Chapter 154 DEATH
LUCIEN’S POINT OF VIEW.
Death.
It was a funny concept. I’d grown enamoured and fearful of the strange entity ever since little me clutched the lifeless hands of my mother. From that moment on, I’d harboured a deep-seated dread and hatred for it.
It never made sense to me. How a person would be one moment breathing, laughing, crying, full of life….and in the next, just ice cold, and stiff. That was the state of my body at the moment; ice cold and stiff after the sound of Eldric’s scream, followed by that of Ace, and Valerian hit the air.
I couldn’t bring myself to scream anymore…..All I heard was the silence that followed.
The silence that followed wasn’t real.
It was too silent.
Like the world itself had forgotten how to end.
I swear I thought I was in hell….I thought I’d died, and this was my personal hell. There was blood… so much blood; and I couldn’t bring myself to breathe any longer for a moment as I glared into the sight before me.
I could still hear the grinder; that endless metallic growl, chewing through flesh and bone long after it stopped spinning. I could still see her—Sloane—crumpled on the floor, blood streaked across her temple, her chest rising and falling in stuttered, broken gasps resembling my haunted ones.
And then it clicked…..dead people don’t gasp….they don’t even breathe….that could only mean…..
Alive.
She was alive.
“G-g-g-get the medics in here!” I screamed a stutter, rising from my kneeling position and practically flying, even on shaky legs, to pull her from Eldric’s hold. With a grunt, I pulled her far away from the still whirling grinder and kicked his gun away.
I could hear and see the police sweep in instantly, but all I could focus on was the girl in my arms. My reason for still breathing. My hands were trembling as I pressed them against the different parts of her blood-stained body, checking, feeling, searching for any injuries or anything that would jeopardise her life.
With a shudder, I held my breath and placed my hand directly on her chest in search of any other signal of life. It felt like forever, but the moment I felt it, I finally felt oxygen enter my lungs again. Her heartbeat thudded against my palm in weak beats, but at the same time, they were steady.
I nearly broke apart right there.
No, I did. My sob tore from my lips before I could stop it, followed by the endless stream of tears.
“Don’t you dare,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You hear me, Sloane? Don’t you dare leave me now.”
“Lucien….” I heard her whisper, but she sounded so far away. So I started practising CPR, my hands pushed on her chest frantically, while my lips muttered and begged to the lord to spare her life… to please not take her away from me.
Because I already learned that the angels don’t accept candy bribes….if Sloane di…..if she doesn’t make it, I'd go with her….nothing would matter without her.
“Lu…”
I swallowed hard, pressing my forehead against hers for a moment. “Yeah, I’m here. It’s over, angel. It’s over.”
“Lucien, hey.” She whispered again, but this time with her small hand grabbing onto mine, halting my chest thrusts in the process.
I finally brought myself to look at her face again, trying to look past the blood smeared across her cheeks and forehead as her lips moved in a whisper. “I’m okay….” Her voice was weak, as if she pulled all the strength in her body to utter those words.
“No,,,, blood….s-s-s-so much blood,” I whispered in a stutter, my tongue felt too heavy to say anything else. All I could see was red; the violent splash of blood the moment Eldric stumbled and fell into the grinder…..I could barely get the image out of my mind.
“It’s not mine…..it’s not my blood, my love.” I could hardly believe it.
“No, you're only saying that to pacify me….. there's too much blood for it not to be yours….it’s certainly yours. What the hell are the medics fucking doing, damnit?!” I roared, shooting them a glare in their direction, only to see that they were not there anymore.
“What the hell?”
“Sir….we need you to move away from her so we can do a thorough check-up.” I heard someone speak….the medics. They were here beside us all along.
“The only way anyone will get her away from me is after my arms have been fucking cut off. Check on her while I’m here.” I ordered, relishing the sound of Sloane’s weak snicker. It made me smile, although sadly.
“Lucien….” Ace called, but I didn’t dare look away from Sloane or the medical team. “It’s Eldric….he’s….” he trailed off, causing me to give him a reaction, but I still didn’t look away from Sloane as the medics wiped the blood off her face, lifted her from the sandy floors onto the gurney. I didn’t hesitate; I followed them instantly.
“Lucien,” Ace called again, forcing me to glare at him and look away from Sloane.
“What is it? I don’t care about that bastard; he might as well rot in death for all I care.” I snapped.
“Listen, he isn’t dead… by some crazy plot twist,” He said, and I thought it was some sick joke.
But it wasn’t.
Because I could hear him release a pained groan. And sure enough, when I looked in his direction….he was very alive, and glaring at me.
When my eyes drifted lower, the sight nearly made me vomit. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, his legs—
No….they weren’t legs anymore. Not really. The grinder had taken them from the knees down. His hands clawed helplessly at the floor as he tried to drag himself forward, leaving a smeared red trail behind him. The police stood around him, their very loaded rifles pointing at his head.
“You… you did this!” he spat, with his teeth gritted, his once immaculate suit now soaked in gore. “You took everything from me!”
“No,” I said quietly, my hand curling into a fist. “You did that all by yourself.”
His laughter came out strangled and broken, but for some reason, I liked it. Because I knew he would not survive what would come to him, not if I lived anyway. “You think you’ve won? You think she’ll stay after this? You’re your father’s son, Lucien. And sons like you, tainted with a soul as dark as yours…they always, and I mean always, ruin what they claim to love.”
Something inside me snapped.
I don’t even remember moving; I just remember the feel of my hand gripping his collar, the blood staining my skin, the fury coursing through me like poison, and his hiss of pain as he glared at me.
“You don’t get to speak about her ever again; not after what you’ve fucking done,” I growled, shoving him back down, his head cracking against the concrete. “You don’t get to breathe in the same world as them ever again, but I’ll honour their wish and let the law take care of this instead.”
He tried to laugh, but the sound he released came out as a gurgle of pain. “You’ll see, boy. You’ll see I was right. The apple never—”
“—falls far from the fucking tree, motherfucker,” I finished for him, my voice dead cold. “I know.”
I let go of his collar and directed without breaking eye contact with him. “Take care of the fucker, and this time, make sure he’s locked up forever. Let him rot like the roach he is.”
“Yes, sir.” They grunted in response, and with that, I turned around, choosing to believe this chapter is closed forever.
……….
About forty-five minutes later, we arrived at the hospital, and sure enough, the entire gang was there… including Seraphina and Theo. I relaxed at the sight of both of them.
“Hey,” I whispered and pulled him in a hug. “What happened?”
“I’ll explain later, but first, let’s take care of Sloane.” I nodded and followed the team of nurses and doctors as they wheeled my mother away.
“Everything will be okay,” Sloane whispered, and yet again, guilt twisted in my stomach like a fucking knife. Because I should be the one reassuring her, not the other way around. But before I could say anything else, her eyes fluttered shut, and her hand that once held onto mine went limp.