Kera slapped Cassius's exposed wrist with two fingers before she shoved the needle into his vein. He hissed at the burn.
Bitch.
Kera smiled darkly down at him while adjusting the wires in the silver case. Once she was done torturing him, she turned to the screen of the tablet propped on a tall metal table by his side.
She moved away from the stiff chair he was forced to sit in. She double checked the wires. Her fingers grazed the connectors, brows furrowed. Cassius was only comforted that she was too much of a perfectionist to make a mistake on purpose.
The room they were in was intended to be a learning facility and that was it. It wasn't built to actually be used to send a Mekiah to the Veil and back.
It was a bleak room with light gray walls and a plain cement floor. There were three other chairs like the one he was in and three other tables like the one Kera was using to set the case on. On the side of the case was a serial number. It was one that her and Levi shared. He was gone at the moment, somewhere with Mica and Mattias.
They'd left him with Kera to get set up. He didn't think it was necessary to give them so much time to fiddle around with needles and wires. He also didn't like that he didn't know what they were doing.
It as stupid though. They weren't scheming anything. Mattias was probably sleeping in while Levi was hyping himself up. Mica was the one to worry about, but it was most likely nothing.
Of course, Cassius wanted to believe that. He didn't like the anticipation.
He memorized the serial number on the case. After a few times repeating it in his head, it stuck.
"This one is going to be messy," Kera said. She pulled up the straps that were bolted onto the chair. She didn't ask before she strapped his left arm down.
He clenched his fist. "Why is it going to be messy?"
There were only a few possible implications. 'Messy' could be said about every trip to the Veil with this technology. It attacked the Mekiah's center magic and forced their mind to cross over. It was common for Mekiah's to die in the process if they weren't strong enough.
Funnily enough, Cassius's strength was the weakness that kept him chained and enslaved to this cursed place.
She looked over at him from under her lashes. The glare could have singed his hair if she tried hard enough.
"You're going deeper. To the Edge."
Cassius stiffened.
He wasn't afraid of the Veil. How could he be when it was a hideaway from the base? Though he spent most of his time with the Third Eye when he could, the Veil was sometimes easier to reach. It wasn't the same, but it was a better trade off. The Third Eye always bothered him for more information. It was too invasive to enjoy most times.
The Edge wasn't actually the edge of the Veil. No one knew how far it expanded, if it ever ended, but the name had been placed when a certain point of the Veil was reached. Distance was relative when inside. It was all estimation and math that didn't make sense to Cassius. What made sense was the depth and the chain in magic. That, he could feel and understand without a problem.
The Edge was dangerous because Shadows could only travel so far before the Veil warped them into masses of brain goo. And if Shadows weren't there to pull Trackers out, they'd either be lost or worse.
The worst in Cassius's case was being mauled by a demon.
Kera turned back to the metal case. She fiddled with the knobs and wires for a couple of minutes, but Cassius knew that she actually didn't need to do any of that.
He didn't know how to work that thing to save his life. He could just tell by the furrow of her brow and the press of her thin lips.
She looked at him—more of a glance—and her grimace deepened.
The silent command for him to "fuck off" wasn't enough to deter him. He was stubborn. That was what got him in trouble most of the time.
He looked away from her boiling face. He wasn't afraid of her. Though by the many times that he had to tell himself that it sounded like he was.
She was a wild card in a sense. She was a ticking time bomb that could be triggered by any sudden movements.
He was tempted to see what would set her off. But this was about survival and escape. Kera making a big deal about him now would just hurt his chances.
"Shouldn't you be more excited about the possibility of me dying?"
The look that crossed her pale face was one that he least expected. He didn't ever expect it to be on hers.
She looked distraught. As if she was worried that that was exactly going to happen.
Cassius took in a sharp breath. His hands clenched at the chair's uncomfortable padding. The straps held him firmly to it. She hadn't secured the rest.
She'd forgotten. That didn't seem likely at first, but here they were. Two enemies losing their ways.
The silence that fell over them was a silence that he hadn't felt before. There were words on the tip of his tongue. He could feel them. Most times he would just say them. He wouldn't be holding them back.
But something, maybe it was the look on her face, or maybe it was the static in the air, made him hesitant. Cassius couldn't put his finger on it.
Some part of him didn't want to figure it out. There were times that it was best to be left in the dark.
Perhaps this was one of them.
"Would that make you feel better? If I said that I wanted you dead?" She sneered as if she already knew the answer and that she wanted to shame him for it. "Would that make it easier for you to hate me?"
She went around the table and strapped him the rest of the way. She tightened the ones on his legs with a quick snap. The one on his right arm was tightened so much that he couldn't help but let out a grunt.
She got into his face.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I don't want you to die."
She backed away. The expression was gone from her face. She was a blank slate. She went back to the case. She didn't pretend to be busy with the machine.
Cassius couldn't relax after that. He was stiff from the neck down. The ache traveled to the base of his tail bone and split to continue down his legs to his feet.
Time passed slower than he ever thought possible.
The door flew open sometimes after the less than pleasant conversation. It almost slammed into the wall, but Mica caught it before it could.
His face said more than Cassius was use to. However, it was the bond they now shared that was the most surprising.
Cassius had been trying to get under Mica's skin since the day he met him. He hated Mica and he loved to see powerful men destroy their egos and selves with anger. He'd never gotten what he wanted from Mica.
Something, or someone, had before he could. There was resentment that it only took once. Or seemingly so.
That irritated Cassius more than Mica himself.
Mattias came in next. He looked annoyed and like he wanted to turn around.
Cassius didn't like Mattias. It wasn't just the fact that he was an Exteru. It was more. It was a soft stirring in Cassius's blood that told him to be on edge.
Kera stepped back from the case and the small stand. "What's wrong?"
All professionalism seemed to drop away from her. The worry on her face rivaled the worry that she'd shown Cassius just moments before. Cassius was puzzled by the development. He would have liked to get a better look at everyone else, but with the way he was strapped down, his vision was hinder.
Kera ran her hands down the front of her jacket, smoothing the wrinkles that weren't there. Cassius followed the motion and then looked at Mica. Mica hadn't notice the way her hands had slid almost suggestively down her stomach. Though Cassius didn't believe she'd done it on purpose. But Cassius still looked at Mica as if he expected to see the man staring at her.
It wouldn't have been that bad of an occurrence if it did happen. Mica was a man and Kera was a woman. Simple genetics and biology did things to their body that they couldn't control.
But Mica either hadn't noticed or he wasn't interested. it could have been either scenario. Cassius just liked to believe that Mica didn't give a flying fuck about Kera or the way her uniform fit her slender curves.
Mica finally came into Cassius's field of vision. He stood to the side of the chair, arms crossed over his chest. He met Cassius's eyes with the same stare that he had given him when they first met. There were a lot of things about this situation that reminded Cassius of when they first met.
It didn't have anything to do with the room or the people that were in it with them. The only thing that really mattered was them. Mica and him. They were existing on a different level than the rest of the world and Cassius could feel it.
The first time they met, they hadn't known that they had so much in common. Even now, Cassius didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think that he was more alike to the cold general than he ever thought to be possible.
Cassius couldn't deny though they he'd felt the connection on the training yard back in Parlera. When he felt Mica's magic, it hadn't just been because he was more powerful than Remus were supposed to be. It wasn't because his magic was potent and toxic yet addictive.
It was all because they were connected. Even if that was by the Third Eye or not. They understood one another at least in some way.
When they met each other's eyes then, Cassius understood that something so terrifyingly bad had happened. Mica didn't need to voice it. It was in the air, filling his lungs, and coursing through his veins before he'd even saw Mica.
Mica pressed his lips together into a tight thin line. "Lucius has called my position into question. He's fighting for me to be demoted."
"What?" Kera stepped toward him. She almost grabbed his arm, but at the last second, she jerked her hand back. "Has he got a reason?"
"I'm too lenient," Mica bit out. "My inability to keep a Mekiah in line and my lack of discipline has delayed an important investigation. Which has also cost Capital Keshtin hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Mica spat out the words like they were tar in his mouth. It wouldn't have taken a genius to know Mica didn't agree with any of the things said about him.
Cassius snorted.
Kera started—a look in her eyes that made Cassius think that what she said about not wanting him to die to not be true—but Mica put out a hand to stop her.
"Let him run his mouth. It's all the freedom he has left."
Cassius gritted his teeth. Mica raised a brow, a small challenge. Through their bond, Cassius could feel how smug Mica was. He was almost giddy with his teasing bordering on insulting.
The small glimpse into what Mica was hiding behind his mask was gone in the next second.
He was still pissed off.
"Are we ready?"
It wasn't really a question. It was a downright command.
Kera straightened up. Cassius would have snickered if he wasn't feeling a little pissed at the moment. He really couldn't do anything about Mica being a dickhead and that just made him even more pissed off.
"Ready, Sir." She turned toward the metal case. She turned it on.
Instantly, Cassius felt a rising hum in his body. Magic flooded his body faster than he was used to. Yet, it wasn't quite there.
The uncomfortable feeling went away soon after. It was awkward in this position, but he figured it was because he was going further out. It had to be.
His hands clenched on the armrests. He felt out for the Veil. His body became weightless. As his eyes closed, he drifted away.
Then, he was there.
The darkness consumed him. When he was in the Veil, he just knew. He stood in the middle of the darkness. Rays of purple light drifted upward like specks of micro glitter.
The magic felt different. It felt heavier in his just. Dense. He'd never been so close to the edge of the Veil. It was like walking on a tight rope. He couldn't see much in front of him. He was surprised that he could even see his own hand in front of his face.
It was like a switch had been flipped. He didn't feel like he had to prove anything when he was in the Veil. His entire life he'd been brought up to only think about doing what he was told. He was good at doing that. While he was good at defying rules and pissing authority figures off, he was just as good as rolling over on his back and showing his belly.
Of course he hated that about himself. But it made it easier to go through the motions. He didn't have to think. He just had to do. And while he hated that he had to use his magic to help a race that was hell bent on making him into a robot, he wanted to use his magic just in general. Not using his magic was like not breathing. His body was slowly becoming weak, his mind too lost to think of anything, but using his magic.
It was a relief when he could stretch it out, like stretching a cramped muscle. He let his magic stretch far and wide, branching out to the deepest parts of the Veil.
Before he could do much, he felt a pull from the other side. He glared at his wrist and flicked the inside of it as if that would tell Kera off. It didn't hurt. It was irritating though. He could imagine her face, smirking at him because she was ordering him around like he didn't know what he was doing.
He pulled his magic back to him. It slithered back inside of him, settling in his veins. The warmth that spread out through him made him think back to his days in the HIVE. He hadn't thought about it for some time. There wasn't a reason to. He pushed the unwanted thoughts away. They were distracting him. Distractions were going to get him killed if he didn't get them under control.
Focus.
He didn't need to close his eyes. He simply stared into the abyss that was the Veil. It slowly moved. The rise and fall of the layout was like that of a sleeping animal. Sometimes it felt as if any small disturbance would wake it up.
He got a trace of the Mekiah. There was also a hint of something else. He looked around. The edge of the Veil was daunting. His mind was warping, to try and see it for what it really was, but he knew that there was no way that his small mind could comprehend what this place was. He was lucky that he'd made it this far without being attacked by anything. Demons in this part were the strongest. They had an advantage out here that no one else had. Not even Mekiah.
He didn't have to think about giving chase either. The anger that he'd been storing just for this moment came to the surface. He launched forward. Running in the Veil was strange at first because it had been so long since he'd been active inside of it. The last time he wasn't just sitting inside of it had been in the last mission. That had been when he'd met the girl.
The running was more freeing than he thought it would be. He hadn't really thought about it like that.
The trail of magic was fading. He conjured up his magic. It wrapped around him like a snake, moving up his legs and his arms. He jumped. His magic propelled him to the end of the Mekiah's strand. He grabbed onto it and jerked it back.
The strand quivered.
He could feel that they were close. They weren't like him. They didn't know how to hide their magic—if they could do that at all. Controlling magic in the Veil was harder than on Earth. It was like controlling waves in the ocean.
The hint that he'd felt kept ghosting by him. He couldn't really catch it or feel it like he could feel the Mekiah's magic. He looked around as if he expected whatever it was to show itself.
There was nothing.
He ignored the feeling. He would deal with that after he got this fucking Mekiah. This was the last time that he was going to be upped by them.
He growled and ran. He ran as fast as he could. The Veil was pushing him down. It was hard to breathe this far out. The magic was weighing him down like rocks upon his shoulders. He thought about what Kera had said. She didn't want him dead. He didn't know why that made him feel better. Maybe it was because he thought he might need help on the other side and she was the one keeping an eye on his vitals.
The last fucking thing he needed was for her to have a vendetta against him while he was on the edge of the Veil. She could cut him off before he knew anything was wrong.
The trail was getting easier to see.
He was wary, but he was also just excited to put this all to rest. He wasn't thinking about the consequences, about the what ifs, or about whether it was a good idea to keeping chasing a Mekiah that seemed to know what they were doing.
That was his first mistake.
Cassius tugged on the Mekiah's magic. It wrapped around his right arm, fitting closely to his own magic as if it belonged there. Puzzled, he stared as his magic wrapped around the Mekiah's magic, absorbing it. He was dumbstruck as the light blue faded into his dark purple.
"Finally."
Cassius startled as a black mass moved on his left.
He jumped back just as a long scythe cut through the air. Light blue streaks of magic blinded his vision for a second. The blue lingered in the air.
"Fuck," he gasped out. He stared wide eyed at the Mekiah standing in front of him.
The Mekiah was tall. Taller than Cassius. His eyes were light blue, made even brighter by the dark shade of his skin. He had long curly dark brown hair that was similar to Cassius's except that it was longer.
The Mekiah was dressed all in black. It wasn't a uniform that Cassius recognized. He couldn't say that it was civilian clothing either.
The scythe that the Mekiah was carrying definitely stood out. Especially when it had almost cut Cassius into two.
The Mekiah swung the scythe over his shoulder. He stared back at Cassius. His blue eyes were annoying.
Cassius gritted his teeth. "Were you expecting me?"
Cocky Mekiahs weren't as bad as cocky Exterus. Though, they still pissed Cassius off.
The Mekiah shrugged his shoulders. He looked disinterested.
"I might have been. I know you've been looking for me." A dark grin stretched over his mouth. "Cassius."
Cassius felt his heart go cold. He couldn't breathe for a moment. The blue magic was getting closer. He didn't like that it was already wrapped up in his own magic. It wasn't like when Mica's magic had found a place along side his. This was like a parasite trying to make itself a home.
He tried not to panic as he dislodged his magic from the Mekiah's. It wasn't easy. The blue magic was growing tighter on his own. He looked down at his arms. They were glowing purple and blue. He looked back at the Mekiah.
His grin was bigger. His blue eyes were glowing as well.
"Alright. Enough talking. I've been waiting to cut your head off since I heard the demons talking about you. You've picked the wrong side of the war, Elmute."
Elmute.
Cassius had no idea what it meant, but by the way the Mekiah had said it, it wasn't a compliment.
Cassius didn't know what to say. His mouth opened as if he knew what he was doing though that was far from the truth. The Mekiah swung the scythe over his head. The blue flashed through the air. The dark Veil seemed to get darker. Cassius couldn't tell if it was his eyes or if the Mekiah was doing something to affect the area around them.
The Veil could be influenced by magic and emotions just like the Third Eye could be influenced by thoughts and information. However, a change as big as this wasn't exactly something that Cassius had experienced or ever heard about.
That being said, he didn't exactly know of any Mekiah that wielded a black scythe like he had a vengeance against the entire world.
The fire and anger reflected in those light blue eyes was as dangerous as a wild animal. Cassius felt his own anger and disgust surge up. They were two burning flames causing the other to burn hotter.
The scythe slashed through the air. Cassius backflipped. He landed in a crouch. He threw out his magic in the shape of a rope. It wrapped around the Mekiah's torso, trapping the base of the scythe between the Mekiah and his magic. He tugged it tight. The strand quivered as it met the Mekiah's magic.
The Mekiah bared their teeth at Cassius. "Come on. This is embarrassing."
The Mekiah rolled his eyes. He struggled for a moment with Cassius's makeshift ropes. He burst out of the restraints.
The purple strands fell down like confetti. They were torn to shreds.
Cassius felt a sharp pain in his arms. When he looked down, he saw the light blue magic tightening on his arms and legs like thin wire. His heart started to pound in his chest.
He looked away from the terrifying sight. He glared at the smirking Mekiah.
"Who the fuck are you?"
The Mekiah didn't answer him at first. He took another swing at Cassius. The blade sliced through Cassius's uniform. It wasn't the best thing to have on, even if it was magically enchanted. There was no metal plating. Exterus were to cocky when it came to their magic. They thought it was bullet proof.
Cassius cursed the fuckers that thought arming a Tracker with just fabric was a good idea. He hoped the curse would find them and make their life a living hell—their children too.
He stumbled back. His hand slapped over the wound. He looked at the cut. The blood stained the already black fabric. When he pulled his hand away, blood painted his fingertips. He swallowed hard. The lump in his throat didn't go away.
He was fucked. It wasn't like him to give up so early on. It was just something in his stomach that made him realize that the Mekiah wasn't even close to showing his full potential.
He was egging Cassius on.
And for some goddamn reason, Cassius let him.
He fell for the same tactic he used on others. The Mekiah was like a reflection of himself and though Cassius could see it, he ignored it like the idiot he was.
With all his might, he pictured his magic morphing into a long blade. It was over exaggerated and if he saw someone else try to use it he would have laughed.
The handle was simple and so was the blade. It was a light silver, glinting even when there was no light source. His purple magic made it glow. It pulsed as if it had a heartbeat. He could feel it like it was connected to his own. In some way, it was. His magic was a part of him as much as any other organ.
He gazed at it. It floated in the air, heading toward him. It all seem to happen in slow motion, as if time was suspended in the air just like the sword, but it was all happening in a split second.
He grabbed the handle. The weight surprised him. All of it surprised him. He didn't know he could do this, but he shouldn't be surprised by the thing he was doing when he could connect to the Third Eye.
When he grasped it, he felt a click inside of him. Not exactly a click, but something that made him feel complete.
He didn't get much time to think about it because the Mekiah flew toward him.
The scythe shined. It was all he saw before the scythe collided with his sword.
The metals grated against one another. Cassius bit the inside of his lip as he was pushed back by the Mekiah's full weight and strength. His feet slid across the ground. Blood filled his mouth, but the pain never came. He narrowed his eyes on the Mekiah's.
He pushed the scythe away. The Mekiah didn't stumble. He moved away as if it was his doing. The smirk had faded. Cassius was glad at least that he was making the Mekiah work.
Cassius sent a signal out to Kera and the others. His magic spiked. He was light headed, but he couldn't do anything about it. He needed everyone to know that he'd found the Mekiah. They had to be ready to pull him out of the Veil.
Mattius better be fucking ready to keep this Mekiah in check.
The Mekiah was proving to be a lot more difficult to keep a hold of. Even when Cassius was at his full capable power, he had trouble keeping up with him.
He was trying to not let the Mekiah's words distract him, but it wasn't exactly working. All that was on his thoughts as he dodged another attack and swung his sword at the Mekiah was what the Mekiah knew about him and the demon.
Did he know about the girl as well? And what war was he talking about? Was it connected to what Mica had told him earlier?
His thoughts lowered his ability.
He saw an opening when the Mekiah charged at him. His eyes focused on the Mekiah's chest. He plunged his sword to the side of the Mekiah. They wanted him alive. He didn't know what this Mekiah was. He definitely was a soldier by the way he fought.
Yet, the scythe was an unusual weapon.
Somehow, he missed.
Cassius's eyes widened as he saw the blade curve to the side. The Mekiah had moved at the last second.
Cassius fell to the ground. He rolled onto his back. His sword disintegrated before it hit the floor, the magic manifesting it puffing out into smoke. He gaped at where it had been and then looked up at the Mekiah.
The Mekiah stood above Cassius. He pushed the blade of the scythe to Cassius's neck.
"This is the end of the road for you."
Just as the blade was about to slit his throat, he was yanked out of the Veil.
He screamed as he appeared into the chair next to Kera. He thrashed when she moved toward him.
He was a fucking idiot! Did he just let that dumb Mekiah escape again?
"You found them, didn't you?" She was just staring down at him.
He glared at her. "Get me the fuck out of this chair."
She didn't move.
"Kera. Unstrap him."
Mica was at his side now. He'd almost forgotten who was going to be waiting for him when he got back. He looked around the room finding Levi and Mattius looking not as bothered as he was.
Of course they weren't. This was his fucking job. Though they were all pressed to get this stupid job done, it was him that was messing it up.
He couldn't say why he was so fucking mad about screwing things up. Maybe it was just the way that Mekiah had looked at him. Like he was nothing but a speck of dirt on the ground. Like he wasn't any threat.
Kera ripped the straps off of him. He ignored her glare. He didn't give a fuck about her empty threats.
Mica stopped him, grabbing his shoulder.
Cassius jumped at the touch.
"What happened?"
When Cassius looked at Mica, he hated how he could feel the concern.
He curled his lip and pushed Mica's hand off.
"I think you already fucking know."
And when Cassius didn't see the same spark of anger he'd first seen in Mica's eyes when they met, it made his failure all the more bitter.