by Ali Winters
Walking calmly down the halls, she made a show of leaving through the main gate, letting as many Reapers see her as possible. Once outside the main compound, Camira transported into Silas’s throne room.
She hid in the shadow behind the opulent throne, waiting to make sure no one else was near. The room was deathly silent.
Camira took one-step toward the basin that was hidden behind the heavy curtains, and paused. She turned and faced the room. A look around wouldn’t hurt anything, and soon all of it would be hers. She could spare a few moments to take in the vast room. She walked along the wall of the rounded room, admiring the expansive chandelier that seemed, impossibly, to throw darkness the way one would throw light. There was little overall to the chambers and thinking about it, she’d probably only spend time in there for official business.
A long table on one side held countless vials and a stack of parchment, but she didn’t care, she’d seen it before. Continuing on, she passed the curtain and ran her fingers over the stonewall. Her nail snagged on an imperfection, pulling her attention to the spot.
It was small, nothing more than a notch. Invisible to the eye in the dim light. It could be nothing more than that or it could be…
Camira pressed the notch and waited, holding her breath. Seconds later, the sound of stone scraping against stone filled the chamber. She cringed, hoping that no one was close enough to overhear. A section of the wall pushed back and slid away, revealing a staircase leading down into pitch darkness. She growled, wishing Silas had kept at least one torch in the room at all times, rather than none.
Tapping her finger on the doorway, she debated what to do.
“Damn,” she swore, and transported to the far side of the main hall on the ground level. Camira blew out a sigh of relief. Transporting like that to such a normally busy place was a risk. She looked around, pressing her back to the wall and inched her way to the corner where the hall intersected with another. She reached for the torch. As soon as it was free from the wall, Camira transported back to the hidden entrance she had found.
Camira gave herself a satisfied smile. It had been genius to find a light. Now she could see the narrow steps leading down in a tight curve. She rushed down knowing that her little, unplanned excursion for the light had taken much needed time away. The mass reaping should be finishing up soon and she wanted to be long gone before Caspian came down to the throne room.
When she reached the landing, she stopped. Pale green and white crystals were embedded in the walls and ceiling, they seemed to glow but faintly, as if they were dying embers. They were beautiful. Camira reached out and stroked one. Its light dimmed under her finger and stayed the dull, almost blackened, color once she removed her hand. It had been sharp and faceted but felt brittle under her touch as if any amount of pressure would cause it to crumble to dust.
“What is this place?” she murmured aloud. The walls seemed to vibrate with power. It was doubtful that any of the others knew of it, even Caspian. Could this be where Silas kept the power taken from the life forces? She frowned, then rolled her eyes. No, if that were true then the crystals would have to be brighter.
Camira walked on, keeping the torch above her head, examining the walls and floor, looking for anything that might lead her to the chalice. That was unless Yeva was lying about it and had sent her on a wild goose chase. Though, with as much as she seemed to want it, that probably wasn’t the case.
A glint in the dark a few paces down caught her eye. Camira raced toward it. It looked like a golden cup! Bending down, she scooped it up and examined it. A chalice with a trunk that formed the stem and roots that made up the base. Tree branches formed the cup with emeralds embedded between made to look like leaves. It certainly seemed like the type of chalice Yeva would have. A third unrelated one was unlikely. Though why Silas would treat something so important to Yeva with such carelessness seemed strange. If he didn’t care, she certainly wasn’t going to give it another thought.
That had been easier than expected. Almost too easy.
She took one last look around. Camira’s eyes settled on a spotted outline on the wall across from her where there was just a thin covering of crystals. She tucked the chalice under her arm and reached out. Once more, crystals dimmed beneath her touch, but other than that, nothing happened.
Wanting to dance with glee at how well everything was falling into place, Camira skipped back down the hall and up the stairs. Only pausing when she realized she didn’t know how to close the passage door.
“Oh well, it’s not like it matters now.” The next time she’d be in this room, it would belong to her. The reward for taking care of the traitor in their midst.
As much as she was tempted to just throw the flame back down and leave, she knew she needed to return it to the hallway. A missing light would be noticed. And the less others knew, the better.
Jumping and twirling in mid-air, she transported back to the corridor before she could think better of it. Her head snapped in both directions, scanning the area.
Clear.
Camira reached up and placed the torch back in its sconce then let herself relax. She turned the chalice over in her hands and admired it. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t find anything special about it. Not that it mattered; she’d finished the job she Yeva had sent her to do. Now all she had to do was lead Nivian to Isola Di Vita. Camira pulled her cloak around her, hiding the cup within the folds.
“Camira?” A male with shaggy black hair that she’d never seen before walked toward her.
She froze in place. He knew she’d heard him so she couldn’t just walk away. The last thing Camira wanted was to be questioned. She moved her hand with the chalice behind her back, nervous at the possible discovery of the lump beneath her cloak, and plastered on a fake smile.
“Uh, yeah? Have we met?” she asked in the sweetest tone she could muster.
“Not officially, but I’ve seen you around. Though not as much lately.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. Camira raised both eyebrows wondering what this guy wanted. “Can I help you with something?”
His midnight blue eyes studied her for a beat before answering. “Oh, I thought I saw you leave earlier, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting to see you in the halls anytime soon.”
“Who did you say you were?” Small chat never felt more suspicious to her. Or annoying. If it weren’t for the dozens of others milling about nearby she would end this guy. Camira allowed herself to imagine how good his energy would feel as she consumed it and made it part of her.
Most Reapers never spoke to her. Silencers always had this too good for anyone else vibe about them, and the other Timeless Reapers were content to be as interesting as a speck of dust, hardly talking to anyone. Not that she blamed them. The job of being a Timeless reaper was as dull as it could get. Just a lot of sitting around and waiting.
Camira studied the messy haired man who was watching her more closely than he wanted to let on and wondered how much he’d seen, if anything.
“I’m Evander. I just wanted to say hello. I heard about what happened with the attack. I’m glad you made it. You’re a great Reaper from what I hear.”
“Thanks,” she said. His name did sound familiar. She racked her brain trying to remember. “You’re the guy who got that promotion, aren’t you?” Camira could barely keep the bitterness out of her tone.
“Yes, but only because of the…” he faltered for words. “Extenuating circumstances.”
That’s one way to put it. She thought bitterly. “Uh huh, well, congratulations on that. I’m sure you earned it, but I need to be going, so if you don’t mind…”
“Yes, of course. I’ll see you around.”
Camira waited for him to turn the corner before she let the smile drop from her face, replacing it with a scowl. She would find him when he was alone one of these days. But for now, she had something she needed to take care of first.
NIVIAN
“You need our help?” Holter a
sked shocked. “What would a Reaper need help with?”
Azira stepped between them. “That’s why I called a meeting. It will be faster to just explain to everyone at once.”
Shortly, all the Hunters in the room had gathered before them. Nivian gulped as they eyed her cloak, no doubt searching for her scythe.
Azira nudged her forward a little, drawing more attention to her. “The floor is yours, Nivian.”
Panic froze her in place. She hadn’t thought about how to ask, or what to say to everyone. “Help me” didn’t seem to be close enough, but it was the only thing she could think of at the moment. Perhaps it was just the call for action that she didn’t feel qualified to offer the group. She felt welcome for the most part, but not to the extent she’d need to take charge.
Kain stepped up and took her hand. “We’ve been talking about working together with the Reapers for a while now. But so far, that’s all it has been—just talking. We’ve learned some new information, and with it, we are presented with our first opportunity to turn our words into action.”
Curious murmurs started as everyone looked at each other.
“What kind of opportunity?” Holter asked with his arms folded across his chest, one hand stroking the stubble on his chin.
With the ice broken, Nivian felt as though she should go on, even if it would have been worlds easier to let Kain continue for her. She braved a step forward, and thankfully, he understood.
“Our ancient, Silas, is missing, and we need your help to find him. He is an integral part in keeping the balance on our end, only he has the power to return the life forces to Gaia so they might be reborn. However, he’s not been seen for a while now. He never leaves Mophar, unless it’s an emergency. If he doesn’t return soon, the balance will continue to shift until it breaks the veil between realms.” If she could just convince them why it was important, maybe they would be happy to help. “It is because of this, I fear something is wrong. There must be a reason beyond his control that is keeping him from returning. Right now, there is a Reaper back at Headquarters destroying himself to keep the balance long enough for his return. I don’t think I have to remind you that the destruction of a Reaper or the death of a Hunter can potentially have catastrophic consequences on the balance.”
Nivian paused to let that information sink in, and to catch her breath in an attempt to calm her racing pulse. “I need a small team to come with me to look for Silas.”
Stunned silence followed. Nivian tried to think of anything she could have left out but nothing came to mind.
“Why don’t the Reapers help you? He’s your ancient, not ours.” Someone called from the back of the crowd. That was the reaction she’d been dreading.
Holter’s gaze shot to them, glaring.
“All Reapers are busy working nonstop with minimal rest to do what is needed to keep the balance.” Nivian didn’t actually know if that were true, she’d only assumed as much when Caspian didn’t send a few others with her. It was either that or to do so would risk widespread panic among them. “It was all that could be risked to allow me to go.”
“Azira and I will be joining her, but we need at least one more. We won’t force anyone to do this, as we have no idea the risk involved. However, keep in mind that if we fail, it won’t matter if you helped or not, we will all suffer the consequences. Do we have any volunteers?” Kain asked.
The silence grew thick, not even a murmur among them. And for a moment, Nivian expected them to all turn their backs on her.
Holter turned to face them. “Are we to continue with the old ways? Dividing ourselves at any chance, or will we work together the way we’ve been talking about? What affects one group will affect the other. We are no longer able to ignore the problems of the Reapers as they would not ignore ours. If finding Silas is key to protecting the balance, then we have an obligation to work together. This is why we were created; this is our reason for being—to protect the balance at all costs.”
Nivian placed a hand on Holter’s arm. “It’s okay. I wasn’t really expecting much,” she said meekly.
A hand shot up and Nivian released a breath, relieved.
“Come forward,” Holter commanded.
A man with dark cropped hair stepped forward; his deep brown eyes were hard and serious, though he had a hint of a smirk on his cleanly shaven face. “I’ll volunteer, you’ll need a navigator.”
“Great!” Kain reached forward and held out his hand. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Jack.”
“Welcome aboard, Jack,” Kain said then turned and eyed the others.
Jack walked past Nivian without acknowledging her presence and stood next to Azira, striking up a quiet conversation with her. Nivian would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt a little, but Azira was right, some of them still needed time. It was a big step that he was the first to join them, and she was thankful just for that.
“Do we have any more?” Kain searched the group, daring them all to leave the safety of the lab.
Holter stepped up to Nivian and leaned in. “May I have a quick word with you?”
She nodded and let him lead her away from the crowd.
“You didn’t say as much, but I assume you and the other Reapers suspect that Yeva is playing a part in all of this?”
She’d rarely thought of the Guardian of Life since Silas defeated her months ago.
“I’m not sure, Caspian couldn’t confirm it. Not much in this world can have any power over Silas. But it’s a possibility that he did something and it went wrong.”
“I don’t think there’s any way to tell for sure, but I don’t think we should rule it out just yet.”
“You’re right,” Nivian agreed. “I’ll talk it over with them when we have our meeting.”
“Good idea.” Holter looked at her as though he had something else on his mind, but after a few seconds he turned and walked back to stand at the edge of the crowd.
Nivian returned to her team. She could sense Kain’s disappointment at the lack of Hunters willing to put themselves out there and practice what they all claimed to have wanted. Perhaps the team they did manage to put together would be enough, and perhaps if they succeeded in their goal, the next time anything was needed they would be more confident in working together.
“Okay, it looks like this is it. Will this work, Nivian?”
“Yeah, this is great.” Nivian smiled enthusiastically. Even if it hadn’t been, who was she to complain? Any help was welcome at this point.
TWENTY-TWO
NIVIAN
“YOU DID REALLY well tonight,” Kain said as they entered their room in the nicest hotel she’d ever seen. Nivian had reaped a few assignments in hotels before, but those tended to be run-down and dirty. Nivian couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting to experience what this place had to offer, and she’d only seen the lobby and elevator so far.
“Thanks…” she trailed off as she took in the room. The size of it shamed both of their apartments combined. Decorated with a simple elegance, Nivian couldn’t help but feel as if she just picked random items to decorate her own apartment as her eyes swept over the beautiful room. Here, everything coordinated with everything else. She still loved her place, and Kain’s—their place.
The floor was tiled from the doorway to the kitchen on the left, then changed to white plush carpet. Nivian removed her shoes and walked barefoot, going from one end to the other, enjoying the feel of the carpet beneath her feet. The feeling of wonder didn’t fade until she walked into the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” Kain asked.
“There’s only one bed,” she said softly, feeling heat rush up her neck.
His mouth quirked up in the half grin she’d grown so fond of, “It’s not like we’ve never shared a bed before.”
“I know, but it feels like…” she paused unable to explain it, “I don’t know.” She twisted her fingers.
“I get it; it doesn’t have the same feel of safety as our place does.
But this is only for one night. If you want, I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She knew she was overreacting. “No, I think I’m just tired. Never mind, it will be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mmhmm.” She nodded and smiled up at him reassuringly. “I think I’m just nervous about tomorrow.”
Kain pulled her in for a hug, stroking her back. “It will be okay. I’ll be with you and so will Azira and Jack.”
“Do you think we’ll find him?”
“I know we will. But if nothing else, we won’t stop looking until we do. I promise.” His determination strengthened hers anew. They would find him.
After a minute, a wave of exhaustion overcame her. She could hardly keep her eyes from closing. Nivian pulled back. “I think I need to rest for a bit. I’m pretty worn out.”
“I know you don’t need anything, but I packed you a toothbrush,” Kain said. “I wasn’t sure what else to pack for you.”
“You packed it for me?”
“Yeah, well… I was hoping you’d come with us. I just didn’t think it would be under such dire circumstances.”
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out two toothbrushes and a small pouch of assorted things Nivian planned to examine in the morning. Being able to transport had always eliminated the need to pack anything. She was curious what humans considered necessary to bring on trips.
She followed him to the en suite bathroom and tiredly mimicked his motions. She scrubbed her teeth looking straight ahead. Her eyes had darkened to a deeper blue. Slowing her strokes, she examined herself. Tired. She looked drained. It was only slight differences, but combined they made her wonder what had caused it. She hadn’t reaped a mark in over twenty-four hours. But her eyes seemed dark and dull, bags were starting to form under them, and her normally tanned olive skin seemed to have lost its luster.