“Isn’t it great?” Josie bounced back into the living room, holding her dress up over her chest. The top was a strapless suede corset. The skirt flowing out beneath the corset was a rich cream color, covered in layers of sparkling tulle cut into leaf patterns just above the hem.
I smiled. “Artemis helped you pick it out, didn’t she?”
“How’d you guess?”
“Because it looks like something she would wear, and she’s the one who asked me to take you to Purgatory last night,” I confessed.
“Do you suppose Apollo will have a matching suit?” She moved in front of the mirror on my closet door to admire herself.
No matter how many years passed, we still got excited over a pretty dress. It was one of the few things Josie and I had in common. We were both shopaholics. Our friendship had been cemented after a brief feud over a pair of custom embroidered jeans shipped in from Olympus. Sometimes I wondered if we would still be such good friends if Athena hadn’t found an extra pair in her stockroom.
“Artemis probably bought an outfit for Apollo. He arrived a little too late to be shopping.” I found my gown and held it up for her to see.
“Oh,” she sighed in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”
My mind flashed back to Maalik at Athena’s store.
“Maalik’s wearing a matching robe,” I groaned.
“How do you know that?”
“I ran into him at Athena’s. That’s where he asked me to be his date.”
“It’s not like he’s a demon or anything. Why do you dislike him so much?” She laid her dress over the back of the couch and scooped up her box of noodles. “Most reapers would be flattered to have the attention of such a high ranking angel. I would have gone to the ball with him.”
“That’s just it though.” I sighed and turned to hang my dress up. “He thinks he’s so great, that no one can resist him.”
“That’s probably why he gives you such a hard time. You’re the only one who doesn’t adore him. You’re such an ego bruiser.” She grinned and scraped her chopsticks along the bottom of her takeout box.
“I hope Gabriel has a blue robe to wear.” I huffed and dropped onto my bed.
“A black one would work too,” Josie mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.
“Can you imagine Gabriel in a black robe?” Anytime he wasn’t working, he was in a pair of tattered white pants.
“Well he can’t wear a white one with you in that dress. That would look a little odd.” Josie scrunched up her face and we both laughed.
It was so much easier being her friend when we weren’t working. On our ship, I wanted to strangle her half the time. The other half I spent avoiding her. I still couldn’t believe that I was up for promotion and she wasn’t. I had more soul violations in the past month than she’s had in the past century, which is why something felt off about the whole deal. And it’s not like I had taken any special classes at the Reaper Academy that qualified me for high-risk work.
Josie took a new class at least once a decade. She was qualified to harvest medium-risk souls in America, Russia, and most European countries. I, on the other hand, could only harvest low-risk souls in America, Canada, England, and France. Pretty much wherever they spoke English or French. I hated school, so I only took the mandatory classes. And since I’d racked up so many soul violations, I didn’t have to worry about taking classes for a promotion. Until now.
“Hey Josie?”
“Yeah?” She sat on the couch and folded her legs up beside her.
“When Horus was hinting to you about the promotion, he didn’t happen to mention what classes would be required, did he?”
“Uh, no, not really.” Her brow creased and she picked up a Reaper Report off the coffee table. “I’m sure it’s a high-risk job, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so secretive about it all.”
“Great.” I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling.
“Hey.” She waved the paper at me. “Says here a band of nephilim have volunteered to patrol the sea in exchange for deityship rights and permanent residency in Limbo.”
“That’ll be the day.” I rolled my eyes. “I think it’s pretty clear by now that the only thing nephilim, reapers, and souls have to look forward to in Limbo is work.”
“Maybe.” Josie tossed the paper back on the table. “But aren’t you forgetting about the soul strike?”
“The souls are still working, aren’t they?” I snorted.
“But they have Saturdays off now. It’s the first step.”
“Of what?” I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. “Do you think they’ll get paid vacations next? Overtime? The souls that went on strike are long gone, back to the human realm. I’m surprised the Fates haven’t taken Saturdays back by now.”
“Word of mouth gets around. The other souls have practically turned the strike into a legend.”
“Well, aren’t you the little soul expert.”
Josie blushed. “Sorry, I guess I’ve been spending too much time around Jenni. I think she’s taking some elective class about the history of Limbo. It’s all she ever talks about.”
“How lame.” I laughed and threw a pillow at her.
Chapter 8
“Oh these foolish men! They could not create so much as a worm, but they create gods by the dozens.”
-Michel de Montaigne
Grim’s rooftop sparkled. Gabriel and I had arrived at the ball early so he could impress Peter with his punctuality. We took a slow walk around, enjoying the view.
Thirty round tables sprawled out before the stage. Little vases of violets and orchids lined the silver cloths along with etched champagne flutes and reservation cards. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to find mine and Gabriel’s names at the same table with Maalik, but my frustrations disappeared as I took in all the luxury of the rooftop.
Giant pots of lilies lined the dance floor, and a net of ivy and sparkling lights domed above. Crystal-crusted stones formed a thick ledge around the roof, and every few feet a lantern had been anchored, emitting a soft glow over the ball setting.
Beyond the wall, the city lights glistened and reflected off the Sea of Eternity. Together, Gabriel and I sighed. Every other day of the year could be grimy and frustrating and a pain in the ass. All it took was this one night to make all the others worth it.
A cool breeze circled over the roof and freed a curl from the crystal bands holding my hair up. The bands had been a gift from Saul. He gave them to me the year my apprenticeship ended, and ever since his death, I wore them to the ball in his memory.
Gabriel had managed to find a blue robe. It was a shade lighter than my dress, but it looked good on him. Ellen gave us a strange look as we signed the guest book together. Josie was coming with Apollo, so I didn’t feel too out of place with my date.
Grim arrived just as we finished circling the rooftop. He wore a more formal version of the black robes reapers wore to work. It was just for show. Everyone knew he hadn’t gone out to collect a soul in almost eight hundred years. After the third generation of reapers came along, he retired to his office above the city and focused more on the dealings of the council.
“Good evening Lana, Gabriel.” Grim nodded at my date with a frown. “I’m glad you’re here early. Lana, I want you at the council dinner after the ceremony.”
My jaw dropped. He had said I was up for a promotion, but I didn’t realize it was going to be that big of a promotion. Only council members were invited to the dinner after the ball, or so I thought. I imagined some of the more important gods were there as well, but I’d never heard of a reaper attending, aside from Grim. Especially not an eighth generation reaper like myself.
“Uh, ummm, uh.” I was suddenly a gibbering idiot.
“I’ll make sure to remind her later.” Gabriel jumped to my rescue.
“Good.” Grim walked away to greet another couple.
“From the looks of it, you weren’t expecting that invitation.” Gabriel squeezed my hand. His eyes grew worr
ied as he waited for me to gather my senses. “Some promotion,” he laughed nervously.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” I breathed and closed my eyes.
“Whoa there, Lana!” Gabriel wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled out a chair for me to fall into. “This is a good thing, right? I mean who gets invited to the council dinner if they’re in trouble?” He rubbed my shoulders.
“I’m dizzy.” I gulped down another breath.
In that moment, I hated Grim for ruining my perfect evening. I didn’t have any idea why I was being invited to the dinner. And I still hadn’t figured out who had suggested my promotion. Everything was moving too fast and before I even had a chance to digest it. Indigestion of the brain, that’s what I was suffering from.
Josie was going to slaughter me. After her reaction to my promotion, I could just see how well this would go over. She was my friend, but being a hundred years older gave her the right to be bitter if I advanced before she did. And the fact that she followed the rules so much better than I did wasn’t going to help the situation any.
“Don’t tell Josie until after the ball,” I pleaded with Gabriel.
“Of course.”
“In fact, don’t tell anyone. There’s going to be a new club tomorrow. The I-hate-Lana club. Just you wait and see. Every reaper from generations one through seven will have a membership. Probably the eighth generation too. I’m done for.” I buried my face in my hands.
“Calm down. Just breathe. It’s going to be alright kid.”
“I’m three hundred years old. Don’t call me kid,” I mumbled through my fingers.
“Sorry darling.” He resorted to his John Wayne voice. Even if it was annoying, it made me smile, and he knew it. That’s why I loved him and put up with him crashing on my couch all the time.
“There we go,” he chirped at my grin.
“Lana!” Josie and Apollo signed the guest book and hurried over to join us.
Apollo wore a cream dress shirt and suede pants that matched Josie’s gown. I was sure Artemis had picked it out now. Most of the older gods still preferred the fashions of their youth, but the few who modernized their look did so with style.
A string of leaf-shaped emeralds hung around Josie’s neck. When she caught me staring, she touched them fondly and blushed. “Are you feeling okay, Lana?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. It wouldn’t do any good telling Gabriel to keep quiet if I gave myself away.
A group of cherubs set up a classical band just off the dance floor. One started on a flute, and a harp quickly joined in.
“Come on.” Gabriel grabbed my hand and tugged me under the ivy canopy to dance. Apollo and Josie followed. I tried to forget about the dinner invitation and enjoy myself, but every time I spotted Grim frowning at me from across the roof, misery struck all over again.
“Smile Lana,” Gabriel muttered through clenched teeth. “Josie will corner me and make me tell her what’s wrong with you if you don’t get it together.”
“Sorry.” I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder.
The roof filled up fast as the guests arrived. Reaper couples swirled around us on the dance floor. They made up at least a quarter of the guests. Every reaper attended the Oracle Ball. It was our unofficial and collective birthday party. The anniversary of our birth into slavery. Sort of the opposite of Independence Day.
By human standards, we’re not slaves. The flaws of slavery were identified in Eternity long before they were dealt with in the human realm. By having us titled as lower class citizens with limited rights and tossing us a little coin, Grim could keep a tight leash on us. Payment is a sneaky motivator, convincing reapers to work harder and allowing Grim to keep our numbers low. Barely a hundred reapers tend to the departed.
“Excuse me.” A Cleopatra wannabe pushed past Gabriel and I, pulling Horus along by the hand as he scattered short apologizes for his rude and clumsy date. He was halfway through a sorry when he recognized me.
“Lana, right?” His mouth twisted into an uncomfortable smile as his date’s sashaying came to a jerking halt. After giving him an unsuccessful tug, she coiled herself around his arm like a python and glared at us.
“Horus, you promised me a dance,” she pouted. She obviously fancied herself a temptress, but nagging hussy would have been more accurate. A band of red silk snaked over her breasts and crisscrossed her stomach before disappearing into a trampy excuse of a skirt.
“We have all night,” Horus sighed. “What’s the rush?” He reached up and loosened his tie with an annoyed frown. The suit was new. Horus’s look rarely strayed from the traditional. His mother, Isis, had fought with him for centuries over his headdress. She had finally convinced him to leave it at home about a decade ago.
“Who are your little friends?” the imposter Cleopatra asked, stroking Horus’s arm.
“Uh, this is Gabriel, and Lana, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” I wove my arm around Gabriel’s. “Who’s your date Horus?”
“This is Wosyet,” he answered with a strained smile.
Wosyet puffed her chest out, trying to look more dignified than her dress would allow. “I’m a goddess.” The edges of her mouth twitched into a cocky sneer as she bobbed her head, giving me a quick once-over. “Pasty skin, black hair, limited knowledge of the gods. Let me guess, you’re a reaper.”
“Must you be so rude to everyone?” Horus’s jaw clenched as he tried to reclaim the arm she was molesting.
“It’s okay.” I grinned. “Some deities just have no manners, or taste.”
“I’m sorry,” Horus muttered before trailing after Wosyet as she stormed away.
The cherub band picked up the pace. Gabriel twirled me back around to dance, surprising me with a flamboyant dip. He grinned, holding me in the awkward position long enough to draw attention. “She may be a goddess, but can she dance?” He lifted me out of the dip and right into a double spin.
“That’s enough,” I warned him, tucking a curl back in place and sneaking another glance around the rooftop.
Peter signed the guest book and then helped Jesus escort Mary and her entourage of saints to their table. Lucifer arrived a moment behind them with his daughter Cindy on his arm.
Cindy was Hell’s current representative on the council and an excellent business woman. A handful of the fallen trailed behind her in Armani and Gucci, accessorized with clip boards and pagers. Cindy never went anywhere without her camarilla. Beelzebub made a formal show of greeting Lucifer before luring Cindy onto the dance floor.
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Maalik’s blue robe. He stood next to Grim in front of the stage. Sour expressions stained both of their faces as they argued and looked my way. I frowned back at them. Gabriel followed my gaze and pulled me closer before spinning around to block their view.
“Do you remember your first ball?” A racy grin lit his face.
Three hundred years, and I still remembered it like yesterday. Saul hadn’t exactly been thrilled when Grim announced me as his apprentice. I didn’t blame him, after I found out I was his fourth. I dreaded the idea of having even one. Saul had taken one look at me and shouted, “Gabriel!”
Gabriel had fluttered over and pulled me onto the dance floor. It was the first time I had laid eyes on an angel. His wild blond curls had me hypnotized. Everything hypnotized me in those days.
Gabriel and Saul had been friends long before I came along. The angel knew exactly what to do. Saul just needed him to distract me while he shouted at Grim for going against his wishes. And distract me, he did.
Gabriel watched the two men argue, and I watched him in awe. When he finally looked back at me, he gave me a lopsided smile and said, “You’re drooling Ms. Harvey.”
The memory splashed through me. I tried to stifle my laughter until Gabriel’s face crinkled and he exploded with me. When I caught my breath, I looked up and smiled.
The music faded away and Grim cleared his throat at the podium while everyone fo
und their seats. Our table sat along the second row before the stage and filled up quickly with familiar faces.
Gabriel sat to my right, and on the other side of him, I found Ridwan, the Islamic angel who watched the pearly gates on the rare occasions Peter couldn’t. I wondered which angel had volunteered to watch the gates during the ball, and what their next check would look like.
Next to Ridwan sat Maalik, who kept giving me short sideways glances. It was a far cry from the excessive flirting he had been smothering me with, but I wasn’t complaining.
To my left, Josie and Apollo whispered sweetly to each other. Artemis had tagged along without a date, but sat happily next to Apollo, admiring her matchmaking.
I flinched when my gaze fell on the weathered face of Meng Po. She cackled softly at my surprise. She was a long way from Feng-Du, the ninth level of Chinese hell, where she served her five-flavored tea of forgetfulness to souls at the end of their stay. I’d only seen her at one previous ball, and I hadn’t expected to see her again, considering how she spit in the punch bowl and left, complaining about the bird music. She seemed to be in a better mood tonight, and she had even dressed up, wearing a black silk kimono spotted with gray orchids.
Horus and Wosyet joined Lady Meng, while Coreen took her place on the other side of Maalik. We still had one empty chair, probably reserved for an apprentice. Coreen loved having apprentices and took one every century. This would be her ninth.
“Good evening gods, goddesses, devils, angels, demons, and reapers! Welcome to the one thousand and three hundredth Oracle Ball!” Grim’s thunderous voice carried out over the rooftop. Applause broke and the band chimed in the background to gather everyone’s attention again.
“Let us begin the evening by introducing the eleventh generation of reapers and assigning their apprenticeships.”
Six timid reapers appeared on stage, two females and four males. They each wore the traditional cowl and had black hair, like all reapers do.
One of the males stepped forward first. He had too full a mouth for his narrow chin, giving him a feminine look that was only amplified by his shaggy hair. He reminded me of the popular boy bands the human girls pined after.
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