Fallocaust (The Fallocaust Series) (78 page)

“Trideath?” Someone gasped, I turned and saw it was Owen.

“Oh, fuck me,” I growled. “Is the boss back?”

“Nope, I brought a guy back with me. Killian is helping stitch him up, he wanted me to find you.”
“They found someone?”

“I got him back early this morning. Redmond didn’t want to wake you,” Owen nodded. “Some raticater they found in the lab prison locked up; he’s over at Marley’s right now his arm and leg are buggered.”
“Really?” I tried to hide my surprise, I had to bury it, my mind had to be else where. “Where are the bosses?”
“They’ll be home tomorrow morning. What’s going on Reaver?”

I smiled, and I got the usual reaction of fear and surprise. I put my arm around Owen’s shoulder like I had done Matt, and like Matt he looked at me like I had lost my mind. I led him away from the still nattering mob, “Let me fill you in buddy, I’m going to need your support.”

Chapter 33

Killian

I looked out of Doc’s window, my hands wringing themselves as I saw the people start to head towards the square. Outside the air was filled with electricity as people gathered. Whispers of their being a court hearing for the criminals and a hushed fear that trideath was spreading. Several people had come into the clinic already asking if it was true. Marley had yelled at them to keep their voices down, people were sleeping and...

... and we had someone new in Aras now.

I looked behind me towards the bathrooms were I had made him a bathe. Marley teased me mercilessly about me having to clean everything I come across but this waster was caked in dirt, rot and dried blood. I didn’t even know what colour his hair was, or the shade of his skin. His wounds would never clean properly with so much grime around him. The poor guy was too weak to do it himself so Marley’s grandmother, Doc’s mom, was in there giving him the scrubbing of a life time.

Marley had paged me when Owen came through the gates. The sentry said that he had collapsed from exhaustion right off of the quad, and had to be carried in. I had barely got to talk to him, but Owen had told me what I had feared the most. He had come from Perish’s arian prison. He had survived the whipwolf massacre.

I was so angry at myself for not checking the two way mirror. I could have saved him from two weeks of torment, I could have saved his food poisoning and his horribly infected leg and arm. If I had just checked...

I sighed and watched as Sadii ran from the square towards Redmond’s office. I swallowed a boulder in my throat but it remained, radiating the anxiety that was pooling inside me.

Reaver... what were you doing? Greyson will be home soon...

I was sick with worry, my hands had nail marks in them now from clenching and wringing them so hard. With each person to gather in the square my abuse on my flesh got worse. I knew my boyfriend and I knew his heart was darker then even he knew. If the cold, static air around us wasn’t a testament that something bad was going to happen, I don’t know what was.

“Marley? Help him out of the tub will you?” Gram called, she made us all call her that, she was a nice lady and wise for her years. She had already declared she would have none of the
‘Tuefel’s’
shenanigans and would be heading to her apartment above the clinic to watch Sleepless in Seattle. I was tempted to join her, but I had to see what Reaver was going to do. If the crowd turned on him I would need to start shooting people.

A few moments later a whole new guy emerged from the bathroom.

He was well... I’m sure Reaver would understand when he saw him, but god... he was stunning. The man’s pale, clean shaven face was framed with beautiful auburn hair that fell past his ears. His cheek bone was high and his lips full, if he was a waster he was the most good looking ones I had ever seen. Why the hell didn’t Perish want him? I was a troll compared to... that.

The man gave me a friendly smile, I could see his eyes were brilliant green, the same shade the plants were at Perish’s, but under his eyes were darkened circles. The pale gauntness of his face seemed to contrast them to an almost illumination.

Oh gosh I was staring... I better say something. “You look... you look human.” I laughed feeling like an idiot.

The guy laughed too, and took a cane Marley had offered him.“If that creature is a werewolf I wont be human for long.”

I laughed again. I motioned him to one of the free beds. “Sit and make yourself comfortable then Lycan. I’ll start disinfecting that wound.” I turned and grabbed the bottles from the shelf. “Oh, I didn’t catch your name?”

“Lycan sounds good.” The man gave me a wink. “But my name is Asher, Asher Fallon.”

“Nice to meet you Asher, my name is Killian.” I raised my hand and shook his, I was kind of happy he didn’t recognise me from the arian prisons when we got those legionaries, but maybe he just didn’t want to talk about it. I would be okay with that.

I went back to cleaning his wound. Marley took control of his arm. Besides small talk for the next half an hour the both of us just worked stitching him up. The wounds were horribly infected and I had to scrape a lot of dead flesh away but I would be able to stitch the wounds closed.

When he was near done I reached into my pocket and pulled out some pain killers. “Here, this wont really numb what we’re about to do... but in the long run they’ll help and help you rest.”

“Everyone seems friendly here, a break from the other blocks I’ve been to,” Asher said. “But it looks like I’ve come at a bad time.” His eyes looked towards the row of windows. I looked too and could see the mass in the square had grown larger. We were a good block away at least, I hoped he would sleep through what Reaver was doing. I didn’t want his first impression of Aras to be... Reaver.

“Nothing our mayor can’t handle.” I gave him a reassuring smile, but inside the boulder was growing to the point of almost nausea. I eventually had to excuse myself for a moment to do a couple lines in Doc’s office, my hands had started to tremble. It was taking all I have to hide the anxiety I was feeling about the town meeting.

On my way back, for the fourth time, the loud speakers crackled to life.

“Mandatory town meeting by order of the Mayor. Mandatory town meeting by order of the mayor. Please gather yourselves in the square by two.”
Matt’s voice called on the other end of the loud speaker.

When it shut off I could hear a truck rumbling near us, I watched as two trucks went past us. One carrying a rust streaked swing set and the other one scrap wood, barrels, boxes, and the prisoners, all bound with rope and gagged. They were all looking around with saucer like eyes, their whites a stark contrast to their blackened faces. They looked more like rats than human now, I couldn’t even tell they were arian.

My mouth went dry, I looked and caught Marley’s eye, she looked worried too.

“I need to see what he’s doing.” I dropped my voice, hoping it wouldn’t reach the ears of our newest resident. “Keep Asher from seeing as much as possible, try and get him to sleep.”
Marley put a hand on my shoulder and nodded. “You’re the only one who can wrangle him with Leo and Grey gone, just be careful.”

I felt the warmth of the pills attempt to calm my nerves. I turned and gave a polite good bye to Asher and casually walked out the door. Though once I was out of sight I ran.

The residents had swarmed around what looked like a makeshift stage which was really just sheet metal covering the top of the square’s fountain. On top of the sheet metal though was the frame of a swing set.

Reaver was no where to be found, but Mickey, Matt and Jess were standing guard around the stage, their arms folded, their eyes fixed on the crowd. I could see AK-47s on their backs.

I weaved through the crowd, every one was talking, discussing the trials, discussing the fear of the trideath plague. Some sounded angry, others scared, all waiting for the mayor to appear.

I ran up to Matt. “Where is Reaver? What’s going on?”

Matt didn’t answer me, he got onto his radio. “He left Doc’s I have him.”

A few moments later Reaver answered.
“Give him the radio... Killian?”
“Hey ba... hey Reaver,” I said into it and turned it down so it was harder for anyone else to hear.

“I don’t want you in the crowd, go with Matt and don’t leave where he puts you, you’ll get to watch, just safely. Promise me.”
I didn’t need to promise, I didn’t want to be down here either. “I promise.”

I handed the radio back to Matt and he quickly led me away. I felt like I was in a movie at that moment. Everything just seemed surreal, I couldn’t believe what was happening. I just wanted to go home with Reaver and do drugs, watch a movie and have sex. I didn’t want this for him, why did Greyson make him do this? This was out of control.

I wanted to convince myself Reaver knew what he was doing, but every resident was out here waiting for news, waiting to see why they had been summoned. What if Reaver lost control? They didn’t know him as mayor like they knew Greyson, what if they tried to hurt him? Or there was like some mayor mutiny or something and anarchy broke out.

Matt had his hand on my arm as he led me to an abandoned store almost directly behind the gathering residents. We walked up the spiraling stairs and pushed open a spray painted door.

Inside was a mattress, a patio table and several chairs. This looked like a sentry nest.

Matt handed me an assault rifle that was leaning against the window. “That’s just a safety thing, you know your luck.” He popped his head out the window and looked down at the crowd. He let out an impressed whistle. “I think he’s going to be able to pull this off. Is there anything that fuck cant do?” He shook his head and patted my shoulder. “Great view my friend, great view. Stay put until Reaver or I getcha.”

“Thanks Matt.” I swallowed and pulled up a chair by the window. I wiped the stress sweat from my head with my t-shirt. I was thankful for the pills if nothing else.

It was fifteen minutes later that the music chimed on the loud speaker.

When it ended I looked down and saw the crowd start to part. My heart leapt as I saw Reaver walking through the sea of people, every resident stepping back from him like he was a negative magnetic field. Behind him I saw Hollis and Redmond, both with machine guns on their backs and large combat knives on their fronts. Their faces were very firm and menacing, they were almost marching behind him.

Reaver was dressed in a variation of his sentry uniform. Instead of his bullet proof vest he had on combat armor that had been spray painted black over top a clean crimson t-shirt. His black cargo pants were belted with a combat knife strapped to one side and his pistol on the other.

His M16 was on his back, and to my surprise it was belted over what looked like a black cape.

I put my hand over my mouth to muffle my own gasp.

He was dressed... he was dressed like a chimera, or at the very least a Skylander elite.

My mind went to the photo, Leo the chimera scientist holding the newborn.

Reaver had been raised a waster orphan, but as true as his bones and breath, he was a Skylander.

The tears burned in my eyes, as I watched him step into a role he had no idea was in his blood, his genetics. The enforcer, the executioner... the torture tool.

God in that moment he looked so much like Nero.

I had to tell him... I had to warn him... I had to make sure he didn’t become someone horrible, he didn’t even realize how easy it was for someone like him to turn bad. If he knew his origins, that he was a chimera’s son, he could at least be aware that he was more susceptible to-

Shit...

Killian you fucking idiot.

His night vision

His advanced hearing.

Every one of his enhanced senses... even his beauty.

Reaver was a chimera, he was one of Silas’s creatures.

Leo had stolen a chimera baby, the scientist had made off with one of King Silas’s genetically engineered humans. He wasn’t his son... he was his brother.

It had been in front of my face the entire time.

Reaver walked past Mickey, Matt and Jess, still staring forward with their guns against their chests. Looking like legionary more than Aras sentries.

The chimera’s body guards. Like King Silas had his body guards.

He stepped onto the fountain and stood in the middle of the metal platform, Hollis and Redmond stood behind them, one on each side. All three of them were in the middle of the swing set frame, piles and piles of wood behind them stacked several feet high.

I was shocked as I heard the crowd hush. Like someone had turned the radio down, the low buzzing of noise died down to almost silence.

Reaver was a chimera... Reaver was one of them.

Reaver was one of them.

No, no no... you don’t know that. You don’t know that!

“He’s beautiful.”
I jumped and quickly turned around.

Asher was beside me, fuck he was sneaky and fast for having a bad leg, he must have saw us enter. The auburn waster was leaning on a cane and staring out the window.

“That’s my boyfriend Reaver,” I whispered, trying to hide the despair in my voice. I turned back to the window. Asher leaned up against the wooden frame and shook his head in disbelief. I felt uneasy as I saw him drink in my boyfriend. He did nothing to hide the fact that he was interested in him. I could practically see the drool dripping from his mouth as he watched his every move. Like a starving cat eyeing your dinner.

I felt a uncharacteristic burn in my chest as I watched Asher. I realized as I saw those blazing shards of emerald that the feeling was jealousy. Not just jealousy, protectiveness. Brought in by a grim understanding of what Leo and Greyson had been doing with Reaver the entire time.

Protecting him from a fate that had been determined in my boyfriend since before he had been born. They had been hiding him, but not for the reasons he had thought.

“Reaver.” I heard his silk draped voice whisper to himself, then he turned his head towards me, though his eyes were still on him. “What is he doing?”