The Artifact Reaper Saga Box Set

by Jen L. Grey

  I take a few steps back to my bed and sit down. “I wish I could tell you, but I don’t think it would be wise.” I rub my hands along my arms. “I’ve got enough people drug into my situation already.”

  “Hey.” He walks over and sits next to me on the bed. “You can tell me anything.”

  There is no way I’m chancing him getting drug in this with me. “What I can tell you is that I have a big choice to make, and I’m not sure which direction to go. Neither one is really ideal.”

  “Huh,” he lets out a breath, “that does suck. Which one are you most inclined to go with?”

  “I’m not sure.” I turn my body toward him. “Each one is making a deal with a person that wants something in return. Something I’m not sure I’m comfortable with.”

  He pops his fingers for a minute and stares out the window. “Well, which one will get you to the end result you need the fastest?”

  “Both will get me there.” I cut my eyes over to the closet and back to him. “But one is doing something I hate three times while the other is doing it once.”

  He laughs loud.

  “Shh….” I giggle.

  “Sorry.” He covers his mouth with his hands. “It’s just seems like the answer is pretty obvious.”

  Okay, he does have me here. “True. I guess I hadn’t exactly thought of it that way.”

  Footsteps are heard down the hall, and Brad stands up. “I hate to leave so soon, but it sounds like your parents are around.”

  “Yeah, and we just got into a huge argument.” I glance at my door.

  “So, I should go.” He gets up and climbs out the window.

  “Hey, wait.” I reach out and touch his shoulder.

  He turns around, a smirk on his face. “What?”

  “How in the world did you climb up here?” If I couldn’t climb the tree, how could he?

  His forehead creases and he shakes his head. “I climbed the tree.”

  That’s not possible. “How? I tried earlier, and I could reach the top branch.”

  A huge grin spreads across his face. “I’m five inches taller than you. That’s how, short stuff.”

  I stick my tongue out at him and turn to go back to my bed.

  He reaches out and grabs my hand. “I know what I just said, but remember to listen to your heart. Choose the lesser evil. Sometimes, it may not be the obvious choice.”

  His words sit hard on me. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”

  “Of course.” He squeezes my hand and then lets it drop. “I’m always here for you.” He turns and heads down the tree.

  At least, someone is, but his words repeat in my head. There is something about the witch that bothers me even more so than the demon. How can her sister be so ill when it’s not even time for her to die yet? Witches are healthy until the very end. I need to figure out what isn’t adding up.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I sit at the window and watch as Brad walks out the back yard. I have to figure out what to do. My time is running out, and the threats are getting worse. I don’t want to be the reason my parents get hurt.

  It’s true that, with the witch, I’m reaping and replenishing one soul. So, even though it’s technically before her time, I’m bringing her back so it’ll be righted. All right, that’s what I’ll do. It seems as if it’s the safest option and it doesn’t harm anyone.

  If I can just get this behind me, then I can move on to finding the crystal. I stand up and head to my door. I lock it and shut it behind me. Better safe than sorry. My parents don’t need to be able to get in there. I walk down the stairs and find Mom sweeping up the glass.

  She holds the broom a few inches away from her and is sweeping it into the center of the room.

  Dad is bending down, holding the dustpan with a garbage can beside him. “Hey, where are you going? We have things to figure out.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I walk around the mess, careful not to step on any glass. “I think I have a solution to the problem.”

  “Really?” Mom’s tone is a tad loud, and her shoulders seem to relax some. “That’s great news.”

  However, Dad seems to tense at this information and his eyes narrow.

  If he starts asking questions, I’ll never get to leave. I hurry out of the house before he can begin his interrogation. I just need this done and don’t want to hear all about the negatives to my options.

  It doesn’t take long before I’m on the main road that heads into town. The sun is beginning to lower so it’s late afternoon. At some point, I’m going to need a good night’s rest, but something tells me it’s going to be a while.

  As I walk past the graveyard, a cool breeze blows in my direction carrying the smell of fire and ash. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I turn behind me, expecting to find Damien. But no one is there.

  “Expecting someone?” A dark tone laced with humor comes from where I had just turned.

  I spin back around and find who I had been searching for. “What the hell?”

  He’s leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t mean to scare you, but I will admit it was fun to watch.”

  What a jackass. “Well, I’m glad you got to amuse yourself.” I roll my eyes and begin heading back toward the town.

  “Hey, what’s the rush?” He pushes off the tree and in just a few strides is beside me.

  Shit, how does someone turn down a deal with a demon? I’m sure they aren’t used to that. “Sorry, I’m just on a time crunch.”

  “Have you given any more thought to my deal?” He raises an eyebrow and narrows his eyes at me.

  Okay, here goes nothing. “I’ve decided to go with someone else.”

  “Oh, really?” He tilts his head to the side. “You’re going with the witch?”

  I fumble back a step. I shouldn’t be surprised he knows this, but it just caught me off guard. “Yeah, I am.”

  He lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “That’s a shame. You know it’s not as innocent as the witch made it seem.”

  “Don’t be a poor loser.” I don’t want to deal with this right now.

  “No, really.” He reaches out and touches my shoulder. “Did you ask anything about the witch’s dying sister?”

  “Why does that matter?” My body feels hot where his hand is touching, almost to the point to where it feels as if I’m being burned.

  “Oh, come on.” He drops his hand but doesn’t step back. “You don’t think something is off when they are so sick and it’s not even close to their time of passing?”

  My stomach lurches at the comment. That’s what’s been bugging me.

  He smiles. “See. You know what I’m talking about.” He takes a step back, letting me have some air. “Let me tell you an interesting fact about this sister, Christina. She has a special diet she likes to eat.”

  This is not where I expected this conversation to go. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”

  “Have you ever heard of the fable ‘Hansel and Gretel’?” He walks back over to his tree and leans up against it.

  “Yeah.” Who hasn’t? “But what does this have to do with anything?”

  “What did the witch do to Hansel and Gretel?” He crosses his arms and watches me.

  This is very strange, and I’m not sure I like where our conversation is heading. “She fattened them up and then tried to put them in the oven.”

  “Let’s say that fairytale is a true story in this case.” He curls his nose up.

  My stomach turns sour. “Are you saying the witch’s sister eats children?”

  “That’s what she does.” He rubs his thumb against his lip. “Do you really want to save someone like that?”

  I’m at a loss for words. If that’s true, then of course I don’t want to save her, but I don’t know if it is fact. He could be manipulating me to get his way. I don’t know what to do.

  He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I tell ya what. I’ll give you some more time to really consider what y
ou’re doing. You still don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” He lifts his chin and raises his hand. A business card appears in his hands. “Here is my business card. Give me a call when you’re ready to unblock your power and make a deal.”

  I take the card from him, nodding.

  As soon as it’s in my hand, he vanishes.

  Well, he didn’t want to stick around any longer than he had to. I don’t blame him.

  Pushing on, I continue back to the witch’s storefront. I’m assuming, at this point, she knows I’m coming. Both she and Damien seem to know what’s going on without me needing to anything.

  After a short distance, I get to the now familiar streets leading to the storefront. The same people are out and about that were here earlier. It’s almost as if they all are still hanging out in the same exact spot.

  When the storefront comes into view, I pause. I don’t want to go back there. That witch is a little off her rocker. But, the clock is ticking, and half my time is close to being gone to find a solution.

  At least, this time when I get to the door, it’s already ajar. I walk in and the lights are already on. The witch is sitting in the middle of the room on a blanket with some herbs surrounding her and a bowl in her hands. Her eyes are closed, and she’s murmuring words underneath her breath.

  Not sure what to do, I stay put by the door, not wanting to disturb her.

  Her eyes all of a sudden open and she looks at me. “Well, hello there. I’ve been expecting you.”

  “Hello.” I take a deep breath. “I hope I’m not interrupting you.”

  She stands up and walks over to a table, placing the bowl on it. “Not at all. I’m glad you’re here. I take it you’ve come to a decision.”

  “Well,” I take a tentative step in, “I had, but I heard some alarming news that I wanted to discuss.”

  Her green eyes narrow. “What kind of news?”

  This is going to be fun. “I heard that your sister likes to…” Ugh, it’s hard to get these words out because they sound so crazy. “That she likes to eat children.”

  “Who told you that?” Her tone is short, and she crosses her arms.

  “Damien.” I guess the truth is the best policy.

  “You mean,” she says as she walks over to me, her jaw clenched, “that you’re trusting some demon?”

  “That’s not what’s happening.” Great the crazy witch is back. “I’m asking if it’s true.”

  “It doesn’t matter if it’s true.” Her hands clench into fists. “Do you want to find the crystal or not?”

  Holy shit. The demon wasn’t lying. She wouldn’t be this upset otherwise. I take a few steps back toward the exit.

  She holds up her hands and takes a few breaths. “Wait. I’m sorry.” She puts her arms by her sides. “She’s my sister, and I just want her better. Will you at least meet with her before making your final decision?”

  “That sounds fair.” I understand her wanting to save her sister. That’s what anyone would do.

  “Thank you.” She smiles at me. “Give me an hour or two and meet me at her place. I just want to make sure she’s presentable since she’s been so sick.” She scribbles a name and an address on a piece of paper and hands it over.

  I take it and realize it’s not too far from here. “Okay. I’ll be there in about two hours.” I head out the door before anything else strange can happen.

  Now that I have a name, maybe I can go to the library and find some information on the witch. I head toward my normal stomping grounds and walk into the large library.

  The inside is dark, and it smells of old books in here. Right in the front is a huge desk for people to check out books if they need to, and to the right is a huge room with tables and stacks of library books. However, to the left is a section of computers.

  It’s been two years since I’ve been here. The last time was with Beth, and we were researching the perfect hair dye for her. Once again, the normal ache comes back. Ugh, I don’t have time for this.

  I push away the normal feeling and head to the computer to search for Regina Felkner. Nothing comes up, which doesn’t surprise me. She’s a witch for crying out loud.

  What if I put the address in? When I do that an apartment building pulls up. Huh, that’s not helpful. I then enter in the apartment building name with our city and a ton of missing kid reports come up. More so than other location in our city. If that’s not a red flag, I’m not sure what else could be.

  I scroll on down the search results and click on several. After a while, I come across a listing dated a few years ago. I open it up and skim through. It talks about how this person has identified a witch near this address for years now, and how they see her with different children each day. It goes on to say, if you walk by the window at the right angle, you can see a mass collection of shoes from all her different victims.

  Holy shit. Not only is she a psycho, but she’s a hoarder. I glance down at the time. Crap, I’ve been here for over an hour. I’ve got to go. I stand up and head for the door.

  When I’m about to walk out the door, I collide straight into someone. My head runs into hard muscle. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”

  The person recoils from me. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  I stumble back to find Charlie standing right in front of me. His blonde hair is messy as always and his hazel eyes are glaring.

  “I was just researching something.” I raise both hands up.

  “Can’t you do it somewhere else?” He snarls at me.

  Who the hell does he think he is? I push my finger in his chest. “You know what? I’m sick of your attitude with me. I have just a much right to be here as you do. I’m tired of you trying to punish me all the time.” I step in closer. “I am doing the best I can.”

  Not wanting to hear any rebuttals, I turn and walk out the door. Suck on that, jackass.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As fresh air hits me, my body shakes in anger. He freaking acts like I shouldn’t be allowed to live. Doesn’t he know that I struggle with the guilt each and every day, with or without his anger?

  The courtyard out front of the library is all grass. There is a couple about my age sitting together on a blanket. They’re leaning in close together, and he’s running his fingertips along her arm.

  It’s funny, but at one point in time, I harbored feelings for Charlie. That was a long time ago, and I never had a chance even then. I just wish he’d tell me what I did wrong all those years before she died. But what was it Beth always liked to repeat from her grandmother? You can crap in one hand and wish in the other and see which one smells first. Ugh, how much I miss that girl.

  All right, that’s enough wallowing. I’ve got to figure something out and fast. I’m running out of time. I walk around the grass, staying on the sidewalk, and head toward the witch’s sister’s house.

  The information I learned rolls through my head. If she eats children, there is no way I can save her. Yes, I would only reap one soul, but more than three lives would be at risk. I swear, nothing can be easy.

  What if I had been born a normal reaper? Would my parents have loved me then? Would my acceptance be given? So many questions, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. This is my life… the hand I’m dealt. And I just need to get through it.

  When I turn the corner, the familiar apartment from the internet site comes into view. It’s a large brick building with a fire escape connecting each unit. It’s in a decent area, unlike the storefront, and there is a park right across the street.

  Ugh… I do not want to go there. Something is off, but I need to see it through. If I am wrong, I need to find out.

  I force myself to move forward and walk toward the front of the building. There are a few people hanging out on the front steps and I smile as I pass them.

  Don’t act strange. They won’t know who you’re here to visit. I enter the door and walk past the elevators in search of the stairs. I do not want to get stuck in the
elevators while someone attempts to have small talk with me.

  In the corner of the room, there is a stairwell, and I turn to climb up to the fourth floor. By the second flight of stairs, my legs are screaming at me. Dear goodness, I’m out of shape. I need to do something about that.

  I take the next few flights of stairs slower, and soon, I’m on the fourth floor.

  As I walk out onto the floor, I find the apartment that is the last one on the left. I raise my hand to knock on the door but pause. Do I want to do this? I’m not sure I do.

  Before I can make my final decision, the door opens and the witch from the store smiles at me. “Oh, hello. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Well, there you go. “Yeah, I hope I’m not early.”

  She smiles, but her body seems tense. “No, not at all. Please, come on in.”

  Everything inside me screams in protest, but I take a deep breath and step inside. The room is bright blue with a dark green couch placed against the wall. A large burnt orange rug is in the center of the room, and a pink lamp sits on a teal painted table in the corner.

  It’s almost as if a kid colored the room. I can’t stop staring.

  “Oh, don’t worry.” She heads over to the door across the room in the right corner. “She won’t mind if you come in.”

  I’m already here so I’ll just see it through. Maybe this is one huge coincidence. Maybe? I follow her into the room, and it seems as if I’ve walked into another dimension. This one is dark. The walls almost seem black and the wood a dark cherry.

  The woman lying in the bed is frail. She has jet black hair and appears to be in a deep sleep. She doesn’t even stir when we come into the room.

  I walk up to the bed. “How long has she been like this?”

  The witch walks up beside me. “It’s been about a year. She’s been declining in health in the past several, but something tipped her over a year ago.” She frowns and reaches down to pat her sister’s arm. “I miss her so much. She’s been my constant companion all these years.”

  “Do you know what caused it?” What reasons could a witch just get sick like this before her time?