Defiance

by R. S. Broadhead

  “Lil’ sister, come out and join us…we’re just playing some games,” the drunk said. His voice was thick with an Irish accent. His fist pounded against the pantry door, breaking the rusty handle. The door slowly seemed to float open. “I love blonds. I might have some fun with you before I send you home to your mum.”

  Fire ignited within me. I could feel it burning every inch of my body like I was on the verge of exploding with rage.

  “Don’t even think about it, Cade,” Cornelius’s voice sounded from far away.

  I was somewhere I couldn’t be reached. The only people in this room right now were the drunk and me. I craved to get my hands on him, to tear him limb from limb. It didn’t matter that the notion was put into his head to commit this heinous act. He shouldn’t have been the weakling that all humans seemed to be. His morals should have made him fight what he knew was wrong. The fact was, somewhere deep down he had thought about doing something like this before. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be enjoying it so much right now. Fate knew what she was doing when she picked this guy. He was enjoying it too much.

  It was against our laws to let humans see us. I’m no better than this drunk if I let someone else dictate my actions. This is what’s right and needs to be done. Fuck it. “Yo! If you want to cut someone with that thing then here I am.”

  Cornelius jumped off the little freezer he’d been sitting on and rushed to my side. “What do you think you’re doing? Cade, you’ll be locked up for this. Maybe if you stop now and don’t pursue what I think you’re about to do then they’ll go easy on you, mate.” His voice was desperate. Only half of it probably concerned for my well-being, the other his. I was sure he didn’t want to mess up his perfect record with Grim and possibly not get promoted. “I’ll stop you if I have to,” he threatened. He was the least of my concern.

  All I could see was the confused man in front of me. The way his snarl curled back into his cheeks, exposing stained yellow teeth that were black across the top. He grated my nerves in all the wrong ways.

  “I don’t know where you came from, pretty, but I’ll carve your face up real nice for butting into something that wasn’t your business.” He stumbled toward me, knocking the coffee pot off the counter sending glass everywhere.

  “I’m begging you, Cade, as your best friend, please don’t do this,” Cornelius said, staring at the man coming toward us.

  “It’s too late, dude. I won’t let anything tell me something is set in stone. Fate can suck my dick if she has a problem with that.” He sighed and shook his head.

  “And they call me crazy,” the drunk said. He didn’t give me time to respond before he lunged in my direction. I jumped to the side, shoving Cornelius into the cabinet with a grunt. He swung the blade again, but this time I caught his arm in midair and spun. It snapped as he dropped the weapon and I kicked him in the chest. An electric shock went through me, making me shake uncontrollable. I dropped to my knees and then to my side.

  “Told you, I’d stop you. Now make yourself back invisible, he needs to finish this.” Cornelius stood over me, sticking his gun back into its holder. At least he didn’t use any of his more lethal weapons. He only wanted to prevent me from interfering with the rest of this kill. I lay still, trying to regain control over my central nervous system. Everything tingled. I took a few deep breaths and concentrated. This was only a mental thing I needed to overcome, or these girls would die because I wouldn’t be able to get up and help them. He walked over to the drunk that was slumped against the wall, holding his broken arm. He surveyed his wounds before whispering something in his ear. The guy turned back to the pantry. I glanced in the same direction, and my heart dropped.

  Sophia stood, bleeding from her side. Her hair was matted to her forehead with sweat, and I could tell she wanted to cry the way mouth was pinched together. The tears wanted to spill over with the pain she was feeling in her body and at the sight of her mother laying on floor, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. She had to be strong for the little girl standing next to her that was shaking so hard her legs could barely hold her. Izzy was terrified, but seemed to be unharmed for the moment. The drunk started to stand, bracing himself against the wall. Sophia looked at me, dead in the eyes. I never thought that would happen. I was invisible to them all these weeks, but here she was seeing me for the first time.

  “Please…help us,” she mouthed to me. Suddenly the tingling subsided, my fingers moved slightly as the feeling came back. Cornelius stood where the man had been knocked into the wall. That shock made me weak, but I couldn’t let them down. I curled my fingers around the brass knuckles in my pocket and rolled to my feet. The drunk faltered a few steps from the girls as if trying to talk himself out of it. Using that opportunity to sneak up on Cornelius, I delivered a powerful blow to the back of his head. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped down. I slowly walked behind the drunk and wrapped my arms around his neck. He dropped the knife again and slapped at my hold. His rapid pulse beat against my arm. His life was in my hands, and I had never felt a surge of power like that before. I would take his last breath. I was death, here to claim him.

  “Close your eyes,” I told the girls. They did as instructed and turned to each other, huddling in a corner. “Today is your last day on this Earth…you will walk in the fires of hell for the rest of eternity.” My voice was smooth as velvet in his ear. He stopped fighting and accepted my words. I snapped his neck and threw him to the side. “It’s over. Are you girls okay?” I asked.

  They looked at me. Sophia was pale from blood loss, but she nodded.

  The windows rattled, and the floor split in half. They were coming. I was surprised it took them this long. Demorals. The ones who were supposed to be my brothers in the future, to fight to protect the laws I just broke. I should be terrified, but the only thing on my mind was to get these girls to safety. I drew the reaper symbol, which caught fire. Odd, that’s never happened.

  “Think of somewhere safe, and this will take you there,” I told them. They nodded as Sophia took Izzy’s hand and pulled her toward the black hole.

  “Thanks,” Sophia said, stopping in front of me. I felt warm all over, something I’d never experienced before.

  “Go, before it’s too late.” Something hot hit me in the face, blinding me for a moment. I wiped at my eyes and found blood on my fingers. Sophia stood in front of me with a curved sickle through her stomach. She shoved Izzy, who was screaming at the top of her lungs toward the black hole. She disappeared in.

  “So…phia…” her tiny voice poured out.

  “Get the little one, before it closes,” a deep voice commanded.

  I tried to block the portal, but was hit in the jaw with the wood from another sickle. A blade whizzed past me so fast it practically hummed through the air. I heard a thud, and Izzy screamed before it closed. The pain in my jaw was nothing compared to the heavy feeling my heart felt at that moment. Sophia lay in front of me, gasping for breath. Her chest moved up and down in a rapid motion.

  I ran a hand over her hair, pushing it away from her face. “I’m so sorry.” I had never meant the words more. It was my fault she was dying. Tears spilled out of my eyes.

  “Just get away from me,” she screamed. Her sobs turned into choked gasps. “I don’t want to die,” she whispered before she quit breathing.

  “Get him up. You’ve got to be the stupidest sack of shit Grim’s ever made,” Paradan, Grim’s first sergeant, said. His voice was so harsh. The harshest I had ever heard it, but I didn’t care.

  Two Demorals snatched me from the ground. My jaw pounded. I winced as I tried to move it. Their grip was solid around my arms. They thought I would fight them, but there was no fight left in me. I did what I thought was right. Those little girls’ blood would forever stain me and haunt my dreams. I deserved whatever punishment Grim had in store for me.

  Whatever it may be.

  Two

  I sat alone in the damp holding chamber the Demorals threw me in to await my future. It had b
een two days since my little stunt. Two days since my brothers had beaten the ever living shit out of me. Two days since I watched a family murdered. A family that did nothing to deserve what they got. The only thing they were guilty of was loving each other in a way that could melt the coldest heart. It was my fault. If I hadn’t wasted so much time, they would have had time to escape. My mind filled with unwanted images. I couldn’t get away from their faces. I lay back against the wall. My face was swollen, making it difficult to open my eyes. A heavy sigh escaped my cracked lips, aggravating the inescapable discomfort in my ribs.

  I couldn’t remember much of the trip here. After Paradan demanded the two Demorals pick me up, the three of them ‘punished’ me to the brink of death. They probably would have killed me, but I needed to go to trial first. Our laws stated that anyone breaking the rules be brought to Grim before any type of punishment was handed out. Physical harm was only to be given if the guilty resisted being apprehended. In my case, I didn’t, but they would be sure to tell everyone I did. There was no other way they could explain my condition. I wasn’t looking forward to Grim’s disapproving look. I wish I had died in the beating.

  The years I worked as a Grudger made me pity everyone locked up in here. We weren’t allowed to know their crimes, so to take my mind off work I came up with stories about each inmate. Now, it was my turn. Some Grudger would wonder about me. That is, if they didn’t just kill me. I hoped for death. After my experience, I wasn’t sure if being a Reaper was for me. How could Grim create something so void of everything the Reaper world stood for? I was a mistake.

  “Yo! Up and at ‘em sleeping beauty,” Paradan’s voice jarred me as I was drifting into an uneasy sleep. “It’s time for your trial. Grim’s ready to get this over with.”

  I sat up faster than intended and instantly regretted it as pain ran over my body. Paradan laughed, obviously taking notice. He seemed to love the fact that he caused this. I glanced up at him through my swollen lids. His lean frame was resting against the stone wall with one leg over the other. The dancing flame of the lantern hanging on the wall made his spiky white hair look yellow. He lit a cigarette, wrapping it with his well-manicured fingers, and took a deep drag. His thin lips barely parted, blowing a minty smoke out before flicking the ashes on the floor.

  “That time already?” I asked. I barely recognized my own voice. It was much scratchier than usual, probably due to not having anything to drink in two days. I guess food and drink were things they decided not to waste on me until I was sentenced.

  He made a sucking noise before answering. “If I would’ve had it my way, you’d already be dead. What you did…there just isn’t any other punishment suitable. I hope Grim sees it the same way because I’ve been itching to finish what we started.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper. I don’t know who he thought was going to hear him down here.

  Paradan had it out for me from day one. I had no idea why. Sure, my first day as a Grudger I accidently spilled mop water on his flashy shoes, but that wasn’t a reason to hate me. Nothing I did was ever good enough. He was amazing at his job. No one compared to him, but the ruthless way he treated me, and his disregard for humanity, made me see him in a different light.

  “I’m sure you’ll get your wish.” It made no difference to me. Most Reapers in my case would be fighting for a way out of death. I didn’t care. I was beyond confused. We weren’t supposed to feel things for humans. What made me different?

  I grimaced and slowly stood, which got another smile from Paradan. He blew smoke in my face as I approached him. I coughed, sending another jolt of pain through my side, probably from broken ribs.

  “I haven’t got all day to wait on you to walk all slow like that. Unlike you, I’ve got a job to follow.” He grabbed me around the elbow and shoved me out into the hallway as the door to my cell slid closed.

  The pitch-black cells were a depressing sight. That was one of the punishments. Light was considered a privilege. It didn’t faze me too much since I could see in the dark. All Demoral Reapers could. As we passed by them, voices came from inside. The inmates were talking to themselves. Most went crazy after so long.

  I turned to find Paradan’s glowing yellow eyes a few steps behind me. He slapped a door, causing the person inside to start screaming. The sound bounced off the stone walls. His screams only made the others join him. I could barely think clearly. My head was pounding enough without this. Paradan laughed. I was sure he did this on purpose. I fought the urge to slug him across the face. Even if I was in prime shape, he would put me down in a second. He was probably toying with me to see if he could get that reaction. So he could finish the job.

  We headed right, down another hall, and went through one of the massive double doors. Floating chandlers lit the way. The floor was now white marble instead of dirt. They were so shiny I could see my gruesome reflection in its perfection. This was the nicer part. We were getting closer to the judgment room. The air smelled of fresh flowers. Odd that no matter how much Reapers fought to segregate themselves from humans they would decorate with a smell from Earth. The smell only made my nose burn as it triggered the memory of the two girls in their yard. I gritted my aching teeth, ready to get my judgment, and end this.

  The double doors opened before we could push them. The two Demorals Paradan had with him that day greeted him as we went through. I had seen them around a few times before. Both were cocky and thought that others beneath them were a waste of their time. No wonder I didn’t know their names. One stifled a snicker causing me to glare at him. He jumped at me, making me stumble back a few steps into the other one.

  “Get off me, you disgraceful prick,” he said, shoving me to the floor. I rolled over to the side, staring up at the ceiling. I thought about just laying there until someone dragged me to the stand. Make it as hard for them as possible. A hand gripped me under the arm and gently pulled up.

  “You okay, mate? You look like shit, but of course, next to me, you always did,” Cornelius said. I was shocked to see him here.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  He forced a smile as he looked at his feet. “Well, they want me to give an account of what happened that day. I didn’t want to do it, but it’s not like I have a choice in all this. I told you not to do it.” His voice cracked. He was in a hard situation, and I put him there. Everything was my fault.

  “Shut up talking to the prisoner. Go do something useful like fetching me a drink,” Paradan demanded behind me. Cornelius’s eyes widened as he nodded, casting me one last look before he turned to walk away.

  “Paradan, please, there’s no need to be so harsh to those that aren’t up to your level of authority.” Grim’s voice was smooth as honey. The room went silent. Power radiated off him as he approached us. He stood at seven feet with dark purple hair that ran to the middle of his back. He reached for my hand with his long, bony fingers. The nails were long enough to rip the flesh from my bones. I took it with hesitation. It was warm, something I wasn’t expecting. This was the first time I had come face to face with Grim. The only other times I had seen him were when he’d passed by, not paying a bit of attention to me. That’s usually how it went until we became a Demoral. Cautiously, I looked up. The end of his long pointed nose turned up as his lips pulled back into a tight smile. His eyes were purple like mine. Odd. I had never met another with my color. Purple was very uncommon. There was one difference, however. His eyes were as piercing as a hawk’s. One look from Grim could strip anyone’s confidence and make them confess their biggest secret. His face scrunched as he studied my wounds before casting a hooded expression beyond me.

  Why is he being so nice to me? Is he like this with everyone he’s about to sentence to death? I turned to find Paradan and his two dickhole friends with their mouths dropped.

  “I don’t think we’ve had a formal introduction since you were created. It’s nice to meet you, Cadeus. I wish it would have been under better circumstances. You look like you could
’ve been very beneficial.”

  I swallowed hard. He used past tense, which meant death was coming soon. “It’s very nice to meet you too, sir.” I was barely able to get the words out.

  He cocked his head as his eyes narrowed. “You haven’t had any food or drink, have you?” When I shook my head his glare reached past me to Paradan, I was assuming. It was scary, like shit your pants scary. I wouldn’t want to be on the end of that glare. “Get him food and a drink. Now,” he said.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  His smile returned, though strained this time. “You don’t have to call me sir. Grim will do just fine.” He rested his hand on my back and guided me to a chair. His nails pressed into my skin, causing a slight discomfort, but I didn’t dare say anything. “Please eat then we can proceed.”

  I sat down in a chair made of wood craved out faces. Most looked like they were in agonizing pain. As soon as my body touched its surface, it started to heat under me. Shocked, I wanted to get up, but couldn’t. Something held me in place so I couldn’t move. I looked to Grim for answers, but he was too occupied in a heated conversation with Paradan and the two other Demorals to notice. I sighed with discomfort and began poking the food that had been sat near me. My stomach growled as the sweet scent of jutchobs reached my nose. They were my favorite. The meat practically melted in my mouth. I hadn’t really thought about food up until this point. I was too disgusted with myself.

  “Can we get this over with? We all have jobs to get back to,” Paradan said. He was now pacing in front of the room a few feet from me. I glanced down to the empty tray and realized I had been served my last meal. No wonder it was my favorite. The food churned in an unsettling way.