He took another look at the nurse. She was nearing the end of her shift, and after leaving a quick note regarding his declining health status, she turned to face him, offering a warm smile. Father Thomas returned a weak smile before she quickly retreated through the door and back out into the hallway. She wanted nothing to do with him either, at least that is what he assumed. He coughed; hacking up a mouthful of mucus which forced him to lean over the small trash bin positioned next to his bed and spewed up the result of a long fought battle with the disease. The cancer had now spread to his lungs and other organs and new wave of pain washed over him. He hit the button that was attached to his I.V. to inject himself with some morphine and as he waited for the drug to kick in, a large hooded figure appeared from the shadows and loomed over his bedside.
“Hello Father Thomas,” the ominously dark voice that spoke from beneath the hood spiked a chill in the air that informed the cleric that his time had indeed come. The cleric sank deeper into the sheets, panic becoming a stronger drug than the morphine. He knew he could not escape death but in his terror stricken mind it would have been worth a shot. “I don’t see an angel to escort you to where you have encouraged many of your parishioners, and believers to set their minds to…”
“I have made a very grave error courtesy of a lapse in judgement,” Father Thomas replied with a defeated sigh.
“No. It was not a lapse in judgement,” came the voice. “It was a lapse in character. You have led many of your believers astray with you hypocritical and deceitful teachings, but it is not even that that justifies the destination that you are headed to. Your greed, vanity, and selfishness drove you to nearly spark a cosmic warfare that would have not only destroyed humanity, but…” the hooded figure removed his hood to reveal a strikingly beautiful face covered in strange tattoos. His eyes as black as the midnight sky and his expression menacing, almost to the point where the cleric knew the entity detested the very idea of having to look upon him. “You almost destroyed me...”
Beads of sweat formed tiny pools around the edges of his face while his heart rate increased to a million hard thumps a minute. He could not believe that he was actually staring into the abysmal eyes of the Angel of Death, and it is then that he realized that his punishment would exceed that of those being tormented for lesser offenses. He was going to the belly of the beast. “Forgive me for I-“
“Damned yourself. But trust me; you are not in my possession of torment. Where you are going is completely out of my hands. You have no idea what I would have done to you if allowed but since I am not, consider this as a final act of mercy.”
The entity placed his palm on the cleric’s forehead and he felt himself slipping away. The separation of the spirit from the body left his mind disoriented, and scattered. And when he looked down at what had become a shell of a body, the Angel of Death covered himself once more underneath his hood, and motioned for him to follow. With this legendary Scythe he opened a portal that led into nothing but a darkness so thick it was suffocating. He took one last look at his body, and then at the surrounding hospital room. He left the world without ever having married; or children, or any real friend or relative that cared about him. The hallow life of the papacy meant nothing; none of his good deeds, none of the intense hours of dedicated prayer that did not include himself but the world and those around him; the long lessons in Bible study…his entire journey through life guided him to this point. One bad move and now there would be no heavenly escort into the pearly gates. And the Church that once had given him a reason to live had turned its back on him and for good reason. He swallowed thickly, and steadied himself for a long ride through eternity and wondered just how many of his fellow colleagues would he see down in the depths of the spiritual prison his actions had led him to. He lowered his gaze and walked sullenly behind the Reaper of all reapers and accepted his fate.
Grim smiled as he guided the cleric down to the pits where the Devourer awaited him. Justice is definitely going to be served…
Chapter 22
As much as I like Domino, I have to live my life my way. He has had centuries of freedom where I have only been alive a good thirty years and my beginning is just now starting. I understand Grim’s concern and to an extent why he raised me in the manner of which he had. As I step out of the shadows, with Domino right beside me, I cannot hide my excitement at finally being allowed to live as a normal human-well as normal as I am able to project. Cain said he would help me adjust by getting me started with my own apartment and a job as his assistant. What I am most excited about is Grim allowing me to finally have the relationship I always wanted with my mother. I had once believed that he simply wanted her all too himself, and that I was nothing more than inconvenience he happened to be stuck with. I had no idea that just by them loving each other in the manner that they did made things too complicated; and when she was killed Grim had no other choice but to secret her away lest she was condemned to an eternity of torment. Learning that my father is a romantic at heart softened some of resentment towards him, but with me being granted my freedom will definitely change our relationship for the better.
Cain opens the door before I even have a chance to knock, and for the first time he actually smiles at me. Dressed in an ensemble including a black tie, button down and matching slacks, he steps to the side allowing Domino and I to pass by. We stand in the hallway patiently waiting for him to close the door and when he does he leads us to his library where he takes a seat behind his desk that is piled high with a mountain of books. Leaning back into his seat, he looks at me with a grin plastered on his face and says, “Your name is going to be written in the books of heaven.”
I shrug, “I was unconscious most of the time…and when I was finally awake I was beaten senseless.”
“You still managed to get the Seal in time enough to set Grim free,” he said with pride.
“And you forget to mention the fact that I had help,” I said motioning towards Domino who wore a smug expression.
“Indeed you did,” Cain replied.
When Domino cleared his throat, Cain remembered the purpose of our visit and reached beneath his desk and pulled out the box that Domino had asked him to keep. I caught a glimpse of it before he quickly draped a large cloth over it and handed it back to Domino. “I do wish I could have examined it,” Cain hinted as Domino took the box into his possession. “I am sure you do but its contents are not for your eyes…”
We stood in companionable silence for a beat, neither one of us unsure of what to do next.
“You can start work as soon as your apartment is ready,” Cain finally says as he rounds his desk. I get the impression he is anxious to escort us out and I am just as anxious to leave.
“And when will that be?” I ask.
“Next week. Until then you can crash here if you’d like-“
“I don’t think Grim will like that,” Domino snapped.
Cain turns to look at him, his eyes bright with amusement. “If it is Sin you are worried about, trust me there is no interest there. She is the equivalent of an annoying little sister wearing her bra for the first time. And I don’t think Grim would mind too much…”
I sigh. Men can be so exhausting. No matter where I go or who I am with it always boils down to one concern. We follow Cain to the door and without as much of a goodbye he closes the door behind us like we are yesterday’s news. We stand outside of his door, Domino’s back facing the opposite wall and mine still leaning against the door. He places the still covered object carefully on the floor and then his eyes meet mine. My heart begins to increase in speed, the pounding an incessant rhythm beating harder and harder until I can barely breathe. He places his finger underneath my chin and raises my face to meet his when he places his soft, full mouth onto my own, and just as I lose myself he pulls away.
“I have to go Sin. My people need this back. You know where to find me.”
“But I never got to say thank you for all that you have done…” I plead
secretly aching for more.
“Then say it,” he challenges as he opens his own portal with the box in hand.
“Thank you Domino…for everything.”
He smiles and I melt, and well you know how the story goes…
“Come with me. Cain said you don’t start work for at least a week and there is a lot I can show you in a week…” He eyes me seductively and extends his free hand for me to come along.
All I have to do is not get pregnant, and I know for a fact somewhere inside my body is my own version of birth control. What can possibly go wrong?
I take his hand and together, we disappear through the portal. Grim is going to lose his mind when he finds out who I have been spending my time with, but I am almost guaranteed by the way that he and my mother looked at each other when I was strong enough to stand on my own, I know it will be a good while before he figures it out. Hopefully with my mother being granted a second chance and a new purpose, she will help mellow dear old Grim out.
I don’t know what the future holds, but what I do know is nothing in this world or the next is certain. Demons are always plotting, humans are always tampering with things that are of no concern to them, and well, the devil is always busy…which means I need to take each moment as it comes.
For the first time I am free…free to discover all that I am and what life has in store for me. The world has been set right, and my father has been granted his own freedom which happens to be my mother…And my mother, well no one can say there is no such thing as second or even third chances.
My name is Sin and I am the daughter of the Grim Reaper and this is only the beginning of my story…
Stay tuned for Book Two of The Reaper Series coming soon…
About the Author
Delizhia Jenkins is the author of Nubia Rising: The Awakening, Love at Last, Viper and is currently waiting to release her first book in the paranormal romance genre, Blind Salvation. She is the mother of a wonderful eight year old/princess/dance choreographer/mermaid and spends her days daydreaming about her next book. She currently has several book series in the works as well as a dozen characters vying for her attention. She possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice but aspires to own her own publishing house someday soon. For more information email her at [email protected].
Sin: Daughter of the Grim Reaper (The Reaper Series Book 1) Page 14