Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel (18 page)

Fiona sucked in a ragged breath. “I was stripped of my clothes, as the woman threw back her cloak. I only knew she was a druid by the markings on her exposed skin. Her eyes were black as pitch and her hair was white and hung nearly to the dirt. She pulled a dirk from her waist and sliced at both my wrists, and my ankles. Then she collected my blood and used it to painted symbols on my skin. The entire time she chanted in an old language even the gods did not understand. Then she took a burning stick from the fire and drew symbols in the dirt. The entire time my body was suspended over the fire. My siblings fought against an inviable wall she had constructed around the fire and the two of us. When she was done she looked at me, her eyes black. And spoke, “Today you killed without remorse without thought. You used your infinite power to kill innocence. You cared not who you erased from this plane. Mortals that had families, not in league with the filthy lords you are at war with. Only simple men, soldiers for hire. You killed without thinking.” She screeched. “Now you will live the life of a mortal, the mortals you take for granted. And die as a mortal will. I turn your emotions back on you. Feel that which you have forced on others without remorse. Die the death of the mortal loop.”

Fiona visibly shivered. “You really pissed someone off.”

“Yes.” Elle wrapped her arms around herself and swallowed past the lump in her throat and shivered. And wondered how many more times she would die and hear those words echoing in her head?

She had crashed to the ground then. The crazed druid then grabbed her by the head, still smiling and slashed her throat. Elle had bled out and died for the first time. Each and every time she died, it was the last one she experienced before she came back. So when she did come back, it was the freshest in her mind. Those black eyes, held so much hatred and knowledge she would never in any amount of life times be able to correct that wrong. Those lives she had taken that night. She would never be able to redeem for the souls lost on that night.

It was what had separated her brothers and sisters, what had been the downfall of them all. Why they had ultimately been scattered to the four winds. Why she was now alone in the world. And now she was being hunted by gods only knew what?

“I had hoped by hearing what had happened there might be a way to turn this curse around but it was imprinted in blood and fire,” Fiona said shaking her head.

“Meaning nearly unbreakable,” Kyra said shaking her head.

“At least you said nearly,” Elle said with a sad laugh.

Fiona gave her a sad smile. “Yes, she could have frozen it into you after it was done. And then it would be unbreakable.”

“No I haven’t had anything frozen into me before,” Elle said.

“Well then let’s worry about the other problem,” Fiona said standing.

“Getting your strength back.” Fiona said, giving her a gentle smile.

Elle grimaced. “You aren’t going to make me drink more of that horrible tonic are you?”

Fiona chuckled, “No of course not. But I will tell you that drinking it will help heal. When you die, the only thing bringing you back is your demi-god heritage. And it goes into over-drive to bring you back. The tonic I gave you should help you recover faster. But you really should get more in touch with your demi-god side.”

Elle had no idea what Fiona was a talking about, and it must have showed on her face, because, Fiona shook her head. “Don’t you remember what it felt like to be a demi-god Elle?”

Elle shook her head. “No, it’s been so long. And the thought of being a demi-god again makes my stomach hurt.”

Fiona reached forward and patted her hand, “Well, you need to get in touch with your demi-god side again it’s dormant but the stronger it is the healthier you will become.”

“I’m pretty sure the dark druid killed the demi-god in me.” Elle said.

Fiona shook her head, “You will always be a demi-god Elle. Nothing can take that away from you. No spell can change that, it’s still inside of you. It’s what brings you back each time you die. So it’s there.”

Elle wasn’t so sure.

“It’s something to think about.” Fiona said with utter assurance. “But why don’t we think about something else.”

Elle snorted. “And that would be?”

“Why, the Freaks at the gate of course.”

Elle moaned, she and flung herself back in her chair covering her face with her hands. Fiona and Kyra both laughed.

“Isn’t there any good news?” she muttered.

“Afraid not.” Kyra laughed.

“There doesn’t seem to be any new information,” Dante said, steepeling his fingers under his chin.

Victor shrugged. “More questions than answers.”

“Christian.” Dante motioned to Victor’s brother who was standing back, Christian now stepped forward. “I want to study them, bring me several and put them in the catacombs. Take whoever you need.”

Christian smiled and nodded at Victor before disappearing. “Do you think bringing those things here is a good idea?”

“Who is behind the attempts on the demi-god?” Dante asked ignoring Victor’s question.

“He calls himself Aldon,” was the only thing Victor had to offer.

“What species is he?” Dante demanded.

“Unknown.” And driving Victor batshit.

“Do you have any information that is helpful?” Dante asked. Victor could see a vein throb in Dante’s temple and knew his father was far more irritated then he let on. Victor would be better off treading very carefully.

“I apologize, father. However, there is no information at the moment. I am working with the Trackers to get answers.”

Dante flew from his chair sending the large heavy throne soaring back into the recesses of the room. “The Trackers? Those would be the Species that hate us correct?” he bellowed.

Victor held his ground. “Yes, however, they hate us less than a significant number of other creatures. I trust them to keep Elle safe.”

“Elle, is it?” Dante asked his voice dropping to a deceptively quiet tone.

This time Victor’s ire was pricked. “What would you have me call her, Dante?”

“I care very little for her safety, what I care about is what the Tribunal is doing,” Dante said obviously irritated with Victor. “Don’t get overly involved with the female. There is a war brewing and I need you to be prepared to fight. Will she be a problem?”

A cold chill wrapped around Victor’s spine. “No.”

Dante watched him closely. “She is not our problem, Victor. Nor is she one of use. Do not forget, were your loyalties lie. She may have used the Blood Call, but you didn't Blood Rite it. No matter what you tell her.”

Victor swallowed past the argument he wanted to scream at Dante. He needed to go back to the cemetery and add his blood to hers. It was the only way he could tie Elle to him permanently. Turn her call from just a ‘call’ into the soul claiming he claimed had already happened. The moment Dante released him he was going to do just that. He couldn’t afford to lose her now.

Victor nodded to Dante’s words but held his tongue not sure if he was able to speak at the moment. Elle was his responsibility no matter what Dante said. Dante had made her his responsibility when he had sent him to her and Victor wasn’t about to walk away from her.

“Find out who Aldon is, and who is controlling him. I am sure it is the Tribunal. As soon as you have the information we can destroy him,” Dante said without feeling.

“What about Elle?” Victor asked.

Dante looked at Victor. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.” The word slipped out before Victor could stop it.

“Why?”

“She is alone, Dante.” Victor couldn’t help tell him.

“She is a cursed demi-god. She will remain a cursed demi-god, and not our problem. Don’t let her get to you.” Dante moved down his dais, and toward Victor. “In all your life, I have never seen this type of weakness in you before.”

Victor fisted his hands. “And what weakness is that Dante?”

“Your angel side,” Dante said quietly. “Don’t force my hand Victor. Don’t make her the problem, she is a means to an end. Find out why the Tribunal is using her, who and what Aldon is. And then walk away.”

“She is more than just a means to an end, Dante,” Victor argued.

Dante backhanded him, sending Victor skidding across the floor and slamming against the solid stone wall. Dante was there to grab him by the shirt front. He pulled him up and slammed him against the wall, rattling Victor from head to toe.

“Don’t be an idiot.” He slammed him against the wall again, making Victor see stars. “She is a female, and not one of us. There is a war starting and you are thinking with your cock? We are still down a Reaper, and you are worried about a cursed demi-god?” he asked his voice dropping to a near whisper. “They were hunted down, and sent into hiding or wiped off the mortal plane for a reason.”

He dropped Victor, who spat out blood and wiped it away with the back of his hand. "Get out of my sight!" Dante spat. Victor pulled himself up and rolled his shoulders. “Pull your head out of your ass, Victor.” Dante said, as Victor walked away.

****

Victor Flashed to the cemetery, it was dark and he let the darkness surround him. He breathed deeply of the cool night air. The Infernos were his home. But after spending the last several days on the mortal plane, he had grown accustomed to the heavy feeling of being here.

He accustomed it to being with Elle, and new he would be with her soon. Walking through the iron gates of the old cemetery he felt the small kick of the hallowed prayers protecting the cemetery. He bent to the headstones where he had found Elle the first night.

And swore; it was missing. The dirt was dark and disturbed, and Victor knew only one person who would have taken it. He wanted to go directly back to the Infernos and confront his father. But he couldn’t do so without showing Dante how much he cared for Elle and doing so would put Elle in danger, and she was already in danger. Putting her in the crosshairs of the ruler of the Infernos was just cruel. He would deal with Dante later.

Swearing, Victor stood and left the cemetery. This issue was far from over. At least Elle still believed her soul belonged to him. As long as she believed it, it was all that mattered. Victor wanted to kill something as he Flashed back into the Staten’s kitchen. Ryder, Lykar and Skylar were in the kitchen laughing.

“Something funny?” He asked, looking at the clock and noting it was 3am.

“Besides the fact that you look like shit?” Skylar asked.

“Fuck you,” Victor shot him.

Ryder snorted and pushed a plate toward Victor. It was loaded down with steak and potatoes. “You look like you could use this more than I could.”

Victor looked from the plate and back to the Tracker. “Thanks.”

Ryder just nodded. “Well?” Victor asked as he dug into the food.

“We just came in from our watch,” Ryder explained. Telling Victor about what they had been up to since Victor had left. They had burned all the bodies and no other monsters had appeared which they thought was really weird, now they were taking turns in two and threes to watch the front gate and do perimeter walks.

“Christian showed up this afternoon to take some of those things back with him,” Lykar said.

Victor finished off the food and pushed the plate away. “Was there anything left?”

“Just one,” Sky said with pride. “He was lucky to get his hands on it. Had to fight off Falcon for it too. Falcon was pissed as all hell about it too. Christian owes him a kill.”

“You Trackers are blood thirsty bastards you know that?” Victor said, standing he put his plate in the sink. All he wanted was to check on Elle, the brothers laughed behind him like what he said had been a compliment. “Anything else?”

“Nope, we had too much fun killing them then waited to hear back from you,” Ryder said joining him as he left the kitchen. “Now I’m tired I just want my woman, get some sleep, and we can start again in the morning.”

They were at the bottom of the stairs when Victor felt Christian call him. “My brothers are calling me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out several vials of blood and handed them to Ryder. “Can you give these to Kyra, so my brothers can Flash in? I’m going to check on Elle.”

Ryder nodded. Victor jogged up the stairs to just look in on her. What he wouldn’t give to just climb in the bed with her and grab a couple hours of sleep. But when he felt his brother, Christian Flash in, he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“We have a problem.” Christian announced as Victor came back down the stairs.

“Do you want to get the brothers together?” Victor said to Ryder.

“Did I say this was information for the Trackers?” Christian asked Victor.

Victor rolled his eyes when Ryder growled low. “We are staying here, and any information you have for me, I am sharing with them.”

Christian snorted. “That’s stupid. We can leave,” he offered.

“Elle is safe here,” Victor told him when Ryder walked away to gather the other Trackers.

“I don’t give a shit about the demi-god,” Christian added. “And Dante isn’t happy about your present interest in her either.”