Defiance

by R. S. Broadhead

  I busted out laughing.

  Shiloh’s eyes went wide. “I think you need to get lover boy outta here. Looks like you’re finally ready to leave and find dis girl you’re after.”

  He took her hand, kissing each finger. “I’ll come back for you. I promise,” he told her.

  She leaned closer to him, rocking slightly. “Mmmhmmm. You do dat.” They stared at each other long enough to make everyone uncomfortable. I coughed, breaking the awkwardness. She turned to me. “You take care of yourself and Ryker.” She winked at him before dropping his hand.

  “I’ll try. He’s hard to manage sometimes.”

  “I can see dat.”

  I bite my lip. “If any of you ever need anything… I’ll come back. You know that right? I’m in your debt for everything you’ve done for us.”

  She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around me. “Go Cade. You have someone to save. Don’t worry bout us.”

  I forced a smile as she pulled away. After everyone went back inside, I made sure Ryker was truly well enough to leave. He still had a slight cough, but he was much better.

  “You ready to finally get back to what we started?” I asked, anxious to get back into the city.

  He arched his eyebrows and held up his arm. “You see this? I’m an official badass now. I’m ready to do anything. If I see Paradan again, I’m gonna be like, ‘What? You wanna go’? He isn’t going to know what to think when I blast him in the face,” he said. I didn’t want to break Ryker’s spirit and tell him there was no way he would get close enough to Paradan to blast his face. Aside from that, Paradan was mine. He started something all those years ago, beating me like I was nothing. He would pay.

  Thirteen

  The sound of a horn caused all of us to jump. An old car pulled around and stopped in front of the house as we stepped out on the porch.

  “Come on, since y’all need to get back,” Justice said. Ryker climbed in the back while I took the front beside Justice.

  “See you look a little sad. Told you I was growing on you,” I said.

  “I can’t deny dat,” he said. We rode in silence for most of the way. There was an eerie feel in the air. “Where do you need to go?”

  “Bourbon Street,” I said without tearing my eyes from the buildings as we past. It was the only street sign I saw in the dream. That’s how I knew exactly how to find her.

  Justice sped around a few cars, weaving in and out of traffic, and screeched to a stop at the sign I saw in my dream. Before I could step out of the car, Justice grabbed my arm. “Cade…I don’t really know what to say…” He looked out the window, swatting near his eyes.

  I took his hand in mine, patting it gently. “I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.”

  He nodded, only letting me catch a glimpse of his eyes streaked with red. “Don’t let ‘em persuade you to do somethin’ you shouldn’t down dat way. People here are always down for a good party no matter what time of day it is.”

  I laughed. “Thank you for everything, Justice.” I shut the door, and he wheeled away, leaving Ryker and me standing in a crowd of people.

  “Come on. This was where everyone kept telling me to go in my dream. They were saying something about the best pie.” We walked down the sidewalk for a bit until I saw someone familiar, though I had never seen them before. The guy from my dream, only he wasn’t wearing the large, colorful hat. He was dressed in pants and a T-shirt, but he still had the chilled beer, wet with condensation, in his hand. “Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where I can find the best pie in town?”

  “Sure thing. You wanna go to Madame Sweets.

  It’s right up there, around that corner,” he said, pointing.

  “Thank you. It’s my first time here,” I said, feeling like I’d known him longer than the one minute we stood talking.

  “Not a problem. Welcome to New Orleans.”

  I nodded. Thankfully, Ryker followed with no remarks, only sniffling every few seconds. The atmosphere change was really tough on his immune system. Hopefully, now that he bared the Demoral tattoo and Grim’s blood ran through him, it would help him recover quickly.

  The streets were polluted with litter, and there was a distinct smell unlike any other. Even though it was mid-day, that didn’t seem to decrease the number of people packed on the street. Long, green cups that read Hand Grenade dotted the never-ending hoard of tourists that oohed and awed over everything they passed. Street performers held the attention of several onlookers. Ryker even tried to stop at a few, but I forced him to continue, only half listening to his protests. But despite everything, there was an undeniable beauty that held history and haunting images of death in this city.

  As we rounded the corner, the little diner came into view. The building was older, like the rest of the city, but charming. Curved, white, and red lettering neatly spelled the name across the front glass. The aroma of baked goods overwhelmed the streets, bringing several people to a halt before continuing their dash to explore the city. It was a family owned, local spot that tourists didn’t know about.

  I crossed the street, barely missing an oncoming car, and stopped by the window to peer inside. My intentions were to just see her. I wanted to make sure she was okay, protect her from afar, and maybe talk to her when I was ready. But now that I was here, something practically pulled me, like an invisible rope had magically tied around my waist, forcing me closer. A few people munched on food or drank beverages. I studied the waitresses to search for any type of resemblance from all those years ago. One had ebony hair in a pixy cut, with a tattoo on the side of her face. Another was redheaded and overweight. Her face was sweaty, and she looked out of breath. Could she really change that much? It had been twenty-two years, so using some hair dye; she could be anyone of these ladies.

  I had almost convinced myself she was the one with black hair when the door to the kitchen swung open. A girl with blond hair shot out, balancing three trays. The curls were gone, but her hair was still the bright blond I remembered. She placed the first tray on a table near the window we were standing at. My breath caught at her illuminated smile. She was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. It was impossible to take my eyes off of her.

  “I need to talk to her,” I said. The damn rope now seemed determined to get me into the restaurant as it pulled harder, and I had no problem letting it take me there. I had no idea what I was going to say. I didn’t plan to talk to her. I didn’t plan to make myself seen to her, but I never expected to feel this way. I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

  “Cade, that isn’t a good idea.” Ryker pulled my arm, trying to stop me from going inside, but I jerked away. “What are you going to say to her? Huh? That you were the freaky guy who appeared out of nowhere when she was little and tried to save her and her sister?”

  His words meant nothing to me even though it was a perfectly logical thing to think about. At that moment, I wasn’t being logical. I didn’t want to be. I left Ryker with his mouth hanging open as I entered the diner.

  “Dining in with us today?” asked the one with dark hair.

  I looked past her to Izzy who was laughing with a table of older ladies.

  “Sir, did you hear me?”

  I finally looked at the girl.

  She gasped. “Cool contacts.”

  “Umm, thanks. I know this may sound strange, but I think I know that girl back there. Is it possible to sit at one of her tables?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound like a complete stalker.

  She shook her head and smiled, looking down at the register. “Izzy always gets the hot ones. If you don’t end up knowing her, I’m gonna need to get your number.” She winked at me before grabbing a menu and motioning me to follow her. She sauntered in front of me, swaying her lower half way more than necessary. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” She placed a hand on my arm, squeezing slightly, and letting it stay there longer than needed.

  I pulled away as I sat at the table and tried my best to focu
s on the menu without saying anything back. The girl took the hint and trotted back to the front. My heart thumped faster. What was I going to say to her? I was so deep in thought; I didn’t hear her approach.

  “Hey there! I’m Izzy. What can I get started for you today?”

  Her voice sent a wave of nervous tremors through my body. This was it, no turning back now. I took a deep breath, hoping it would give me the courage I needed to look her in the eyes.

  After I placed the menu on the table, I looked up. Her mouth dropped as her shaking hand reached up to cover it. Without blinking, her stare bore into me. Like I was a nightmare that she couldn’t believe was true and wanted nothing more than to go away. It wasn’t the reaction I’d hoped for.

  “Oh my…it can’t be,” she finally said. She backed away from the table. I reached for her hand, but she hastily jerked it away. “Don’t touch me!”

  Everyone in the diner was staring at us now. I wanted to melt into the booth and make myself invisible, but I knew that would freak everyone out. What was I thinking? That she would throw herself into my arms and let me hold her like I desperately wanted to? I wanted to protect her. Now that I had found her, nothing could harm her. I would make sure of it.

  “Please, I just want to talk to you. That’s all,” I said as quietly as I could.

  The kitchen door pushed open, and an older man, wearing an apron came out. He had to be pushing sixty, but he was still very well defined. He held a bat in one hand and had a menacing glare. I almost wanted to laugh, but I managed to control myself. This man and his bat wouldn’t be a challenge for me, but the last thing I wanted was to frighten her even more.

  “Is there a problem here?” he asked, eyeing me.

  She looked back at me and up at the man. “No. There’s no problem, Mr. Banks. I just haven’t seen this guy in forever, so it shocked me is all.” Her words sounded fake to me, so I knew he wasn’t going to buy them. “I’m fine, really.” She nudged his arm, pushing him back toward the kitchen.

  He didn’t seem satisfied by her response, but didn’t argue. “Let me know if you need any help.” He eyed me one last time before turning around.

  She nodded and waited for him to go back into the kitchen before taking a single step toward my table. “Are you who I think you are?” she asked, her voice shaking. Her bright blue eyes were glassy as tears threatened to spill over the brim.

  I fought the urge to touch her cheek, as if feeling her skin would help me come to terms that this was real. She was really in front of me, alive and well. I hated that I was scaring her, but why would I think it would be different? The only memories she had of me were bad. “Who do you think I am?”

  She sat across from me, but didn’t ease up. She was ready to ditch this reunion the second anything turned too much for her to handle. “I have dreams about you every night. About that horrible day when I was little. My mom and my sis…sister, oh God! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. It happened all those years ago, and your face still haunts me.” She rubbed her arms as they dotted with goose bumps— not the good kind. “Where did you come from?” she finally asked after wiping the tears from her eyes.

  Should I tell her the truth or make something up? Humans weren’t supposed to know about us, but she was different. She’d already witnessed things in her childhood that she shouldn’t have. Not to mention, I’d already broken our laws, so what was one more added to the growing pile? They had their chance to kill me, and they decided against it. Shivers wrapped my body as I thought about that stone cage I was trapped in. No mercy. No return from it. But somehow, here I was, sitting in front of the girl I had saved. It was worth it.

  “I’m a Reaper, my name is Cade and that’s Ryker out there,” I said pointing outside. “I was meant to be Grim’s officer until the day I tried to save you and your sister.” Judging from her confused expression, I knew I needed to go into a little more detail. “I was out of line that day with you. You were meant to die, but I stopped it. I betrayed everything I was made for and my brothers, but for some reason I couldn’t let it happen. Or at least I tried not to let it happen…” My voice trailed off thinking of her mother and sister.

  She picked up a napkin and folded it into squares. I let her absorb everything, no matter how absurd it sounded to a human. I needed her to believe me. I sighed and cast a glance out the window. Ryker sat on a bench across the street, still coughing judging from the constant bounce of his shoulders. An older gentleman who sat beside him inched as far away from him as he could.

  “You should’ve let me die,” she finally said. Those words took my breath. I’d thought I was doing the right thing. I never imagined I’d be sitting here with Izzy, but when I found out she was still alive, this wasn’t the response I’d hoped for.

  She blinked a few times, unable to keep the tears trapped. They cascaded down her now rosy cheeks even faster than before. I blinked several times, trying to control my own feelings. To see her cry was like having someone twist a rusty blade into my heart. After taking a few breaths to calm my overactive emotions, I built up enough courage to take one of her hands that still fidgeted with the napkin. It was so warm and soft.

  “You didn’t deserve to die that day. None of you did,” I said, willing her to believe the words like I did.

  A faint smile hinted at the corner of her pouty lips as she gently squeezed my hand. Electricity seemed to shoot through our touch, igniting my insides, making it difficult to focus.

  “Ever since that awful day…” She paused, taking her hand from mine to wipe her eyes.

  Instantly, my hand felt chilled. I wanted to reach for hers again, but I wasn’t about to overstep my boundaries. I had to work on her time.

  “I just stay too scared. Like someone or something is always watching me. Do you know what that’s like? To have that constant feeling of never feeling safe?” She looked up to me, her blue eyes as crystal as Earth’s sky. Her top lip trembled slightly as she went back to playing with the napkin.

  “I’ll never let anything happen to you as long as I’m around.”

  She glanced out the window, squinting in Ryker’s direction. “So why now? Why are you here after all these years?” she asked, turning back to me, her face emotionless.

  I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my beating heart. I didn’t want to frighten her, but I also didn’t want to be dishonest. She was in imminent danger. The thought of that made every muscle in my body tighten, prepared to defend her at any cost. She must have noticed my apprehension because her eyes widened. Time to man up and tell her why I tracked her down. “I wish I could say I was here for a nice little visit to catch up, but the fact is, up until a few days ago, I thought you were dead.”

  Her brows inched together as if confused. “How did you find out I wasn’t?”

  It was the question I hoped she wouldn’t ask. I knew telling her the answer would be detrimental. “Your sister told me,” I murmured after a few minutes of silence.

  She sat back with a hand across her mouth and stared at me. “Sophia?” Her voice was so pained with the mention of that one, single name.

  Grimly, I nodded.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Over the next thirty minutes, I explained to her what had happened to me, the punishment that was ruled for me, and the details that had emerged regarding her.

  She racked a hand through her hair, gripping a fist full behind her head. “So, you don’t know why they’re coming after me so hard all of a sudden?”

  I looked down at the table. “No.”

  She nodded and looked toward the kitchen. “Well, what do we need to do?”

  “We need to find Grim. That’s what he told me to do as soon as I found you.”

  Her eyes widened, and after what seemed like an eternity, she stood. “Just let me grab my things, okay?”

  I sat up, relieved that this had ended up being so easy. “Of course. I’ll wait here for you.” She disappeared into the kitchen. I heard he
r talking low through the door and then silence. Ten minutes went by. Customers were being seated around me while others got their food. I heard the door chime. Ryker strolled over to my table, grabbing a leftover sandwich from the table in front of me. He plopped down, stuffing it into his mouth.

  “What the hell is taking so long?” he asked. I looked at the clock hanging over the bar. Fifteen minutes.

  “Not sure, but I’m about to find out. I stood and slowly pushed open the kitchen door. I didn’t see anyone but a few cooks working the stoves. I stepped all the way in and turned a corner as a bat came rushing toward my face. A second before it connected, I darted out of the way. It hit the tiled wall behind me, sending the broken pieces of white ceramic to the floor like hardened pieces of snow. A few screams from the cooking staff erupted behind me as I shoved the old man to the side to keep him from swinging at me again. I snatched the bat from his hands. “Just stay where you are, and no one has to get hurt,” I threatened, eyeing a few guys that were cooking. They had already started coming closer to help the man. “Where is she?”

  “Just leave her alone. The girl’s had a rough enough life without an ex boyfriend trying to harass her,” the man said. He was holding his arm. I guess I must have pushed him too hard.

  “I’m not an ex-boyfriend. I came here to help her.”

  He started laughing. “Well, if that was true I guess she didn’t want your help since she left right after she came back here.”

  I lowered the bat. “What?” I was sure Izzy wanted me to help her. Didn’t she? It was hard to think clearly. I shook my head and backed out the door. “Ryker, she left.” People were huddled together, staring at me and the bat. Ryker had grabbed more food and was still eating, like nothing was going on.

  “What the hell? Freakin’ women! I guess we need to go find her?”

  I nodded. “She’s been gone about twenty minutes. There’s no telling where she’s at.”

  “Wrong. If you were a girl who just got told some shit like that where would you go?” When I didn’t answer, he continued. “If I was a human, and someone told me that the things we are supposed to believe in but can’t see are real, I would go to the source I believed in to pray. Church.”