Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel (5 page)

"The Gods of old are gone. Something, I am sure you know." Elle said, waving her hand around dramatically.

“As were their offspring. And their bastards with them!" He barked, making Elle wince.

His words stabbed at her heart. “Not all their offspring,” she said defensively. “Some stayed behind, were actually left behind.” Since we were of no use, or in her case, too mortal to be useful. She didn't tell him that, since it would only validate what the prickly bastard thought. And she wasn't in the mood for that.

He grabbed her, ignoring her cries of pain as he dragged her from the back of the vehicle. Elle gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand on her good leg. Lights exploded behind her closed eyes, but she forced them open, anyway. She refused to pass out in front of him. She wouldn’t satisfy his morbid curiosity. “Why did you call for a Reaper? And let me tell you in doing so you and your soul now belong to me.”

Elle blanched, and her stomached dropped into her feet. “That’s impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible,” he growled.

“But Helena… She never said. She wouldn’t do that to me.” Elle stumbled on her words. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“I don’t give a shit what this Helena did or didn’t do. Now tell me what chased you into the cemetery?” His voice was so uncaring it ran chills down her spine. And she felt more alone then she ever had in her entire life. How could Helena have done this to her?

“I have no idea. Some kind of freak.”

“Well sweetheart, you don’t have a lot of answers. And unless I start getting some damn good ones, I’m not moving another inch.” He folded his arms over his chest.

Elle took a couple of reassuring breaths. “The Tribunal sent out a notice that all species of Other, were to register with them. From what I understand, the majority of the Others, basically laughed it off.” She took a breath; she had no idea what the Reapers knew of the Tribunal’s current actions or why the Tribunal were currently going bat shit crazy. “About six weeks ago they started collecting those who had refused to register with them.” She used her fingers as quote marks when she used the word register. “It’s a way for the Tribunal to make the Others bow to them.”

“Those of us who refused to become pawns for the Tribunal have gone into hiding. My sister called me tonight and said they were going after the higher casts.”

“So why you?”

She shrugged, because she honestly didn’t know.

“So you stand against the Tribunal?” he asked. His voice had lost some of its fierceness, which she had to be thankful for. Because frankly he scared the shit out of her

“Yes, what they are doing is inexcusable.” Something flashed in his dark blue eyes as she spoke.

“Something happened…” Elle trailed off. “The Tribunal has decided to go after the higher echelon of Other, and that thing…Something isn’t right.” But she couldn’t put her finger on it, and she would be damned straight to hell and back if she would walk away now.

“So you have no idea what came after you?”

Again, she shook her head. “No, but I could tell it didn’t have a soul. It’s why I recognized I would be safe on hallowed ground.”

“You give off no sign of being Other,” he accused.

Elle chewed her lip wondering what she could tell him, when he narrowed his eyes she considered lying to him. “I am a demi-god. And I am an Empath, but I am also cursed. I gave away my immortality for mortality’s sake.”

The Reaper shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Is that somehow supposed to explain to me your curse?”

“I am cursed to live the life of a mortal.” She sighed deeply.

“Still have no idea what you are talking about,” he said shaking his head. He looked irritated and for the first time since waking up with him she didn’t feel totally overwhelmed by his presence.

Elle sighed. “I killed the wrong mortal a long time ago. A mortal loved by a dark druid. And she cursed me to live the life of a mortal. So I appear to be mortal, but I am not.” It wasn’t the whole story but he didn’t need to know the whole story.

“So what are you then?”

“Something in between… and nothing at all,” she said the latter part more to herself then to him.

“I couldn’t Flash you out.”

She burst forth with a self-deprecating laugh. "No…" She drew the word out. "I'm not able to use any Other powers. I am bound to the mortal plane. You won't be able to Flash me out, while I am cursed."

This time he snorted. “Sounds like it sucks.” Then pointed to her ankle. “So are you going to heal?”

She looked down at her mangled ankle. She wiggled her toes and rotated it. Not broken, but it hurt like hell. “Yes, it should be okay in a couple of days. But I will need to get it cleaned and bandaged. I have no real immunities so the sooner the better. I would rather not get an infection.”

"Frail. And fragile." He swore and moved past her, climbing into the driver's seat. He turned back to her, "Well?"

She shook her head. He had pulled her from the damn thing! Hopping on her good leg, she climbed into the backseat and lay down. "For the love of the gods, put a seat belt on! The gods only know what can happen to your fragile ass, before I can find someplace safe to stash you." He swore some more as he fiddled with the GPS.

“You’re a very grumpy person, do you know that?” She wanted to slap herself the moment the words left her mouth. She had never talked like that to a stranger before. Usually, she was the very epitome of kindness. She was in shock and exhausted. It was the only answer.

“Yeah well, I have other things I would rather be doing then babysitting a fragile and cursed demi-god,” he said without turning to look at her. His words hurt more than they should and she couldn’t figure out why. And the momentary bout of irritation for being rude flew out the proverbial window.

Elle stuck her tongue out at him.

“I saw that.”

She looked up to see him looking at her through the rear view mirror and couldn’t help the blush as it worked its way up from her feet. She buckled herself in and laid her head back. Tired, scared and worried. If she could pretty please just have one god smile down on her and help them find a safe place to take care of her ankle, she would be very grateful. She fell asleep chanting to herself:
Safe haven, healing, and then Helena.
But she couldn't help but sneak in a "Please let the Reaper like me just a little.” And she definitely tried to forget about the fact that her soul may or may not now belong to that sexy as hell Reaper as well.

Elle felt like shit, the backlash of her attack and the fury and rage of her attacker was kicking her butt. She snuffled down into the softness of a warm bed letting it fold around her, she knew when to be grateful. But something was different, she let herself relax and then she realized what it was? She didn’t feel anything?

Elle couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t been aware of everything around her. Or of the barriers she always had to have up when she was away from her cabin, but she was away from her cabin now, and she didn’t have her barriers up and she didn’t feel anything, no buzzing no low hum, no pressure on her chest no unwanted emotions. And she didn’t know if she liked it, the absence of pressure left her bereft.

She pushed herself from the warmth of the bed ignoring the pain in her ankle and sucked in a shocked gasp at the man starring at her from a chair across from the bed. The room was fully lit; blond hair hanging over a strong brow and into dark blue eyes. A scruffy day old beard covered a tough jaw and a tight t-shirt covered a muscled chest.

“Reaper?” Elle wanted to pull the covers over her face when her voice cracked over the single word.

One eyebrow climbed up a smooth brow. “Victor,” he provided.

“Ah.” Everything from the night before crashed over her and she fell back into the bed. “I’m surprised you’re here. I thought you would have left me for dead.” Elle pulled the covers up realizing when she did that she didn’t have any clothes on and swallowed past the lump forming in her throat.

“Who took my clothes off?” She asked not coming out from beneath the covers terrified of the answer he was about to give her.

“I needed to treat your ankle,” he stated his voice an easy rumble showing no emotion she remembered she had envied that voice last night.

“Um, you had to remove all my clothes to treat my ankle?”

He laughed and she sat up letting the blankets fall off her head so she could glare at him she could see the muscles in his shoulders roll under his shirt as he shrugged and she had the strangest urge to fill them with the palm of her hand. The years of living alone in the mountains of Maine stretched liked eons across her memory. Would they feel as smooth as they looked? Elle wanted to throw the blankets over her head and never come back out.

“I took it as my payment.”

All thoughts of his muscular shoulders flew out of her mind as her mouth fell open in shock, and then just as quickly she snapped it shut. “I don’t think I like you very much.” In fact, she very much wanted to slap him in his handsome face.

“It’s a good thing I’m not here for you to like then. Is it?” he asked leaning forward he put his elbows on his knees. He nodded toward a bag of food on the bedside table. “I brought you some food. Eat, and get cleaned up. You’ll get the rest of the night to rest and heal; we hit the road again in the morning. By the way where the hell are we headed?”

“I need to find my sister Helena,” she said stuffing a burger into her mouth. “She was heading to a safe house in Atlanta.”

“And you need me for this why?”

Elle’s hands dropped to her lap. “There is a war starting. Don’t you care? People are dying—mortals; Others. Don’t the Reapers care about anything other than the souls they will gain in this war?” They had to care; she was putting everything she had in believing they cared just a little. After last night she wasn’t quite sure she would be able to make it to Atlanta without his help.

“The corrupt souls belong to us either way,” he said leaning back he crossed his arms over his chest like they were discussing the weather. “What’s in it for us, my little demi-god?”

“There has to be some kind of payoff for you to get involved?” The food sitting in her stomach now felt like a ton of bricks.

Victor laughed but it was a bitter sound. “You called us, and Dante does nothing without compensation. And by using the Blood Call, by rights YOU belong to ME. So what bargaining chips do you actually have?”

“Please stop saying that. I didn’t have anything else but my blood to use. If I had used wine, or water, or anything else besides my blood would you have come?” Elle asked.

Victor shrugged, “The call wouldn’t have been as strong but any Reaper Summons is answered eventually. But you my dear used your blood, a sure fire way to get a Reaper to answer the summons because there is already a payoff: your soul.” He finished with toothy smile.

“I don’t think I like you very much?” she said folding her hands in her lap in order to keep herself from throwing something at his head.

“Like I said I don’t need you to like me, sweetheart. But from where I sit this entire plan is a waste of time. You have nothing to offer me. So why should I waste my time taking you to your sister? I don’t waste my time on mortal issues. And your little issue, although not mortal, is definitely not my issue. So exactly why should I get involved? Basically, sweetheart, the only reason I’m still here, you don’t Flash.” She was grinding her teeth together as he spoke. And then trying to decide what she might have which she could barter with the Reapers. “As soon as you’re healed we hit the road.”

“And if I could Flash?” She demanded.

He gave her a toothy grin, “Well then sweetheart you would be incased in the Infernos and most assuredly in my bed by now.”

Elle was so stunned she felt her mouth open and close several times.

“Let’s not forget your soul belongs to me.” He reminded her.

“I don’t like you, its official.” Elle glared at him.

“Then give me more of a reason to stick around.” Victor said. “To care about your pitiful cause.” He said with a roll of his eyes.

He rose slowly stretching from the chair and walked over to the other bed he extended is long body out stacking his hands behind his head he closed his eyes and relaxed. “Why don’t you think on the matter for a while, I’m going to get some rest.”

“Is this some kind of joke to you?” she spat out. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The corners of his mouth kicked up. “Not my problem.”

“People are dying.” How could he be acting so callous? Was there anything he cared about? Then she realized she was thinking about a Reaper, he dealt in death. “Is there anything you care about?” The question fell out before she could stop it.

He didn’t open his eyes as he shrugged. “You are the one who said a war is brewing, if I am to pick a side it should mean something shouldn’t it?”

Elle laid down and pulled the sheet up to her chin, she should clean up. But she wasn’t feeling anything, emotions of the world were blocked and even the pain in her ankle wasn’t really all that bad, she had to find a reason to make the Reaper stick around and help her, which didn’t involve throwing herself at the Reapers feet and begging him for his help.