Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel

by Palmer, Christie

  “What part of I wanted to question him was so hard to understand?” Victor snarled.

  “That thing isn’t actually alive,” Skylar said. “And anything that isn’t alive doesn’t have anything to lose. He didn’t have anything to say.”

  Victor swore and glared at the Freak, then hauled off and kicked it. Which made Ryder laugh even harder. “That’s it. I’m going to stab your brother.” Victor glared at Ryder, who had his feet propped up on the dash of his Buggie.

  “Be my guest. Just remember you have to deal with Kyra.” The last thing Victor needed was an emotional female. Besides stabbing Ryder wouldn’t solve any of his problems.

  They were surprised when three more Freaks appeared with a snapping sound. Making a growling noise, they grouched down into a lung position. Surrounding them, Victor looked at them and shook his head. “What the hell?”

  Victor, Skylar and Lykar all took on attack poses.

  “Hold.” The commanding voice spoke from Victor’s left. Victor turned to the man he had fought several days before. The man who had killed Elle. Victor wanted this man on the end of his scythe, he wanted his soul delivered directly to Hell itself.

  “You’re not long for this world,” Victor said pointing his scythe at the man. Black eyes glittered back at him.

  The Freaks backed up, and surrounded the man. The man’s head tilted to the side as he regarded Victor. “Give me Elle.”

  Victor advanced swinging his scythe at the first hooved Freak who got in his way, carving a deep groove into the bicep that swung at him. He followed up with a side kick to the things stomach knocking him back on his butt.

  “Go fuck yourself,” Victor snarled. The other Freaks surged forward, and Victor could feel the two Trackers move in behind him. In short order, they had removed the Freaks standing between them and the man. “He belongs to me,” Victor said to Skylar and Lykar.

  “Who is Elle to you?” he asked.

  Bottomless black eyes stared back at him. Hair hung down over a broad forehead. “More of my pets where they came from,” he said of the things laying in heaps at their feet. “And the beautiful Elle has been promised to me. Now bring her to me.”

  “What is she to you?” Victor demanded. He needed some damn answers. Whatever was going on, this piece of shit had the answers. And Victor needed them, before he took his soul to Lucifer.

  “Hiding her behind those pitiful wards is useless.” He looked over Victor’s shoulder at the gates to The Staten.

  Victor snorted. “It seems to be keeping your ass out.”

  “For now.”

  “Victor.” Lykar spoke close to Victor’s ear. Victor shrugged him off.

  “Tell Elle, Aldon awaits her.” Victor had heard enough. He stepped forward and swung one of his scythes at Aldon. Who moved with a speed Victor hadn’t been expecting. One moment he was standing there and in a blur of movement, he shifted away. Victor swung again, but Aldon continued to move with blinding speed.

  Victor snarled and moved just as fast, the two shifting around the space neither touching each other. Until the sound of several guns cocking into action stopped Victor. He pulled up short next to Lykar and Skylar.

  More than a dozen slavering Freaks stood between them and the gates to Staten.

  “As I mentioned, I have many more pets where they come from. How long do you really think you can keep your wards up, while under constant attack.” Aldon laughed and with a snapping sound, he disappeared.

  “What the fuck is he exactly?” Victor snapped.

  “Smells mortal,” Lykar said, and added. “But something Other added in there. Not sure what else. Has to be something very ancient.”

  “And these undead pieces of shit?” Sky asked pointing at the group; cloven-hooved, multi-colored, horned and unhorned, and some hairless, others with hair flowing down their backs. One had dreds, another had a high and tight haircut. All of them looked like they wanted nothing other than to tear the three of them too shreds.

  “I’d say kill them but since you say they are already dead.” Victor shrugged.

  “Well dead is relative. They have all the parts.” One rushed at them as Skylar started to explain. Lykar shot at it, he hit it in the shoulder. It was smaller than the rest but the bullet didn’t even slow it down as it charged.

  “Really?” Sky turned on his brother. “Who taught you how to shoot?” he stepped out of the way as the thing rammed past them. Lykar rolled his eyes and put a bullet into the thing’s head as it passed. It crumpled to the ground. “Anyway, they have a beating heart and everything else, but there is nothing going on inside. There is nothing there.”

  Victor looked on as several more broke from the main pack. “Was there ever anything there? Where they mortals at some point?”

  Skylar shook his head. “Naw, man. No lingering mortal there.”

  They fought a couple which had broken from the main pack and had attacked the gate. Finishing them off quickly. The fact that they hadn't been mortals at some point, relieved Victor slightly. He didn't want to report to Dante that something was turning mortals into hideous freaks. On top of Reaping their souls, to boot!

  “Now what?” Sky asked.

  “Yo, Ryder?” Lykar screamed over the noise of the Freaks.

  “Falcon is going to be so pissed,” Ryder screamed back.

  "Yeah, but, you're ok?" Lykar asked.

  "No. I need a fucking hug because Freaks are attacking you piss ants." Was the sarcastic reply.

  Lykar shook his head. “Well at least Ryder is fine.”

  “We need to get back behind the gates,” Victor said.

  “Shit.” Skylar swore and turned from the gates. “If you thought it was hard to get into the Staten just wait.”

  ****

  "Eric, for the love of all the gods! The Staten is under attack! We need to get back in there."

  “Go to hell. I’m not allowing a Reaper into the Haven,” came the calm reply.

  Skylar grabbed the box and shook it, but it didn’t move.

  “Skylar, I can see you. You dumb ass.” All three men looked up at the camera over the gate. Lykar waved, which made Skylar shove him. And flip the camera the bird.

  “Eric for the love of all the gods. The Staten is under attack, we need to get back in there.” Skylar forced the words out between his teeth. It was all Victor could do to keep quiet. He knew anything he said would only antagonize the leader of the Elemental Enforcers.

  Eric didn’t like him, and he understood why. If Celeste had been punished like Kyra had for crimes she had committed by the Elemental Enforcers, then Victor would have a beef with Eric. So he was just going to keep his mouth closed for the moment.

  But Kyra had been punished by Dante, for foolishly and accidently opening a Pandora’s Box. And she carried the scars on her soul to prove it. But this wasn’t about Kyra, and damn it he needed to get back to Elle.

  There was a buzzing sound and then Eric appeared as the gates swung open. He held a gun to Victor’s forehead. “Don’t by any means, think this makes us even, Reaper. Or friends. You will follow them to the tunnel you will touch nothing. And you will never return.”

  Victor just nodded. He didn’t care, he just wanted back in. Eric lowered his gun. “Follow me.”

  They ran the two miles to the Haven, and took an elevator down two floors. “What’s with the golf carts?”

  Eric just gave him a strange look. “This one will take you the six miles between the Haven and Staten in four minutes.”

  “That’s pretty fast.”

  They climbed behind the wheel. “Seal the entrance,” Sky said.

  “Tell Kyra to let me know what the hell is going on,” Eric said as he closed the door and Victor could feel the wards come down around the room sealing them in.

  Sky smiled. “Let’s go home.”

  The ride back to Staten made him vomit, and Lykar and Skylar laughed so hard he ended up slugging them both in the face. He wasn’t sure who ended up the wors
e for the ride. When the three of them stumbled into the kitchen Sky was holding a bloody lip, Lykar was trying to stop his bloody nose and Victor was trying to keep his stomach under control. He was sure none of them were ever going to speak about it, ever again.

  He barely caught Elle as she threw herself into his arms. “Oh, my god, they said you were coming back but until I felt you a minute ago I wasn’t sure. Are you hurt?”

  “Elle…” Victor tried to pull away from her but she was plastered against him. And part of him was glad she was there and in his arms.

  “Don’t ‘Elle’ me,” she muttered against him.

  “Ryder said there are Freaks attacking the gate. That you guys were trapped outside the gate.” She pulled away from him, ringing her hands as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

  Victor sighed and cupped her cheek, he eased her lip out from between her teeth. “I’m fine, Elle. Have you gotten something to eat? How are you feeling?” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

  They both realized at the same time how quiet the room was and turned to look. The room was occupied by five different Trackers and Kyra. All of whom, starred at Victor and Elle, as if they had never seen them before.

  Victor glared at them “What?” he demanded. Wanting to pull Elle behind him, he wasn’t sure what they were staring at. His only instinct was to protect Elle.

  Kyra was the first to recover. “Um… nothing. I just finished making her eat something. Didn’t I, Elle?”

  Elle nodded. “I’m feeling much better. We should leave.”

  “Are you kidding?” Skylar barked with laughter, making him grin around his spilt lip. “Just how do you plan to get around the dozen or so Freaks at the gate sweetheart?”

  Victor shoved him. “Don’t call her sweetheart.”

  “Christ above and below. We literally have Freaks at the gate and you have an issue with me calling her sweetheart?” Sky asked.

  “Yes, do it again and I’ll split your other lip,” Victor said.

  “Elle?” Skylar looked at Elle as he spoke.

  “Don’t do this Skylar.” Kyra tried to step between the two men. But Ryder grabbed her around the waist and picked her up to pull her back against him.

  Victor growled low, Elle looked confused as she looked at Skylar and back at Victor.

  “Yes?” Elle looked at Skylar and back at Victor.

  “We haven’t been introduced,” Skylar said holding out his hand. “I am Skylar.”

  Elle took it and Skylar shook her hand gently. “Nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine,” she said with a tentative smile.

  “Do you mind if I call you sweetheart?” Sky asked with a devilish smile not releasing her hand.

  Elle caught her breath as Victor pulled her back severing their linked hands; she grabbed Victor before he did something stupid. “Um…Elle is fine thank you.”

  Skylar laughed. “Then Elle it is.”

  Elle turned from him and back to Victor. “We need to leave. And you promised I could call Helena as soon as we were safe.”

  “Um Elle,” Skylar emphasized her name and Elle turned back to him. “Did you miss the part where we have slavering monsters at the gate? Cause if so I can show you a picture. Falcon, show the girl a picture.” He elbowed a large man standing next to him.

  Things were getting out of hand; this wasn’t the way this was supposed to go. Helena was probably out of her mind with worry, it had been several days since Elle had checked in. This wasn’t how this whole thing was supposed to work out.

  Elle’s mind was going in several different directions at once, and she looked around the room. They were all in danger now because of her. And to make matters worse, Kyra was a Druid. And although she was as tough as nails and a Elemental Enforcer, she was still not immortal. This was dangerous for them all. Her ever present guilt kicked up several notches.

  Even with her shields up, Elle could feel the love between Kyra and Ryder. It was like a beacon. Especially when they were in the same room. When they touched, a blue light shined between them, making Elle catch her breath. It was something she had never seen before, and lovely to view. The Gods would never forgive her if she destroyed something like that.

  “I need to call Helena,” she said around the lump in her throat. The sooner she was able to contact her sister the better. She couldn’t put these people in danger.

  Kyra stepped forward and offered her a phone. “Here you can use mine. It can’t be tracked.”

  She thanked her and turned to leave. Victor stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t go far.” His words should have irritated her. But they didn’t. His worry warmed her. She had never had anyone ever worry about her before. It was a novel experience. But she knew she shouldn’t get used to it. She gave him a smile and moved down the hall to make her call.

  “Elle?” Helena picked up on the first ring.

  Elle let out a gasp. “Helena?” It was good to hear her sister’s voice. After everything that had happened over the last couple of days, she was sure concern was there.

  "Elle, where are you? You were supposed to be here two days ago!" Helena shouted.

  “I told you the last time we talked, things weren’t going the way I had planned. I had to use the emergency number and call a Reaper. I was munched on by some horned green Freak and had to hide in a graveyard. I was attacked in a motel, then stabbed in the chest on the side of the road.” The words tumbled out of her like a damn had been broken.

  “My gods, Elle,” Helena exhaled. “Where are you now?”

  This is where Elle’s tongue froze to the roof of her mouth. She had been hours away, now she was days away. Being hidden by Trackers and Druids, Helena’s number one rule for Elle was to stay hidden.

  When she didn’t immediately answer Helena asked again, “Elle, where are you?”

  “I’m still with the Reaper,” she said avoiding the question. But Helena had known Elle her entire life. “You remember him don’t you, the one I accidently sold my soul too?”

  “Elle where are you?”

  “I believe I am in Illinois,” Elle said holding her breath.

  Helena let out an audible sigh. “How long until you get here?”

  “To the safe house?” Elle asked.

  “Elle, how many times do I have to explain you are in danger? I can’t keep you safe if you don’t get here.” Elle wondered, not for the first time, why Helena hadn’t come for her herself. But then Helena never did come for her. She sent others to come for her, always had.

  "I know, Helena. The situation is out of my hands at the moment," Elle explained. "Why don't you tell me, what the hell is going on. I feel like there's something you're not telling me." Like usual.

  “Why would you say that?” Helena barked.

  “Because it is usually the case,” Elle barked back then bit her lip. It was unlike her to snap at anyone much less Helena.

  “When have I ever steered you wrong Elle? Who has taken care of you for the last millennia?” she asked curtly.

  Elle felt a tug of irritation when she knew she should feel bad for snapping at her sister. Helena was right. She had been the only one of her siblings to not turn her back on Elle, after she'd been cursed.

  “And you would turn on me now? When so much is going wrong?” Irritation layered each word, and Elle did feel horrible now. “After everything I have done for you, Elle. I can’t believe you. You would be a mindless slave if it wasn’t for me. It’s bad enough you let yourself get cursed but now after I warned you about getting out of the cabin. You turn on me?”

  “You told me to leave the cabin. It wasn’t a warning,” Elle argued. “You told me to leave.”

  She could hear Helena take an outraged inhalation. “A warning,” she argued. “Those things were coming to get you. If I hadn’t warned you. You would have been a sitting duck just waiting to be grabbed.”

  “You’re kidding right?” Elle asked. She could have made a stan
d in her cabin. She had a safe room there, weapons, enough food and ammunition and wards to keep her safe for years. “I was safe there.”

  Helena huffed. "Don't kid yourself, Elle. I need you here with me. Where are you? How soon can you get here?"

  Elle felt the lump in her throat sink into her stomach. Who was this woman she was talking too? Was Chaos right? Who were the bad guys in this war?

  “I’m safe where I am,” Elle said with more conviction then she had felt in years.

  “Elle, don’t joke with me. This isn’t funny.” She could almost hear her sister grind her teeth together. “Tell me where you are.”

  “I told you somewhere in Illinois.”

  “Dammit, Elle. There is more at stake than your sorry ass in this war,” Helena ground out.

  "Explain it to me, Helena," Elle pleaded.

  "If I thought for half a second you would understand, Elle, I would." Helena said Elle started to cry. “Why do you do that, Helena?”

  “What?” Helena bit out.

  Elle cried quietly for a minute listening to her sister breathe. “Treat me like such a child?”

  “Because you are a child, Elle.” And then Helena hung up. Elle pulled the phone away and stood there for a moment, staring at the phone in her hand. Clutching it to her chest, she leaned against the wall and sank to the floor.

  She had known her sister felt that way about her, for a long time now, maybe even her entire life. But to hear her say the words were like a knife to her heart. All of her siblings had abandoned her, one at a time. Some rather quickly, after she'd been cursed. Being the eldest, Helena had stayed with her. Finding her hiding places and identities. She hadn't actually seen Helena in several centuries. So in her way Helena had abandoned her as well. Elle sobbed for the loss because she knew it was real now. Elle truly was alone, had no ties to anything or anyone in the world. And the reality of it made her feel so small and insignificant it was over-whelming in its completeness.

  And now, she had dragged all of these innocent people into a fight. They could be hurt or possibly killed for no reason, other than being good people. Well she couldn’t allow this to happen. She was done hiding. Done being a victim and done being a child and burden on everyone else. Tired of a game she didn’t know the rules to. It was time for this shit to end.