In the Light
(Another short one. Still trying to get back in the saddle. Bear with me.)
Tim jumped a little when Katy bolted up with her phone in her hand. "What's up?"
"Rachele needs help. Shit," she cursed as she hurriedly put on her shoes. "Shit, Tim. Kian knows."
"Kian knows what?" Tim didn't yet move to put on his own shoes. "About what you read in that book?"
"He's so pissed, Tim, we—may need your help." She rushed out the door and jogged down the hall.
He sighed and put on his own shoes and followed her to Rachele and Kian's room. Inside Katy and Tim stood back as Rachele and Kian occupied opposite ends of the coffee table in their living room and talked over each other in loud tones until Kian drowned her out. "I'm not just gonna sit here, Rachele! Don't tell me to calm down!" he threw on his jacket.
"You're just gonna run out of here and go find her? Kian, you're not after closure, you're after revenge. This is consuming you and you need to get in control of it."
"I haven't decided what I'm going to do, but I'm going to do something and I really need you to step back." He shoved out his hand sharply. "And for the record, partner, I don't appreciate that you were intending on keeping it from me. I thought we were closer than that. I thought you and I—"
"I didn't plan on telling you because I knew you would do this!" She raised her voice. "I knew you would get overwhelmed and upset and I knew you weren't going to be able to stay calm about it."
"You're right, I can't. I can't stay calm about it, Rachele. Forgive me. Forgive me for not just brushing off the fact that Avetta is still alive, and that Death lied to me, and that she's still terrorizing other people out there."
Katy and Tim stood back aghast and watched. Perhaps there would be a point where they should jump in and intervene but that point at the moment was indeterminable.
"This isn't about her terrorizing other people, Kian. This is about revenge and you know it."
He stepped closer. "Yes, Rachele. That's it. And please… don't pretend to understand how I feel right now."
"But I do understand, you're upset—"
"No, you don't! You don't!" Kian yelled.
Katy came forward a step. "Hey, easy—"
"You have no idea what it's like. I had my life taken away from me," He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "You don't know what it's like to 'outlive' your friends for five generations. You don't know what it's like to know that I'm going to have to watch you pass away, all of you. You don't know what it's like to know that every single person in your life will all eventually grow old and frail until they wither away and you're still stuck here for eternity! Please don't say you understand." He started towards the door. No one made a move to stop him but the door opened before he reached it and William and Odette stood in the entryway.
"What's going on?" Odette looked between them all.
"And YOU!" Kian approached William with sharp steps. "You knew before anyone else did! You and Death lied to me!"
William's eyes fastened on Katy. "I f*cking told you not to tell him or show him the damn book!"
"I didn't!" Katy retorted, "But I had to tell Rachele and—"
The older one's shoulders twitched. "It's f*cking IMPLIED that when I say don't tell Kian that it means don't tell his f*cking meister! Did I have to spell that out for you?!"
"Hey, back off," Tim stood between William and Katy. But it didn't matter. The whole room had exploded in furious ravings and high-pitched excuse-making. Katy had since looked to Rachele in frustration of her having not kept better track of the book, which in turn invoked Rachele to defend herself while Kian belligerently still shouted at William. Odette's hands were in her hair. This had to stop. "Guys! Guys! GUYS!"
All voices ceased except Kian's as he still came closer to William. "You knew that day at the pool. I should have made you keep talking."
"Chill out. I get that you're pissed, but—"
"You all are the people I'm supposed to be able to trust! And you're keeping secrets from me about me! What kind of a friend does that?"
"One who wants to protect you!" Rachele shouted.
He kept facing the older student. "Just exactly how long are you going to ride in Grim's pocket, huh?" Kian prodded him in the chest. "Or maybe it's not Grim's pocket you're occupying." He narrowed his silver eyes.
William felt a spark ignite in his head and his breast at the contact. He blinked a few times.
"Kian!" Katy snapped.
"Is that not a legitimate question? Death was obviously in favor of keeping me in the dark. What was your intention, boyo?" He came closer and flicked his chin up at him. "Are you covering for Avetta?"
William found his teeth grinding at the heavy tone coming from Kian and how close their faces were. Something began to rise in his chest that made his skin crawl. His nose and mouth started to twitch involuntarily as his vision started to flicker between this scene and black with pops of red. He heard Rachele's combatting voice but he couldn't make out words anymore. Soon all he could see was black and all he felt was cold sticky breath on his shoulder. He turned in the void. Though he couldn't see he could hear that familiar gargling moan. A cold clammy grip clasped his jaws and yanked him closer. That chilling breath struck his face with a musty odor and infiltrated his mouth and nose, filling up his lungs. He inhaled deeply and it turned sweet. William's skin kept crawling with an almost intoxicated fervor and he found himself sighing in relief. In content. In pleasure. Something inside his chest was rapping against his frame in a hyperactive state of mania. The need to feed it was fondling his brain. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch until they curved upward in a smile. Damn, this felt good.
"William!" said Odette's voice sharply—a tone he recognized to be her final warning. He blinked and he was back in the apartment living room. Kian was inches from his own face, staring with wide silver eyes into his with his back pressed against the wall. William's eyes drifted down a bit to find the side of his forearm sharpened into a black blade and positioned at the Ghost Scythe's throat. He looked down further to find two white curved blades had sprouted from Kian's wrists, defensively pointing towards his torso. Frozen for a moment in confusion, William quickly released him and stepped back, letting his arm transform back into flesh. He glanced around at everyone's horrified and petrified expressions before looking back to Kian and shaking his head. "I'm—I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."
Kian slowly came off the wall and let his scythe blades withdraw, not taking his eyes off the older student for a second. "Well. I suppose that's as good of an answer as I could have expected."
"What—No, that's not… what you thought it was. I'm—" He scratched his head, feeling terribly embarrassed now. "I'm sorry, I kinda checked out for a minute there, I…"
"William…" Katy stared with fear shining in her eyes.
"I'm having some issues—that's not what you thought it was. Kian, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
He nodded blandly while his eyes kept their same accusing tone. "No. Of course you didn't. But if it's all the same to you, get the f*ck out of my apartment."
William watched him for a moment before turning to look at Odette. He wasn't sure why he did, but he did. She took a breath and swallowed quickly and reached for his hand, beckoning him to her. He glanced at everyone else as she led him out of the apartment and they all watched the partners leave and close the door behind them.
Odette walked beside him with her arm in his. Neither said anything for a long time. His heart was still thundering in his breast but her touch was strangely comforting at the moment. Some time before they made it back to their room he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"I know," she replied immediately, "I know you didn't mean it. It's all right."
He kept staring forward and his voice got lower. "I don't know what happened."
She squeezed his arm a little tighter. "We need to see Dr. Stein."