Taken aback by the vehemence in her response, I blinked a few times and nodded. “Okay, then I don’t get it. Why here?”
“I need to get a message to my daughter.”
The clang of warning bells erupted in my head. Rule number one— It is prohibited to purposely make contact with deceased’s family before or after reaping. It would have been better to say I was sorry and I couldn’t help her. Damn my curiosity. “What kind of message?”
The ghost’s gaze shifted to me. She stared for a few seconds before saying, “My good-for-nothing son-in-law, Tony, is cheating on my daughter with her best friend.”
I gasped. “That bastard.”
“That isn’t the half of it. Maryanne is pregnant with his kid.”
I sat forward. “Maryanne is the best friend?”
“Yep, and the skank keeps pretending to be my daughter’s bestie. Makes me mad enough to possess her.”
“What a bitch.” I leaned back, completely incensed by the situation. “Your poor daughter.”
“She’s a good person and doesn’t deserve this.” The ghost held my stare. “So…”
Don’t become the spirit’s therapist. Just broke that rule. “I don’t know. Can I be honest, Lily. I’ve only been doing this job for about a week, and passing a message onto family members is a major no-no in the rule book.”
“Send her an anonymous letter.” The ghost held out her translucent hands. “Who would know?”
I cocked a brow at her. “You do realize who I work for, right.”
“Well, maybe if you’re casual about it. Tuck it in with your bills and letters, they—” She pointed upward. “Won’t notice.”
I shouldn’t. I mean, I really shouldn’t even entertain the idea of getting involved. Delivering the message was not worth the trouble I’d get into.
Suddenly Lily’s eyes widened. Scooting onto all fours, she crawled to the edge of the platform to look through the net. “They’re here.” She pointed to the group of people walking into the play area. “Oh, that whore of a friend is with them.”
I scrambled to join her. Side-by-side, we watched the group claim a table near the door. It wasn’t hard to tell who Lily’s daughter was. Small and blonde like her mother, she appeared haggard and beaten down. The friend, on the other hand, had a rosy glow, and there was no mistaking the furtive glances she tossed in Tony’s direction.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” The words popped out before I could stop myself. I sat back on my heels. “But you have to promise to cross over when it’s done.”
Lily smiled and held up her hand. “Scout’s honor. So, what are you going to do?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Watch and enjoy.” I scooted toward the yellow tube. “Meet me in the parking lot after I leave.”
She nodded.
I crawled across the platform, grabbed Breck’s sock, and sent myself down the yellow tube slide. Standing, I dusted myself off and glanced up. Lily was still pressed against the net, watching me. Instead of heading straight back to my kids, I skirted the center tables and walked toward Lily’s daughter.
I was never much of an actress, so I drew my motivation from experience. Believing Jeff had been cheating on me was a hurt that cut into my soul, but I would have wanted to know. Still, I hated that I was about to open a can of hurt for Lily’s daughter.
As I passed their table, I casually glanced over. Pasting on a big smile, I stopped. “Hey, sorry to bother you.” I pointed to Maryanne. “But I recognized you two from the doctor’s office, and just wanted to say congratulations on the baby.”
The blood drained from Maryanne’s face and her eyes cut to Lily’s daughter. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You and your husband.” I pointed at Tony. “The girls at the doctor’s office and I were talking about how cute you two were together.”
Lily’s daughter leaned forward on her arm, resting them on the table. “That’s my husband.”
I let my eyes go wide. “But, you and he—” I didn’t finish my sentence. If Lily’s daughter were smart she’d put two and two together. “Okay, well, sorry.”
With that I continued to my table. Bryce had joined Bronte and Breck. They’d polished off most of their meals and would be ready to go in another five minutes. “I’ve got to make a call.” I tossed Breck’s sock to him and then grabbed my purse from the corner of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”
“Did you see her, Mom?” Breck shoved his foot into the hole and pulled on his sock. “Did you see the ghost?”
I repressed the urge to look in Lily’s direction. “Nope, just your sock.” I ruffled his hair. “It probably stunk so bad she didn’t want to keep it.” He smiled and went back to eating his fries. “Okay, finish up and I’ll be back in a second.”
As I passed the table where Lily’s family sat, I heard their heated conversation. I’d placed the spark of doubt and her daughter was running with it. Pushing open the glass door, I pulled out my phone and walked outside to wait for Lily. I fingered the raven charm hanging around my neck. I’d put it on when I got home and vowed to never take it off. Hopefully it would protect me from Hal’s allure.
The temperature had dropped several degrees over the past half hour. I zipped my coat all the way up and shoved my free hand into my pocket. A squawk sounded above me and I glanced up to see Fletcher perched on the light pole. Relief washed through me. Hopefully, the bird’s presence meant this would be a smooth transaction.
Lily appeared beside me, a big grin on her face. “That did it.” She held out her hand. “Thanks.”
I reached out and shook her hand, but didn’t let go. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help—even if I do get in trouble.”
“What are they going to do? Fire you?” Lily said.
I thought about that for a second. “Good point. I don’t really know.” I shrugged. “So, are you ready?”
A heavy sigh heaved from the ghost. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“I want to warn you, my porter is a little unorthodox, but don’t be scared. He’ll get you to where you need to be.”
A mischievous gapped grin spread across her face. “Sounds interesting.”
I turned my back to the restaurant and lifted the phone to my ear, pretending to be taking a call. Still holding onto Lily, I called, “Hal Lee Lewya.”
Fletcher squawked and flapped his wings. This time I didn’t have to wait. The thin pink line of light formed and the elevator door slid open. I glanced at Lily, gaging her reaction.
Her grin rounded to an astonished O. “What in the name of God’s green Earth is that?”
I had to admit, Hal had outdone himself. Dressed in a bright red, satin pants and shirt, he glimmered in the fading sunlight. “Well, Lily, that is Hal Lee Lewya.”
“He looks more like a Las Vegas pimp.”
“Lisa.” His voice caressed me as it had at GRS, but the effect was very different. There was no urge to go to him. “I didn’t realize we had a client.”
“We didn’t, but now we do.” I took two steps forward and stopped, making sure to stay out of his range. “Lily needs to cross.” I pinned him with a glower. “You’ll make sure she gets to where she’s supposed to be, right?”
“Of course.” He held out his hand. “But what do you say to a little fun first, Lily?”
“Uh uh.” I wagged an index finger in his direction. “No deviations. Just straight to her check-in point, or whatever you call it.”
Hal’s lower lip rolled into a pout. “Perhaps just the first circle of Hell—”
“No.” I cut him off. “No circles.”
“Then maybe Lily would like to see the river Styx.”
Actually, I wouldn’t have minded seeing the river Styx. I open my mouth to reply, but Lily beat me to it.
“Maybe a few detours wouldn’t be so bad.” She smiled at Hal. “I mean, it’s not like I’m on a deadline, right?”
I didn’t know if she was or not, but I could se
e I wasn’t going to sway these two. “So help me, Hal, if you do anything—”
“Yes, I know, you’ll report me.” He wiggled his fingers in Lily’s direction. “She’ll be fine.”
Even if she wasn’t, what could I do? Take her to GRS and put her in Purgatory? But then they’d know I broke the message to loved ones rule. Yeah, I was completely covering my own ass.
“All right, I’m going to trust you, Hal.” Of course I didn’t. “Our relationship is new, and I want to start off on the right foot.” He lifted a brow, and I got the distinct impression he was more entertained than moved by my ‘go team’ speech. So I changed tactics. “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours—if you catch my meaning.”
His expression morphed into a slightly evil smile. “Perfectly, Lisa Carron.”
With nothing further to say, I released Lily’s hand. She drifted to Hal and into the elevator. “Bye, Lily.” I waved. “Have a good afterlife.”
“You can count on it.” She ran her hand down Hal’s arm. “I need a set of these fancy pajamas.”
“Your wish is my command, Miss Lily.”
With that, the elevator door closed and folded into a thin beam of light before vanishing. I lowered my phone and looked up at Fletcher. I was fairly certain the bird was my familiar and had kept Hal’s mojo and bay. “Thanks.”
The raven flapped his wings and launched into the sky. I took a deep breath and released it, hoping I hadn’t just gotten myself in a heap of trouble.
Chapter 14
Halloween day worked out better than I could have planned. My mother picked up the boys in the morning so they could enjoy an entire day of Halloween festivities. Bronte left for Fang’s house around two o’clock. It seemed that once she’d accepted she couldn’t go to the party, Fang and a group of girls had decided to opt out and have a sleepover instead. I will admit to feeling a bit smug in my efforts to protect our youth. The other parents could thank me later.
With the kids gone, I was free to spend the day preparing for my busy night. It took several rounds of trying on clothes before I settled on an appropriate reaping outfit. For me it was all about the clothes. Before I took up any sport or activity I had to have the proper attire. Otherwise, I felt like I wasn’t fully committed. Lucky for me, my wardrobe was reaper ready.
Temperatures so far had been colder than normal and I figured tonight wouldn’t be any different. After a lot of kicking, punching, and standing outside to see if the clothes were warm enough, I settled on a black turtleneck sweater and black polar fleece pants. I pilfered a black stocking cap and gloves from our winter clothes bin, and pulled out my black shearling lined boots.
The outfit was perfect, but when I stood in front of the mirror assessing myself, I realized I wanted an even bigger change. I was a reaper now, not just a mom who fell into the position. I’d embraced it, well—kind of, and despite Nate’s skepticism, I’d passed all the tests. I’d even reaped Lily without any help.
After pulling out my phone, I dialed Vella.
“Vella’s Star Power Salon, how may I help you?”
“I’m ready,” I said.
Silence stretched on the other end of the phone, until she finally said, “Platinum and sassy?”
“Bring it on!” I clicked off the phone and set it on the dresser. If I knew my friend, she’d close up shop and be at my house in fifteen minutes. She’d been chomping at the bit to get ahold of my hair for years. Telling her to bring it on was like waving crack in front of an addict. And I had to admit, for the first time I wasn’t afraid of change. I wanted different. I needed to let go of the old me and embrace my reaper, and Vella was the gal for the task.
By the time Nate picked me up that evening, I’d found my reaper mojo. My hair was short and spikey, except for the two thin pieces she’d left at the sides, and my new platinum color glimmered like a pearl in the bathroom light. I hated to wear a hat but necessity demanded it. Besides, the little sprigs of blond peeking out looked kind of hot. I felt like a character in a spy movie.
One look from Nate told me I’d made the right choice. “You look…great.”
“Thanks.” I climbed into the passenger side of the Suburban. “I really needed a change.”
He stared at me a few seconds and then shifted into reverse. “You ready for tonight?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I clicked my seatbelt. “Where are we going?”
“Out to one of the lakes in Wasilla.” He pushed the gear into drive. “Did you get the assignment on your phone?”
“Yeah, a Nuk Fulsom? But I didn’t see any details on how he’s going to die.”
“There’s a details tab in the corner. It drops down and give you more information.”
I didn’t feel like digging my phone out of my pocket and trying to read as we drove. “So what are the details?”
“Headless Horseman,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
He smirked. “Or, I should say Headless snow machiner.”
People in the lower forty-eight call them snowmobiles. Up here we call them snow machines. I always figured it was a location thing, like pop versus soda. I scowled at Nate. “That sounds gross.”
“Not as bad as it sounds. Some guys are trying to cross thin ice with pumpkins on their heads.”
My brows lifted. “That is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.”
“Yep.” He glanced at me and then to the road again. “Those are your clients.”
The little bit of ego boost I’d gained from reaping Lily evaporated. I had a feeling the Lily-like reaps would be few, and pumpkin-wearing ignoramuses would be numerous. Thankfully, Nate didn’t jab with any more verbal barbs.
The drive took an hour. A veil of snow lay in a white sheet across the ground and the full moon made it sparkle like blue diamonds. Nate pulled onto the narrow road and shut off the lights. With only the moon to see by, he inched down the road until reaching the end. Four other cars were parked there, and he pulled alongside the last one on the left and shut off the engine.
From where we sat we had a perfect view of the men on the lake. The whine of the snow machine pierced the night as one of the guys took off across the ice, pumpkin firmly resting over his head. I unhooked my seatbelt and sat forward. The breath stuck in my throat as I watched him shoot across the lake. Would this be the guy I’d have to reap?
Until now I never thought much about seeing the death take place. I only concentrated on getting the soul. “How did you say this guy dies?”
“The ice breaks.”
My head snapped in Nate’s direction. “Then how am I supposed to get to him?”
“His soul will be on the ice, watching his friends.”
My gaze swung back to the group of guys. “How can you be sure?”
“They always linger. Either because they don’t know they’re dead, or they want to make sure somebody finds their body.”
“I hope you’re right.”
We watched the antics for another fifteen minutes. A lot of heavy stuff rolled through me. As a mother, I wanted to march out there and tell them what idiots they were and to stop it before somebody got killed. As a reaper, I wanted to get the job over with and go home. As a human it was uncanny to watch an individual’s life count down, while they had no idea. The knowledge was a gift and a curse. It made me feel powerful, and yet insignificant against death’s force. I’d fallen into this job, and had accepted it begrudgingly. Realizing the scope of my obligations humbled me.
The steady whine of the snow machine motor broke, drawing my attention back to the lake. Just like Nate said, the ice cracked, giving way. One second Nuk Fulsom was there and the next he was gone. Even though I knew it was coming, having it actually happen was still a shock. I gasped and slapped my hands over my mouth. After few seconds I covered my eyes, trying not to cry.
“You okay, Carron?”
I nodded but didn’t reply, not trusting my voice. Screams from the other guys filtered through our
closed windows. My stomach roiled and threatened to revolt and took several deep breaths to calm my nausea. Finally I looked up again.
“It’s about time.” Nate paused. “You ready?”
I saw Nuk’s glimmering spirit standing beside his friends. “How do we do this?”
“I’ll divert the guys and help them retrieve Nuk’s body. You get ahold of his spirit and lead it off the thin ice.”
“Be careful.” Fear for Nate’s safety coursed through me. “You’re not one of my reaps tonight are you?”
“No.” He shook his head and smiled. “But thanks for worrying.”
“Okay.” I held up my gloves. “Can I wear these?”
“Yep. Clothing doesn’t interfere.”
I nodded and slipped them on. When I was finished, I pulled on the door handle. “I’m ready.”
We exited the Suburban and made our way down the slope to the lake. Nate headed for the guys and I cut a path to Nuk. He continued to stare at his friends, not noticing me. “Nuk.”
He didn’t move.
“Nuk,” I said again.
Still the guy didn’t respond.
“Nuk!”
“What?”
It wasn’t the ghost who answered. I spun to face a very wet, very much alive man. “You’re Nuk?”
He sniffed and wiped his arm across his eyes. “Yeah.”
“Who broke through?” I was completely confused since the dead guy was still alive, and now I didn’t have any idea who I was supposed to reap.
“Eddie, my friend.” Nuk glanced back at the open water.
“Did you—” I scrambled for something to say. “Did you call 911?”
“Yeah, they’re on their way.” He moved toward the group.
I turned to the ghost. “Eddie?”
“Yeah.” He sidled up beside me, his hands shoved in his coat pocket. “Am I dead?”
“Uh, yes—yes you are. Sorry.”
He shrugged. “At least my death was awesome.”
I grunted. “Seriously? You think falling through thin ice with a pumpkin on your head constitutes an awesome death?”
Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection Page 300