The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 223: Separate Path

Logi swallowed hard, his lips pressing in a thin line. But then they came apart. "Marek, I—"

"You should leave, Lo. Whatever you’re here for, it doesn’t matter. Just leave," He begged, an emotion burning within his sapphire eyes.

Whatever Logi had in mind to pour out went back to the depths, a scowl taking over his features. "I’m afraid I can’t do that."

Marek raised his axe, aiming it dangerously at his face. "I don’t want to be forced to kill you."

"Kill me?" Logi growled. "How dare you say that to my face?!"

Marek’s teeth clenched as a tug found his chest. "This is not the past anymore."

"The past," Logi scoffed, nodding his head. "But here you are, my past, meeting my future."

"Lo—"

"It’s obvious where this is going, so I’ll just get straight to the point. I hate loopholes anyway."

"You always did," he smiled faintly.

Logi wanted to rip it off, but he settled for speaking rather than violence. "The last thing I wanted was to find you here, serving Aric."

"He gave me a purpose."

"Purpose? And what is that? Living the rest of your life as a fucking puppet."

"No, so much more. He taught me everything I know. I owe him my life and more. You wouldn’t understand, when you were taken away, I had no one. I was useless and I was left to starve and die, not until Aric took me in for a purpose."

Logi’s fist clenched tightly as he looked away, a piercing headache followed, but he silenced the pain because it didn’t rival how much he felt right now.

The look in Marek’s eyes showed how much he revered Aric, just like he did Kraven. But this wasn’t about reverence, it was about the separate path they had chosen.

"I see..." he replied. "Too bad."

Marek’s judgment was wavering. It was his duty to serve his master, which meant cutting down any foe. But at this moment, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

"A brat, as always." His hand dropped to his side, and a sharp exhale fled from him. "I know why you’re here, Logi, and he knows."

Logi’s blood ran cold. ’I was right, the spy got to him. Aric’s been waiting for us.’

"Know what?" Logi played along, determined to get information. "I wonder what that could be."

"You’re a ravenite! Here on a mission for your Lord to take my master’s head, don’t play tricks with me."

"As you can see, I’ve got my Lord’s best interest in mind," Logi said with pride.

"You’ll die," he growled.

"I won’t."

"This is a suicide mission, of course you would! Your Lord sent you here to die!"

’He thinks I’m the only one here,’ Logi thought. Aric is aware that they’ve been infiltrated, but the numbers were not given, nor identities.

Why did the spy leave out that piece of information? Only the ruling council knew of it, and so far, Logi had assumed this spy might be someone within the council or connected to one of them.

"How charming of you to worry about whether I live or die," Logi replied coldly. "You were already dead to me, as was I."

"You never were dead to me. But it seems I was the only one who still prayed to the gods for a reunion."

Logi opened his mouth to speak, but Marek didn’t let him.

"You’ve got a day to leave, or I swear to Krig I’ll cut you down."

~♧~

Logi strode the corridors, his mind unnerved to the last bit. The close encounter he had with Marek had thrown him off balance; he couldn’t think properly, and he couldn’t get over the look that screamed bloodlust.

Marek threatened him. And he was a Serpent, a fucking Serpent, and by his guess some close aside to Aric.

His teeth clenched tightly until the pain got unbearable. Of all things, he would have assumed that had become of him was this... under the clutches of a coward.

Never in his entire life would he have imagined such, but then again, this was his fault.

If only he hadn’t been born with such value, they would have never been separated.

But he was here now... and he would make sure Aric never got the chance to exploit Marek again.

Logi walked up the stairs but diverted his movement, grabbing the wall and pushing his body up.

He landed on a platform with a better view of the hall, but was hidden by the shadow shrouding the place from the bridge stone above.

Kraven was there, hand resting on the parapet. "What did you find?" He demanded the moment he caught a glimpse of Logi.

He paused, noting the expression morphed on his features, and he looked unnerved by something.

Kraven knew Logi well enough that he wasn’t easily troubled except when it came to things he didn’t understand.

"Not all Serpents are altered. Some still have their brains intact and serve Aric directly," Logi explained, leaving out the part that he had a close encounter with one of them.

"When we kill Aric, then we take them all down, but it won’t be as easy as we think." He was suddenly very eager to get rid of Aric, he had no personal hatred for him until now.

"What makes you say that?"

Logi’s fist tightened. "I’ve got a feeling the spy has already given away our silent mission."

Kraven chuckled. "It seems it’s not so much of a silent mission now. I wasn’t opposed to a public slaughter, but I’m looking forward to it."

Logi’s heart skipped a beat. He knew Kraven would enjoy the idea of taking them down one by one without caring about exposure, but that would put Marek in harm’s way.

He needed to find a way to stall their mission, to give him time to talk with Marek again and somehow convince him. It was a risk, but he was willing to take it.

"I don’t think he knows our identities or the numbers. It’s an advantage we have against him. The element of surprise is yet to be lost."

Kraven faced Logi with narrowed eyes. "How were you able to stumble over such information quickly? We’re sitting in a den with brain-dead Huntsmen."

"I questioned one of them, who hasn’t been under Aric’s possession," Logi said. "I got some... details."

"And?"

"I made sure I slit his throat and hid the body."

Kraven nodded, facing away. "Good."

Logi swallowed hard, a feeling twisted his lower stomach. He didn’t want to lie or put their mission on the line, but it was the only way.

"I also did some looking and came across more information. There are newly brought members known as Fangs," Logi began. "And there was a rune there similar to one on Isadora’s shawl."

He had the chance to wander about after leaving Marek. There was a parchment nailed to the wall with numbers of Fangs drafted and something called testing.

"Fangs..." Kraven murmured.

"They are kept on the sixth floor, and it’s heavily secured. It’s taboo to make contact with them because they are yet to be initiated. But you shouldn’t worry about Isadora, she can handle herself."

"Yes, she can," Kraven replied. "But she’s out for blood and might try something careless."

~♧~

The Sixth Floor

Fangs

"Again!" Kyla yelled as the routine was repeated.

Grunts and growls filled the air, blood spattering and smearing the floor with dark, dried stains.

Isadora watched the entire thing with a scowl. It had been going on for hours, and it got bloodier by the second.

This was nothing like the spar she knew, which involved wooden weapons and a few broken bones.

This was brutal, and if the opponent didn’t give up, it was certain death. There was no option for failure, and they took that very seriously.

This might very well be a duel to the death.

"Again!" Kyla growled as the battle got more extreme before a shout followed as an axe was stabbed into a chest.

Isadora turned away, sickened by their methods of victory. She needed to find a way to get off this floor. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

She had taken some time to ask for a name, but no one gave attention, and those who did knew nothing of the name Serena.

Isadora had hoped she might have been included as a Fang, but it seemed she might be a prisoner.

"Is the blood too much for you, Fang?"

Isadora snapped her gaze back to the scene, but Kyla was suddenly in front of her, singling her out in the crowd.

All attention was focused on her now. It was Deja vu all over again, but this felt different. She was placed close to Daudi’s hand and not gossiped about.

"No, Matron," Isadora replied stiffly.

It was even more inhumane that no one was referred to by names, but by Fangs for recruits. It was almost like they were objects trained solely to hunt and serve a Warden.

"Then I’m sure you wouldn’t object to showing something," Kyla raised the bloody steel she held like an invitation toward the inevitable. "Prove yourself to your Warden and spill blood."