“This is insane,” I managed, gently leaning into Unending. She couldn’t drink or eat anything at all, since she no longer had a living body to nourish. She and Joy were the only ones untouched by the nectar’s effects, and they watched us as we smiled and softened under its sweet influence. “I mean, amazing, but insane.”
Unending whispered into my ear. “Better than the spiced rose water you mentioned?” In a sense, she was vicariously living through me, listening to my thoughts and impressions of everything I tasted.
“Different would be the key word. Similar, yes, but also different,” I replied, clearly not making much sense. “I think the effect is much stronger and concentrated on each nerve ending in my body. The succubi’s concoction serves to relax one’s muscles, to elevate the mood and such. This nectar is more of an amplifier than anything else,” I added, then described each of the sensations that had taken hold of me.
Joy shook her head slowly, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly with stifled amusement. “You’re all so fragile.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“One minute you’re alive. Then you’re not. I suppose it’s the charm of life itself. Experiencing every sensation to the fullest. Tasting everything. Feeling everything. And then, poof. You’re gone. No more fruits. No more nectar. No taste left. No sensation but for the emptiness of lingering between life and death. A wisp. Nothing more,” Joy said. There was sadness in her voice as she spoke. As if maybe she wished she could experience life again.
It got me thinking. “When you met Anunit, did she perhaps offer you a resurrection deal in return for the Mixer?” I asked. “It’s what I would do, given her talents and how badly she wants that artifact.”
“She did, actually.” Joy’s stern gaze settled on the roaring campfire. The sound of wood crackling made my ears twitch. It felt as though I were right in there, the flames caressing my skin. It was a false sensation, of course, since all fire did was consume everything in its path. It was the nectar’s effect on me, playing with my brain. “I turned her down. Living is not for us Reapers. Not even for a minute.”
“Don’t you miss your old life? Even a bit? The taste of food? The crisp sweetness of water?” I said. “Even as a vampire, I sometimes long for my human days when I could experience certain things that are now forbidden for my kind.” The only joy I still had once in a while was that I could be in the sunlight, provided that I was under Unending’s invisibility magic. I couldn’t feel its warmth on my skin, but at least I didn’t experience the fear of burning under it.
Joy sighed. “I never lived. There is nothing in a life for me to miss.”
This left Unending speechless. “Wait, what do you mean?” I asked on her behalf.
“I’m a copy of a soul like the other First Tenners. I have faint memories of a life, but I never went through the process myself,” Joy said, raising her chin as she looked at us. There was a mixture of sadness and resignation in her voice, as if she’d already given this plenty of thought and reached the safer conclusion that she was better off not finding out what living was all about.
“How is that? I mean, Death made ten of us,” Unending replied. “I understood you were as old as us, but she… why did she make you, if not to be one of us?”
“I was created specifically for this purpose,” Joy said, glancing around. “To protect the soul fae, no matter what. This is my only objective. The sole reason for my existence. Death once told me she wanted to make sure that no one would ever try to get to the soul fae and use them against her. I almost failed in that respect when I allowed the Spirit Bender to come in so he could see them. My weakness nearly cost me my job. My everything.”
Unending looked at me, visibly troubled. “Death never told us. None of us knew you were out here,” she said to Joy. “Please, believe me when I tell you that we would’ve come to visit. We would’ve liked to meet you much sooner than… well, now.”
“Death made you. She kept you here in isolation, unable to leave Rothko,” I said, and Joy nodded slowly. “How have you not lost your mind? I mean, the soul fae… no offense, of course,” I told Loren and Sissa before shifting back to Joy. “The soul fae, they live and they die. They move on. You’ve been here since basically the beginning of time. The same planet, this same world for so long. How have you remained sane?”
Joy shot me a sly grin. “Who said I was sane?”
And we were now back at what Death had told us about her. At least she was aware that she wasn’t the poster child of Reaper mental health. She was in a good mood, though, and that had to count for something. The last thing I wanted was piss her off and lose control of this situation—with or without Joy, we couldn’t afford to scare or make the soul fae feel threatened or betrayed in any way. I could see why Unending had stressed over us being careful.
“I’m truly sorry.” Unending sighed. “Had I or my siblings known about you, about these people… we would’ve gladly offered to keep you company, or to take turns, even, so that you could get some time to yourself, to visit other worlds…”
“Death never intended for any other Reaper to find out about the soul fae. Not the common ones, and certainly not the First Tenners,” Joy said. “She was always adamant that this had to remain solely between us.”
“But why?” Unending asked.
Sissa agreed. “I’m curious, as well.”
“Would other Reapers wish to harm us?” Loren interjected, his white brow furrowed, one elbow resting on his knee as he sat cross-legged between Joy and his daughter.
“Soul fae can control spirits,” Joy said. “Whether they belong to the living or the dead, it matters not. And if the Reapers should ever try to rise up against Death, she expects the soul fae to protect her.”
Unending scoffed. “She was right…”
“Who?” Joy asked.
“Death,” my wife was quick and smart to lie. “She anticipated a day when she might be too weak and become vulnerable to internal attacks. The Spirit Bender wasn’t extreme or dangerous enough, at least in her mind; otherwise, she would’ve used these people against him. I think she expects something much worse to happen someday.”
I understood the gravity of these words. Yes, Anunit had been right to suspect this purpose for the soul fae. I wondered how a rebellion of Reapers big enough to push Death into this worst-case scenario would unfold. If the horrors that Spirit had perpetrated on us and thousands of innocent Reapers weren’t enough to warrant summoning these creatures… what did qualify?
Joy didn’t seem to have an answer. The soul fae were just as clueless. The only one who had a better idea of what to expect would be Death herself. But maybe she wasn’t the only one, after all. Something had pushed Anunit to such a theory, and we needed to find out what, exactly. Because if Death was still vulnerable in any way, we had to know. We had to prepare for the worst—the balance of the universe had to be maintained at any cost.
Tristan
“What is the extent of a soul fae’s abilities?” I asked. “I know they have the Spirit Bender’s powers, but—”
“Oh, no—they’re more than that,” Joy said. “The soul that was used as a matrix for him was one of the weakest. Frankly, I think Death also watered his formula down considerably. Remember, Spirit had to cut you with his scythe for his influence to work.”
She was right. We’d already noticed that particular aspect. Unending and I exchanged nervous glances while Loren and Sissa watched us with genuine curiosity. Everything we’d been discussing with Joy up to this point probably sounded like gibberish to them, since they’d lived in complete isolation, having met no other Reaper besides their guardian. And Joy kept her cards close to her chest.
“Sissa, tell them what you can do. Actually, no. Show them,” Joy told the young princess, who straightened her back and shifted so she could sit cross-legged. “Spare no boundary whatsoever.”
I held my breath for a moment as Sissa set her sights on me. “No holds barred?”
“None,” Joy insisted.
“Is it an overreaction on my part to admit I’m a little uneasy about this?” I asked, chuckling nervously. I had plenty to hide, and I didn’t want Sissa to dig around in my head. Unending wasn’t sure how much her mentally protective magic could push back without arousing suspicion from these creatures, since obviously we knew less about them than we’d originally thought.
“Deep breath, my love,” Unending said through our telepathic connection. “Don’t give them reason to poke around where they’re not supposed to.”
“I mean, not that I have anything to hide, but… I managed to elude the Spirit Bender’s manipulation. Losing control over myself honestly terrifies me,” I added aloud, making Loren laugh lightly.
“Worry not, young man,” he said. “Sissa would never be intrusive or disrespectful. It’s not our ethos.”
All I could do was hope for the best. Sissa’s eyes glimmered gold while looking at me, and I felt something tickling my skin. It covered my entire body, seeping through the flesh and deep into the bone. I couldn’t fight it. The force was too strong and dominant, unwilling to yield or soften its hold on me. My soul was in the palm of Sissa’s hand, and she started to squeeze—slowly, at first. Just enough to make me gasp as I realized I was no longer in charge of myself.
“Tell me your biggest fear,” she demanded, and I was unable to ignore this request. The compulsion was like a tidal wave crashing into me, dismantling each of my defenses. I noticed that giving in was much easier than resisting as far as the soul fae’s power was concerned. It hurt less.
“My biggest fear…” I managed. “Is that I’ll wake up one day, and Unending will be gone.” I was honest. Losing my beloved was what scared me the most. We’d become so close, so deeply bonded over the course of twenty years, that an existence without her seemed impossible. Unthinkable. A true hell on earth.
“That’s so sweet.” Sissa sighed, her smile radiant with warmth.
Joy scoffed, leaning on her elbow. “You can do better.”
“I’m trying to ease him into it,” the young princess replied. On one hand, I was amazed by the firm hold she had on me. On the other hand, I was still very much terrified. Sissa focused, her gaze locked on mine, and I felt pressure gathering somewhere in the back of my neck. “Stand up.”
I had no choice. Jumping to my feet, I took a deep breath. My body was not mine. My will was gone. I was defenseless, hers to do with as she pleased. I tried to imagine what this sort of power could do in a war. The Spirit Bender on his own had been terrifying enough, but the soul fae didn’t even need to touch me in order to control me.
“Holy crap,” I whispered.
Unending didn’t move a muscle. She didn’t take her eyes off me, either.
“Bow before me,” Sissa said.
I bowed, astonished by how easy it was for her to do this to me. “This is unbelievable,” I replied. “I’d thought Spirit was a force to be reckoned with. Whew…”
“Enough,” Unending cut in, looking at Sissa. “Please, let him go.”
Joy laughed. “Scared she might damage your boy toy? Imagine what any one of these soul fae could do to you or the other Reapers.”
“Tristan is my husband. He deserves more respect,” Unending shot back.
“You’re a Reaper. You shouldn’t even be married.” Joy sighed, shaking her head slowly. Sissa listened to my wife’s demand, and I felt her hand letting go of my soul. Freedom seemed like mere seconds away, within inches of my grasp. I let out a heavy breath just as the last of Sissa’s spiritual tendrils left my body, and I couldn’t stop a smile from taking over my face.
“There. I am sorry if it felt… invasive,” Sissa told me, lowering her gaze.
I took her hands in mine in a gesture of goodwill and bowed once more, this time of my own accord. “Not at all, Your Highness. It is truly an incredible gift you have.”
Sitting back next to Unending, I welcomed her arms around my neck as she glued herself to me and covered my cheek and temple with soft kisses. “Are you okay?” Her mind spoke to mine. I gave her a faint nod. She looked at Joy. “The world changes. The rules evolve. Two of my fellow First Tenners are an item, bound forever by the golden thread of love. There are three couples I know of, personally. It is rare among us for love to find a way, but it does. I’m sorry you have never had the chance to experience that for yourself.”
Sissa sat next to her father. Joy couldn’t bear to look at us. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. “You were in love,” I said. “Weren’t you?”
“You’re talking nonsense,” the Reaper muttered. She wasn’t trying too hard to deny it, but it’s difficult to hide a broken heart, regardless of one’s living status. Her kind had already proven they were capable of profound and complex emotions.
“Oh, dear. You’re right,” Unending told me. “Spirit. Or am I not even close?”
Joy got up, cursing under her breath. She put a hand to her chest and pulled out a shimmering gold chain, its last link broken. “No, no, you’re onto something,” the Reaper grumbled. “And this is what he left me with.”
The chain looked just like the one that Unending and I shared, only Joy’s was broken. I had never seen a broken chain before, but I knew what it meant—it was the sign of a shattered heart. A love that only she felt, unrequited and empty.
“This could only form if the love, the bond itself, was mutual,” Unending said, staring at the golden links. “You and Spirit were once a couple. A true pair of souls…”
“Yes. And then he left, and the chain broke one day. He’d fallen for someone else, I suppose. If you thought Reaper couples are rare, I’m guessing Reapers falling out of love with someone is some kind of rainbow unicorn. He came back, but I already knew he was looking to use me again, so I sent him away, and not with the kindest words. All I have to remember him by is this,” Joy said, then walked off into the night. I watched her figure disappear between the white stone igloos, the orchids swaying in the evening breeze.
“It’s a delicate subject, I suppose.” Unending sighed.
Loren waved the concern away. “She’ll get over it. More than once, we’ve talked about it. About the love she felt for someone who’s long gone. Tomorrow, when the sun comes out, she’ll come back, prickly and surly as always.”
“She’s extremely emotional.” Sissa giggled. “A pleasure to read, if I’m honest. I’m never bored with Joy.”
“Off her rocker would be more accurate,” Loren said. “She scares me sometimes. That volcanic temperament. By the stars, if she gets the wrong idea into her head, it is downright impossible to make her see the truth. I’ve had to bend her spirit a couple of times to calm her down, though she doesn’t remember it.”
“Why? What did she do?” I asked.
“Oh, she worked herself into a frenzy. Cooped up in the village, with a broken heart and no other Reaper to talk to… I’ve always believed Death could’ve organized some shifts to secure our protection, but no. It all fell on Joy. She snaps a lot. It’s out of her control, I’m afraid, but our abilities serve us well in that respect.”
Unending stilled, giving me a dark look. It was so brief, I barely noticed it before she turned and smiled at the king and princess. “Please excuse us for a moment,” she said. “My husband and I need to discuss something in private. We’ll be right back.”
We got up and left Loren and Sissa by the fire. They didn’t seem offended, choosing to turn their attention to the enormous fruit platter that had been sitting in front of them for the better part of an hour. I followed Unending across the village and all the way back to the edge of the protective spell where we’d entered.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Anunit is here,” she said, her tone clipped. “She reached out. Telepathically.”
“When?”
“Just now.” She sighed. “Said she needed to talk to us. It’s urgent.”
I frowned. “Couldn’t she just tell
you? You know, while she was on the line?”
“I have no idea,” Unending said. “Let’s just see what she has to say.”
Already nervous, I looked around and over my shoulder, worried that someone might see us. “Do you think we should turn invisible? For our own safety,” I suggested.
“We can’t,” Unending replied. “I think Joy put blockers in place the moment she realized we were inside. We’ll have to be careful, my love.”
By the time we reached the invisible membrane, I was inching closer to the edge. It had gone surprisingly well with the soul fae. Even Joy had sort of warmed up to us, and I feared we could easily screw it up if we weren’t careful. But Anunit had demanded our presence. She’d taken risks herself by coming so close to the village just so she could speak to us. Then again, like I’d told Unending, she could’ve communicated her issue without even approaching this place.
“Something doesn’t add up here,” I warned her.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Unending replied, carefully looking beyond the protective shield. A figure emerged from the dark jungle, where the night reigned supreme and heavy, keeping every celestial body’s light away. Anunit was here, and my stomach felt heavy with lead. “What couldn’t bear waiting?” my wife hissed, pressing her palms against the death magic spell. The motion served to help the Reaper see us both through the shielding membrane. The spell was definitely easier to influence from the inside than from the outside.
“Ah. That’s pretty cool,” Anunit replied with a flat smile. “Didn’t know you could do that.”
“Talk, Anunit,” Unending warned her. “What was it that you couldn’t communicate telepathically?”
The Reaper crossed her arms, stopping a few feet from the edge. “I wanted to check whether you were both okay. I haven’t heard from you since we parted ways.”
“Are you kidding me?” I snapped. “We’re dealing with your damn trial, Anunit. What the hell is wrong with you?”
A Shade of Vampire 88: An Isle of Mirrors Page 13