Reaper's Order (Founders Series Book 1)

by Mari Dietz

  He straightened his cuffs, giving in to his nerves, and brushed off a piece of red hair. William frowned again. He had to go to dinner and see her again. Part of him wanted to hate her and what she stood for, but seeing her yesterday with his brother had sort of made him jealous. William wished she’d smiled because of something he’d said or that they’d had an easy conversation.

  The fight he’d witnessed flashed vividly through his mind. She’d moved like a chaotic flame in the night. Always pushing forward, her hair flowing behind her. Her pale skin had glowed in the moonlight. Then, at the end, her deep green eyes had widened in shock at something neither of them understood. Maybe tonight he could get some answers.

  A subdued Samuel waited for him, and they went out into the streets of Verrin, silent for once. William noticed Samuel staring at the surrounding skyline.

  “You did what you thought was right.” He should let Samuel wallow in guilt, but he honestly didn’t enjoy seeing his brother this way. No one annoyed him like his brother did, but he loved him.

  Samuel stuck his hands in his pockets. “I think we’re both wrong. The blight isn’t something that can be solved either way. There’s something the whole city is missing.”

  William glanced up at the swirling blight. “If magic wasn’t in this world, you would see a clear sky.”

  Samuel’s gaze softened, and his brother entered a trance-like state. Samuel’s voice came out in a harmonic whisper as he said, “Hey, Brother, what color is the sky?”

  William frowned in thought. “I’m not sure.” The blight changed the color of the sky from day to day, swirling in lazy motions. Today, it was a bright shade of green, like the color of her eyes. William shook his head.

  “A nice green, huh?” Samuel smiled crookedly.

  “No comment.” His brother knew him too well.

  Samuel’s mood lifted, but the stone home came into view with people gathered in the doorway. Wailing came from behind the walls. The people moved aside when William approached. They didn’t make eye contact, as if afraid William would purify them on sight. His voice could go raw from him telling them he would never change them without their consent, but they’d never believe him. He’d learned that his explanations were a waste of time. A radiant would always be isolated outside their own. Over the years, his brother had eased his loneliness. Both of them had watched their friends choose to become full radiant when they’d reached the age of consent at twenty. They were better off, but it still left a sense of emptiness.

  They entered the house. The bright light on the inside contradicted the somber mood. Those who weren’t family stepped outside. The woman in the center knelt in front of a picture of her daughter. The daughter had come to William last week, and Samuel had persuaded her to find work so she could get charged. Evidently, she hadn’t succeeded.

  The mother didn’t turn to face them until the father tapped her on the shoulder. She peered at William and Samuel with tear streaks on her face. She got to her feet, her hands fisted at her sides. A calloused finger rose and pointed at Samuel.

  “You. What do you have to say to me? My daughter doesn’t have a body to bury. She’s a pile of mushy skin and bone.” Sparks sprang from her eyes, and another family member held her back by her shoulders.

  Samuel bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? You’re sorry? Yet you stand here in your own body, not mush. If you think your advice is so good, why don’t you give up your charges for those you don’t let become a radiant?” The mother shook as she accused Samuel.

  “I-I should have.” Samuel lowered his gaze again, his posture folding in.

  The mother pulled out of the family member’s grip and jabbed her finger at Samuel’s chest. With each word, she stabbed her finger at him. “You should be the mush my daughter is. She couldn’t find work. She lied to us so we wouldn’t give up our charges. You killed her.”

  The girl’s family stood behind the mother in a silent wall, staring at the two brothers. William wanted to reach out. But wasn’t this what his brother deserved?

  “Ma’am, he thought—”

  She glared at William. “I don’t care what he thought. He’s here. She isn’t. You should have purified her like she wanted.”

  William nodded. There was nothing he could say or do. The woman grieved, and they could do nothing to bring her daughter back. “If you and your family want to be purified, I’m here to help you, but we only purify those who are certain they want a life without magic.”

  They could change their minds up to the last second.

  “I wanted a life with my daughter.” Her face fell, and her shoulders drooped. They would never understand this mother’s pain.

  Samuel fell to his knees. “I won’t do this again. Her death is on my shoulders. I’m sorry.”

  The mother’s tears rolled down her face. She stepped back, and her family stood in a line. Six of them in total. “I will die before my other children. They’re all of age, and they will make their own choice.” Her expression flinty, she directed her last comment at Samuel. “See that you never speak to those who have no choice again. You don’t understand our life.”

  Samuel’s face was blank, his tongue mute.

  Then the mother took a knife out of her pocket. William shifted forward, but she brought the knife to her neck and winced as she cut. The glass orb fell to the wooden floor with a click. She placed the knife in her husband’s hand, and he did the same. One by one, they all cut out the glass orb that allowed them to charge. Once an orb was removed, there was no going back. They would either become a mog or a radiant.

  She stepped up to William, her eyes filled with tears and blood trickling down her neck. “I wish to become a radiant and live without magic.”

  William placed his hands on her head and let her magic flow out of her, then he replaced the magic with the white glow from his relic. Her eyes glowed peacefully, and she stood back and blinked. One at a time, the family came forward. Samuel stayed on the ground, his head bowed.

  Once William finished, he gazed at the mournful sight of the family that had lost one of their own. Their expressions didn’t speak to the loss anymore. William wanted to kneel beside his brother, but that wasn’t what a leader would do.

  “Go to the radiant territory. You’ll be given your tasks as part of the community,” William whispered in the still room.

  As a group, they exited the home, leaving splatters of blood and their glass orbs behind.

  “They left her picture.” Samuel faced William, his voice strained. “Why would they leave it?” Tears streaked his face.

  “They’re pure now.” Those who’d moved on had little need for items of this world.

  Samuel stood. “That means they don’t feel anymore? They don’t care about their daughter? Do people realize this when they get purified?”

  “They don’t not care. They move beyond.”

  Samuel grabbed the picture and ran out of the home.

  William ran after him. “Don’t do this, Sam!”

  He caught up with the family strolling in the street and stopped in front of the mother. “You left this behind. Don’t you want this?”

  The mother glanced at the picture. “I’m going to the radiant territory. We are at peace now.”

  Samuel shoved the picture in her face. “This is your daughter! Don’t you want to take this with you?” His frantic voice rose in volume, and people down the street glanced at the group.

  The mother smiled. “There’s no need. They provide everything.”

  Before Samuel could grab the mother, William gripped his arms and held him back. He struggled but eventually fell to the ground, holding the picture of their daughter. The family moved on, not caring about the interruption.

  “Why can’t you take her with you? Why?”

  “They’re on a higher level now.” Had his brother not learned anything of what the radiant represented?

  Samuel curled up and clenched the picture. He threw
off his brother’s hands. “Don’t. Just don’t. I can’t bear your rhetoric right now.”

  The other mourners stood outside and stole glances at the brothers. It was his job to keep Samuel from making a scene. “We need to leave.”

  Samuel let out a short laugh. “Yeah, can’t have people see this, right?”

  William placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Why don’t we get out of here?”

  Eyes that were so much like his looked up. “Fine.”

  Samuel stood, still holding the picture.

  When they reached their home, Samuel walked past the house.

  “Sam? Where are you going?”

  “Out of here.” He set his shoulders and didn’t turn back.

  William ran his hand through his hair, and his shoulders sagged. There was no helping his brother. This had only made it worse. He stood outside, hoping his brother would come back, but he never returned.

  His mother found him outside the house. “Son, why are you standing out here? Isn’t it time to get ready for your dinner?”

  “I got back from helping the family that lost their daughter.”

  His mother clicked her tongue. “Such a tragedy, and our Samuel to blame. I hope this helps him see sense.” She lifted her hand and pressed it to William’s cheek. “If you two would work together to lead the radiant, I would feel so much better about it.”

  “I don’t see that happening.” William followed his mother inside.

  She frowned. “Where’s your brother?”

  “He ran off.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “You’re supposed to watch him.”

  William plopped down in the kitchen chair. “Should I tie him up?”

  She huffed and bustled around the kitchen, clanking pots and pans. “No, but he looks up to you.”

  “I don’t think so anymore.” The Samuel who’d followed him everywhere didn’t exist. The minute William had taken on his role, Samuel had rebelled.

  “What do you think of Glass’s daughter? A pretty thing, right? I hear she might be a bit of a challenge, but this is a good opportunity for the radiant.” His mother, the expert at changing the topic.

  A bit of a challenge? She was fire incarnate, and William knew that if he got too close, he would get burned. “What’s father hoping to gain? The founders won’t give up magic.”

  He pulled at his sleeves, the room closing in around him. He wanted to walk off like his brother had.

  “Don’t worry, and be a good son.”

  Wasn’t that the answer to everything? Be a good son. Follow and don’t ask questions. It was the radiant way. “But if I’m to lead, shouldn’t I know what’s going on?”

  She plunked down wooden plates on the table. “What’s going on? I told your father you might not be ready to face those who use magic. With this engagement, she might lead you astray.”

  “Mother, that’s not what I meant. I think I could help more if I knew the end goal.” He straightened his cuffs. His foot bounced, and the clammy air got harder to breathe. This home was too small and too dark. Not enough room for him to get air.

  She came over and patted him on the cheek. “Do as you’re told, and then you don’t need to worry about the end goal. Clean up and get ready. You don’t want to be late.”

  Even though he wanted to get out of the house, he didn’t want a night with Vic’s family. But William nodded and got ready for the dinner. After all, he was a good son.

  9

  Vic

  In the setting sun, the ornate glass walls gleamed with different vibrant colors. It cost a lot to have well-made windows, and the Glass founders had decided to scream their fortunes to the masses. Her ancestors had built these walls with magic. Glass was fragile, but with the help of magic, the walls remained stronger than most stone. But the Glass founders didn’t need the protection. Their family’s power already gave it to them. They paid dearly for their status and power by giving up one of their own every vital ceremony. The glowing glass doors swung open, but Vic didn’t walk through.

  “Come on.” Emilia pulled on her hand. “It will only be worse if you’re late.”

  Vic ground her teeth and stepped past the gate. The courtyard greeted her with the same glass statues her sister had made. Her favorite was in the middle—an iridescent mermaid that reached for the sky. Her sister had captured the feeling of longing in the mermaid’s outstretched hand. The mermaid reached for something she could never have.

  Most of the walls were opaque white glass. The ridiculous house was too white. With his white clothing, William would blend in so well they might lose him. The main floor was solid marble, which remained cold year-round. The house always contained sunlight but never warmth.

  They entered the foyer.

  “I suppose we have to have drinks before dinner?” Vic said. It was too much to hope that they would get the dinner over with. It had to be a show. After all, they were founders. They needed to dress fancy and posture, even at a meal.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to change?” Emilia’s forehead creased. “You know we dress up for dinner.”

  “My shirt is clean.” Vic wore her usual outfit of black pants and a black shirt. The scuffed boots finished the look. “I wore my hair down, and I even combed it.”

  Emilia sighed. “A dress could go a long way in making this less painful.” She tried to pull Vic to the wide staircase.

  Vic remained planted. “What’s going on? Does he punish you if I don’t behave?”

  Her father had never hit them, but his words hurt enough.

  Her sister flinched. “I’m nervous. Tristan will be here.”

  Vic took a reluctant step. “I’m not wearing color.”

  Emilia’s face broke into a grin. “Okay, hurry!”

  They ran up the stairs to Emilia’s room. In her sister’s room, the walls burst with different colors. It almost hurt to look at, but this was the one place that didn’t feel icy. Emilia opened the bright blue closet doors and pushed all her clothes aside. She pulled out a long black dress. “See! I wore this to a funeral.”

  “How fitting,” Vic replied dryly as she took the black dress from her sister. The material was shiny and smooth against her fingertips.

  She pulled off her clothes and slipped on the black dress. It reached the floor, hiding her boots, and hung off her frame. Emilia had always been thinner than Vic, but because of her starvation diet, it fit perfectly.

  Emilia stepped behind her and twisted up her hair. The back of the dress dipped low, and with her neck bare, the brand was noticeable against her pale skin. She’d taken off her bandage before coming, and the wound had healed enough. Her bare back felt cold and exposed.

  “There. You’re ready.” Emilia held up a pair of heels. “Unless …”

  “No.” Vic left the room. “If I need to run, heels will slow me down.”

  And this dinner would end in her running out. That was the norm these days.

  Emilia smiled. They went to the sitting room and waited for the night from hell to start.

  The click of heels on marble told Vic her mother had arrived. Vic leaned back on the sofa. Her mother was beautiful, with every hair, facial expression, and accessory in its proper place. A slip of a woman, she moved with a grace that neither of her daughters could capture. Emilia was better at it than Vic. Her mother’s long blond curls sat perfectly on her head, showing off her delicate pale neck. The lavender dress swirled around her as she glided into the room. Her usual smile remained plastered on her face. Only her blue eyes didn’t sell the image. Her smile never reached her eyes anymore. Her mother had belonged to one of the many healer houses before she’d married her father. Nothing her mother could do could heal this broken family, so she’d given up. Vic loved her mother, but she also held a great deal of anger toward her.

  “My darling daughter, Victoria. I’ve missed you.” She came forward and kissed Vic on the forehead. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

  “I don’t l
ive here, Mother.” They would have to drag her out of the Order living area, which Vic wouldn’t rule out.

  Her mother sat on the edge of the light blue sofa between her two daughters. “Oh? Well, I must have misunderstood your father. After the trials, he arranged for you to live here. There must be some mistake.”

  When Kai had suggested she might not be staying in the dorms his morning, she’d known her father had had something to do with it. “Mother, I need to stay with the reapers. It’s easier for my work.”

  Please try to convince him, she pleaded silently, hoping she would understand.

  Her mother checked out more and more the closer to the vital ceremony day they got. Vic couldn’t blame her, but moping around wouldn’t change anything. Her rage didn’t change anything either. They would both lose someone they loved. It didn’t matter how they felt about it.

  Her mother brushed off imaginary dust from the sofa cushion. “That does make sense—at least until you’re married.” Her mother smoothed one of Vic’s stray hairs into place.

  Vic opened her mouth, but Emilia interrupted her. “It must be hard adjusting to a new location. It would be much better if Vic stayed part of the team.”

  “Of course, darling. I will mention that to your father.” Their mother walked to the window. “He must be running late.”

  Fine with me, Vic thought. Maybe if she said what she wanted in her mind instead of out loud, she could make it through tonight. Doubtful.

  The door chimed, and the maid went to answer it. Voices murmured, and then she entered the sitting area with William behind her.

  “How wonderful!” Their mother grasped his hands and startled him by kissing his cheek. “You must be William, Victoria’s fiancé. I’m Patricia, her mother.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He bowed slightly. “I don’t believe we’re that far into our relationship yet.”

  Their mother laughed; it chimed like bells. “Don’t be silly. I’m sure it will all work out.”