He could feel the dead people under his feet.He could always feel the dead around him, but it had never been so strong.It felt as if he reached out, he’d be able to ask them to help even without touching them, maybe even to control them.He never would’ve attempted to do something like that normally, but today, he didn’t stop himself.He had to avenge Oscar, and he couldn’t do that by himself.He wasn’t physically strong enough.
He didn’t need to be.
His ability wrapped around the bodies buried in the ground.Cyril pulled, and he felt them react.Some were confused, while others wanted to see what was happening.None of them had a choice.Cyril was in control, and for once, he didn’t hesitate to use that control.He was sure he’d hate what he was doing by the time this was over, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now.
He needed Helena gone.
A hand suddenly appeared through a crack in the ground.It wasn’t far, but it was far enough away that Cyril didn’t need to move.He watched a skeleton wearing strips of fabric that had once been clothes push itself out of the ground.He knew that this had been a woman called Natalie.He could tell.
He didn’t stop Natalie when she ambled in Helena’s direction.Instead, he watched as more people joined her.Helena was staring, visibly shocked, but she took a step back as if realizing that things weren’t looking good for her.
Cyril felt like he was on the outside looking in.He knew he was the one controlling these people—there couldn’t be anyone else because he was the only necromancer here—but he didn’t feel like he was.They were obeying his emotions, not explicit orders.He wanted Helena gone, and they were willing to take care of it.He wasn’t sure how much he was controlling them and how much it was free will, but the thought of doing so even slightly made him want to puke.The thought of losing the people he loved made him want to die, though, so he only hesitated for a moment.He needed the deceased to take care of Helena and her team, to chase them from his life and make sure they never returned.
He wasn’t surprised when a small group of bodies swarmed Helena’s team.John had been working on untying Cyril’s mother where she was sitting against a headstone, and he pulled her away just in time so she wasn’t pushed down by three dead men who looked like they could’ve been football players when they were alive.They were rushing in the direction of the woman who manipulated darkness, but she didn’t see them coming because she was already fighting with two of the bodies Cyril had reanimated.
Without touching them.
The dead were pushing their way up from the ground everywhere Cyril looked.By the time he was pretty sure no more of them would come, he’d assembled a small army.
Something warm trickled from his nose.He cradled Oscar’s skull against his chest and reached up, only mildly surprised to see blood staining his fingers when he glanced down at them.Vale wasn’t going to be happy with him.He always scolded him when he pushed himself too far, and he was definitely doing that right now.
It didn’t matter.As weak as he felt, as much as he hated taking advantage of people who should be peacefully resting, this was the only way to save the people he cared about.He didn’t know what these people thought of him using his ability on them, but he knew that if he was dead and someone needed him to protect the people they loved, he’d help.
This was the only way he could help protect Valentine, his Vale, and the others.This was the only way he could hopefully save Oscar.He needed Helena to be a thing of the past, and the sooner that happened, the better it would be for everyone involved.
His head was starting to hurt, but he pushed more of his power into the deceased people helping him.They surrounded the man who had the ability to neutralize his necromancy.The poor man was doing his best to save himself, but he wasn’t fast enough.For every body he managed to take down, two more crowded him.Cyril was intrigued by the man, and he hadn’t really done anything to hurt Cyril or his friends, but he was working with Helena and the Organization.Cyril didn’t feel guilty.
He couldn’t afford to feel anything for these people.They were willing to hurt Vale.They wanted to use Cyril’s necromancer ability.They weren’t good people, even though they weren’t in charge.They hadn’t thought anything of kidnapping Cyril’s mother and his best friend.
They were going to pay for that.All of them would.
* * * *
VALE HAD NO IDEA WHATwas happening, but he knew it was happening because of Cyril.As soon as he recovered from the shock of being surrounded by dead bodies in various stages of decomposition, he turned his attention to his boyfriend.He knew that Cyril needed him.
He was right, but not for the reasons he’d thought.Helena was turning toward Cyril, her gun aimed at him.Cyril didn’t notice it.He was staring at a group of deceased bodies crowding a member of Helena’s team.Vale was too far away, though.There was nothing he could do to stop Helena, even if he threw himself between her and Cyril.
Was he about to lose his boyfriend?
“Cyril!”he yelled, but Cyril didn’t even flinch.He didn’t look at Vale, and he certainly didn’t look in Helena’s direction.
Thankfully, Vale wasn’t the only one who cared about Cyril.John suddenly appeared, his gun in his hand.He hit Helena upside the head, then took a step back and hesitated as if he was wondering if he should kill her.Vale wanted to yell at him to do it, but it wasn’t John’s job.Valewas supposed to kill Helena and make sure that she would never come after him and the people he loved ever again.
He struggled to breathe through the pain as he started moving.He was going to do this.He was going to make sure Helena wasn’t a danger anymore.
He didn’t get time to do it.Cyril’s head snapped in Helena’s direction seconds after she crumbled to the ground.She fell to her knees and was already trying to get back to her feet when the first dead body reached her and pushed her back down.Vale watched in horror as she was swarmed by more bodies than he could count.The area where Helena had been standing became a mess of desiccated limbs and rotting clothes.Vale was pretty sure he saw someone’s hair slip down and fall to the ground between two graves.It turned his stomach, or maybe that was the pain and the blood loss.He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t think it mattered.
There was nothing more to do when it came to Helena.She tried to fight her way out of the swarm of dead bodies for a few seconds, then the screaming started.Even though Vale hated her, he had to resist the urge to go and help her.This wouldn’t be a gentle death.
She hadn’t intended Vale’s death to be gentle, either.Maybe he should feel more guilty for not helping her, but he was past that when it came to Helena.The world was a better place now that she was gone, and hopefully, her death meant that the Organization would stay away from Vale now.He’d shown them that he could and would defend himself by any means necessary.
Since there was nothing Vale could or wanted to do for Helena, he turned his attention back to his boyfriend.Cyril was staring at the swarm of bodies, and he looked a bit queasy.There was blood dripping from his nose, and he was swaying slightly.As much as it hurt, Vale started to move again.He had to get to his boyfriend.He was supposed to protect and help him.He’d failed Cyril more times than he could count already, but he wouldn’t continue doing so.
Vale took shaky steps toward Cyril.He held onto the headstones he walked past, relieved that Cyril wasn’t far away.Eventually, he was close enough that he could let go and fall to his knees.
From up close, Cyril looked even worse.The blood dripping from his nose was everywhere, from Cyril’s clothes to his hands to Oscar, whom he was cradling against his chest.The pet wasn’t moving, and Vale was pretty sure that Oscar was dead—for real this time.
Vale flopped down on his ass and wrapped an arm around Cyril’s shoulders.Cyril was startled and jerked away, eyes wide as he turned to look at Vale.It took a few seconds for him to realize who Vale was, and when he did, he slumped against Vale’s chest.
