Chapter Seventeen

I grabbed a reaper by the throat. I growled.

It wasn't much of a fair fight, but we weren't very known to fight fair. I pinned the reaper to the ground and moved on to the next all while keeping my eye on Damien. He was fighting two reapers at once as they gathered and surrounded him. Something in me knew I had to so something. And fast. Or me and Damien would be dead. Or worse in the hands of the council of the dead.

I quickly tackled a reaper in mid swing as we collapsed to the ground. I sunk my teeth into his neck, but he didn't scream. I continued to claw at the reaper until it all went blank. I hadn't killed anyone, one day I was a normal kid going to school and hating my life. But now I couldn't dare look back. I clawed away at the reaper until all my fear went away.

Then I could focus.

Remembering that Damien needed me i turned back to the war. And I ran into it without fear or a single hesitation on my breath.

✨✨✨

We ran out of the town and ended up about thirteen miles outside of the city or anywhere remotely close to the small suburb.

We rested in a small motel, that seemed.like it was in the middle of nowhere. But it also seemed like the perfect place to get the rest we needed.

We rested in the bed in the silence of the darkness that surrounded us. The only light coming from the bathroom light, as I just got out of the shower.

Damien in the other hand still didn't feel safe do he was on guard watching out for the next group of reapers. He solemnly told me how the council would agree very soon, that they would have to send a higher ranking of reapers to come after them. And he couldn't risk me having to fight because it would put their lives in danger for sure.

I hesitated for a moment and realized what we had done. Holding my hand in front of my face in the darkness I couldn't see it. We barely escaped with our lives after that one single fight. What would we do then?

But something deep within me didn't want to ask him, even though he already had an answer.

"I want you to leave me here." He spoke softly. "I know how that sounds, but the only way they can take the both of us back to the council is if they catch us both." He says. "Just trust me, I'll wait here for the next group of hunter's. When they find out it's just me they won't try to kill me. And they won't be able to catch up with you."

"Do you mean to tell me, you want me to just leave you here?" I question into the air.

"Trust me this will work. I don't hold them off for as long as possible but you have to find somewhere safe to go." He answers after a moment. "This isn't about you and me anymore

Jayden. If they catch you, they will hurt you."

"I can't leave you, and where will I go?"

"Head towards the city and catch a bus to Arizona. There you will find a oracle that can help you." He says but then he pauses as if he thought of something. "Jayden, this isn't about us anymore."

I couldn't fight with him since he made his mind up. Now I had to make it from Colorado to Arizona. I didn't want to feel like he was pushing me away, I knew he just wanted to keep us safe. But he was risking everything for me and I had nothing to give back to him.