by R. L. Perez
“Think of it like a flower. This thief we’re trying to stop, he’s ripping the flower from the ground forcefully—in a way that won’t allow the plant to survive. But what we do is much gentler. We nurture the plant. We make sure we keep all the roots when we pull it from the ground. We put it in a fresh spot with plenty of soil and sunlight. The thief isn’t exerting caution like we do. He doesn’t care what happens to the souls as long as he gets their magic.”
My brain was starting to hurt. “I understand why you held back so much before. This is a lot to take in.”
Mom nodded and squeezed my shoulder. “You need to rest. We can talk more about it tomorrow.”
She guided me out the door. Just before we left, I glanced over my shoulder at the empty slab of concrete.
The girl’s screams still echoed in my mind.
4
Cora
I dreamed of Vince again—his wings spread out behind him, his eyes ablaze, his face an unholy mask of fury.
He was power. He was vengeance.
It was absolutely breathtaking.
I awoke gasping for breath, a cold sweat on my face. It took half an hour for my heart rate to settle, but even then, I was still wide awake.
It had felt so real. And it reminded me of the vision I’d had of him after we’d both drunk the Seeing elixir.
It’s just odd, that’s all, I’d said.
That we’re dreaming about each other? Vince had asked.
Yes.
His gray eyes had pinned me in place, unyielding like steel. And in that moment, I’d known I was doomed. Even if I didn’t want to admit it.
My heart twisted, and my chest ached. A knot formed in my throat, and I found it hard to breathe again.
I wanted to believe this was another vision, foreshadowing that I would see Vince soon.
But it wasn’t. For one thing, I hadn’t taken my Seeing elixir in months.
For another, his wings had been white in my dream.
My eyes felt hot as I turned on my side, burying my face in my pillow. I gritted my teeth against the agony that quivered through me down to my bones. I was the Blade of Hinport, for Lilith’s sake. And I couldn’t handle a little heartache?
Pitiful.
Part of me wanted to argue that I’d been busy. Too busy to think about Vince—which had been a blessing at the time . . . but now it was catching up to me, crashing over me like violent waves.
Another part of me thought, Hell, it’s been months since I’ve gotten laid. Maybe I’m just lonely.
But I knew that wasn’t it either. All the men I’d slept with had been mere distractions.
Vince was the only one I loved. And I hadn’t even shared my body with him. The thought wrenched through me, reminding me of what I couldn’t have with him.
Damn him. Damn him and his determination to do the right thing and sever himself from his clan.
And damn myself for falling for him.
“Cora? Did you hear me?”
I blinked, my gaze shifting to an irritated Benny. Exhaustion tugged at my body. I sighed, rubbing my eyes for the millionth time. “Sorry. Say that again.”
Benny pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kip and the others. They’re giving us trouble.”
I clenched my teeth, thinking of Kip and his buddies. They’d been Damien’s best friends. I had no doubt that if they were released, they would stage a coup and take over the city by means of blackmailing and coercion just like Damien had. “What kind of trouble?”
“I mean, they’re fighting the guards. Riling up the other prisoners.”
Prisoners. Our coven had faced so much unrest lately that we were constantly arresting people. It made us as unpopular as the actual police.
I waved a hand. “Give them another beating.”
Benny leveled a hard stare at me.
I raised my eyebrows. “You had something better in mind?”
“How long do you intend to keep them around?”
I frowned. “I don’t know.” My eyes snapped to him. “You think I should kill them?”
“I think you need to send a message.”
I was standing before I realized it. “Consider it done.”
Benny sighed. “Cora.”
“What?”
“You can’t execute them yourself.”
“But you said—”
“Right now, the coven needs to be reminded who has the authority. Not who has the power. Order someone else to do it.”
My mouth opened and closed. Order someone else . . . to do the killing?
The idea sounded as strange as if Benny suggested I take up tap dancing.
“I can do it, if you need me to,” Benny said.
Something jolted within me, and I cocked my head at him, my eyes narrowing. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
His head reared back. “What? Of course not.”
“That I’m just some feeble, inexperienced leader you can manipulate?” I stepped around my desk to face him.
He had the good sense to look afraid before he spoke. “I’m just trying to help you.”
“Out of the goodness of your heart?” I rolled my eyes. “Why do I find that hard to believe? What do you want out of this, Benny? What do you have to gain if I order Kip’s execution?”
“Same thing as you.”
I crossed my arms and clicked my tongue.
Benny dropped his arm against his thigh. He hung his head back and stared at the ceiling in exasperation as if help would drop out of the sky. “Mother of Lilith, you are so paranoid, Cora. I’m not trying to double-cross you. I’m not trying to manipulate you. You’ve never been a leader before, but I have. I’m just trying to coach you.”
His words stirred something inside me, but I kept my expression carefully composed. “You’ve been a leader?”
He nodded. “An alpha.”
I stilled. Alpha. My skin prickled as my instincts told me to be wary of him. Alphas were dangerous and powerful.
But . . . they also couldn’t be dethroned unless they were killed. So how had Benny survived?
“I stepped down,” he said, answering my unspoken question.
I glared at him. “Stop that.”
Benny raised his hands in surrender.
I rubbed my forehead. “Seriously, Benny, if you want me to trust you, you can’t just go reading my mind whenever you want.”
Benny’s lips twitched. “I wasn’t.”
I stared at him.
He smiled. “Like you, I have to limit how often I use my powers. If I use them too much, it alerts the wrong kind of people. Besides, not everyone here knows about me.” He widened his eyes with emphasis.
I waved a hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
“I know you won’t.”
“Why did you step down as alpha?”
Benny watched me, his yellow eyes unreadable. A grimness set in his face. “My wife died.”
I wasn’t sure what I'd expected, but it wasn’t that. My mouth fell open, and my stomach turned over. All I could say was, “Oh.”
“Someone from my pack got her. She didn’t survive the transformation. I couldn’t bear to be around wolves anymore, so I left.”
That would explain why he’d been a lone wolf when he joined my coven. I swallowed as a sick feeling filled my gut. “I’m so sorry.”
Benny’s lips pressed together into a thin line. His eyes were haunted but still guarded. Like he’d grown accustomed to masking his feelings.
I could relate to that.
“What happened to the guy?” I asked. “The one who bit her?” I didn’t know why, but I had to ask.
Benny lifted his chin, his gaze darkening. “I killed him.”
I nodded once. “Good.” Because if the asshole was still alive, I would’ve killed him myself.
Benny held my gaze for a moment, and I felt something shift in our relationship. We weren’t necessarily friends, but there was a certain understanding between us now. A mutual acceptance of the d
arkness that lived in both of us.
Something in me deflated, and I sat on the edge of my desk, feeling fatigued again. Benny slowly sank into the chair opposite me.
“Look, if you want to succeed as coven leader,” Benny said, “you need to stop thinking like an assassin and start thinking like someone with authority. You were close to Damien. What would he have done in this situation?”
“He would’ve ordered me to kill whoever was disturbing the peace.” The words tumbled from my mouth automatically.
Benny nodded. “Exactly. So, who’s your hitman?”
My mouth twisted as a sour taste climbed up my throat. I didn’t trust anyone in this coven, not even Benny. So how could I assign someone to kill for me without worrying they’d turn around and kill me next?
Power pulsed to life inside me, and a slow smile spread across my face. Benny raised an eyebrow, his eyes curious.
“I know just what to do,” I said.
5
Vince
I followed Mom down the winding tunnels, our pace slower than when we were with Gwen. My head was still reeling, and I wasn’t paying attention to where I stepped.
“You probably have a lot of questions,” Mom said softly, her voice echoing in the vast tunnel.
I swallowed. My mouth felt dry. “Not yet.” My voice cracked. “Still processing.”
Silence passed between us as we continued walking.
Then, I blurted, “Can I still Jump?”
Mom raised her eyebrows. “Yes. You still have access to your warlock powers. But they’ll work differently down here.”
“You keep saying that, but what does it mean?”
“It means the rules and laws of magic aren’t the same as in the mortal realm. It will be like starting over.”
I suppressed a groan. I’d worked so hard to figure out how to Jump through time. Now I had to do it all over again?
“I can help you, Vince,” Mom said with a soft smile.
I frowned. “But you’re not a Jumper.”
Mom laughed. “Not with Jumping. With adjusting to how magic works here.”
A lump formed in my throat, but I forced a smile.
To be honest, all I wanted was to talk to my dad. He’d been a Jumper before. He coached me when I first tried using my powers. He knew exactly what it felt like.
I ached to talk to him about this. My heart twisted so painfully I thought I might be sick again.
Mom glanced at me, concern etched into her face. Before she could say anything, muffled footsteps echoed ahead of us in the tunnel. I stiffened as fear gripped my body, though I wasn’t sure why.
A pair of Reapers appeared. The first was a tall, wiry man with dark eyes and a blank expression. And the second was—
“Jocelyn!” I cried, rushing forward to embrace her.
Jocelyn gasped and clutched me tightly, laughing into my shoulder. “Vince! Thank Lilith you’re all right.” She drew away to look me over, her blue eyes shining. Her red hair was frizzy and disheveled. “I was so worried about you.” Her face was paler than normal, no doubt from the same sickness I’d endured.
“Me too.” Even as I said the words, regret swelled within me. I’d completely forgotten about her with the whole magic-stealing ordeal. “Are you all right?”
Jocelyn nodded and cast a wary glance toward the Reaper next to us, who remained stoic. “This is, uh Ellis. My mentor.”
“Hi.” I extended my hand, but Ellis didn’t move. His eyes were distant and unfocused.
I looked uncertainly at Mom. “Is he all right?”
Mom’s face had gone blank as well, but when I turned to her, she offered a pained smile identical to the one I’d given her earlier.
I saw right through it.
“He’s fine,” Mom said. “Some of the Reapers down here get a little closed off over time.”
Alarm pulsed through me. What did that mean? Jocelyn and I exchanged fearful looks, and I knew we were thinking the same thing.
Would that happen to us?
“Don’t worry, he’s perfectly capable of teaching you,” Mom said quickly, misreading our unease.
An awkward silence fell between us. I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “Where are you headed?”
“Ellis is going to show me the sleeping quarters now that I’ve finally recovered.” Jocelyn grinned sheepishly.
Mom nodded with approval. “Excellent. Once you both get settled, we can swear you in and get you to work.” Her voice was chipper, but her words seemed ominous and filled me with dread.
Swear you in.
Was there anything in my life that didn’t require some kind of permanent oath? Something to restrict me? Did such a life exist for a Nephilim?
“Where are you two going?” Jocelyn asked, her eyes darting between Mom and me. Her eyes lingered on my mom for a long moment, her expression awestruck.
This had to be baffling for her. She’d grown up believing my mother was dead too.
I looked at Mom, waiting for her to respond. I’d figured we were going back to the room we’d been in before, but with Jocelyn headed to the sleeping quarters, now I wasn’t so sure. Perhaps the room I'd slept in had only been temporary while I was ill.
“I just need to grab something real quick for Vince.” Mom smiled tightly. I frowned, sensing the lie.
“See you soon, then?” Jocelyn asked, her eyes filled with hope.
I nodded. “Sure.” But my eyes remained on Mom. She watched Ellis lead Jocelyn down the tunnel, away from us. Then, she turned to me.
“You can’t tell anyone about what you saw,” she said in a whisper. “About the magic thief or the Reaping circle or any of it.”
My eyes widened. “Why not?”
Mom pressed her lips together and glanced furtively up and down the tunnel. “Not here. Come on.”
She led me down the tunnel and took a left at a narrower passage. A few doors lined the wall, and Mom pushed one open before ushering me through. The room was about the same size as the one I’d been sick in, but this one had no cots—only a few metal chairs. It seemed cold and uninviting.
Mom sat down in one chair and gestured that I do the same. Though I longed to remain standing and pace the room, I obeyed. My legs bounced with my anxiety.
Mom took a deep breath and leaned forward. “What I said about some Reapers becoming closed off . . . Well, it’s a bit more than that. Some people, when they’ve been down here for so long, they don’t react well to being cut off from humanity.”
My brow furrowed, and my heart rate quickened. “What does that mean?”
“It means . . . sometimes, people forget to feel. To think like a human. They’ve been surrounded by death and auras for so long that they’ve forgotten what it is to be alive.”
Horror wrenched through me. My head reared back. “Are you saying this realm is killing Reapers?”
Mom shook her head quickly. “No, not like that. Their bodies are fully functional, as is their magic. But they don’t . . . respond to situations in the right way.”
My mouth opened and closed again as I stared at her, bewildered.
Mom groaned and rubbed her forehead. “Let me give you an example. Let’s say Ellis had been in the circle of Reapers with the girl who lost her magic. I imagine he would’ve attempted to bring her back, like the others. But I also fear he would’ve given up sooner. Logically, the attempt was futile. But emotionally, Reapers are drawn to the souls we protect. It’s part of what motivates us to do our duty. Love for the souls we help.
“Ellis would not have loved that girl. He would’ve seen her as a task to check off on his list. And once the logical side of his brain registered that she was a lost cause, he would’ve given up and moved on to something else. He wouldn’t have kept up the effort like the other Reapers had.”
The idea of becoming an empty, emotionless shell left a sick feeling in my gut. My mouth twisted in a grimace. “But . . . the girl was lost anyway. Right?”
Sor
row filled Mom’s gaze. “Yes. But sometimes, we can bring them back. Sometimes, even if the odds are against us, we can rescue a soul.”
I sucked in a shaky breath. “If Reapers can’t do their jobs, why don’t you send them back? Help them get their humanity back by going to the mortal realm?”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“Why not?”
“I told you, Vince. Once you’re here, your magic is bound to this realm. Traveling to other realms is possible, yes, but it’s extremely painful. And Reapers like Ellis have no desire to go there. If it were part of an assignment, he would do it, but he would come back immediately. Not just because he’s drawn here, but because he doesn’t want to be anywhere else.”
A prison. This place was a prison for him. And he didn’t even realize it.
Mom took my hand, and I resisted the urge to shake her off. “This doesn’t happen to everyone, Vince. Just a few of our Reapers are like this. But it would probably be best if you kept this to yourself—the magic thief, the loss of humanity, all of it. Reapers like Ellis might not react in the best way, and Reapers like you might start to panic. I don’t want there to be discontent among our people.”
I stared at her as something hardened in my chest. I truly had just exchanged one prison for another. And now my own mother was asking me to lie to keep her secrets.
For the first time since I’d gotten here, I felt I’d made a grave mistake in leaving my clan.
6
Cora
The conference room buzzed with anticipation. Beside me, Benny stood as erect as I was, though I felt his uncertain gaze boring into me.
I refused to look his way. I knew he had his doubts.
But I felt in my gut this was the right thing to do. This would secure my place in the coven.
It was time to stop hiding.
A crowd stood before us, anxious and restless. And to my left were the four prisoners that had caused so much trouble: Kip, Tucker, Pete, and Conrad. Over the past few months, they’d managed to kill a guard or two in prison. And they’d refused to abide by our coven’s new rules. They wanted the freedom to beat up random demons in the street, to pick fights they knew they could win just to boost their egos. It was something Damien had been lax with, but I would have none of it. We didn’t need more reasons for the other covens to turn against us.