He knew it was none of those, though. He felt a presence as familiar as his own. His sense of Doom heightened.
He dared not breathe for fear of giving himself away in his hiding spot, though he needn’t have worried about that, as breathing was more of a hobby of his than a necessity. It was fun to create little gusts of wind. He did it without the use of lungs, even. But now wasn’t the time.
The cloaked figure appeared in the clearing, passing through one of the few slender beams of moonlight that succeeded in penetrating the thick canopy.
Ted had to admit, this interloper did bear a striking resemblance to him. He hardly blamed Ruby True for assuming it was he who had appeared in her visions and not this stranger. After all, one reaper per realm, that was the rule, the expectation.
The figure crept closer to Malavic’s body then paused, seeming to understand. The sense of Doom existed, as it did with all deaths, but there was no soul to be reaped.
“The heck?” cried the figure in a wavery voice. “Aww, come on! What is this?”
Ted made his move, leaping forth into the clearing, his scythe held at the ready. He knew what often happened when two reapers met. He’d read the stories. Carnage, mass destruction and death, only one survivor. He intended to be the one if it came to that. “Halt, you dastardly invader!”
The other reaper jumped at the sudden sound and took a quick step away from Ted. “Whoa! Easy there!”
“Drop your weapon!”
“You know I can’t.”
“You will not reap this man’s soul!” Ted proclaimed.
The other reaper threw up his hands. “Yeah, I see that now. He’s a vampire. I didn’t expect … Why are you yelling at me?”
This was not how Ted had imagined it going. The being across from him had stolen souls, murdered a werewolf! Yet he seemed so … oblivious?
“I’m yelling at you because you’re going to try to obliterate me,” Ted explained. “I thought I might intimidate you.” He let go of the bottom of his scythe and used his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I, uh, you don’t seem to want to obliterate me. Heh.”
“Obliterate you?” said the other reaper incredulously. “Why would I want to obliterate you?”
“Because that’s what reapers do when they meet each other.”
The newcomer seemed stunned. “Really? I hadn’t heard. Have you ever met another reaper?”
“Not since being in this realm.”
“What’s your name?”
“Ted.”
“Nice to meet you, Ted. I’m Jim.”
Ted gasped. “Jim?! I have a bird named that!”
Dial it back, Teddy boy. This guy is your enemy. Don’t forget that.
“Wow, really?” Jim exclaimed, and the excitement sounded genuine. “Where I come from, I’m the only person named that.” Jim grasped his scythe with both hands and leaned his weight on it.
Ted found himself relaxing, too. “Where do you come from?”
“It’s called Flamabama.”
“Heh,” Ted said, unable to stop himself. “That’s a silly name.”
“Heh,” replied Jim. “I suppose it is. It’s dead now.”
“Come again?”
“The world. Everything in it died. Big war followed by a plague. It was a busy few decades, I gotta say, but I’d go back to it in a heartbeat if I could. When you love what you do …”. His voice trailed off dreamily. “Anyway, there’s nothing left. I needed to find some work. So I asked around and word on the street was that Eastwind hadn’t supplied a fresh soul in months. I thought maybe this would be a dead realm, too, but I was told it wasn’t. There seemed to be only one possibility for it.” He shrugged and Ted drew the conclusion for him.
“You thought it was reaperless.”
“I’d hoped, at least. Not really sure what the point is of a reaper who doesn’t have anything to reap.”
“I hear ya,” Ted said, trying to wrap his head around it all. As he considered it, his eyes fell upon the body of Count Malavic. “Oh! Sorry to interrupt, but if I let him stay dead too long, there may be no bringing him back.”
Jim took a few steps away from the body and motioned for Ted to approach.
“You really don’t want to obliterate me?” Ted asked.
“Not even a little bit. I’ve been a little starved for conversation, actually.”
Ted frowned. “I know what you mean.” And then he whistled as only one without lips can, and a moment later, one of his flock arrived. “Well, look who it is!” Ted proclaimed as the bird landed on his shoulder and he was able to identify it from the markings. “Jim, meet Jim!”
The bird squawked its hello, then Ted whispered to it what he needed. The two of them approached the deceased vampire and the reaper knelt. Though he was hesitant to let go of his scythe with Jim so close, he was forced to, to take hold of the lodged flint spike with both hands and rip it out. “Now, Jim,” he instructed, and the phoenix hopped off his shoulder and onto the vampire, settling down above the chest hole. The bird clucked softly, then squawked, and burst into flame. And when it took flight, the wound was sealed. Ted knew from his library reading that inside Malavic’s chest, where his heart had once been, now sat a glowing egg. It would never turn into a new phoenix—that wasn’t how ash-sexual creatures reproduced—but it would remain inside Malavic until someone eventually drove a stake through it, too.
The vampire jerked awake and bolted upright. “Ted, I—” He froze, staring at the other reaper. “The lure worked? But you haven’t obliterated each other?”
“Nope.”
Malavic cringed and clutched his chest. “But why not?”
“I guess we don’t want to,” replied Ted.
The vampire nodded. “Ah, fair enough. But you know he can’t stay here.”
“It’s true.” Ted turned to his counterpart. “You can’t stay here, Jim.”
(“Jim?” Malavic said in disbelief.)
Jim nodded. “I thought you were going to say that. That’s why I decided to hide in the Murderswamp once I discovered that Eastwind did have a reaper.”
“You have to go now,” Ted said firmly.
“I have nowhere to go. Please don’t send me back to Flamabama,” he begged.
(“Flamabama?” Malavic gaped.)
Jim went on. “It’s so lonely there. I can’t face it.”
Ted scratched his skull. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” He paused. “We’ll just have to find you a new world, a young one in need of a reaper.”
“You know of one like that?” Jim asked excitedly.
Ted frowned. “Uh, no. I don’t. There are a few portals around here, but I think the realms are all taken.”
Malavic cleared his throat. “I, uh, might know of one. A young realm, relatively speaking. And I believe it’s in need of a reaper. Or at least a good one. The place is absolutely teeming with wandering spirits.”
Jim gasped excitedly, but Ted cocked his head to the side, “Are you talking about the portal I think you’re talking about?”
“Depends on which one—”
“You know which one I’m talking about. The illegal one.”
“The High Council knows about it. It’s just the rest of the population that doesn’t.” Malavic scoffed. “Oh, come on, Ted. Don’t be so uptight. I have a solution for you! You get to stay in Eastwind, and Jim finds a new home and a renewed sense of purpose.” It was hard to argue, and so, a half hour later, Ted found himself in Count Malavic’s dungeon study, a portal to another realm glimmering in the air ahead of him.
Malavic had left the reapers to it, claiming all that dying had left him aching for a lie down in his coffin. So there the two of them stood, mirror images of one another as the portal beckoned ahead of them in the candlelit chamber.
“Before you go,” Ted said, “there’s a little matter to settle. Did you kill Joseph Moon?”
Jim hesitated, then said, “Yes.”
This was quite the conundrum. It seemed like
the righteous thing to do would be to turn this reaper in to Sheriff Bloom, to secure justice for a murderer. But then there would remain two reapers in Eastwind, and that wouldn’t do. Too much Death in one place.
“Why did you kill him?” Ted asked.
Jim sighed a rattling breath. “You were at the scene, weren’t you?”
“I was.”
“Then you saw the tea tray.”
The truth crashed upon Ted like a tidal wave of sorrow. “I did.”
“Then you know he asked me to. The Doom was already there before he died. He had no one left.”
Ted nodded. “Did you two have a nice chat on the walk at least?”
“Heh. Yeah, we did. He was glad to go with me. Relieved.”
“It’s unnatural,” Ted scolded. “You shouldn’t have done it.”
The other reaper just shrugged a single shoulder. “I know. But I don’t regret it. Making tea for one every day of your life is unnatural, too.”
Jim turned his attention back to the portal, but Ted stopped him with one last question. “The harpy Ravagella said you revealed your face to Joseph Moon. Would you do the same for me?”
Jim didn’t hesitate in his response. “Yes. And thank you for asking. If it’s not too much to ask after all you’ve done for me so far, I’d like to see your face, too.”
9
Dear Necronomicon,
I have let a killer escape. A reaper, whose sole responsibility is to be a guide, to ease the passing of mortals without interfering, no less. I walked him to the precipice and watched him leave. I did not stop him. I could not. Perhaps the only thing I truly know how to do is to walk a friend home.
What shall I tell Sheriff Bloom? My understanding of the principles of justice indicate that I should not have abetted his escape from punishment for his crime, and yet
* * *
Ted set down the quill and looked up from his writing.
And yet, indeed, he thought.
He scooted the Necronomicon to the back of the desk and stood. It was late, but Nora might still be there if he hurried.
“Don’t wait up for me, Jim, Jon, Jen, Dan, Don, Des, Pip, Peg, Pam, Len, Lon, Lin, Ken, Kit, Kev, Tim, Tom, Tam, Gil, Gem, Gav, and Bob.” He grabbed his scythe and breezed out, hurrying toward civilization, or the closest thing to it that Eastwind offered ...
* * *
Ted situated himself in his usual corner booth at Medium Rare. It was well past suppertime, but a few tables of the diner were occupied by locals coming in for late-night pancakes, likely after having helped themselves to plenty of Sheehan’s ale up at the pub. The bursts of jocularity from the socially lubricated customers didn’t bother Ted one bit while he waited to be greeted. Quite the opposite.
Nora Ashcroft spotted him from across the dining room from her seat at the counter. She seemed to already be off duty, merely spending a little time with that man of hers, unable to pull herself away from the place where she spent most of her waking hours—those that she didn’t spend psychically solving Eastwind’s most pernicious murders, that is.
“Missed you this morning,” she said. Even though she wasn’t on shift, she set a full mug of fresh coffee in front of him. “I was actually worried when you didn’t come in. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Heh.” He sipped his scalding drink, forgetting to put his usual sugar in it first. She nodded and turned to leave.
His eyes fell to his coffee-for-one. “Actually,” he blurted, causing her to turn back toward him. This was what he’d hurried over for, wasn’t it? It was time to be brave. “Everything… isn’t okay.”
She inspected him closely, or as closely as anyone could so long as he continued to hide under his stifling cloak.
“Yeah,” she said. “I suspected as much.” And then she slid into the booth across from him, settled in, and gave him her full attention. “Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, Ted? One friend to another.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your time with—”
“You’re not interrupting anything. It’d mean a lot to me if you’d trust me with it. Unless you think I wouldn’t understand.”
If he pulled his hood back, would she recoil? He thought she would not. He wouldn’t go there yet, not here, not now. But for the first time, he considered it. And the thought no longer scared him.
“I think you’ll understand,” he said. “Okay, I’ll tell you …”
Get a free Eastwind Witches novella, The Missing Motive: https://BookHip.com/ZRBWMP
* * *
Discover all of Eastwind’s magical mysteries: www.eastwindwitches.com
It's Halloween in Hillcrest, and Marley and her witch sisters are planning a party! While digging through decorations, Marley uncovers a puzzling clue. Could it lead to answers about one of the town's most intriguing cold cases?
1
The morning autumn air had a brisk chill to it, and I was feeling grateful for my thick cable-knit sweater and knee-high moccasins as Penny and I started hiking up the stairs to Ava Allen’s apartment.
“Do you think Ava’s going to be home?” my best friend Penny asked. She was ahead of me, and taking the stairs two at a time. She was dressed all in black, and her frizzy brown hair was a mess, as usual.
“Yeah, she said she’d be around until ten,” I said. “It’s only nine, so we should be good.”
“It’s just so creepy, isn’t it Marley?” Penny said. “The idea of you wearing her aunt's old clothes... I mean, that story of Shirley Allen disappearing just freaks me out in general. I think it’s one of Hillcrest’s most puzzling unsolved cases, and now you’re going to be running around in her clothes, on Halloween, no less! What if she was killed in something that you’re going to wear tonight?”
“I promised Cora that I’d dress up as a bohemian gypsy for the Hillcrest town Halloween party,” I reminded Penny. “So whether it’s creepy or not, I’m wearing whatever Ava gives us. Ava was nice enough to volunteer up her aunt’s old stuff, which I think is pretty cool.”
We reached the second story. Penny headed left down a walkway lined with doors.
“Besides,” I said, “I doubt Ava would actually have the clothing that her aunt Shirley was killed in. The clothes Shirley was wearing when she died probably disappeared right along with the body.”
“Still,” Penny said. “I think it’s spooky -- wearing clothing from a murdered woman’s wardrobe. I’m glad it’s you that has to play the part of the boho gypsy fortune teller, and not me.”
“What did Cora ask you to do?” I asked.
Penny grimaced. “Actually, my job isn’t much better. I’m supposed to help out with the kids’ shadow-puppet show. While all the adults are dancing and having a good time, I’m going to be stuck dealing with a bunch of kiddos all hopped up on sugar.”
We reached Ava’s door, and Penny reached out and knocked.
“That’s not so bad,” I said. “At least you won’t be trying to come up with fake fortunes for a bunch of adults who are hopped up on candy and cocktails.”
“Fake fortunes?” Penny said incredulously. “Come on, Mar. You’re getting good with your tarot cards! You should use them tonight and give people the real deal.”
“That takes so much energy,” I said, shaking my head. “There’s no way I could do a bunch of real genuine readings in a row. Cora said my job is just to entertain, so I’m just going to have fun with it and make stuff up as I go.”
The door before us opened.
Ava Allen stood in the doorway. Her graying hair was in a braid even longer than my own, and she wore oodles of necklaces and bracelets, along with a loose top and a few layers of long flowing skirts. She greeted us with a smile. “Oh, good! You’re here. Come on in, I was just going through some bags of clothing, picking out items I thought might work. I had to try a few things on myself as I dug through the trunk. Do you like my outfit?” She did a quick spin.
“Love it!” Penny said.
“Beautiful fabrics,”
I said.
Penny stepped inside, and I followed.
“I wish I could wear clothing like this out on a regular day, not just as a Halloween costume,” Ava lamented.
“Why don’t you?” Penny asked.
“I’d feel silly,” Ava said.
The apartment was dimly lit, thanks to the red, gauzy curtains that blocked sunshine from outside. Clutter covered surfaces, and a faint smell of clove cigarettes and incense permeated the air. I can’t stand cloying smells or dark spaces. I think that’s why I prefer to be outside in nature most of the time. I couldn’t wait to get back out into the fresh air. I hoped that our visit wouldn’t take long.
“Thanks for offering costume help,” I said to Ava as we followed her past a small kitchen and then down a hallway. “The Hillcrest Drama Club had zero to offer, so I was really happy when Joy suggested that I call you.”
“No problem,” she said. “My aunt had so many neat pieces, and it’s a shame to let it just sit here unused. I think about donating it all from time to time, but something in me just doesn’t want to let it all go.”
She pushed open a door, and stepped through it. “This used to be my aunt’s bedroom,” she said. “I keep all of her old stuff in here.”
Penny and I followed her into the room.
As soon as we entered, I was overcome by a strange feeling that there was a presence in the room besides Ava, me, and Penny. My first instinct was to look around, searching for the fourth person. I knew Ava lived alone, and she hadn’t mentioned that a guest was over, but the feeling was so strong that I felt sure I’d spot one of her friends or perhaps a boyfriend hanging about somewhere in the space.
Nope.
Then what was the feeling about?
My eyes swept the room again, and this time a rocking chair in the corner caught my attention. The air around the rocker seemed different, but just the slightest amount. It seemed just a bit brighter, and shimmery.
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