by L P PATERSON
“You didn’t answer my question.” I said. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. Her eyes narrowed as she watched me.
“Which question Loci?” she asked.
“Why Cymon? Why his scythe?. There must be a reason?”
"Of course there is a reason." said Death as she turned and walked back to her throne. She sat down and leaned back sighing heavily. "The Reaper’s scythe was once mine."
CHAPTER 29
"Audrey." I heard my mum's soft voice, followed by a sharp rap on my bedroom door. I knew that whether I answered or not, the door would open. My mum walked into the room and closed the door behind her. I was pissed and she knew it. Green eyes stared at me. Her red hair had faded with age and was no longer as vibrant as mine but she was still stunning. I knew exactly what I would look like when I reached her age.
I folded my arms and leaned back against my desk. I did not want to talk. It had been two weeks since I had left Cymon and the world which he had forced me into. I had returned home with the knowledge that I had done what had been asked of me. My parents had come home a few hours later, no doubt their journey had been prompted by a call from Mr Peters. I still didn’t know where he was and although he was in my bad books, the worry was starting to eat at me.
"Are you going to talk to me Audrey? It's been weeks." my mum said.
"It's only been two weeks mum, and like I already said. You didn't have to come home." I replied.
"Audrey. We have to talk." she said with a heavy sigh. She was exasperated and I didn't care. I knew I was sulking and acting childish but they didn't get to hide things from me, lock things in my head and put me at risk in order to keep me safe. Which it obviously hadn’t. I still had some bruises.
"I'm sorry Audrey." she said.
"Yes mum, you've already said that several times."
"And I will keep saying it until you believe me. Your father and I believed we were doing the right thing."
"Don't say that mum. I know dad didn't want to do it. You forced him." I turned to look out the window forcing my mum to stare at my back. It had been worse for my dad. I couldn't believe that he had hidden something so big from me. My dad and I told each other everything. His betrayal stung so much more and we had not been able to have a decent conversation since he had been home.
“Look at me Audrey.” I heard the request but I chose to ignore it. “Audrey. Look at me.”
I slowly turned around, jerking my chin high. I didn’t want to have this conversation, but even at my age I still could not defy my mother. I folded my arms tight and waited.
“Listen to me Audrey. I- “
“I don’t want to hear it mum.” I interrupted.
“Well, you will listen to me young lady and you will hear it.” I saw a glint of anger flash across my mother’s eyes and her nose flared slightly. My mother didn’t get angry often and when she did it was nuclear. I did not need one of those right now. So I kept quiet. I leaned back against the window sill and looked at my mum. Waiting.
“How dare you.” she said. My mouth dropped open.
“How dare I? You did this to me. You didn’t tell me anything. You hid a whole world from me mum.” Nothing could explain or forgive what they had done to me. Locking my destiny and history from me was unforgiveable. Did she really think that she could get away with that?
“And do you think we wanted to Audrey?” she looked at me waiting for an answer. “Do you think that I didn’t want it to be me? For the Loci powers to be mine? Or that Nana didn’t want them for herself? We all wanted it Audrey. All of us.”
Great. But I was the one who had been cursed.
“But you were chosen Audrey. After centuries and multiple generations, you were chosen. And I had no clue what to do. The last Loci died centuries ago-“
“She’s not dead.” I mumbled.
“Yes. That’s great. But I didn’t know that. I didn’t have any help. The last person to put anything in that trunk was your great grandmother Anna, and Nana and I just made sure that it remained safe.” She ran her hands though her hair and sighed. Great. I hoped she didn’t start crying. I needed to stay angry. I was not ready to forgive her yet.
“The trunk is full of information. But I didn’t know how to use it and neither did Nana.” I saw her chest rise and fall as she drew in a deep breath. “When you were born, your father and I were overjoyed Audrey. Nana as well. But then things started happening. If you were upset or hurt, or if you were crying, things would suddenly fly across the room or explode even. And if you were happy then flowers would appear from nowhere. In the middle of the room.”
She looked at me and I watched her back. This was new to me. “Why have you never told me this before mum? I asked.
“You were locked Audrey. And we wanted it to stay that way.” she said. I walked to my desk and sat down in the chair. I wanted to hear more.
“Go on mum.” I said. “I want to hear everything.”
She remained standing and then started playing with her wedding ring. Twisting it around her finger. It was gold but I knew that my mum loved silver. It was the only piece of gold jewellery that my mother owned. Welsh gold given to her by my father and which had been owned by his grandmother. She was anxious.
“Mum. Go on.” I said again.
“Nana didn’t know what to do and neither did I. We thought about speaking to the Horsemen but our family had not walked in that world for so long we didn’t even know how to enter it. So, we just tried to cope. After nana went…” she turned away slightly. Even now after all these years she mourned her mother and I understood. I could barely remember Nana, but I knew that I missed her.
“Then when we moved here Mr Peters showed up. Out of the blue he appeared on our doorstep one morning.” she said. “Offering your father help and tips with the allotment. He never once mentioned how he knew where we lived, and your father only had the allotment for about a week at that time, and had never met Mr Peters. Of course we later discovered that he lived a few doors away.”
“And?” I prompted.
“And he told us he was there to protect you. But even he did not know how to teach or guide you. And as you grew your powers were becoming uncontrollable. People and things were attracted to you. They sensed your power and not all of them were good. So, the decision was made to lock you in order to protect you. But it didn’t work did it. The Reaper still found you. And the Wraiths.”
I looked up as my father entered the room. He looked tired and his face was drawn. I jumped up from my chair. “Any news dad?” I asked.
“None.” replied my father. “No one has seen or heard from him.”
I sat back down in the chair and I watched as my mother walked to my bed and dropped down onto the mattress. Mr Peters was missing. He had managed to call my father after I had left with Cymon so he must have survived the attack on the house. But my father seemed to have been the last person to have had any contact with him. We were all desperately worried. We didn’t have a clue what could have happened to him. But it must be bad. Now I knew of this other world that existed alongside our own, I shuddered to think of the danger that Mr Peters could be in, but I knew that he was somewhere. We just needed to find him. I refused to consider any other outcome.
“We need to conceal the house Alison.” my father said.
“Yes.” my mother replied. “We need to hide it. Put some wards and seals in place. I can’t do it but I’m sure that Mother Annie can help?” she looked at me with a slight frown as she said this. I nodded my head in response. Sue had told me that Mother Annie was a powerful witch, and I was sure that she would be able to help us.
“Audrey. Your mother and I thought that we were doing what was best for you.” my father said. I had seen the memories. I knew that he hadn’t wanted to do it. I also knew that he would never let my mother take all the blame on her own.
“I know dad. I know.” I shrugged my shoulders and stood and went to look out of the window. I could be a
ngry forever but it would not change anything. “I really just want to be alone right now.”
I heard the door softly close. I was being stubborn and brattish but I couldn't help it. I was hurting and it helped that they were now hurting too. I was not ready to forgive them.
I had spent many days of the last two weeks in the loft. The trunk was there, as I knew it would be. Filled with books. Some so old that I had been scared to touch them for fear that they would crumble and disappear between my fingers. They didn't crumble though. It seemed some sort of spell had been placed to maintain their condition. I read everything. It repeated all that I had learned from Agatha but I still felt a sense that something was missing. I still didn't get it. I knew I had powers, but they were impulsive and emotional. Only responding on reflex. I had no control and it frustrated me. Just like my mother had said, all the books were there but I didn’t know how to use the information that they provided. I also felt that something was coming. Death’s warning about her scythe played on my mind. The original, oldest and most powerful scythe known, the scythe of Death, was missing, and no one knew where it was or who had it. As Death had warned. Something had begun.
I stared out of the window as the streetlights came on. I had confined myself to my room for the past several days, unwilling to interact with my parents, and giving myself time to digest all the new knowledge that I was being flooded with.
I drew the curtains closed and crossed to my bed and lay down. Hoping that sleep would come. I didn't have to wait long.
Then something woke me. I glanced towards the window but could not see anything. It was pitch black. Reaching out, my hand landed on the lamp on the side table and as I switched it on a halo of warm light flooded the room.
There was a man in my room. Sitting in the chair by my desk. His chiselled bronze face tilted to the side as amber eyes watched me intently. Deep red curls framed his face and wide full lips parted slightly.
"Are you the one?" he asked. An eyebrow raised slightly as he waited for my response.
Sighing deeply, I leaned back into my pillows and closed my eyes. That cupboard needs a bloody lock!!
CHAPTER 30
The reflection in the mirror stared back at her. Ice white hair flowed from her head and onto her pale shoulders, cascading behind to disappear onto her back. Her grey eyes were cold and unfeeling. The only emotions showing in them were bitterness, resentment and most of all hatred. One solitary teardrop slowly made its way over one of her high cheekbones and continued down her cheek to nestle in the tight creased corner of her lips. She wiped it away in a hurry. This was no time for sadness or emotions. She smiled slowly. She was beautiful. Stunningly so. How dare any god or mortal try to tell her different. She looked down at the bundled heap of skin at her feet and kicked it away. That was all it was, just skin and it had served its purpose for now, concealing her identity for the time being.
She had been created first but refused to bow down or be subservient to any man. Why should she? Her independence and strength made her who she was. They did not like that. Didn’t like that she would not do as she was told. She was a threat to their structure, and for that she had been banished. But that wasn’t enough for them. They sought to totally destroy her, and they almost did. When she discovered that all her children, all of them, had been brutally murdered just to teach her a lesson, she was almost destroyed. But she had lived. Lived through the grief which gave way to sorrow. Sorrow turned to resentment which was quickly followed by bitterness. Bitterness was sweet, and had lasted a very long time. And then bitterness… well… that slowly turned to revenge.
And now she had the first piece of her plan in place. She took another look in the mirror. In the hands of her reflection, safely hidden where it could not be found or even tracked was held the Reaper’s scythe. The sleek brown wooden handle was varnished till it shined, and the yellow highlights flashed in the light. She knew it was rowan wood. That had given her some challenge with all its protective properties. But challenges were easily overcome when you had purpose. The curved copper blade was sharp enough to cut diamond, and of course to cut souls. She almost clapped with delight she was so ecstatic at her accomplishment. Those fools. They were so overcome with their new Loci that she doubted they could see the intricate glamour that she had placed on the copy that they had found. The copy that would work effectively. For a little while anyway.
One scythe to kill them.
She laughed then and her reflection smiled back slowly while gently rubbing the wooden handle of the scythe. Not many were aware of the power of scythes. In the hands of a reaper they reaped the souls of the dead. Always in balance. Reapers did not seek good souls or bad souls, they reaped them all and sent them to be harvested for their next journey. But in the right hands this scythe, the scythe belonging to the Great Reaper herself, also wielded the power of Death and could kill a multitude. Instantly. She smiled slowly and her reflection smiled back while still holding onto the scythe. On this plane there had been only one being capable of using that power.
Now there were two.
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About the Author
L P Paterson lives in London, England with her family. By day she works tirelessly keeping employees safe at work as a Health and Safety Inspector. But when the darkness of night falls, she escapes into her hidden world of London where strange things come to life on the pages of her books.
An author of urban, and paranormal fantasy, when she is not spending time with her family or writing, she’s baking, reading or improving her bass guitar skills.
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More Books by LP PATERSON
The Reaper’s Journey – Free download. Grab it here.
The Angel’s Horn – The Loci Chronicles Book 2 - Coming Soon