“This area is restricted, Reaper. Move back,” the Air Hermessi replied.
“One of you sold Taeral out to the ritual fanatics,” I insisted. “Which one of you was it? Huh?”
“Move back,” the Fire Hermessi said.
My blood boiled. I would’ve given anything for the power to smite them, right here and now. Unfortunately, that wasn’t part of my arsenal.
“Step aside,” the low female voice commanded from inside the room. “Let him in.”
The Hermessi didn’t seem pleased with that order, but they obeyed, making room for me to go in, as the double screen doors slid apart. I took in my surroundings, noticing the moving images on the paper walls. Glancing down, I noticed the absence of my reflection—the same as with every mirror I’d ever come across. A Reaper couldn’t be seen on any reflective surface, not even in his or her physical form. Part of being stuck between life and death, I’d figured.
Death got up from her throne, and I stilled, rendered breathless by her beauty. She was a vision in black and white, apart from her shiny red lips. Her silk dress had a life of its own, rippling across the marble floor as she walked toward me, smiling ever so gently.
“Seeley… What a surprise,” she said, her voice echoing in the back of my head, much like our telepathic connection.
I was floored in her presence. My knees were weak, and my heart pounded frantically against its ribcage. Warmth filled me to the brim as I saw the trillions of stars nestled in her eyes—the one feature we all shared with her. But there was no time for me to truly bask in this moment. The fae’s lives were at stake, along with the rest of the universe. Their deaths wouldn’t have affected Death, but it still didn’t make it right.
“I’m sorry to show up like this,” I murmured. “I wish there was another way.”
She stopped, leaving only a couple of feet of tightly compressed air between us, her hands clasped together in front of her. She looked at me, showing genuine concern. “What’s wrong, Seeley?”
“You’re not at all surprised that I’m here?” I asked, slightly confused. I would’ve expected a different reaction from her.
“I knew you were coming.” She chuckled softly.
“You did?”
She pointed a finger at her temple. “We’re connected, remember, Seeley? I know everything you know.”
Taking a deep breath, I decided that there was no need for pleasantries, then. She was already aware of the purpose of my visit. “Yet you’ve never bothered to tell me where you were,” I said.
“I’ve been a little… indisposed,” Death replied. “But we’ve always spoken, Seeley. I was always there for you, and you know that.”
“There’s a lot more I didn’t know, apparently.”
She sighed, sounding disappointed. “And I suppose you wanted to confront me about it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you!” I snapped, suddenly fearless. “I could’ve gone out to look for Thieron. I would’ve stopped at nothing!”
“I was ashamed,” she said, her voice trembling. “And it’s not an easy thing to admit, but my recent encounter with my brother has shed some light on things, for me.”
“But you sent other Reapers out to find Thieron,” I replied, crossing my arms.
It made her smile, as if my gestures were merely endearing to her. “Oh, honey, I assigned the task to first and second circle Reapers only. Last time I checked, you were still in the sixth, still working your way up. You don’t know half the things they knew. Trust me, Seeley, you would have failed, and you would’ve disappointed me, and this is the one relationship I didn’t want soiled by the harsh truth of things.” She reached out and touched my face, a billion fires bursting beneath my skin. It felt incredible as she pierced my very soul. “I do not speak to Reapers outside the third circle. You know what a wonderful exception you are.”
I wanted to ask why I was so special to her, but I figured I’d leave it for later. Bigger issues here.
“Many of us are confused about your circumstances. We keep a straight face about it, but it’s tough. Some of the lower circles are losing their morale. A few have even jumped ship, choosing to become ghouls,” I said. “Your leadership is needed, and the Hermessi’s behavior is putting a lot of us on edge. We do our jobs, of course, but… it’s not right.”
She shook her head slowly. “It’s not, Seeley, I agree. But I can’t do much about it until I get my Thieron back.”
“And you trusted Taeral and his band of merry creatures to get it for you?”
“He’s special,” Death replied, the look on her face telling me that there was more to this story than she was letting on. “Taeral is very special. One day, he will become a Reaper.”
That wasn’t exactly mind-boggling. The odds of Taeral being a Reaper didn’t seem that low. I’d noticed it about him. I’d sensed that there was something familiar inside him when I’d met him on Hellym, but this was merely a confirmation. Nothing to knock my socks off.
“You’re not impressed.” Death smiled.
“I’m frustrated. What is it about him that makes him so perfectly qualified to find Thieron for you?” I asked. “He’s not even a Reaper. Sure, he’ll become one someday, but right now, he is literally miles beneath the ninth circle, not to mention mine, or the first and second you’ve already sent out to help you with this…”
Her hand settled on my shoulder. A faint scent of jasmine and night-queen tickled my nose. I’d remember this moment for the rest of my immortal existence—and that was a long damn time to revel in.
“Haven’t you noticed how terrified the Hermessi are of him? How desperate they are to stop him? Did you think it had anything to do with me?” Death replied, stirring a series of questions in my head.
“You’re right. They’ve been on him since before he even got to Cerix. Long before he heard about you, not to mention Thieron,” I said. “What… What is he, then, to worry them so much?”
She grinned, bursting with satisfaction. “Oh, honey, you have a lot to learn, still. But I promise, I will teach you. I will answer all your questions, too. No more secrets between us, but only if you do me a favor.”
I felt my eyebrows raise questioningly. “You’ll tell me everything?” She nodded. “Including why the fae spirits touching slows down the Hermessi’s influence?”
She laughed. “Ah, that… Yes. I’m surprised you witnessed such an event. Did it take place in The Shade sanctuary, perhaps? I’m fumbling through your memories now, and… oh, there it is,” she said, her eyes glimmering strangely. I could see that exact moment through her eyes, just like I’d seen it through mine, and I didn’t even feel her poking around in my head. What a subtle force Death was.
“Right now, the other Reapers don’t want the fae spirits talking to or touching each other,” I replied. “Surely, that’s not a rule of yours?”
“Technically speaking, it is, but I believe it can be bent for now.” Death sighed. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I’m kind of rooting for Taeral here. The universe has come a long way in the millions of years that the Hermessi haven’t tampered with it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. This would make Vesta very happy, once I got to tell her about it. Hell, I was going to shine a light on every fae spirit in that sanctuary and in all the others, too, if I had to!
“Seeley, I’m serious,” Death added, back to her sweeter pout. “I need you.”
“Did you need me before I came here?”
“No,” she said, giving me a playful grin. “But your presence here gave me a great idea. Not to mention your devotion and dedication. I know, I hurt your feelings, and we have all the time in the world to talk about it, but for now… I need you to do something for me.”
I let a deep sigh roll out of my chest. It sounded like surrender, and it made her quite happy.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked, worried I might regret this, eventually. This wasn’t how I’d pictured my first meeting with
Death unfolding.
“I want you to follow Taeral and his crew. Only intervene if I demand it. I will be able to see them through your eyes, in real time. Everything I’ve learned about them so far has come from other Reapers who’ve noticed or heard them. Without Thieron, I’m afraid I’m not as omniscient as I let people think.”
I blinked several times, quietly repeating her words in my head, trying to make sense of this masked confession of hers. “You want me to follow Taeral.”
“I told you, he’s special. The Hermessi loathe him. He interests me, and I have a feeling he’ll stop at nothing to pull this off,” she said, and chuckled. “Granted, I did put some pressure on him, but… Anyway! The point is, the Hermessi are growing more powerful with every day, and it’s making a mockery of me. Of course, I wouldn’t want to see so many civilizations destroyed, but what irks me the most is the thought of Brendel pulling one over on me. They cannot win, Seeley.”
I nodded slowly, understanding just how superficial she was in this matter. I couldn’t exactly hold it against her. An entity like Death had no sense of time and space, of wrong and right or anything else on that spectrum that I’d once been a part of, along with all the other Reapers. But I could take advantage of her desire to defeat Brendel. Her ego worked in favor of my agenda, after all. Why not go with it?
“Okay, I’ll do it. I will follow them. Before I go, however, I expect some answers,” I said firmly.
“Whatever you want,” Death replied, definitely pleased by my response. I had a feeling she could’ve easily made me do it, instead of asking me so ardently, but I did appreciate the respect she displayed toward me. “As long as you do everything in your power to help them.”
“I should warn you, though, I am limited, even before the Hermessi,” I replied, fearing she might get false hope.
She scowled at me. “Don’t disappoint me, Seeley. I’m well aware that Brendel might still win this. I’ll just be very pissed off if she does, and I’ll have a boatload of Reapers to torment if she succeeds. I’m not getting false hope, I’m simply determined to defeat that flaming bitch!”
Whoa.
With that in mind, I offered a polite bow. “I will do whatever it takes.”
“Remember! Don’t get involved unless I tell you to. When you do, however, I expect your full compliance,” she said. “And you’ll see what I mean about Taeral being special. You’ll see it for yourself, after a while. I have deeper insight into any living creature, but you, my darling, you’ll need a couple of hours around the boy-king of the Fire Star to understand why I’m betting on him.”
I did hope she’d tell me herself, like she’d promised. But even if she didn’t, since she was such a capricious force, I was inclined to trust her on it. Death never did anything unless she wholeheartedly wanted to. She’d seen something in Taeral, something past his future afterlife as a Reaper—enough to make her give him this quest.
All I could do was please her and follow Taeral as she’d asked, so she could see him through my own eyes, at all times. Whether he would succeed or fail on this mission, I didn’t know. Part of me rooted for him, just like I’d told Vesta. I didn’t want the Hermessi to win, either.
I liked these worlds that the creatures had built for themselves, each of them filled with wonder and curiosity and love and anger and the hunger for knowledge. They were complicated beings, each and every one of them, and some got on my nerves, often. But even so, with all their wars and complicated history, they’d breathed life into the universe.
And I dreaded a future in which they didn’t exist. So, yes, I’d give it my best to make sure Brendel didn’t finish the ritual, and the only way I could do this was to support Taeral at Death’s command. It sure beat standing around, helplessly watching the fae spirits as they lost their bodies.
Then again, Death had just greenlit a temporary solution for that, too. Maybe the stars were in Taeral’s favor, after all. Or maybe this was the last flicker of benevolence that the universe had to give, before Brendel blew it all to pieces.
I’d have to wait and see. But I couldn’t deny myself this small luxury of hoping that somehow, someway, Taeral and his crew would bring Thieron back in time.
* * *
What’s next? Some news!
Dear Shaddict,
Thank you for reading A Search for Death. I hope you enjoyed it. :)
I have two new releases to share with you!
See the details for the next Shade book, ASOV 74: A Piece of Scythe, right after the following announcement:
On April 29th, 2019, I will be releasing my first ever contemporary romance novel, called A Love that Endures!
It’ll be a new and exciting experience, with plenty of emotions, and characters I think you’ll fall hard for.
Below I have shared with you an exclusive SNEAK PEEK of the first three chapters, so keep turning the pages!:
A Love that Endures
Chapter 1: David
Embankment, London
From the shadows of a stone underpass, a man stepped out into a yellowing pool of old-fashioned lamplight, a round wooden clock clutched in both hands. Before him stretched a dark swathe of cardboard, dim torchlight, and hunched figures—a small colony of makeshift homes perched by the river. It was where the invisibles of Waterloo lived. The residents of the city that the brisk traders, excited tourists, and gallery-goers didn’t want to see.
David’s clothes were as worn-down as those of the rest of the homeless, his hair and thick beard just as unkempt, his name unknown to most. Few Londoners ever stopped to look at him. But if they had, they might have paused for a moment—taken aback by his unusually upright posture. By the stark handsomeness of his face, an angular, arrogant jawline and Roman nose, and his youth, at odds with the rest of his shabby appearance. By the long, elegant fingers, better suited to the keys of a piano than riffling through waste bins.
Eventually, though, the observer would have turned away. The most marked similarity between David and the rest of his kind was all too obvious: the same haunted and defeated look that shadowed his face.
A roll of thunder echoed overhead, and David kept moving. He approached the colony, his eyes fixed on the far corner, where a group of four was huddled in front of a low wall.
“Whoa. It’s…Clock Man?” One of the group—a wiry, plastic-swaddled male—rose from where he’d been crouched, his pale, grime-streaked face stretching into a broad grin.
“Shut up,” David muttered, heading for the short wall.
“Where did you find that?” the man asked as David passed. “And isn’t it for me?” His ginger eyebrows rose in offense.
“Not tonight, Charles,” David replied, ignoring the first question. “Didn’t you hear the thunder?” He placed the large, old clock on the ground and leaned over the brick wall, where he had hidden the materials for his own shelter.
Charles groaned. “Don’t care, mate. When it’s this bloody cold, it’ll be worth burning even if we only get five minutes from it.”
“Don’t be daft,” a coarse female voice reprimanded. “That thing’ll last us a few hours. We’re not risking ruining it in the rain! Here, hand it to me, David, love—I’ll keep it with me. My box is always dry.”
“I’ll bet it is...” Charles replied.
“Oh shut it.”
David sighed as he turned back around, his arms loaded with materials. “Help yourself, then, Tina,” he addressed the thirty-something-year-old woman. He nodded at the clock before proceeding toward the patch of empty ground next to Giles’s shelter.
“Long day, eh?” the older man asked as David passed his tent.
David paused to look the ex-businessman in the eyes. “Yeah,” he replied simply.
The lines of Giles’ tired face deepened as he chuckled—then some more as he rasped out a heavy cough.
David managed to return a faint smile. “You’d better get inside, old man. You’ve still got that fleece blanket, right?”
Gi
les nodded slowly. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me.”
David nodded and continued on his way. He had to get set up before the rain started.
“Hey—wait, Tina!” Charles called out behind him. “Hand me that thing for a sec. It looks antique.”
“Says the man who was about to burn it on sight,” Tina snapped.
Letting the bickering of his neighbors fade into the background, David arranged his collection of plastics and cardboard and got to work on his pop-up home. He set up as quickly as he could in a race against the blackening sky, then pushed open the plastic flap leading to his shelter’s dark, musty interior and crawled inside.
He fumbled in his pocket for his rusty light, switched it on, and began to organize himself for the night. He pushed his boots and coat to one end of the shelter while gathering some newspapers he had collected and smoothing them out over his coarse woolen blanket. They would provide extra warmth during the night, as well as help to absorb any water that seeped through the ceiling. He was almost done laying them out when rain began to batter the roof. The newspaper right in front of him crumpled, then began to stain under an onslaught of drops.
But the tent roof had held fast. This was not the rain. This water was spilling from his own eyes.
For they’d caught a glimpse of a bold line of text. A headline that drove the cold already inhabiting his limbs straight to his heart.
Barely breathing, he clutched the sheet of paper and shook it straight with one hand, his other illuminating the text with his light.
“Princess in London for Grand Engagement at Palace” the headline blared.
The princess in question was Princess Katerina De Courtes, touted by the media to be one of the most beautiful and eligible bachelorettes in the world. “A modern day Grace Kelly,” no less.
And at the sight of her picture, every memory David had fought to forget over the past five years came crashing back into him, ripping the breath from his lungs and crushing his windpipe.
A Shade of Vampire 73: A Search for Death Page 29