I kept my gaze locked in the mirror and no matter how many times I tried to smile, I no longer could. It wasn't just the way I looked. I felt entirely different.
Numbness and bitterness now filled me to the core.
Even after a week, I couldn't just get over the betrayal. Not when the whole Coven was waiting for some kind of attack. They thought it had something to do with the demons but I knew better.
I had to know better.
"I need something distracting."
Allegra looked like I told her I wanted to birth a demon and that made me madder. "I know you are going to tell me to take it easy but I have. For the whole week, I've been cooped up in my room unless I had to eat. I want to change that."
"Impressing speech but I will have to say no."
"What, why!?" Really. What was her problem?
She lifted her fingers to count. "Because one: it might come as a surprise to you but I actually care whether you live or die. Two: lately it's the death part that's haunting you. Three: what kind of a Volkios would I be if I let you walk right into trouble?"
I was touched but if I stayed here for one more day, I was going to end up killing something.
"Allegra, you don't get it...I haven't been able to sleep lately. Every time I was reminded of what happened and I can't go through that pain again. I just need anything-"
"I am ready to leave-" 5132 shot through the door with a grin but the moment she saw me, it vanished. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed, resting."
Wait, leave?
I tried to smother my curiosity but failed miserably. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere." Allegra spoke out before 5132 could. Now, that's sketchy.
"5132-" I warned, ripping a page out of Lex's books. "If you don't tell me now, I am going to tell your beloved that you are replacing your meds with candies ."
Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!"
"I would."
I wouldn't but she never had to know that. Besides looks like it was working anyway. She looked at Allegra once and then back at me before I saw her crumble. "Fine! Allegra wants me to visit Colorado and look over a clan. They were attacked recently and they might be planning something for the demon who should have been swallowed in the first place."
A violent cough wracked through me. I knew she hated Demos to an extent too but I wasn't expecting her to say...that. Gulping down some water from Allegra's desk, I finally found my voice. "Why wasn't I told?"
"Because you would want to go...like now."
I couldn't disagree with it. "You know why, right? I was with him for years. I know his weaknesses but you guys refuse to let me help. You think I don't hear the news? The deaths? How's that fair?"
"She is right in a way. Let her help. Maybe we can finally put a nail into this bastard." I could sense 5132's words made difference to Allegra. Her frown lines disappeared and she truly stood up taller but there was still some hesitance by the way she stared at me.
"What if whoever attacked you back then-"
"They won't." I would make sure of that. Didn't matter if it was Lex or not.
"Fine." She said at least. "Follow me."
***
"Reapers."
I wasn't expecting a warm welcome yet the way the clan leader spoke the word, it almost sounded like an innocent term. Like he was just describing how nature worked. Even 5132 seemed to think so cause the scowl she was wearing when jumping to the portal wasn't there anymore.
"Greetings. I am Emeline and this is my sister, 51-Lana. The Coven sent us." Allegra had warned us about good behaviors and I couldn't disappoint her. "Pleasure to meet the Clan."
Lana offered her hands. "Hello."
The clan leader, Louis took it with a small smile only to kiss the back of her palm. Surprise marred her face but in a second, she was static. "Didn't have to do that."
Louis didn't lose the smile. "It's a custom."
Sometimes it was really hard to understand what was going on in her head. Especially when she just said what came to her mind. Before she could do that kind of thing again, I jumped into the conversation. "I admit I was surprised when I heard you found something for the clans?"
He quickly ushered us inside where we met a few of his members. They didn't glare and stare like the Red clan but they sure did look interested. I couldn't ignore the sobbing though. It was coming from every corner. If I wasn't sure before, now I was.
The faint scent of those people was still there.
The people that I woke up.
The thought was both dangerous and pathetic at the same time.
"Please sit." He gestured to the chairs before claiming one for himself. "I also admit I was not hoping to meet you two together. You have quite a reputation here."
"Hope they were good." 5132 blurted out almost immediately.
"They were mixed." I was happy that he didn't make white lies just for pleasantry's sake. I could only take lies so far. "You must have heard what happened. I am sorry if I sound angry but I told Allegra to give me some time to build our lives back to the way it was. Our people are suffering and seeing two Reapers...no offense, it pains them."
My lips twitched to a bitter smile. Wouldn't I know it? "I understand. Is there anything we could do to help?"
His eyes drifted down to his desk where files upon files were laid down. Some of them were smeared in blood so it was safe to assume they almost succeeded in killing the leader. I wanted to meet the culprit myself. Then I wanted to torture him until he gave me an answer. Every one of them thought I was doped in his blood but there were times when I wasn't.
Where I'd have given my life for him.
Where did that Demos go?
"We've been planning this for a while but I never realized we would be forced to make a decision now. Look at this." He pointed to a specific document or more like a blueprint. I didn't get what I was looking at until he explained further. "We were building tunnels where no magic works. We thought if there was no magic in our bodies, we would basically be just a human. Demons can inhabit human bodies but for that, they would need to use their magic. Now in a place where none works? They can't hurt us anymore."
5132 hovered over me to see the file. "Tunnels? Godfrey Sanatorium had one like this. Not a tunnel but a room closer to it."
"We had the inspiration from there. I was hoping to pitch the idea to the Coven but I was too late for mine." I could see how much it took him to actually keep talking. We had the answers but I wanted to help more. Any way I could.
"My question still stands. Is there anything we can do?"
"Can you bring dead people back?"
***
"We haven't had the time to hold a funeral so you're going to see a lot of bodies."
I thought I was prepared but nothing he said made me ready to see the actual damage when we finally got to the basement. The place was absolutely stinking and it was hard to even breathe. 5132 shared a look with me, a look that basically said to speak the truth.
"Can you help them?" He gritted out, glaring at nowhere specific.
The truth was on the tip of my tongue but I could only utter one thing. "I can try."
"Good enough for me."
Definitely not good enough for me.
I had raised the dead before.
I had inflicted towns with those people.
But I also knew the consequences. Would he agree if he knew?
"Louis, you should know something before I start it. I can try to bring them back but most of them will listen only to me. And the biggest pet peeve...they won't be a sorcerer anymore. They will lose their magic, what they are."
I saw him gulp, looking at the bodies with a mournful gaze. I guessed he felt responsible for them in a way. I didn't blame him, even Zed used to think so until Keisha died. Just when I was starting to think that he would refuse me, he nodded, the rough edge in his voice sounding more haunting than ever.
"Do whatever you need to do."
I expected him to stay but he slowly moved without another word until I couldn't see him anymore.
Even 5132 stayed silent.
"You are thinking about something." I found myself asking.
"Honestly?" She wrinkled her nose. "I both love and hate being me. You feel their pain, their cry to come back and you do something about it but me? I only hear the call for death until I almost become him. Even now you're worried about disappointing a complete stranger where I couldn't give a rat's ass about him. To me, he's mean to an end."
Despite what she just said, I couldn't help but smile. "Which version of you just think that? The Reaper one or the real one?"
"Should I care?"
Of course, only she would say that.
"Ok, I might need your help if I'm successful." I didn't forget the first couple of people going all crazy on me. I didn't need another reminder. "They might look hungry."
She threw me a grin. "So am I."
Shaking my head, I pressed my hand against the temple of the first body. I could feel something building inside me, the urge to just connect with them. I could even feel the body respond in their own way, their thoughts mixing with mine.
The shock was always the same.
The dread in my heart increased until I could hear a weak groan.
"It's working." 5132 whispered, her eyes turning from brown to black.
Words escaped from my lips and at the same time, something clutched my wrist. I could feel its strength even if it was weaker. Beside me, 5132 gripped my hands too, letting me channel her in case they took too much of my energy.
"Ekiem, less fe ra ke lias toras." My voice raised, liquid dripping down my nose and if my sister didn't shove me in time, someone would have grabbed my throat by the way one of their hands was outstretched.
"Behave!" She shouted, her hands poised in a way to show threat. "Now."
"Listen to her." I mumbled, watching them stare between us. They might look confused but in their heart, they always had to listen to me. True to that, they stepped back a little. Maybe they even realized what just happened cause some of them hissed, seeing the rest of the bodies.
Some got peace.
Some got back.
There was no telling.
There were only words being exchanged as Louis came back to reunite with his members. He looked between shocked and impressed but he wasn't lacking his duties either. In a minute, he was busy explaining what happened to them or any caution they needed to use right now. I didn't want to leave right then but Allegra only gave me a day.
Any more than that and she would have dragged me back home.
"I think we should leave now."
Louis paused, turning to look at me with gratitude. "Please, stay the night. Let us show our hospitality properly."
"Thank you but we really have to go." 5132 spoke out on my behalf. Maybe she could see the hesitation in my eyes. "We will call to talk to them from time to time."
What?
How did she know about that?
Even if I was surprised, I suppressed it with a smile. "She's right. Anything unusual happens, let me know. The Coven will be happy to take your idea into consideration."
He nodded, happy to let us walk back to the portal. Once he managed to send us through it, I let out a sigh. Looking back and forth and finding no one near, I finally opened my mouth. "5132, earlier when you told him about the call...do I want to know something?"
"About what? The fact that you still talk to some of your er friends when you feel bad?"
I didn't want to admit it to anyone. Not even to Lex but if she knew it already... "I just feel responsible for them. I thought I was rising an army of mine and now that I have...I don't know what to feel about that. After Allegra told me what they've done, it became even worse. I wanted to change them but they don't answer me. Not anymore."
"You are guilty because of that or are you sure it's not because you've done the same thing that's been done to you? I mean still now sometimes I have to make sure either I am dreaming or it's real. No matter what happened back then, we're still bearing the consequences. Dying changes you, sister. Look how awesome I am now!"
She wasn't being awesome, she was coping her pain with humor. My spine stiffened but I couldn't find my words. "I-maybe you're right. But there's nothing I can do to change the past."
"Don't have to." She laughed, mischief twinkling in her gaze. "You just have to express your emotions as Mikhail says. I can be that person but if you need new perspectives, Zach is always available. He was one of those past mistakes of yours...maybe he can make you feel better about your present."