Page 89 of Right Hand Of The Reaper
“Roux!”
I landed a few feet below the room and looked up to see the guys staring back at me. The twins and Magnus had joined the others, and I was glad to see Rayne was back to looking like his usual surly self.
“What are you doing down there?” Magnus asked.
“The floor gave way,” I replied.
“I’m coming down,” Atticus said but he didn’t get the chance to follow through on that. The hatch above me closed with a resounding snap.
Scuffling feet and muffled voices filtered through, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Probably despairing over me being down here and how could they get themselves down here to rescue me. Sometimes I think they forgot I was a fucking Reaper.
I pulled my scythe from the shadows, the magical runes casting a soft glow in the darkness, and prepared myself for whatever Prometheus liked to keep under his staff room. There was a loud thud on the floor above me and I had to roll my eyes. Either they were trying to dig through the floor, or someone was arguing.
It was nice though. Having someone trying to reach you despite being so far away. It was more about having their support and knowing they were trying to get to me so they could help me. I wasn’t on my own, and that was kind of comforting. The twins had always been there for me, battling souls by my side, but as I listened to the guys arguing above my head, I realised I had more in my corner than I had before. Whilst Sabine had been right, I didn’t feel like I’d belonged in the Underworld, I did feel like I belonged with them. They were my home. My north star. They were what guided me and kept me going, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was why I was so worried and, if I were being honest, terrified, about taking things further with the twins. I loved what we had already and yes, I wanted more, but the cost of having our connection severed was just too high a price to pay if we were caught.
With that thought swirling around me like a warm blanket, I stepped further into the darkness. My night vision wasn’t finding anything, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and I swear I could feel a breath brush against my skin.
A mechanical grinding ripped though the air, like giant cogs slotting together and groaning.
“Who’s there?” I shouted. The noises above me stopped and I suddenly felt very alone.
A soft orange glow started to emerge from the shadows in front of me, like the embers of a dying fire. And was it me, or was it moving closer?
Nope. It was definitely moving closer.
Two red orbs appeared about twelve feet off the ground.Please don’t be eyes…but with the way they just blinked, I think my prayers went unanswered on that one. Closer the creature came until it stepped fully into the weak light cast by the runes on my scythe.
I had never seen anything like this before. He – if it even was a ‘he’—stood twice my height, with large horns, the head of a bull and built out of metal and fire. A large ring sat in the end of his nose and a huge sword was in his hand. My scythe suddenly felt very puny in my hands.
The beast rushed me, and I instinctively rolled out the way, avoiding his large feet. He stopped in his tracks and swivelled his large head round to look at me. I backed up and hunched my thighs, bracing for the next impact. I wasn’t stupid. I knew my limits and this guy was potentially beyond my combat skills. I was used to fighting wayward souls and the occasional idiot who decided to make the wrong decision, but this guy. Fuck. I needed help.
“Guys?!”
No one responded. Shit. I was on my own. At least for now.
The beast snarled at me, his breath huffing out his nose. He slid one foot backwards, readying himself for the moment he’d charge. The silence stretched between us as I waited for the inevitable. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive this.
Then he rushed me.
I sidestepped but couldn’t quite get out of the way. His weight slammed into me and knocked me off my feet. I went flying through the air before landing on my back with a thud. A sharp crack had me wincing. Fuck, a cracked rib. I didn’t have time to stop and heal it. I needed to fight.
Come on, Roux. Get up.
I stood, my stance a little wobbly after that hit, but I stared the beast down and beckoned him closer with a grin on my face.
He snorted and charged again. He swung his sword high in the air and I brought my scythe in front of me to block it. The impact juddered up through my limbs and fuck… that was painful.
My body took over then, using all my power and battling the beast with me. For something so big, it moved fast. And that sword. Wow. It was big. And sharp. It nicked my thigh and boy, did that sting like a motherfucker.
“You’re gonna pay for that!”
The beast just growled back at me.
“Not much of a talker?”
He lunged at me again, knocking me backwards.
“I’ll take that as a no then.”
