36. Midnight #2
Mortem appears under the drinks table. What the fuck has gotten into him? Why is everyone so weird tonight?
Lucy pats down her leg, realising there are no marks, and then reaches for her glass. But it’s gone.
“Helena, I think you took my drink,” she says.
“I’ll grab you another one, sorry, I thought it was fresh,” Helena says.
“Well, it was, but never mind, you keep it.”
“Thanks, I’m gasping,” she says and gulps down half the glass.
She swallows but her face turns a funny colour. She steps back.
“Oh,” Helena says. “Oh, dear.”
Her face contorts, she buckles over and throws up like a waterfall. The liquid comes first. Then what I assume was her dinner and then blood.
So much blood.
A scream rips through the courtyard.
Lucy staggers back.
Ignatius surges forward. Thalia and Alistair both reach for Helena.
“GET A MEDIC,” Thalia screams.
I clock the two students who I didn’t recognise escaping out the library archway.
“Lucy,” I bellow.
Chaos erupts as Helena drops to the floor, her mouth foams as she seizes.
Space is made for her, but that’s the last thing I see as I drag Lucy away.
Ignatius catches me with Lucy’s hand threaded through mine, and my stomach churns.
He might not be able to touch me for a month, but he can make my death painful.
Bastien and Lex spot me and charge after us.
“Get her back to House Inferos,” I bark at Bastien.
“Like fuck, that was my glass,” Lucy says.
“Exactly. That’s the second attack on you, and I want to know why.”
“ You want to? It’s me they keep coming after. You’re not going after them without me,” Lucy says.
“Wow. At least you don’t argue like a married couple,” Lex says.
“I would like to point out, they are, in fact, getting away,” Bastien points a lazy finger in the direction of the cloisters.
“Fucksake,” I growl and yank my scythe out. “I swear to gods, Lucy, you get injured, and I’ll reap your soul for you.”
“So dramatic, and just over a professor…” Lex says, her expression implying the fact she’s fully aware that Lucy is anything but just a professor to me.
Something I’ll have to deal with later.
The four of us chase after the students but they’re way ahead.
Lucy calls the campus’s magic, and dark ribbons peel off each building as we pass. She whispers words into the threads of one. “Tell Obidiah to keep them on campus.”
The ribbon twirls and then vanishes.
We manage to catch up to the supposed students as their hands claw and pull at the gates.
“Stop there, motherfuckers.” I say and run my scythe along the iron railing, sending sparks flying.
Reap her. Reap her. Reap her.
That voice, all whispers and shouts, slithers into my mind. It forces pressure through my brain. I buckle under the weight of it, clutching my temples as a searing pain makes my vision white out.
Not now, motherfucker. I force the campus out of my head and wipe the sweat away from my brow.
“Don’t hurt us,” the man says. He’s wearing Finis uniform, something most students are not doing tonight, which is one reason they stood out. But now I’m close, I can see the Societas emblem emblazoned in ink on the underside of his wrist.
“We were told to do it,” the woman with him says.
But what concerns me is that both of their eyes keep skittering to Lucy. Bastien scruffs the man.
“You better start talking,” I say and slide the scythe under his neck.
“Please,” the woman begs.
“Talk. Before I lose my patience,” I snap.
“I’d tell her something useful—I’ve seen her pissed off,” Lex adds.
“The Societas sent us,” she says.
“Something I don’t already know,” I say and slide my scythe to the man’s wrist, forcing it to flip over to display his tattoo.
Motherfucker.
“Talk,” I demand.
He stays silent. So, I slip the scythe to his pinkie and flick my wrist, severing the digit from his hand. He shrieks, dropping to his knees as blood streams from the open wound.
“Stop! I’ll tell you,” the woman says. “There’s a theory within the Society.”
“Speak faster,” Bastien says, gripping him tighter as I slide the scythe under his index finger.
“Th—they think that Lucy is the key to resurrecting Architecti,” the woman stumbles over her words as she tries to get their story out fast enough.
“Why? What the hell has it got to do with Lucy?” Lex interrupts.
“We’re not high ranking enough to know,” the man pants, looking rather grey.
My eyes fall to Lucy. She’s pale, her eyes skittish as she takes it all in. But the woman glances from Lucy to the man.
I move the scythe to her throat. She wasn’t expecting it, she expected me to keep the violence to the man. What she failed to comprehend is that I’d burn Finis to the ground if it meant Lucy stayed safe. The woman stumbles against the gates.
“P—Please,” she begs.
I snarl. “You should know, I love it when a woman begs.” I bring the blade up to the crease in her neck. “And I am really good with a scythe, so talk before I get bored and do something you regret.”
“Okay, okay, okay. I don’t know exactly. But I heard the elders talking about something Ignatius did to her. That’s all I know, I swear.”
“That’s too bad,” I say and push the scythe through her throat and sever her soul.
“Midnight,” Lex gasps.
“NO,” the man screams, but I’m already shoving Bastien out the way and plunging the blade through the man’s spine.
They drop to the floor, soulless. Dead. I’m breathing hard. Lucy is white as a sheet.
“Lucy,” I say, reaching out to her.
But she turns and runs.