Chapter 6 #5
She was interrupted by a faint glow nearby as a hole was ripped in the air. A shiny white boot and fluttering cloak appeared. Auren stepped into the room, hood drawn, and as his portal closed quietly behind him, he shoved his hood back, tiny snowflakes falling from the fabric of his cloak.
Lucien had never been so grateful for a distraction. He knew what his V girl was going to say, and he would never allow her to purposely endanger her already-fragile heart for the sake of some vampiric doctor’s theory.
The Soul Searcher’s blue eyes were wider than Lucien had ever seen as he gasped, breath still slightly visible as if the cold air clung to him, creeping into the lab’s air from the now-closed portal.
"The television," Auren gasped. "Turn it on—now."
Auren tried to shake off the remaining vestiges of cold and horror. But still, he shivered.
Vesperin’s slightly raspy voice, broken with exhaustion, carried to him as she quickly walked over, taking his gloved hands in hers. "Auren, what’s wrong? Are you okay?"
She tugged off one of his gloves and laced their fingers together. Auren’s hand flexed around hers, as if the motion were intrinsic to his very being. To be adrift, brought back down to earth only by the touch of her soft warmth.
Even harrowed by what he’d seen—the Souls he had just reaped—he brought her hand to his mouth. He felt her sharp intake of air as his cold lips grazed her skin.
He breathed her in, eyes falling closed, and saw flashing lights behind them, imprinted in his vision, his ears still ringing from circling helicopters. Blood splattered everywhere, countless body parts—
Auren opened his eyes and raised his lips from Vesperin’s hand, not letting her go. "Do you have access to a television in this room?" He tried not to look at her. His voice was slightly calmer, thank the Celestials.
Rhyden hopped off one of the counters he sat on, turning to a panel of buttons. Pressing one, a large television descended from a slat in the ceiling. He grabbed a remote and flicked it on, tuning into the news.
A reporter stood before the alleyway, lights flashing over her face as she spoke into the microphone.
Rhyden turned the volume up.
"—just hours ago, a mass casualty incident in the residential sector, in Axon Court, near Block 31. The suspect is still on the loose. Believed to be armed and incredibly dangerous. A shelter-in-place order has gone into effect in Block 31 and the surrounding area."
Rhyden scoffed, crossing his arms. "Like they expect anyone in Lunar City to heed the law. What the fuck is this about, Auren?"
Auren swallowed. "Watch."
The screen panned to the blocked-off alley, where corrupt cops stood around crime tape, warding off the reporters and newscasters.
The reporter spoke as the image focused on the dark alley.
"What is believed to be the works of one man, as witnesses describe, dressed in all-black, similar to a uniform.
He wore a mask over the lower part of his face and is described as having brown hair. "
The screen shifted back to the reporter.
A tiny, blood-hungry smile played upon her lips as she touched her earpiece.
"I’m receiving word from our news helicopter—we have a bird’s-eye view of the scene inside the alleyway where this gruesome attack took place.
What I am about to share is highly disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised."
Rin walked closer to the screen, her hand still held in Auren’s.
The image was an overhead view. It was dark, and snow covered the tops of tall, crooked buildings.
Pieces lined the inside of the alley.
Cyrus came to stand on her other side. "Is that…?"
What was she looking at?
It took a second for her mind to catch up to what her eyes were seeing.
"Body parts," Rhyden said. "Those are fucking body parts."
On the screen, body parts filled the alley. Red splattered on the snow like dark paint on a white canvas.
Lucien came to stand behind her, his hand settling on her shoulder, warmth radiating through her back. "Why are they arranged like that?" His voice was thick.
"It—" Auren broke off as the reporter spoke again.
"We believe this mass murderer has left a message. It appears the body parts have been arranged in a code, spelling out what forensic experts believe to be a name—"
The image shifted to a different view of the alley below, and as Rin stared, she saw in sudden clarity the staggered, gory letters.
"Coming up, a first look with a witness who claims she spoke to the suspect—according to Lunar City PD—earlier today at an establishment by the name of Salli’s Smoke Shack."
A woman with thick curly hair, tumbling over her shoulders and wide, purple eyes filled the screen. She stood on a street, a microphone shoved in her face, clearly unprepared to speak. "Ah—yeah, and he was a bit odd. But he didn’t seem to want to hurt anyone…"
Cyrus made a small sound at Rin’s side.
The words were drowned out by the sound of Rin’s heart thundering in her ears. She turned to meet Auren’s eyes, unable to do anything, think anything, with the sudden terror gripping her. "You reaped them all, didn’t you?"
Auren’s expression was grave. "Yes. It was beyond reckoning."
Rin wondered how the Soul Searcher could see such carnage and still be so kind. "Auren, I’m so sorry."
Auren squeezed her hand. "It is my duty."
"You know what this means, right?" Rhyden cut in.
Rin nodded, words almost escaping her. Her flesh tingled with remembered shocks, images of a destroyed planet, and a bouquet of Nightfell roses. When she opened her eyes, the screen had shifted back to the helicopter’s view of the alley.
And the eight letters of her name, placed upon the snow with countless, dismembered body parts.
A V formed with ripped arms, an E with legs still clad in torn clothes. The I was dotted with a head.
Rin’s lower lip trembled, but god, she wouldn’t let herself be weak—not when she was the whole reason this carnage had come. "Kit’s already found me."