Bane of the Dead (Seraphim Revival Book 1) by Jacob Holo Page B

pit. His giant white-skinned machine filled the chamber. He looked down at the twenty-five-meter drop to the pit’s first shutter, his seraph’s feet resting on the armored pane below.
    “Shouldn’t feel a thing. Or, if I do, it’ll be brief.”
    The seraph said nothing.
    “For the last time, get out of my head!” His voice echoed in the cavernous bay. “Damn it, I am so sick of you! It’s your fault I’m doing this!”
    The seraph didn’t speak.
    “You know what? Forget it. I don’t have to put up with your garbage. Not anymore. I’m going to solve this problem very shortly.”
    A lift opened.
    “Oh, crap!” Jack quickly hid his hands behind his back.
    Seth and Quennin stepped out, both dressed in storm-gray shorts and T-shirts. Jack still couldn’t help thinking of them as kids. Seth was, what? Sixteen? Quennin was barely older than that. They should have been in school having fun and making awkward mistakes. Not fighting someone else’s war.
    “What’s going on, Jack?” Seth asked, rubbing the sleep from an eye with his fist. “Equipment alarms keep going off in this bay.”
    “Jack?” Quennin asked.
    Her urgent, worried tone seemed to wake up Seth.
    “What are you doing?” Seth asked. “What’s going on here?”
    “Umm…” Jack wore a faux-perplexed face. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
    Quennin glanced from Jack to the edge and back. Realization dawned on her face. “Now, wait a second. Don’t be hasty.”
    “You’re going to kill yourself?” Seth asked, walking slowly forward.
    “You make that sound like such a bad thing.”
    “By jumping?”
    Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Guess so.”
    Seth dismissed him with a wave. “Go ahead then. The safety fields will catch you.”
    “Yeah. About that.” Jack took a deep breath to steel himself. He opened his neural link and sent the buffered command.
    Lights in the bay switched off, casting them into total darkness. A distant humming vanished, only audible when it was no longer there. Backup lights switched on, painting the bay with a dim red glow.
    “What just happened?” Quennin asked.
    “I cut primary power to this bay,” Jack said. “The safety fields won’t work.”
    “You might still survive the fall.” Seth said, creeping forward.
    “Yeah, thought of that too.” Jack unclasped the hands behind his back and brought one of them slowly up. He put the barrel of the gun against his temple. “I figure why settle for one method of killing myself when I can be doubly sure? I shoot myself in the head, then fall into the pit. Bang, then splat. If you’re going to do something, go all the way. Besides, you Aktenai are just way too good at putting people back together.”
    “Just step away from the ledge,” Quennin asked. “It’ll be okay.”
    “Look, you’ve caught me at a really awkward moment here,” Jack said. “I’ve been trying to work up the courage to do this, okay? And the two of you being here are not helping.”
    “How inconsiderate of us.” Seth edged closer.
    “Stop this,” Quennin said. “This is insane!”
    “Yes, it is. And that’s the problem. Now, Seth, that’s close enough. Why don’t you stop right there? My trigger finger is feeling itchy, and I’d hate to blow my brains out where you can see it. How about you both turn around so you don’t have to see the mess?”
    Seth started walking to the side, circling Jack at a set distance.
    “Okay, fine,” Jack said. “Watch the brains splatter out of my head. I won’t care at that point, anyway.”
    “Jack, please don’t do this!” Quennin pleaded.
    “Look, I’m not killing myself because I want to die. Believe me, I’d rather not. But the truth of the matter is my thoughts are no longer my own. This thing —” Jack pointed the gun at the seraph. “—is in my head. I’ve got voices bouncing around in me, and some of them are angry . Some of them want blood, and I don’t think I can control them forever. I’m a danger to