Chapter 5: Saviors
Reese's POV
Boom.
The ground shook, and suddenly, everything was swallowed by a thick fog. I coughed, struggling to see anything past the white curtain that dropped out of nowhere. My instincts screamed that something—or someone—was coming.
"Who's there?" the white-haired girl snapped, her hand still hovering inches from Paicey's stomach. My heart thudded. No, no, not Paicey.
"If this is one of you girls trying to save her, you're too late. I'm going to kill your sister—"
"Ahhhhh!"
A scream tore through the silence, echoing so loud it cut through my bones. Then, a voice. Familiar. Deep. Confident.
"Take your hand off of my woman."
No. It couldn't be.
As the fog cleared, I blinked, and there he was—Percy. In all his ridiculous princely pink glory, holding Paicey like she was a treasure he finally reclaimed. My mouth dropped open.
"Percy?" Valerie whispered what we were all thinking.
And just when I thought I'd had enough surprises for the day—
"Why are you lying down on the ground, Kitten?"
That voice.
Raiden.
I didn't even have time to roll my eyes before he showed up beside me, cool as ever, sliding his arm around my waist like he had every right to. Which he absolutely did not. I instinctively rested my arm over his shoulder as I tried to steady myself, feeling too exhausted to argue.
"What are you doing here, Raiden?" I asked, glaring at him while my knees trembled.
He gave me that infuriating smile. "Well, I was going to say 'to rescue you,' but you wouldn't believe that. So let's just say we came here for her." He pointed at the white-haired psycho who now had one arm less than before.
The second she summoned a sword to retaliate, blades came raining down from the sky like a divine punishment.
And then—
"Yuan!" Yasha's voice cracked, her eyes wide with disbelief and relief. I turned to see her boyfriend standing tall, face twisted with fury. He didn't even hesitate before hurling more swords at the girl, who Raiden called—
"Selene," Yuan spat.
So that's her name. Selene, the girl who almost killed our youngest sister. Noted.
And yet, despite the pain, the wounds, and the blood, Selene deflected them all. My gut twisted. She was stronger than she looked.
And just when I thought we were done with surprises, that annoying voice that my sister hated with all her soul spoke up.
I turned my head just in time to see Valerie rolling her eyes. "Yeah, it is amusing seeing you like this," the boy laughed. I had half a mind to punch him myself.
He offered her a hand. Valerie just glared at it.
Then—of course—she tried to stand on her own. Classic Valerie. Only to almost fall again—classic Valerie again. I was already cringing when he caught her, and of course his hand landed there. She turned the color of a tomato.
"What did you expect, dummy?" I muttered under my breath, though I couldn't help but grin a little.
The guy whispered something too low for me to catch, and then—oh for heaven's sake—he carried her bridal style. Valerie actually yelped.
That yelp would haunt her for life.
We all stared as he walked with her towards the enemy. Valerie was still pounding his chest, though clearly getting nowhere. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Let me down."
"Just shut up," he said firmly, and—shockingly—she did.
Then I saw it: butterflies in the air, shimmering with illusion. So he's a magic user too?
Valerie, curious as always, asked the obvious. "Are you an illusionist?"
He looked at her. Valerie stared. I could tell she was fighting an internal crisis, and I knew exactly what that meant.
She was starting to fall for him.
Oh no.
Then, she gasped quietly, realization hitting her as her mouth dropped open.
She'd voiced her thoughts out loud again.
Classic Valerie.
And of course, he laughed—he actually laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. The boy was enjoying her misery.
And then, as if to kill her right then and there from embarrassment—he kissed her forehead.
I groaned, watching Valerie's stunned face.
"Yup," I muttered under my breath. "She's doomed."