kept coming. Sure she would chase me if I ran, I sighed and let her do whatever she needed to do.
While she was busy, I looked at Master Akai and said, “I’m fine.”
He just nodded, apparently unconcerned that most of my blood was on the outside of my body. After all, it wasn’t the first time, and he knew it.
“I can’t find anything,” Grace announced, peering up from where she kneeled in front of me.
Her brow rose, and she seemed to ask me things that I couldn’t speak of here, or even explain. I gave her a slight shake of the head, and she nodded before pushing herself up and returning to Axton.
“So, tell me what all of this was about,” Master Akai ordered, waving his hand to encompass all of us.
I opened my mouth and then hesitated. He hadn’t appeared in any of the memories except in those that hated him. The likelihood of him being involved was low, probably. And what would he do with the secret I would be forced to reveal? But…
We will need help, eventually. And, despite his love of power, he’d always gotten his the right way. At least, as far as I know, he has.
He cleared his throat, frowning at me, and the hairs on my neck stood up, an ingrained response from my time living with him. Beside me, Trace reached out, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. I looked up at him, and he gave me a nod. His emotions flowed into me through our connection, and I felt no worry or hesitancy from him. He believed this was the right thing to do, but more, he believed in me no matter what happened.
I swung back to my confusing father and said, “It would be better if I showed you.”
The corners of Master Akai’s lips curved down even more, and he leaned away from me. He’d never enjoyed letting me into his head, but after I’d learned how to really control it, he declared my training over. I’d only been allowed to show him things a few times after that. My Harvesting worried him, and for good reasons, but I had no plans to kill him. Not here, anyway.
“Fine,” he finally bit out after a noticeable pause.
Shadow leapt from me, hurrying towards Axton. She didn’t want any part of what we’d seen in that house, and if she remained connected to me, she might be pulled into the vision. I didn’t mind. In fact, it warmed me that she went straight to our newly injured team member. Maybe she would give him a bit of comfort in her odd little way.
Once I was sure she had left, I rounded the desk and laid my fingers on either side of Master Akai’s temple. Just before I closed my eyes, our gaze met, and I found something surprising in his eyes. A touch of pride shone through.
Then he squeezed his lids shut, and it was gone.
I followed his example and began the transfer process, picking the first image of the red-cloaked Reapers taking in the destroyed essence. He remained locked into what I chose to give him, but I could vaguely sense myself filling up with his horror.
I ran him through a few more choice images, each one worse than the last until I felt that he had an overview of what we faced. Then I released him, took a step back, and returned to my place in front of his desk.
He leaned over the top of his desk, panting and with a slack expression. Grace stood and went to sit beside Kian again. Her steps were light, but they sounded odd against the ragged breaths sawing in and out of the old Reaper. I seized a moment to peek at Axton, who slumped in his chair, wrung out. His color looked better, and I didn’t spot the tightness in his face that the pain had caused.
When I turned back to Master Akai, he was waiting for my eyes to meet his. He snared me, and I waited for it.
“Did you kill them?” he rasped out.
So predictable, father.
I stared at him, letting him see the truth in my gaze. “I did. Every single one.”
“Good,” he barked harshly.
That startled Grace, who’d been staring at me with her mouth open, and she jumped. Her attention slid from me to him.
Perhaps he felt her watching because he explained, “If you had let them live, they would have told someone. Then that Guard, probably, would