Reaper (Dragon Prophecies Book 1)

by Hickory Mack

  Saint stood and grabbed a shovel from the other side of the house. There was an old cypress tree that he remembered Julio was fond of. He’d claimed a pretty dryad had come out of it once, and she was all he could think about when he laid eyes on the tree. It was where he would put his friend to rest.

  He was nearly finished digging the grave when he felt Elsie’s despair. She’d been so incredibly unhappy the past few days, but this was the worst he’d felt. It struck deep into his core, and he wished he could be there for her. His mistress needed him, but he wasn’t there to take care of her. Sitting on the edge of Julio’s grave, he closed his eyes and reached out to her, hoping she could feel the reassurance of his love.

  After a minute, her response came, but it wasn’t what he hoped. She was so fucking distressed. He got up and went back into the house for Julio’s bones. His back was a bit sore, but there was no time to worry about it. He’d give his old friend a proper burial, and then he’d return to the love of his life.

  “Hold on, Mistress, I’m coming.”

  Chapter 32

  Elsie was barely cognizant when Santisima returned her to her suite the next morning. She’d been under the impression that six years on Molta equated to one year on Earth. As it turned out, that was the rate her mother kept it at to make sure she didn’t lose her mind. The goddess had complete control over Molta, and she’d thrown caution to the wind when Elsie had cycled through being pulled apart by her own emotions three times before holding herself together.

  “I’m going to push you harder than you’ve ever been pushed before, Elspeth. You may not forgive me, but it’s necessary.”

  Santisima had forced her to experience six months’ worth of training in a single night of the compound’s time, which was less than four hours on Earth. Frost had been laying in front of the door, keeping anyone from entering while she was gone, but when he saw the state she was in when they returned, he jumped to his feet with a growl.

  “Calm down, Frost,” the goddess mocked. “I got her back in time. I said we’d be here by morning, and we are.”

  The door opened, and Cross came inside, concern on his face. He looked at Santisima warily, her long robes with golden tassels tied around her waist making it obvious who she was. Her right cheek happened to be non-existent at the moment, showing through to her bone. The brujo let the door close behind him then approached with his hands slightly in front of him.

  “You’ve come at a good time. Take her from me. I’m needed elsewhere. Feed her and let her sleep. She’ll be fine after,” Santisima said, then looked down at her daughter. “You did well, Elspeth.”

  The goddess vanished, and Cross ran forward in time to catch Elsie before she hit the ground. “What happened to you?” he asked in alarm. She was as limp as a rag doll, but she managed to roll her head to the side so she could look at him.

  “I learned how to control time, and she taught me to open a door to anywhere I want, so long as I know where I’m going. Wren is going to be so pleased with me.” It was so much more than the mastery of the skill the spirit would be happy about. The more places Elsie traveled, the more use she could make of her new magic. She couldn’t go somewhere she’d never seen before.

  “In a single night?” Cross asked, shaking his head.

  “Longer,” she sighed, closing her eyes.

  “What do you need first? Sleep? Or do you want food?” he questioned, looking from the sofa to her bedroom.

  “Sleep,” she answered. He brought her to her bedroom, noticing she was still in the same clothes she’d worn yesterday. She hadn’t even had the chance to shower before her mother had taken her.

  “Don’t fall asleep yet,” he said as he gently set her on the bed, grabbing a blanket to throw over her. “I’m going to get you some water.”

  “Mmm,” she agreed, scooting deeper into the bed. He went into her bathroom and filled up a cup, bringing it back to her. The wolf was already taking up half the bed, and she’d turned into him, snuggling her face into his fur.

  “Chantraine, you need to have a drink,” he reminded her. She rolled onto her back and let him help her sit up, taking a few sips. Cross set the cup on her bedside table and turned to go, but Elsie stopped him.

  “Cross, stay.”

  He paused halfway across the room, looking back at her doubtfully. He wasn't sure what she’d been through, but she wasn’t acting like herself. “I was going to order your food and inform Grant that you can’t open any gates today. Was there something else you needed?”

  “I missed you,” she mumbled around a yawn.

  “How long were you with your mother?” he asked, a hollow forming in his stomach. She hadn’t been even remotely affectionate the day before.

  “Months. You were so far away. Stay with me.”

  “Alright,” he agreed, holding his ground, unsure of what he should do. Maybe he could drag a chair in here from the living room. Elsie opened her eyes and fixed him with an accusing stare.

  “Come here.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  Frost growled at him. Clearly, the wolf was getting sick of all the talking. The alebrije sauntered into the room in her spirit form, hopped up onto the foot of the bed, then turned and stared at him, the same condemnation in her eyes. Cross took off his shoes and left them next to the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed, lying awkwardly, trying not to touch anyone.

  Elsie wasn’t having it. She rolled over to him and snuggled into his shoulder, her body pressed against his. Swallowing hard, he set his hand on her waist as she gave a soft, happy sigh. As soon as she was settled, the alebrije lay on top of Elsie’s thigh, her feathers glowing an ethereal blue. As she purred, magic transferred from her to the reaper, replenishing her power and helping her heal.

  Frost leaned over, lending her his warmth, and soon Elsie’s breath came in a shallow, regular rhythm.

  When she woke up, Cross had left, and she was ravenously hungry. The weariness from before was gone, and she was deliciously warm from Frost and Frida snuggling up close. But there was a foul smell, and Elsie was pretty sure she was the culprit. The cat and wolf wouldn’t care, but the witch might have.

  She sat up and stretched. Shower first. She’d find herself some food afterward. Her body was stiff as she made her way into the bathroom, and her bladder hurt from having to pee so badly.

  “Holy crap, how long was I asleep?” she asked Frida, who’d followed her into the bathroom. “Did someone make sure you and Frost were fed?”

  The image of Cross coming in with a cart of food, including fish for the cat, flitted across her mind—Frost’s way of telling her they’d been taken care of. Good to know. She wouldn’t have to worry too much about them, then.

  “Thanks for going easy on me,” she called to the wolf, and she could almost swear she heard him chuckling. The mental image he’d sent her hadn’t nearly knocked her off her feet. She’d gotten so used to him being forceful, she’d come to expect it from him.

  The shower felt like heaven, reminding her of how she’d cried for an hour in a shower the first time she’d returned from Molta. This time there was a part of her that felt numb, like it would never come back to life. Santisima had put her body and mind through such demanding training, she wasn’t sure she ever would have learned to wield her magic this way on her own.

  The ache in her chest, that need for her mates, was stronger than ever, and even though there was no thread pulling her toward Wren, she needed to see the spirit as soon as possible. There was one more thing Santisima had taught her.

  Letting the water flow over her, Elsie found the bond between herself and Saint. Traveling down it, she brushed against his mind, just the whisper of a touch, warning him that she was there. She felt his alarm and then curiosity as she let the warmth of her love envelop him in a mental hug.

  ‘Saint.’ She said his name gently, assuring him it was her. His genuine surprise was expected, but the joy that followed was enoug
h to make her want to cry. He was so gentle and sweet, her demon.

  ‘Mistress? How are you doing this?’ he asked, the question coming not in words, but in feelings and chimes that her mind was able to decipher.

  ‘Santisima decided to pay me a visit. Teaching me this was a parting gift and an apology for all the training she put me through. Gods, it’s so good to be able to speak to you again.’

  ‘She came to you? Was she able to lift the curse?’ He sounded so hopeful she didn’t want to answer, but they were connected, so he felt the truth anyway. ‘Neither of us has good news, then. Julio is dead. I failed you.’

  Elsie faltered for a few seconds. She’d placed so much hope on the brujo being able to help, it was a huge letdown, but she didn’t blame Saint. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Something like that is so far beyond your control, there’s no use in blaming yourself for it. I’m sorry you lost your friend.’

  ‘I am on my way back to you. I’ll be there as soon as I can, I promise,’ Saint replied. ‘I can’t wait to see you.’

  ‘Please be careful. I want you with me, but don’t take any risks with the vampire kingdoms. There’s a demon town outside of the compound. Go there instead of trying to connect with me. You cannot be seen by any of the hunters who might recognize you,’ she cautioned. ‘I’ll visit you there as often as I can.’

  ‘I’ll be there before the equinox,’ he promised, and Elsie laughed.

  ‘Even if you’re not, I won’t seal my bond with Wren before you. Saint, I love and adore Wren, but you’re my everything. I’ve never been with a man, and once our bond formed, I couldn’t let it happen with anyone else. I’ve always wanted you to be my first.’

  A sense of calm came over her, and Elsie smiled. She’d said exactly what he’d needed to hear.

  ‘Speaking of other men...’ Saint said seriously. ‘Was the bond you formed with Wren, or is there someone else? I thought she wouldn’t be capable until the equinox.”

  Elsie cleared her throat. Though he wouldn’t be able to hear it, he could feel her discomfort. ‘I hadn’t realized you’d been able to feel the bond form. His name is Macías Cross. He’s a brujo, and he’s a lot kinder than I gave him credit for.’

  ‘Witches,’ Saint sighed, and Elsie could almost feel him roll his eyes. ‘Will he be the last? What of the wolf? Have the hunters set him free yet?’

  She finished washing up while she told him everything that had happened during their separation. She spared nothing, telling him in detail everything she’d seen and done, letting him feel her guilt and shame.

  ‘I shouldn’t have left you. I shouldn’t have made you go with them. This is my fault, Mistress. I’m sorry.’

  ‘You’re not at fault. If anyone deserves to be blamed, let it be Cornick, Martin, Eustone, and Grant. Those men are evil, and I’m going to make sure to personally deliver each and every one of them to hell.’

  A knock came at the door, and Frost’s answering growl came from the living room. ‘Someone is looking for my attention. I’ll check in with you again soon.’

  Wrapping an oversized, fluffy white towel around herself, Elsie entered the living room at the same time Cross did. He had a tray of food in his hand, and as soon as he saw her, he made a perfect pivot, turning away from her in an instant. She noted an empty tray sitting on the cart he’d used to bring Frost and Frida’s food. The wolf must have helped himself to her previous meal.

  She smiled at how shy he was acting. He’d claimed to have had other lovers, yet he acted like he’d never seen a woman in a towel before. He had his hair up in a ponytail today, letting her see the red creeping up the back of his tanned neck. Elsie’s smile turned into a smirk. He was so damned cute.

  “You’re finally awake,” he said after a moment. Elsie looked to Frost in question, and he practically shrugged at her.

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “Four days,” he answered. “I’ve been kicking myself since you passed out. I should have made you eat first.”

  Elsie walked over to his side and stood on tiptoe, looking up at him. “Have you always been this adorable? How did I miss that before?”

  “It’s not adorable to be respectful. I’m trying not to push you into anything you don’t want. Our uh... our bond got stronger while I lay with you that first day, and I kind of felt like I was taking advantage of you while you were vulnerable,” he admitted. Elsie’s eyebrows raised.

  “Don’t worry, your masculinity won’t be damaged by being thought of as cute. Besides, bonds are supposed to get stronger. It’s their basic purpose, isn’t it? And wasn’t I the one who asked you to stay?” she asked, and his shoulders relaxed.

  “You remember?”

  “I was tired, not drugged,” she said, taking the tray away from him and walking over to the couch. “Thanks for bringing this. I’m freaking starving.”

  She’d gotten a good look in the mirror and come face to face with disappointment. With all that running around, depleting herself of magic, and not eating for six months and four days, her hips had lost their voluptuous rounded figure. Elsie was not the kind of woman who obsessed over her looks, but she’d been damned pleased with an extra layer of cushion.

  “Come sit with me,” she beckoned, smirking when both Frost and Cross came at the same time. The wolf lay at her feet, and the man stood in front of her. “I wasn’t lying about missing you. Even though we barely know each other, the bond pulled at me the entire time I was gone. It was six months, by the way. That’s a long time to spend without seeing my mates.”

  “I thought maybe you were delirious. It was hard to explain to myself why you would miss me after such a short time,” he said.

  “It wasn’t short for me. Can you sit with me? Am I making you uncomfortable?” Elsie asked. “I can go get dressed if it makes things easier for you.”

  Then she remembered that every article of clothing she owned was in her bag, and she had no idea where that was. She’d left it on the truck while they were still in the convoy, so everything she owned was dirty as fuck.

  “You’re fine,” Cross said, sitting next to her. She had a surprising amount of energy for someone who’d appeared to be in a coma for four days straight.

  “How did you convince them to let me stay here instead of a medical ward?” she questioned, shoving a bagel into her mouth.

  “I didn’t. They sent a nurse here, and she said you were over exhausted. You were given twenty-four hours of rest after the day you woke up. Which means you have a day to relax before you have to do anything for those bastards.”

  “Wait, the nurse just left me in your care?” Elsie asked, surprised.

  “She didn’t seem all that concerned. She said something about Cornick working people too hard and left. Kind of sounded like it’s far too common of an occurrence to me.”

  “That’s typical hunter crap. Were Frost and Frida good?” she asked.

  “Uh… Yeah? I mean, it wasn’t easy convincing him to leave the room, and we couldn’t take him outside…”

  “Oh gods. Please tell me you weren’t forced to clean up massive piles of wolf shit,” Elsie groaned, and Cross laughed.

  “I’m the head of your security. Of course that wasn’t my job.” Cross shrugged. “I think you’re going to be expected to make sure he gets outside from now on, though. Some people couldn’t hold their stomachs.”

  “That’s so great,” Elsie laughed. “Maybe we should keep him indoors. If we keep the hunters busy cleaning up after Frost, they won’t have as much time to torment some innocent demon.”

  She finished her food and drank the entirety of her glass of water, then smiled at Cross gratefully. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for taking care of my monsters and for taking care of me.”

  “Anytime,” he replied, his eyes softening.

  “Since I’ve got the day off, I’m going to sew something to wear, but I’d like to visit the demon town. They’ll probably have a clothier, and I could use a new pair of bo
ots. Also, if you don’t mind, I’d like a tour of the security measures in place around the compound,” Elsie listed off.

  “You call that a day off? You’re supposed to be resting.”

  “Getting things done today is resting. It means I won’t have to do it around whatever Grant expects me to do.” A panicked look darted across her face. “Have I been taking my elixir?”

  “I gave you the first one, but you choked on it,” Cross said, shaking his head. He took a vial out of his pocket. “This one is for today. The other three are in the drawer of your nightstand. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a few extra on hand.”

  “That’s perfect. Now I have ten!” She took the vial from his hand and drank it down. “Four days without an attack is amazing, I’m betting it’s because they’ve been giving me a vial every day. I’m going to start drinking it every other day and stashing away the others. Saint wasn’t able to get the elixir replicated, so stockpiling the stuff could prove crucial in the future.”

  “Why didn’t Santa Muerte remove the curse?” Cross asked, a frown darkening his expression. As one of Santisima’s followers, he knew the goddess could be fickle, but she was generally benevolent.

  “She said I need to experience everything I’m going through to become stronger and more resilient.” Elsie rolled her eyes. “Apparently, it’s for my own good, and I have to meet some witch through an invitation to have the curse broken. The woman who cast it is dead, so the countercurse is gone.”

  “Does the goddess always speak to you in cryptic half-knowledge?” Cross asked.

  “Only when it’s about my future. She’s exceptionally good at being descriptive about everything else. And apparently she’s always watching me, so keep that in mind.”

  “Always?”

  “So she claims.” Elsie got up and went to her sewing supplies, taking what she needed to get started on sketching patterns for some shorts and a tank top. She’d keep it simple. “I’ve stopped time in my suite so I can take as long as I need to get this done. If you want to take a nap or something, you can. Nobody out there will notice you’ve been in here so long.”