by K. H. Kate
CLAIMED
THE REAPER SAGA
Book 3
K.H. KATE
CLAIMED
Copyright © 2021 by K.H. Kate
All rights reserved.
First Edition: JULY 2021
All rights preserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Dedicated to those characters who lost their life and suffered through hell because of me. I promise you were all brave, strong and special in my cold dead heart.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DADICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHATPER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS
PLAYLIST
PROLOGUE
"Say yes, love."
He took his sweet time to wait for me but I already knew what was going to be my ultimate answer. There hadn't been a time that he asked for something and I refused it. Naturally, this one should be easy to respond too.
But for the first time, my lips trembled to sound content. "Yes. My answer is yes."
"My Queen..." He reached for my hair, angling my head to brush his lips against mine but I felt nothing. No shiver or feel of his plump lips even when I heard a low growl in his chest. I was numb, forever void of any physical feelings.
"Promise to be a good girl." He breathed out, holding me captivated. "Promise me earth won't change you."
"I promise."
"Then go, Emeline. The gate is closing!" He pushed me forward, watching me leave with cold red eyes. It's for the best, I wondered as I hid my own emotions into an icy mask.
"We'll meet again!" I promised for the last time and with the next rumble of thunder, I was gone.
CHAPTER ONE
THREE YEARS AGO
The deeper Zed led us into the tunnels, the narrower the walls became. At some points, we had to walk sideways to actually keep up. At last, Zed played with some buttons and the door opened by itself.
"Here's your cell." The cell was made just like I asked for it to be. Void of any luxury. Or hope. It looked like Hell had been recreated on earth.
"You can still back off, you know," Zed spoke out after looking around the cell and adjusting himself to the heat of Hell.
"I wanted to live this way and you are not going to stop me." Maybe I should have done this a long time ago. It only cost me her life for me to finally get the courage. "In birth, in life, and now in death, I vow to break every connection I had with your clan, Zedkiel."
The bitterness had Zed flinch.
But I could care less.
"You can't just refuse me after that many years, Alexei." The use of my full name made my heart hurt even more. He smiled as the last resort. "I can still help you."
"You can't. Not anymore."
He thought I was making a mistake but didn't he know that there was no easy way out? "I know you can't take this anymore. But trust me, Emie wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. You yourself told me that she visits you in your dreams and she wants you to be happy, then why this?”
Why this? Why not? Every second of my life, I was tormented by her memories. The only way to make peace was to live the same way she was. She was in Hell, losing her mind in pain. Paying for something I did.
"You can't help me, Zedkiel." I brushed over a scar she made when she was ripped out of my arms. I have counted each and every one she gave me. My shadows refused to heal them. I refused to let them. "You and I, we've done our best, remember? There was nothing or no one that we didn't try. You even went to the Coven. Did we find anything? No. It's done for, I have given up. Now the only day I'll see anyone will be the day she returns."
He clenched his fist. "What if it's forever? What if she never comes back?"
"Then I'll be here forever.″ I gritted out.
"Just because I've been a good friend and a leader to you...you think you can just tell me that you refuse all my teachings and give up on your wife? You are wrong!" Before I could see it coming, he pushed me to the wall with a glare. "The whole year, every time you came up with any crazy idea, I supported you even when no one did. Do you know what the other clans said? What the Volkioses decided will be best for you? They told me to arrange an execution to finally give you peace. I spit on those bastards, I stayed true to my loyalty. Even when you kicked Hannah out, I said nothing! I've had enough."
He suddenly held my wrist in a tight grip only to put a shackle on it. "I don't accept any words you have said today. You are still a member of my clan and always will be. I'm your master and it's in your best interest the faster you accept that."
ONE YEAR AGO
"Came to take me, old friend?" I mocked the shadow on the corner. No matter how much he hid it, I could certainly recognize the shadow. Not that I was angry or anything. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise among everything.
Look how far you've fallen... I could hear Zed whisper in my ears. Look at you!
"Your tricks don't work on me, friend." I warned, wincing. These days it was getting harder to pretend that I wasn't questioning everything. Whether it was real or not. Even now I couldn't tell if he was really here but I had to try.
"Say something!"
"Is this a way to talk to an old friend?" Death finally put me out of my misery. "I see you're still stubborn."
"You know me." I let out a chuckle despite it hurt to even breathe. It was icy cold in the daytime and scorching hot at night. That was the only way to know time these days. And time never felt this slow.
"You always manage to land yourself in trouble. What is it this time?” The shadow looked around, his scythe following his movement. There was a time I was tired of seeing his face but now I felt energetic suddenly.
"You should know..." I trailed off, trying to see if he was interested in continuing the matter. A little nod was what needed for me to start talking. "Did you see her? When she left?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"You know who."
"The Deshayes girl or the mother?" He asked with a teasing tone. I thought he would keep this current appearance but to
my surprise, he turned back to look like the boy I met centuries ago. "I think I met her."
"How was she?"
"Sad, betrayed, and...free."
I knew what he was doing but I wanted a straight answer. "Don't play with me. I won't be so generous like I was back then."
"I don't see any improvement now either." He tasked, coming closer to look at the chains. "You're more desperate for me. You thought I came to take you to her."
I smiled slowly. "Aren't you?"
All humor left from his face. "No. It's not your time yet. She's already dead and you're still here, old friend. Accept it."
I couldn't.
Not when there were so many unsaid words between us.
"One day you will have to come for me, death." I could feel my shadows starting to feel awake for the first time in years. "I would rip you out of existence if you dare to come between us."
He could deny as much as he wanted.
Even he knew I would do just that.
CHAPTER TWO
PRESENT
"So, where is she now?" I snapped at Zed who cringed at the tone. But there was a dry amusement in his voice when he finally opened his mouth.
"At least you are not acting like an animal. That's assuring."
What he said was partly true. When she was gone, I started acting like a wild animal snarling at anything within a 35-mile radius. But now that she was here but not truly with me, the fear that I lived with for years was coming in tenfold. Doubts and self-loathing filled my bones, leaving me to demand mercy and answers.
Was she deliberately hiding from me?
Did she hate me now?
Did she even remember...
"Dear master, I remember I asked you a question." I reminded him, curling my fists to stop myself from snarling again. Zed took his sweet time watching me getting frustrated when he at least, finally, started to tap his desk with his knuckles. I thought the gesture was weird but to my surprise, that's when a woman entered the office to hand him a file. Stealing a look at me, she left just as fast as she came.
"Who was that?"
He looked up from the file. "That? Shayla. A friend of mine."
Ah.
"Good friend?" I grinned. "Or more than a friend..."
"Shut up. This came for you." He hesitated only for a second before he recovered, handing me the file that was just brought to him. I wasn't sure what I was going to find out but my gut twisted thinking about the worst case scenarios.
"What's in it?" I lifted an eyebrow, coming to his side.
"See them for yourself."
Rolling my eyes at Zed's half-assed answers, I opened the file, half expecting congratulations, we didn't kill you before your beloved returned apology letters from the infamous Volkioses but what welcomed me was enough to rile me up again. My spine tensed the more I read. When I reached the last page, my eyes were as hard as the sward behind Zed's head. "For devil's sake! What's this!?"
His expression turned grim and he couldn't even meet my gaze. "This is something I found out yesterday. I wasn't so sure when I was told about her condition, so I told them to give me a written copy. This could be the only reason why she's not in here."
If looks could kill, he would be six feet under in a coffin by now. Clenching my fists, I glared at the offensive item on my hands. "Little soul wouldn't do that to me. She knows we are married and she wouldn't make a damn demon her fiancé!"
"Demon King." Zed corrected with a wince.
"Same fucking thing, master." Saying that aloud was enough to make my blood boil again. She had to have some feelings for me, she wouldn't dare to leave me for a demon King. However powerful he was.
"I know but-"
"No, buts, master." Bile crept up at the back of my throat, thinking of all of the time my wife must've been with the demon without even knowing anything. "I want her here right now. However fucking long that takes. I don't care if a war will break out, I don't care if the earth gets flooded. I just want her by my side."
His eyes widened hearing my words. There was a painful moment of silence before he straightened himself. "Sit down, Alexei. We have a lot of catching up to do."
He wasn't kidding when he called me by my full name. So as soon as I sat down in front of him, he declared. "How about we go see this source and you hear it for yourself?"
Fine by me.
For the rest of the journey, we were surrounded by complete silence. My first choice was going through a portal but I was noticeably weaker than ever so Zed offered to drive which I immediately agreed. Putting on a sappy love song he looked at me as if I'd crush that thing with my fists. It's only when even after hours there was no talk, he finally gave in to the curiosity.
"So what now?" He asked, looking at me once in a while but I refused to talk. There was so much going on in my mind. I had to plan everything cleverly if I wanted to handle the truth. If that was even the truth.
"Deciding not to talk isn't going to take you anywhere." He mumbled, scoffing.
But it was taking me somewhere, I thought with a snort.
"You know they could be right." Anger flashed over me but I stayed calm. Now wasn't the time for me to lose control. Even if we had an accident, we would survive.
But that'll be such a waste of a good car.
To my relief, after thirty or fifty more minutes later, he parked near a house. I was barely able to hold onto my amusement as I noticed the picket fence house only humans dream and whine about. Whoever lived here had to be a human or a halfwit. Jumping from the car, I ignored Zed's frantic calling by reaching the red oak door first.
"Be gentle." Zed warned, catching up with me. Flashing him a mocking salute, I knocked.
After what felt like ten minutes later, I heard the sound of shoes scraping. In a minute the door would open and I would silt their throat with a smile on my face. Zed really didn't think that I was going to spare them, did he? The sound was louder now, coming closer with purpose.
Three, two, one...
The door opened and all color drained from my face.
He didn't just...
Forcing the words out between my clenched teeth, I flashed her a charming smirk even when all I wanted to do was stare and endure the sight of her lookalike.
"Hello, beautiful."
CHAPTER THREE
Come, my army, come with me.
They followed me, dragging their feet to match every movement of mine. I had to stop to wash my dirty nails but I didn't stop. I couldn't even if I wanted to. They had a duty just like I did. Only when I found a quiet place that I halted, feeling tormented for once.
"You know what to do." I rasped, scratching my already battered skin. "Scatter around. There's not a city that should be left behind."
Those freshly awakened bodies turned to start their new journey where I was left to wonder if I should continue to follow his order or stop to think clearly. I didn't need protection here, I was quite capable of fighting humanity but Demos insisted.
A necessary evil was what Demos called it.
I called it ironic.
The more I kept walking, the more I was astonished to see that earth was really a good place to stay. There weren't any hellhounds wanting to rip my throat out every time my foot slipped nor any underlings hidden in alleyways. I was...safe. I didn't know what to do with that emotion. It's been too long that I didn't feel safe unless I was with Demos.
Remembering Demos, my mind felt content. I might not feel anything physically but my heart? He was the only one I could truly trust to not break my heart. He was my lifeline, a mentor I still couldn't believe that I was worthy of.
The King of Demon deserved the best.
Then why did he choose you?
My mind was there to chime in like every time. It was so sudden too. One minute we were worried about the hellhound, Sage, and the next minute, he was asking for my hand in marriage. The gate of Hell was finally open. Now it was my chance to be normal like the other demons but there
he was, asking me to do the unthinkable.
Find the cure.
Then be his Queen.
No, I couldn't think about that now. I had duties, rules to follow. Even here, I could feel that invisible cord in my stomach. I wasn't truly free of Hell, Demos would never let me go. The thought made me so giddy that I didn't realize bumping into someone until goosebumps raised over my skin. I didn't expect the coldness on my shoulder. I felt something. Oh God... before I could inspect that little emotion, my eyes rolled over, leaving my body to be a slave of my own nightmare.
It started how it normally did.
I was stuck in the dark void.
Voices passed by me but...
Only today the voices made sense, I could see those dark voids clearly for the first time in forever. I didn't know if that was going to be a good idea or bad. My hands itched to touch those swirling figures when I heard a voice near me.
"You look so beautiful, Emie."
Turning around, I couldn't believe my own eyes. It's like I was staring at the pond like I usually did back in Hell. I was seeing myself, only I didn't know the girl in my nightmare.
"Do I?" The girl scowled, her voice mocking for someone dressed up in funeral-like clothing. If I were to have any strength then I'd gasp. The girl even had my voice. How was that possible?
The other woman's smile vanished. "You don't believe me."
"Believe you? I believed you once, Belle, not again." I took a step forward, watching the girl murmur with anger in her voice. Was that really me or was I having a breakdown?
"Stop calling me Belle! I'm your mother." The girl remained stone where I flinched at the tone. Mother? Was she her...
The girl's next sentence broke that assumption. Ok, not her mother then.
The woman continued after the girl. "Look at me, hun. I know you're ready, you can do this. I don't like this either. But do I have a choice? No, none of us do."