Seizing Year Four: A Reverse Harem Bully Romance (Grim Reaper Academy Book 4)

by Cara Wylde

  “Right behind that stupa you see there, across the road,” a raven-haired man with Tibetan features told us in a struggling accent.

  We went there, found nothing, returned to the tents. The man gave us masala tea, hot soup, and rice over which he’d poured a mushy lentil sauce. If I hadn’t been a revenant, I would’ve probably puked my guts out later.

  “Picturesque, isn’t it?” GC laughed at my misery as we sat down on the grass, looking at the reddish mountains jutting up before us.

  “Shut up. You know I hate it.”

  “If I knew exactly where he was, we’d teleport there. I don’t, so it’s an adventure.”

  “How am I supposed to sleep here? Have you seen the toilet?”

  He shrugged, amused. “I’m a guy. I can pee in nature.”

  There were marmots among the rocks and bushes, and we spent an hour trying to bait them with biscuits. A big one came to eat from my hand, and I snapped pictures, saving them for the moment I’d have Internet access. There was no signal here. These people were completely cut off.

  “You know marmots carry the plague…”

  “Get out of here!” I wiped my hands on my jeans.

  “The ones in China, though. You’re safe. And anyway, you can’t get sick even if you tried.”

  “That’s reassuring…” Still, I didn’t feel like playing with the marmots after that.

  I was so uncomfortable that night that I mostly stayed awake, staring at the ceiling and listening to the wind beating against the tent. That meant no nightmares, so… yay? The next day, we hitchhiked to the next human settlement – if it could be called that at all, – then the next, and the next, investigating and asking around. We found ourselves on the road to Leh, in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh – a green oasis in an ocean of rocks and dust. We stopped at the first Buddhist temple we saw, and asked about the young, blond man who wasn’t young at all. But we kept that tiny detail to ourselves. Finally, we got lucky. Apis the First had been there years ago, lived among the monks for a few months, then moved on. He probably lived in Leh now, which suited me just fine. At least, Leh was a city with proper houses and hotels.

  God, Indian food was awful! Not Indian food in general, but the one we could find here, in the heart of the mountains, where supplies were brought by trucks that polluted the air heavily and couldn’t reach most places when the snow destroyed the roads. The water was undrinkable, and even I, an immortal, wasn’t going to risk it. We found GC’s grandfather in a small brick house at the edge of the city, surrounded by a wall of white stone. Everyone in Leh knew him as the foreign doctor whose teas and ointments could heal pretty much anything, from the common cold to a broken back. He was more sought after than the doctors at the Tibetan Institute, the ones who could tell your ailments by feeling your pulse.

  He invited us inside. Not paying much attention to me, he hugged his grandson. I stood awkwardly by the door, watching them and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that even though this man was so terribly old, as old as time itself, he looked just as young and handsome as my boyfriend. Granted there were deep wrinkles around his eyes, they only made him look more interesting and mysterious. Like a wiser version of my hot-headed GC. The future looks good…

  We sat around a low table, drank masala tea, and asked our questions. It took Apis the First a while to study me and decide whether I was worth the trouble or not. He was literally the first person who wasn’t impressed by my name when I introduced myself. On the contrary, the fact that a nephilim was my father seemed to disgust him.

  “You were lucky you turned out human,” he said as he sipped his tea. “You could have been a nephilim, too.”

  “Would that have been so bad?”

  He shook his head. “Better a revenant than a nephilim. Better a hound of hell, a gorgon with snakes in her hair, better a cosmic spawn that devours everything that lives and breathes.”

  I furrowed my brows. This was personal. GC placed his hand on mine and gave me an apologetic smile. I wasn’t supposed to take the old man seriously.

  “Tell me about the nephilim. Why do you hate their kind so much?”

  “They are the true embodiment of sin. Don’t you know what they did to Heaven and Earth?” He leaned over the table and emphasized every word. “They united them through sin.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. He was exaggerating, wasn’t he? Half an hour spent in the presence of this man, and I already knew he wasn’t going to tell me anything useful. But I’d made the journey here, and it hadn’t been a pleasant journey at all, so I could as well let him speak.

  “When God created the heavens, he made the angels immortal and perfect.”

  “I thought angels aren’t immortal…”

  “They were back then. Not anymore. Let me tell the story, girl, and you’ll understand. God created the angels, and Satan created the demons. Satan didn’t have the power to make his demons immortal, so in the end, he just gave them long lives and called it a day. I remember Satan… He was a laid-back fellow who didn’t concern himself with such details. Perfection, sin, immortality… it was all the same to him. He liked to tinker with his demon matrices in his spare time, experiment… Soon, Hell was filled with demons of all shapes and sizes. It got so crowded that Satan actually congratulated himself for not trying too hard to make them immortal. The bastards were copulating like crazy, demon spawn sprouting all over the place. He sent them to Earth so he could have some peace and quiet. God, though…” He laughed out loud. “He thought He’d found the secret sauce to populating Heaven with exactly as many immortal angels, archangels, seraphim, and cherubim as he liked without risking it ever getting too crowded. You see, girl, the problem with these two guys was that neither of them liked to be alone in their immense, boundless power, but they didn’t like to be surrounded by too many servants, either. If they could snap their fingers, make live beings with individual thoughts and experience appear out of nowhere, then snap their fingers again and reduce them to dust… that would’ve been just grand. But it’s not how this universe works. It has laws, and those laws must be respected even by God and Satan.”

  He was getting off track. “What was the secret sauce? How did God make them perfect and immortal?”

  “He never gave them genitals.”

  I was speechless.

  He laughed, finding my shock delectable.

  “That’s right. No penises, no vaginas.”

  I was pretty sure my ex-archangel had always had a penis. Although… it was a fascinating concept – lose your wings and gain a cock. It wasn’t what had happened in Heaven, though, as Apis the First was about to reveal.

  “God sent his angels to Earth, too, because why wouldn’t he parade his creation just like Satan was parading his?”

  “Wait. Aren’t humans God’s creation, too?”

  He shook his head, disappointed by my lack of knowledge. He turned to GC: “Where did you find her, boy? Under a rock?”

  GC laughed, like the moron that he was, and I elbowed him hard.

  “Story for another time,” said the old man. “The angels landed on Earth, among humans, mages, vampires, shifters, and so on, and when they saw the unique, frail, ephemeral beauty of the human women, they had no eyes for anyone or anything else. A group of them later known as the Watchers – because they watched and watched and couldn’t look away – fell in love with the human females and married them. To their dismay, they soon discovered they couldn’t offer their wives what they most desired: pleasures of the flesh, and the babies that came after. So, they went back to Heaven and begged the Lord to fix them, because for sure, by omitting to give them what literally everyone on Earth and below it had, he’d gotten their anatomy wrong. You can imagine how that ended.” He chuckled. “God said no, and the angels made their opinion known by letting out a string of curses they’d learned from their mortal wives. Back on Earth, they soon figured out they
didn’t need God at all. Mages could do the job just as well. And that’s how angels got genitals and nephilim were born.”

  “Hm.” There was something I was missing. “So, why the hate?”

  “Don’t you understand? Angels were the only creatures in this universe that were truly pure, perfect, and immortal. The moment the Watchers got genitals, what do you think happened? Mages tampered with God’s creation, and there were consequences. All the angels in Heaven suddenly got genitals and lost their immortality. Innocence was gone from the world. And all because the Watchers wanted children with their human wives. All because of the nephilim.”

  “I don’t see how…”

  “The tragedy of it all shook the heavens so terribly that the very fabric of the universe was damaged. Portals opened all over the world, and cosmic creatures that should’ve never set foot – or paw, or tentacle, or claw – in this universe came through, swallowed whole communities, and went to sleep under the ground to better digest their food. To close the portals, God, Satan, and false gods alike had to work together. And we closed them, but we never managed to send the cosmic beings back. The Great Old One who made you what you are now is one of them. Fortunately, as long as the portals are closed, they will sleep.”

  My heart started beating faster. I thought I was coming to learn about Morningstar, and I was instead learning about the Great Old Ones.

  “But they can be banished, can’t they?” I asked, excited. “I already know they can’t be killed, but they can be sent back to their world.”

  The man shook his head. “In theory. But I don’t think the answer you seek is here, in this universe. One would have to travel to their universe to learn how they can be banished.”

  I was mildly disappointed, but I told myself this was still something. Something I hadn’t known before, and now I knew. Another piece of the puzzle, too precious to be discarded.

  “Nephilim are sin itself. They almost destroyed everything and everyone.”

  “I don’t see it that way,” I dared to argue, “but I see your point. Anyway, fascinating story. What I’m interested in is whether you might know of weaknesses… How does one, ahem, kill a nephilim?”

  He waved his hand dismissively and reached for the pot of hot tea. “Oh, they’re easy enough to kill. They’re just hybrids! Nothing special. They’re mortal, although they live a long life, so they do grow old. Just stab them in the chest or something.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t work on this particular nephilim.”

  His eyebrows disappeared under the disheveled hair that had fallen on his forehead.

  “Your father? He’s not just a nephilim, he’s a Grim Reaper. That’s another story. You can even stop thinking of him as a nephilim.”

  “Do you know him? Do you know his parents?”

  “I was long retired in these mountains when his parents’ parents were born into this world. I’ve only heard of him. Everyone has.”

  “I was hoping…” I sighed heavily.

  He looked at me thoughtfully, and for the first time since I’d met him, I saw genuine concern in his shifting blue eyes.

  “I’ll tell you a secret, girl. When you want to get rid of someone, anyone, well… except for some cosmic monster, there’s one weapon that will never fail: a pure heart and a hand that has never hurt a thing, not even a fly. The loss of innocence is the weapon.”

  Well, that crushed me. It crushed me for good. Not only was I not innocent and had never been, I didn’t know a single soul in this world that was one hundred percent innocent.

  “But that’s impossible,” I said. “You’re talking about… I don’t know, a child. A baby. Even babies hurt flies.” Okay, maybe not. “They… they suck on their mother’s breast and bite the nipple. That counts as hurting. When they’re born, they tear their mother’s flesh apart. That counts as hurting.”

  He shrugged, unimpressed. “Well then, find a baby who wasn’t born naturally. A C-section basically means the doctor hurt the mother, not the baby. Find a baby that never kicked while in the belly and was never breastfed. Easy.”

  I stared at him as if he’d gone mad. Maybe he was mad. I was sure immortality could do that to some. When he didn’t react, I jumped to my feet and started pacing the cramped room. This trip had proved to be useless. More frustrating than anything… What was I supposed to do with this information? Only someone without sin could retire Valentine Morningstar, and Apis the First had said it himself: once the Watchers asked the mages to give them genitals, innocence and perfection was lost from the world.

  I had to get out of there, but not in the dusty air of Leh. I was sweaty, dirty, and hungry. GC and his grandfather had started talking about family stuff.

  “I’m going back,” I said quickly, my mind made up. There was no point in waiting for him. He was a big boy, he could find his way home, across the world.

  GC stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders. I was shaking. He looked me in the eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Y-yes. No. I’m not okay, this is impossible.”

  He pinched my chin playfully. “Not when my goddess is in charge.”

  I groaned. “You’re just saying that.”

  “No. I believe in you. We all do.” He pecked my lips and let me go.

  I teleported straight to my room.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Professor Maat was moving from one desk to another feverishly, handing out our assignments before the field trip to the Carnelian City.

  “You will see creatures you’ve never seen before. They are so peculiar and dangerous that they’re forbidden from leaving their pocket universe. Every once in a while, one of them breaks the law, crosses over, and wreaks havoc among humans. These breaches never end well, and Grim Reapers have to reap for days after the intruder is caught. The problem is that most of them are highly poisonous. If they don’t bite, then they carry diseases the human body was not designed to come into contact with. Luckily, most of us supernaturals are immune.” She stopped in front of my desk. “Oh, Mila. You’re… you’re not supernatural.” She was holding my assignment between her long, dainty fingers. “Maybe you should skip this field trip.”

  “What?! Professor Maat, no! I want to go!”

  “And make me responsible for your death if you catch the scarab flu? I don’t think so. I happen to love my job.”

  I sighed. “Please. I’ll be careful.”

  “It doesn’t matter how careful you are. You’re human, and you can’t breathe the same air as most of the people and creatures living in the Carnelian City, let alone drink their water or inhale their dust. It’s too dangerous. You’re staying.”

  “Isn’t this against the Academy rules? As a future Grim Reaper, I must see and know these places. It’s discrimination!”

  Mrs. Maat pursed her lips. When she spoke again, her voice was cold.

  “Miss Morningstar, you’re the first human to attend Grim Reaper Academy. I’ve never dealt with this situation before. It is my personal and professional opinion that visiting the Carnelian City is not safe for your kind. I will inform Headmaster Colin, and if he says you can go, then whatever happens afterwards, it’s on him.”

  “Thank you.” Obviously, Headmaster Colin was going to side with me. I just hoped he could convince Professor Maat that it was safe for me to go without having to tell her the truth – that I wasn’t human anymore. “Can I have my assignment, please?”

  She went through her papers and pulled one out.

  “Since scarab flu is the easiest disease to contract, you’re going to research scarabs.”

  Content, I looked over the paper. This semester, Geography was going to be a hoot. I couldn’t wait to see Goblin Mountain, the Colossi Valley, and the green fields of Neem, where I heard so many wild animals from our forests retreated to avoid being hunted. Until then, I was excited about scarabs. The class was over, and I was headed to the Library when a flying piece of paper
floated right in my face. I caught it and unfolded it, already knowing what it was. When Headmaster Colin called a student to his office, he did it via these stupid papers that had the bad habit to smack us in the face, tangle in our hair, or poke us in the eye. I wondered if he did it intentionally, if he thought he was making some kind of old man joke.

  “Miss Morningstar, please find your way to my office at your convenience,” the note said.

  I sighed, teleported in front of his door, and knocked.

  “Come in.”

  My hand on the doorknob, I closed my eyes for a second and swallowed heavily. This was where it had happened. This was where I’d died by the blade of an Unseelie guard who’d watched me for a year and even helped me once. This was where I’d seen my father last. It gave me no pleasure to be in this room, so I hoped whatever Headmaster Colin needed from me, he’d make it fast.

  “You wanted to see me.” I stepped in carefully and closed the door behind me. He’d redecorated. The warm colors on the carpet and curtains, the vintage vases filled with flowers from the garden, and the small potion cabinet made me feel slightly better. It was as if Morningstar had never occupied this office at all.

  “Mila, you’ve been summoned by the Council. Today, if you can, after classes.”

  I groaned. “Why?”

  “I honestly don’t know. They don’t tell me everything. They probably want to hear about your progress.” He looked up from his papers. “If there’s any progress to speak of, that is.”

  “Sure there is,” I said distractedly. Nope, there’s not. “Can I take someone with me? Francis? Sariel?” I couldn’t trust GC or Paz to behave properly in front of the Council. Most of the time, they were major goofballs.

  “They summoned you, and no one else. I believe you can take your pixie, if you insist.”

  Corri. I miss her. She’d been gone on the mission I gave her for quite a while. I wondered what she’d discovered. Probably not much, since she hadn’t contacted me yet.