Reaper's Fire

by Katherine Bogle

“How long did you say you’ve been driving for?” I asked.

  Zane didn’t even glance my way. “A while.”

  Because that’s comforting.

  “If you want to listen to music, the car has Bluetooth,” Zane said.

  I raised my eyebrows. Okay, maybe he had been driving for a while. For some reason, I was surprised to learn the ancient-seeming demon knew what Bluetooth was. “All right.”

  It took some fiddling, but after a few minutes I’d synced my phone to the car and flipped through Spotify in search of something light. The situation might be dark, but I had to stay positive or I might just crack.

  Ky sat up in my lap, his ears perked up as he watched me scroll through songs. After a minute, he placed a paw on my hand, and I stopped.

  A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “You like K-Pop, Ky?”

  His purr was my only answer.

  I laughed and shook my head. “Gloria is going to love you. BTS is her favorite band.”

  Ky’s tail flicked across the bottom of my nose, tickling my nostrils and making me want to sneeze.

  “Okay, no BTS. Got it.”

  Finally, I found a K-Pop song Ky seemed intent on, and sat back, letting the music drown out my thoughts.

  Zane scoffed. “The cat would like this dreck.”

  I smiled. “What? You’re not a fan, grumpy-puss?”

  Zane glared at me, and I concealed my laugh with my hand. “No,” he said matter-of-factly.

  I lowered the volume on the radio to give Zane some relief, but let the bubbly K-Pop continue to play. Somehow, it spiked my mood for a while. That is until we crossed into a slightly more… let’s say questionable part of town.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “There are some unsavory sorts in this neighborhood, aren’t there?” Zane glanced at me.

  “I guess.”

  There were a few bars, in the area, along with a rave pounding the sides of an old warehouse building. My pulse picked up speed the longer we drove by trash-strewn alleys and grungy men smoking cigarettes on corners.

  This was the kind of neighborhood I would avoid at all costs when I was simply human. Now, despite having a demon raging inside of me, I didn’t feel any safer. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around Ky, pulling him closer to my chest. His purring ramped up as if he sensed my unease.

  “I’ll keep driving around while you focus on the people we pass. Even out your breathing and retreat to that calm state you need to see auras,” Zane instructed.

  I scrunched my lips to one side. I’d always had a problem with authority, and being ordered around by Zane definitely wasn’t helping any. Still, if I wanted to get this over with, I’d have to calm down and focus. I might not have gotten control of my demoness, yet, but I was getting pretty good at reading auras.

  “All right,” I said. Slowly, I inhaled, forcing myself to settle. I went through one of Zane’s favorite techniques to relax, clenching separate muscle groups before releasing them. By the time I’d reached my hands, tightening my fists before splaying my fingers quickly, my whole body felt lighter.

  I went to work, staring at pedestrians, smokers, partygoers and prostitutes as we slowly glided down street after street.

  No one said a word. Ky didn’t even purr as I concentrated.

  Soon, colors burst around every person I saw. A small smile tugged at my lips, but quickly faded as I inspected the colors.

  Aura reading was a difficult thing to explain. Every person seemed to have a different aura. The smoker on the corner—green and yellow. The drunk girl stumbling into a cab—pink and violet. Some had the same colors, or the same shape, but they didn’t always signal the same thing. Whereas the drunk girl had a pink halo, a vibrant glow that spread light out into the world, a man slinking into an alley had the same pink halo, but instead of a vibrant glow emanating from it, it seemed to consume all other color, leaving his aura dim, and dark.

  Each aura gave me a certain feeling. While some seemed unexplainably good or bad, others felt almost gray—indifferent. The indifference was something new. Something cold, and sinister. The man with the pink halo had a cold feel to him, and before I could stop myself, I had grabbed Zane’s wrist.

  “Stop the car,” I said.

  My heartbeat sped up the longer I looked at the man creeping down the alley. Dressed in dark clothing, he made his way around a warehouse, pausing to glance through the low windows every now and then.

  Ky stood, leaning his front paws on the armrest so he could peer out the window. His tail flicked back and forth, and he looked back at us, a question in his eyes.

  “Have you chosen?” Zane asked. He slowly pulled the black sedan off the road and into the large parking lot on the opposite side of the building.

  Cold sweat dampened my palms as I nodded. There was something wrong with that man. I couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt distant—like he might not be altogether right. Could this gray feeling mean he was some sort of psychopath?

  “Good,” Zane said. He put the car in park and opened the door.

  Again, I grabbed his wrist. “Wait.”

  Zane closed the door softly as I released him. “What is it?”

  “I just need a second.” I took a deep breath, but my pounding heart didn’t relax. Ky brushed up against me, his fur soft against my skin. I patted his head. “I’m okay, Ky.”

  “You’re not stalling, are you?” Zane narrowed his eyes.

  “Not this time,” I assured him. “Did you see the man in the alley?” Zane nodded. “Did you see his aura?”

  Zane hesitated before answering. “Yes… and?”

  “Was he… is he… bad?”

  “It depends on your definition of bad,” Zane said.

  I groaned internally. He was so not helping. “Has he hurt people? Will he hurt people?”

  “That’s hard to say,” Zane said. “But I believe he has the capability.”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

  “You felt the cold coming off of him, didn’t you?”

  I nodded.

  “He’s most likely a sociopath. He doesn’t have feelings like you or I,” Zane explained. “He might not have hurt anyone yet. But it’s in him to do so.”

  My lungs constricted painfully. Just because he hadn’t hurt anyone didn’t mean he would… but it also didn’t mean he wouldn’t. If I killed him, I might be stopping a bad person from doing evil things to people in the future. I might be stopping a serial killer before he got started. Or I might just be killing an innocent man.

  “You’re sure?” I asked, my voice small.

  “I’m sure,” Zane said.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I pictured the man’s aura, relived the feeling of intense cold, and then I thought of my family and friends. I saw my mom laughing at some stupid joke I’d made. I saw Gloria’s grinning face, and Jamie’s playful scowl.

  If I didn’t do this, Elizabeth would kill them. And they were perfectly innocent.

  When I opened my eyes again, I steeled myself and opened the car door. Ky hopped out first, and I followed. Zane was the last one out of the car. I could feel his eyes on me, boring into the side of my head. I wasn’t sure if he was just confused and trying to figure me out, or if he was simply curious what I’d do.

  Either way, I’d wasted enough time.

  Slipping around the darkened exterior of the warehouse, I made my way to the same alley I’d spied the man in. Just as I rounded the corner, a shadow disappeared behind the opposite side.

  Ky darted ahead, a streak of orange racing through the dark. My breathing quickened as I followed. Zane wasn’t far behind, but he gave me a respectable distance. I reached the other side of the alley too quickly. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to kill someone.

  But with every doubt flashing through my mind, Elizabeth’s words echoed louder.

  Deliver one soul a week, or consider the lives of your loved ones forfeit.

&nbs
p; Frustrated tears burned the back of my eyes. It wasn’t fair to ask this of me. My friends would hate that I was doing this for them—my mom even more so. She was an ER nurse for fucks sake. She wouldn’t want her only daughter killing people.

  And if I didn’t, she’d be dead.

  My fists balled as I peeked around the corner. The man with the cold aura crept along the edge of the windows, peering in at the gyrating bodies on the dance floor. I’d think he was just a regular pervert if it weren’t for the calculating glint in his eyes.

  Was he picking out a victim?

  My heart raced at the thought. If Zane’s and my feeling were right, this man was definitely a killer in the making. I bit my lip, and took a step back.

  Zane took my hand, far gentler than he’d ever been with me, and pressed something cold into my palm. My eyebrows furrowed until I gazed down at the knife he’d placed there. “One cut, and your demon will take care of the rest,” Zane whispered.

  I shivered. It wasn’t cool out, and with heat pouring off of Zane I certainly wasn’t cold. But still, the look in Zane’s eyes chilled me. It was completely emotionless, and totally uncaring. He just wanted me to kill the man and get this over with.

  I pulled back, a fiery lick of irritation blasting away the cold. Fine. Let’s get this over with. I stepped into the alley, but Zane didn’t follow. I glanced over my shoulder to find him leaning his shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed. Ky sat beside him, his eyes large and glimmering with worry.

  Balling my fists, I faced forward and approached what would certainly be my damnation. This would be first-degree murder—there was no getting around that. I was choosing to kill this man, essentially condemning his soul to an eternity in hell.

  There was no coming back from this once I did it. Every death before now had been an accident. I hadn’t been in control of myself. This was something else entirely.

  With every step, my pulse hammered harder, until my head throbbed and my ears burned with the sound. One nick with Zane’s dagger and this would all be out of my hands.

  Just one little scratch.

  About ten feet away, the man finally looked up. Our eyes met—his dark and filled with menace. My hand quivered around the hilt of the knife.

  “Hello.” The man raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing out here?”

  He hadn’t seen the knife yet. He couldn’t have. The night was dark, and the alley even more so. Even with the colorful lights spilling out the windows, my leg concealed the weapon.

  The man glanced over his shoulder, and then looked back at me. A smile curved his lips. “Can I help you with… something?” Even in the dim light I could see the sick glee that flashed in his eyes. He’d made me prey in his mind—I could almost feel it, despite not being able to see his aura right now.

  I stopped several feet away. I wanted to say something—anything. Part of me even wanted to tell him to run, but my voice wouldn’t cooperate, my words stuck on my tongue.

  “Shy, are you?” he asked. He took a step closer.

  Don’t, I urged internally.

  And another.

  My bottom lip trembled along with my closed fists.

  “Ah, definitely shy,” he said on a chuckle. “Maybe I can help you with that.”

  He was three steps away. Three steps from death and he didn’t even know it.

  I raised the knife, despite my body’s protests. My arm was like lead, and my hand a quivering stone. Run. The word was on the tip of my tongue.

  His gaze darted down, and his eyes widened slightly. He’d seen the knife, but there was no fear on his face. “What do you have there?” he asked, curious.

  Run. I bit my tongue until copper washed my mouth.

  “A knife?” He smiled. “And what are you going to do with that?”

  Kill you.

  “Were you planning on robbing me?” He took another step. Two more and I could impale him. “No? Did you just want to see me bleed?”

  No. I didn’t. I never wanted to hurt anyone—the one exception being Elizabeth.

  I dropped my hand. My entire body felt frozen to the core. I couldn’t stop shaking. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to kill this man—no matter how creepy he was.

  “I can’t do this,” I said on a breath.

  He stopped, raising an eyebrow. “Do what?”

  Before he could take another step, I dropped the knife and ran. I darted back the way I’d come, racing past Zane and Ky, who’d slunk into the shadows, and out of the alley. I heard someone spluttering curses, and then someone racing after me.

  I didn’t stop until I’d shut myself in the car. I pulled my knees up to my chest, cradling them against me. I buried my face against them and shook. I couldn’t stop shaking. Not even when the driver-side door opened, or the press of soft fur tickled my hands.

  I couldn’t kill that man. And I was going to pay for it.

  Chapter 10

  They’re all going to die because of me.

  The thought played on repeat inside my head along with images fabricated by my mind—images of my mother and friends dead in pools of their own blood.

  I shivered, and tightened my grip on my legs, pressing them tighter to my chest. After my failed attempt at killing a man, Zane had brought me home. He didn’t say a word, and hadn’t since last night. Now, I sat in bed, my bedroom door locked and my mind throttling me for my stupidity.

  If I’d just killed that man my loved ones would be safe. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t a killer, and I never wanted to be.

  A soft rap at the door forced me from my thoughts. I stiffened, staring at the thin wooden board blocking whoever was on the other side.

  “Who is it?” I rasped. I hadn’t spoken since last night, and my throat might as well be the Sahara.

  “Clara,” Ky said, his voice gentle and muffled by the door.

  My tensed shoulders relaxed slightly. Ky, I could deal with. He’d been nothing but caring and attentive. Only, I’d shut him out the second we returned to my apartment. He’d tried knocking several times, asked after my wellbeing and questioned if I needed anything.

  Everything wasn’t all right—it hadn’t been for some time. But none of that was Ky’s fault. I sighed, guilt gnawing at me. “Yes?” I asked.

  “It’s almost lunchtime,” he said. He paused like he was waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, I heard the soft scuff of his shoe on the floor outside my door. “Can I get you anything?”

  A smile cracked my stony exterior. Even if Ky was just asking because of some kind of foolish debt he thought he owed, it was sweet of him to ask.

  “No, thank you,” I said.

  A loud, irritated sigh broke the quiet left by my words. “Clara. Enough of this,” Zane said. My tiny smile dropped and my hackles rose. “You’ve been summoned.”

  My heartbeat sped up. So it was time. Elizabeth had called for me, and now I had to face the music. I swallowed the lump in my throat and clenched my suddenly trembling fists. Sooner or later, I’d have to face Elizabeth. Maybe if I went sooner I could convince her that this was all a huge mistake. Maybe I could ask her for lenience. Maybe, if I begged enough, she’d give me some other task. Something I could actually accomplish.

  “Clara,” Zane said, a warning in this voice.

  “I heard you,” I said.

  He snorted softly. “Are you refusing her summons?”

  “No,” I said quickly. Refusing to go would be worse than being late.

  “Then are you coming out?” Ky asked brightly.

  Slowly, I lowered my legs from my cage-like grip on them. “I don’t have any other choice, do I?”

  “Hurry up, then,” Zane grumbled. His retreating footsteps signaled the end of our short conversation.

  I sighed, and slipped out of bed. Checking my phone revealed nothing new. No new text messages from Ryker, but I did have a few more missed calls from Mom. No voicemails though, so it couldn’t be anything urgent. She was probably just wonderin
g how I was doing. I grimaced. How many days had it been since I called her? If I didn’t reach out soon, she’d come looking for me.

  Shit. I couldn’t let that happen.

  Okay, Clara. Time to get going.

  I didn’t move. Instead, I stood in the middle of my room, calculating exactly what I needed to do before I left the house. I chewed on my lip, my heart pounding. I needed a shower, some new clothes, and about ten cups of coffee.

  Better get a move on.

  By the time we reached the Westmont Hotel, I was a wreck.

  “She’s going to fucking kill them,” I blurted, not for the first time. “She’s going to kill them all. Every person I love, because I wouldn’t fucking kill a guy.”

  Zane sighed. He’d put up with my outbursts so far, choosing to remain in stoic silence. Which was probably for the best since I wasn’t really talking to him, more… at him.

  “This is fucking ridiculous. What has my life come to?” I leaned my head back against the headrest.

  Zane had driven and parked us a few minutes ago. When I hadn’t immediately leapt out of the car ready to go, he’d sat, silently glaring at me.

  “I should have just killed him. He might be out there killing someone right now.” I buried my face in my hands, pressing my palms against my eyes. “Do you think it’s possible that she’ll show mercy?” I dropped my hands, my heart beating erratically as I stared at Zane.

  “Most likely not.” He didn’t even blink. His face was a mask of cold indifference, just like it had been last night.

  I looked away. I couldn’t take his inhumanity right now.

  “But there’s always a chance,” Zane said, much to my surprise.

  My eyebrows furrowed as I glanced at the Reaper.

  “Elizabeth doesn’t want to foster rebellion. Killing your loved ones might break you, or it might turn you into an avenging angel.”

  My lips twitched at the image his words gave me.

  “Beg her to reconsider your punishment, and she might give you another chance.”

  Hope swelled behind my breastbone. “Really?”

  Zane nodded.

  I leaned back against my seat, staring out the front window at the glamorous hotel across the street. It might mean losing my dignity, but if begging the princess would work, I’d get down on my hands and knees, and humiliate myself. “Okay. Let’s go.”