Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

12-Blame (1 of 2)

NP: Used to be by Arrows to Athens

I hope that fate will forgive us for tempting the sea.
I hope that they won't forget us-
But we cannot go back to the way it used to be.

____________________________________________________

"Vlad, you've been pacing back and forth for half an hour," I said, rubbing my temples. "You're making my headache worse."

Forcing himself to stop, the boy sat in the couch beside Amyr and began tapping his foot on the floor. Alex kept fiddling with his hands and Amyr was making these annoying sounds with his mouth.

I shot Amyr a glare. "Can you please stop whatever you're doing?"

"Like... breathing?" He scratched the back of his head and it made a loud noise that made my eye twitch. "Aramis, I'm not doing anything. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm... fine." I jumped to my feet, feeling a bit lightheaded. "That's it. I'm going to look for Vincent."

"That's a bad idea," Vladimir said, removing his glasses. "You know how he is when he's upset. Give him time."

"But we don't have time." I struggled to calm my breathing.

"What d'you mean?"

I told them everything I knew about Adrianna. All the while, Alexis stared at his glass of bourbon as if in deep thought.

"She needs Vincent?" Vladimir repeated. "What for?"

"She didn't say," I answered. "She was... practically pleading for him to go dark side with her. Said it had to be his choice whether Pilgrim dies or not."

"So you're saying she will return for him?"

"I'm positive."

Alexis downed his bourbon and poured himself some more. "So if we want to lure Adrianna out, we need Vincent."

"What? Like a bait?" I could feel my brows crumple. "No!"

Vladimir sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's our only hope of finding Legion, Aramis. As much as I don't like the idea of putting my brother's life in danger, what other choice do we have?"

I ground my teeth. "Hasn't he suffered enough?"

"Think of it this way," Alexis said, getting out of his seat. He held my arms and leaned over to force me to look at him. "If something... terrible happens and Vincent finds out he could have done something to prevent it, just imagine how he would feel."

Despite the twinge of pain in my chest, I nodded. "I'll try to talk to him."

I wandered the castle halls, going back to every possible area where Vincent might be hiding. So far, I had looked practically everywhere, even the infirmary where the injured were brought after the skirmish. Max and the twins were still in the vegetable ward. As soon as I spotted Hector, I took off and winded up at the leftwing rooftop.

"Where are you, Vincent?" I muttered to myself, carefully stepping on the tinted glass floor.

Upon reaching the edge, the entirety of Halo spread before me: the lake, still as glass, the ruins of the golden bridge, the labyrinth and the cliff near the abyss where a gazebo used to stand. The never-ending night sky had a touch of scarlet rather than midnight blue.

Knowing Vincent, he would probably choose a dark secluded place to mope and vent his anger on things that wouldn't fight back. That was when I noticed a falling tree somewhere in the labyrinth.