Lilium

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Three

The seconds dragged on for hours, the hours for a millenia. At some point, Abraxas had swept out – Oliver still couldn't decide if he was trapped in a basement or a warehouse – with a murmured, "Be good," and a soft growl. Whatever had crawled under his skin, it was enough to remove him from his favorite, tortuous pass-times.

Now it was just Oliver and Rei, alone and tied back-to-back in god-knows-where surrounded by the smells of god-knows-what – except for one smell. Rei's cooked flesh and hair filled his nose whenever he breathed, bringing with it stabs of guilt that gnawed at his stomach.

For a while, the two of them just sat there, breathing. Oliver's shoes scuffed against the ground. Whenever Rei moved, she released minute gasps of pain.

Finally, the silence was enough to choke him. "Are you okay?"

Before now, he hadn't noted the harsh note to her breaths. Each exhale sounded like it came from the heart of a bellows. She didn't reply for the longest time, but when she did, her words stabbed deep into his skin. "You're a coward."

"Exc--"

"A loveable coward, but a coward still." He didn't have to look at her to know she was probably staring at the floor. "You gave up your sister, the person you vowed to protect above all else, because of me."

"It wasn't just beca--"

"Not just that. You wrecked her life way before this." Her body trembled against its bonds. "You didn't leave her well alone. You could've. You should've. But you were selfish."

Oliver bristled at her words, but he knew she had a point.

"Now you and I are stuck down here, and soon he'll have Lilith, too." The sound of crackling replaced her croaked voice. Ice wreathed around and up his arms, chilling him deep to the bone. "I don't even think anyone knows where we are."

After a moment, the ice melted and drenched his sleeves. "You're right," Oliver said with a shiver.

"You're just saying that because I'm chewing you out."

"No, I'm not."

Rei sighed, the noise strangled in her throat. "Whatever you say, Ginger."

And with that, they were just left with a silence so thick it built in Oliver's throat and choked him. Every breath he took was through a straw. At least, it felt that way. Oliver resorted to hanging his head and staring at the ground until his vision was nothing but a sea of grey.

It seemed like an eternity before he heard the distinctive scraping of metal on cement, followed by mechanical whirring. Cold wisps of wind ghosted over Oliver's skin and seeped into his still-damp sleeves. Feet slapped against the ground, more than one pair by the sound of it.

And then he heard her muffled struggles. Even though he was facing the wall and couldn't see her, he could never misplace the sound of his own sister.

Lil...

Something – probably her – hit the floor and she moaned into the dark. Oliver clenched his jaw and gripped Rei's hands in his as best as he could. Then came more scraping.

"So!" Abraxas slapped his hands together, like he was dusting them off. "Most of the family is back together." His feet clicked against the floor. "Along with the blood whore. How cute."

At his comments, Rei gave a gargled snarl. Her grip on Oliver tightened.

A thunk, followed by Lilith's pained moan. Oliver's heart clenched.