The Reapers (The Hunted Series Book 1)

by Ali Winters

  Nivian

  Peeking through the crack in the door, Nivian watched as they continued to walk out of the library, their voices fading. She stood as still as a statue for several minutes. She wanted to make sure they had gone. Letting out a deep sigh, relief washed over her. “Thank Gaia.” She whispered to herself and stooped down to gather up the books and placed them back on the shelves. Once again, she peeked through the small opening to make sure the coast was clear before she quietly tiptoed out. The door quietly snapped closed behind her. Before anyone found out she had been at the Headquarters, she threw her hood over her head and transported back to her apartment.

  Nivian crossed her arms and leaned over the railing of the balcony. She let out a puff of air and dropped her head to her arms.

  “That was close.”

  “Yes, Nivian, it was.” Caspian said in a cool voice.

  She jerked upright and inhaled sharply. “Caspian,” she glared at him, “why are you always sneaking up on me?” She placed a hand over her chest to slow her racing heart.

  “Because you make it too easy.” He smirked and walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and pulled her close. Nivian made a half-attempt to twist her way out of his embrace, before returning the hug in defeat. He released her and stepped back, dodging as she playfully swatted at his arm.

  “Knock it off, or you will be the first reaper in history to kill another by heart attack,” Nivian said with a sparkle in her eye and leaned back over the railing.

  The humor faded from her face as she looked out across the city, avoiding his gaze. After a long pause, she asked, “So, how did you know it was me?”

  “I’ve known you long enough to understand how you think. There is no one else it could have been. You have a… knack for finding things you should not be looking for.” Caspian winked. “Nivian, if you insist on sneaking around for information, you must be more careful.” He added sternly.

  “Yes, sir.” She stood at attention and gave him a mocking two-finger salute.

  “Nivian, I am serious. I do not know how Silas would react if he found out.” His expression displayed the gravity of the situation. “You do not understand the seriousness of this situation.”

  “Okay, I’ll try to be more careful.” She slid up next to him and bumped his shoulder with hers.

  “Thank you.” Caspian wrapped his arms around her. Nivian sighed and relaxed into him.

  “So what is the official reason for this visit?” she asked, snuggling deeper into his arms. A sense of peace flowed through her.

  “Silas is growing impatient.”

  “Wasn’t he already impatient?” Nivian asked, as she pulled back to look at him, raising an eyebrow. He gave her his signature smirk.

  “Well, yes Nivian, he was, but he is growing more so.” Caspian let out a sigh.

  “Fine.” She pulled away, her shoulders sagged in defeat as she ran her fingers through her long, silky hair.

  “You need to take care of your mark. You cannot keep putting it off as you have. You know the nature of this assignment is different than the rest. It must be treated with more care and diligence.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it soon. I promise.”

  Caspian nodded, accepting her word. “Oh, I almost forgot. I did manage to get you a little bit of an extension on this mark.”

  Nivian’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a small ‘O’.

  “However, it does not mean you should use that extra time, if you do not need it. Silas is already displeased with you for not being finished early. The quicker you take care of it, the better. For all of us.”

  She turned her head to the side and asked, “Why would he give me more time if he’s upset I haven’t completed the mark yet?”

  “He is still a reasonable being, once you get past his short temper.”

  A smile crept over her lips as Nivian looked up at him. “Thank you.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “You’re the best!”

  He slid his fingers down her arm and clasped her hand in his as she released him from her bear hug. Turning her hand over, he lifted it to his lips and softly kissed the inside of her wrist. He lowered his hand, letting hers slide out of his grasp. Caspian stepped back, pulled his hood over his head, and vanished.

  Twelve

  Kain

  Kain put his car into park at the end of the long gravel driveway. Trees lined the outer edges of the estate where he’d grown up. His mother, Aurelia, had made sure of it. She’d spent his childhood creating a picturesque, botanical sanctuary of trees, various flowers, and plants. It was the only thing that made her feel at home.

  The small figure that sat in the bay window got up and walked into the shadows. He turned off the engine and got out of the car, looking up at the two-story brick house with its wrap-around porch. He climbed the steps and was greeted by his mother opening the door.

  “Kain, dear, what are you doing here? I didn’t expect you for another week or two!” Aurelia grabbed her son and pulled him into her for a long hug.

  “I just wanted to stop by for a night to see how you were doing.” He pulled back, grinning. “You look wonderful, Ma.”

  She briskly rubbed her arms. “Oh thank you, dear! Come inside, it’s chilly out here.”

  His mother pulled him inside by his arm. Kain stomped his feet on the welcome mat to shake off the snow still stuck to his boots. A quick skittering of nails sounded across the floor, as a large black lab came barreling around the corner. Kain bent down on one knee and held out his arms as the old dog to jumped up and licked his face.

  “Nice to see you too, Bear.” Kain laughed, turning his face, trying to avoid the volley of messy kisses. He scratched Bear behind the ears, eliciting a muffled grunt of happiness. It was good to see the old dog again. His long-time friend was getting up in years, but still had the energy of a puppy.

  “All right, boy! Get down now,” Aurelia laughed, as she gently scolded the dog. “Come in, take off your jacket. I was just about to make some tea, would you like some?” she asked over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen.

  “Yes, please.” Kain removed his jacket and glanced around the foyer at the changes his mother made since his last visit. The walls were now a warm cream color with a dark red trim. The area was now free of the knick-knacks they’d both collected over the years. It gave the place a clean, minimalist look. To his right, the staircase and polished dark oak banister led to the second story. On the left, an arched entry way led to the main living area.

  A plush, cream-colored couch positioned in the center of the room, faced the large bay window. In front of the couch sat a white coffee table on top of a deep red area rug. A gray and white crackled vase with fresh cut red roses sat in the center of the table. On the mantel of the white stone fireplace on the far wall were three old photos from his childhood.

  Kain smiled at the memory of watching his mom spending time in the worn, overstuffed burgundy chair, wrapped up in her thick knit blanket, reading while he did his homework.

  Growing up, it had always just been the two of them. His father had left his mother before he was born. As a child, he remembered asking her about the man missing from their lives and how her lips would curl into the saddest smile he’d ever seen, her eyes focused on a distant memory.

  Once he’d become a teen, she’d gone on a few dates here and there. But none of the relationships had been serious, and she never brought any of the men around. As much as she’d tried to hide it, Aurelia’s disinterest in finding someone became clear. He stopped pushing the issue when he suspected she only dated because he had asked why she’d never remarried. After a few years, she stopped dating altogether.

  She had denied it any time he brought it up, but her love for the man who fathered him sparkled in her eyes at the mere mention of his name.

  Kain never felt as though he missed out on anything growing up. Aurelia would take him fishing, camping, and anything else he ever asked to do. She enc
ouraged all of his interests, taught him to be responsible, and respect others.

  Kain followed her into the kitchen and sat down at a small round table in the middle of the room. Aurelia placed the kettle on the stove and began heating up the water.

  “So tell me, Kain, how have you been? How is work going down at the shelter?” she asked, pulling out two mismatched mugs from the cupboard and setting them on the table.

  “Work is great, the hours have evened out a lot. We’ve been getting busier during the day, and I’ve hired a full-time staff. We’ve been getting a lot more publicity in the paper and attracted some big name sponsors.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, dear! I’m so glad things are working out so well.”

  She set honey down in the middle of the table and walked over to him. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she squeezed and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

  “Maybe now you’ll be able to find time to finally get a girlfriend—” The kettle let out a loud whistle. “Oh! The tea is ready!” She ran to the stove and returned, pouring hot water into each mug.

  Kain sat motionless in his chair, one eyebrow raised.

  “What?” Aurelia asked, sitting down.

  “Ma, I don’t need a girlfriend.”

  “Oh nonsense, honey! You are young, live a little. Life isn’t all about work,” she said.

  Kain sighed. Her new strategy was asking about his love life, but she never wanted to find someone for herself. It was fine when he was growing up, but now she lived alone, and he worried about her.

  “I’ll tell you what, I will get a girlfriend when you start dating again.” Kain picked up his mug with a smug look on his face and took a big sip, burning the tip of his tongue. He quickly jerked it away and stuck out his tongue fanning it off.

  “Careful, dear. The tea is hot.” Aurelia gave her son a self-satisfied grin and took a sip of her own tea.

  They sat for a while in companionable silence, sipping their tea. He debated bringing up this next subject, but he had always been able to tell her anything. She kept him from over-analyzing the simple things and put everything in perspective for him.

  “Actually, there is this one girl I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Oh, so there is a girl after all.” Aurelia sat up straight and all but clapped her hands in joy.

  Kain cringed inwardly. “Erm, not quite, Ma,” he said, taking a deep breath. He didn’t understand why he kept thinking about the weird girl. “I haven’t met her yet—”

  “Then, you should introduce yourself to her.” Aurelia interrupted.

  “Well first, Ma, I think you are getting way too excited over this. And second, it’s not like that. I’m… concerned about her.”

  His mother’s smile faded. “Is she an escaped criminal?”

  “No, and I don’t think she’s dangerous. I can’t put my finger on it—she’s just odd.”

  “I worry about you. I can’t even remember the last time you brought a girl home, let alone talked about one.” She reached across the table and placed a hand on his forearm. “Tell me about this girl.”

  “It started a few days ago; I saw her standing in the middle of the street. It was strange. All the cars ignored her, and she didn’t seem worried about getting hit. It didn’t look like she was trying to get herself killed either.” He looked down at his tea, the memories of that morning flashing in his mind. “I’ve seen her around at different places a few times since then. She usually seems upset about something, but she just watches me. I swear I even saw her vanish into thin air.”

  Kain leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his caramel-colored hair, brushing stray strands from his eyes. “She wears a black, hooded cloak. I’ve seen a few others in the city dressed like her. I’m beginning to think she’s part of a cult… maybe she’s stalking me. I’m not sure. I didn’t think there were any cults around anymore.”

  Kain looked up from his mug to see Aurelia staring straight ahead, her eyes unfocused. It was as if she didn’t see him.

  “Ma?” Kain put his hand over hers, breaking her trance. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh yes, I'm all right,” she smiled at him, “It just reminded me of something, I must have gotten lost in thought. I’m sorry, dear, go on.”

  “There isn’t much more to tell. I see her everywhere and she just watches me.”

  “Have you tried talking to her?” His mother tilted her head and gave him the look that told him he already knew what to do.

  Kain shook his head. He’d wanted to talk to the girl back in the coffee shop, but every time he set his mind to it, something would happen, and she would be gone before he could open his mouth to speak.

  “Not yet. The next time I see her, I will.” He lifted his mug to his lips, taking a careful sip.

  “Good. Always confront things head on.”

  “There was one more thing.” Kain frowned, his brows pulled together. “I saw one of the cloaked people from her cult, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. The weird thing was; this guy came up to me afterwards and handed me a card with nothing but a number on it.”

  “Did you call the number?” Aurelia leaned forward, interested in this little mystery.

  “No, I wasn’t going to.” He shot her a skeptical look.

  “Why not?” She demanded, slamming a hand down on the table. She leaned back, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “Because he was a crazy guy who gave me his number. He’s not really my type, Ma.” He raised an eyebrow. She always followed the wind, never letting anything obstacle or fear slow her down. She took everything in stride and went where life took her.

  Aurelia busted out in laughter. “It’s only a phone call. It won’t cost you anything more than a few minutes of your time. There is so little mystery left in this world—what do you have to lose?”

  “I will think about calling, but that’s the best I can promise.” Kain smiled and shook his head. His mom was always joking around, but he loved that about her. Her positive outlook on life had always inspired him.

  “You were always so cautious.” Aurelia gave a weak smile, a hint of sadness touching her still youthful features.

  Kain yawned and drank down the rest of his tea in one gulp. “I think I will go upstairs and lie down, it was a long drive.”

  “All right, dear, I’ll see you in the morning,”

  Kain got up, kissed the top of his mother’s head, and walked out of the kitchen. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked over his shoulder. Aurelia sat at the kitchen table and continued to sip her drink. She had been her usual playful self until he had mentioned the hooded girl. Something had crossed over her eyes. What it was about the cult that bothered her, he couldn’t say. Shrugging, he trudged up the stairs to his old room.

  Nivian

  Cold… I’m so cold.

  I can’t breathe.

  Why won’t my body move?

  An eerie silence surrounded her. She struggled, unable to get anywhere. Her body weighed a thousand pounds and refused to budge. The world around her shifted —slow and heavy it held her down. Her vision blurred. It was as though the world had slowed to a near stop. A soft murmur met her ears behind the deafening roar of silence. There was nothing. No movement, no color, just nothing seeming to stretch on for eternity.

  She floated in her personal abyss, her consciousness drifting in and out.

  Tired, so… tired.

  Nivian fought to keep her eyes open. A pale hand reached out for hers and pulled her. Slowly, she drifted up through the void. Her body glided effortlessly closer to the hand.

  Softly.

  Gently.

  A light slowly faded in and out until the darkness consumed her.

  Nivian sat bolt upright. Clutching her thin sheets to her chest, she gasped for air. She looked around the room and tried to remember where she was. The light from the moon shone in through the balcony window, casting shadows that danced over her apartment.

  It w
as just a dream, she thought.

  She had been having this same dream every night for the past few weeks. It shouldn’t bother her, and usually it didn’t when all she felt was a weightless drowsy feeling. In the last few nights, her dream had become more detailed, more real. Each night, the dream trapped her for longer periods of time, and the feeling of it changed into something dark. Feelings of panic and anger rose in her throat like bile at the crushing weight of it. Why was she having the same dream over and over? What could it mean? It felt… incomplete.

  Nivian pressed the back of her hand to her damp forehead. She took in several deep lungfuls of air, trying to slow her erratic breathing. Throwing back the covers, she dropped her feet over the edge of the bed. The cool wooden floors felt good on her feet. She pushed herself up, and grabbing her cloak, she transported to the roof—she needed some fresh air.

  Her dreams had become strange and vivid. They haunted her. Around the same time that the annoying hunter had entered her life. The dreams had started out calm, but quickly turned to terror. Now they came to her every night. She was almost ready to give up sleep, even though it helped her to recharge her powers faster. The idea of sleeping was now a source of frustration.

  Tilting her head back toward the clear night sky, Nivian closed her eyes and let the cool breeze wash over her burning skin.

  Could the timing of my dreams and the hunter just be a coincidence, or is there a connection?

  Thirteen

  Nivian

  The sky was on fire with the morning sun as it sleepily climbed over the horizon. Nivian perched on the railing, her legs swinging freely over the edge. She basked in the quiet of the early morning while the world still slept. Not knowing what was in store for her from this point on, she took a few minutes to enjoy one of the things she loved most. Silas may have given her a little extra time, but he was serious about this mark and wouldn’t put up with her delaying it any longer than necessary.