The Artifact Reaper Saga Box Set

by Jen L. Grey

  A groan echoes behind me.

  I turn around and find my target sitting up. She’s wobbling around almost as if she’ll topple over.

  What the hell is she doing? I hurry over to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

  She grabs her head and closes her eyes. “I’m not sure. I’m really dizzy and everything is out of focus. I can’t even tell where I am.”

  Laughter echoes past the area I was hiding at just moments ago. It seems to grow louder like a group of people are heading my way.

  Like this day could get any worse. I glance around, but there isn’t any place both she and I could hide, and at this point, she’s coherent and confused. The best thing I can do is keep her with me. I wrap my other arm around her as if I’m giving her a hug and attempt to channel both of us. I close my eyes and visualize my home.

  It’s not very easy as the gray swirls around us, but we still stay in the woods. The group of people are getting closer and can’t be more than a few hundred yards away. I close my eyes and push harder, and then the swirling takes over.

  We land on the front porch right outside the house on our backs. The world is still spinning, even though we aren’t moving anymore.

  The girl pushes away from me. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She stumbles to her knees and crawls to the edge of the porch, throwing up over the side.

  Oh, dear God. Now, I want to puke. I close my eyes and take deep, steadying breaths in an attempt to keep my nausea at bay.

  She quits and then lies down on the ground and groans. “I don’t even know what just happened or where we are.”

  This isn’t good and I need to get her inside before someone sees us out here. I don’t need anything else getting in the way. “I just brought you to my house.”

  “Hmm…” Her body sags even more.

  Shit, I better get her inside quick. I reach her side and bend down, wrapping my arm around her waist. I lift her up and her head rolls to my shoulder. I attempt to stand, but our combined weight is too much for me to lift. “Hey, let’s go inside. You need to get some rest.”

  Her eyes open and she takes a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll try.”

  Once again, I lift up with my arm around her. This time, we both make it to our feet. We take the few steps to the door, and I open it, allowing us both to pass through.

  My gaze lands on the stairs and my heart drops. There are at least twenty-five steps there, and it never seemed like a big deal until this moment with this girl.

  “Oh, no.” Her head lifts up from my shoulder. “Don’t tell me we have to go up those.”

  I hold my laughter in. At this point, I can laugh or cry, so I choose the former. “Yes, but it’s not nearly as bad as it looks.” What is it my dad always says? If you say it confidently enough, then everyone will believe you. I sure hope that’s the case right now.

  She lets out a deep breath. “I sure hope so.”

  Not wanting to drag this out any further, I direct us to the first step. We take them one by one. By the time we reach the top, I’m carrying most of her weight and feel as if I’m about to topple over. But, at this point, I’ll be damned if we tumble back and have to start over.

  “My vision is going black,” the girl murmurs and leans even more on me.

  “We’re almost there.” I pull her along. We pass the first two doors and take the last one on the left. I hurry into the room and sit her on the bed. “Here you go.”

  She plops down on the bed and puts both hands on her face. “The room is spinning so bad.”

  I wish I knew how to help her. I don’t even know if this is normal. I’ve never brought someone back from death before. “I’m sorry. Would you like some water?”

  “Yeah,” she whispers. “That would be nice.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.” I head out the door but stop at the threshold. “Hey, it’d kind of be nice to know your name.”

  A moment passes and she lowers her hands from her face. “Oh, yeah. It’s Becca.”

  Is it strange that her name is close to Beth’s? I force a smile. “Okay, great. I’m Christina. I’ll be right back.”

  I hurry downstairs and grab a cup, filling it with water. Maybe she needs something to eat, so I grab a banana on the way out of the kitchen. When I get back to the room, she’s already passed out on my bed.

  Crap.

  What have I done? I’m not sure who to turn to for help, and the first person who comes to mind is Brad.

  Shit, I haven’t talked to him in ages, but he told me to call him anytime I needed him. I’ve always tried to stay clear because he is the one person who saw what happened that night with Beth. He promises it wasn’t my fault, but I still don’t believe him. However, I have no one else to turn to and I’m kind of desperate.

  He’s the only one who knows what I can do.

  Before I can think through the consequences, I dial his number. It rings three times. Ugh, the one time I get up the enough nerve to call him, he’s not going to answer. Right when I’m about to hang up, someone picks up the line.

  “Hello?” Brad’s deep tone echoes through my ear.

  “Uh…. Hey, it’s me… Christina.” Crap, I don’t know what to say.

  He takes a deep breath. “What’s wrong?”

  Of course, he’d know I have a problem. I don’t think I’ve ever called him before. “I need you to come here.”

  A door shuts in the background. “I’ll be right there.” He hangs up.

  Okay, that was easier than expected. I walk over to the girl and watch her chest go up and down. At least, she’s still breathing. That make sense, since no one has reaped her again, but I’m not sure what to expect. I’ve never brought someone back from the dead before.

  The doorbell chimes, startling me. Holy shit. He got here quick. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect that. I hurry out of the room and down the hallway and stairs. I don’t want him bothering her rest.

  I yank open the door and find him leaning against the porch railing. He has a red hat that says YOLO in black on his head, and his white t-shirt is molded to chest, revealing how muscular he’s gotten since the last time I’ve seen him. He pushes off the railing and smirks. “What’s going on?”

  He’ll soon learn that ignorance is bliss. “Come on. Let me show you.” Not sure what else to say, I open the door and wave him in.

  It takes a second, but he soon follows my lead.

  As soon as I shut the door, he turns to me. “Are your parents home?”

  “They said they’re busy and will be home later.” I shrug, not sure why he’s asking.

  He grabs my arm, holding me in place. “Then cut the crap. What the hell is going on?”

  Well, that’s kind of fair. I haven’t talked to him in a year or so and called him out of the blue. “Well, I have a problem.”

  When I don’t continue, he rubs a hand over his face. “I figured that much. What is it?”

  “Um…” I take his arm and pull him up the stairs toward my room. “It’s easier if I show you.”

  Thankfully, he doesn’t complain but follows along.

  When I get to my door, I open it up and glance at him. “See for yourself.”

  As he walks past me, he raises an eyebrow until he sees the girl on my bed. “Holy shit. Is that Beth?”

  “See, I’m not crazy.” I step beside him and relax my shoulders. “She looks just like her.”

  “Yeah, she does.” He licks his lips and looks at me. “But why is she here?”

  That’s the million-dollar question. “Well, she was my target.”

  His faces falls. “Then you know what you have to do. But that sucks.”

  “You don’t get it.” I raise a hand. “She was reaped.”

  “What?” His eyes go to from me back to her. “How is that possible? She’s breathing.”

  And that’s the kicker. “I brought her back.”

  “Whoa…” He takes a step back, his mouth gaping. “Why wo
uld you reap her and bring her back? After that bird, you swore you would never do it again.”

  “That’s the thing.” I sit on the edge of the bed and cover my face with my hands. “I didn’t reap her.”

  His forehead crinkles and he glances away. “But you said she was your target.”

  “She was but it was my first solo mission and I was having a hard time.” I get up and walk to my window, staring at the tree down below. “I was following her and planning to reap her that morning, but someone beat me to it.”

  “We aren’t to interfere.” He takes a step toward me.

  “I know, but I was a day late and someone did.” I lean against the window and press my forehead against the glass. “I messed up and she looked so much like Beth… I couldn’t let her…” I don’t need to finish that sentence. We both know what I’m going to say.

  “Shit, Christina. What if someone finds out?” He huffs.

  “Don’t you think I get that?” I turn back toward him. “That’s why I called you. I have no clue what to do with her, and she’s woozy and acting funny.”

  He removes his hat and runs his hands through his short, brown hair. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be fine in a day or two.” He places the hat back on. “What I’m more concerned about is who reaped her.”

  I blow out my mouth. “She said her name was Selena. She wasn’t happy… and she came back after I restored her soul.” My stomach sours and I close my eyes. “She knew I had something to do with it.”

  “Shit, this is a mess.” He shakes his head.

  “Yeah, I know.” This whole thing sucks. However, I still can’t regret restoring the Beth look-a-like’s soul.

  “No, you don’t get it.” He grabs my arm and his face pales. “Selena has a cut-throat reputation and is respected by the elders.”

  “What?” That doesn’t make any sense. I’ve never heard of her.

  “Yeah.” He bites his lip. “She’s kind of like their secret weapon, but she’s a force to be reckoned with. This isn’t going to end well.”

  Of course. That’s my luck. “Shit, what am I going to do?”

  His brown eyes soften. “I don’t know. I know these last two years have been hard on you, especially with Charlie blaming you for Beth’s death and all, but you’ve got to be more careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt more.”

  My body tenses. “Seems like it’s going to be inevitable.” I glance at the time. “Shit, my parents are going to be here any second. What am I going to do with her?” I wave my hands toward the form on my bed.

  He glances around the room. “Let’s put her in your closet. We can make a pallet on your floor since it’s big enough. That way, if your parents come in, they won’t see her.”

  Thank goodness I called him. At this point, I’m about to crumble under the stress. I just have to take this one moment at a time. I grab some blankets and step into the closet that connected in the middle of my room to make a comfortable spot on the floor.

  Brad scoops her up and carries her into the closet. Soon, he has her lying on the floor in the pile of covers I bundled up for her.

  We walk back into my room and things feel tense between us. I glance at the ground. “Thanks for all your help.”

  He takes a step toward me and brushes a piece of hair behind my ear. “Anytime. I’m glad you called me.”

  The front door opens and my parents come in the house. Footsteps begin up the stairs.

  Brad glances at me and gives a small smile. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Then he walks to my window and jumps out.

  I don’t know when my life became so complicated, but now, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to fall.

  Chapter Six

  Needing some rest, I lie down on my bed and pull the covers over my body. Within minutes, I’m fast asleep.

  I’m sitting down with my back against my favorite tree at the riverbank that Beth and I used to always hang out at. There isn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun is partially set in the west. It’s a warm day, and a soft breeze is hitting me on the face and rustling the pages of the book I’m holding between my hands.

  My body stiffens. What the hell? I haven’t come here since the day she passed, so how in the world did I get here now?

  Movement causes me to turn. There are footsteps heading this way. No one used to come here except for the two of us. I wonder who now as taken claim to this spot.

  Blonde hair peaks between a few trees as well as a rainbow dress.

  The book drops to the ground and my heart stops in my chest. There is no way this is possible.

  Even though, in reality, she appears in front of me in seconds, it feels as if time is never ending. However, there standing in front of me is Beth, alive.

  Her hazel eyes are bright with mirth, and a mischievous smile spreads across her face. “Did you miss me?”

  I scramble to my feet and throw my arms around her, at a loss for words. Holy shit. She’s real and I can feel her. Her favorite jasmine scented perfume fills my nose.

  A giggle escapes her and she wraps her arounds me. “Hell, Chris. I’ve missed you, too.”

  It hits me that this is a dream, but at this moment, I’m going to enjoy just having her back. “How is this possible?”

  She pulls back and, for a moment, her smile drops. “It’s finally time.”

  This should worry me, but I can’t get past how happy I am that she’s here. “What do you mean?”

  “You always made me feel special.” She grins and takes my hand. “Come on, let’s sit down.”

  We move toward the grassy embankment and sit with our feet hanging down over the side. The water is clear and still about a foot below our dangling feet.

  The breeze picks up and I close my eyes, enjoying this moment with her back at our place.

  “You know how I always said you were special?” Her tone is just above a whisper.

  Oh, no. Is she going to start that here and now? I open my eyes and glare at her. “Can we just enjoy this?”

  She bumps her shoulder into mine. “Yes, but I’m also here for a reason.”

  A chill runs down my back. This is just a dream, right?

  “Oh, stop.” She rolls her eyes. “But you are special, and the time is coming where you’re going to see it.”

  I can’t hold back the bark of laughter. “I’m so special that I’ve messed up everything and probably ruined my family.” The wind picks up. “I am struggling to reap. It’s getting worse, ever since… you. And now, I brought someone back from death.” I turn toward her and meet her gaze. “I was caught, Beth. They are probably alerting the elders right now.”

  Her dress billows between us. She takes my hand. “I know, that’s why I’m here.” Her face loses her typical smile and she furrows her brow. “It wasn’t your fault, you know.”

  My ears pound and moisture stings at my eyes. “Yes, it was. I should have said no.” I shake my head. “My gut was telling me to stay home.”

  “You could never say no to me.” She laughed. “I knew you didn’t want to go, and I still pushed you.”

  Why is she doing this? “Can’t we just enjoy this time?”

  “No, I’m here for a reason, and our time is running out.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “Things will seem unbearable, but this has always been your destiny. You are special, and I’m honored to have been a part of your life.”

  “What do you mean, our time is running out?” I don’t want her to leave. Can’t I stay asleep with her forever or her come back to me each night when I dream? “It’s already unbearable. I miss you and need you back.”

  She throws her arms around me once more and kisses my cheek. “I’m always with you and watching out for you. Remember that in the next few weeks.”

  I take a deep of jasmine and close my eyes, wanting to stay in this moment forever.

  My skins crawls as if I’m being watched, and I open my eyes. Someone is leaning over my bed and is staring at me.

  Oh, shit. I bl
ink a few times. Is it possible? Beth is right here.

  I get out of bed and turn on the lights. The room comes into better focus as well as the cleft on Becca’s chin. My heart drops to the floor. I knew I was dreaming, but I wish Beth was alive and breathing once again.

  A sound comes down the hall, so I turn the lock on my door. The last thing we need right now is one my parents walking in. I sit on the bed and pat the spot beside me.

  She sits down beside me. Her blonde hair is greasy, and there are dark circles under her eyes.

  Man, she looks rough. I can only imagine what her soul has been through though. I lower my voice, not wanting my parents to hear if they were to walk by. “Hey, are you okay?” I cringe as soon as that leaves my mouth.

  “I’m not. I thought about leaving, but something is keeping me here.” She shakes her head and her shoulders slump. “Just something doesn’t feel right.” She looks out my window and her tone rises. “And I need to get back to my family.”

  “Shh….” I get she’s confused, but I need her to stay calm.

  Her forehead creases. “Why? Why are you whispering?”

  Not able to meet her eyes, I glance down at my hands. “I shouldn’t have restored your soul.” Okay, that probably should have been softened and eased into.

  “That kind of makes sense.” She shifts on the bed and places her back against my wall. “It feels as if my insides have been ripped away from my body and are trying to settle back together.” She closes her eyes and wraps her arms around herself. “Did I die?”

  “You did.” I let out a breath and pull my legs up to my chest. I wrap my arms around my legs and place my chin on my knees. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you back.”

  “Wait.” She turns to me and touches my shoulder. “No, thank you. I’m not ready to be gone from here. I have so much left to do.”

  I stiffen. “I don’t make the decisions. Our job is just to maintain the balance. By bringing you back, I failed at this.”

  Her hand drops. “Our?”

  “Yeah…” She’s already in this deep because of me. “There are thousands of reapers. Not just me.”