You may continue to work with them, however I will be cutting back your assignments. There are other duties I will need you to focus on that are more pressing.”

  Silence filled the space between them just long enough for her to understand that he received the information he’d wanted for the time being. Though she had expected to give a full report but he seemed disinterested in the details. She wanted to question him on the last thing he’d said but her thoughts were distracted by the issue she couldn’t shake from her mind no matter how hard she tried.

  Swallowing her sudden nervousness, Nivian spoke before she could change her mind. “Caspian? I’m worried…”

  “What?” His head shot up as he brought his attention back to her. Surprise in his expression, whether over the fact that he hadn’t realized he wasn’t paying attention to her, or that she was voicing a fear now. “Did something happen when you were with the Hunters?” Caspian pressed his palms flat against the desk and leaned forward, searching her face.

  “No, I just…” Her hands clenched and unclenched in her lap. “I still can’t remember anything. My death came to me in dreams, but even spending time with Kain isn’t helping. I don’t know what to do.”

  Caspian’s posture relaxed as he leaned back in his chair. “Nivian, I have told you before that there is a chance you will not get them back. Continue spending time with him, and if they are still intact in your mind, then they will return.”

  “I am, but I was wondering if it had something to do with Kain and me.”

  She glanced up through her lashes and watched Caspian’s
face darken. His lips were drawn into a thin line and she found herself wishing that she hadn’t brought it up after all. The look chilled her bones and inspired a fear in her that she had never felt around him before.

  “You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that they will never return. Be patient. You cannot spend so much time and energy trying to get them back. Focus on the task at hand. Now let this be the last we speak of it.”

  “But, Caspian—”

  “Enough, Nivian. I need you on one more assignment before you return to the Hunters. The balance is shifting at an alarming rate and we cannot afford to waste time on such trivial matters.”

  She dropped her head. Her eyes stinging with tears of embarrassment and hurt from his uncharacteristically sharp tone.

  Caspian sighed and settled back into his chair. “I apologize, Nivian, but now is not the time. We can discuss it later if you still wish it.”

  “No, that’s okay. It was silly, but you were right. I can be patient.” Nivian lifted her chin and looked him in the eye, trying to avoid showing him how much their exchange had shaken her. She thought she saw him cringe at her words.

  “Meet me outside of Silas’s throne room. I need you on one more assignment before we begin your extra duties.” He stood and rounded his desk, signaling that it was time for her to go.

  The announcement took her by surprise. There was only one reason ever to go down to Silas’s room. A mass reaping…

  It sent ice down her spine to think of how messed up the balance had to be. Mass reapings happened all the time, but this one was different. Typically, Silas summoned them. Group reapings were to help lower the energy needed to complete the assignment, but it still required more than normal.

  Rising from her chair, Nivian moved numbly through the room and down the spiraling staircase that led to the lowermost reaches of the building. On her way down, Evander joined her, falling in step silently beside her. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and gave her a formal nod before turning his gaze ahead of him.