Chapter 43: End of It

Chapter 43: End of It

I slammed my fist against Kayson's door. His sister Maya opened it a few seconds later, and she clutched a steel bat. She looked me up and down. "Luca? What? Why is there blood on you?" She let the bat's tip hit the ground, moving aside to let me in.

Wheres Kayson? I asked as I ignored all the attempts to direct me to the couch.

He left half an hour ago. Something worked him up, and they called a meeting. Maya swayed in place. She bit into her lip as she noticed the hand pressed against my broken ribs. Let me drive you to a hospital.

Nocall your brother. Thankfully, she didnt question my command. Each word meant I had to take in more breaths, which translated to more pain. The phone rang, but he didnt answer. Do ya know where that meeting was?

He never tells me. She shifted and looked away as if she was scared to meet my eyes. She had a secret.

Do ya know or not?

I she messed with a button on her shirt. I may have listened in.

Take me there, please. Hes in danger.

At the mention of danger, a part of her snapped. She didnt need more explanation before taking me down the stairs to the passenger seat of her car. She had a rather simple but well-loved sedan. Though, I admit, it felt odd getting into any car other than Romeos luxurious V-Series, though the comparison made me feel ashamed. Who was I to judge a goddamn car? I only had my bike because my friends were too nice.

For a while, I let the thoughts distract me. But like the sun always sinks, my worries always return. Bruno wasn't with the rest of the gang, and to track him down, I needed Kayson. Only after he was safe would I consider my next move. We'd be able to handle whatever he threw our way.

If I let my anger grow, it would only burn and consume me to a state of uselessness. To get through this in the best way, I had to maintain a calm head, so I pictured my mind as the surface of a still lake. I forced myself to float above the pain and emotion trapped in the murky waters below.

I passed by bodies, ducking under fists, and ordered my crows to tear apart faces and sever blood vessels. This was a fight to the death, and if I pulled punches, I might end up with the bodies. At one point, I swapped the pipe from a broken chair, which I got the pleasure of smashing into some unlucky fuckers head.

I cast Fickle Fate wide to influence the battletossing a little good or bad luck to my enemies and allies. It wasnt perfect, but the nature of my Soul Ability meant things went slightly in our favor. Like a casino, our rigged odds started to show our advantage as the fight turned around. Each twist of fate brought us closer to overcoming the surprise attack and regaining momentum. The more people I helped fend off a Crimson Eagle, the more that could help me get the situation under control.

Over the course of fighting, I accumulated a small group of Brass Kings. With my new warriors, we were able to press forward to the hot springs.

Blood clouded the water, turning it into a murky red. Eve was waist-deep in the blood bath, contributing with a dozen slashes, trying to fend off a Crimson Eagle coming at her with a knife.

The group dispersed to tackle the Crimson Eagles and provide much-needed support to our guys. I darted forward to save Eve and slammed my hand into my chest. It erupted in blue sparkswhich I took advantage of by grabbing the bastard trying to cut Eve by the wrist.

With a quick twist, the knife slipped from his hand. In a swift move, I caught the handle of it.

Using the momentum and surprise, I snapped the blade into his chest. He didn't have a chance to dodge aside, but he wasn't out. I pushed the knife deeper, hitting a lung. The fight in him gave out as he took a shuddering breath; I snapped a quick kick to his knee, making him sink into the pool. Eve looked at me with wide eyes, and I gave her a mocking grin I didn't feel.

What, surprised to see your hero save the day?

They took you.

Yea, well, Tristan was fucking dumb and underestimated me like hes used to doing. Now, wheres Kayson?

Backroom, cmon. Let's go. She paused as I stumbled after her, the pain in my ribs starting to sink back in. Need some help there, hero?

No, no. Im fine to go a little longer. I said, even though my fuel was running low. My crows gathered around. Id have to rely on them to help sort out whatever trouble the Captain was dealing with.