by Thawer, Tish
“The pleasure’s all mine,” she replied, extending her hand against her better judgment. Lucifer’s grip was firm and warm, sending waves of pleasure and torture up her arm simultaneously. He pierced her with his baby-blues, winking once before releasing her hand.
“I’ve heard so much about you and witnessed your deliveries from afar, but I had no idea what a beauty you were,” Lucifer stated.
“Thank you,” Raven stammered.
“Speaking of watching from afar,” Garrett interrupted the awkward exchange, “have you noticed anyone roaming your realm without permission?”
“No. Like I said, I would know if someone was here who shouldn’t be.”
As Garrett stared at Lucifer, Raven hoped he had some new mind-reading skill he hadn’t told her about yet. “Well, thanks for your time, then.” Garrett turned away.
“Do you have to go so soon? I’d love to discuss the other new Reaper you have in your employ. I hear she’s also now your wife and quite the catch.”
Garrett smirked. Got you! Lucifer didn’t have a way to see into Purgatory, so that meant someone had to tell him of Holli’s existence, and the only person who had this information was Loki. He was here, or at least he had been recently.
“Yes. I have married. Holli is the only other female Reaper in Purgatory, and we’re very happy. Thank you for asking,” Garrett offered calmly.
“Good to hear. So, can we expect any other female Reapers in the near future?” Lucifer asked.
Garret rolled his shoulders and straightened his spine. “No. I am not my predecessor, and will not be breaking the covenant.” Garrett layered his voice with his newfound power and brought the conversation to an immediate end.
Lucifer nodded and Garrett grabbed Raven by the hand, dissipating them into a cloud of shadow and smoke. “He’s there,” Garrett stated as soon as they arrived back in his own castle. “Lucifer had no other point of contact that could have informed him of Holli,” he explained.
“Could you sense if he was still there?” Raven asked.
“No. But I have no doubt that if he’s not currently hiding there, he’ll be back to visit Lucifer soon enough.”
Holli and Michael entered the room just as Raven was about to pose her next question.
“What did you find out?” Holli interrupted as she melted into Garrett’s embrace.
“Well, Loki has definitely paid Lucifer a visit, that much we do know,” Raven relayed.
“Did you encounter him while you were there?” Michael walked toward Raven, subtly caressing the edges of his pure-white wings against her contrasting black ones.
“No, no. Just Lucifer and his freaky love demon, Asmodeus.” Raven shivered.
Michael raised an eyebrow then turned to Death. “You let her near Asmodeus?”
“It wasn’t a matter of let, he was our escort when we arrived.” Garrett squared his shoulders.
“All right, big guy, settle down,” Raven stepped back and took Michael by the hand, leading him to the couch in nearby seating area. “Yes, I felt Asmodeus flick his power at me, but Garrett stopped him right away. And now that I’m aware of what he can do, I’ll be more prepared next time.”
“Next time?” Holli asked, as she and Garrett joined the couple.
“Yes. I think we’re going to have to return to Hell repeatedly if we hope to catch Loki there. That, or find a way to monitor the realm without Lucifer’s knowledge,” Garrett stated, nodding at Michael expectantly.
Lucifer returned to his main chamber and took a seat upon his throne. Lava flowed down the channels in the floor, running into the upside-down pentacle carved into the onyx directly in-front of him. He stared at the symbol and laughed. From this direction the mark of the beast was right-side up and represented protection and the Heavenly realm from which he’d fallen.
“Thinking about my offer?” Loki emerged from the shadows.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“It will work. You have my word.”
“You’re the God of Mischief. What good is your word?” Lucifer questioned.
“Better than any word from that imposter, Death,” Loki spat.
Lucifer’s thoughts drifted back to Raven, Purgatory’s own Valkyrie, and debated the potential of the pact Loki was suggesting.
“You’re sure our joined magic will produce the results we need?” Lucifer asked.
“Yes. I’m positive. You’ll be able to create an immortal assassin––a Valkyrie all your own, who will be able to kill the Reapers and therefore allow you to take over and rule Purgatory, as you were meant to all along.”
4
Raven woke, wrapped in Michael’s wings. “Good morning, beautiful.” He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“How is it that you never have morning breath?” she teased.
His stunning smile lit up the room. “Perks of being an archangel I guess.” He kissed her again, this time more purposefully.
She pulled back and ran a hand down his perfect cheek. “Well, unlike you, I still have to shower and put a little work into all this.” She motioned up and down the length of her body.
“You’re perfect to me, just the way you are.” Michael pulled her close again, rolling to his back, and holding her tight. They’d worked hard to embrace their new relationship, seeing as they’d both gone from unmated to mated warriors only a few short weeks ago. Michael’s efforts were most clear here in the privacy of their home, which Raven appreciated. She had easily fallen head over heels for the caring archangel, but still, she couldn’t take her mind of the situation at hand.
“I have a bad feeling in regards to what we’re about to face,” Raven stated, abruptly veering their conversation.
“Yes. I can feel something stirring as well, and it’s not good,” Michael admitted.
Raven pushed up onto her elbows and looked him in the eye. “What do you think is happening?”
“I can’t pinpoint it, but I know Lucifer has been using more of his magic lately than usual, and that doesn’t bode well for anyone.”
“Shit!” Raven cussed, then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.” She cringed, still not used to all the rules of living in Heaven. As the leader of God’s army, Michael had some pull and could therefore let some things slide, but still, she felt bad whenever she slipped. He laughed and rose naked from the bed, and Raven knew she’d follow any rules that were laid upon her in order to stay with the archangel she now loved.
“We don’t have permission to look directly into Lucifer’s castle yet, and without having proof he’s broken the covenant, we can’t break it ourselves or we’d be no better than Loki,” Michael explained.
Raven climbed out of bed and walked into the white marble enclosure in the massive bathroom. Multiple showerheads instantly rained hot water onto her sore muscles, bringing relief and a renewed sense of focus to her day. “Well, if I have any retrievals that take me to Hell today, I could always visit Asmodeus and see if I can get any information out of him,” she teased.
Michael’s thick arms wrapped around her, lifting her off the ground. Raven laughed through the water pounding directly into her face, as Michael began to dish out her punishment. His relentless tickling caused her to squirm and writhe uncontrollably in his arms. The friction quickly turned their interaction from fun to sexual as she slid up and down the rippling muscles of her archangel’s body. Raven reminded herself to tease him more often if this was going to be the outcome.
Fully satisfied and showered, Raven pulled herself from Michael’s lingering kisses and slid into her usual attire: black leather from head to toe. “I have to go work now. I’ll see you tonight.”
Michael grabbed her hand, pulling her back into his embrace. “Be careful my love, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Raven was used to the archangel’s professions of love when they were alone, but lately, even here, they were getting a little too mushy for her liking. “What are you talking about? Nothing’s going to
happen to me. I’m a Grim Reaper, the best in the business as a matter of fact. Not to mention, I’m immortal.” She pumped her wings, lifting herself into the air and meeting him eye to eye. “No need to fret,” she kissed him again, “see you later.” With a rapid whoosh, she flew out the retracted ceiling and into the open area in front of Heaven’s pearly gates. This was the place her inner light brought her to whenever she had a soul to deposit, and therefore the only place she could be sent back to Purgatory from, without needing Michael’s help. She’d gained more control over activating her portal since living here and was now able to call upon it at will, instead of waiting for her anger or the presence of a soul to activate it. She closed her eyes, spread her wings, and let her inner light build to its crescendo. The portal opened and she was immediately rushed back to Purgatory.
Raven opened her eyes and sighed. She missed living in Purgatory, with its gray skies and black wisps of souls floating throughout the air, not to mention her apartment. But, she’d made the choice to stay in Heaven with Michael, and was glad she did. She reached up and ran a finger over the raised mark behind her ear.
She’d been marked by Heaven during the battle they’d recently fought against the previous Death and Loki, and was happy with the way things had turned out, but now, having Loki set his sights on Hell, she wondered if the mark would hinder her in some way.
Shaking her head, she flew straight to the portal fields, having already received her assignments for the day––just one more perk of being best friends with Death; she no longer had to clock in and out at his old apartment that served as Reaper headquarters, but could instead get her assignments straight from the source. Thirteen retrievals were on the docket for today, and hopefully one of them would take her to Hell so she could get started on this new mission. With Michael’s earlier revelation, finding Loki was paramount.
Flying over the rows of mausoleums that lined the fields, Raven landed in front of portal twenty-four, ready to start her first retrieval of the day. Pulling open the door, Raven walked straight into the blue orb waiting within. There were thousands of portals, each one connecting to a specific city using Death’s magic to kept them hidden from the mortal realm. Topside, this Reaper Portal looked like just another resting place for poor Richard Payman––Born 1713-Died 1812. But when Raven exited the stone structure, the letters R and P were illuminated, and the numbers had shifted into the sum of total, 1+7+1+3+1+8+1+2, indicating she’s just exited Reaper Portal, Twenty-four.
Stepping out from the mausoleum and into the mortal realm, she emerged in Glendale, Arizona and viewed her surroundings from the netherworld while still hidden from those topside. She was immediately drawn to the nearby football stadium, where lights flashed, and the ambulance on scene was just closing its doors. Raven drifted into the back, phasing through the metal, and hovered in the corner as the last efforts to save the man on the gurney were winding down.
“I’m calling it,” stated the EMT, “time of death, 8:22pm.”
It was time for Raven to go to work. She watched as the gentleman’s last moments flashed into her mind. Moments with his beautiful wife of sixty-five years, his grandchildren’s laughter at Christmas, the last Thanksgiving meal he’d shared with his whole family. Raven’s heart warmed as his soul lifted from his body, his eyes growing large at the sight of her. “Don’t be afraid. I’m only here to help you find peace.” The man drifted towards her, turning back one last time to look at his body lying below.
“I didn’t make it.” His response came out as a statement instead of the usual question.
“No. I’m afraid not,” Raven replied.
He hovered for a moment, then reached out to take Raven’s extended hand. “Can I ask you to watch over my wife, or is that not something you can do?”
His question caught her off guard. Not many would want a Grim Reaper watching over their loved ones. “No, I’m sorry, we can’t watch until it’s time.” Raven’s annoyance flared, because the same were true when it came to viewing into Hell. Needing to wait until Lucifer made his move to see if Loki was there or not, was driving her mad.
Raven refocused on the man as her inner light started to build. She spread her wings, looking more like a dark angel than the Grim Reaper most imagined. Her portal exploded and lifted them both to Heaven. Raven waved the man through the gates and into St. Peter’s waiting arms, then turned to find Michael waiting for her off to the side.
“Hi, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” She walked over and placed a light kiss on his cheek. “I have twelve more retrievals to make before I’m done,” she stated.
“You need to come to Purgatory right now. Something’s happened,” Michael insisted.
5
Raven stepped into Michael’s embrace and let him transport them both directly into Garrett’s throne room.
“Raven!” Holli exclaimed, running into her arms as tears ran down her cheeks. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“What happened?” Raven demanded, running a soothing hand along Holli’s white-as-snow wings.
“Crawley is dead,” Garrett stated.
“What?” Raven asked, her voice an octave too high. Crawley had been one of the nicest Reapers she’d known, so she couldn’t imagine what he’d done to deserve the final death. She turned back to Garrett, who being Death and the leader of all the Reapers was the only one capable of ending an immortal’s life.
“It wasn’t me.” Garrett’s voice was boomed with power, and Raven’s knees gave out. She and Holli collapsed onto the stairs that led up to the dais where Garrett sat upon his skull throne, fully entrenched in his position as Death, and scary as hell.
“We found him just outside the portal fields, decimated and on the verge of turning to ash. We can only assume it was Lucifer making his first move,” Michael added.
“How is that possible, though? Lucifer doesn’t have the ability to kill Reapers,” Raven asked.
“Apparently, he and Loki have found a way.” Garrett’s voice was now low and calm, which was kind of freaky since the room was still shaking. Raven had never seen her best friend this upset, but especially not since he’d assumed his role as Death.
“Then that’s it,” Raven exclaimed, “he’s obviously broken the covenant so we can watch him now, and pinpoint when they’ll try to make their next move, right?”
“I’m afraid not,” Michael interrupted, “until we catch Lucifer or Loki in the act, we won’t be allowed to peer into his domain.” Raven opened her mouth, ready with her rebuttal, but Michael doused her thoughts before she could speak. “It was different with Death, Raven. When you showed up in Heaven, it was all the proof we needed that he’d broken the covenant, as no one else could have created a female Reaper. But until we have solid proof that Lucifer is the one behind this, I won’t be allowed to use the angelic seeing stone just yet.”
“Dammit!” Raven cussed. “Then we have to set up look outs or something. We have to be ready to catch him in the act.”
Holli raised her head from Raven’s shoulder. “I’ll be more than happy to take the first watch.” Raven smiled down at her friend, remembering how much badassness was contained inside that little body of hers.
“No,” Death replied. “I will not put either of you at risk if Lucifer has found a way to kill immortals. Michael or I will have to be the ones.”
Michael nodded in agreement. “I’ll take the first shift.” He held a hand out to Raven. “Let me accompany you to the portal fields. I’ll remain on watch until you’ve completed the rest of your retrievals.”
Raven nodded and rose, accepting the terms she knew he wouldn’t budge on.
“How are we going to warn the others?” Holli asked, walking up the stairs and crawling onto Garrett’s lap.
“I’m not sure,” he replied, “I don’t want to cause a panic, and since we don’t know what to watch out for, mentioning anything at this point would do exactly that.”
“I agree,” Michael offered.
“Until something gives, Death and I will keep watch over Purgatory but all else should remain the same.”
“Business as usual, then.” Raven shrugged as she leaned into Michael’s embrace.
“Business as usual.” Garrett confirmed with a clipped nod.
“You did well, my dear. Did you have any trouble?” Lucifer asked.
“No. No trouble at all,” a sultry voice filtered through Lucifer’s throne room.
“Good, now let’s leave Purgatory alone for a bit while they stew on what to make of things. Return topside and continue to do my bidding. It will be good practice.”
The curvy red-head cocked her jean-clad hip. “I don’t need any more practice.”
Lucifer’s jaw clenched. “Humor me.” He flicked a wrist at the double-doors, signaling the end of their conversation.
Abigail’s Dock Martins pounded loudly on the floor as she walked out of the room. “Humor you? Seems like that’s all I do,” she whispered to herself.
“Dark Abigail, where are you off to now?” Asmodeus’ rich voice surrounded her, along with a warm caress of his power.
“Why do you insist on calling me that?”
“Because, you’re the first dark assassin Lucifer’s ever made. I think it’s rather fitting.”
“Well, I don’t, so stop.” She planted her feet and prepared for a fight.
Asmodeus raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Have it your way, but if you want my opinion...and you should, it sounds rather mysterious and deadly, and isn’t that exactly who you are now?”
Abigail grinned. “I guess you do have a point.” She walked off with thoughts of her previous life echoing through her mind while Asmodeus’ laughter faded into the background behind her.
“Abigail, come on, just one more hit,” her drugged-out, loser boyfriend demanded.