“Thank you, babe.”
There was a knock at the door.
“You expecting someone?” Cora asked.
“No. You?”
We rarely had visitors. It was just me and Cora against the world, or so it had been for the last year. Except for yesterday when Lucas had popped back into my life with unwelcome news.
Please, don’t let him be back. I couldn’t deal with him, not today.
The knock came again. “Fee, it’s me. Please, we need to talk,” Lucas called through the door.
My heart sank.
Cora arched a brow. “Want me to tell him to fuck off?”
“No, I’ll do it.” I opened the door. “What do you want, Lucas?”
He looked freshly showered and bright-eyed, and he wasn’t alone. A petite blonde stood slightly behind him. Heart-shaped face, pouty lips, she had the girl-next-door vibe that was topped off by jeans, a boyfriend shirt, and a cardigan with sleeves that came down to her fingers.
“Look, yesterday was shit,” Lucas said. “I’m sorry about how I came across. I was too blunt.”
“He can be so blunt,” the petite blonde chimed in from behind him.
I ignored her. “Lucas, unless you’ve come to tell me you’ve changed your mind, I don’t have time for this.”
He masked his frown quickly. “I thought if you met Melody, then you might understand why we need this.”
“You think meeting your fiancée will make me feel better about you forcing me to sell my home?”
He made a sound of exasperation. “Look, Fee. I don’t mean to be harsh, but you don’t need a huge house like this. It’s just you and your pet snake. Mel and I plan on a family.”
“We’ll buy you out,” Melody said.
Luke shot her a sharp look.
Buy me out? As in take this house? My fingers tingled, and my head buzzed with anger. Acerbic curses crouched, ready to launch themselves off my tongue, and then warm heat and a taut chest pressed to my back. A powerful arm slid around my waist, reining in my rage.
“Is there a problem, babe?” Conah said in his smooth-as-melted-chocolate voice.
My heart slammed hard against my ribs at his proximity, and my stomach flipped. Hard.
Lucas stared at Conah wide-eyed, and Melody’s mouth popped open in appreciation or preparation, who knows.
“You sounded upset,” Conah continued, his voice saturated with concern. “Is this the guy you were telling me about?”
“I’m Lucas.” Lucas held out his hand, but Conah didn’t take it. “Fee and I have business,” Lucas continued.
“I don’t think so,” Conah said. “I believe Fee has said all she needs to say.”
Lucas’s jaw ticked. “Look, whoever you are, half of this house belongs to me, and I have every right to claim it.”
Conah pulled me closer to his chest and rested his chin on my head. “Of course, you do, but that doesn’t mean you should. No. You’re choosing to be a dick. Regardless, you’ve made your position clear. Thing is, Fee and I, we love this house, and we intend to raise our family in it, so we’ll be buying you out. Our solicitor will be in touch with you in the next few days.”
My heart skipped several beats, leaving me breathless.
Lucas blinked in surprise. Surprise? The bastard was surprised that someone might want to settle down and have a family with me. Urgh, I wanted to punch him in the crotch.
Conah pulled me back into the house and shut the door in Lucas’s face. He didn’t release me straight away. In fact, his grip on me tightened a fraction. I resisted the urge to relax against him. How long had it been since I’d been held like this? How long since someone other than Cora had stood up for me? Heat stung the back of my eyes.
Too long.
Cora let out a whoop. “That was fucking amazing!”
Conah released me. “I apologize for interfering. I couldn’t help myself. I overheard and put two and two together.”
“And came up with a smackdown.” Cora grinned at him. “Fee, you better give the reaper some sugar.”
I exhaled and blinked back the stupid tears before turning to face them both. “Thank you.”
“Did you see the fucking look on his face?” Cora fist-pumped the air. “Take that, wanker.”
Conah shot her an amused look.
Yes, the look on Lucas’s face had been priceless, but, “Thing is, I don’t have the money to buy him out.”
Conah frowned. “Yes, you do.”
What reality was he living in? “Um … no, I don’t.”
His brow cleared. “I’m sorry, I meant to tell you earlier, but it slipped my mind. As a Dominus reaper, you’re an heir to a fund. Plenty of money to buy this house several times over if you want.”
“Wait, Fee is rich?” Cora asked.
Conah smiled at her. “Yes, Fee is rich.”
I could buy this house. Buy out Lucas. I could keep my home. The relief was an overwhelming wave that weakened my knees.
“I’ll take care of the details,” Conah said. “But right now, we need to get back to quarters. The sooner you’re up to speed on how the reaper system operates, the better. We have a lot of training to get through before we can go after the people who took down Peiter.”
Earlier, the thought of going back to the Underealm had given me a dodgy feeling in my stomach, but that feeling was gone, replaced by direction and determination. A new purpose that was both terrifying and thrilling.
My mind was suddenly clear as a bell. “While we’re here, we should check out the alley where Peiter was attacked. We might find a clue.”
“Good idea,” Conah agreed.
“I’m coming too,” Cora said. “I can chat with the local ghosts, see if they saw or heard anything.”
Conah looked at Cora in surprise. “That would be very helpful.”
“Helpful is my middle name,” Cora said. “Well, it’s actually Harriet, but you cannot tell anyone that.” She shuddered then raked me over. “Babe, maybe you should change into something more investigatory?”
I looked down at my leather jacket, then unzipped it to reveal the bloodstained cami with the knife slit in it. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Pack up anything you want to take with you,” Conah said. “I’ll make sure it gets picked up later.”
Up in my attic room, I stripped and quickly pulled on my regular, sturdy bootcut jeans, a vest, a polo jumper, my favorite fluffy socks, and my low-heeled boots made for shitty weather.
What to pack?
My collection of detective novels? My video games? Would I even have time for them? I picked a couple of books and grabbed Chaos Dimensions because, hey, they might have internet in the Underealm, and gaming helped me wind down. I packed some clothes and my toiletries. I could come back for other stuff if I needed it. My gaze snagged on a picture of Aunt Lara and me when I was six on my bedside table. We were both smiling at the camera, and I was clutching Lissa, my favorite doll, the first thing Aunt Lara had bought me when I’d come to live with her. I’d built her myself at a store where they allowed you to customize the dolls. Lissa was gone now. Lost years ago, but she’d gotten me through some nightmares and kept me company when I’d been lonely. I plucked the picture from the bedside table and added it to the stuff to take.
Everything I needed fit in one travel bag, a bag I’d bought in the hopes I would actually get out of the city someday and never used. It still had a tag on it. Story of my life.
My life in a bag.
I’d need to grab my gaming console too, but I could come back for that, I guess.
Downstairs, I put the bag by the door and went in to say goodbye to Cyril. He lifted his head as soon as I entered. His tongue flicked out to taste the air, and then he moved fast toward the glass as if he meant to smash through it.
Whoa. “Easy, big guy.”
“What happened?”
The voice was sibilant and demanding.
I stared at Cyril, my brain refusing to pro
cess what I’d heard.
“Dammit, woman, speak to me.”
I crouched and leaned in toward the enclosure, so my nose was an inch away from Cyril’s. My breath fogged up the glass, coming faster and shallower as my mind finally accepted the fact that yes, my snake had just spoken to me.
“Oh, my God,” Cyril said. “You fucking hear me, don’t you?”
After everything crazy that had happened in the past few hours, you’d think my pet python speaking to me would have been minor, but nope, my body decided that this moment was the last straw.
I passed out.
Chapter Eleven
I sipped the water Conah handed to me and stared at Cyril. He was silent now. Watching me. Waiting …
“He spoke to you?” Cora asked for the third time.
Maybe he hadn’t. Maybe the stress of the last few hours was giving me auditory hallucinations. “Maybe I’m going insane.”
Conah studied the snake through the glass. “It’s not been unknown for demons to have special abilities, although I’ve never come across one that could communicate with snakes before.”
“Is he speaking to you now?” Cora asked.
“No.”
I set the glass of water on the coffee table and approached the enclosure. Conah’s shoulder brushed mine, and I caught a hit of his heady scent before he moved back to give me space.
I licked my dry lips and gave Cyril what I hoped was an encouraging smile. “Hey, look, I’m sorry for freaking out on you, but if you can talk, then I’m listening.”
He brought his head up to the glass, eyeing me up warily.
I’d heard him. I was sure of it. I was not insane. “I promise not to flip out, okay.”
“I don’t blame you.” The voice was sibilant and soft.
I held my breath, attention on Cyril’s unmoving mouth. His voice. He was speaking to me. Oh, God, this was real.
“I’m kind of flipping out myself actually,” Cyril continued.
The words weren’t in my head. “Did you guys hear that?”
“No,” Conah said.
Cora shook her head. “Is he talking to you right now?”
“Yeah, he just spoke.”
“What did he say?” Conah asked.
“That he’s flipping out too.” I focused on Cyril. “Have you always been able to talk?”
“If I could roll my eyes, I would,” he said. “All animals can speak, but it’s very rare for anyone to hear or understand us. Although, there was this gecko I knew who swore her handler could hear her. She died a week later when the handler accidentally stepped on her, so I believe it was wishful thinking on her part.” Cyril’s smile widened. “I guess the human didn’t hear the screams.”
“But I can hear you. All of a sudden, I can hear you. Why is that?”
“Do I look like a wise man with all the answers? I’m just as shocked as you. Unfortunately, my face has very limited range of movement.” His head moved from side to side. “Eyebrows make all the difference. You humans do underestimate eyebrows.”
“Well?” Cora asked. “What did he say?”
“He has no idea why I can hear him now when I couldn’t before.”
“It could have to do with that scythe thingy,” Cora suggested.
“Cora has a point,” Conah said. “The scythe can amplify existing talents. Tell me, have you always felt a connection to this creature? An affinity where you feel you understand it, even before you couldn’t hear it.”
I’d always allocated human attributes to Cyril. “Don’t most people do that with their pets, though? Imagine what they might be thinking and feeling?”
“Yes,” Conah said. “Except in your case, it wasn’t imaginary. In your case, Cyril was speaking, and you were subconsciously picking up on his needs.”
“Your reaper friend has a point,” Cyril said. “You do always know what I need.”
“You know about reapers too?”
Conah looked surprised. “He knows what I am?”
“We know a lot of things, Fee,” Cyril said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like out of this enclosure. If you’re going to be gone for several days on this mission of yours, then I’d prefer to have free rein of the house.”
I looked at Cora. “He wants to have free rein of the house.”
“As long as he stays out of my room,” Cora said.
“Once again, if I could roll my eyes, I would,” Cyril drawled. “As if I’d be interested in a ghost’s unslept-in bed and unlived-in chambers. No, there are much more interesting spots to curl up in.”
Wait. “What kind of spots?”
“I’ll let you know when I find them. Now, if you don’t mind …”
I slid the glass of the enclosure open, and Cyril slid out onto the floor. His huge body unfurled and stretched out to its full four-foot length.
“Off you go now,” he hissed. “I’ll be guard snake while you’re gone. Crush any intruders.”
“Maybe don’t crush anyone.”
“Spoilsport.”
He slid out of the room.
“Well, that was … Yeah.” Cora crossed her arms under her breasts. “Wonder what other surprises are in store for us today.”
“We should go,” Conah said. “The lunchtime rush will be over. We can scope out the alley in peace before we head back to quarters.”
“Come on, snake whisperer.” Cora nudged me and wiggled her eyebrows. “Let’s put our mystery-solving skills to the test.”
* * *
I stood at the mouth of the alley, unable to go in while Cora and Conah scanned the ground for clues. My feet were rooted to the ground, and my pulse pounded like crazy in my veins. Images flitted through my mind—the hooded figures, Peiter with a dagger in his chest.
They’d dragged me in, they’d stabbed me.
They’d tried to kill me in this alley. They’d tried to use the dagger on me.
Why? The question burned a hole in my head. They’d killed Peiter, the person they’d come for, but then why go for me? I was no one. I was … A revelation began to unfurl in my mind.
“Fee, you okay?” Cora asked. “You look like you’re about to puke.”
Conah looked back from farther in the alley. “You do look pale.”
“She was stabbed in this alley,” Cora said. “I think she’s having a flashback.”
I shook it off. “I’m fine. I just … I’m wondering what the hooded figures hoped to gain. Why they’d want to kill Peiter, and I think I have an idea.”
“Okay …” Conah nodded. “I’m listening.”
“So, I healed from the first stab wound, the one made with a regular knife …” I stepped into the alley. “I healed after Peiter gave me the scythe. It healed me.”
“Yes …” Conah said. “A Dominus reaper can’t be killed by regular means. The scythe heals us.”
“Right, I figured that, but Peiter told me to run, and then the hooded figures tried to use the dagger on me. To kill me. If they’d succeeded, what would happen to the scythe?”
Conah looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. There’s only been a handful of incidents when a Dominus has been killed. Each one by a Dread. In the first two cases, the scythe passed to another wielder. In the most recent, it was never retrieved. We were told it was no longer active.”
“Peiter’s brother?”
“Yes, Vale’s body was never returned to us, and neither was his scythe. They killed him, and they disposed of his body.”
I nodded. “Okay. So, those were death by Dread, but what if it’s different when a Dominus is killed with this dagger?”
Conah’s face froze for a fraction of a second. “Oh …”
Cora sucked in a sharp breath. “You think they wanted the scythe. They killed Peiter to get it. They stabbed you to eliminate witnesses. But they fucked up because they didn’t realize what you were, and Peiter was able to hand the scythe to you, so they tried to kill you too.”
“If I hadn’t been here at that moment, t
hen … Then they could have had the scythe.”
“It makes sense.” Conah began to pace. “The scythes are celestial constructs. They allow the passage into the beyond, but they also hold immense power that could be used for a host of purposes. If one were to get into the wrong hands …”
Then we were fucked. “We need to get that dagger, and we need to get it fast.”
“There aren’t any clues here,” Conah said. “Just blood and the stench of death. We’ll head back and check Peiter’s chambers for clues.”
Movement above us caught my eye. An ethereal face peered over the edge of the roof. Alarm bells rang in my head. I knew that face.
It was the face of the woman who’d tried to stab me with the dagger.
Chapter Twelve
I jabbed an index finger in her direction. “Hey, you, I know you.”
The ghost woman let out a yelp of panic and vanished.
“What is it?” Cora followed my gaze, scanning the top of the wall.
“It’s her, the woman who tried to kill me with the—”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Cora was already off. Her body morphed into a streak of silver as she flew up to the roof and vanished.
“The ghost tried to kill you?” Conah asked. His gaze roved over my face as if searching for damage.
“She wasn’t a ghost last night. She was alive, and she had the dagger.”
Conah’s mouth flattened in a grim line. “Stay here.”
He winked out, leaving me alone in the alley. The same alley where I’d been stabbed once, almost twice.
No need to panic. It was daylight, and I could handle myself. I was a reaper, but the words felt hollow in my mind because being handed a job and knowing you could do it were two separate things, and right now, I was totally out of my depth.
A minute crawled by, and then Conah reappeared in the exact spot he’d vanished from, making me jump. A silver comet flew down the alley and came to a halt a few feet from us before materializing into two forms. Cora and the woman who’d tried to kill me.
Reaper Unexpected: Deadside Reapers book 1 Page 8