The Deserter (The Assassin Series Book #3)

Chapter 11

In the morning, we had been given our carriage and started our journey once more through Wales. I drove alone in the coach down the main roads when night fell, and Sebastian sat with Ciel in the compartment. We still had a good distance to travel, but we were getting closer, and that was all that mattered.

Something out of the corner of my eye shined, like the moonlight had hit something silver. Of course, at first, I dismissed it. Being as paranoid as I was, though, I decided to see if there was anyone around. I focused so that my senses could stretch far enough. I gasped as I felt the souls of Reapers and tugged hard on the reins. The horse stood on its hind legs as he stopped.

I jumped down from my seat with my scythe positioned. I hadn't been ready for an attack so close to the last one. They must have been feeling the pressure to retrieve me. It was good that they saw me as a threat and not one of their own. I was tired of being compared to them.

"Show yourselves! I can sense you! There's no need for a sneak attack now," I yelled, feeling two souls around me. Sebastian and Ciel had joined me.

Slowly, the two walked out from behind the trees surrounding us. I glared at the familiar faces, "Come to get me yourselves?"

Ronald frowned, "An ordinary Reaper is no match for you. We should have realized that sooner."

"It was just a play, though, wasn't it? You just wanted them to leak the information of Will revealing the truth to her," Ciel accused, finally speaking up.

"I suppose you could say that, yes. You wouldn't have believed me if I had said so, or attacked me before I could even get the words out. I hoped at the very least that would happen if they could not defeat you," Will confirmed. I gaped at him. I couldn't believe he really had admitted that!

I demanded, "What was the point? Did you think that one gesture would make me run back to you? You had your chance, Will. You've made it clear that you don't want me."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that what you really think?" He didn't give me any explanation as to why I should have doubted him. He didn't say if there was a rule restricting him. He didn't even try to lie to me. It was only that question, and I couldn't get the answer out.

When I didn't speak, Ronald told me, "We don't have to do this, Willow."

I spat, "You act like I have a choice!"

He tried to convince me, "But you do, and you know it, too! You just haven't considered it. You can stay here, being hunted by Reapers and alone with those two, or you can come with us, build a relationship with your father, have a job I know you love, and be surrounded by your friends. Are you really going to choose a demon over your family?" I knew he was being sincere. He couldn't believe I had chosen Sebastian over Will when I already knew the truth. I saw it in his eyes.

Finally, I told them, "This is my family." I swung at Ronald, but he blocked me with his scythe, shocked. "You can't tell me otherwise."

Ciel stood back as Will took on Sebastian. I saw their lips moving, but even I couldn't hear them. I didn't have the time to focus enough to try to make out what they were saying.

Ronald revved up his scythe, which, mind you, was a whole lot bigger than mine and ran on electricity. Still, that would also make it harder to move, so that was where I had a bit more of an advantage. I jumped out of the way of his machine and swung for his head, but he ducked. He took the chance to kick my legs out from under me. I fell hard on my back, feeling a sharp rock jab into me, accidentally releasing my scythe. It landed about a meter away.

I rolled on my side when Ronald tried to slam the scythe into me. It still cut my shoulder deeply. I moved again when he performed the same move. I quickly got into a crouched position and grabbed the handle on the machine and pulled it, twisting it out of his grip. I flipped over it, using the handle as support, and kicked him in the jaw. He fell backwards from my impact as I landed right on my feet.

He shakily got back to his feet as I grabbed my weapon. "You know, I don't really want to hurt you," he told me. "I want to be your friend and help you."

Of course, I ignored him. Ronald clearly wasn't trying to help. Why would he fight me if he was? I tried to stab him in the stomach, but he hopped back. He grabbed the wooden part and tried to pull it from my hands, but I yanked it up, hitting him in the chin. He let it go. I flipped it over so the dull aluminum rod was towards him. I charged him with it, knocking him into a nearby tree. Ronald sank to the ground, beaten and bloody.

I dragged my scythe behind me as I slowly walked over to him. He spat out blood filling his mouth and said, "You're a lot better than I thought you'd be." He rested his head against the bark, panting.

We had all agreed that if we had no other choice, then we'd kill the Reapers. I knew that he'd just keep coming back. He'd only stall us in the future. Why deal with those problems when I could end them?

The only way to kill a Reaper was with a death scythe. You had to collect the soul, so I pointed the metal tip at his heart.

I was about to plunge it into his flesh when something went wrong. My vision started blurring. I put a hand to my forehead, and suddenly, Ronald wasn't Ronald. I knew the person, though. It was my last victim as the Widow. Earl Alfred Palmer. His dead body was somehow in front of me, looking exactly as it did that night. Blood poured from his neck. His eyes and mouth were wide open having been in the middle of a scream. Terror filled those blue eyes. I never realized until then that he had been staring at me, accusing me.

Tears filled my own eyes. I blinked a few times, feeling some spill over, and shook my head. Alfred was replaced with who was really in front of me, Ronald. I staggered backwards, pulling my scythe away. My voice was hoarse as I called, "Retreat!"

Ciel demanded from behind me, "What?"

I turned and repeated, "Retreat! Get out of here!" I didn't even wait for them as I started into the forest. I looked back for a second and saw Sebastian stop speaking to Will about whatever it was and run after me with Ciel by his side. It didn't take long before they had caught up to me.

There was one thing I saw before I turned my head back. It was Will. He was smirking. He knew I wouldn't be able to kill one of my own. He knew he hadn't lost me completely yet. I just didn't know what that meant for me.