by Nicky Graves
As she faded from my view, Vance demanded, “What the hell is going on?”
I closed my eyes, willing myself to channel calm and peaceful thoughts. But with Vance hovering over me, all I wanted to do was strangle him and his girlfriends.
“Please go away,” I begged. “I have the green stone. I need you to leave so I can control it. This thing is a monster with four heads, and I barely escaped it.”
Vance gave a nod, but instead of leaving, he sat down on the bed and held out his hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Shut up and take my hand,” he said.
Well, I had warned him. Anything that happened after this was on him. I reached out and took his hand, feeling the coolness of it as my body radiated heat. His hand felt good, soothing.
“Jealousy, huh?” he asked.
I gave a nod. It was all I was capable of at the time.
He sighed. “Just so you know, I haven’t slept with anyone since the claim,” he said. “And I don’t exactly know how the claim was broken, but I still feel it. The truth is, I like you, Riley. More than I am comfortable with.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. But as my body trembled with pain, I didn’t think there was anything that I could say to him without it sounding pathetic. The truth was, his confession meant a lot to me. And maybe he was lying. Maybe he was just trying to calm the jealous monster inside of me. But it still meant he cared enough to try.
“Lie down,” he said.
I shook my head. “I don’t have control yet. You need to leave.”
“Just lie down. You’ll feel better.”
Once I did as requested, he stretched out next to me and took my hand again.
“When Lawson and I were kids, we were a bit of a handful,” he said, staring at the ceiling as he spoke. “Lawson was always the oldest, the strongest, and the bravest. He was everything I could never be. And, there was a girl in our village. She was the prettiest girl, although she didn’t have much competition. It wasn’t like our village was that big.”
“Elizabeth,” I said with a shuddered breath as Cassoon flared in me.
“Yes. I had hoped to win her over. And I could tell she liked me, but Lawson, like always, won in the end. I watched as they were ridiculously sappy over each other. Then they got engaged.”
I heard the bitterness in his words.
“And then Lawson died,” Vance said. “I thought I could console Elizabeth. She was afraid people would shun her when they found out she was pregnant and unwed. I thought we could get married and I could raise Lawson’s child as my own. She said no at first, still mourning the loss of Lawson. I understood. But then she finally caved out of necessity.”
His voice was calm, but I still heard the hurt in his words.
“I thought my love would be enough. It wasn’t. She forever compared me to Lawson. I couldn’t compete with my brother when he was alive. How was I supposed to compete with a ghost? At one point, she even said that she wished I had died instead of Lawson. There were several times I wished she was right.”
I glanced over at him. He seemed so peaceful as he talked about his past, but there was a slight red glitter to his eyes that betrayed him.
“And then Lawson returned. He revealed what had happened to him. And I kept up the charade, knowing Lawson couldn’t take back his place. I was stuck with a wife that despised me and a child that looked like Lawson.”
“And then the vampires came,” I said, remembering the bit of the story I knew.
He didn’t say anything at first, but then he said, “Lawson accused me of killing his family. And there have been times when I wondered if I did. I blindly followed the vampires for immortality and escape. I found a way out, but it was at an expense I didn’t know about until it was too late.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t know if he wanted me to say anything.
“There’s a part of me that wonders if I wanted them to die,” he eventually said.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not telling you this so you feel sorry for me. I’m telling you because history has a tendency to repeat itself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think it’s why I made the claim on you without thinking it through. I feel as though I’m in a battle with Lawson all over again.”
“How?”
He sighed. “You don’t get it, do you?”
I shook my head.
“You are our present-day Elizabeth.”
I frowned. “That’s absurd.”
“Of course it is. But Lawson has feelings for you. I like you despite my better judgment, even enough to claim you for eternity. And, as history will repeat itself, Lawson will win.”
I turned to my side to look at him. I was baffled and flattered by his admission. And as I jogged through my memory, I picked out moments where he showed his affections, which were sometimes harsh in the moment but thoughtful upon reflection.
I had no idea where this left us. Or what I was supposed to do with this information. But as I watched him, I felt myself let go a bit. Let go of stress, let go of what-ifs, let go of jealousy.
Leaning over, I was about to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head. Our lips softly met. It was just a tentative kiss. But instead of stopping, Vance gathered me close. Our bodies pressed together as he took the kiss to another level.
I lost myself in him.
Wiltone’s passion kicked in, but there was a generous dose of my own as well. Between Vance’s heated kisses and his hands that traveled over me, I was gone into a world where nothing else existed. No Azrael. No Lucifer. No Elizabeth. No life stones.
And just when I knew I wanted him to continue, he stopped and fell back against the bed to stare at the ceiling again. The rims of his dark eyes sparkled red.
“Why did you stop?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry,” I said to fill in the silence. “It was probably Wiltone. You know how she can be.”
“I’ve experienced Wiltone’s energy in Juliette. This was not Wiltone.” He glanced at me. “This was . . .”
He didn’t finish the thought.
“Who broke the claim?” he asked a few moments later. “Because I don’t think it’s really broken. It’s like you’ve somehow infiltrated me.”
“I know it’s broken.”
“How did you get it broken?”
“I can’t tell you. Maybe there’s a time delay on the effects. I don’t know. But I’ll figure it out. Right now, I should talk to Lawson about the—”
“Can’t go two minutes without bringing up Lawson, can you?”
“Don’t get defensive. I just need to speak to him.”
“It’s always Lawson. Once again, history repeats itself and I get screwed.” With a curse, he stood from the bed and walked out.
With a sigh, I stared up at the ceiling, wondering if I’d ever figure out the brothers.
12
I glanced over at the spot Vance had been lying on, wondering about his reaction.
I also wondered what I was going to do about Cassoon and Lucifer.
Wiltone appeared in the spot Vance had been. She looked at me with dangerously innocent eyes, which meant she was up to no good.
“Feeling better after the make-out session?” she asked.
Actually, I was. But it had nothing to do with what happened between Vance and me. Whatever accelerated reaper healing I had was on in full force. I was no longer in pain, and my feet were almost back to normal.
“You shouldn’t have put your passion whammy on Vance,” I said.
“I didn’t.”
When I was about to protest, she stated, “I swear I didn’t. I was too busy with Cassoon. But if I hadn’t been, Vance would still be here unable to keep his hands off of you.”
“Then it was the claim.”
She shook her head. “I think the claim is gone. I can’t sense it in you anymore.”
“Maybe C
assoon is somehow masking it.”
“No, the claim is gone, and I didn’t put my love whammy on Vance. He has feelings for you.” She sighed happily. “He’s so dreamy.”
I groaned. “Forget Vance. We’ve got bigger problems.”
The problem was I couldn’t forget him. And, yes, Vance was dreamy. But he was also not over the past, and neither was Lawson. They were still in a battle over Elizabeth. And it was a battle I didn’t want to be involved in.
“Tell me about Cassoon,” I said.
“Why don’t you meet him,” Wiltone suggested.
“He tried to bite my head off. I really don’t want to meet him.”
“You’ll love him. Come on out, Cassoon.”
A light-green puffball appeared on the bed between Wiltone and me. His rounded emerald eyes looked as if they were pleading for treats. Four little paws stuck out from a massive amount of fur.
“This is Cassoon?” I asked.
Wiltone nodded. “Just keep your feelings for Vance and Lawson under lock and key, and Cassoon will stay like this.”
“How did that giant four-headed monster turn into this furball?” He was barely the size of a softball.
“All the stones have their own shapes. Cassoon can shape shift at will.”
“Do you know what shape Basole the Black takes?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
If an angry Cassoon came out with four snarling heads, how much worse would Basole the Black be, especially in the hands of Azrael?
Cassoon rolled on the bed, his paws raised up to the ceiling as he looked at me. Did he want a belly rub?
“Does he eat?” I asked.
“He doesn’t need to.”
Hesitantly, I reached out to pet him. He rolled back to his feet as if on guard. But just as I was going to pull my hand back, he raced over and pounced on it. Light as a foam ball, I picked him up and smiled.
“He’s adorable.”
“For now,” Wiltone warned.
“I’ll be careful.”
I’d just have to avoid contact with Vance and Lawson.
“You are so sweet,” I said as I set him back down on the bed.
Cassoon frolicked on the covers.
“What happens if I accidentally trigger him?” I asked.
“We just have to get him back under control. He’s less of a danger to you now that you’re bonded. But he can still hurt people.”
I gave a nod. I’d do my best to keep my emotions in check.
But this little furball worried me. Right now, he was adorably sweet, snuggling with my hand and then jumping on the bed. But I knew all it would take was Lawson or Vance appearing and saying something that would upset me to kick this little guy into action.
What was it about those two that got under my skin?
If I was smart, which I obviously was not, I’d cut ties with both of them. But the fact was, I couldn’t cut ties with Lawson. We were both reapers. We needed to stick together. And I didn’t want to cut ties with Vance. He had pulled me out of a few scrapes . . . though he also had gotten me into a few.
I needed more answers about Cassoon and how to break a deal with the devil. Going to the library would be my first order of business.
“You’re stalling,” Wiltone said as she invaded my thoughts. “Instead of going to the library, why don’t we go to the demon realm. Maybe we can find Lucifer.”
The problem was I really didn’t want to find Lucifer. But, Wiltone was right. It was time to face the devil.
“All right,” I said, standing. “How do I get this little furball to go inside of me?”
“What do you mean?” Wiltone asked. “He’s already inside of you.”
“I mean his form. Both you and Treble are able to disappear. Can he as well?”
“If he wants to. Just like when Treble and I want to. But I wouldn’t worry about him. He will read the situation and act accordingly as long as you don’t provoke him.”
That made me feel a little better, but I really didn’t want to walk around the demon realm with the adorable puffball. However, Cassoon decided my shoulder would be the best spot for him. He bounced off the bed and onto me. He snuggled with my neck, making a guttural cooing noise.
“He likes you,” Wiltone said.
“Well, that makes him and you. I still haven’t won over Treble.”
“I don’t know,” Wiltone said with a shrug. “You and Treble have different personalities, but I think he prefers being bonded with you over Azrael. However, he is upset you’re going to give a life stone to Lucifer.”
I wasn’t thrilled about it either.
“Do you think I still have the gift of sight in the dark lands?” I asked.
“I think once it’s gifted, you keep it,” Wiltone said.
I shifted to the demon realm and arrived at the spot where Ranger had lost his life. The square that had been filled with demons was now empty, the town shuttered. I saw no signs of life or movement.
“Wiltone, what’s going on? I thought there’d be at least a demon or two wandering around. This place is a ghost town.”
Wiltone glanced around us as Cassoon head butted me in the neck, still cooing at me. While I was thankful he wasn’t trying to bite my head off, his affection was a bit too much in the situation.
Wiltone shifted from one building to another, peeking in through the wood slats that covered the windows. “It’s dark,” she said.
Where were the demons?
I headed over to the building Wiltone was peeking inside, ignoring the spiking adrenaline.
I raised my hand to knock on the door, but when I started to rap on it, the door creaked open, revealing a decaying interior.
“Well, this just got a whole lot creepier,” Wiltone said.
Pushing the door open wider, I stepped in. “Hello?” I called.
There was no answer, but I didn’t think there would be. Nothing was left but a splintering wood floor and bowing walls.
Was it just this town square that had been abandoned or the entire realm?
One thing was for certain: I didn’t want to stick around. Something was obviously wrong.
And that’s when I felt the call of death.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, willing the pain in my abdomen to subside so I could ignore the call. But it grew agonizingly painful.
“You’re going to have to answer,” Wiltone said.
She was right. I had never been able to withstand the call before. With a sigh, I acknowledged the pain, allowing it to take me.
Arriving at a suburban house, I shifted inside and listened for sounds. When I heard a muffled cry coming from the back, I followed it to find a teenage girl lying on a bed with Lucifer peering down at her.
“So, you got the call?” Lucifer asked before glancing at me with a grin.
“What’s going on?” I asked, not trusting the situation or even this house any longer.
“I thought it was a good time to chat,” he said.
“Chat about what?”
Cassoon bristled next to me, his fur standing tall and straight like porcupine quills. And judging from the pain of them gouging into my neck, they were just as sharp.
“I see you found the green stone,” he said.
“Yes, I did. But in order to save him, I had to bond with him. So, unless you know a way to unbind us, he’s stuck with me. Anyway, Vance doesn’t think you fixed the whole claiming issue, so I can still break the deal.”
He raised a brow. “You doubt me?”
“The claim seems to still be in effect for Vance.”
Lucifer gave a pitying glance. “That’s not the claim, little reaper. That’s all Vance.”
I paused when Lucifer called me little reaper. It’s what Ranger used to call me.
Lucifer grinned. “I keep my word, little reaper. Remember that. Hand me Cassoon, and then you will get Ranger back.”
The girl whimpered again.
“What are yo
u doing to her?” I asked. “Are you killing her?”
“She made a deal.” His grin widened as he leaned over her, patting her head as if he cared about her suffering. “She knew the risks. Just like you know the risks.”
“What deal did she make?”
Lucifer laughed. “Are you trying to save yet another poor soul?”
“If I can,” I admitted.
I knew admitting anything to him was a risk. It would be something he could use to his advantage. But if there was a way to save the girl from Lucifer, I would try.
“This silly girl wanted to win the affection of some teenage boy. Now it’s time for her to repay me.”
“How old is she?” I asked.
“Old enough to know better.”
She was probably only sixteen.
“If you think I’ve come here to end her life for you, you are sorely mistaken,” I said.
“End her life?” Lucifer asked, almost giddy. “Little reaper, her soul is mine, and I’m taking it. Your job is to give me Cassoon to make the transfer happen.”
“Transfer?”
“You’re wasting precious time,” he said. “You have about sixty seconds before this girl dies and access to Ranger is closed off. In which case, you will then lose Ranger and forfeit your soul to me.”
I looked at the girl. Unfortunately, I could not save her. I knew even if I declined Lucifer’s offer, she would die. Had she stood a chance against death’s grip, I wouldn’t have gotten the call.
Taking the only option that I could see, I lifted Cassoon off my shoulder, apologized to the puffball, then held him to Lucifer to take. Before I knew what was happening, Lucifer wrapped his hand around my arm, holding me in place. The strength of him was bone crushing. I cried in pain as he ripped the green-stone essence from every fiber of my body.
13
Having Cassoon extracted filled me with a sense of loss, of anguish, and of defeat. It was as if a piece of me had been ripped away and forever lost.