Page 19 of Reaper

I nodded my head, my lips quivering and my throat so tightly constricted it hurt.

“Close your eyes until you hear the small beep confirming they are active,” Reaper said. “Then open them when you feel ready.”

I nodded again, unable to speak a word. I closed my eyes, and the sound of my own tensed breathing seemed to multiply in the temporary darkness. With infinite care, my Reaper—my Sun—placed the devices on the healed ports on my temples. When the usual pain failed to manifest itself, my shoulders and my entire body—which I hadn’t noticed had tensed—relaxed.

Heart pounding, I extended my hands towards him. He took them without hesitation. Hanging on tightly as if my life depended on it, I slowly opened my eyes before closing them again, the brightness of the room blinding me. It took a few seconds of me batting my eyelashes quickly to adjust to the light. I had known my eyesight wouldn’t be fully restored, but I had not expected this miracle.

Gone were the faceless, ghostly, monochromatic silhouettes that had become the standard for me. He was still blurry, but I could now see some of the details on a face that had previously been a blank mask. It was like staring at someone a short distance away underwater.

I stared in awe at Reaper’s face. Now that I could see him more clearly, his Kryptid heritage was undeniable. Aside from his crescent moon horn that I’d already been well aware of, his inhumanly large, slightly slanted, almond-shaped, multifaceted eyes, identical to those of the bugs, should have frightened me. But instead of making him terrifying, they gave him a mysterious edge that I found mesmerizing. It was no doubt due to the beautiful harmony of his otherwise human face, with the straight nose I remembered outlining with my fingertips, and a wide mouth with full lips that smiled gently at me.

I then noticed the little bumps in an almost perfect line along his shoulders. I had felt them before under my arms when I had hugged him or held on to him while he flew me out of the base. But I had assumed them to be part of his armor. Now that I could see one protruding from under his black shirt, I realized they were a part of him. They almost looked like bone spikes certain lizards possessed.

Or certain Dragons…

“You’re so beautiful,” I said, the words half-choked as tears spilled out of my eyes. “My Sun… I see you…”

I saw him stiffen, a horrified expression descending upon his face just as I was throwing myself into his arms. He remained frozen for a moment while I cried on his shoulder before his own arms finally closed hesitantly around me.

“Yourson?” Reaper asked, shock and something akin to outrage seeping into his voice.

I nodded against his neck, still weeping. I didn’t have the words to express what he meant to me right this instant. So, I once more projected the image of the sun growing from my heart and swallowing him.

“Ooooh! Thesun! Right…” Reaper exclaimed.

I instinctively knew that he hadn’t truly understood, but however he’d interpreted what I’d said seemed to pacify him. That was all that mattered. His arms tightened around me, and he gently caressed my hair until I finally calmed down and regained my bearings.

“Sorry for crying all over your shirt,” I said, sniffling.

Reaper laughed. “You can cry on me whenever you want. Although I hope you will never have any reasons to, unless they are tears of joy.”

I smiled but was once more annoyed when Jessica stepped in to ask me questions about how I felt and what I saw. It was unfair to the sweet brunette who had gone out of her way to make me better. For some silly reason, I felt overly possessive and territorial as far as my time with Reaper was concerned.

Brees can tell you exactly why that is.

Pushing aside my wandering thoughts, I focused on the Medical Officer’s words, grateful for her simple, concise, and straightforward questions that didn’t require elaborate answers. I still felt very shaky with vocal speech and suspected it would last for a while.

Finally satisfied, she pushed Reaper out of the room to help me put some clothes on. Although it was currently too big for me, the black, above-the-knee-length dress with an embroidered golden dragon on the shoulder was beautiful. It matched the Vanguard uniform colors the other team members wore. As I looked at myself in the mirror and then at Jessica next to me, I realized how scrawny and gaunt I’d become.

“You are a very beautiful woman, Janelle,” Jessica suddenly said as if she’d read the grim thoughts that had crossed my mind. “And a strong one, too. You may be a little skinny right now, but that will be fixed in a few weeks. Maybe even less with the help of the nanites. Once we get back to Khepri, I will take you on the craziest shopping spree of your life.”

I blinked in confusion. “Shopping spree?”

Jessica flinched, then gave me an apologetic look. “Of course, you wouldn’t know what a shopping mall is. Well, it’s this huge building filled with nice things you might want. You can find things like dresses and clothes of every shape, style, and color, amazing shoes, and beautiful ornaments for your hair. And spas…! Girl, you have no idea all the wonders you are about to discover. You have suffered a long time, but your new life is starting now. And we’re all going to make sure you enjoy it fully.”

My lips quivered, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to well up. This concept of freedom exhilarated me as much as it terrified me. The base had been a suffocating prison, but now the outside world seemed too big, too vast, too free. I feared I would get lost in it and wander aimlessly, never finding my way home.

“You are not alone, you hear me?” Jessica insisted. “You will never be alone. We are your family now. And Reaper cares so very much for you. He willalwaysbe there for you. So, don’t be afraid of anything. You have us now.”

“Thank you,” I said, grateful for her kindness and the gentle way in which she drew me into her arms and hugged me.

It wasn’t a maternal embrace, and yet…

“If you ever need someone to talk to about anything: your hopes, your fears, or whatever confuses you about this new world, never hesitate to talk to me. I would love for you to think of me as a sister. The women of the Vanguard are all sisters.”

“But I’m not of the Vanguard,” I said in a small voice.

Jessica gave me a knowing smile that left me even more confused.

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