Life After Death

Chapter 49

The wind caressed my face and whipped my hair around me in a halo of red. The scent of the ocean lingered in the air promising an eternity of peace. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore reverberated through me and caused me to hum in satisfaction.

I missed this.

The never-setting sunset. The beach. The colours in the sky. The wet sand squelching underneath my sneakers. It all reminded me of times once forgotten. I felt so nostalgic just staring out at the crystal-blue waters and -

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at the ware like an insane person?" Meg commented, scowling at me. "Or are you going to fucking do something 'cause its not like we have all the time in the world - we're already dead." She shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Okay, well aren't you pissy," I grumbled.

"What exactly do you have to do?" she asked, still with that unbearable scowl etched on her face.

"I call out to Roman and then his father pitches up and kidnaps me," I explained.

"And this Alexandru is Roman's father? As in his real father?"

I nodded in response.

"Roman never knew his father."

"Yeah, he died before Roman got the chance to meet him - I know. Alexandru told me." I looked down. "He really loves Roman. But his loyalty to Lucifer is stronger than anything... Although, I think, he likes Justin Bieber more than Lucifer though."

"What?" Meg let out a chuckle. "Okay, never mind that. It's just - What are we getting from him?"

"Kassima sends Topher to Alex to be eaten so we can get Topher from him. And maybe even, capture Kassima before she can deliver Toph." I explain, clearing my throat.

"What are we going to do with her?"

"Kill her?" I suggested.

"Meredith!"

"What? She is the cause of all of this!" I  exclaimed, fury filling my veins. The thought that Kassima had led those demons to Soliel for us to be devoured by. The thought that Kassima had probably purposely tried to kill me that night with the material realm edibles! The thought that she had killed her own sister - it made me sick. It was like me killing Nathaniel, my brother, for someone I admired or idolized. I would never, ever do that. Not even if God himself came to me in a dream and told me that killing Nathaniel would create some sort of world peace shit - I would NOT do it. Nathaniel may have been a pain and sort of pretentious on some occasions, but he was - he is - my brother and my blood and I love him with my all my heart and all my soul. That's why the very thought of Kassima doing that to her little sister - and in her own backyard... Kassima was deranged. She was a monster. I wanted Kassima to die. To suffer.

"What would killing her do?" Meg proffered. "It's not like it would do her any good. She could still continue to harm souls and humans - she has a very powerful soul."

"But - but she has to pay!" I almost screamed, the heaving coming on.

"There's other ways of punishing her..."

"How?"

"At Headquarters - of the Hunter society, of course, which is based on earth on some remote island that isn't on any map or GPS - we have a compound where keep prisoners. I'm sure she'll find it less than pleasing being there." A sadistic smirk appeared on Meg's maroon-painted lips.

I smiled in return. It was perfect. Kassima would be within reach where I could torture the bitch. I just wanted her to suffer as much as all those souls had suffered. Okay, maybe a little more. "Good. We can torture her right?"

"Being in a tiny room with stark concrete walls where they don't feel your soul and you wither and die... Isn't that torture enough?" No, I answered subconsciously. Not even remotely.

"Okay then," I mumbled instead. "I'm going to call out to Roman and -"

"Once Alexandru comes I grab him until e stops moving, we take him in and question him until he leads us to - not only the truth - but to Topher as well?"

I smiled. "I taught you well." I cleared my throat one last time and, rather timidly, like I had been practicing, I called out, "Roman? Roman?!"

Suddenly a hand closed around my mouth, then, something wrenched Alex away from me and I heard a struggle. Turning around, I found Meg straddling Alex on the sand. Meg's shoulder-length dark blowing in the wind. Alex slowly smiled up at her, dimples popping out on each side of his cheeks. I watched as Meg - Meg - turned blood-red. It was a feat I'd never think I'd see ever in my life - Meg blushing.

"Well, what's going on here?" Alex pondered, still being straddled by Meg. It was kind of romantic - the setting and the position they were in. Meg straddling Alex on the beach, with the oceanic scenery surrounding them. I smiled. "Could you not wiggle so much darling? You're making it hard -"

Meg squealed and jumped up.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Alex said, defending himself.

I arched a brow at him giving him a 'really?' look.

"I'm serious!" he continued. "You did not even let me finish my sentence!"

"Okay, Mr Boner," I sighed, "I'm just gonna cut to the chase now because I ain't got time for this shit no more. I know everything." Alex didn't respond to that. He just narrowed his eyes at me. Those familiar eyes going into slits. "I know you're Roman's father, I know you work for Lucifer, I know you're a soul eater, I know you made some deal with Kassima Reynolds or Lucifer with Kassima (I don't really care right now), and I know that you're Luci's right-hand man." I said, without taking a breath in between. "I also know that you're massive JB fan." I wiggled my brows at my last and final statement.

"What are you?" Alex asked, his face turning red.

"I'm a lost soul slash Hunter slash keeper of the infamous third eye," I said. "And yes, that's why Lucifer sent you to capture me." He didn't respond. "Dont believe me? Give me your hand."

He was hesitant, as in more paranoid that hesitant. But he gave me his hand nonetheless. Eventually. As soon as I touched his hand I saw what I saw before - the horror he committed, but as I dug deeper, I saw him dancing with a beautiful woman, Roman's mother, Delia, and caressing her swollen belly. I saw - and felt - all the love he had for them. And then I saw his death, and I ripped my hand from his.

Alexandru stared at me with wide forlorn eyes. I swear I thought he was about to burst into tears and wracking sobs - if he could. He shook though. He shook violently and his bottom lip quivered. Meg and I exchanged a look, unsure of what we should do.

I took action first and hugged Alex. I hugged him hard and I felt him relax.

"I don't know if this should be weird or something - but I feel like I've met you before," Alex said into my hair.

"You have." I told him and pulled away.

I then told him what had happened. I told him everything. And when I finished and informed him on how he openly fed us to the wolves - or Lucifer, whatever - he looked me dead in the eye. "That must be a mistake. I promised myself to protect Roman if something goes wrong..."

"It seemed that your loyalty was with Lucifer. You were concerned about the End and in the end it caused your only begotten son to die," Meg said. She made Alex feel guilty. She was good at that. Heck, I felt guilty for Alex's part.

"What do I need to do?" Alex asked after a  long moment of silence.

And I told him our plan.