Page 49 of Vexed
Recognition dawned slowly, like the sun rising over a distant mountain. His eyes widened, and his hand flew to his mouth. “Lily?”
He covered the distance between us in two strides, pulling me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe. “My Lily,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Tears streamed down my face, hot and heavy against his shirt. I wrapped my arms around him, clinging to him like a lifeline. “Daddy,” I sobbed, the sound muffled against his chest.
He pulled back slightly, his hands cupping my face. “Look at you,” he said, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.” He ran a thumb over my cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
Then, a shadow crossed his face. “I’m so sorry, pumpkin,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I’m so sorry I left you so soon.”
“It’s okay,” I choked out, even though it wasn’t. None of it was okay.
I buried my face in his chest again, the sobs wracking my body. “I miss you so much,” I managed to gasp out between sobs. “I miss you every single day.”
He pulled away again, his brow furrowed. “But why are you here?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. “Have you… have you passed too? What about your mother? Is she…?”
“No, no,” I said quickly, waving my hands. “I didn’t die. I just… I got a chance to see you again. That’s all.”
A smile spread across his face, a real, genuine smile that warmed me from the inside out. “My pumpkin,” he said, his voice filled with love. “Always finding a way.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Vex
Honestly, I was starting to regret giving in to Lily. I know this is what she wanted. What she needed.
But the girl was taking. Her. Sweet. Time.
I crouched behind a gnarled, dead tree, the kind that looked like it was perpetually reaching for the sky in silent agony. The forest was your typical gloomy underworld aesthetic—perpetual twilight, rustling leaves that sounded like regret, and an unsettling dampness that seeped into your very bones. Fun times.
I shifted, the gritty bark digging into my perpetually skeletal frame. “Come on, Lily,” I muttered under my breath.
Suddenly, a searing, agonizing pain ripped through my chest. It felt like someone had jammed a flaming poker straight through my sternum. I looked down, gleaming wickedly in the dim light—the unmistakable curve of a scythe blade protruding from my ribs.
“Running was never your strength, Vexlorn,” a voice purred from behind me.
Oh, stars above. Ophiel.
My lips curled into a weak, sarcastic smile, despite the overwhelming urge to vomit. “Ophiel. Always a pleasure. Though I must say, your introduction is a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
He ignored the sarcasm as he continued, “Unauthorized use of ethereal doorways, tampering with timelines, and—let’s not forget, killing of humans.” He chuckled, a low, humorless sound that echoed through the silent forest.
“Come along now. This will be much easier if you don’t resist.” More reapers emerge from behind him, stalking towards me.
“Alright, alright, no need to get the muscle involved,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant, even as they grabbed me, each hand feeling like a vise tightening around my bones. “I was just doing a little… community service. Being a good neighbor, you know?”
They dragged me away, the scythe embedded in my chest sending jolts of pain through me with every step. “Community service? You’ll have plenty of time for that in Purgatory,” Ophiel said, his voice dripping with disapproval.
And then, everything stopped.
Lily stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock. The ethereal light flickered behind her, slowly collapsing as the door shut. Her face, once etched with grief, was now a mask of pure terror.
The Arc Reapers, who, let’s face it, weren’t exactly expecting a human to pop out of the Ethereal Gate, were momentarily stunned. Ophiel recovered first, his normally impassive face now etched with confusion.
“How did you get here, girl?” he demanded, his voice sharper now, laced with suspicion.
Lily didn’t answer. She just stared at me, then at the hulking figures of the Arc Reapers holding me hostage, then at Ophiel, and back to me again. The gears were visibly turning in her little human brain.
Ophiel huffed, clearly losing patience. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter.” He gestured to the two goons flanking me. “Grab her too.”
