by J. L. Weil
“It was her soul you were going to take, wasn’t it?” I asked.
Aspyn nodded. “She was the only soul I relinquished.” I expected a hint of remorse in her voice, but it sounded like she was relieved that the girl lived.
Captivated by the story, I asked. “Why did you let her live?” It went against the natural order of life and death reapers were supposed to uphold.
Distress came into her clear gray eyes. “Because her mother asked.”
That shocked me. A reaper didn’t disobey the laws of death, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the consequences were for doing so, something I was sure to learn. “Who was she—the little girl?”
Her gaze held mine. “It was you.”
Whoosh. The air left my lungs. It felt like I’d been sucker punched. “That can’t be. I-I…oh my God.” My eyes searched her face. “You’re serious.”
There was no hesitation as she spoke. “As soon as I realized who you were, I felt ashamed. I envied you. Even then. I made a promise to your mom that I would never tell a single soul, living or dead that I’d seen you that day. It was a promise I kept.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“What? That I almost took your soul thirteen years ago? I wanted you to like me, not hate me, Piper,” she said.
“But you’re telling me now.” Suspicion clouded my tone.
She shrugged. “Because we’re friends. And I won’t lie to you. It’s not the kind of friend I am. I will always tell you the truth, even if it’s going to hurt.”
I could appreciate that; actually, I needed it. Someone I could turn to when the rest of the world was sheltering me or trying to protect me. It was still a shock, hearing how close I’d been to this world and never knew, and it made me wonder how many other times in my life I’d come close to brushing with death.
I probably didn’t want to know.
Chapter 6
I was certifiably a crab-ass when I woke up the next morning, groggy and coffee-starved, if the restless moments I had last night could even be considered sleep. I blamed TJ for my shitty night. Over and over my mind spun, searching for the right words to tell my brother he had to go home, that he had to leave Raven Hallow…and me.
TJ might play the tough guy, but I knew deep down how much he depended on me.
Rubbing the gunk from my eyes, I swung my feet over the bed. I thought about changing out of my comfy sleep shorts and T-shirt. Instead, I pulled on a pair of cute heart-covered socks that reached my knees.
I closed the drawer to my dresser and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Holy. Cow. I looked a hot mess.
My hair was knotted in an untidy bun, and there were dark circles under my green eyes. Yep. Today was definitely going to be a lazy day. I wasn’t fit for company. Meandering into the bathroom, I washed my face and teeth. I was about to go hunt down some coffee when a flash of red caught my eye.
I did a double take.
Tell me I’m hallucinating.
Zoe stood in a pair of red shorts on my balcony, smiling with two cups of coffee. Behind her was Zach, leaning on the banister with a lazy grin—the dynamic duo. I blinked a few times, before I realized this was no sleep-deprived hallucination and walked to the double doors, slowly opening them. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked.
Zoe handed me a cup and swept past me. “School is in session, sweetcakes.”
My caffeine-addicted brain only processed the fact that she was offering me my fix. It wasn’t until after I scalded my tongue on the first sip that I realized she had said something. I struggled to recall what those words had been. One stuck out, and it was enough to make me groan. School. My day of binge watching American Horror Story and vegging out on an entire bag of Doritos just backfired. “You’re joking, right? It’s summer vacation.”
Zoe grabbed a set of textbooks and notebooks from Zach and set them on my desk. “And you’ve missed an entire lifetime of reaper law and order. You’re about to get a crash course.”
I tapped my thumb against the white paper cup. “And you both got stuck with the daunting task. Sorry.” I didn’t know anybody who wanted to tutor for the summer.
“Don’t sweat it,” Zach said, spinning the desk chair around and straddling it. “It beats working at the Black Dog. And under all Zoe’s hairspray and mascara, she’s really a nerd at heart.”
Zoe scowled at her twin. “Not all of us fail so easily.”
“Is there going to be a test?” I asked drolly.
“An oral.” Zach added with a smug smile.
I fought the grin that tugged on my lips.
Zoe whacked him on the backside of his head. “Shut up, sexpot. Not every word has to be turned into something sexual.”
“Yeah, it does,” he muttered. “I’m a guy.”
“And that explains your IQ,” she huffed, planting her butt down on the edge of my unmade bed.
Zach frowned.
As entertaining as the twins were, I’d been kidding about the whole test thing, but this sounded worse. “What kind of oral?” I asked, joining Zoe on the bed.
She beamed, and I immediately knew I wasn’t going to like this. “At the ceremony. The elders and overlords will be eyeballing you—judging you—waiting for you to make the teeniest of mistakes.”
I felt the color drain from my face. “What ceremony?” This was news to me. Nobody said anything about a ceremony. It sounded formal. I hated formal.
Zach flashed me another smile. “The one where you’re crowned by the divine as the new White Raven. And you can bet your butt they will also be announcing your engagement to Zander. The wedding of the century.”
If I didn’t know better, I would swear Zach was enjoying this, watching me squiggle. “Please tell me I haven’t woken up yet. That my hair really isn’t this messy and I’m dreaming this whole thing.”
“You my friend, are very much awake. Here, let me show you.” Before I knew what Zoe’s intent was, she pinched me.
“Ouch,” I shrieked, glaring.
“See. Not dreaming.”
“Thanks for clearing that up,” I grumbled, rubbing the flabby skin under my arm.
“But don’t worry. That’s what we’re here for. To make sure you don’t make a fool of yourself.” Grinning, Zoe settled back into her spot on the bed. I thought about pushing her off.
Oh, goodie. Their confidence in me was overwhelming.
“Before we get to the nitty-gritty stuff, let’s start with the basics,” she said.
“No chance I can finish my coffee before the lightning round?” I asked, taking a swig from the cup in my hand.
Zoe watched me under lush, long lashes. “Reapers are angels, but we serve death. We’re the essential ingredients required for death to occur. Whether a human life ends from an accident or through natural causes, we are in charge of their souls. And each sector plays its part in maintaining the natural order of things. What are the four sectors?”
This I actually knew. “Death, soul, phantom, and banshee.”
“And they are each represented by?”
I twirled the paper coffee cup in my hand. “A black crow, blue sparrow, red hawk, and white raven.”
“Obviously, crows are the deadliest,” Zach added.
I rolled my eyes. “That goes without saying.”
“Crows,” Zoe interjected in her best teacher voice, “are the only reapers who can destroy a soul. And I mean destroy. No Heaven. No Hell. The majority of the souls we reap are hallows, malevolent souls that refuse to leave this realm peacefully. We’re considered assassins. The essences of the souls we take fortify our powers, making us stronger. Unlike some of the other sectors, Crows are born reapers.”
Zach leaned forward in the chair. “A Soul Reaper governs the souls between the human world and the afterlife. A simple touch sends their soul to either Heaven or Hell. Soul Reapers do not, however, possess the power to make a soul go with them. Sparrows are the only sectors with mixed blood, meaning not all
are born. Some are chosen.”
My brows furrowed. “Chosen by who?”
“By you,” she said.
I squeezed the cup, splashing a few dribbles of hot coffee on my hand. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Did you burn yourself?” Concern etched into the lines of Zoe’s face as she passed me a napkin.
Setting my addiction aside on the table, my back straightened. “Spilled coffee is the least of my concerns. Can we back it up a minute? I’m a little confused over the part where I choose who becomes a reaper.”
“Someone has to do it.”
“Why does it have to be me? How do I even decide such a thing?”
Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Beats me. I just know it falls under your jurisdiction, babe.”
“Wonderful. Another thing I get to fumble through.” As teachers went, Zach and Zoe kind of sucked. It gave me the heebie-jeebies imagining someone’s destiny in my hands. I didn’t want to play God. Could I turn just anyone into a reaper? Like the elementary school bully, Melissa Turner, who used to constantly pick on Parker? I’d have to give this more thought.
“You’re getting off track,” Zoe said. “We have stuff to learn, like your two bodyguards outside for instance.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “This is supposed to be about Piper, not you trying to get a date.”
“You mean Agent Lame-o and Agent Killjoy patrolling the grounds?” I supplied to be clear.
“Phantoms,” Zach corrected. “Hawks can assume any living form, animal or human, and they mark a human for death. Their orders come from Death himself.”
I folded my legs, pretzel style. “Your father.”
“The one and only. We don’t interfere with humans’ lives, not until we’re needed. We have the power to kill before their time, but it’s forbidden. Of course, not all reapers follow the rules. Rogue reapers, as you know, exist. They seek power and profit. Often working with higher beings. Each sector has an overlord, someone who supervises the reapers under their command. There is a pecking order of power. White Raven at the head, followed by Black Crow, then Blue Sparrow, and lastly Red Hawk.”
Why did I have to be at the top? It felt wrong. I knew virtually nothing, how could I be fit to govern a community?
“Don’t look so forsaken. Your power comes naturally, as does your ability to rule. A banshee’s voice—your command—is almightiness. All reapers must heed your call. But your greatest power is the ability to create other reapers. The uniqueness of a banshee differs from one Raven to another. The gifts of your mother or grandmother will be different than yours. It’s what makes the White Raven such a mystery. Not even the elders know what you will be capable of.”
“I don’t know if that is better or worse, not knowing what I can or can’t do.”
“You’ll be tested in training with Zane. He’ll help you figure out what your strong suits are, where your powers excel.”
“Zane,” I echoed. “He mentioned something the other day,” I quickly added to cover up the dreamy quality that might have entered my voice. Could I be any more transparent in my affections…or more lame?
Her lips twitched. “Now suddenly I have your attention.”
“I don’t see what all the fuss is with Zane,” Zach gooed over his name in his sad attempt to imitate a thirteen-year-old girl. “He isn’t the only Hunter with skill.”
I was not a pathetic fan girl oohing and aahing over Zane Winters. Okay, fine. I did have moments where the sight of him made me think I was going to swoon like I was in a 1950’s film.
Zoe gave him the reaper stink eye, and in my book, it was more effective than the everyday stink eye. “Like she had a choice,” she retorted. “If she did, she wouldn’t have picked any one of you douchecanoes.”
I busted out laughing. Once the laughter started, I couldn’t control it. I clasped my gut, my cheeks aching. “That was the funniest shit I’ve heard in days,” I said when I was able to speak coherently.
Zoe set her coffee cup on the floor and looked me in the eye. “I’m going to give you a bit of friendly advice. When you first came here, I thought it was cute and cheeky that Zane instantly intrigued you. And I might have even encouraged you, but only in fun. I swear, Piper, I had no idea what you were to Zane. If I had known…honestly, it wouldn’t have made a difference. The link between you and Zane can’t be controlled or reversed. I know it sucks some serious dookie and is screwing with everyone’s life. I just want you to know that I will support you no matter what. Zach and I both will.” Her eyes moved to her brother who was spinning in the chair. She cleared her throat when he didn’t say anything. “Right, Zach?”
“Whatever you say, Zoe.”
“Imbecile,” she muttered under her breath. “Do you see what I have to live with? Being the only girl in a house full of no brains and all muscle?”
“We all have our struggle. It means a lot to me, having your support. Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything,” she replied.
“Oh boy,” Zach said. “Way to open a can of worms.”
“What would you do?” I asked, ignoring him.
Her sapphire eyes weren’t dancing with their usual laughter. “I can tell you that I don’t envy you. Not in the least. It’s hard to think about the situation objectively, considering we’re talking about my two older brothers.” Her face puckered. “But let’s say we were talking about Liam and Chris Hemsworth. Now there is a perfect dilemma to be sandwiched between.”
No arguments there.
“And the world’s balance was more or less dependent on my choice. Easy,” she continued. “I’d have my cake and eat it too. Marry for duty and have a lover.”
I should have been floored, but I wasn’t. “Let me get this straight. You’d marry Liam, but take Chris as your lover?”
Zach snorted, shifting his tall body in the chair. “I can’t believe I’m even hearing this.”
Zoe ignored him. “No. You got it backward. I’d marry Chris, but take Liam as my lover.”
“Yeah, that’s so not an option for me. I have a feeling neither Zane nor Zander would go for that.”
She pressed her lips together. “Most definitely not. They’d destroy each other before sharing something as important as you.”
My shoulders slumped as I drew in a breath of air. “I don’t have it in me to live a double life and be torn in half. I would screw it up somehow.”
“I wish I had the answer.”
“No matter what, someone gets hurt.”
“Welcome to my world. Fate’s a hag.” A hint of her Gaelic accent peeked through.
I dangled one of my legs over the side of the bed. “I think your world needs to step into the twenty-first century. What happens if I refuse to marry Zander? I’m not saying I will. I’m curious. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Silence descended over the room.
Not encouraging.
“An uncontainable uprising of Death’s greatest weapons,” Zach supplied.
That secret bubble of hope I was harboring crashed and burned. “That seems a little extreme.”
“You asked,” he muttered, seeing the crestfallen expression on my face.
“Even the greatest man can be clouded by the insatiable need for power,” Zoe said. “And reapers aren’t exactly considered good, so it’s not hard for us to be tempted. As more and more of the elders die off, the push for change becomes louder. It’s getting to the point where the voices can’t be silenced, and as the word travels with the promise of power, more and more reapers are joining the uprising.”
“And those voices think annihilating the Raven line is the first step to gaining more power,” I concluded.
Zoe’s eyes brightened. “You got it, girl. No one has more power than you.”
“That’s the joke of the century,” I muttered.
She adjusted the thin white strap slipping down her shoulder. “Give it a week and I’ll be saying I told you so. If anyone can bring
out your powers, it’s Zane.”
That’s what I was afraid of.
***
The time had come. I could hear the bells of doom ringing in my ear—Dun, dun, duuuun—taunting me as I readied myself to tell TJ he was leaving. But first, I needed to make a call I’d been dreading for days. I couldn’t send my brother away without knowing he would at least be okay and taken care of. A sense of loneliness overcame me. I took a few deep breaths before stiffening my jaw. It had to be done.
Groaning, I hit the contact for Dad and waited for the line to ring. I didn’t know if I would be more disappointed if he didn’t pick up or if he did. My stomach sunk when I got his voice mail. Shocker.
“I grow tired of talking to your voice mail, Father. This is important. I need you to pick up TJ and take him home. I don’t think I need to tell you why other than it’s not safe. Call me.” My fingertip pressed the end call button and I tossed my phone aside. That hadn’t gone quite as intended, but onto the next dirty deed.
I rolled off the bed and meandered through the halls, taking my sweet time as I gathered the right words. There was going to be nothing easy or pretty about this conversation, so the plan was to be straightforward. I was going to come right out and tell TJ he had to go.
Plans never went as I expected.
My knuckles rapped on the door to his room. And I waited. And waited. My knocks got louder to no avail. Finally, annoyed and more than a little bit concerned, I turned the handle, relieved to find it unlocked, and let myself in.
He better not be lounging around in his birthday suit or doing some equally gross teenage boy thing.
The jerk was kicked back on the bed with his earbuds in and the tunes cranked. I could hear the music from across the room. His sandy hair looked like it could use a deep conditioning, and his room smelled like three-day-old pizza and sweaty socks.