“Why did you demand your freedom, then?” I asked.
Herbert let out hissing laughter. “After decades spent in that wretched pencil box? It was obvious that my time with Ibrahim had come to an end. He no longer had use for me. Neglected me. I don’t hold it against him, but I certainly don’t plan to live out the rest of my existence inside that tiny thing. No, thank you. It was simply time for him to let me go.”
“What do you plan to do, once you’re finished with me?”
“I… I’m not sure yet. I’ll stop by a graveyard, somewhere, first. I will dig up the freshest corpse I can find. I will eat. And then? I suppose I’ll wander through these worlds of the In-Between. I’m positive I’ll have a lot to see.”
I couldn’t disagree with him there. “The In-Between is beautiful, indeed. Lots of worlds to explore. But aren’t you worried you’ll come across a ghost and not be able to resist?”
“I don’t know. I’m not eating you, am I? Perhaps my self-control is stronger than we both thought,” he quipped.
Glancing around, I saw the cosmic landscape change, gradually. The stars were bigger and brighter. Up ahead, still at least a million light-years away, was the triple-star system of Neraka. Strings of violet-and-bright-green space debris crisscrossed the glimmering field we had to cross in order to reach Neraka’s solar system.
This felt odd. Only an hour ago, we were falling off the cliff on Calliope.
“I told you,” Herbert said, picking up on my thoughts. “We’re taking some shortcuts. Space to me… it’s a pile of fabric, with trillions of little holes that’ll get you from A to B without you even realizing it.”
“It’s still weird,” I replied. “Amazing, obviously, but weird. Also, it’s scary, knowing that all the other ghouls can move around like this.”
“There were never too many ghouls, to begin with. Their numbers dwindled down further when the witches started nabbing them and enslaving them in the Sanctuary. Perhaps the In-Between still has a few hundred, scattered across,” Herbert said.
“I take it that the Earthly and Supernatural Dimensions were more or less cleaned up,” I said.
“Yes. Of course, other Reapers will fall and become ghouls, but I imagine they’ve learned a few tricks by now. They know to stay away from GASP-populated areas, first and foremost. They will likely try not to draw attention to themselves. If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about them. There will never be enough ghouls to pose a serious threat. Especially if your friends succeed with Death.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
Herbert stifled a chuckle as he slipped through another of those “fabric holes” he’d mentioned. Suddenly, Neraka’s solar system was significantly closer. I didn’t even feel the shift, but I could clearly see that we’d covered about five hundred thousand miles in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, only ghouls and Reapers had access to these strange shortcuts in space.
“Don’t be mad, but I withheld some information from Ibrahim during that download,” he said.
“What… What did you do?!” I sounded understandably alarmed.
“Relax! It’s nothing bad,” he groaned. “I just wanted to talk to them myself. I wouldn’t want witches and warlocks creeping up on them and killing them. They’re decent fellas.”
My confusion wasn’t subsiding. On the contrary. “Herbert.”
“There is a congregation of ghouls I knew. Original ghouls. They eat souls, yes, but they keep their consumption to a minimum. Before the witches took me, they’d invited me into their pack—ghouls ganging up was a rare thing. It still is. Anyway, I was momentarily tempted to join them, even though I’d decayed into this form you see now. If I ate a few souls, to begin with, I’d recover and go back to being an original ghoul. From there on, if I kept my soul consumption to, say, one per century, I’d be okay. That was their… policy, let’s call it.”
“Geez…”
“Don’t judge!” he retorted. “Not until you’ve been one of us for long enough to understand what it’s like. Anyway! The witches took me, so I never got to join them, but I’m pretty sure they’re still active. I picked up their scent back on Calliope. I didn’t tell Ibrahim about it because I knew they had precious knowledge of Death and her condition, not so much her whereabouts, which I did give to Ibrahim, just so you know.”
“That’s decent of you,” I muttered.
“Thank you, little Miss Judgy. Now, like I was saying, I caught their scent and was surprised to find them here, in the In-Between. They were natives of the Supernatural Dimension, but this wouldn’t be the first time a ghoul found his way into another dimension. They usually sneak through portals made by witches, which was what I assumed had happened here, as well.”
That made sense. With all the portals now open between The Shade, the Supernatural Dimension, and the In-Between, and given that ghouls were able to conceal their presence from the living, I could easily see them jumping from one plane to another, through any of these points of entry.
“You said they have knowledge about Death and her condition. What do they know?” I asked.
“I’m getting there, hold on. I’ve been following their scent from the moment I took you in. I traced them to the cliff, and from there, I tracked them to… here. I think they’re close to our original destination, which makes the detour we’re about to make a lot less inconvenient.”
“Doesn’t make this any less terrifying,” I croaked, bracing myself for this encounter.
“They’re over there,” he said, pointing at a cluster of three moons I instantly recognized. They were Neraka’s moon and… Neraka was within our reach now! I was so close to my body, my entire being zinging with longing.
The suns shone brightly, three bodies in peculiar balance—one large and two smaller ones, orbiting it with silent reverence. A few planets away, Neraka spun, joined by its triplet moons. And somewhere beneath the surface of Neraka, my body awaited.
“Ugh. I might not have my body back, but damn, I’m getting goosebumps. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked.
“Harper. My darling. Please, do not despair. It’s only for a little while. I’m taking you with me because I want you to hear what they say. They know about Death; they know things most of us don’t. Yes, I’d learned where she was, ages ago, but I did my best to keep my distance. These fellas know more, though—specifically, why Death retired to Mortis in the first place. Don’t you think that’s an important piece of information?”
“Well, yeah, but couldn’t you just tell Ibrahim?”
“I thought I’d made myself clear. I didn’t want Ibrahim to send witches out to hunt them. I had no leverage in that conversation to demand that they be left alone, if I told him about them,” Herbert explained. “I was too busy trying to get myself free.”
Dread began to seep through, freezing my spirit and slowing down my thought processes. “What do you hope to get from them?” I asked, my voice wavering.
He sighed. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll keep you safe. I won’t get too close to them. I just need to find out what they know about Death. From there, we’ll go straight to Neraka and get you back into your body. You will retain your memories of this entire conversation, and you’ll be able to pass that information back to Ibrahim. By then, I’ll have made sure that those ghouls are gone from Neraka’s moons.”
It sounded like an easy plan. Or at least, he made it sound easy. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something might go wrong, and that my mission to return to my body would soon be imperiled.
Less than an hour later, Herbert descended upon the white moon, his clawed feet sinking into the pristine white dust as he landed. The gravity here was extremely low, and every move that Herbert made caused puffs of white dust to swell around us before drifting aimlessly away.
From up close, the moon was even more beautiful. A sea of white, peppered with giant craters and the occasional mountainous chain. Nothing but dust and rocks, and not a single trace of water. Nera
ka rose to the east, huge and covered in its usual streaks of reddish brown and blue, with green patches and snowy poles and cloud blankets stretching for thousands of miles. Beyond it, the suns shone as one, almost blinding me.
The other two moons were barely visible to the west, two half-discs, one smaller than the other. But they didn’t have my full attention—the congregation of ghouls resting atop a cluster of jagged rocks did. They were about fifty yards away now, and they seemed quiet and sullen.
“It’s imperative that you keep quiet, going forward,” Herbert whispered as he cautiously approached them. Oh, that’s what you meant when you told me to keep my mouth shut earlier, no matter what, I thought.
The original ghouls were different than Herbert. From here, they seemed like enormous shadows, twice the size of a sentry—however, the closer we got, the better I could see. The shadows were mere illusions. These creatures were as tall as me, in fact, and they’d retained most of their humanoid features. It was stunning to witness. No one had ever been able to describe the original ghouls’ true appearance. The Nevertide original ghoul that my mom and her friends had dealt with had only been described as a shadow. He'd been powerful, downright monstrous, a sinister creature with terrifying abilities. Despite my initial annoyance regarding this detour, I had to admit, this was quite an opportunity.
I wondered if the reason why I could see them myself was because I was in my spirit form, seeing through Herbert’s eyes. I also wondered if these particular fiends were as powerful as the ones from Nevertide.
They were talking to one another, exchanging whispery words that didn’t make sense until Herbert got us even closer. They stilled and turned their heads to find Herbert standing still, his skinny arms in the air. He smiled at them—though I was pretty sure it looked grotesque from the outside.
Gee, thank you, darling, his voice echoed in me. I’d once again forgotten he could hear my thoughts.
The original ghouls were a wondrous and scary sight. They had the appearance of a sentry, or a human, but their skin was pale, almost translucent and smooth. Beneath it, I could see the myriad of bluish and black veins. Their eyes were sunken into their heads, big black beads that encompassed the night sky, much like Herbert’s, in that sense. They had long claws and fangs, too, and they still wore their Reaper garb. Black tunics with asymmetric white sleeves. I didn’t recognize the style.
“They used to be Reapers in the Witches’ Sanctuary,” Herbert whispered, then raised his voice. “Hello, brothers! Long time, no see!”
They eyed him suspiciously—all eight of them. Four had dark hair, two were gingers, and two were bald. Their cheeks were tall and sharp, causing shadows to be drawn down to their jawlines. Their fangs were longer than a vampire’s, visible and pressing against their lower lips. They were black, and I was willing to bet they could easily tear the flesh off a bone in seconds.
“Herbert?” one of them asked, narrowing his eyes at us. “Is that you?”
“Kill, you haven’t aged a day!” Herbert replied, recognizing the original ghoul. “I don’t know your friends, though. Your group had different members when I last saw you.”
Kill guffawed, throwing his head back. “That was back in the Witches’ Sanctuary, you knob!” He walked toward us, motioning to the others to stay where they were. I didn’t like how close he was getting. Herbert reacted to my fear and took a step back. Kill noticed and stopped, cocking his head to the side. “Don’t worry, man. I don’t bite.”
“I know, I know. You’ll have to forgive this old fool. My social skills are rusty,” Herbert replied. “So, what are you fellas doing here? Where are the others?”
Kill sighed. For a second, I wondered if Kill was his nickname or his real name.
Nickname. I never learned his real name, Herbert said, internally.
“They were caught by a black witch,” Kill said. “She caught our scent, started picking us off, one by one. I got lucky. But anyway, that’s ancient history. I’m here because I found my way through one of the open portals, back in the witches’ dimension. It took me to a place called Calliope. I didn’t stay long there. It was teeming with Reapers.”
“Ah, I see. Then what are you and your friends doing here, on this barren little moon?” Herbert asked. Behind Kill, the other original ghouls were watching, quiet and still very suspicious. It felt as though maybe they could see me or something. They would’ve pounced if that were the case.
From where I stood now, they didn’t strike me as the nearly all-powerful original ghouls that had once founded Nevertide, and nowhere close to the one that my parents had personally dealt with.
They’re significantly weaker, Herbert said, reading my mind. The Nevertide ghouls, as far as I can remember, were very well fed, as far as their… soul diet went. The synergy they created with their sentries allowed them to grow extremely powerful. Most of the original ghouls may be scary, but they’re still just scavengers. Not like Hellswan or his brethren.
His explanation gave me a sliver of relief, knowing now that we weren’t dealing with that particular type of original ghoul, but weaker ones.
“There are fae on Neraka,” Kill said. “In one of their so-called Sanctuaries. We’re waiting for them to die so we can feast.”
“Really? But aren’t they guarded by Reapers, like Calliope?” Herbert replied.
Kill nodded. “Fewer than Calliope, though. My crew and I have planned a way to distract them when the fae finally die. Six of us will keep the Reapers busy, and two of us will pick up lunch from inside the sanctuary.” His cold grin made me shiver. “What the hell brings you all the way here? You’re a degraded ghoul. How’d you even find a portal to get you into this dimension?”
“Oh, I didn’t. I’ve been in the Witches’ Sanctuary since they caught me. One of the warlocks there brought me to Calliope today,” Herbert explained, choosing his words carefully. “I offered him information about Death in exchange for my freedom. It worked.”
Kill and his friends chuckled, exchanging knowing glances. “Yeah, they’re pretty desperate with this whole Hermessi mess,” he said. “I do hope you gave the warlock some good information.”
“I know less than you, Kill, but yes, I told him where to find her,” Herbert replied. “Hopefully, they’ll sort this out before these elemental creeps complete their ritual.”
Kill nodded. “I agree. The last thing we want is the Hermessi wiping out all these creatures. They’ll be cutting off our food supply, too. We’ll all become like you, or worse, if that happens.”
“Why didn’t you reach out to one of these GASP people, then, if that’s how you feel?” Herbert asked, picking up on my thoughts. That was a good question.
“Rule number one, Herbert. No matter what, you don’t talk to the living. You just eat them,” Kill shot back, his tone clipped. “No. Matter. What.”
“I think the circumstances do allow an exception,” Herbert muttered.
“Well, you were obviously there to help them out.” Kill laughed, though I could still sense the resentment. “You didn’t have a choice, so there’s your exception. The same could apply to any of the other ghouls they’re still keeping in the Witches’ Sanctuary.”
I had a feeling the ghouls wouldn’t be all that affected by the end of the world. In my mind, I was doing the math. The Hermessi wiping us all out meant that billions or even trillions of souls would perish. Like Herbert had said, not all Reapers were punctual or careful, and, with such a big number, the ghouls would surely have a feast on their hands. What would’ve stopped them from grabbing as many lost souls as they could, right after this ritual was completed, and storing them for eons to come until new lifeforms sprang from these clean worlds?
Good thinking, Harper. You’re a smart girl. You now understand that, one way or another, the ghouls are set and have zero interest in helping your kind, Herbert thought to me. Of course, it would be easier for them if you people saved the day, but they obviously have a plan B for this, and it’s li
kely what you just thought of, word for word.
I wondered about the logistics of storing souls for years, but Kill broke my train of thought. “Either way, I suggest you stick around and wait with us,” he said. “You can either help with distracting the Reapers or collecting the souls from inside the sanctuary.”
Herbert nodded slowly. “It’s a tempting offer, thank you.”
“Though, judging by the look on Herbie here, he’d need half that sanctuary just to look like one of us again,” another ghoul said from the back, clearly amused. From what I could tell, the original ghouls sort of looked down on Herbert’s kind.
“You never told me,” Kill continued, his gaze fixed on us, “what brought you right here, to this place.”
“Oh, I was actually looking for you,” Herbert replied. “I remember you knowing more about Death and the reason behind her exile to Mortis. I would like to know more.”
Kill grinned. “I take it you made the connection between this emerging ritual and Death’s absence from the picture?”
“It didn’t take a scientist,” Herbert grumbled, “especially since I remember you and the old crew specifically joking about how Death was in a crappy mood since the first ritual.”
The other ghouls chuckled, prompting Kill to let out another short and cold laugh. It made me tingle on the inside, as if I’d just swallowed a bucket of ice. This wasn’t the laughter of a decent creature. It belonged to an evil monster, despite his polite demeanor. That would’ve changed if he’d become aware of my presence, I was certain of it.
“So… What is it that’s keeping Death away from this obviously ginormous problem?” Herbert asked.
Kill took another step forward, and Herbert moved us back. It made Kill smirk, but he didn’t bring it up. “Have you ever heard of Thieron?” he asked instead, and Herbert shook his head. “But you do remember the Reaper’s scythe. We lose our ability to hold one when we become ghouls, but still, you can admit that they are powerful weapons.”
“They most certainly are, especially in the hands of Reapers,” Herbert said.
A Shade of Vampire 73: A Search for Death Page 15