“So why you?”
She shrugged, because she honestly didn’t know.
“So you stand against the Tribunal?” he asked. His voice had lost some of its fierceness, which she had to be thankful for. Because frankly he scared the shit out of her
“Yes, what they are doing is inexcusable.” Something flashed in his dark blue eyes as she spoke.
“Something happened…” Elle trailed off. “The Tribunal has decided to go after the higher echelon of Other, and that thing…Something isn’t right.” But she couldn’t put her finger on it, and she would be damned straight to hell and back if she would walk away now.
“So you have no idea what came after you?”
Again, she shook her head. “No, but I could tell it didn’t have a soul. It’s why I recognized I would be safe on hallowed ground.”
“You give off no sign of being Other,” he accused.
Elle chewed her lip wondering what she could tell him, when he narrowed his eyes she considered lying to him. “I am a demi-god. And I am an Empath, but I am also cursed. I gave away my immortality for mortality’s sake.”
The Reaper shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Is that somehow supposed to explain to me your curse?”
“I am cursed to live the life of a mortal.” She sighed deeply.
“Still have no idea what you are talking about,” he said shaking his head. He looked irritated and for the first time since waking up with him she didn’t feel totally overwhelmed by his presence.
Elle sighed. “I killed the wrong mortal a long time ago. A mortal loved by a dark druid. And she cursed me to live the life of a mortal. So I appear to be mortal, but I am not.” It wasn’t the whole story but he didn’t need to know the whole story.
“So what are you then?”
“Something in between… and nothing at all,” she said the latter part more to herself then to him.
“I couldn’t Flash you out.”
She burst forth with a self-deprecating laugh. "No…" She drew the word out. "I'm not able to use any Other powers. I am bound to the mortal plane. You won't be able to Flash me out, while I am cursed."
This time he snorted. “Sounds like it sucks.” Then pointed to her ankle. “So are you going to heal?”
She looked down at her mangled ankle. She wiggled her toes and rotated it. Not broken, but it hurt like hell. “Yes, it should be okay in a couple of days. But I will need to get it cleaned and bandaged. I have no real immunities so the sooner the better. I would rather not get an infection.”
"Frail. And fragile." He swore and moved past her, climbing into the driver's seat. He turned back to her, "Well?"
She shook her head. He had pulled her from the damn thing! Hopping on her good leg, she climbed into the backseat and lay down. "For the love of the gods, put a seat belt on! The gods only know what can happen to your fragile ass, before I can find someplace safe to stash you." He swore some more as he fiddled with the GPS.
“You’re a very grumpy person, do you know that?” She wanted to slap herself the moment the words left her mouth. She had never talked like that to a stranger before. Usually, she was the very epitome of kindness. She was in shock and exhausted. It was the only answer.
“Yeah well, I have other things I would rather be doing then babysitting a fragile and cursed demi-god,” he said without turning to look at her. His words hurt more than they should and she couldn’t figure out why. And the momentary bout of irritation for being rude flew out the proverbial window.
Elle stuck her tongue out at him.
“I saw that.”
She looked up to see him looking at her through the rear view mirror and couldn’t help the blush as it worked its way up from her feet. She buckled herself in and laid her head back. Tired, scared and worried. If she could pretty please just have one god smile down on her and help them find a safe place to take care of her ankle, she would be very grateful. She fell asleep chanting to herself: Safe haven, healing, and then Helena. But she couldn't help but sneak in a "Please let the Reaper like me just a little.” And she definitely tried to forget about the fact that her soul may or may not now belong to that sexy as hell Reaper as well.
Chapter 3
Elle felt like shit, the backlash of her attack and the fury and rage of her attacker was kicking her butt. She snuffled down into the softness of a warm bed letting it fold around her, she knew when to be grateful. But something was different, she let herself relax and then she realized what it was? She didn’t feel anything?
Elle couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t been aware of everything around her. Or of the barriers she always had to have up when she was away from her cabin, but she was away from her cabin now, and she didn’t have her barriers up and she didn’t feel anything, no buzzing no low hum, no pressure on her chest no unwanted emotions. And she didn’t know if she liked it, the absence of pressure left her bereft.
She pushed herself from the warmth of the bed ignoring the pain in her ankle and sucked in a shocked gasp at the man starring at her from a chair across from the bed. The room was fully lit; blond hair hanging over a strong brow and into dark blue eyes. A scruffy day old beard covered a tough jaw and a tight t-shirt covered a muscled chest.
“Reaper?” Elle wanted to pull the covers over her face when her voice cracked over the single word.
One eyebrow climbed up a smooth brow. “Victor,” he provided.
“Ah.” Everything from the night before crashed over her and she fell back into the bed. “I’m surprised you’re here. I thought you would have left me for dead.” Elle pulled the covers up realizing when she did that she didn’t have any clothes on and swallowed past the lump forming in her throat.
“Who took my clothes off?” She asked not coming out from beneath the covers terrified of the answer he was about to give her.
“I needed to treat your ankle,” he stated his voice an easy rumble showing no emotion she remembered she had envied that voice last night.
“Um, you had to remove all my clothes to treat my ankle?”
He laughed and she sat up letting the blankets fall off her head so she could glare at him she could see the muscles in his shoulders roll under his shirt as he shrugged and she had the strangest urge to fill them with the palm of her hand. The years of living alone in the mountains of Maine stretched liked eons across her memory. Would they feel as smooth as they looked? Elle wanted to throw the blankets over her head and never come back out.
“I took it as my payment.”
All thoughts of his muscular shoulders flew out of her mind as her mouth fell open in shock, and then just as quickly she snapped it shut. “I don’t think I like you very much.” In fact, she very much wanted to slap him in his handsome face.
“It’s a good thing I’m not here for you to like then. Is it?” he asked leaning forward he put his elbows on his knees. He nodded toward a bag of food on the bedside table. “I brought you some food. Eat, and get cleaned up. You’ll get the rest of the night to rest and heal; we hit the road again in the morning. By the way where the hell are we headed?”
“I need to find my sister Helena,” she said stuffing a burger into her mouth. “She was heading to a safe house in Atlanta.”
“And you need me for this why?”
Elle’s hands dropped to her lap. “There is a war starting. Don’t you care? People are dying—mortals; Others. Don’t the Reapers care about anything other than the souls they will gain in this war?” They had to care; she was putting everything she had in believing they cared just a little. After last night she wasn’t quite sure she would be able to make it to Atlanta without his help.
“The corrupt souls belong to us either way,” he said leaning back he crossed his arms over his chest like they were discussing the weather. “What’s in it for us, my little demi-god?”
“There has to be some kind of payoff for you to get involved?” The food sitting in her stomach now felt like a ton of bricks.
; Victor laughed but it was a bitter sound. “You called us, and Dante does nothing without compensation. And by using the Blood Call, by rights YOU belong to ME. So what bargaining chips do you actually have?”
“Please stop saying that. I didn’t have anything else but my blood to use. If I had used wine, or water, or anything else besides my blood would you have come?” Elle asked.
Victor shrugged, “The call wouldn’t have been as strong but any Reaper Summons is answered eventually. But you my dear used your blood, a sure fire way to get a Reaper to answer the summons because there is already a payoff: your soul.” He finished with toothy smile.
“I don’t think I like you very much?” she said folding her hands in her lap in order to keep herself from throwing something at his head.
“Like I said I don’t need you to like me, sweetheart. But from where I sit this entire plan is a waste of time. You have nothing to offer me. So why should I waste my time taking you to your sister? I don’t waste my time on mortal issues. And your little issue, although not mortal, is definitely not my issue. So exactly why should I get involved? Basically, sweetheart, the only reason I’m still here, you don’t Flash.” She was grinding her teeth together as he spoke. And then trying to decide what she might have which she could barter with the Reapers. “As soon as you’re healed we hit the road.”
“And if I could Flash?” She demanded.
He gave her a toothy grin, “Well then sweetheart you would be incased in the Infernos and most assuredly in my bed by now.”
Elle was so stunned she felt her mouth open and close several times.
“Let’s not forget your soul belongs to me.” He reminded her.
“I don’t like you, its official.” Elle glared at him.
“Then give me more of a reason to stick around.” Victor said. “To care about your pitiful cause.” He said with a roll of his eyes.
He rose slowly stretching from the chair and walked over to the other bed he extended is long body out stacking his hands behind his head he closed his eyes and relaxed. “Why don’t you think on the matter for a while, I’m going to get some rest.”
“Is this some kind of joke to you?” she spat out. “What the hell are you talking about?”
The corners of his mouth kicked up. “Not my problem.”
“People are dying.” How could he be acting so callous? Was there anything he cared about? Then she realized she was thinking about a Reaper, he dealt in death. “Is there anything you care about?” The question fell out before she could stop it.
He didn’t open his eyes as he shrugged. “You are the one who said a war is brewing, if I am to pick a side it should mean something shouldn’t it?”
Elle laid down and pulled the sheet up to her chin, she should clean up. But she wasn’t feeling anything, emotions of the world were blocked and even the pain in her ankle wasn’t really all that bad, she had to find a reason to make the Reaper stick around and help her, which didn’t involve throwing herself at the Reapers feet and begging him for his help.
Which apparently the bastard would enjoy. It was just all too much. Elle pulled the covers over her head and turned away from the Reaper. She couldn’t think about everything that was going on. It had been well over twenty-four hours, of the seventy-two that Helena had given her. She needed to come up with something, and she didn’t know if any more of those Freaks were coming after her.
Maybe she should think about trying to get away from the Reaper? If he continued to refuse to help her it was her only option. One more day of letting her ankle heal and maybe she could get the keys away from him while he slept. Then she would still be able to get to Atlanta on time.
It was a good plan and with that thought she was finally able to fall asleep.
****
Victor glared at her, a demi-god, what were the odds? Gods, of any kind were trouble, and demi-gods were trouble with a capital ‘T’. Trouble the Reapers didn’t need at the moment. She had needed immediate medical attention, and he had brought an Abda from the Infernos to treat her. He hadn’t felt bad at all about lying to her, if she was afraid of him it was okay. The Abda had used herbs to aid her in her healing. The faster she healed the better.
The faster he found out what was going on, and he got her to her sister the better. He also needed to find out why the Tribunal wanted her. But right now getting them food was at the top of his list. When he was on the mortal plane he ate fast food. It was a huge weakness. It was something he didn’t indulge in very often but when he did, he always went overboard.
What the hell was he going to do with this demi-god? Stuffing another cheeseburger into his mouth he glared at the woman who had been sleeping for another twelve hours now. He supposed he should wake her and feed her again. But he was enjoying watching her sleep something he had never indulged in before either, Dante had told him to stay with her. He wasn’t really into babysitting, he could think of several things he did want to do with her. However, babysitting her wasn’t one of them.
Shaking himself, he threw the wrapper of his burger on the table and went to the window to glare out at the cityscape. He had to admit it was beautiful, after centuries of the oranges, and reds of the Infernos he had a healthy appreciation for the blues, greens, and yellows of the mortal plan.
“Find out what is going on. Find out if they will side with us. But whatever you do, do not let them know about Celeste and Marcus and where we currently stand with the Tribunal. Or that we are still down a Reaper. The last thing we need to do is let them know we are weak. And stay with the demi-god. You never know when we can use a demi-god.” was all Dante had said about the demi-god. Yeah, then he had returned and told her she had to give him something in return for his help. So he was making a great impression on her, leering, lying. Yup this relationship was going great.
Moving to the bed he kicked the mattress. “Time to wake up and eat, sleeping beauty.”
She didn’t move so he kicked the bed harder. Still no movement, he could hear her breathing so he sat down with another burger and continued to shake the bed with his foot while he ate.
She finally rolled over and took a weak swing at his foot. “Stop.”
“Get up.” Victor finally left the bed alone. “You need to eat and take a shower.”
She made several unlady like grumbles and then squeaked in pain, he turned and she was holding the edge of the bed as she inched around it toward the bathroom.
“Gods,” Victor muttered and swept her up into his arms. He tried, gods he tried, to ignore how she fit against him. That despite the thin sheet she clutched against her it really didn’t cover anything. And damn she was beautiful, her legs were long and toned. Her long honey colored hair hung in tangled waves over his arm. And she stared into his eyes with those golden brown eyes he wanted to drown in.
She flayed for a second. “Calm down.” He squeezed her until she quit moving and then walked her into the bathroom, where he deposited her on the edge of the bathtub. “Don’t put too much weight on your ankle. I used special herbs which will aid in your healing but not if you do something stupid. Call when you’re done.”
He kicked the bathroom door closed and had to admit he was getting a strange sort of satisfaction knowing she was helpless without him. Thirty-six hours with her and he was losing his mind. He had never taken care of anything before in his lifetime and it created strange feelings in him, he rubbed at his chest and wondered if he was going soft. “I need to collect a soul,” he said more to himself then to anyone else, burying himself in the darkness of the world he was used too.
“What?” Elle called from the bathroom. “Are you talking to me?”
“No,” he said back with a smile.
He ate another burger, a helping of fries, and the chocolate milk shake before she finally opened the door and called to him.
“Reaper?”
He pushed himself off the bed and walked to the bathroom. “I have a name.”
One delicate eyebrow
rose over the pools of golden amber orbs. “Pardon me. Victor?” Something about the way she said his name put him off. He almost preferred she call him Reaper.
“You need to eat more,” he muttered to her before dropping her back onto her bed. He handed her a coke and a bag of food.
Victor looked into her eyes as they rounded in shock. “Okay I agree I need to eat more and I am thin but there is no way I can eat all of this.”
“You hardly ate anything yesterday and then slept for over twelve hour Elle, eat.” Victor settled on the other bed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, he tried to ignore the way her clean dark brown hair had curled around her round angelic face. He hadn’t thought it possible but she was even more beautiful than before. It pissed him off, and he couldn’t understand it. “Eat what you can,” he said again the words coming out sharp and hard.
“Victor?” she practically whispered, and he peeked open his eyes. “I wasn’t kidding yesterday. I have nothing to bargain with. You already said my body and soul belonged to you. Can you explain that in more detail to me?”
He would have laughed at the look on her face, but he wasn’t sure if doing so wouldn’t just make her cry. So he gave her a pointed look at the food and as she pulled it to her and started to eat he swung his legs off the bed resting his elbows on knees.
“What do you know of a Blood Call, Elle?” he asked.
Elle shrugged. “If I say nothing are you going to be mad?” she asked around a mouth full.
He actually growled at her, and she stopped eating her eyes rounding in surprise. “You used an ancient Blood Call, you put your soul on the line, and you know nothing about it.” He wanted to shake her. “The Tribunal is hunting down Others and you throw your soul away?”
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I had a slathering Freak trying to tear me limb from limb. When Helena taught me the emergency number she never said it was a Blood Call,” Elle cried.
“Yeah well maybe you should have asked her what it might cost you to use this emergency number before you used it,” Victor said. “Anyway, the blood has been cast, and you, my dear, now belong to me.”
Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel Page 4