The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 165: I Want To Stay By Your Side

(Music Recommendation: Blood Upon The Snow - By Hozier, Bear McCreary)

Isadora’s breath shuddered as cold air expelled from her lips. Her wide ambers fixated on her blades keeping her from being split in two.

Her arms trembled from the mere pressure and Kraven added more force making her entire body feel like it would break apart.

He’s too powerful! This was just a simple power play of how long one could hold out but it felt way more than intended, she was fighting for her life, a losing battle against the impossible.

And as the minutes passed the line between their strengths became obvious. Isadora didn’t have the upper hand and the gods knew it took everything to hold her guard.

"I might just split you in two, love," he said, with an eerily calm tone.

The look in his eyes mirrored a stalling predator watching its prey enjoy the last moments of life. "How long will you hold on?"

Isadora eyed the blade hovering above her, mere seconds from slicing into her skull.

Suddenly, Kraven’s bloodlust surged, suffocating the air around them as his blade pulsed with a newfound power.

"K-Kraven..." she panicked, briefly looking at him but upon meeting an emotionless expression, she knew her chances of getting out of this alive were slim.

He pressed further and Isadora enforced her stance to keep from losing balance but it wasn’t enough to stop his blade from breaking through her shield.

Her daggers came apart, her wide eyes on the blade descending like the fall of a boulder.

Isadora felt that instant death lingered, waiting. Had Daudi come for her soul?

’No, not yet!’ she thought desperately. ’Not today Daudi!’

In a quick reflex, her boots skimmed the ground, narrowly avoiding the strike. The blade crashed down instead, sending a swirl of air rushing past from the sheer force, sending snow from the ground swirling into the air.

"Is this what she taught you?" Kraven mused, feeling her dagger pointing at his back.

He didn’t see her at that splitting second, only the feeling of a snake coiling around him. Along with the sensation of a snake baring its fangs against him which caused the fine hair at the back of his neck to stand.

"Interesting..." he adds.

"You tried to kill me!" Isadora yelled, furious as she glared holes on his back.

What was the use of controlling his thirst if he would still use it against her? He unleashed it and she could have died if she hadn’t felt death.

Kraven turned with lightning speed, and Isadora ducked impulsively as his sword missed her head.

Twisting her hips, she slashed into his thigh, blood spraying onto the ground, staining the snow crimson.

A pleasing thrill pumped through Kraven’s blood. "I think I’m starting to enjoy this," he said, staring at her with a maddening look.

"I don’t want to hurt you, Kraven," Isadora said through clenched teeth.

He was holding back and gave her the upper hand, that could only mean he wanted her to hurt him.

"You will," he voiced, a promise in his tone as in a split second he vanished in a shadow blur.

Isadora’s eyes widened in horror, he was so fast she couldn’t keep up.

But she felt it, like the surge of dark hands aimed at her back, another feeling of death.

Isadora responded swiftly, ducking low as the blade cut the tip of her braid. The blade descended again and she reacted by using her dagger, the blade struck, sending a sharp ringing sound through the air.

Isadora mustered up her strength as she yanked away from him, her balance staggering but planting her foot firmly she broke her fall.

"What did you feel?"

"What?"

"Let’s try that again." He vanished.

Isadora’s eyes searched erratically for him, but he had erased his presence. But it came again, the feeling of death.

Isadora reacted by moving her dagger to the side as his blade clashed against hers.

She gasped when Kraven grasped her neck from behind and angled it to meet his eyes, her breathing stilled when she met them, the sclera had blackened, reminding her of that night, and dark weaves leaked from his skin too.

"You feel death." He praised. "You’ve faced death multiple times, and in return, you’ve gained the instinct to telltale." He tilted his head to the side. "You’re marvelous."

Isadora growled as she used her other dagger but he caught it with his hand and she used that opportunity to slip from him.

"What are you talking about?"

He chuckled. "Can’t you tell?"

She stared at him confused.

"That sensation when you know Daudi has come..." He licked the blood on his wrist.

Isadora eyed it, realizing she had cut him again, rage surged through her blood, he made her hurt him just as he promised and now she just wanted to kill him and call it a day.

"That lingering aura, you feel death’s aura."

His words pulled her focus. "Death’s aura?"

"It’s called a telltale. Your multiple encounters with death made it possible, it’s like sensing bloodlust and telling where it is. A normal Fae can sense the bloodlust of another but being able to tell its intent is fascinating." He vanished again.

Isadora gasped as her eyes searched for him but she felt it—that driving instinct of dark hands trying to reach for her along with the prickled sensation at the back of her neck and rise of goosebumps across her skin.

She twirled in speed but it was too late, his blade struck hers with a powerful force that sent them flying away from her grip.

Her butt met the ground and she raised her head but the tip of his blade was already aimed at her delicate neck.

Kraven stared down at her with a glow to his silver eyes like the crescent moon. "You’ve got a special instinct, Isadora, weaponize it and draw out your full potential."

Isadora gulped. The telltale to feel death? Could she draw out its full potential? She didn’t know she had such a thing, to begin with.

Was this why he aimed his bloodlust at her? Not just for entertainment but to test her abilities?

’Gods! This Fae will be the death of me.’

"Do you yield, Isadora?"

"Yield?" she said like the mere word was an insult. "I do not yield!" She flung her small dagger at him

With a slight tilt of his head, Kraven dodged it, but not before it grazed his cheek, leaving a thin cut.

When he looked down, she was gone.

A smirk curled on his lips when he felt a blade tip touching his neck. "Very good," he turned to the side. "Alda! I want to kiss you right now."

"I’ll cut your lips off before you do."

"Are you angry? Come on darling, if I don’t push your limit how can I make you flawless."

"I haven’t even agreed to be your disciple yet!"

"Will you?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

’Why does he look adorable?’ she thought, but quickly shove that thought away, he was clearly still gazing upon her with ravenous eyes, and she couldn’t tell if he wanted to kiss her or just cut her to pieces.

Isadora pulled her blade and created enough distance between them. "Yes, I’ll be your disciple."

A swirl of joy rushed through Kraven’s chest as he stared at her like she hung the sun. "Perfect."

Isadora’s heart skipped a beat but she still kept her guard up and voiced her concern. "I don’t like the idea of hurting you like it’s a normal thing."

He stared at her with a confused gaze.

Isadora exhaled sharply as she walked to him. She stood before him keeping her chin up, reached for him, and placed her hand on his cheek, using her thumb to caress him gently.

"You mess with my head and I hate you for that. You’re too much to handle."

He grinned, tilting his head to the side, leaning more into her touch. "I’m a madman, love."

’Mad or sane, why do I want to stay by your side?’ she thought and it was a gnawing realization she needed to come to terms with her conflicted emotions.

She had fought endlessly with herself, that wanting such a thing was wrong but in the end, she’d lost the battle.

She didn’t know when she began to desire the impossible, maybe it was when he became something more than the madman who stole her away from the Jarlas.

Was she broken for desiring him? Wanting to be by his side and not knowing what the future holds?

But when she thought of the times he had been there for her when she was weak. No matter how twisted he was always there.

The last person she expected was him, he was nothing of a savior but a darkness pushing her to survive no matter what. He had always wanted her to survive despite it being against his nature.

He fought his thirst for her.

He’d unleashed desires she never thought she had, twisted and undeniably real. At this moment, she realized she’d always been twisted like he was, running toward the darkness despite knowing it would eat her alive.

There was so much to him than madness.

The thrill seeped into her bones at the thought of knowing more about this twisted dark Fae.

Isadora’s lips came apart slightly, attempting to speak but then she shut them as a smile took over instead.

She grabbed his collar, going on her tiptoes as she brought his lips down to hers.