Reaper of Flames (The Artifact Reaper Saga Book 3)

by Jen L. Grey

  I drag myself out of bed and swing the door open. I stumble back when the person comes in full view. Long silver hair and piercing green eyes. I know her.

  She places a hand on her hip causing her blue dress to rise a little bit above her knees. She lifts her chin at me and quirks an eyebrow. "Well, hello, Christina."

  Shit. It's the witch from the storefront. I hadn't seen her since that day she attacked me in my room for not saving her sister. My heart drops. This can't be a good thing.

  19

  My first instinct is to shut the door in her face, but that would be stupid. She's a freaking witch. She can open it. Hell, she didn't even have to knock. So, I'm just going to own this. "I'm assuming you're here for a reason like last time?"

  She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm not here to harm you."

  Wow, she's annoyed I think she could be here with malicious intent. Really? "Well, last time you were trying to kill me you know."

  "Well, now I'm not. I'm here to help you." She flips her long silver hair over her arm and smiles.

  Wait. Did she say help me? Something is off here. That makes no sense. I refused to help her sister, so this makes no sense. "I'm sorry, but I think I'll pass." I turn to shut the door, but something catches it. I look at the door and there isn't anything there. The freaking witch is using her magic.

  "Fine, help is the wrong word." She huffs and takes a step back. "I'm here to warn you about something."

  Now, that's a little more believable, but I still have my reservations. "Why would you do that? I've got to say, I don't think I'm your favorite person."

  "You're right." She straightens her shoulders and stares me straight in the eye. "But I like the demon even less than you. So, by helping you, I'll be hindering him."

  Now that sounds plausible. This is a conversation we probably don't want to have right out here where people can overhear, so I hold the door open. "Do you want to come in for a minute?"

  "It's probably for the best." She walks past me, causing a floral breeze to hit me and into my home. She glances around and crinkles her nose. "Wow. This is really quaint."

  What a freaking jerk. Yes, my apartment is small, but it's big enough for me. If she has a problem with it, she can leave. I don't want to get in the middle of whatever she and Damien have going on anyways. "Can we just cut to the chase?"

  She turns her light green eyes on me and tilts her head. "Wow, you're not the timid girl I quite remember. Has it really only been over a month since the last time I saw you?"

  "Nope, that's about right." It does seem longer, but not long at all. It's just the sheer amount of shit that's happened. "Just a lot has happened, and it can change a person and fast."

  "Like absorbing two old, important elemental artifacts?" She raises an eyebrow and grins.

  Dammit, once again, she knows more than I'm comfortable with. How does she keep doing this? It's not like this is public knowledge ... or at least I don't think it is. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of confirming that.

  "Oh, I wasn't asking. I know it happened." She takes a few steps toward me. Even though she appears older, her steps are steady and purposeful. "And I know what they did to you. They now flow through you as if they are your own power."

  This is not helping me out. "And this information is helpful how?" Maybe I shouldn't have even talked to her. I should text Charlie now.

  "I haven't gotten there yet." She laughs. "What I'm wondering is have you thought about how you are going to handle that when you die?"

  My blood turns to ice. "So, you are here to kill me again?"

  "Dear God no, even though the thought does have merit to it. My sister is doing even worse now thanks to you. If only you would have saved her instead of going off with that demon." Her jaw clenches and she takes a deep breath. "But even if I wanted to get the artifacts, I couldn't. My powers are not pure enough."

  That pisses her off. I'm sure that has everything to do with her saving her sister. I wonder if black magic is involved. I wouldn't put anything past her. But her question does concern me. The artifacts are inside me, and she's right. I bet the magic won't die when I do. What will happen? "I'm assuming you have some information on what's going to happen with them when I pass?"

  "When you're killed? I know what will happen." She nods and a huge smirk crosses her face.

  Shit, she thinks I'll be killed. Is it sad I hadn't considered that? However, it does sound very plausible, but I'll be damned if I let that happen. "So, let's say I am killed. What do you know?" They are inside me so wouldn't they just form out of me? "Wouldn't someone need to be right beside me?"

  "No, they don't." She walks over to my kitchen and runs a hand along the edge. "That's what most everyone thinks, but that's not the case."

  My phone rings, startling me. I want to ignore it, but there is no telling who it could be. "I'm sorry let me go check this." I run over to my bed and pick it up. The council number flashes. Ugh, no. This is not the time or the place. But if I don't answer, it will just lead to issues and more questions. I hit the green button. "Hello?"

  "Christina?" Luke's voice fills my ear.

  "Yeah." Who else does he think it would it would be? He dialed my freaking number.

  "I need you to come to the mansion right away. We have something going on, and I need you here." His tone is a little frazzled.

  Why do they assume I should be at their disposal all the time? "It's going to have to be a minute. I’m in the middle of something."

  "No, listen to me right now...." His voice is getting louder.

  Like that will change anything. "Hey, sorry. I'm busy. I'll be there as soon as I can be. See you soon." I end the call and throw it down.

  As soon as I throw it back on the bed, it rings again. The same number pops up. Yeah, I'm not going to answer that. I turn my attention back to the witch as it continues to ring.

  She is now back in the living area and leaning against the door. She grins. "You aren't going to answer that?" She arches an eyebrow. "It sounds like it's your precious council."

  "Yeah, it is." I shrug. I’m tired of being at their beck and call. They are going to have to wait on me for a change. This is getting out of hand. "But I'll get there when I can."

  "They won't take too kindly to waiting." She crosses her arms across her chest and then shifts her weight to one leg. "Are you sure that's wise?"

  "Maybe not, but I'm tired of always being on their time table." I don't want to go into details with her. I don't trust her and she's telling me this for ulterior motives. I'm assuming it's because it's the demon, but I'm also learning people don't tell you everything and hide part ... the important part ... of their intentions.

  She lowers one arm in front of her and wraps her hand around her elbow. "They are your leaders."

  "Yes, you're right, but they aren't supposed to dictate my life twenty-four-seven and that's what this has turned into." Okay, this conversation needs to go back to artifacts and fast. I'm not comfortable with her at all. "So, you were saying the artifacts won't appear where I die. So...? They'll go back to their original spot and be protected?" Maybe that's why she said she couldn't go there. A witch wouldn't be welcomed in the Angel Realm.

  She rolls her eyes at me again. "No, will you stop guessing and just let me talk."

  Wow, I thought old people were supposed to be patient. Maybe witches are excluded from that broad statement. "Fine. Please tell me."

  "When you die, the artifacts will go..."

  Knock, knock, knock. Who the hell is at my door? Why do we keep getting interrupted from this conversation? I just want to hear what she has to say.

  I hurry over to the door and yank it open. Luke's usual driver is standing at my door with a frown on his face. "Are you ready?"

  Did he send his driver over to get me? This has to be some kind of joke. "No, I'm not ready."

  "How much longer are you going to be?" He gla
nces around me and tries to look inside my house.

  Oh, hell no. I step in his way and he glares at me. "I'm right here." This is freaking ridiculous. "I need to take Luke his car back anyways so you can just head back."

  "It's okay. I don't mind waiting." He lifts his chin up and puffs out his chest. "What will you be? Five minutes?"

  This guy is pushing me and he's about to piss me off. "No, it'll most likely be longer. You should go. I'll get there as soon as I can."

  "But..." His mouth drops open.

  I want to reach out and push his mouth close, but somehow, I restrain myself. "It's fine. Go. Tell them I'll be there as soon as possible." I shut the door in his face. If I deal with him much longer, it won't be pretty.

  The witch has a huge grin on her face, and nods. "Well done."

  Doesn't she realize I'm not concerned about her approval? At this point, I'm not concerned about correcting her. "Can you just finish what you want to tell me before we get interrupted again?"

  "Fair point." She takes a step toward me and lowers her voice. "What I've been trying to tell you is that anyone who wants the artifacts should wait until you've collected them all before harming you."

  But that doesn't make any sense to me. "Why? I'd be powerful then. They would struggle to take me."

  "Not if you've been lulled into some false sense of security." She takes my hand.

  I want to pull back but for some reason I don't. I want to hear what she has to say. For some reason, I feel like this will devastate me, but put everything in perspective.

  She leads me to the couch and has me sit down. Then she sits in front of me on the coffee table. She leans forward and grips my hand tight. "When you have all the artifacts and then die, they will all go to one location for the killer to scoop up."

  "Wait...," one location, but not right there with me. "It won't be right there?"

  "No, I'm not sure where, but I can figure it out if needed." She frowns and pats me. "But it will be away from you so not everyone will go chaotic. These artifacts are made of smart, ancient magic. They know better."

  But I don't understand. "How does everyone know this, and I don't?"

  "Oh, naive girl. They don't want you to know. The council, the demon, or any other party that may be involved." She grins at the last statement. "Every single person is working to build your trust, your allegiance, or just some sort of unbalanced relationship with you for when this happens. Most every relationship you have now is a set up for the end game."

  And what hurts the most is I believe her. I see it's what the council and Damien is doing. But my problem is: Who else is part of the puzzle?

  20

  I need to focus on the information at hand and not freak out. I take a deep breath and force my mind to stop running at full speed. Whether I like it or not, this is my reality, and I need to fact-find, not overreact.

  So, if the elements go to one place, there has to be something to make it possible to spread them out or something. At some point, I'm going to die whether I like it or not. I hope it's not by murder, but who knows. "So, Damien mentioned that there’ve been other seekers like me who could handle the elements."

  "Yes, there have been." She nods and remove her hands. "You aren't quite as distraught as I expected."

  Wow, she wanted me to lose it? Granted, I was about to there for a second, but I'm learning emotions are what get you hurt. You've got to focus on your objective and facts. "What's the point of getting upset about my reality? I need to face it and figure out how to fix things, instead of it ruling me." I stand and walk over where the carpet meets the laminate. "So, did they face this same problem?"

  The witch scrunches her nose but nods. "Yes, they did. Each one had to deal with what you are dealing with, just different people trying to pull their strings. Luckily, most weren't able to get more than one before things became issues."

  Well, I've gotten two, so I've beaten some kind of odds already. "What do you mean things became issues?" Is there something I need to worry about?

  "The last Artifact Seeker was about three hundred years ago." She stands and begins pacing. "She was a witch actually, but it was during the Salem Witch trials."

  Wow, that was a while ago. I guess it makes sense. "So, they all aren't reapers?"

  "Oh, no." She shakes her head and narrows her eyes. "You're the first. Granted, it's always a living supernatural that has magic inside of them naturally, but you're the first reaper I've heard of. But a vampire or demon would never have access to it."

  That's interesting. "I wonder why a reaper is the Seeker now?"

  "Me too." She sighs. "Anyway, I was there that day. She had just gotten her hands on the Earth Stone much like you did."

  It’s the easiest realm to get to. I can see why most people get that one first.

  "It had just finished absorbing into her and she was out of sorts." The witch closes her eyes and rubs her hand along her forehead. "She was crazy strong but couldn't control it. We were under strict orders not to harm the humans. Most of them were innocent anyway." She laughs hard.

  A hard, queasy feeling sits in my stomach. Is she about to go off the deep end? "Were they not?"

  Her eyes darken and a snarl fills her face. "The artifact seeker found out her sister was being put on the stake. She had to see her ... to say goodbye. We tried to talk her out of it, she was unstable for God's sake, but it was her sister. She snuck away when we were talking."

  The air changes direction around us as she courses with anger. I have a feeling I’m about to hear a story that is going to get both of us upset in one way or another. The whole Salem Witch Trials was horrible. I'm not sure why other supernaturals didn't get involved to help them.

  "We finally caught up to her when she was down on her knees screaming. Her sister was already dead." She closes her eyes and places her hands over her face. "We tried to get to her, but the earth began shaking. It ripped the ground underneath the humans of the town and they all fell in the cracks to their deaths."

  She's that upset over the humans dying? I don't buy that. There has to be more to this story. I wait in silence waiting for the rest of the story to come out.

  Taking a deep breath, she lowers her hands and stares me straight in the eyes. "Then when they were all gone, the earth stopped shaking. She said an incantation and exploded right in front of us." She huffs out a hard laugh. "And the Earth Stone vanished. You'd at least think she'd let it stay for us."

  Wow, poor girl. Not only did she have to deal with all the craziness of what came with taking in that power, she had to deal with losing her sister and the witches trying to keep her away. She felt betrayed and alone. I know what that feels like. "I'm sorry you had to live through that, and she had to experience that."

  "It's been a similar story for each one." She runs a hand through her hair and then pushes it behind. "Have you heard the tale of King Arthur?"

  "Yeah." Who hasn't and why is she bringing it up now?

  "What your little reaper textbooks may have left out is that he was a sort of artifact collector and for a reason." She raises an eyebrow and pauses.

  "Are you saying?" No, he couldn't have been like me. That's crazy.

  "He was a seeker and got his hands on the Angel's Breath." She shakes her head. "It made him a little egotistical and it got to his head. When he passed away, he didn't know how to send the artifacts back to their original spot and that's the real reason why their history went dark for a while."

  Whoa, these artifacts have gotten in the wrong hands before. Why have I assumed they haven't? "So, there is a way to send them back and not have them gather in that one spot. But wait ... how was I able to find the Angel's Breath in the Angel Realm?"

  "Because eventually a few angels made it down to get it." She snickers and crosses her ankles. "Remember time up there is slower than down here so what seems like years to us is only days to them."

  Well, at least they did come and get it. I'm assuming everything leveled out once
they took it back to where it belonged. "So, you mentioned an incantation. Do you know it?"

  "Of course, I do." She flips her hair and stands. "If I didn't know it, I wouldn't be here. This whole visit would be futile."

  Okay, so we have a plan. She knows what I should say. "All right, what is it?"

  She takes a deep breath and blows it out. "All right, I'm not supposed to share spells outside our coven, but hell, I've been on my own now for over fifty years. But this is still a big deal." She places both hands on my shoulders and locks her gaze with mine. "Now you better remember this because one day you will need this. Do you understand?"

  Does she think I'm a freaking idiot? I bite my tongue, because I don't want to piss her off. "Yes, I get it. Even if I'm not killed, I will die one day and need to deal with this."

  Her eyes narrow at me. "Here it is:

  Death is upon me, like a moth to a flame. Now is the time for my past to define me and my powers to go back like they were before my existence. Expel from me now to your original resting place."

  I repeat the words over and over in my head. The magic inside flairs to life as if it even knows this is important information and swirls inside me. It beats to the rhythm of the words and it inscribes it into my chest. Whenever my mind glosses over that area, the words reveal themselves to me. So even if I forget them, I won't ever be able to. "Got it."

  "Are you sure? That was awfully fast." She tilts her head and takes a step back.

  "Don't worry. I have it." I don't want to let her in on what my magic did. I still don't trust her and will research what she just told me.

  "You do understand if you don't get the chance to repeat that or mess any part of that up, the people closest to you will know and have access to those artifacts." She grins for a second before she smashes her lips together and turns away.

  That's what I figured. A little of her facade just broke through. Is she after the artifacts too? I wonder if that incantation is even right, but for my power to react that way, it has to be. "Maybe I'll refuse to get anymore. I mean, I don't want to go to the next location anyways." I'll call her bluff and maybe she'll leave me alone again.