The Last Dainv-Chapter 155

The Last Dainv-Chapter 155

"That's cute," the woman in black smiled. "My turn."
She flicked two fingers up.
Oliver flew backward. He hit the wall hard, cracking the drywall. Before he could get up, she flicked again to the right. He shot sideways into the opposite wall.
"Is that all, boy?" she said. "Come on, give me something to work with."
Oliver got to his feet. Blood dripped from his nose. Pressure inside him built up again. He focused on the ceiling panel, tearing it loose and then dropping it on the woman's head.
She looked up at the panel that was falling on her. The panel stopped mid-air and then compressed inwards on itself.
"What else?" she said.
Oliver grabbed everything he could with telekinesis. The door, chunks of wall, the light panels, tiles on the floor, trash cans were thrown like rain at the woman. The debris would've killed anything and anyone that was normal. However, the thing in front of him was anything but normal.
The woman just stood there. All the objects hung in mid air for a second when they reached a threshold in front of her. Another second, they fell onto the floor.
"My grandfather hit me harder than you when I was a child," she said. "And he's been dead for over 300 years!"
Oliver charged at her which also surprised him. There was no plan, just desperation at this point to get past her. Get out, then get back to Cassie.
The woman sighed and lifted up her hand in a sudden movement.
Frozen. Oliver tried moving, but couldn't. Couldn't even breath or blink as if something had prevented any kind of muscle movement inside of him. Things around him still moved as normal. The lights flickered above, sparking.
She flicked her wrist up and down. His body flew up then slammed itself to the floor, knocking the air from his lungs. His ears rang. All the sounds from before deafened to a mute.
"Stay down, boy." She put her heel between his shoulder blades. "You're injured. Had to do something to stop your rampage."
"Please," Oliver wheezed, tears, spit, and snot covering his whole face. "I just want… need to go home."
"Home?" she laughed. "You think they'll let you walk out of here after what you did? After you destroyed their property just like that?"
"I have to." He pushed against the floor, trying to get up despite her heels stabbing into his shoulder. "Someone's waiting for me."
"Oh?" She pressed down harder. "Who might that be?"
"Cassie," he said. "She's waiting for me. She'll starve without me and she probably thinks I'll abandon her. I wanna see her face again."
"How sweet," the woman said. "The street rat has a heart."
"She's probably alone. Scared. I have all our money. I forgot to give it to her. I don't know what time it is, and she's going to starve."
"And that's my problem how?"
Oliver stopped trying to move. He lay flat, face on the cold floor, and did what he swore never to do again—
he begged
. "Please. I'll do anything. Just let me go back to her. She needs me. Please, lady. I wanna go home and see her again, please."
The heels lifted from his back. The invisible pressure on his body flipped him over. The woman crouched beside him, looking into his face with her cold blue eyes. Oliver saw the burn marks covered by the half mask she wore.
"Anything?" she said. "That's a
tempting
offer to someone like me for a
talent
like you."
"Please lady. I mean it. I'll do anything to go back home to Cassie."
She sighed. "Still saying that? You don't know what I'll ask you to do or what I could ask for you in the future. Are you sure about that, child?"
"I don't care. Anything to go back to Cassie. Please help me."
"Anything?" She turned his face with a finger toward herself. "What if I asked for your eyes? Your hands? Your soul?"
Oliver stared into her eyes, blurry as tears streamed down his cheeks. "As long as I can take care of Cassie, take whatever you want. I don't care. Just let me be with her, please."
Something changed in the woman's expression, a soft smile replacing the cold mask she had before.
"Fascinating," she stood up. "Get up."
Oliver got to his feet. His legs shook. The pressure in his head was now a dull throb, and his body hurt all over from being thrown around. He'd recover from bruises, but not from missing Cassie.
"You're useful," the woman said, "someone with your raw unpolished talent. The way you broke their containment. Those were awakened men you beat up. Simply put, talent. Messy though."
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's just say, I'll offer you a job." The firm eyes she showed before came back. "Be my errand boy. Fetch, carry, break,
kill
when I tell you to. In exchange, you get paid and protection against the idiots in this place."
She walked around him, checking out his physical injuries and even touching a bruise, making Oliver wince.
"And you can take care of… Cassie. The girl you mentioned."
Oliver sniffled. "I can go home?"
"Well yes, you get to go home just like in a normal job." She smiled. "And I pay well. Better than whatever petty theft you've been living on."
"I'll do it."
"Smart boy." She held out her hand. "You may call me Witch Raven. And you belong to me now."
Oliver took her hand. A static-like feeling ran through him as soon as he held her hand. It didn't matter. Devil. Angel. Who cares as long as it meant he could see Cassie again. Keeping her fed, warm, safe… and maybe even seeing her achieve her dream of becoming a scientist. That's what mattered.
He'd sell his soul twice for that.
"When do I start?" he asked.
Witch Raven's smile widened. "Sweetheart. You already have."
Oliver's stuck the key in the lock. His bloody fingers slipped on the handle. He leaned on the doorframe as the world spun around him. Too many hits to the head. Cuts and blood filled his mouth.
Finally, the door opened, and Oliver dragged himself into his apartment.
"Ollie?" Her voice cracked.
She was curled up by the entrance against the wall with a blanket over herself. Her eyes looked at him, reddened, puffy, as if she's been crying the whole time.
"Hey," he said, trying his best to sound normal.
Cassie stood up to her feet. "What happened to you? Where were you? I waited and waited, I thought you were gonna…"
"I know." Oliver shut the door. "I'm sorry."
She stared at his face, looking down at the blood, bruises, and torn clothes on his body. "Did those men do this?"
"Sort of." He limped to the mattress and dropped onto it.
Cassie followed, sitting beside him on the mattress. Oliver looked at her, now clearly seeing how red her eyes were, how messy her hair was, and the snot still going down her nose.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. any appearances on Amazon.
Cassie sniffled and said, "I thought you weren't coming back."
"You thought I'd just leave you?" Oliver held back his tears.
"People always do." She hugged herself. "My parents did."
"Not me," Oliver said. "Come here."
She sat closer to him, and Oliver took her hand.
"I got caught," he explained. "The guy knew what I was doing. He took me to this... place. Under City Hall."
"City Hall? Why?"
"Because of what I can do." Oliver flexed his fingers. "They said it was just a test… and then it hurt me. So I ran and then this woman showed up."
"What woman?"
"She calls herself Witch Raven," he said. "She's like me, but stronger. Way stronger."
Cassie rubbed her eyes, wiping away tears still running down. "She can move things too?"
"Yeah. And more." Oliver rolled closer to her, careful as to not hurt his bruises. "She offered me a job."
"A job?" Cassie said. "Doing what?"
"Being her errand boy. Getting things for her. Maybe breaking stuff sometimes." He tried chuckling. "She said it has good pay."
"So you took it?"
"I had to." Oliver looked right at her. "It was the only way they'd let me go. The only way I could come back to you."
Cassie looked down at her hand being held by him. "I was… scared. I waited and waited all night. I was lost… I didn't know what to do like what if you disappear? What would I do and it was a stupid idea that would've been my fault if you-"
"I know. I'm sorry," he said. "But I'm back now. And I'm not leaving again. I promise."
"You really promise?"
"I really promise." Oliver squeezed her hand. "From now on, things get better. We'll have money. Real money. No more stealing."
A tear ran down Cassie's cheek. "Don't you ever abandon me ever again."
"Never." Oliver pulled her closer to him then hugged her. Though she was supposed to be older than him, only by two years, she felt small against him. "We're a team, remember?"
Her body shook as she suppressed her sobs.
"It's okay," he whispered, rubbing her back. "I got you."
For a long time, they just sat there. Oliver fighting to stay awake, Cassie crying until she had nothing left.
She pulled back from him and wiped her eyes again. "So what now?"
"Now, we eat. Sleep. And tomorrow I find out what my new job is." Oliver forced a smile on his swollen face. "But first, I need to tell you something important."
"What?" Cassie said.
"My name. It's Oliver."
Cassie stared at him, then rolled her eyes. She smiled and said, "Whatever you say, Ollie."
Four Years Later
The pistol now felt familiar in Oliver's hand. He put it back into his holster and pulled his jacket over it.
His phone vibrated. He looked at the screen.
[18:01 - Cassie: text me when you get home?]
[18:01 - Oliver: ok]
Her words always made him smile. Four years since that night in his crappy government apartment, and she still said the same thing every day.
Oliver put the phone away and focused on the house across the street. Single story ranch style. Blue siding. White trim. Neat lawn despite the Yukon cold. Nothing suspicious about it, which is exactly what made it suspicious.
"Target confirmed?" Witch Raven said through his earpiece.
"Yes," Oliver said. "Lights on in the back room. Two heat spots in the basement, small. Probably the twins."
"And our friend?"
Oliver scanned the windows. "Kitchen. Cooking dinner."
"Well then. Time to ruin his dinner."
He could hear the smile in her voice. Four years working for Witch Raven had taught Oliver many things. How to case a location, how to use a gun, how to move without being seen. But most importantly, how to hit hard and fast.
"Front or back?" he asked.
"Your choice. I'll take the other."
"I'll take the front. More direct path to the basement."
"Such a gentleman." Raven chuckled. "On my mark... go."
Oliver crossed the street at a casual pace. Just a guy taking an evening stroll. Nothing to see. He climbed up the steps of the front porch, ringing the doorbell twice and stepping to the side where the door would open to cover him.
Footsteps came closer. The door opened.
"Hello?" A man stepped outside.
The moment the man turned his head towards him, Oliver throat punched him. The man started choking. Before he could react, Oliver shoved him back inside with a foot, then closed the door.
The man stumbled, reaching for his pocket. Not a chance. One flick of Oliver's fingers sent the man through the air, and then he slammed onto the corner of the wall.
"Where are they?" Oliver crouched as he aimed the pistol at the man's head.
The man's eyes fixed on the barrel of the pistol. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The twins. Where?"
"What twins?"
Oliver shot him in the foot. The man screamed.
"Try again."
"Shit! Fuck! It hurts!" the man gasped, holding his bleeding foot.
"Remember now?"
"Basement! Keys in my left pocket!" the man shouted.
Oliver moved carefully. The man was supposed to be Attuned while he was only still a late-Awakened. Attuned was still not as powerful as his master, Witch Raven, not even close.
Still though, can't hurt to be careful against humans. Time and time again, other humans had proven to be more dangerous in rifts compared to the monsters that lurked there.
The key ring floated out of the man's left pocket and into Oliver's hands.
"Don't move. I've got backup," Oliver said. He wasn't lying. His master was out there in the perimeter too.
"You're making a mistake," the man said. "Those kids are valuable. Property of Alexei. You're making a big mistake pal."
"Shut up." Oliver touched his earpiece. "Got the key. Target down."
"Well done," she replied. "I'm in position."
Oliver found the basement door off the kitchen. The lock clicked open. He went down the stairs slowly, gun first, feeling for traps just as he had been taught. At the far end stood a heavy steel door with no handle, just a keyhole.
It was three keys tried before he found the right one. The door swung open as soon as it clicked.
Two boys huddled on a single cot. Both skinny with dark brown hair. One was slightly taller than the other, though almost his height. The shorter one stood in front of the taller one with a frown.
"It's okay," Oliver lowered his gun. "I'm here to help."
"That's what that guy said upstairs," the taller boy said.
"Fair enough." Oliver stayed still, not moving from where he was. "My name's Oliver. My boss and I are taking you out of here."
"Why should we trust you?" the shorter boy asked.
"I don't know, but your only other option is staying with that guy upstairs that locked you up in here. So what'll it be?"
The boys looked at each other. Something crashed upstairs, then a scream cut short. The taller boy flinched. The shorter one took a deep breath.
"Fine. We'll go with you."
"Smart." Oliver stepped aside. "Stay close."
They climbed the stairs to find Witch Raven standing in the kitchen. She wore her usual black dress and wide-brimmed hat with 4 raven feathers. The man lay unconscious at her feet.
"Took you long enough," she said, then turned her eyes to the twins. "Hello, boys. Ready for a trip?"
The twins stared at her, taller one going back behind the shorter one again.
"They're coming willingly," Oliver said. "No need for the full witch routine."
Raven smiled. "What? It's my normal wardrobe. Anyways, car's out in the back. Let's go before they get reinforcements."
Oliver led the twins through the house. He had already gotten used to Raven's methods over the years. She moved fast, cut corners,
a lot
of corners, and never explained more than needed. Yet, higher ups liked her. She got the job done. Cutting corners also made for less expenses.
The black SUV was parked behind the house, open driver's door, engine still running. Raven took the wheel while Oliver helped the twins into the back seat. He sat beside them, watching for followers.
"Names?" Raven asked as she pulled away.
The twins hesitated. The shorter one finally spoke. "I'm Clyde. This is Kyle."
"Ages?"
"I'm fifteen," Clyde said. He nudged his brother.
"I'm ten," Kyle said, then Clyde elbowed him hard. "I mean fifteen too."
Raven's eyes met Oliver's in the mirror. They looked smaller than what their age implied. Yet it was normal. They looked younger and malnourished because they were. Bones and hollow cheeks. They were living experiments, not that Raven would've told him that. It was plain obvious.
"Twins, huh?" Raven said.
"Yeah," Kyle said. "So what?"
"Relax. Just asking." She turned onto the main road. "We're heading to our hotel. Tomorrow, it's back to Vancouver on the first flight out."
"Vancouver?" Kyle said. "Is that where you're going to lock us up?"
"Yeah, definitely going to lock you up in a 5 star hotel for now," Raven said. "Back at the main city, we got places for kids like you, though."
"What does that mean?" Clyde asked. "Kids like us?"
"Special kids," Raven said. "The kind people want to lock in basements and experiment on."
The twins went quiet after at that.
Oliver checked his watch. 8 PM already. The extraction had taken longer than planned. Cassie would be wondering where he was. Then he also got curious about what she was doing now.
They reached the hotel twenty minutes later. A fancy place by Yukon standards. Raven gave the keys to an attendant and led them inside.
"Oh Ollie~, take them to their room sweetie," she smiled when she said his nickname, then looked at the twins. "Order whatever you want from room service. We leave at seven tomorrow morning."
Oliver sighed. "I'll get them settled."
"Good." Raven turned to go, then stopped. "One more thing, Ollie. Good work today."
She walked away, disappearing into the bar of the hotel.
Oliver led the twins to the elevator. "Let's get you guys cleaned up and fed."
After getting the twins to their room, Oliver finally entered his own suite that was next to theirs. He locked the door, checked the windows, and fell onto the bed. Something he had gotten used to over the years of working with Raven.
He took out his phone.
[20:32 - Oliver: I'm home]
The reply came instantly.
[20:32 - Cassie: Ollie, I miss you. Let's do a video call?]
Oliver smiled.

.
!
Chapter 155