Reaper's Novice (Soul Collector #1)

by Cecilia Robert

  “What have you done to me?” I rub my neck as a chill spreads to my feet and the rest of my body. I pull my hand from my neck. Blood covers it.

  “Something you will remember me by until we meet again, Ana.” He smiles. “Now, be a good girl and take Siegfried with you.” He snaps his fingers to the Tarnished, spins on his heel, and leaves.

  I rush to Zig’s side, but before I reach him, my legs give way, numb and unable to move. Just as I’m about to collapse, hands clutch my upper arms and pull me to my feet. I lift my eyes to see Zig, struggling to get on his feet.

  “Ana!” I want to ask him why he’s shouting my name, but I can’t move my lips. I think he says something else, but I’m concentrating on staying on my feet.

  When I open my eyes again, I see Zig—or is it Kian? The faces blur together. I give up sorting them out. My body goes airborne, then everything goes dark.

  ***

  My eyes peel slowly open. I try to lift my head, then halt as hot pain shoots from my neck, scattering furiously to the rest of my body. Sweat pours off my forehead and into my eyes. I try to sit up, but I can’t. I’m lying on my stomach. There’s something blocking me inside. I’m not me. I am—

  I scream, but I think the sound is only in my head because I don’t hear it in my ears.

  “I’m almost finished, little one,” Bastian says from somewhere above me. I twist to look but strong hands hold me down by my shoulders.

  After what feels like endless years of pain, the hands lift off my shoulders. The horrible pain in my body is too much, so I close my eyes and drift away.

  The next time I open my eyes, the room is lit in soft orange light. The pain on my neck has eased somewhat. I shift on what feels like a very hard bed, trying to sit up.

  “Slowly, little one.” Bastian’s voice seeps through the haze in my head. “You’re not strong enough to stand up.” He helps me sit up. My eyes focus, and I see I’m sitting on what resembles a massage bed. I don’t think it’s used for that purpose, though.

  Bastian smiles warmly, tucking the curls behind my ear with his fingers. They bounce back anyway. “You got what you went in for?”

  I try to nod but stop at the sharp pain on my neck. I can feel the vial in my bra. No one bothered with it.

  “Good.” The smile disappears. “Because I am about to strangle you and, after that, rip Zig’s heart out of his chest.” He glares over his shoulder where Zig is sprawled on a red sofa. “You two nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “Is he all right?” My voice is hoarse, and my throat hurts.

  “He’s drained of energy, but he will be fine. You on the other hand—” He lifts my chin so my eyes are level with his. “Don’t you ever go back in there again.” I nod. He shakes his head, letting my chin go. “Sinteler inserted one of his Tarnished souls inside you, through your neck.” I’m too shocked to speak. “I managed to remove most of it. It wasn’t easy. It tried to resist eviction.” He points to a table with bowls and candles on it. Beside it is a vial with a black substance moving lazily inside, and my dagger. “It was easier to use your dagger because it’s like poison to them. I had to cut small lacerations on different parts of your body to smoke it out.”

  Bastian explains the cleansing process. If I waited three more hours, I would be infected and the Tarnished would have taken over my body.

  “Thank you for saving my life, Bastian,” I say. “Going to Sinteler’s place was stupid.”

  Bastian studies me, eyes flashing and his lips pressed into a thin line. Gosh, he looks so angry. Zig told me Bastian’s origins are that of a fire dragon and he has a tendency of shooting people with fireballs from his mouth. Is he going throw one at me?

  Just when I think he’ll maintain his brooding in silence till the end of eternity, he says, “Yes, it was an idiotic thing to do. Would you have chosen different?”

  “No,” I say.

  His face breaks into a smile so wide I’m scared it will split into two. “Then it was a pleasure saving you, Ana. The world needs more of you. I’d save you all over again given the chance, little one.”

  Later he prepares a herbal drink and places the glass on my lips. At least it tastes like vanilla milk. Whatever the concoction is, I feel fine after one hour.

  It’s almost ten thirty p.m. I call Mom and find out she has been worried. I let her know I’ll be home in a few minutes.

  “I need to go home. Will he be okay?” I say, watching as Zig’s chest rises and falls.

  “He will. Just needs a few hours rest.” Bastian straightens from his desk. “I’ll take you home. Come on, little one.”

  “I’ll be fine. Thank you, Bastian,” I say quickly, eager to leave. I need some time alone to contemplate what I saw on Sinteler’s face.

  “I insist,” Bastian says. “You’re too weak to shift to the castle on your own.”

  With his jaw set so tight, I’m not sure I have room to argue. I nod and follow him out of the room. Outside, we pull the concealment. Magnificent dark blue wings rimmed with gold unfold and spread behind him.

  With one arm circled around my waist, he crouches then shoots for the sky so fast I hardly have time to blink. He lands on top of World’s Edge and shifts us to Grim’s castle.

  GRIM IS FURIOUS.

  Zig and I have been slinking around in the castle, avoiding him at any cost. He was bound to know we went to Mirrorlands. As soon as Zig was conscious and back in the castle, Grim confronted us, glaring and spitting fire. At one point, I thought he would tear the hair off his scalp.

  Poor Zig, who was supposed to talk sense into me, received the full impact of his wrath. At first Zig walked around with a look that reminded me of Anton. Two days after facing Grim’s anger, Zig’s grin was back.

  One good thing came out of the mission soul-save: the soul was still pure. Uncorrupted.

  Every night after confronting Sinteler, I jolted awake sweating, with a scream lodged in my throat. Tarnished and Sinteler haunted my dreams. His voice kept whispering things I didn’t understand. As soon as Bastian gave me a black tourmaline pendant engraved with swirl patterns to block psychic attacks, the frequency of the nightmares lessened.

  Mom and Dad grounded me, and I can’t blame them. Apparently, when they didn’t find me in my room, they called everyone they know. After my rendezvous with Sinteler, being grounded was the least of my worries. Collecting souls has been a challenge on its own with Mom doing random check-ups.

  Lea visited last week, it took a while to bring down the wall of awkwardness, knowing what put Anton in the hospital. We talked about what happened and eventually, things got easier, and we spoke about what happened with Reiner and Anton. I haven’t been able to forgive Reiner for placing my brother in danger. Rolf’s still nowhere to be found.

  Today’s my birthday. Mom moved the party to the coming weekend. But Grim, being Grim, stayed on calendar date. Of all the people I’m eager to see, Schulz tops my list. Since our last visit when I almost killed him, he’d vanished. I visited Bastian. For some reason, he seemed reluctant to say much.

  The party is scheduled for midnight. The thought of facing Grim after what happened makes my stomach clench. But I have to go. Hopefully, the dinner party will soothe him. My eyes dart to the clock. 11:05. Fifty-five agonizing minutes to kill before dinner starts. My mobile vibrates beside me. I glance at the screen. Reiner.

  U asleep?

  This isn’t a distraction I need. I pause, not sure what to write. Minutes later the mobile vibrates again.

  I need 2 talk 2 U. Please.

  Not sure if that’s a good idea. I press send.

  Please.

  I never gave him a chance to speak for himself. And I can’t afford to lose either of my friends. I’ve already lost Rolf. Will leave the window open.

  Ten minutes later, Reiner climbs inside the room, balancing on the limbs of the Linden tree hugging the wall of my room. His eyes dart warily as if asking for permission. I nod, and he moves away from the window, wincing
. As soon as he catches me watching him, the hand braced on his ribs drops to his side.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes. Thanks for agreeing to see me.” The smile on his face is tinged with sadness.

  “Is everything all right, Rein?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m very sorry, Ana. I shouldn’t have used Anton. I hurt you, all of you.” He buries his face in his hands.

  I cross my hands tightly on my chest to stop myself from hugging him. “My parents don’t know. It’s killing me having to hide that from them. Really, Rein, that was the most irresponsible thing ever. How could you?”

  “I won’t excuse myself for what I did. But—I need you to forgive me. Please.”

  I chew my lower lip. This is Reiner. We grew up together, and he’s practically my brother. How many times had he defended me, stepped up when I was being bullied or someone said something negative about me?

  He shifts on his feet, favouring his right side. My eyes drop to where his hand rests on the side of his chest.

  I pull the computer chair for him to sit, then lower myself on the edge of my bed. “What exactly were you dealing, Rein? I need the truth.”

  He folds himself on the chair carefully, then rubs his face, pushing his hair back. “As you know, Mom decided to stay home to take care of us. Every morning, Dad would go to work without leaving a single cent for us and come back in the evening, having fended for himself. The financial child support from the government wasn’t enough to buy clothes and food for three people.” He leans his body forwards, wincing. “One night, earlier this year, on the way home from a photography gig in the U-Bahn, a man approached me to ask for the time. After I told him, he still lingered closer. We got into a conversation. After a while, he asked me if I was interested in making quick money. I thought I could do this for a few months and have enough money for Mom, Lola, and me.” He stops and presses his lips together.

  He shrugs, but doesn’t look happy. “The money was good. I could pay for school, and we had food on the table every night. One time, I went with Anton to a photography fair. We met with one of the dealers. I argued with them about getting out. They said once I finished paying what I owed them, I could walk away. They said they didn’t want to see me ever again, that I should send someone else to drop the envelope with the money. I asked Anton to put it on the post box and leave immediately. But they got him.” He drops his head in his hands. “I’m very, very sorry, Ana. Anton is… like my little brother. My actions nearly killed him.” His shoulders shake.

  Right now, I’m so furious by his confession I just stare at his hunched figure. After a few minutes of listening to his sobs, he lifts his face and stands up.

  “That’s what I wanted to tell you. That I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve your friendship.” He shuffles towards the window.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath, then open them again. “I forgive you, but you hurt me, Rein.” He turns to face me slowly. “Now come here and let me see what you’re hiding.” He pulls back and shakes his head, eyes wide. “Please.”

  Rein lifts his T-shirt. His ribs are tinged with bruises. He has always had a lanky build, but not ribs-poking through.

  “Your dad did this?”

  “Three days ago.” He pulls the shirt down.

  “Have you seen a doctor? You might have internal bleeding.” I move to the door. “Don’t leave. I’m coming back.”

  Five minutes later, I enter my room with a bag of frozen peas. After Reiner moves from the chair to the bed, he kicks off his shoes and leans back, while I wrap the bag with one of my shirts and place it on the bruised area.

  “Mom, Lola, and I moved out after Dad hit Mom so hard… she broke a rib.” His voice wobbles.

  “I’m so sorry, Rein. I was busy being mad at you and you were going through all that. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You were mad at me. I couldn’t bear to know you hated me for what I did.”

  “I could never hate you, even if I tried.” I shift the bag to my right hand. “Where are you staying?”

  “We found a two bedroom apartment on the second district. It’ll do for now.” He smiles sadly.

  “How’s Lola?”

  Rein takes a long shaky breath. “Thank God he didn’t touch her. Between Mom and me, I got the better part of the treatment. I should have been there all those days he beat her up. I think he always made sure I wasn’t.” He slings his arm over his face. A tear slides down the corner of his eye. “I knew things weren’t right between them. Mom never stopped believing they’d work things out. Dad… he practised his belt on me when Mom wasn’t around. Figured it was better me than Mom or Lola. I stayed because of Mom. I was scared if I reported it to child services, they’d take me and Lola from her.”

  I stretch beside him and wrap my free arm around his shoulder. What kind of friend am I that I couldn’t see what was so obvious?

  He pulls away too soon. “I know you, Ana. I can literally see the wheels of your mind spinning. Don’t blame yourself. You were going through so much with your family as well, and I thought I could work it out on my own. Things are better now. Dad got arrested today.” His voice is laced with so much sadness.

  “I miss us,” I say. “Lea, you, and me. Things were… easy.”

  He smiles. “Me, too. Remember how we used to sit for hours. Then finally fall asleep, the three of us on the bed?”

  I nod. Life was fun then, until we all grew up. I pull him close. His whole body shakes, but he doesn’t make a sound. I feel warm fluid seep onto the back of my shirt. I squeeze my eyes shut to keep my own tears at bay.

  When I let go, he curls into a ball on the bed. We talk in low whispers, until his eyes flutter closed. I place the pack of peas on the night table and pull the covers over his shoulder. Slipping out of bed, I put on my burgundy gown and style my hair.

  Fifteen minutes later, I whisper the words to spell my bedroom door, focus on my destination at Grim’s castle, and shift.

  ***

  My eyes zoom in on Schulz at the far end of the dinner table, and my heart jolts in my chest. I’ve never been so happy to see a dour face. His cheeks look sunken, his eyes protruding. What happened to him?

  I weave in and out of guests and halt before him. “Can I have this dance?” Schulz twists his body to look at me, a glass of white wine poised on his lips. He cocks an eyebrow at my outstretched hand. “I need some answers. Urgently.”

  He puts his glass down and pushes off the chair, grumbling, “Imagine a woman asking me to dance.” He curls a hand around mine, nevertheless, then says, “Very bad for my pride.” His eyes twinkle and his lips twitch, probably fighting a smile.

  I look around. No one seems to pay us any attention. “I can guarantee your pride is intact. Right now is as good a time as any to talk, since you’ve been a no-show.”

  Schulz bows and leads me to the dance floor. One of Afterworld’s best bands is playing so the music is waltz-able.

  “I thought we were meant to start training.” I follow his lead as he rotates us to a Viennese waltz. My head spins as I struggle to stay on my feet.

  “I’ve been busy.”

  I’ve been dying to see him, and all he says is he’s been busy? “I met Sinteler.”

  His body goes rigid, and I’m afraid he’ll stomp off. “When?” His voice is something between a growl and a whisper.

  I tell him what happened, leaving out the part where Sinteler nicks my neck to insert the Tarnished. It seems my story has rendered him speechless, because he doesn’t say anything for a moment.

  “There’s something else I noticed about him. His eyes.” Schulz hand tenses around mine. We continue spinning around the hall. Smoke rises above our knees. Green, blue, and red lights flicker from somewhere in the ceiling. Someone must have upped the celebrations a notch. “I’ve only seen that colour—the golden flecks and their intensity—on one other person. Rolf.” I hold my breath, hoping my suspicions are wrong.

  Schulz ha
lts abruptly. His eyes dart around us. My skin prickles as some sort of energy dances on its surface. As abruptly as he’d stopped the dance, he picks up where he left off. “It’s safe to talk now. We’re shielded. I’m being watched, so this conversation will be a quick one. Absorb everything I tell you. Fast.

  “I was not supposed to take you to the city. I’m not to teach you anything at all, tell you anything until—” He glances around, and for the first time, I see fear reflected in his eyes. “Do what you are supposed to do and everything will come to light.” This time when he speaks, his lips barely move. “Do not approach Rolf at any cost. He’s not the same person he was one month ago. Rolf—” A muscle ticks on his jaw. “—is Sinteler’s son.”

  My knees buckle, as my hope shatters. “Oh dear God, no.” I grip his arm tighter.

  Schulz nods. “Like you, Rolf is a Restless Soul, but not part of the Elite. Sinteler forced the priestess to perform the ceremony and link Rolf to him. This way, if anything ever happened to his son, he would be reborn.

  “The song is about to end, so listen carefully. I meant to tell you this in slow steps. But as you see, it has become impossible. You were, still are, betrothed to Elias’s son. You have a destiny. Rolf has one too, now more than ever. Did you notice anything he did that was out of the ordinary?”

  My breath comes out fast. “Other than his disappearances and—yes! A while ago, he was building this… iron robot in his basement.” The words rush out. “He wasn’t himself. He said something about a war.”

  “It’s worse than I thought. If he gets hold of the Life Giver…” He shakes his head. “Among the Elite is one who can breathe life into anything. If Rolf has created a few of those robots, Sinteler has an army, and that’s on top of the souls he has been soul-napping, saving them so he can release them when the time is ready.”