My Tethered Soul: Volume 2 (Reaper's Rite)

by Dorothy Dreyer

  I took the seat next to her, hoping the Poulters didn’t have some crazy rule about sitting in the same chair every night. I was about to ask her how she was when Helene entered the room with such bravado, I couldn’t get a word in.

  “Hello, darlings. I have worked up quite the appetite. Meditating really gets my tummy rumbling. That’s actually when I know to stop.” She laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She quickly kissed the top of Lilura’s head, then dodged Lilura’s flailing hand as she slunk into her seat.

  After her came Paxton and Naomi. She was all smiles as Paxton whispered in her ear. They seemed even chummier since the last time I saw them. They sat next to each other at the table. When his phone chirped, he took it out and shut it off. I caught Naomi’s eyes widen in surprise, but she hid the expression from Paxton.

  The rest of the congregation shuffled in, with Gavin and Chase entering the room last. Gavin had a new bandage on his arm. I could have kicked myself for not being there when Chase tended to him. I made a note to be by Gavin’s side the next time his bandage was changed.

  Chase nodded to me once before he took his seat, and Gavin slid into the spot beside me after placing a soft kiss on the top of my head.

  Except for Mr. Poulter, everyone was at the table. Hunter handed Mara her wineglass, offering to clink his with hers. She narrowed her eyes at him, but did it anyway. The smallest hint of a smile touched her lips as she sipped her wine.

  The servants moved in at once and placed plates of appetizers in front of each of us. It was as if they were waiting for the exact moment when the table was full. But where was Mr. Poulter?

  Mrs. Poulter cleared her throat. “Lilura, I’ve been thinking about what we were discussing. I believe I have an idea of why Zadie was able to stay aware when the Reaper controlled her.”

  I swallowed hard, my garlic shrimp nearly lodging in my throat. When had Lilura told Mrs. Poulter about that? Not that it was a bad thing, but it felt awfully strange that they’d discussed me when I wasn’t around.

  “Well, let’s hear it.” Lilura knocked her elbows onto the table.

  “Erina informed me that your grandson has concocted a potion to stop Zadie’s sleepwalking.”

  Chase and Lilura exchanged glances. Erina offered me a small smile.

  Lilura narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. What of it?”

  Mrs. Poulter folded her hands and addressed Chase. “Not to offend your alchemist skills, but perhaps the potion merely kept a part of her brain awake rather than prohibiting sleepwalking. Although she was unable to control her movements when the Reaper took over, the part of her brain affected by your powder remained conscious.”

  I set my fork down and placed my hands in my lap. Her theory made sense. Not that I understood the science of it. And not that it made things any less scary. I looked to Lilura. “So should I stop taking the potion?”

  Lilura shook her head. “It has nothing to do with the Reaper getting control. What do you prefer: knowing what the Reaper is making you do, or waking up oblivious to your actions?”

  “Darling,” Helene said, leaning forward to look past Lilura at me. “You said the Reaper spoke to you when you were under his spell?”

  My mind flashed back to Rudy’s house. Then to Kelly’s roof. “Yes.”

  “But only after you took the potion?”

  I nodded, trying to follow her logic.

  “I say you continue to take it.” Helene checked her reflection in her spoon. “If it happens again, and he talks to you, talk back. Ask him what he wants. Maybe we can figure out a way to break the curse.”

  The problem was I knew what he wanted. He wanted Vila souls. What else could he possibly want to satisfy his hunger?

  As the staff cleared the appetizer plates, Mr. Poulter entered the room. Without acknowledging any of us, he walked straight to his wife and kissed her on her cheek.

  “Sorry I’m late, dear,” he said, taking his seat. “The meeting went long.”

  She smiled demurely at him. “You’ve missed your appetizer. Should I have one brought out to you?”

  “No, no. I’ll skip it today. I trust you and your acquaintances took care of everything that needed to be done. Leaving tonight, are they?” He asked as if we weren’t in the room.

  “In the morning, dear. We have some business to attend to tonight, but it will be too late for them to drive home.”

  I shifted in my chair. “I hope we’re not imposing, Mr. Poulter.”

  For the first time since we’d been there, his eyes landed on me. I tried to smooth him over with a smile, but his face remained stoic. So much for social graces.

  Returning his gaze to his wife, he nodded once. “In the morning, then.”

  The main dish was served, steam wafting from every plate. I picked up my fork—hoping it was the one I was supposed to use for this course—when the table shook. Wineglasses toppled over, fine china bounced, and silverware jumped to the floor. I grasped the table’s edge.

  “Earthquake?” Mara asked.

  Before anyone could respond, every window in the dining room shattered. Through the broken glass, something—or rather, a mass of something—flew in. Millions of tiny crystals, hard as rock, pelted us. We jumped from our chairs and ducked to the floor. I pinched some of the white crystal between my fingers. It was rock salt. Something had broken through the barriers.

  Diana, Erina, and Paxton crawled toward Mrs. Poulter. They joined hands and chanted the weakening spell they taught us earlier, but at the moment, I couldn’t think straight enough to recall the words. The rain of rock salt stopped.

  Mara scrambled over to me and grabbed my arm, pointing to the wall. A shadow moved across it. Our fingers locked. But we couldn’t release our Orbis here; the shadow floated too low, flying behind everyone in the room. And he was fast. We’d never get a clear shot. We might hit someone with our energy ball. I’d already hurt Gavin; I wasn’t about to harm anyone else.

  Helene stood, her eyes on the Reaper’s shadow. From her clutch purse, she pulled out her deck of cards. What was she planning to do with them?

  With a fling of her arm, she threw some of the cards at the shadow. Mid-air, they transformed into metal objects shaped like the suit of spades. They zipped into the wall, catching the shadow of the Reaper’s cloak, which tore on impact. The tattered shadow of cloth instantly evaporated into a black puff of smoke.

  The Reaper zoomed over to the opposite wall, chilling the air as he moved.

  Teeth clenched, Helene spun and pitched the remaining cards.

  The Reaper growled. The shadow of his hand extended to the ice bucket on the bar. The bucket lifted and was hurled through the air. Gasping, Mrs. Poulter threw her hands up, but the ice bucket slammed into her head and knocked her backward. Mr. Poulter screamed and rushed to her side, gathering her onto his lap. He set his jaw and glared at the Reaper, then shouted in a language I couldn’t understand. The Reaper let out a thunderous roar and disappeared out the window into the night sky.

  We looked around in silence, waiting. Five minutes passed before anybody moved. Diana let out a shuddered cry, holding her mother’s hand. Mrs. Poulter moaned, pressing her palm to her head.

  “I’ll get the healing salve.” Paxton darted from the room.

  Helene picked up two pieces of ice that had fallen to the floor and placed them in a linen napkin. She gently pressed it to Mrs. Poulter’s temple.

  Mrs. Poulter looked up at her. Her voice was small. “Thank you. I’m fine, really.”

  Mr. Poulter slowly lifted his head, his eyes red with fury. He looked directly at me. “This is what happens when we invite evil into our home.”

  I shook my head, forcing myself to breathe. “We’re not the enemy here. A Reaper did this.”

  Diana stood and scowled at me. “We were safe until you came here. You’ve put us all in danger. You brought this into our house!”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mara and I scrabbled over the floor to Lilura, who coughed i
ncessantly as she brushed glass off herself. I picked a shard out of her hair, and she slapped my hand away.

  “I’m fine. Stop touching me.” Her coughs dwindled down to wheezes.

  “Are you cut anywhere?” Mara asked.

  Suddenly she was lifted into the air. It was as if Hunter appeared out of nowhere. Bits of glass showered down from her form as he cradled her in his arms.

  “I’ll take her to the other room. You might want to join us.” Hunter glared at Mr. Poulter. “The physical strain is one thing, but the verbal attacks are a bit too much.”

  “Put me down, you big buffoon.” Lilura slammed her fists into his arms, but he kept his hold on her.

  “I will, Grandma. In the other room.”

  Helene checked her hands and arms, then whipped out her compact and checked her reflection. “Yes, darlings. Let’s go into the living room. Dinner may be ruined, but we can still continue with the séance.”

  Hunter nodded and left the room. With a grunt, Chase followed him, glancing my way for only a second. Gavin laced his fingers with mine. My head swirled as the events of the evening replayed in my head.

  Leaving the Poulters behind, we all met in the living room. Helene stood by the crackling fireplace, her hands pressed together and held up to her lips as if she was praying.

  “Normally, this is done by candlelight, but I think the fire will work just as well.”

  “What else do we need?” Mara asked.

  Lilura scowled from the couch. “The Poulters, unfortunately.”

  “Why do we need them?” I asked.

  Helene glided to the center of the room. “We have a better chance of contacting the witch who made the pact if one of her relatives is in the circle. The chance increases if more of her family joins.”

  Figures. I took a deep breath. “I’ll get them.”

  Mara widened her eyes. I shrugged in response.

  Gavin began to walk with me, but I turned to him and placed a hand on his chest. “Let me go alone. It might go over better if they don’t feel like they’re being ganged up on.”

  At first, he looked as if he was about to argue. But then he nodded and grazed my cheek with his thumb.

  I caught Naomi grimace and Chase smirk just before I headed into the hall.

  In the dining room, Paxton looked up at me as he finished applying a bandage to his mother’s head. Diana held a small, clear bottle in her hands, which I assumed was the healing ointment. Mr. Poulter stood with his hands on his hips and his lips pulled into a hard line. Around him, the staff scurried to sweep up the broken glass.

  Erina came over to me, worry etched on her face. “Is Lilura all right?”

  “She seems to be. Your aunt?”

  She kept her voice low. “Paxton took care of the wound. She doesn’t seem to have a concussion.”

  Mr. Poulter glared at me. Not that he ever looked at me any other way. I pushed back my anxiety and concentrated on the task at hand.

  “Helene still wants to do the séance. She says we need one—if not all—of you.”

  I made a point not to look at Mr. Poulter. Though he was a witch too, and could possibly help in our mission, I knew there was no way he’d agree to join us.

  Erina’s eyes stayed on mine, her expression unchanged, as if she wasn’t sure what to say.

  Mrs. Poulter stood from her chair, her arm supported by Paxton. “Yes, of course. We’ll come right away.”

  “Morgan.” Mr. Poulter’s voice was laced with ice. “I implore you to disassociate yourself from this atrocity.”

  “I gave my word, dear. They need our help.”

  Mr. Poulter tightened his jaw. His face flared red as his eyes bore into me. Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer to his wife. To my surprise, his voice softened. “You’ve always been a stubborn woman.”

  Mrs. Poulter’s mouth curled into a small smile. “It wouldn’t be like you to marry someone with a weak mind.”

  He placed his hand gently on the side of her face, his forefinger resting just under her wounded temple. “Be careful. You know I’d be nothing without you.”

  She turned her face into his palm and placed a kiss there. I averted my eyes as he left the room.

  Mrs. Poulter nodded at me. “Let’s go, then.”

  With a look of pure hatred, Diana slammed the healing ointment on the table and scowled at me. “I shouldn’t be helping you, but I’d rather be there when you contact an old relative of mine. In case you offend her or something. You’ve already hurt my mother. Who knows what you’ll do to the rest of the family.”

  “Diana, calm down.” Mrs. Poulter set her hand on Diana’s shoulder. “No one is here out of malicious intent.”

  Diana took a deep breath through her nose as she ground her teeth. “Yes, Mother.”

  When we joined the others in the living room, Helene clasped her hands together. For the tiniest moment, Lilura looked impressed with me. But she quickly shifted her eyes and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief as she cleared her throat.

  The echo of Helene’s high-pitched voice filled the room. “Come gather around the coffee table. We need to form a circle.”

  Naomi covered her mouth with her hands. “Wow. An actual séance.”

  With a tilt of her head, Helene frowned at her. “Sorry, darling. Only witches and Vila in this circle. You can wait with Hunter, Chase, and Gavin in the den.”

  “But…”

  Paxton ran a hand down her arm. “I wish you could stay, but it will work better if the circle consists of pure magic.”

  His dimples must have won her over. Her face broke out into a shy smile. “Just be sure to find me afterwards and let me know how it went, okay?”

  He shot her a wink. “It’s a date.”

  Gavin locked eyes with me, our silence speaking volumes, then he headed out to the den behind Hunter and Chase.

  Seated at one end of the table, Helene stretched her hands out to us. I took one hand, and Mrs. Poulter took the other. One by one, we formed a circle on the floor around the coffee table. Diana, though reluctant, completed the link.

  Helene closed her eyes. Mara released a shuddering breath, then squeezed my fingers so tight I had to bite my cheek to keep quiet. My heart thumped against my rib cage. I had no idea what to expect, and when Helene let out a long, low hum, I was even more curious.

  “Entities of the Spirit World, I call upon you with great reverence. I respectfully ask to speak with one from the Beyond.”

  The crackle of the fire was the only sound that filled the room. A full minute passed before anything happened. Then the air chilled. I clenched my jaw so my teeth wouldn’t chatter.

  Helene hummed louder. My hands started to tingle the way they did when I worked my magic. I glanced around the circle. The three older women had their eyes closed. The rest of us looked around at each other. Judging by their expressions, I wasn’t the only one apprehensive about what to expect.

  The fire flickered wildly, causing the shadows to dance on the walls. Every muscle in my body tensed.

  Helene’s eyes remained closed, but she straightened her back. “Oh, great guide of the Spirit World, I thank you for opening the gates to the Beyond. We wish to speak with a great ancestor of Morgan Poulter, in the bloodline of the Klemens family, who is bound in this circle.”

  The fire sparked and crackled as the blaze grew brighter. Beneath my hands, joined with Helene on one side and Mara on the other, the coffee table vibrated. Mara’s eyes flew to mine, and she swallowed hard.

  A low drone began in Helen’s throat. She dropped her head forward and raised her hands, still linked in the circle. The table lifted three inches off the floor and hovered there. Helene slowly raised her chin. When she opened her eyes, they were all white, the irises completely vanished. The sight was so startling, I had to force myself not to flinch away from her.

  “Great Spirit, what is your name?” Helene asked.

  The voice that came from her mouth next was not her own. It was female,
but not the usual high pitch in which Helene spoke. The accent was foreign, but I couldn’t place it. Though it came from Helene’s mouth, it carried an echo with it, as if the speaker was in a great hall.

  “My name is Diana Anglia, in the Klemens bloodline, of Maleventum, Italia.”

  The young Diana perked up, no doubt pleased at hearing her namesake.

  “What is it that you ask of me?”

  “Diana of Maleventum,” Helene said in her own voice, “we have called upon you to ask about the contingencies of the Reaper’s Rite, a pact believed to be formed by you.”

  The fire growled, the jumping flames sending shadows to flee across the walls.

  “What can you tell us, Great Spirit?”

  Helene’s chin rose, her mouth parted, but a full minute passed before the spirit’s voice came again.

  “It was I who made the pact with Samael, Dark Angel of Death, Lord of Reapers.”

  A shiver slipped down my spine. It was as if tiny pinpricks attacked my entire body.

  “Diana of Maleventum, we have found ourselves in dire straits. We need to know how to break the pact.”

  I glanced at the young Diana, whose mouth was set in a line.

  “Who is requesting this of me?”

  “We are.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Helene Foley. I am here with your descendents, both witch and Vila alike.”

  Silence stifled the air. The fire grew dimmer for a moment then suddenly kicked back up.

  “She’s not going to help,” Mara whispered. “She hates us. That’s why she made the pact to begin with.”

  Helene’s head whipped in Mara’s direction, her empty white eyes glaring. “There is no hate in the Beyond. It is a human feeling that does not carry over into this realm. Unlike regret.”

  Lilura pursed her lips, eyes still shut.

  Through hushed tones, I asked, “Does that mean you’ll help us?”

  “I’m sorry, but it cannot be done.”