Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel

by Palmer, Christie

  “For someone who is sequestered away, you are well acclimated to the world and your surroundings,” Victor said leaning back.

  “Just because I can’t interact with the world doesn’t mean I don’t have to know what is going on and how it revolves around me.” Why did he feel like everything he was saying was hurting her?

  “We need to get back on the road, Elle. Don’t you want to find your sister?” He pulled himself from the table trying to shake the strange feelings from his shoulders.

  He jerked when her cold hand touched him. “Victor I don’t want to be a victim anymore.”

  Victor didn’t know what prompted him to do it but he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, she fit into all the hollows of his body and he soaked her in letting his warmth soak into her. “You don’t have to be a victim, Elle,” he whispered into her ear. He didn’t let her go until she was warm and holding him back.

  When he released her the scared look was gone and she didn’t look like she was going to break.

  “Better?” he asked.

  Elle gave him a sad smile, but her eyes weren’t so dark anymore. “Better.”

  “Good, get your ass in the car.” She laughed as she moved passed him.

  “Have I mentioned I don’t like you?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but I’m growing on you,” Victor said walking past her with a smile on his face.

  ****

  Elle shook herself and jogged to catch up to him.

  He grumbled something under his breath and glared at her. “So much for the compassionate Reaper.”

  The sun had set while they had been in the diner and Elle felt the darkness surround them as she darted a look around at the shadows ready for them to come alive at any minute. If Chaos was part of this there was nowhere she could hide. She should probably tell Victor, Chaos was looking for her, but she just didn’t know who Chaos was working for, or if he was working against her or not. She stepped close to Victor, realizing she was putting his life in danger. And it upset her, after all he had done she didn’t want to see him hurt.

  “You should go back to the Infernos Reaper. I can find my way to Helena from here.”

  Victor snorted and shook his head. “Did Celeste hit you in the head, or do you have a mental condition?”

  Elle stopped and grabbed his arm. “There is no reason to put you in harm’s way I’m not worth it. Give me the keys and go back to the Infernos.” She held out her hand. “Trust me, my soul is so not worth any of this shit.”

  His eyes narrowed, the dark depths sparkled eerily making her catch her breath… “You do have a mental condition, don’t you?” he asked crossing his arms over his broad chest.

  Elle slapped him on the shoulder. “Of course I don’t have a mental condition. But there is no reason for you to do any of this.”

  Victor leaned in so their noses were almost touching. “Listen very carefully, Elle. I am a Reaper, and have been for longer then you have existed. Do you understand?” she nodded her eyes nearly crossing they were so close together. So he continued. “I do absolutely nothing I do not want to. Do you understand?”

  Again she nodded. “But it doesn’t make sense. I have nothing to offer you, nothing to give you in return.”

  Victor sighed and Elle admitted it sounded like a combination between growl and the way a large cat purred. And Elle wasn’t sure if it turned her on or scared the hell out of her.

  “It doesn’t have to make sense right now, Elle. All that matters is you used a Blood Call and I answered and where you go I go. If you insisted on seeing Helena then this is where we are going. But if you ask me it’s a dumb ass idea.” Victor did the sigh growl thing and Elle was so surprised by the answer she didn’t know what to do. He was sticking with her, and he was going with her because she needed to do this for her. And he had said he would help her learn to protect herself. Even if it meant he could be harmed, none of this made any sense but he was sticking with her. But he shouldn’t, and she couldn’t live with herself if he was hurt or killed.

  Elle threw her arms around him and hugged him. Victor stood stalk still in her arms. But she held him close anyway. “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear finally.

  “For what?” he snapped.

  “For sticking with me,” Elle said releasing him and backing away. “But you need to walk away. Because I don’t want you to get hurt. Because I realize you could be seriously hurt or killed. This isn’t your fight, Victor. Why should your blood be spilt?”

  Victor shook his head again, and walked away from her toward the SUV. “Get in the god damn car, Elle. This isn’t up for discussion.” Each word was like a chip of ice and flung over his should before he climbed behind the wheel of the SUV and slamming the door so hard she was surprised the door didn’t fall completely off its hinges.

  Elle stomped over to the driver’s door and slapped the glass with her palm. “I will not be responsible for you being hurt.” She didn’t understand why the thought of him being hurt made her stomach ache. She knew what he was doing, and why and she was so grateful but she didn’t want him to get hurt.

  Victor glared at her. “Get in the car Elle,” he shouted through the glass. She shook her head.

  Elle glared back and crossed her arms over her chest. She was causing a scene in the parking lot of a diner in the middle of know where. Nevertheless the situation was driving her to do things she had never imagined she would ever do before.

  “Don’t make me get out and force you into the car Elle,” Victor threatened.

  “I’m not afraid of you.” The words tumbled out and she realized they were true.

  Something flashed in the depths of his dark eyes which would have frightened someone else but Victor wouldn’t hurt her. She jumped back when the door flew open.

  “You have no reason to put your life on the line for me,” she said as she danced out of his reach. “And as we both know I can’t pay you. And you already own my soul so what are you going to do?” Elle didn’t know how she did it as she ducked out of his grasp.

  “I’ll come up with something. Now this is the last time I’m going to tell you to get in the damn car,” Victor growled. Reaching for her as she continued to dance out of his reach. He did his little sigh/growl, and Elle couldn’t help it she laughed as she spun on her toes mimicking a move she had seen Celeste do that morning.

  “Or what?” She said laughing again. She didn’t even see him move, and she was pressed up against the back of the SUV. Elle caught her breath and starred into Victor’s dark eyes.

  “You learned far more than I thought you did this morning,” Victor exhaled against her skin making her tingle and shiver, he shouldn’t make her feel these things but oh they felt so nice.

  Elle smiled at him, it was a compliment and it warmed her like nothing had in years. “Thank you.”

  Elle felt him press his entire body against her and everything in her went hot. She didn’t know if she should press back or throw her arms around his neck. Or cry from the pure bliss of the erotic feelings suddenly rushing through her body.

  His hands roamed down her body stopping at her waist, he gave her a devastating smile that went straight to her heart. Victor stepped back and picked Elle up he threw Elle over his shoulder. Elle squeaked and grabbed handfuls of t-shirt to steady herself. “It didn’t have to be this way, Elle,” he muttered, and she was pretty sure he swore. He tossed her into the front passenger seat and glared at her. “Do I have to restrain you?”

  She glared at him. “Are you talking about tying me up?”

  He rose one eye brow and a smile curved the corner of his eyes. “Sweetheart I would love to tie you up, so it’s really up to you.”

  She shoved him with her foot and slammed the door. Scrambling over the seat into the driver’s seat, there was a spectacular flash of fire and she was sitting in Victor’s lap.

  “Is that a yes, on being tied up?”

  Elle scrambled away from him. “Can’t you understand I’m try
ing to help save you?”

  “Now see, I thought I was the one trying to help save you,” Victor said turning the key he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. “Besides I’m a Reaper remember. Pretty hard to kill me, so stop worrying about saving me.”

  Elle decided she was going to ignore him, he just didn’t understand. These things whatever they were, were not going to stop. And they wanted her dead or alive, Elle shivered. She didn’t do dead well.

  Victor must have seen her shiver. “Stop worrying Elle, everything is going to be fine.”

  Fine was relative at the moment, especially since Chaos was somehow playing with the pieces. If only she knew whose side he was on.

  How did she explain she believed she was being used as bait by her brothers and sisters? And the Freaks just wanted to use her for the curse she had. Elle laid her head against the glass letting the cool feeling penetrate into her mind as she tried to figure out a way to get out of the predicament she was in, somehow she had gotten herself wedged in between a rock and a hard place and now she had gotten the Reapers involved.

  A panic attack seized her and her heart rate increased, and tightness banded around her chest. Elle tried to take breathes but she didn’t seem to be able to get them deep enough. She leaned forward and put her head between her knees.

  “Elle?” Victor asked.

  She held up a hand. There were just too many moving pieces in this damn chess game. Why were there so many damn pieces? And she didn’t even know who the hell all the players were. Or whose side the players were on, all she knew was she was the pawn. Just her, oh wait she had a Reaper on her side she couldn’t confide in because if she did she would put him in more danger. Oh and she couldn’t confide in him because she didn’t even have the right answers.

  No answers, and now clues, just Elle the cursed pawn.

  Her panic attack got considerable worse.

  “Elle?” Victor asked when she didn’t move after a few minutes.

  She lifted her head and looked at him, tears ran down her face. “Stop the fucking car.” She reached over and grabbed the wheel forcing the car to the side of the road.

  Victor swore trying to regain control of the vehicle, Elle didn’t wait as the SUV slowed before she jumped out.

  Stumbling away from the car, her vision tunneled to small pinpoints. She wretched empting her stomach and then started to run. Blackness was closing in around her, and no air was getting in and she clawed at her chest trying to pull at whatever was clinging to her throat and chest prohibiting her from breathing.

  Something stopped her, strong arms wrapped around her and Elle blinked trying to focus.

  “Hello, little demi-god.” Elle looked up and all she saw were black eyes, hands so cold they burned her arms gripping her tighter and tighter. “You belong to me,” The black eyes whispered.

  Elle opened her mouth to scream in pain but nothing came out. She jerked trying to get out. Get away. “Oh little one, I’ve waited so long for you.”

  Elle shook her head, trying to make her voice work. Trying to draw air in. Where the hell had Victor gone?

  Then the fathomless eyes turned from her. “I wish I had more time.” One cold hand released her, and pain seared through her chest. It was a pain she had felt before. With everything she was worth Elle shoved away from the thing holding her and looked down.

  A pearl handled dagger sticking from just below her left breast. “Damn it,” she gurgled as blood poured from her chest.

  ****

  Victor watched Elle tumble from the moving vehicle swearing the entire time. What the hell was wrong with her? His heart skipping. He jerked the car to a stop and jumped out trying to figure out where the hell she had gone.

  “Christian,” he bellowed for his brother as he took off down the road. It only took a moment for Christian to appear next to him.

  “Contrary to what you might think I do have a damn life,” he muttered.

  Victor grabbed his brother by the color of his shirt and shook him. “She took off.”

  Christian looked around. “How far could she have gone?”

  Victor knew he had to be right but they couldn’t see anything. Then he heard a moan and both turned to see a flicker of light, and Elle stumble from dark shadow.

  A man stumbled through as well wrapping his arms around Elle.

  Victor and Christian both reacted; Victor grabbed Elle as Christian slammed a fist into the large man’s face.

  Elle stumbled into Victor’s arms, her mouth was open in shock and he immediately wrapped his arms around her as he swung her out of the fight. “Don’t move.” She didn’t say anything, and he only hoped she was finally listening to him.

  He turned back to the bastard who had thought to take Elle from him, Victor pulled his scythe out and smiled, he could feel the black soul radiating from the bastard. The pits of violence were going to feast on this soul.

  “Make sure Elle is okay,” Victor told Christian, as he stepped into the fight. Christian nodded and stepped back Victor glared at the guy. “You picked on the wrong demi-god.” He swung the scythe, burying it in the man’s shoulder he cut the guy deep.

  He grunted and stepped back. “She belongs to us now. Go back to the Infernos.”

  “Yeah, go fuck yourself.” Victor swore and lashed out with his scythe again. The guy side stepped just barely missing another slash that would have opened up his stomach.

  “Do you honestly think you can continue to run? Continue to fight us?” he laughed. “Hiding is out of the question. We know every step she takes.”

  Victor snarled and lashed out again, the guy stepped out of reach yet again. Now Victor was just getting pissed off. “When I have your soul I will feed it into the pits of Violence one small piece at a time.”

  This had him laughing again. “You think you Reapers have all the power. You think you control the market on suffering.” He leaned forward, black hair fell across his forehead and over his black fathomless eyes and for just a moment Victor was caught staring into them and he thought he saw an empty black eternity stretched for as far as he could see and it made him cold and empty.

  Victor stumbled back shaking his head of the bleakness he had seen, but it was enough and the guy rushed him fists flying. A fist connected solidly with Victors chin knocking him back several steps, it was followed with a kick to the stomach doubling Victor over, he collapsed into the gravel it rubbed the skin of his palms raw as he slid to a halt.

  He heard Christian swearing and then the sound of a shot gun action and firing several times. Then silence, Victor lay in the dirt trying to gasp for air which didn’t seem to want to enter his lungs. He finally rolled to his hands and knees. “Christian?”

  “Damn man, who the hell was that?” Christian asked, helping Victor to his feet.

  “Shit if I know, but I bet it would have something to do with those Freaks that have been attacking Elle.” Victor pushed his brother’s hands away from him he was bruised but didn’t think anything was broken. “Where is Elle?”

  Christian’s face fell and he stepped in front of Victor. “Man…” his voice trailed off. “It was too late.” Christian kept talking but blood started rushing in Victor’s ears and he couldn’t hear him. He looked over Christians shoulder at the huddled form on the side of the road, in the dark it could have been anything. But Victor knew it wasn’t anything it was Elle and she had been terrified, so terrified she had run from him.

  Ran from him right into the arms of the creature that had killed her.

  The pounding in his ears turned into roaring and he launched toward the small form on the ground but Christian stopped him. “There is nothing you can do Victor.”

  “Let me try,” he growled. “Let me at least try.”

  Christian wrestled with him until they were both on the ground. “Let the Angels come for her.” Christian’s words finally penetrated Victor’s anger. Stopping his rage to fix what had happened to Elle.

&n
bsp; “Fuck the Angels,” Victor snarled. “They can’t have her.” Victor tried to push past his brother but Christian held tight.

  “Victor think man. She deserves to go.” Victor felt such rage he knew he wasn’t thinking straight. But Christian wouldn’t let him go.

  He stopped fighting Christian and looked around. “How long has it been?” he looked around.

  “A couple of minutes,” Christian said, they were both barely breathing.

  “She’s not dead,” Victor said rushing forward. If she were dead then the Angels would have come for her. She was a pure soul, who could she have hurt, what ails could she have done in her life time to deserve to go to the Infernos? No the Angels would come for her, if not then she wasn’t dead.

  Victor scrambled on all fours over to her, turning her over as gentle as possible he rolled her over gasping at the knife protruding from her stomach. He pulled it out and tossed it away then he checked her for life signs but found none. “Gods, please,” he found himself begging.

  He placed his hand over the wound trying to heal it. But nothing happened no warming sensation like he had with his siblings. Knowing, he wouldn’t be able to heal her. Cursing he looked at Christian. “What the hell?”

  He reached forward, he could feel her soul but it was still in her body. “I feel it, it’s still there.”

  Christian moved, placing his hand over her heart and shrugging. “I don’t understand it.”

  Victor grabbed her and shook her by the shoulders. “Elle.” He shook her. “Damn it.”

  He didn’t expect anything to happen, then suddenly her eyes popped open; white orbs starred up into the dark night. She sucked in a deep gasp of air, arching up as she did it. Then collapsed back down into the dirt she took several deep shuddering breaths, desperately deprived then convulsed with bone breaking jerks, she finally rolled to her side, she let out a blood curdling scream. She scratched at the dirt, clawing for purches, for gods only knew what, until one nail came off. Her body continuing to jolt in pain.