The Artifact Reaper Saga Box Set

by Jen L. Grey

  Dax is laying down on the ground, almost comatose. It reminds me of the time in Hell when I was off kilter. His face is bright red like a tomato and appears to be overheated. I don't know how she's doing that with the water, but he's not going to be much help to me now.

  She lifts her arm up and swings the sword hard at my shoulder.

  I call out to the wind, and it blows so hard her blade hits the ground right beside me.

  "You got lucky." Ria spins and kicks her leg out, nailing me right in the belly.

  Dammit that hurts. I stumble back into the wall. Not wanting to give her time to react, I push off, and my hands immerse in flames. I rush at her and grab for her dominant arm, hoping to eliminate some of the sword attacks. But when I get close, she grabs my hands dousing them with water.

  Her connection to the water irks me. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

  "Not as easy as you thought, huh?" She chuckles then punches me in the side.

  Using her momentum, I spin and elbow her in the head, causing her to crash on the ground.

  After flipping on her back, she jumps, landing on her feet, and swings her fist toward my face.

  Ducking, I ram her in the stomach, slamming her against the wall. Her head makes a loud thud as it bounces off it. Desperate for this to end. I head-butt her and watch her fall to the ground. She groans and lays face down right next to Dax.

  My head is throbbing. Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do. Now that my power is all pulsing and out of whack, the water element feels so strong that it's undeniable. I need it now to complete me and need to get it before Ria regains all her senses.

  The problem is I don't know how to get around the memory spell. I take small steps, getting closer and none of the confusion hits. Soon, I'm right next to the display, and I lift the glass lid off of the podium. The three round drops of water that hover in the air twinkle, and as soon as I reach out to touch them, the water soaks into my skin and absorbs inside me, traveling straight to my core with the other elements.

  Just like the others, the power rushes through me, my limbs filling with cool liquid and helping to contain the raging inferno inside me that seems to always be near exploding.

  As the four elemental powers inside me merge, the ground quivers underneath me. The water from the ocean crashes loudly and rushes toward me. The wind blows and whips against the building, and the stars appear to be on fire. Even though I'm not outside, I can feel what each element is doing to celebrate finally being in sync with one another.

  There are no noises from outside. The fighting has halted, and as I walk to the window, the waves are now at the fortress, ankle deep and receding, but the fighters are not fighting and are, instead, watching the show.

  Dax moans at my feet and pulls himself against the wall. "You did it."

  Even he can feel the difference in the air, and now I can see everything. The hair on my neck stands as I feel Ria rising as quietly as possible. She grabs the sword off the ground and moves so slowly there aren't any sounds to alert.

  As she raises her arm to swing the blade, I turn and stare her square in the eye. Without moving, I set the floor underneath her on fire.

  She squeals, and then she reaches out to the water to put it out.

  The only reason I know is because she connects with me, and before I can squash it, the water appears to extinguish the flames.

  Crap, how is she still able to connect to it? It's freaking inside me.

  A huge smirk fills her face. "Huh. Lookie there."

  None of this makes sense. I've got to figure out a freaking way to get out of here and still protect everyone. "It's over, Ria."

  "Oh, no it's not." She raises her hand, and the power inside me surges.

  No, this isn't supposed to happen now that I have all of the artifacts. It's because of her damn connection to the water. Since the turquoise magic is surging, the other elements respond by increasing in strength as well.

  "What's wrong?" Ria cackles and tilts her head at me. "Is something causing you problems?" She runs at me and swings her sword at my feet.

  At the last second I jump over the blade and kick at her chest. I hit her square in the center, and she stumbles back.

  "You need to end this." Dax is standing against the wall, but his face is still red from whatever Ria did to him. "The longer you draw it out, the worse it'll be."

  He doesn't have to tell me that twice. "I'm trying."

  "She's not strong enough to take me." Ria laughs as she tugs at me once again and then rears back and swings her fist at my face.

  Throwing my right arm up, I block her and shake the ground underneath her. I can't cause too much commotion, or she'll fall through the floor and could hurt someone below.

  "You think that will hurt me?" She laughs and charges at me.

  Using the wind to propel her even faster at me, I spin out of the way which causes her to run head first into the wall. She bounces off and falls to her knees.

  My reaper magic begins coursing inside me, and even though I'm not touching her, it reaches out and latches onto her. The suctioning begins, and she yells.

  How the hell is this happening? I've always had to touch them in order for this to happen.

  She thrashes on the floor, and tears stream down her face. "No, please no."

  I'm not sure how to stop it, and I'm powerless. Soon, a coolness floats into me as her soul begins to leave her body. It's strange because it used to be icy cold, and now, after absorbing all the artifacts, it's a refreshing sensation. Now, it's clear that this is what was meant to be. I was unbalanced before, and both my reaper and healing powers were too much at one time. Now, I'm balanced and able to perform this the way any reaper can.

  As the life fades from her eyes, I can't help but feel as if this is karma in the working. She killed my love, and now she must die.

  Her body spasms one last time, and she passes through into her afterlife.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Her soul leaves me, but I can't believe what the last several hours have brought. Reaping Ria and absorbing the last artifact has finally brought the missing piece of the puzzle to light. Bringing people back to life after death brings an unbalance to the world just like Damien has done by preventing souls from crossing over into their afterlife.

  Since I have the power of the artifacts and my own reaper and healing magic, I'm able to accomplish this now, but it should never be used unless in dire situations. Having these artifacts inside me requires me to think like the angel had taught me not so long ago. I have to put the lives of many in front of my own personal needs. I can cause the world to be unbalanced as easily as anyone else.

  "Hey... Are you okay?" Dax touches my shoulder and turns me in his direction. "She deserved that ending."

  "I'm not upset over her." Now I just want to finish this. I can't leave this realm knowing their livelihood has been taken with me. I'm pretty sure I know a way to fix this before I go. "We need to let everyone know the fight is over before anyone else gets hurt." It hurts to look at Dax now that I can see his crack so easily. It's getting bigger and bigger by the day, and I wish there was a way to fix it.

  "You're right. Let's get going." Dax heads out the door, walking slower than normal, but at least his coloring is coming back.

  We head down the stairway, and I move toward the main doors to step out in the light.

  As I step outside, the two suns are rising. Both sides have their weapons down, and they glance my way.

  "Thank God you're okay." Luke comes over and pulls me into a hug. "I've been worried about you. When the elements went crazy, I wasn't sure whether you won or lost."

  I'm still not sure either at this point. "If you're asking if I got the last artifact, then yes, I did."

  Tide steps out from the crowd, his fists clenched. "Where is Ria?"

  "She met the fate she deserved." Dax's voice is loud and echoes against the walls.

  "How could you say that?" Tide's jaw ticks
, and he body quivers. "She was protecting our world. How are we supposed to live?"

  For once, I have an answer for that. "I'm not going to leave you empty handed."

  "Really?" Melody's tone is full of hope as she watches me.

  "Yes, I'm going to charge your water." I head to the part of the island we had entered so many weeks ago. That's where they get the water they use for the market. That's where I need to focus most of the magic. "I'm heading there now. You'll still be able to live as you always have, but with someone in charge that will care for your well-being."

  "What the hell does that mean?" Tide points his finger at me and sneers.

  "It means that they are done with having to mend their clothes and pay over half their earnings to you in the form of taxes." What the hell is wrong with people? This is not okay. "If you can't promise that this will stop so they can afford to eat and have clothes, then I won't help you."

  If looks could kill, I'd be dead. "And what do you get out of it?" He huffs, and the words are formed around gritted teeth.

  "Nothing, but I want Melody to oversee the processes, and I'll be back to check in from time to time." She's the one person I trust here, and she has a good heart.

  Melody grins, and she places her hand on her heart. "I'd be honored and will respect your wishes."

  "All right. Then that's what we'll do. I'm going to go charge the water now before I head back home." I need to get back and deal with things I've put off for too long.

  "Come on guys, it's time to head back," Brad calls out to everyone, and they join Dax and me along with Luke and Damien.

  Not wanting to have any additional conversations right here in front of the Water people, I get ready to get back to Earth.

  It doesn't take long before I'm at the pier we had come in on. I bend down and place my hands in the clear, cool water. The water power shimmers to life, and the power pours into my hands and into the water. It already knows what I want to accomplish, and within seconds, the water is charged for the next ten years.

  When I stand, Dax already has everyone circled around him except Damien. Dax holds out his hand and grins. "Let's see how bumpy this goes with everyone."

  After we appear on the mansion's lawn and Brad and his fighters leave, I turn to walk into the building, but a black shadow forms behind one of the trees.

  Luke holds open the door for me, but I hold up a finger. "I'll be right there. I've got to take care of something first." I bet that's Damien coming to cash in on our deal. Little does he know that he'll be leaving empty handed.

  A flicker of understanding flashes in Luke's eyes. "All right. I'd tell you not to do anything stupid, but I think you know what you're doing. Dax and I will wait for you in my office."

  I'm ready to get this part over with. He needs to give me Beth and never bother me again. Making my way to the tree, I watch as the shadows form Damien right before my eyes.

  He leans against the tree and winks at me. "So... now it's time for you to relinquish the artifacts to me." He removes the amulet from around his neck and holds it out to me. "I'm sure you want this."

  Does he think that he can still bargain with me? He must be crazier than I realized. "No, I'm not paying you anything, but you're still going to give her to me."

  "Like hell I will." He wraps his fingers around the amulet and snarls. "I guess your friend will never find true peace."

  HIs cocky ass is going down. "Oh, yes she will. If you don't hand her over to me now, you won't be able to leave here alive." I'm tired of all of the bullshit.

  He scoffs at me but takes a step back. "You don't have it in you." Lightning crashes right next to me, and he jumps back. "What the hell?"

  "Give me her soul, and leave now, or you won't be around for another day." His days of having the upper hand are gone. I now can control all of the elements.

  Black smoke begins to billow around him. Dammit, he's trying to leave. I force the air around me to be still which prevents him from transporting.

  "You..." His mouth drops open, and he glances around.

  "Don't be stupid." He's not used to not having the upper hand. "If you give me the amulet and leave, never bothering me or Becca again, then I won't stand in your way. Otherwise, be prepared to cease to exist."

  "Fine." He holds out the amulet to me and drops it in my hand. "This will be the last time you see me."

  "I'm serious. If I see you any time after this moment, I will kill you." I don't want to have to deal with his manipulation any longer. He's done having a hold on me.

  "Even though it's at my expense, you've changed a lot in the last two months." Fire flashes in his eyes once more, and he steps back, the shadows taking over his human form once more. "I won't cause any more problems, at least until the artifacts are free again." Then, he's gone from my sight.

  After all this time, I finally have Beth's soul right here in my hands. Her frightened face stuck in this stone creeps into my mind. I need to let her out and fast. She deserves to have a normal afterlife; one filled with peace.

  I call to the fire inside me, and my hand blazes, melting the stone holding her soul. When it drips down onto the ground, my black reaper magic spurs to life and begins sucking from my hand. A coolness once again fills me, and I can feel when Beth transitions to her ever after.

  It's a bittersweet moment for me. One, my best friend is really gone now, but she's found peace. This has reaffirmed that the council has been lying to everyone. Reapers have souls, but they don't want us to know so we don't have any qualms taking life or passing judgement. We die just like humans, and our actions determine our afterlife. Right now, I need to rejoice that Beth has found peace and won't live in terror day after day any longer.

  Now I need to help Becca so she can have the same fate. I close my eyes and locate Becca. She's standing in front of her family house once more, watching them like an outsider. I clear all of the obstacles between us and transport to her location.

  This time, she must have felt as I appeared behind her because she turns her head, and tears run down her cheeks. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

  Even though I didn't know whether I'd get the irrational or calm Becca, I wasn't expecting this. Yeah, I didn't mean to cause this, but it's still my fault. "It's because you aren't meant to be here. Your soul is fracturing."

  Her shoulders sag, and she runs her hand through her limp, greasy blonde hair, taking a clump of it between her fingers. "So... there isn't anything truly wrong with me. I'm not losing my mind?"

  "No, it's because your time here is done. Once you move on from here, you'll be back to normal." It's strange because as I speak the words, I know they're true. "These are the repercussions of overstaying on Earth."

  "Then, I'm ready to go. I'm tired of feeling lonely and out of control." Her hazel eyes beg me for understanding, and she clasps her hands together in front of her. "Please, help me."

  A shiver runs through me. This is Dax's future as well. I've got to fix it all. They all deserve better than this. "Of course. Are you ready?"

  She nods and holds her hand out to me. "Please, I'm going out of my mind."

  Once again, my power thrums inside, and I step next to her. I lower her to the ground so she's laying and won't fall.

  "Thank you." She sprawls out on the grass and closes her eyes.

  I place my hands on her chest, and it takes mere seconds for her soul to pass through me. Finally, she's found peace. I stand and transport back to Luke's office.

  Dax is putting all of the weapons back in the hidden closet, and Luke is working on papers at his desk.

  "Sorry it took longer than I expected." I avoid Charlie's body in the corner because first, I need to deal with the two of them before I make the big decision about Charlie.

  "It's about damn time." Dax scowls at me as the light shines through his soul even brighter.

  "What's gotten into you?" Luke arches an eyebrow and points at him. "You're acting different."

  "His soul is fra
cturing like Becca's." I'm so tired that I don't have time to sugar coat all of this. "Since he died, his being here is causing an unbalance. He will spiral away just like Becca did."

  "So how do we fix it?" Dax's tone is full of angst. "I don't want to go down that same road."

  "Someone needs to reap you again so you can finally land in your resting place." The words feel like sandpaper as they pass through my throat, but he deserves to know what's going on. Becca thought she was going crazy. I don't want him to have to endure that.

  "But I still need him." Luke throws his pen on the table and stands. "We still have a lot of work to do."

  "It's easy to be selfish when you aren't the one being impacted." What is it with all of these people? I'm the youngest one in this room, but it sure doesn't seem that way considering how everyone is acting. I need to help Dax. "I can reap you if you're ready."

  Silence descends upon us, but Dax shakes his head no. "I'm not ready. Not yet. I still have some time, and I need to help Luke clean up the council. When I get bad, I'll ask you to do it then."

  "That's true. Luke is going to need help." I hate to admit it, but Dax isn't nearly as bad off as Becca, so he does have more time.

  "Yes, I need help getting the corrupted elders off the council." Luke places his hand on the table and bites his lip. "Are you going to resume your abilities now that you're back? I could really use your help."

  "The temptation would be too strong to the other elders and Brad's council if I didn't step down." I've had enough drama, and the less I have to deal with people manipulating me for their own personal gains, the better. "No agency or person should have direct access to this power inside me. For some reason, I was destined for this, but I can't let it corrupt me."

  "But think of all you can do..." Luke lifts both hands up and shivers.

  "See what I mean. You need to find someone else to take over my spot." Even being this close to me gets him excited about what I can do. "Clean up the current council, or I will do it for you."