Grim Girl

by Nicky Graves

  “Get off me,” a low voice said in a harsh whisper.

  “It’s not like I can see where I’m going,” another voice complained.

  My body refused to move. Instead, I huddled into my blankets as if the flimsy material was going to protect me from intruders.

  The light flicked on, and I blinked at the sudden brightness that bludgeoned my eyes. When I could finally see, I found two men staring down at me.

  “What the hell is going on?” I demanded from Lawson and Boomer. I sat up in bed, glaring at them.

  “The Elder Council called a meeting,” Lawson said.

  “What does that have to do with you barging into my room?” I glanced at my phone. “It’s two in the morning.”

  Lawson glanced at Boomer. “We’ll meet you there. Grab my robe.”

  Boomer disappeared, leaving Lawson. He glanced at me funny, and I realized I was still clutching my blanket to my chest.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you like this,” he said.

  “You scared the hell out of me.”

  “Sorry. I spoke to the Elder Council about you and they called an emergency meeting. I would have warned you if there had been time.”

  “Why an emergency meeting?”

  Lawson shook his head. “I’m not sure. We’ll find out more once we go.”

  “It’s two in the morning,” I reminded him.

  “Reapers don’t bother with Earth time. How long will it take you to get ready?”

  With a disgruntled sigh, I shoved the blanket away and stood, bringing me closer to Lawson. He had several inches of height on me and a lot more muscle, but I glared at him anyway.

  “You drop the bomb on me that I might possibly be a reaper, and then I don’t hear from you for a week. Now you barge into my room at two in the morning and expect me to jump up and go with you to some Elder Council meeting?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  My glare deepened.

  “Not much of a morning person, are you?” he said with a hint of a smile that disarmed me a bit. “Riley, I’m sorry. It took a week just to petition for a meeting of life status with the elders. Once they heard what I had to say, they called an emergency meeting and sent me here to get you.”

  “Do I need to worry?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be there with you. And I’ll bring you home as soon as it’s done.”

  I gave a nod, earning another smile, which seemed like a reward when it came from Lawson.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Give me a couple of minutes to get ready.” I turned to my closet. “What do I need to wear?”

  “It’s informal. Wear jeans if you want.”

  I pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

  He glanced at me with my outfit in hand. “I’ll come back in a few minutes so you can change.”

  “Don’t bother,” I said. “Just turn around.”

  He turned as requested. I pulled off my shirt with a sleeping cat on it. A Christmas gift from my mom. Sure, it was embarrassingly little-girl cute, but it was also too comfortable to get rid of.

  “Tell me about the Elder Council,” I asked as I continued to change.

  “The Elder Council is a group of reapers that govern us. There are twenty on the council, and they make rules and have scouts that enforce them.”

  “Do I need to worry?” I asked, tugging on the rest of my clothes and accidentally getting caught in the arm sleeve. Thankfully, I was the only witness to it as I struggled to twist my shirt into place.

  “No. Just answer questions when they ask. Be as respectful as you can. Some of the elders lost their tact centuries ago and have quick tempers.”

  “They sound pleasant,” I muttered.

  He glanced behind at me just as I buttoned my jeans.

  “Hey, I could have still been naked.”

  “But you’re not,” he said as if he had already known before he turned around. “It doesn’t take long to dress.” He walked over to my dresser and retrieved the hairbrush and handed it to me. His gaze skimmed me. “You’ll be fine at the council.”

  I wasn’t sure how he knew that. As it was, nerves were twisting my stomach into a tight knot.

  “Give me one more minute,” I said.

  I silently crept out into the hall and raced toward the bathroom.

  A noise from David’s room nearly tripped me. But after a moment of hesitation in the hall, I realized it was him snoring.

  When I secured myself in the bathroom, I quickly brushed my hair and teeth. I glanced at myself in the mirror to make sure I looked decent. No toothpaste on my face or hair standing funny.

  Staring back at me was a plain girl with the beginnings of dark crescents under her eyes.

  And this plain girl was about to stand before the Elder Council. I tried to muster courage, but all that happened was the knot in my stomach grew tighter.

  I returned to my room to find Lawson pulling out a hoodie from the closet. He tossed it to me. “The chambers are normally cold.”

  I slipped on the hoodie and then looked at him. His expression was unreadable, but I detected a hint of worry. Or maybe I was just projecting my own concern onto him.

  “I’m nervous,” I said.

  He gave a nod as if he understood. He held out his hand. “Follow my lead. You’ll be fine.”

  He kept saying I’d be fine, but it almost sounded like he was more trying to convince himself than me.

  I took his hand, soaking up his warmth and strength. Within seconds I was pulled from my room and into darkness. He tightened his grip, and a moment later we stood in front of a vast marble fountain that could double as a pool. It was surrounded by gleaming statues. Each of the figures wore a long, draping robe. Their faces were concealed by a hood.

  “Twenty statues represent the twenty elders,” Lawson said.

  “What about the one in the middle?”

  “That represents the Supreme Elder. Most of the time he doesn’t bother with small sessions. He might not be present for yours.”

  Beyond the fountain was a sprawling tan-stone building that stretched across the green land. Watch towers ran along the perimeter.

  “Where are we?” I asked, seeing as this land wasn’t gray like in the dead zone.

  “The Lost King realm.”

  Black-robed guards stood sentry at each tower. Two flanked the heavy wood doors at the entrance.

  “This place feels more like a prison,” I said.

  “That’s because part of it is a prison. But there aren’t any inmates. The guards are mainly here to keep outsiders out.”

  Lawson walked toward the guards stationed at the door. Their black robes cloaked them, making them look as eerie as druids.

  As we walked on the stone path, I scanned the surrounding area. There were green hills in the back, and a forest of tall trees surrounded the perimeter.

  Beyond the oppressively large building, the land was pretty.

  “Why aren’t the elders in the dead zone?”

  “This realm has charms in place to keep out unwanted guests.”

  “Like who?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Demons, for one.”

  “Demons exist?”

  He gave a nod. “But the charms can’t keep everyone out, so they still require guards.”

  The guards didn’t say anything when Lawson walked to the door and shoved it open.

  “Do they know you?” I asked.

  “I get called here more often than I’d like,” he said, holding the door open for me.

  The entryway was made of heavy stone, which didn’t help the oppressive feeling of the building. Broad, black iron lamps held by black chains hung from the ceiling.

  Lawson walked through and headed to an arched hallway to the right. The floor turned from stone to marble. The walls were lined with white columns and rich tapestries. Instead of iron lamps, the lights were frosted sconces that lit the hallway in a warm glow.

  “They should already be in session,” Lawson
said as we reached a mahogany door on the far end. “When we go inside, hang out in the back until they call on you. I’ll be with you, so don’t worry about anything.”

  Knowing he would be with me was a comfort. I still wasn’t sure what to expect. What was it about me that warranted an emergency meeting?

  Slowly, he opened the door and scooted me inside. He placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me to a place off to the side where Boomer was already leaning against the wall, looking as if he was one minute away from being bored to death. He wore black robes, but I could still see his shoes, which were mismatched.

  Boomer tossed a robe to Lawson, who caught it. As Lawson shrugged into his robe, I scanned the circular room. It was filled with men all wearing the same black robes. Most of the men sported various-length beards. I had assumed by the word “elder” that they would all be wrinkly and old. But a couple of the men looked to be my age.

  A robed man stood in the middle of the room. A short circular wall sectioned off the people seated. They listened intently as the man spoke passionately about the sanctity of the reapers. Something about the noble profession of those chosen being pure.

  “Old Buzzarly is at it again,” Boomer muttered.

  Lawson didn’t comment, just stared at the speaker.

  “We are under attack,” Buzzarly said. “Two assistants to the Supreme Elder have disappeared. And we are supposed to just assume this new person, who doesn’t fall in line with tradition, is one of us? My brothers, this must be the work of Lucifer. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to infiltrate our ranks.”

  Boomer snorted. “Old Buzzarly is still mad he was duped by Lucifer. Now he thinks everything has to do with Lucifer.”

  Lawson hushed Boomer with a steely glance.

  Boomer rolled his eyes and assumed his bored expression again.

  Lawson edged over to the circle, catching the notice of a man wearing the same black robes as everyone else, but with the addition of a red scarf that draped on him.

  “Elder Council,” the man with the red scarf said, interrupting Buzzarly as he continued his monologue about the horrors of demons and their master, Lucifer. “We now call upon Controller Cuthbert Lovell.”

  Buzzarly glanced over at Lawson with a disgruntled frown before giving a slight nod and moving out of the circle.

  “Old Buzzarly hates getting cut off from his speeches,” Boomer said. “I swear he has a stash of speeches for every occasion tucked away in his robes.”

  “Cuthbert?” I questioned.

  Boomer grinned. “Lawson is a middle name. He hates his first name.”

  I could see why.

  Lawson walked confidently to the center of the room. “Elder Council, you have requested I bring the mortal for your inspection.”

  “What’s a controller?” I whispered to Boomer.

  He gave a slight shrug. “I guess it would be comparable to a supervisor.”

  “What is the mortal’s name?” asked a robed man who was seated at the edge of the circle with a large book that rested on a table in front of him. He wrote something in it and then looked expectantly at Lawson.

  “Riley Graves.”

  “Bring Miss Graves forth,” the man said.

  Lawson gave a small wave to indicate I should walk over to him. I took a breath and stepped into the circle with Lawson. I heard a few sharp intakes of breath when I reached him.

  And then voices burst from all around the circle. Most were inquisitive, but I could hear the anger in some.

  I stepped closer to Lawson and looked at him for reassurance. He didn’t look at me, but a hardness stole over his features.

  Lawson’s only response was a tick in his jaw muscle.

  I glanced back at Boomer, who was laughing in the corner.

  “Take me home,” I said.

  This time, Lawson looked at me. His gaze softened slightly. “Give them a moment to compose themselves.”

  “This cannot be true. What is the meaning of this?” someone demanded.

  A banging of wood against wood silenced the room.

  The man with the red scarf stood. “There will be order,” he demanded.

  “Who is that?” I whispered.

  “The Supreme Elder,” Lawson whispered back.

  The Supreme Elder locked gazes with me. I could feel the questions in his gaze but not the outrage that some of the men had expressed.

  “Elders, you will refrain from talking until you are recognized as the speaker,” the Supreme Elder said. “Controller, proceed with your report.”

  Lawson’s gaze swept along the circle, but he addressed the Supreme Elder. “Supreme Elder, as I have made you aware, Boomer Jones first had contact with Riley Graves. I then was involved when Boomer said Riley possessed the same energy as reapers. After assessment, I believe she is a reaper.”

  “But she’s a girl,” someone said.

  “Quiet,” the Supreme Elder said.

  “She can see us and the transitions,” Lawson continued. “She’s already been to the dead zone. A mortal cannot cross. She can.”

  I felt the weight of twenty sets of eyes on me.

  “But it’s twenty-five years too soon,” someone said.

  “How can this happen?” someone else asked.

  “Order,” the Supreme Elder growled the reminder. He then looked at me. “Have you always been able to see transitions?”

  I shook my head. “Not until a few weeks ago.”

  “And do you experience anything before you see them?” he asked.

  “Yes. It feels like an energy pulls at me. Almost like it’s leading me to the transition. If I don’t follow, it begins to hurt, like I have a stomachache.”

  “Supreme Elder,” one of the men said. He bravely stood even though the Supreme Elder scowled at him. “I request an investigation be done.”

  “An investigation?” the Supreme Elder questioned. “And what would that prove?”

  “That she could have been sent by Lucifer,” the man said.

  The Supreme Elder leaned forward. “Are you saying Lucifer somehow created this girl to infiltrate us?”

  The man looked like he wanted to say yes, but like he also didn’t want to upset the Supreme Elder.

  Another man stood. Great. Buzzarly. “Supreme Elder, you have to admit this is strange. If Lucifer is behind this, we need to know.”

  “If Lucifer is behind this,” the Supreme Elder said, “why would he send a girl, knowing we would question it? He would have been better off sending a man.”

  “Lucifer has tried many stunts in the past,” Buzzarly said. “I don’t doubt he would send this girl and laugh at us trying to disprove she’s a reaper while he is off causing trouble elsewhere.”

  “You know Lucifer is not in our jurisdiction,” the Supreme Elder said. “Even if he did put this girl in our path, he is not our concern. That is for the ones appointed to Lucifer’s suppression.”

  “So we just accept her?” Buzzarly asked, befuddled.

  The Supreme Elder looked at me and then Lawson. “What do you think?”

  “You’re asking a controller for advice while the Elder Council has to sit by in silence?” Buzzarly questioned.

  “Hardly silence,” the Supreme Elder muttered, glowering at Buzzarly. “Cuthbert?”

  “She shows all the signs of a reaper, but she’s not dead.”

  “Exactly!” Buzzarly said. “She’s not dead. This is too peculiar just to say it was fate. A mortal female showing signs of being a reaper. It’s unheard of! We must investigate immediately.”

  The Supreme Elder sat back and studied me. I didn’t back away from his gaze, but I wanted to. I felt like a bug stuck in a jar, and I knew quite a few of these men that eyed me with suspicion wanted to squish me.

  “Very well,” the Supreme Elder said. “There will be an investigation into possible involvement by Lucifer. But until we can find a link between them, she is to be considered a reaper.”

  There were audible g
asps and mutterings. I looked at Boomer, who smirked.

  “As such, we will continue with tradition,” the Supreme Elder stated. “Boomer Jones will be her trainer.”

  Boomer’s smirk slid off.

  I was to be trained? As a reaper? My head became light and my eyes unfocused as I realized what that might mean to me and my life.

  “You can’t be serious,” Buzzarly stated. “If she’s working with Lucifer, she’ll give away secrets.”

  “What secrets?” Lawson questioned. “Reaper work is straightforward.”

  “But not the work of the council,” Buzzarly said.

  “Are you going to tell her council secrets?” the Supreme Elder asked Buzzarly.

  “Of course not,” Buzzarly said as if offended.

  “Exactly,” the Supreme Elder said. “No one on the council would. Since she’s not privy to council activity, there is no issue. And if Lucifer wants to send one of his own to help us, so much the better. We can use all the help we can get.”

  Buzzarly opened his mouth to argue, but the Supreme Elder smacked the gavel and dismissed the session. He then called Lawson over.

  I walked back to Boomer, ignoring the angry and curious stares.

  “So, you get to train me,” I said, grasping at something to say.

  “Guess so.” He didn’t seem enthused. And at this moment, neither was I. Judging from the reaction of the council, I wouldn’t be a welcome addition. I really didn’t want any part of that.

  Lawson only spoke briefly to the Supreme Elder before returning to me.

  “What did he say?” Boomer asked Lawson.

  “Just reiterating that you are to train her, and I will oversee the training. And to come to him personally if we find anything unusual in training.”

  “Unusual?” I asked. “Like what?”

  “Like if you turn into a demon,” Boomer said.

  Lawson leveled an unamused stare at him and then at me. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll train like everything is normal.”

  Boomer and I exchanged a look. Both of us understood that nothing about this training would be normal.

  5

  Larue raced over to me as I shoved books into my locker, trying to retrieve my backpack and bolt before Chloe made an appearance.

  “Riley, you’re never going to believe who asked me to the dance.”