95 | FOLLOWING ORDERS

Fire streams into me from Nikki’s touch, scoring down into me and right through my skull and into my spine. From there, the overwhelming power surges sharply into the sore area in me and washes through it. Someone screams…and I’m pretty sure it’s me.

My brain seems to liquify as time and space vibrate apart and then sharply back into one. Every cell in my body hums and crackles with the force of being super-glued back together by whatever power Nikki is pushing through me. The heat wars in me, fighting against my vampire and Wolven sides until the three mesh together in a maelstrom of conflicted pieces. There are parts that feel like they shatter and reform, others that simply overlay on top of others. But it all snaps and shudders through me in a few milliseconds before everything settles.

I’m curled up tightly in Blue’s arms, my face buried in his neck and clinging tightly to him. I can feel his hands on my back, rubbing comforting circles into my aching muscles, and hear his words - both verbally and in my mind - whispering soothingly.

“I apologize for that unpleasantness.” Nikki tells me, her voice light, but tight. My body shudders again, but the shock of pain has died out to the normal aches of healing. I can feel the familiar itch of cells repairing themselves, bruises mostly, from places I don’t recall getting hit at. I press my nose against Blue’s throat, taking long breaths of his scent to soothe myself as my emotions slowly settle.

If I could just lock us away for eternity, never have to fight another day of my life or deal with another issue, I would. But I know that can’t ever be part of my reality. I have my mate, the end of the world, and now a Pack to think about. I have duties and responsibilities. I readjust my body against Blue’s, pressing myself closer to him and trying to exist in the few moments of peace I find in him.

“Can’t this wait?” Blue growls at Nikki over my shoulder, his possessive hold over me tightening with the surge of my fear.

“I’m afraid not…” Nikki sighs, and I hear something scrape against the ground. “Scarlett’s abilities have provoked an old response among the Celestials,” Nikki explains, and I glance at her over my shoulder. The woman in white looks more gaunt than ever, the edges and lines of her face seem more pronounce, olive skin pale. Today, her eyes are a pale yellow with shocking flecks of black. She’s sitting. Actually sitting in a chair made of dark smoke. The whips of darkness float off the seemingly corporeal chair. “Dear, you have prompted the instant-kill protocol.”

“What the hell is an instant-kill protocol?” Blue growls, his arms tightening around me protectively. The deep vibrations in his chest don’t stop when he stops speaking, and I can feel the wolf in him stalking closer and closer to the surface.

“It doesn’t sound good.” I croak in a whisper, though I try to speak normally.

“When you used the vampiric ability this last time, you strained time.” Nikki tells me, ignoring Blue’s question. “There have not been many instances where mortals have had the ability to control time the way you do. Increments of a few seconds are normally fine. The don’t affect the fabric of the universe, but…” She trails off, gesturing at me as I nod jerkily.

“I pulled too hard.” I mutter under my breath, recalling the dark-hooded figure that creeped on me a few times when I was too rough with the chords. “There was a being in black-”

“Yes. That was the portion of Death that was on duty at the time-”

“Hold on, Death?” Blue sputters, his arms becoming painful as he squeezes me. I let out a huffing-groan and he immediately eases up a few degrees, but keeps me wrapped in his embrace.

“Portion of Death?” I repeat Nikki’s phrasing with a narrow-eyed look. “I thought you were Death.” I admit.

“I am…part of Death. One half of the whole.” Nikki hedges, blanching a little and giving me a strained look. “I can only tell you that I was not the one who was there. That was my associate. My partner. Together, we are Death.” She explains, her eyebrows drawing together.

“Hm.” I hum, feeling my stomach knot painfully as I absorb that.

“What is an instant-kill protocol?” Blue grits out again.

“It is what it sounds like.” Nikki sighs, closing her eyes as her forehead smooths back out. “If there was ever a case where someone or something was in danger of damaging time or space, there was a protocol put in place. Over the millennia, there have been few instances where the protocol has been activated in order to preserve life on Earth.”

“Like?” I croak weakly, having the horrible feeling I know what she’s about to say.

“The humans called it the Ice Age.” Nikki mutters, her eyes dropping to the ground. “Another was an indirect cause of plagues.” She raises her eyes to mine. “There have been problems with the protocol being activated, but time is not the same in our realm. A week here can be a day where most Celestial beings reside. Sometimes, the difference is more dramatic, sometimes less.” She explains. “There are some who are working to rewrite the protocol, but it stands for now.”

“What does that mean for Red?” Blue growls at Nikki, his voice becoming distorted. I run my fingers through his hair to try to soothe him, but he’s getting more worked-up by the moment.

“If Scarlett cannot control her impulses when she interacts with time, she will be eliminated.” Nikki states plainly, somberly. “We have no choice when it comes to the rulings of Celestials, Scarlett. If you cannot take the proper precautions while interacting with time, you will be seen as a threat to the fabric of time and be Reaped by Death.” I cringe at her last words. “I do not wish you any harm, but it is not up to me or my partner. Neither of us can go against the decree.”

“It almost killed me.” I tell her softly, recalling the long thing with the pointy blade in the hands of the other black-hooded Ancient.

“He did not have a choice.” Nikki tells me in an emotionless voice, but her face looks ten years older than it last seemed. “When there is a decree involved, our scythes drive us to react, even against our own wills.”

“Scythes.” I repeat the word, letting the weight of it hit my tongue. It feels bitter and heavy. “I’m not ready to die yet.” I admit softly, swallowing back the fear that’s threatening to over-take me. I blink hard as my eyes sting and my vision blurs with an onslaught of tears. “What can I do?” Blue’s not growling anymore, but his hold on me hasn’t released either.

“I recommend you do not use your abilities at all where time is concerned.” Nikki sighs wearily. “At the present moment, there simply isn’t the time for me to give you proper instruction on self-control. I have to look in on the future and monitor the impact your last tampering with the fabric of the universe has caused.” I flinch at that, knowing she doesn’t mean point out my failings, but I feel the sting from her words anyway.

“There are also more pressing matters I must be attending to,” She gives another, much longer sigh. “I’m afraid we have both miscalculated.” She gives me a weary smile, and for a moment, I can see just how tired the Ancient must be. Her posture is so lax I hadn’t even noticed she’s been practically reclining in the chair of darkness under her.

“I can’t live my life in a bubble, Nikki.” I tell the Ancient honestly. “I’ve got my Pack to help now, and if the Revenant comes back, I’m going to need to defend them.”

“Yes, there is that.” Nikki agrees, slowly sitting back up. “I recommend you speak with the Queen of the United States Vampire Court and see if there is anything more she can do to stabilize the situation.” I nod to Nikki, knowing Ryker’s been debriefing me every couple of days, but that had been before the Pack thing. I need to talk to my cousin about that and get things back on track where the rest of the Events are concerned. A headache threats to pulse to life on the left side of my head and my stomach groans with hunger.

*Okay, food first. Maybe some blood, too. Then I’ll need to video-chat with Ryker and Mina, call Paris, Mom, and check in on Darklight with either Dr. Chambers himself or Shola*. In the back of my head, I make a secondary list, making sure to include talking to my Pack, Darine, and Hale. The last part of my to-do-lists include making sure I don’t flunk out of my senior year by missing any more school and looking out for the acceptance letter to college.

“Alright, well,” I groan as the pain in my skull grows with the weight of everything I need to get done. “I’ll call you if I have anything to report, but I think we should try to make a standing-meeting for updates from now on.” I tell the Ancient. “I know you’ve got stuff going on, but I think we can at least try something monthly.” I interject before she can speak. Nikki pauses, her lips parting as she seems to think it over, then simply nods and vanishes - taking the dark chair with her.