“Huh. I had no idea.” She reclined the chair a bit. Lights from passing cars went past, a little hypnotic. But as she’d guessed earlier, there wasn’t nearly as much traffic as there had been. Plenty of big trucks, though.
“How are you doing?” He shot her a look. “Lots on your shoulders these days.”
“Always,” she answered. “But I’ll be all right. I always am.”
“I know we don’t know each other that well yet, but if you ever want to talk, I’m happy to listen. Having three daughters has fine-tuned that skill.”
She smiled. “I bet it has. You seem like an amazing father.”
He shrugged but clearly looked pleased with her compliment. “I try. It wasn’t always easy. Especially when they were teenagers.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine how you survived three hormonal teens in your house. I only had two to deal with, and only one was a girl. Honestly, I thought it might kill me. You’re a strong man, Will Ferris.”
He chuckled softly, making the braids in his beard quiver. “There were some touch-and-go days, I’ll say that much.”
They fell into silence for a moment, but Donna couldn’t help but notice the tattoo on his arm. The upper part was hidden by his shirt sleeve, but it looked like two cats sitting side by side.
She nodded at it. “You sure love cats, don’t you?”
He followed her sight line and nodded. “I do. They’re great company. Those two on my arm? They were my first. They got me through my wife’s death. They got us all through it. I found them behind the garage, mama nowhere in sight, and they were a mess. Scrawny, covered in fleas, eyes barely open.” He stared out at the road. “I took them in with every intention of finding a rescue to come get them. Didn’t work that way, obviously. The girls were in deep grief over their mom, and the kittens were the first thing that made them smile in a long time. I learned how to take care of bottle babies, and that was that.”
He smiled. “The orange one was Clementine, and the black and white was Magpie. Sisters. Clem outlived Magpie by two years, but they’re both long gone now. Some of the best cats I ever had. Angels, really.”
Donna reached for his sleeve. “May I?”
“Sure.”
She lifted the fabric to see the ink better. Both cats were exquisitely done. Over their heads was a banner with their names, some little hearts, and some birds. “That’s really beautiful. How many cats do you have now?”
“At the moment, ten of our own and another six we’re fostering.”
“Wow.”
He shrugged. “Everyone needs a hobby. And I like taking care of the less fortunate.”
She understood him completely. “So do I. Makes me feel like I’m somehow balancing out all the terrible things my husband and his family have done over the years.”
“That’s good.” He adjusted his air vent. “Thank you for inviting us along. I’ve never been to anything like this before, but I promise I’ll do my best not to embarrass you.”
“Will, I don’t think you could embarrass me.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I promise you, I could.”
“Okay, maybe you could. Thanks all the same.”
“You’re welcome. I brought a suit and everything.”
“Really? A suit? I can’t picture you that way. Wait. Is it leather?”
He laughed, then quieted his outburst right away. “It is. But it’s a vampire funeral, so I doubt I’ll be the only one there in leather. What are you wearing?”
“Carolina Herrera skirt suit with black Christian Louboutin stiletto boots.”
His brows lifted. “You have excellent taste. I have no doubt you’ll be the best-dressed female vampire there.”
She ran her tongue over her fangs. The urge to feed had suddenly hit her. “You know those brands?”
He lifted one shoulder. “I am kind of in fashion design.”
She snorted. “I suppose you are. I hadn’t really thought about it that way. Say, can you make anything?”
“I guess so. What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know, really. Just a question.” She looked back at the kitchen. “Could you use a little sustenance? I just got a craving.”
“Sure, I could go for something.”
“You have a type preference?”
“Not that I’ve discovered yet. Happy to have whatever.”
“Okay, be right back.” She slipped to the fridge, found the blood supply, and took the first bag off the top. As she emptied it into two glasses, she thought about Will’s offer to talk. He was an unconventional guy. He might have an unconventional solution to her problems with Fitzhugh. But that would mean dragging him into all of this. Might be a lot for a new vampire to take in. Then again, he wasn’t new to being a supernatural.
She just wasn’t sure.
She carried the glasses to the front and put one in Will’s cupholder. “Sorry it’s cold. I didn’t want to wake anyone with the noise of running the faucet for hot water.”
He reached for the glass. “I don’t mind. Thanks.” He lifted it. “Here’s to you. I hope whatever’s bothering you goes away.”
Her glass stopped halfway in the air. “How do you know something’s bothering me?”
He clicked his glass to hers, then took a long drink before returning it to the cupholder. “I can just tell. You have the same look in your eyes that my daughters get when there’s something going on. It’s like you’re here, but you’re not. Divided. Anyway, didn’t mean to pry, so feel free to ignore.”
She sipped the blood, then put her glass in one of the cupholders as well. “There’s…a lot going on. But I don’t think it’s right to burden you with it.”
“I have broad shoulders.”
“So you do.” And it was nice to talk to him. He was older. A great listener. Smart. Worldly wise. Not to mention, a reaper. How many deathbed confessions had he heard? How many arguments for one more day? She exhaled. “Governor Fitzhugh has leveled charges against Pierce and me. I’m not worried about the one against me. I’ll weather it, whatever happens.”
She glanced back at Pierce’s slumbering form. She loved him so dearly. She couldn’t imagine life without him. He was a remarkable man. Compassionate. Kind. Always looking out for her. And everyone really. So different than Joe and his family. “But the council won’t be as easy on Pierce. He’s human, after all. And he hit Fitzhugh. Human-against-vampire crime is not looked upon kindly.”
She expected Will to nod and say he was sorry and that surely someone would come up with something. He didn’t.
He shrugged. “That’s easy to fix.”
She frowned. “It is?”
“Sure,” he said. “He just needs to stop being human.”
She stared at Will, losing focus on him and the cars going past them until everything became a blur. “You mean…turn him?”
“Something like that.”
Donna shook her head. “I don’t know if the council would care if he became a vampire. The alleged transgression took place when he was human.”
Will took another drink from his glass, put it back, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Did you know that turned reapers can’t die?”
The sudden change of subject threw her, but she did her best to keep up. “No, not really. I’m not as well versed in the supernatural as I should be yet.”
“Understandable with how new you are. Well, it’s true. They’re immortal. Nothing can kill them. They have to choose death if they reach that point.”
“Choose it?”
He nodded. “There’s a bit of ritual that gets followed, but they basically pass on their scythe to another being, who then takes on the mantle of reaper.”
“And then the original reaper dies?”
“Not immediately. They regain their souls and become mortal again. Their life span is whatever’s naturally left.”
“Oh.” She thought about that for a moment. “Wait a minute. You were dying
on the battlefield. The whole reason I turned you was to save your life.”
He nodded. “Because I was born a reaper. I have a soul. I can die. As you saw. But a reaper who chooses to be a reaper? One who’s turned? They relinquish their soul in exchange for the scythe and immortality. They become known as the chosen.”
“Wow. I had no idea. Do a lot of turned reapers give up their scythe to regain their mortality?”
“More than you might imagine. Some do it for love. Some do it because dealing with death becomes too much. Some do it because they’re just ready to move on to whatever’s next. My mama gave up her scythe. See, my daddy was mostly human, and she didn’t want to outlive him.”
“That was quite a sacrifice. They must have loved each other very much.”
“They did, for sure.”
Was he really suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? She didn’t want to assume. “Thanks for sharing that with me.”
A smile played at the corner of his lips. “You know why I told you all of that, right?”
She thought she might, but until he came out and said, she wouldn’t presume. “It was very interesting.”
He shifted his grip on the wheel as he changed lanes to go around a slow-moving sedan. “I would be willing to give my scythe to Pierce and take him through the turning ritual. Then there’s nothing the council could do to him physically that would harm him.”
For a moment, Donna was speechless, because her assumption had been right. “Are you serious? You’d give up your powers for him?”
Will nodded. “In all honesty, as a born reaper, I wouldn’t be giving up that much. My ability to reap souls, but I’ll still keep some other reaper gifts. And I wouldn’t be losing my immortality now that I’m a vampire. Look. You saved my life. I would be happy to do the same for someone you care about.”
A knot formed in Donna’s throat. She looked down at her hands, feeling the heat well up in her eyes. “Will, that’s more than I could ask for.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering. Of course, it would be his decision ultimately. He’d have to be willing to give up his soul, after all. And the turning would change him. It always does. But the council might think twice about sentencing a being with the power of life and death.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t know what to say except thank you. I’ll ask him as soon as he wakes up.” Emotion got the best of her. She came out of her seat and wrapped her arms around Will’s shoulders.
He laughed. “Easy, now. Don’t run us off the road.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
He patted her arm. “You’re very welcome. You let me know what he decides. And of course, I’m happy to talk to him about it.”
Donna sat with Will a few hours longer, well past Wheeling, West Virginia, and into Columbus, Ohio.
That was about when Pierce woke up. He moved to a sitting position, stretching a little and getting his bearings, then got up and went back toward the bathroom.
Donna figured she’d give him a few minutes to make sure he was really awake. Nothing like asking someone if they were ready to alter their life forever first thing upon rising. He was likely to think he was still dreaming.
When he returned, he had changed into lounge pants and a Georgetown University T-shirt. He came up to her and Will. “Where are we?”
“Columbus, Ohio,” Donna answered. “How was your nap?”
He grinned. “I kind of passed out, didn’t I?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I must have needed it. Also, the book I was reading was kind of boring, and that didn’t help. Neither did all those nachos I ate.”
Will laughed. “I think they did everyone in.”
Pierce clapped him on the shoulder. “Not you, thankfully.”
“Pierce?” Donna tried to look as casual as possible. “Could we go in the back and talk?”
“Sure.”
She got up, and he stepped out of the way to let her pass. She went directly back to her bedroom, turning on just the reading lights as she went in so as not to flood the space with unnecessary light.
He followed. “Door open or closed?”
“Closed.” She sat on the bed, then patted the spot where Cammie had been sitting earlier, inviting him to join her. “We’re about to have a strange conversation, so I’m just going to jump right in.”
“Okay.” He settled in beside her, looking curious but amused. “Is this good strange or bad strange?”
“Good. I think. But that’s up to you to decide. First, let me ask you this. Do you agree the Immortus Concilio treats supernaturals differently than humans?”
“Absolutely. Vampires are their main concern, and should be, considering they are the court in which most vampire grievances are heard. And while they’re not always easy on vampires either, humans are at the bottom of the food chain as far as the council is concerned.”
She nodded as he confirmed what she already knew. “How about reapers? Have you ever heard of a reaper going up against the council?”
His gaze narrowed, then he shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. Doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, of course. But I’d think the council would tread lightly with such a being. You know the reaper’s scythe is one of the few weapons that’s fatal against a vampire every time?”
“I did not know that. Interesting.” She was learning all kinds of new things on this trip. “What I did recently learn, however, was that turned reapers are immortal until they choose not to be by relinquishing their scythe. There’s no way to take their life otherwise. Did you know that?”
“I don’t think I did. Not that I’ve ever given it much thought. I suppose I figured they were vulnerable in their own special way. That’s pretty remarkable.” Then he frowned. “But you had to save Will’s life.”
“Right. He was born a reaper. Not turned. There’s a big difference, apparently.”
Pierce shook his head. “I had no idea.”
“Neither did I.” She took a breath. “So. What would you think about being turned into a reaper?”
He stared at her, eyes still narrowed. Then they narrowed further. “You’re right. This is a strange conversation.” He frowned. “How would that even happen?”
“Will. He’s offered to do it if you’re interested. Apparently, there’s a ritual you’d have to go through, but then he’d give you his scythe, and that would be that.”
“But then he’d die.”
“No, just because he gives up his scythe doesn’t mean he dies. In his case, it just means he’d no longer be a reaper. I think.” She shrugged. “Anyway, he’d still be a vampire, so his immortality status wouldn’t change. He might just lose a few skills or something. He didn’t tell me. But he says it would be his payback for me saving his life.”
Pierce blew out a long breath. “That’s quite an offer.”
“I agree. It’s a lot to take in. You’ll obviously need some time to think it over, because it would require you to—”
“I’ll do it.”
“Really? That was quick. You didn’t even let me finish the part about how you’d have to give up your soul. Will said the turning would change you in some ways too.”
“Don’t vampires go through that as well?” He shrugged. “What’s to think about? Remain vulnerable to the council’s whims, or make a decision that gives me more power? That’s a pretty easy decision to make. Except…”
“What?”
A deep sadness filled his eyes. “It means I’d no longer be useful to you.”
Instantly, a pang of concern shot through her heart. She canted her head to one side. “Pierce. I love you. You will never stop being useful to me. I might need to get another human blood source, that’s true. But I don’t care. You’re one of my dearest friends and confidants. Your life is far more valuable to me.”
He caught her face in his hands and kissed her. Long and hard and in such a way that she felt things stirring in ways they hadn’t since Kace had last done t
he same thing to her. And she’d had fae drugs in her system then. Heat danced along her spine, and she took hold of his arms to steady herself.
The kiss ended too soon, and as they broke apart, she inhaled. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I love you too. Thank you for this opportunity.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Will.”
“Sure, but I’m not kissing him.”
Donna smiled, still blissfully warm from Pierce’s mouth on hers. “You’re completely sure about this? I feel like maybe you should think it over for a day or two.”
“I feel completely sure. But I will talk to Will and make sure I understand the process and everything becoming a reaper entails. I should find out what will be required of me. I suppose I could be called upon to reap souls.”
She scooted over to settle in against him. “You could be. That would be strange, wouldn’t it?”
He put his arm around her as they sat back against the pillows. “I’m a lawyer. There are a lot of people that would say those in my profession are already in the soul-harvesting business.”
She snorted. “Well, I wouldn’t say that.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know you wouldn’t.”
She closed her eyes as a comfortable silence stretched out between them. She could feel daybreak approaching and the pull of sleep. She snuggled up to Pierce a little more, sinking into his embrace and the comforting feel of his hard, muscled frame against hers.
“Sleepy?” he asked.
She nodded. He smelled good. Clean. Laundry detergent and whatever soap he used. It was a smell she’d grown fond of. She wondered if he’d smell different as a reaper. Would he carry the scent of death? Will didn’t, but he’d been born, not turned.
It was a morbid thought, but she couldn’t help it. He’d agreed to do something extraordinarily brave—give up his humanity—because of her.
All because she’d put him in a dangerous situation. Maybe this would be better, though, him becoming a reaper. Becoming untouchable. She’d worry less about him, she imagined.
He’d once told her he could leave anytime he wanted, and that was true. He was here of his own volition. But she prayed he never left. She really did love him. More than she’d ever loved Joe, that was for sure.
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