Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

5 - Death's Bane (3 of 3)

NP: Dark Horses by Switchfoot

As the whole world became a haze, I thought I saw a blue panel of light flicker from the labyrinth. I blinked, narrowing my eyes.

"What's that?" I blurted out.

The panel glowed again from the treetops. It stretched up to the skies, a giant wall cutting across the labyrinth.

"The barrier," Vincent answered. "What the hell?"

The first time Vincent and I were in the labyrinth, we accidentally stumbled on that barrier. We were following a Glitch back then in an attempt to get out of Halo. Inside the barrier were millions of rotting souls. Eventually, the souls became a single monstrous entity.

When Cairo and Irvine went after us, we made a small crack on the barrier to let it out—parts of it actually—to distract the enemies and make our escape.

I sighed. "That can't be good."

Cairo suddenly lost interest in Amyr and left the guy out cold.

"It's time," he muttered as if in a trance.

"It's..." Vincent's eyes were wide. "Faltering."

"Cai." Pilgrim lifted his head from the dirt and squinted. "H-help me, son."

The boy just ignored his father. After sparing us a quick glance, he draughted out of the courtyard and into the labyrinth.

As he left, I staggered towards Amyr. I almost touched him before I could remind myself not to. I was poison. A disease. Death.

"He's breathing," I told Vincent. "But barely."

Vincent went straight to Pilgrim, tugging him up by the collar of his shirt.

"What did Cairo mean, it's time?" he demanded, giving him a violent jerk. "Time for what? Tell me!"

Pilgrim just shook his head and started coughing his lungs out. Even he looked disconcerted with what was going on. Still, I was unconvinced.

"I can make him talk," I threatened, showing Pilgrim my palms. "I still have a little more juice in me."

Vincent gave me a long probing look.

"Or we can just ask nicely," I scoffed, throwing my hands up.

"I—I swear..." Pilgrim shook his head.

All of a sudden, a dark rod of lightning tore through the sky and struck the barrier. Glowing symbols appeared on its blue surface before it disintegrated into glittering dust.

"We gotta get out of here," Vincent urged, slinging Pilgrim's arm over his shoulder.

I raised a brow. "You're taking him with us? Who's going to carry Amyr?"

He inhaled sharply. "He dies, we all die. You take Amyr."

"And poison him?" I chewed on my lip. "Not a chance!"

Vincent's jaws tensed. "You leave him here, he's dead anyway."

"Fine!"

I went to Amyr and pulled his massive arm over my shoulder. Before I could stand us up, a shudder ran down my spine. My nape felt cold and tingly. I scanned the courtyard.

"What is it?" Vincent asked.

"Something's coming."

A strange chill filled the air. A chorus of shrill wails tore through the eerie silence. It was coming from the labyrinth.

Soon, the dark sky was swallowed by a glowing bluish cloud. And it was heading towards us screaming. Ethereals. Hundreds. Maybe a whole swarm of them.

"Take cover!" Vincent shouted.

He dragged Pilgrim behind the fountain.

I spotted a collapsed wall and was about to take Amyr when the swarm arrived.

The high-pitched wails were unbearable. I covered my ears. My head felt like it was going to burst. I cringed beside Amyr, trying to shrink so as not to make myself an obvious target.

A humid blast of air came with the chaotic stampede, whipping at our faces. It was like we were in the middle of a storm threatening to obliterate everything in its way. But there was something else within the turbulence. The creatures shoved one another out of the way. This wasn't their usual angry screech. It sounded... different.

As the swarm came at us in a frenzied rush, I saw one of the twins holding onto a chunk of concrete for dear life. His unconscious brother just tumbled away with the wind.

It was then that I noticed that the Ethereals weren't attacking us. They were even steering away from me.

As the very last ones hurtled past us, I felt something strange in my gut. I sensed panic.

With their shrill cries still echoing inside my head, I watched them disappear behind the castle.

"Aramis!" Vincent shouted. "Hey!"

I whipped my head to the direction of his voice, still lost in thought. Frowning, I shook my head. For some reason, my hands and knees were shaking.

"Look at me," he ordered. "Focus, okay?"

"O-okay."

Vincent watched the labyrinth for a few seconds and looked at me. I could tell he was panicking inwardly. For my sake, he was trying to keep his composure.

"Rise and shine, Pops." He tapped Pilgrim's cheek. "Wake up or we'll ditch you."

Pilgrim's lids fluttered open.

"The barrier's gone," Vincent growled. "It was Cairo, wasn't it?! What're you trying to do?"

The man just answered with a groan, his head lolling forward.

Vincent shook him. "My brothers are still out there, you bastard!"

His fist landed on Pilgrim's jaw. The man was knocked to the middle of next week.

Sucking in a deep breath, he took Amyr from me. "Let's get out of here before the Ethereals come back."

"T-they're not coming back," I whispered, my eyes frantically searching for a possible threat. "They're... scared of something."

"Gigantic, possibly unbeatable monster just got out of its cage, Aramis. Of course they'd be scared."

"I..." I shook my head. "I don't think it's the monster they're trying to escape from. It's... something else."

The gap between Vincent's brows creased. "W-wait. How'd you even know that?"

"I just do."

He gave me that questioning look again, shaking his head. I felt more and more like a freak with every second those metallic eyes tried to scrutinize me. I was terrified I would morph right then and there.

Keeping my face dry of emotions, I stepped ahead of him. "Forget it. Let's... just get out of here."

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