The Artifact Reaper Saga Box Set

by Jen L. Grey

  "Is that what you think?" His voice is so rough it almost sounds like fingernails running down a chalkboard now that he's loud and angry. "Test me. I'll prove to you I know things."

  "Okay, let's start out with something simple." Shit, I don't even know what a simple question for Hell is. "Who is Damien to the Underworld?"

  "That's easy. Everyone knows that." The black blob gets bigger as if he's puffing up his chest. "He was once Satan's right-hand man."

  Hmmmm... "What do you mean by once?"

  "Well that's a stupid question." He grunts out and moves closer to me. "At one point they were close and now they aren't any longer."

  Wow. That's what he thought I was asking? I had him pegged right. "But why aren't they close any longer?"

  Charlie's shoulders shake with laughter, but to his credit, he doesn't make a sound.

  "How the hell am I supposed to know?" The coffee table begins to rattle again, and his eyes take on a redder hue. "I'm not either one of them. I just do as I'm told."

  All right, it's time to move this conversation along. This is not going anywhere. "What about the Flame of Hell?"

  The demon stills and is silent for a moment. "How do you know about that?"

  "We heard about it from Damien." Charlie speaks up and crosses his arms.

  In a flash, the demon focuses on him. "Why would Damien tell you about that? It's forbidden and a secret."

  "Well, obviously he felt like we should know about it." Charlie smirks and tilts his head.

  "That must be true, otherwise you wouldn't know." The demon's eyes disappear so he must have closed them. "It is in Hell, in the deepest part, guarded as it should be."

  "As it should be?" Wow, that's not very helpful.

  "It changes depending on how Satan feels it should be guarded for that day." He spins around then stops. "Wait, if Damien told you about it, then why are you asking me these questions?"

  Crap, he’s not as dumb as he seems. "Because he wanted us to figure this out so we could prove we are worthy."

  "Ah...." The demon shakes his head. "That makes sense. Of course, you would have to prove yourself to someone like him."

  Charlie glances at me, his hazel eyes wide.

  Yeah, this thing is an idiot, but that's to our advantage. We need to use it to the best of our abilities until whatever useful knowledge is run dry. "So... How would you go about getting it?"

  "You would never get it." His tone is loud and ear piercing at this point. "Why would you ask that question? Is Damien trying to take over?"

  Oh, dear God. What the hell is his problem? "No, I was just..."

  "He is, isn't he?" The coffee table shakes, and the couch begins to vibrate.

  "No, it's not that." Crap, he's flipping his lid.

  "This isn't right. I can't tell you anything else." The black mass begins to rotate as if he's a storm cloud and going to rip everything apart.

  "Chris, you're going to have to send him back." Charlie glances around taking in all the moving furniture around us.

  Yeah this isn't good. The neighbors are going to call the cops soon if they haven't already. "You can go back to your home now. Your visit is over."

  As soon as the last words leave my mouth, the demon stops in his tracks and begins contracting in size. Soon, he's shrinking down to a size of a pea and disappearing from sight. When he disappears, the couch and coffee table still, and the silence is almost deafening.

  "Holy shit." Charlie runs both hands through his hair and pulls. "What the hell was that all about?"

  "I have no clue, but he freaked out about the artifact." I take a few steps back and plop back on the couch. "Hell, everyone does. At least we have more information. Kind of."

  "Hell, we freaking summoned a demon." Charlie rubs his eyes and chuckles. "I never thought I would say those words."

  "Hey, you never thought we would be friends, but here we are." I want to take back the words as soon as I say them. We are friends, right? I didn't just make an ass of myself.

  "Is that what we are?" He shifts towards me and stares. "Friends?"

  My heart picks up pace and my tongue gets heavy. I'm not sure what to say, but there is so much I want to confess at the same time. When did things get so tense and confusing with him? "I..."

  Before I'm able to make a fool of myself, the air in the room begins to shift and contract. It's as if something is trying to make its way here.

  "Do you feel that?" I pull away from him and face the middle of the room.

  "Feel what?" He exhales heavily. "Are you just trying to get out of this conversation?"

  Is he being serious right now? "No, don't you feel it?"

  Something must show on my face, because he stands and stiffens. "What are you talking about?"

  "The air, it's charged." I don't even know how to describe yet explain it. Before I can try to again, a dark gray blob appears again in the middle of the room.

  "Did you think you could just send me back?" His voice is grainy, and his eyes are as bright as flames.

  How in the hell did he get back here? That shouldn't be possible. I sent him back. "Look, it's late. You were going to wake the neighbors."

  "Do you know how much trouble I could get in?" He floats over and knocks the remotes off from the coffee table. "I'm not supposed to leave Hell and you've brought me here."

  "Hey now." Charlie stands and raises both hands. "We didn't realize that. We just needed to get some answers. We weren't trying to cause any problems."

  "Ha! Do you think I died yesterday?" The demon lowers and then lifts the coffee table tipping it over, making the top crash to the ground.

  Thank God Charlie is on the bottom floor or I'm sure the landlord would be getting calls right now. "He's right. We just needed a few questions answered."

  "I don't believe you." He rushes to the kitchen and throws a chair.

  Charlie runs after him and dodges it at the last minute. "Come on now. Don't tear up my house."

  A loud laugh echoes from deep inside him. "If you think that's bad, you haven't seen anything yet." The kitchen table begins to shake and elevate.

  Crap, what did I do wrong? He's got to go back and fast. It's one in the morning and I'm exhausted. I don't have time to deal with a psycho demon. "You need to go back to your home and stay there. You aren't welcome here any longer. Do not come back."

  The table drops and he groans. "No. I'm not done with you." His form gets smaller and smaller as he’s sucked back to his dimension.

  When the air clears and everything settles, Charlie turns to me, and then smiles. "What the hell was that?"

  I'm not sure if it's from sleep deprivation, being back with him, or a combination of both, but I can't stop the stupid grin that spreads across my face. "I don't know, I'm just glad he's gone. At least we got a little bit of information from him."

  "I swear, whenever I'm with you, it's always an adventure." He shakes his head and then bends, grabbing a chair that he uprights and puts back under the table.

  "Speaking of an adventure, it seems like Hell may just be full of surprises." The demon wasn't that forthcoming and what he did tell us wasn't all that useful.

  Chapter Five

  Today has been a whirlwind. I woke up thinking it would be just another day of working at the diner and now I'm back home and just summoned a demon. To say I'm exhausted is a complete understatement.

  "Hey, are you okay?" Charlie steps toward me and rubs his hand down my arm.

  My arm tingles where his hand has been. "Yeah, just tired. It's been a very long day."

  "Here, I'll walk you to your apartment." He heads to his door and opens it. "You don't need to be out there by yourself anyways."

  I open my mouth to protest but close it. I haven't seen him in two weeks, and right now, I still want his company. "Well, my car’s out front."

  "You don’t live far away. Come on." He motions me out the door and winks. "I just want a few more minutes with you."

  A smile spreads
across my face. At least we are on the same page. "All right. At least most everyone will be asleep and won't see you like that."

  "Hey." He leans back on the door and lifts his head. "I look good, even in my half-awake state."

  Isn't that the truth? Wait. What the hell is going on with me? "Someone has gotten full of themselves in my absence."

  His face falls and his shoulders tense. "That's not super funny, you know." The shift with him is immediate.

  Not knowing how to respond, I walk past him and outside. The night air is cooler, and a slight breeze blows against my body. There is a moisture in the air and the scent of water. It's going to rain soon. It's weird how I pick up on things like that now the angel's breath is part of me.

  The door shuts and there is a click as he locks the door. "Come on, let's get you home."

  Home. That one word sounds amazing. I wait for him to catch up and we walk side by side to my apartment which is just up two flights of stairs and across the building.

  It's odd because, in the past, the silence between us has been comfortable. This is not. Something is brewing between us and it's almost palpable. I want to break the awkwardness, but I'm not sure how.

  Charlie keeps glancing at me from the corner of his eye and popping his fingers.

  My apartment door comes into my view and I almost sigh in relief but catch myself in time. I don't want to hurt his feelings more than I already have. I may have screwed up worse than I realized by taking off. He's not acting the same, so I may have lost my best friend.

  As we reach my door, I take out my keys. For some reason, my hands shake and tears spring to my eyes. Why am I becoming emotional right now? "Thanks for walking me over. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll come get my car in the morning." It's a struggle, but I finally get my key in the lock.

  "Chris, stop." He walks over to me and leans on the door frame.

  The air heats up from his proximity and I find myself wanting to step toward him. However, that would be unwelcome, which causes my heart to ache. "No, it's fine. Thank you for walking me here." I've got to get inside and away from him before I lose it. I never even considered the possibility of losing him.

  Needing to get away from him before I break down, I push the door open and rush into the apartment. I turn on the lights and stop in my tracks. My place is like I never left, which is not surprising, but what is, is my place is not dusty and the mail is stacked on the table. "Someone has been getting my mail?"

  "Yeah, of course." A voice comes from behind me.

  Shit, I didn't even hear Charlie come in. I turn around and brace myself. I'm not sure what to expect.

  His eyes are guarded, and he stays close to the door. "Of course, I did. I knew you'd come back eventually, and I wanted it to be like you never left."

  There is distance growing between us and I need to fix it. "I'm sorry. I left to protect everyone I love. Everyone was threatening my parents and it was only a matter of time before it was you. They had already started to allude to you."

  A huge grin spreads across his face and he takes a few steps into the room. "So, you love me?"

  My breath gets caught in my throat. Holy crap, I can't believe I let it slip out like that. I open my mouth to deny it but stop. It's like my world has flipped upside down. I am in love with him and can't lie to him about it. He deserves the truth, especially for everything he's done for me. I swallow and glance at the ground. He's grinning now, but he won't be soon. "Actually, I do."

  Footsteps come toward me and his finger reaches under my chin, tilting my head up, forcing me to meet his gaze.

  "Thank God." He runs his free hand through his hair then places it on my cheek. "I thought I was the only one feeling this way." He lowers his lips to mine and runs his fingers through my hair.

  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this moment would happen. I respond to his kiss increasing the pressure and taste his mint toothpaste. I'm not sure how long we stand like this, but I grow lightheaded from lack of sleep … or oxygen. I'm not sure and begin to tip over.

  His arm wraps around my waist anchoring me to him, and his chest vibrates against me. "Where you going there? I mean, I know I'm a good kisser, but I didn't expect you to swoon like that."

  "Don't even," I snort. "It's been a long day. I don't even know how I'm still standing to be honest. I'm assuming it's because I'm worried about Damien, Becca, and if my hair will really act as that artifact."

  "I hate you left here." He tugs me close and kisses my lips, again. "I get why you did, I do. Everything was crazy with Brad and the council and you had just absorbed two powerful artifacts, but hell I missed you. I just always want to have your back, and I couldn’t. I had no clue where you ran off too. It kills me that demon visited you when you had no one there to have your back. What if he tried something? No one was there to stand in your corner."

  It's a struggle, but I bite my tongue. He has a right to be frustrated. I keep trying to put myself in his shoes and I wouldn't be happy either. "I just needed some distance. I'm sorry." I should have known it wouldn't help. I won't make that mistake again. "But do you think Damien could help Becca?"

  "First off, if you ever leave like that again. We," he says pointing back and forth between us, "go together. Secondly, you need to get it through your head that Becca is not Beth."

  What the hell does that mean? "Of course, I know that."

  "No, I don't think you do." Charlie huffs and takes a step back. He bites his lower lip and then straightens his shoulder. "Why did you bring Becca back from death?"

  My body aches for his nearness, but I refuse to let him know. There is something way more important here going on and if what he is saying is true, I need to get a handle on it. "Because she was young and had a lot of life left to live...." My mind flashes back to that day when Selena was hovering over Becca reaping her soul. I remember all I could picture was…"Oh, no." I stumble back a few feet and sit on the couch. "She looks so much like Beth. All I could see was her that night at the prison."

  His face softens and he comes over and sits next to me. "I'm not trying to be mean, but that's what I'm getting at." He reaches over and takes my hand. "I'm not going to push you any further with this because I think you got it. There are times where it seems as if you're blending the two people together and Damien knows it."

  "I didn't mean to." I can't believe I've been such an idiot. How the hell did the angels think I was worthy of their precious artifact?

  "No one accused you of doing it on purpose. You loved Beth as much as me. I get it." He squeezes my hand and leans toward me. "But we can't trust that demon. He's manipulative."

  Tell me something I don't know. "I think he's been playing us since before I even realized it." Beth being trapped in that room and that prison reaping. It has Damien's name all over it especially if he's tight with Satan.

  "This all feels a little too convenient." He sighs and leans back against the couch taking me with him. "I agree with you. I think he has been involved for longer than we ever realized, and we've been playing into his game. This is another one of his traps he's set up for you."

  Doesn't he think I figured at least that part out? "I know, but what am I supposed to do? Let Becca's soul fracture altogether?" I feel responsible for her. I brought her back when I didn't need to. My eyes grow heavy and I sink back into the couch with him laying my head on his shoulder.

  "There is no saving her, Chris." His tone is soft and sad. "She's already supposed to be dead."

  I flinch. That hits hard. Yeah, I get it. She was supposed to be dead, but damn. "But I brought her back. How do I move beyond feeling responsible for her?" Can he help me move past this? If he can, it will make my life and decisions a whole lot easier. I can finally find peace with most of my choices.

  He reaches over and runs his fingers through my hair. "It goes back to what you told me the angel asked you in heaven."

  It's crazy. Tonight, we went from happily reunited, to estranged, to this. I'm
not sure what this is yet, but I like it and it feels natural. I can't overthink this tonight on top of the real problems we have. "Which one?"

  "Is one person's life worth the millions?" He arches an eyebrow at me and frowns. "And in this particular case this one person is supposed to be already dead."

  Dammit, he's right. "You've been thinking about this talk for a while, haven't you?"

  "Yeah, but it's only because you have a good heart and want to do what's right. You feel an obligation to her." He stands and grabs my hands, pulling me up. "You, my love, need to get some rest. You are about to pass out."

  Now that is a very true statement. Yes, reapers may not need much sleep, but this magic has been throwing me off kilter. So, between that and the stress, I've been very tired. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea. I don't know how much longer I can go."

  "I'll be heading out so you can get some rest." He leans down and kisses my lips once more. "I'll be back later in the morning so we can get working on Hell's Flame."

  "That sounds like a plan." A quick shower and clean pajamas before crawling in bed sound like heaven at this point. I walk to my closet and start sorting through the clothes.

  "Good night then." He turns and walks toward the door, then stops, glancing over his shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing."

  I grab some clothes and glance over at him. "Yeah, what's up?"

  "You and me, we're exclusive." He winks and grins. "I don't share and you're it for me."

  My heart skips a beat at his comment, and I nod like a bobble head. "Understood."

  "Okay, great." He opens the door and turns toward me. "Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page and both clear. Good night." He shuts the door leaving me alone.

  What the hell happened today? I follow behind and lock the door before I jump in the shower. Once I get out and dressed, I brush my hair and teeth, and then climb into bed.

  It takes a moment before my eyes get heavy again now that I'm alone with my thoughts. Charlie's words, just like the angel's, keep echoing in my mind. Is one life worth the millions? At the end of the day, can I put Becca's life before the whole entire world? And when I phrase it that way, the answer is immediate.