Page 24 of Vexed

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Vex

The cold stone bit into my wrists, raw from the arc reaper’s binding. Another twenty minutes in this cursed prison, and I was starting to think I’d take up knitting with the dust bunnies just for something to do. Then, the heavy iron door creaked open.

Adimus. My supposed friend. He looked just as miserable as I felt. His dark arc reaper robes seemed to hang heavier on him than usual, and his usually vibrant eyes were dull.

“Let me out, Adimus,” I growled, the words scraping against my throat. “This is ridiculous.”

He winced. “I can’t, Vexlorn. You know I can’t. Believe me, I wish I could.” He sounded genuinely sorry, and that almost made me angrier. Empty apologies from a friend who’s holding the key to my freedom. Fucking hilarious.

“Then do something!” I yelled, my voice echoing off the cold walls. “Lily’s here, Adimus. She made it through the gate. That stubborn little human is running around the Underworld right now, looking for my scythe. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Instead of reacting with the expected disapproval, a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “Lily? That’s... actually pretty impressive. I underestimated her. Getting past the gate wards is no small feat.”

I narrowed my eyes. “She’s going to get herself killed! She’s human, Adimus! A delicate thing in this nightmare.”

He sighed, a sound like air escaping a punctured lung. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re worried. Just...” He hesitated, his gaze flickering towards the doorway. “She’s going to die, Vexlorn, if she stays here for too long.”

He was right. Lily was human, and humans didn’t have a tolerance for the Underworld. If she didn’t leave soon, the Underworld would kill her before the reapers would. “Then let me go!”

After what felt like an eternity, he reached into his robes and produced his scythe. The metallic clink as he unlocked the cell door was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard. Then he rushed to me and undid the shackles.

“Find her,” he said, his voice hushed. “Get her out of here. And try not to get caught yourself.”

I didn’t waste time questioning his sudden change of heart. I could ask later, when Lily was safe and my scythe was back in my hands. I practically bolted out of the Crimson Domain, the air in the Underworld tasting foul after what felt like hours in that cell.

My first instinct was to head for the Cathedral, where I told Lily my scythe was usually kept. But as I got there, the vast hall was deserted, the only sound my own echoing footsteps. Something felt wrong.

Then it hit me. Lily wasn’t stupid. She knew this place was dangerous. She’d listened to me.

I told her to run and hide if she wouldn’t make it.

Colbat Cove was on the other side of this forsaken place, close to the edge. I started running, rushing past reapers, hoping that they wouldn’t see me.

What if they found her? What if she’d gotten lost?

I have to get to her.

The Dark Planes was never a picnic. Even for a reaper like me. Gnarled, skeletal trees clawed at the dim, sulfuric-tinged sky. The air was thick with the smell of decay and regret.

And tonight, it was a goddamn obstacle course. Branches smacked me in the face, thorny vines snagged at my already ripped shirt, and the ground was uneven, threatening to trip me with every frantic step.

“Damn it, Lily! Where are you?” I muttered, kicking aside a pile of brittle leaves that scattered into ash. I was supposed to protect her. Get her to safety. I’d told her to hide in Colbat Cove, a place I knew the Arc Reapers avoided.

But here I was, tearing through this godforsaken forest, convinced she’d done the exact opposite of what I told her. I cursed again, the sound swallowed by the oppressive silence of the woods.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.

Standing at a graveside.

Not the cave. The GRAVESIDE.

“Lily!” I rushed towards her, ignoring the sting of branches as they whipped across my face. I grabbed her arm, pulling her away from whatever she was looking at.

She yelped, startled, then her eyes widened. “Vex!”

Relief flooded her face, and she threw her arms around me, squeezing tight. “Oh, Vex, I was so scared!”

I reluctantly hugged her back, then pulled away, scowling.

“What are you doing here? I told you to go to the cave! Are you trying to get us both killed?” My tone was harsh.

She pulled back, her face clouding with a hesitant guilt. “I did! I went to the cave. But on the way, I saw this.” She gestured vaguely at the tombstone. “I was just… curious.”

Curious. CURIOUS?!

“Curious? Lily, Arc Reapers are going to be out to get me! They’ll pull you apart if they find you here too! Curiosity almost killed the cat, and it’s definitely going to kill you!” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to regain control of my voice.

She bit her lip, looking down at her boots. “I know, I know. I just… well, it was really old graves. And I was curious to know why there are graves in the underworld. I thought reapers can’t die.”

“Lily,” I sighed, my voice softening. “I understand, but this isn’t a safe place. We have to go.”

She sighs and places her hand in mine and we make our way to Colbat Cove. I can’t risk her life by dwelling around here. Ophiel and the others have probably discovered that I’m gone by now and they’ll come looking. If they find out she is here, they won’t go easy.

We finally make it to the cave, both of us heaving from the running and constantly falling over branches. I hate that fucking forest.

“Oh, wait. I have something for you.” She exclaims, running further into the darkness of the cave. The frown etched on my face is quickly replaced by disbelief as she walks back with my scythe in hand. Well, barely. It probably weighs just as much as her.

I place both hands on my hips and let out a chuckle, “You actually did it.”

She smiles proudly before frowning, “You thought I wouldn’t?”

Shit. Smooth move Vex, you idiot.

“Uh…”

A smirk forms on her lips and she drags the scythe closer for me to grab.

The cold steel of my scythe vibrated in my hand, a familiar thrum that sent a jolt of power through me.

I was whole again. All thanks to her. Lily stood before me, slightly breathless, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern.

“How did you find it?” I breathed, my voice hoarse.

She just shrugged, a strand of hair falling across her face. “I followed the feeling. Plus, it’s not exactly inconspicuous.”

I chuckled softly, rubbing a thumb across the smooth, obsidian blade. “Thank you, Lily. You have more bravery than I give yourself credit for.”

“How did you get out?” she asked, tilting her head. “Out of that cell, I mean.”

“Adimus,” I replied. “He helped me.”

We settled on the dusty floor of the cave, the silence broken only by the dripping of water from the unseen corners. The weight of the scythe in my grasp was comforting, but the weight in my chest was heavier. Lily was here, in the Underworld, because of me.

After a while, she spoke, her voice soft. “Why are there graves in the Underworld?” I sighed, the sound echoing in the confined space.

“It’s a long story,” I began, running a hand through my hair. “Over nine hundred years ago, there was another Grim Reaper. He broke the rules. Fell in love with a human.” Lily’s eyes widened.

“He did what no Reaper is allowed to do,” I continued, my voice low.

“He tried to alter fate for her, tried to keep her from her appointed time. Inserting himself into her life. It started a war among all the Reapers. Those graves—that’s the Gloom Planes.

The graves of fallen Reapers. And the broken Cathedral that stands there, has been there from the beginning like a silent watchman. ”

She stared at me, her expression a mixture of comprehension and dawning horror. “That Reaper,” she said slowly, her voice barely a whisper. “He did what you’ve been doing with me, didn’t he?”

I nodded, the weight of the truth crushing me. I deserved her anger, her judgement, her rejection.

“Will there be another war because of us?” she asked, her voice tight.

“Probably,” I admitted. “But I promise you, Lily. I’ll get you home before that can happen.” I intend to keep my promise, even if it brings me to my fallen death.

We stared at each other, the silence stretching between us.

Then, before I could brace myself, her hands cupped my face, her thumbs tracing the line of my jaw, and then she pressed her lips against mine.

Not a tentative peck, not a hesitant brush of lips, but a full-blown, passionate assault that stole my breath and sent my senses reeling.

I forgot about the war, about the Gloom Planes, about the dangers lurking in the shadows. In that moment, all that mattered was her, her soft lips on mine, her hands holding me captive.

I kissed her back, pouring all my fear, my longing, my desperate hope into that single, earth-shattering kiss. The consequences could wait. For now, there was only us.

She hastily climbed on my lap and pressed further into me, deepening the kiss. I don’t waste time grabbing her hips tightly, slipping my tongue past her lips, she gasps when I roll my hips against her. That amazing sensation overwhelms me yet again as I feel her tongue brushing against mine.

Her hands slip from my face and she rips my shirt open. She breaks the kiss, staring down at my bare skin, her hands gliding down my chest and abs.

“Has anyone ever told you how fucking hot you are?” She purrs.

Jesus. Fuck. I’ve never been so flustered in my entire life. I let out a chuckle, unable to find any words.

“You have tattoos?” she asks softly, tracing her fingers over the black lines wrapping around my entire torso. She’s never seen me without clothing. Even when I fucked her, I remained clothed while I stripped her completely naked.

Something about it just made me feel powerful and dominant, besides, submission looks so fucking good on her.

“No, darling. That’s my shadows. They dwell under my human form.” I say, and she locks her gaze with mine.

“Right, you’re not human,” she trails off. Her eyes scanned my face and I knew exactly what she wanted without her having to say it.

A tingling sensation prickles across my face as I force the half of my face’s human skin to fade from the bone. Her eyes light up as she watches me.

“This is what you wanted, huh?” I ask, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding slowly.

She leans forward and catches me by surprise as her tongue darts out and she licks across my agape lips and over my exposed teeth, causing a shiver to run down my spine. A distorted groan rumbles through my chest before her hand drops between us and she starts to unfasten my pants.

Her eyes flick briefly to mine and a smirk pulls at her mouth, “Don’t go and shake the ground beneath us again and get us killed.

” She says jokingly, her fingers grazing the tip of my cock as she pulls it free, “We have to be quiet, can you do that, Mr Death?” Her seductive tone now barely above a whisper.

My cock twitches in her delicate hand as she wraps her fingers around it.

“Yes, little human,” I mutter, my words sounding more desperate than intended.

Her free hand roams over my chest as her other hand starts pumping agonizingly slow. My head falls back against the rough wall of the cave and I let out a satisfying sigh.

“You always make sure I’m taken care of. Let me take care of you,” She says softly before breaking contact, moving backwards and spreading my legs wide enough for her to crawl in between.

Hungry lust surges through me as she lowers her head, keeping her beautiful blue eyes on me before wrapping her plump lips around my cock. The warmth of her tongue circling around the head is enough to cause a groan to escape my lips.

She immediately removes her mouth from me, “What did I say? Shh…” She whispers before slipping my cock back into her warm mouth. The shadows inside are clawing against my flesh, ready to fucking explode out as she goes deeper until I hit the back of her throat.

Again, she removes her mouth and I swear to God I’m about to rip every piece of clothing from her body and fuck her into the ground.

I can tell she knows how fucking frustrated I am when she flashes me that sweet fucking smile before saying, “They can come out and play if they want.”

I’m slightly taken aback but without a second to spare, they do exactly that. My shadows detach from me and grab a hold of her, yanking her back down onto my cock and skim over her body causing her to shiver underneath their touch.

Trying my best to keep all my sounds at bay as she swallows me so fucking good, I let my shadows rip her away from me causing her to let out a yelp. They yank her to her feet and she stares at me with a confused expression on her face.

“Take your clothes off, darling and sit on my cock.” My voice low and demanding. She doesn’t utter a word as she undoes her jeans, sliding them down her legs. She holds eye contact with me as she slips her shirt over her head, exposing her bare breasts.

She’s the most beautiful human I have ever laid eyes on. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her gorgeous body. And she’s all mine. Mine to protect, mine to please, mine to…love.

I watch as my shadows roam over her naked body, caressing every part they can touch. She lets out a giggle and I can’t help but smile.

“Alright, you had your fun,” I say and my shadows creep back under my skin. She stands before me, her dark hair hanging over her shoulder. How can one person look so innocent while being such a naughty little thing?

I lift my finger, crooking it towards me, beckoning her forward. She walks over, lowering herself onto my lap. But she doesn’t wait, without warning she slams down onto my cock sinking me as deep as it could go. She lets out a gasp, grabbing onto my shoulders

“Fuck, you’re impatient aren’t you?” I tease, gripping her hips and lifting her slightly before slamming her back down.

She lets out a strained moan, squeezing her eyes shut.

I held her in place before whispering, “Shh… we have to be quiet, can you do that for me, little human?” I taunt, using her own words against her before lifting her up and slamming her down even harder.

She begins to match my rhythm, my cock dipping in and out of her soaking pussy with ease. Her walls begin to tighten around me and she starts riding me harder, grinding my cock even deeper. Her nails dig into my shoulders as she releases all over my cock.

She rides out her high before resting her forehead against mine. Both of us breathe heavily, trying to catch our breaths as we stare at each other.

How am I going to ever let her go? It’s inevitable but how do I let the only person go that I’ve ever cared about?