Chapter 14 #4
Sounds went in and out of focus for Rin. Lucien was limp atop her. Auren’s fingers curled around her forearm, holding her as if to anchor himself—to forget the pain. She wished she could forget or pass out. Nothingness would be better than this.
Through the fog of pain, she watched Kit—the last of her Soulbonds, the missing piece. Could he make her whole?
His lips moved. She couldn’t hear him. Her ears rang, full of blood.
It looked like he said, "I am sorry."
Sabine and Talor turned away, leaving, as Kit willingly followed.
The device was shut off, slipping into Talor’s hands.
Rin’s entire body loosened. It no longer felt like her Soul was trying to claw its way out of her flesh.
Only one guard was left, and as Sabine stepped over Jessa’s body—an innocent in all of this—she told him, "Clean that up."
The guard lifted Jessa’s body and threw it over his shoulder as if she were worthless.
Rin watched as Kit left with his parents and the lone guard.
He stared at her until he disappeared around the wall, into the faint blue glow.
In their wake, she felt her chest seize.
She coughed, blood tickling the back of her throat as she spat it onto the concrete. She couldn’t move. Everything hurt.
Her head fell back against the ground, and her eyes drifted closed. She just needed to sleep…
Auren’s bare hands were cool against her cheek as he gently patted her awake. "Vesperin," he rasped. The corners of his mouth were red with blood. "Vesperin, please, Hunter, you must wake up. They are gone. We have to go. We do not know what she—that device—did to us."
Rin breathed raggedly. "Auren, I can’t—" Her weak hand fell to her head. "Hurts."
Auren had no strength left as he fell atop her, his forehead pressing against hers. Lucien was still closely pressed to her other side, out cold.
"I know, I am sorry." Auren’s lips grazed hers as he spoke. He smelled of iron. Or maybe that was just her. "We have to go." As he pulled away, she felt some of his blood drip onto her cheeks and get in her mouth.
He made a pained sound as he pushed himself away from her.
As he reached for his scythe and lifted it, his hands trembled.
He cut it through the air, a swirling portal forming.
He began to reach for Rin, but she was staring at the blood on the ground—all that was left of Jessa.
The air was thick with the scent of wrongness, she could almost taste it on her tongue.
The same bloodied terror that had permeated the room after Nessen’s demise.
Rin reached out, pressing her fingertips beneath Lucien’s jaw the way he always did to her. It made her heart squeeze. He had to be okay. She counted the beats with her unskilled mind. It tripped like hers, but it was there.
Auren slipped his arms beneath her, lifting her as he still held his scythe, keeping the portal open. His strength was thin—she felt it in the weakness of his touch.
She exhaled, her head falling to Auren’s chest. "No, we can’t leave them. Cyrus—you heard what Jessa said. He left. He wouldn’t l-leave." She could barely speak.
Half-kneeling and wavering yet holding her so gently, Auren peered down at her. "What would you have me do, Hunter?"
"He’s not—he may need us. And Rhyden. I told him to stay. He listened, but won’t… forever."
"Rhyden will not jeopardize our mission here."
"No, you didn’t hear him." Weakly, she reached for Auren. Her fingers landed on his jaw, slipping down to his neck. "He sounded so scared. So vengeful. If we don’t tell him we’re okay, he’ll burn it all—and everyone inside."
"Okay. I will portal you and Lucien to Rhyden’s penthouse. It is secure. You both will be safe." Auren released a shaky breath. "Then I will go get your incubus and vampire for you." He touched her cheek. She had no strength, and her head fell into his palm easily.
It made her recall the phantom touch at the base of her skull, slithering over her body—what was that? Her shadow had returned to her… or the pain had been too great, and her mind had conjured anything to cope.
"No, I’m going too."
"You cannot stand, Vesperin," Auren begged.
"I will." Rin began the laborious task of standing.
She had to show him she could do this—she was strong.
But her Soul felt like syrup, slipping through the cracks of her skin.
He saw her determination and sighed, gripping her elbow as he helped her stand.
She had to lean most of her weight on him.
Her knees wobbled. The butterfly wings were tipped in blood.
"Take… take Lucien," she managed, "then we’ll go find them. "
Auren nodded, just once, then held his scythe up. He stepped away carefully so she wouldn’t drop to the ground. She had to lock her knees, her fingers and toes trembling from exertion as she stood alone.
Auren’s blonde hair was matted with sweat and blood.
He was no less beautiful to her. His nostrils flared, then in a move etched with pain, he reached for her and gripped the back of her neck, pressing his bloody lips to hers.
It was a cold, bruising kiss, steeped in their shared blood.
It was everything to her. She was weak and splayed, shoving away the agony in desperation.
She just wanted to sleep and cry. She made weak fists and punched against his chest, even as he opened her mouth with his lips, his iron tongue sweeping against hers in a short claim.
When he pulled away, his eyes were brighter, Star burning.
"You—" Auren’s voice broke. "You do not know how long I have wished to kiss you."
She felt wolves tearing into her gut. A dirt path beneath her broken body.
Feverish as a cloaked being stood at her bedside, ready to reap.
Each life, lived far too short with him.
As a reminder, her heartbeat faltered—this life wasn’t forever.
Not for her. Her heart was a ticking bomb, poised to explode and take her with it.
"I love you," Rin said to him.
Auren took her wrist, bringing her hand up to his lips, stained with their shared blood. "And I you."
He hooked his arms beneath Lucien’s and tugged him through the portal. It closed for a breath, and in that moment, she was utterly alone. She felt shadows tickle her nape, helping her stand when she felt like she might sink to the ground and curl in on herself.
White filled the room as the portal reopened, and Auren stepped through, immediately walking to her and wrapping an arm around her. "We will portal to Rhyden first," he said against the top of her head. She nodded weakly, letting him tug her through the next portal.
Her belly flipped, then the scent of clean, fresh air filled her senses.
On the rooftop of the Academy dorms, Rhyden stood pacing, hidden by a roof access structure. At the sound of their arrival, he turned, gun raised—but when he saw them, bloodied and wavering, he dropped the weapon to the ground, rushing toward them with his vampiric speed.
Rhyden’s hands were warm against her flesh. Hm. They were usually cold.
"Wife," Rhyden rasped, "what the fuck happened? Shit, you’re covered in blood." His hands touched every inch of her, feeling her. She trembled beneath his touch, eyes drifting closed.
Auren was speaking, but Rin barely heard.
"—a device that caused us pain… Vesperin was adamant about coming." The soft note Auren’s voice took on when he said her name was not lost on any of them.
Rhyden shrugged off his leather jacket, bodily lifting her arms and shoving them in the sleeves, then zipping it up for her.
He treated her like she was a child, unable to care for herself.
It was comforting, just what she wanted in this moment—to let someone else protect her.
She pressed her nose to the collar, inhaling the rich peppermint scent that clung to the leather.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
Rhyden kept fussing over her, cursing all the while. His eyes were a deep red from the blood on their clothes. Still, he didn’t falter. He was a pillar for them both.
"I’ve got you now," Rhyden said.
And the words… they made her tired body melt. She walked awkwardly, only just realizing she was without one heel. Kit had—
Bile crawled up the back of her throat.
She felt the firm press of the gun’s barrel against her head, then the warm spray of blood as the hands holding her went slack. Kit roaring at her to go.
Rin started to bend and kick off her other heel, but her body wouldn’t quite cooperate.
Rhyden stopped her, kneeling sharply as he unhooked the strap and slipped her foot out of her heel.
Her hands landed on his shoulders to steady herself as his breath teased the butterfly wings peeking out from the bottom of his coat.
When he stood, he gripped the heel in his hands.
"Just leave it," Rin said thickly.
Rhyden dropped the heel, then wrapped an arm around her when she wavered.
She coughed weakly, lungs stretched thin.
Auren cut his scythe through the air, but he stumbled, and the portal flashed.
She and Rhyden both reached for him at the same time.
Rhyden sighed roughly, then wrapped his other arm around the Soul Searcher’s shoulders, keeping them both held up.
Her cheek brushed Rhyden’s chest from how closely she was pressed to him, and she felt the rumbles of his voice as he spoke. "How the fuck are we going to find him if the two of you can barely even fucking walk and you’re covered in blood?"
"I wish to t-try something," Auren managed, looking at Rin. He held his scythe out to her. "Touch the handle, just below my hand. Cyrus is a piece of your Soul. If anyone could find him, it would be you."
Rin reached for the handle of the scythe, her small, pale hand wrapping around it just beneath Auren’s. The blade flashed as it had below. Her arm brushed against Rhyden’s chest, and he tightened his hold around her shoulders.
Rin felt hollowed inside. "What do I—do?"
"Think of him," Auren prodded weakly.