2 Pocket Full of Posies

by Angela Roquet

I sighed. “Thank you.”

  “Oh, and I saw something in the paper today that might interest you.” She tossed the latest Reaper Report in my lap.

  The front cover showed another arrest scene with the Nephilim Guard taking a handful of demons and lesser Egyptian deities out of a dilapidated apartment complex.

  “Yeah, I remember Anubis mentioning the additional arrests.”

  Josie pointed to an article highlight along the side margin. “Miranda Giles from the Lost Souls Unit has gone missing.”

  “Craig’s girlfriend?”

  “Who?” Josie tilted her head in confusion.

  “Craig Hogan,” I tried again.

  “Sorry, never heard of him.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I swallowed, remembering how quickly he had popped out of existence in that dark alley. Apparently I had done a lot more than just kill him that night. I was officially freaked out.

  Josie looked at me blankly, waiting for an explanation.

  “Never mind.” I shook my head.

  “It hasn’t been determined yet whether Miranda is in league with the rebel forces or if she was their new target since they couldn’t get to you.”

  “It’s hard to say. I didn’t know her well.” I shrugged and tried to rub out the goose bumps forming along my arms.

  “Thought you’d be comforted by the notion that the rebels might have given up on you and moved on to someone else. Not that I’m wishing harm on Miranda or anyone else. I just think you could use a break, especially since you’re not actually going to be Grim’s new second.”

  I laughed. “Damn straight.”

  I didn’t really want to go into detail about how the rebel demons were trying to get to the high priority soul we had harvested last fall. To be honest, I was a little surprised that they hadn’t gone after Josie and Kevin as well. They were on the team too, but I had been put in charge. I was also surprised that Josie hadn’t asked more questions about our assignment. I was guessing that she didn’t think I knew anything more than her, so she had left the subject alone. There were a lot of little things I was thankful she had conveniently forgotten or avoided asking me about.

  Josie cleared her throat. “Well, the placement ceremony starts in eight hours, and you still look like death warmed over. I’m not sure makeup is going to cover this much damage.”

  “Meng sent some tea over.” I stuck my tongue out. “Warren should be back with it any minute now. Hopefully makeup will take care of what the tea doesn’t, though I’m not so sure the outfit I picked out for the ceremony is going to work now.”

  “Way ahead of you.” Josie grinned and opened my closet door. A soft, blue tunic dress was hung on the inside hook. It had long sleeves and a slinky cowl neck. It looked short and snug enough to pass as sexy, and with a pair of black tights, all my bumps and bruises would be covered. Well, except for the ones on my face. Makeup would have to do there. I frowned, wondering just how long I was going to be working my wardrobe around unsightly injuries.

  “You don’t like it,” Josie said, looking dejected.

  “No! It’s perfect. Thank you.” I tried to smile.

  “Well, I’m going to go finish unpacking with Kevin. Jenni is out walking the hounds. We’re taking turns until you’re feeling better.”

  “Wow. Thank you. Really. You guys are the best.”

  “You better believe it.” Josie’s smile faltered as Warren returned with the tea. She obviously still remembered the taste from last fall when she had been sent to Meng’s after Wosyet stuck her in the gut with a syringe full of laced hellfire. The horrific brew wasn’t something easily forgotten. This was my third round in a matter of weeks, and I still wasn’t used to it.

  Josie crinkled her nose and backed out of my room. “I’ll catch you later, Lana.”

  I nodded to her and took the tea from Warren. It wasn’t any easier to keep the stuff down this time, but I drank it steadily, hoping I had enough foundation to touch up what it left behind. The side of my face that had taken the most of Craig’s abuse still felt like hamburger, but I could tell that someone, probably Warren, had applied some ointment.

  I finished the tea and napped away the rest of the morning and good chunk of the afternoon. Josie woke me a couple of hours before the ceremony and I took the longest, hottest shower of my life. Stepping out of the luxury stall felt like a resurrection. After I toweled off and the steam had cleared, I finally took a look at myself in the mirror.

  I had been too afraid to assess the original damage, and my reflection confirmed that had been a good move. I looked like hell. Stitches lined the arch of one brow and I was sure my eye socket had been cracked in a few places since I still had a nasty, black and blue shiner. A faint, yellow bruise blotched across my jawline. I sniffled, feeling pathetically sorry for myself.

  “Chin up, chica. I got this.” Josie stood in the doorway of my bathroom with her industrial makeup case. One of the kitchen barstools was tucked under her arm.

  I swallowed and let the tears steak down my face. “You really think this is fixable?”

  “Well, it’s not like I could make it any worse, right?” Josie centered the barstool in front of the bathroom counter and patted it. I obeyed with a sigh and plopped down in front of the mirror.

  She started with a thick white base that made me look even paler than I already was. My skepticism spiked until she blended in a couple blush shades with a sponge. Next she polished my lips with a deep mauve and shadowed my eyes with smoky charcoal hues. The look was a lot racier than I would have normally gone for, but it definitely drew the attention away from the underlying bruises that were still faintly visible.

  Josie tilted my chin up to examine me. “Maybe we can do something different with your hair to hide the stitches.”

  I was pretty set in my ways, and I wore the crystal bands Saul had bought for me to most events. But for the sake of vanity, I would skip them tonight.

  Josie sectioned off the front of my chin length curls and styled side-swept bangs over my injured eye. She pinned the rest of my hair back into a French twist. I hardly recognized myself, and I wondered if anyone at the ceremony would either. At least they wouldn’t be gawking at me because I looked like I had been hit by a bus. The tea was still working its magic. If I stared in the mirror long enough, I could watch the bruises fade.

  When Josie was finished with me, she clapped her hands together and grinned ear to ear. “What do you think?”

  “Bravo. I think I can actually show my face tonight.” I smiled at her and went to fetch my outfit.

  I was actually starting to look forward to the ceremony, and then I remembered that Bub would be there. He had planned it after all. I wondered if he had heard about my latest run-in. I was more than disappointed that he hadn’t stopped by to check on me and Maalik had. Even if Bub had used me, I still felt like I had made the right decision by ending things with Maalik. I groaned, remembering that Maalik would be at the ceremony too. This was going to be interesting to say the least.

  Chapter 34

  “Some drink from the fountain of knowledge,

  others just gargle.”

  -Robert Frost

  The academy held the annual placement ceremony at the city park. The stage was set up on the opposite side of the park from Saul and Coreen’s memorial statues, which I was thankful for. The statues just reminded me of all the nerve-wracking secrets I was keeping lately, including Winston. I wondered how he was faring, but with all the attention on me lately, I didn’t dare try to visit him.

  The placement ceremony drew fewer attendants than the Oracle Ball, but it did allow for soul guests, which the ball did not. Most of the souls who lived in Limbo and worked at the Three Fates Factory kept to themselves, but a few were brave enough to befriend the other locals, mostly reapers and nephilim.

  There were about two dozen reapers from the academy seated near the front of the stage, awaiting new placement orders. Josie, Jenni, and I sat in the center of the second r
ow, unsurprisingly blending in with the others in our formal black robes. We’d strip down to our reception clothing after the ceremony. There was a certain way things were done at Reapers Inc., but the ceremony seemed silly and unnecessary to me. I guess some people just needed an excuse to dress up and feel important.

  I hadn’t heard anything new from Horus, but I was fairly certain I would be making it on the Posy Unit. I had passed my finals, and I knew I could count on favorable votes from at least four of the nine council members. Surely Horus had secured one more for me to tip the scales.

  The placement procedure was really a surprise for all reapers involved. Sure, they could submit applications for the units they were interested in, but whether or not they made it on those units depended on several factors. There had to be an opening or substantial need for more reapers in that specialty. There was also seniority and credentials to consider. Sometimes a reaper could be denied the unit they applied for and be placed on another unit that needed them more, and sometimes a reaper could fill out an open application and be placed on whichever unit needed them most, like in Jenni Fang’s case. She was a sixth generation reaper who was more qualified than most third generation reapers. I was curious to see which unit she would end up on.

  The last of the guests arrived and took their seats just as Grim appeared on the stage, capturing everyone’s full attention. Grim was good at drawing attention, but especially so today. He had been pretty scarce during the rebel threat plaguing the city the past few weeks. Half the locals seemed to think him a coward for it, and the other half saw his actions as reasonable and expected, considering his status.

  “We are gathered here today to celebrate education and revel in achievement,” Grim said, opening his speech. “Words cannot express the pride I feel when I see young reapers taking initiative and improving their status and station at Reapers Inc. So without further ado, let us begin.”

  I zoned out as he began the long, drawn out process of listing off each individual reaper, along with their every credential and announcing their new placement and rank within their unit.

  Each unit had a captain with one or more team leaders. The idea was to create a safety net for the more unpredictable and complicated harvests. Freelance harvesters received a soul docket every morning form Ellen Aries, Grim’s secretary, but reapers belonging to a unit took their orders from their unit captain. The harvests were still commission based, but they were assigned throughout the day. When a reaper returned from one harvest, they were given another. Who got the better assignments depended on how proficient a reaper was, or on how much they kissed their captain’s ass. I wasn’t looking forward to that bit of my new job, and I was pretty sure that lots of ass-kissing was going to be expected from a rookie like me. I was hoping to get around that by proving my efficiency early on. The more souls I went through, the sooner I would find a replacement for Winston and the sooner I could get back to freelance work.

  My ears perked at the first mention of the Posy Unit. Grim announced Adrianna Bates, Josie’s mentor and the current captain of the Posy Unit. She made her way to the stage to receive a scrolled certificate from Grim.

  “Your esteemed services on the Posy Unit will be missed, but are quite welcome on the Mother Goose Unit who look forward to your expertise and leadership as their new captain.” Grim shook her hand and motioned her past him.

  Well, shit. I had hoped the Posy Unit would be bearable with Adrianna for a captain. Now I was left in limbo, waiting to find out whose ass I would be kissing.

  Grim continued on, and I found myself annoyed that I actually had to pay attention now. The ceremony seemed to drag on forever, and of course Josie, Jenni, and I were near the tail end of the list.

  “Josie Galla, a seventh generation reaper of noble credentials, who has recently completed training in the art of soul hypnosis and the management of wandering souls, please come forward to receive your certificate for placement on the Posy Unit.”

  Josie beamed at me before heading towards the stage, while I clapped with everyone else. Even if I ended up with a shitty boss, at least I could take comfort in knowing that Josie would be suffering with me. I relaxed my shoulders and smiled as Josie shook Grim’s hand and took her certificate. He gave her a quick nod and waved her by without so much as a blink.

  I was rolling around the possibility of Jenni being my boss when Grim announced me. “Lana Harvey, an eighth generation reaper who has recently completed training in apprentice mentoring, the management of wandering souls, and tactical demon defense, please come forward to receive your certificate for placement as the new captain of the Posy Unit.”

  Instead of the generic clapping, a mummer of surprise snaked through the crowd. I somehow doubted Josie’s fancy makeup job was enough to hide the dumbfounded look on my face. My mind drew a resounding blank, and I completely forgot myself. Grim looked like he might call my name again, until Josie shoved me out of my chair and towards the stage. She started clapping with crazed enthusiasm, jumpstarting the crowd’s manners. Everyone joined in with more zeal than I had counted on.

  My knees wobbled, and I nearly fell on my face as I climbed the steps up to the stage. I took my certificate from Grim in a zombie-like daze. His serious expression never changed, but I could see the satisfied humor in his eyes.

  “May your success as head of special projects last fall carry on into your new role of leadership on the Posy Unit,” he said, waving me on my way.

  I swallowed and hurried out of the limelight. I didn’t bother looking over the crowd as I made my way back to my seat. I could feel the eyes crawling over me like so many spiders. There were a few faces I wanted to see, but the looks reserved for them were private.

  I was sure Horus was pleased with himself. I knew he had been pushing for my placement on the Posy Unit, but the captain position was way beyond anything I had expected him to accomplish. I desperately wanted to interrogate him to find out just how he had managed it, but that was a conversation that would have to wait. There were too many eyes and ears here.

  As if the placement news wasn’t shocking enough, Grim’s decision to make my demon training public knowledge was another pound of surprise dropped in my lap. I suppose it made my placement as captain more justifiable, but I hardly believed it was a random act.

  I had barely taken my seat before Grim continued with the ceremony, announcing the last reaper in waiting.

  “Jenni Fang, an ambitious sixth generation reaper of fine repute and unmatchable training and experience, please come forward.”

  He broke protocol and waited for her to join him on stage before announcing her new placement. Instead of handing her a certificate like the rest of us, he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked out over the crowd. “I am pleased to present my new second-in-command.” He turned to Jenni then. “There is not another more qualified or deserving, Ms. Fang. I see great things in store for Reapers Inc. with you by my side.”

  The expected clapping and cheering followed. Jenni looked mildly pleased and not at all surprised, like Josie and I. I wondered how long she had been harboring that secret and how hard that must have been, and then I remembered the smorgasbord of secrets I was keeping. Instead of reclaiming her seat, Jenni disappeared behind the stage.

  Grim waited for the clapping to taper off and then his look grew somber. “It’s no secret that Limbo City has been victim to terrorist acts as of late. I’m sure that many of you have already encountered the newly assigned Nephilim Guard who has gone to great measures to minimize the impact of these attacks.

  “While arrests have been made, and we are confident that the rebel base hidden within the city has been dissolved, more measures to ensure our future safety have been taken. As of midnight, tonight, unrestricted coin travel within the city will be permanently deactivated-”

  A collective gasp rose up from the audience, followed by excited and outraged mummers.

  Grim’s voice rose above the static. “A small number of guarded c
oin booths will be installed throughout the city. I do hope this will not inconvenience Limbo City’s fine citizens or guests too terribly, but I assure you, this is a necessary precaution that the Afterlife Council has given much thought and consideration.”

  That had to be the exhausting work Winston spoke of. Altering the state of such a large chunk of Eternity wasn’t something that could be tackled by wiggling one’s nose. Grim wasn’t wasting any time flexing his new muscle. If he kept this up, we were going to need a replacement a lot sooner than expected. I might have hated Horus for blackmailing me into being his minion, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t right about needing a backup soul.

  Grim silenced the audience one last time. “There is a final measure of precaution I urge reapers of all generations to look into. The Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub, will be joining the faculty at the Reaper Academy next semester. He will be offering a demon defense course co-developed by Lana Harvey.”

  Co-developed? That had been unexpected. My heart fluttered at the mention of Bub. I just couldn’t decide how I felt about him lately, and it didn’t help that I was so unsure of how he felt about me, what with his little disappearing act. I wanted to scan the crowd for his face, but once again, there were too many eyes, and I was the source of enough gossip already.

  Taking in the ceremony attendees was easier once Grim finished up with the standard acknowledgements and invited everyone to enjoy the refreshments. Josie and I shuffled out of our seats along with everyone else and handed our robes over to a nephilim attendant for safekeeping. I snuck a glance over the guests. I was more than a little shocked to find Holly Spirit and Cindy Morningstar seated on either side of Horus. It hadn’t dawned on me before now that Holly might be friendly with the Egyptian deity. I wondered if Maalik would have been so anxious to accept the condo at Holly House if he had known.

  Speaking of the keeper of hellfire, Maalik was seated a few rows behind Horus’s little ménage á trois, looking miserable as ever. His jaw was clenched so tightly that it looked like it might break. He caught me staring and looked away just as quickly, opting to gaze unblinkingly at the stage instead. Next to him, Ridwan checked his watch and rolled his eyes. I was sure he found the whole event beneath him.