Reaper of Wings (The Artifact Reaper Saga Book 2)

by Jen L. Grey

  He grabs my arm and pulls me close. “Make sure you do.”

  For such an old man, he sure has a strong grip. There is something about him that doesn’t sit right with me, but I’ve learned asking questions leads to trouble. I nod and walk out the door, getting straight into the car.

  I close my eyes and focus on the book. It’s nice for once the Angel’s Breath doesn’t pop up in my head. I do cherish the times when something more prominent gives me a break. Soon, the book is right there. It’s inside a living room right on a couch opened up. A section is highlighted, and a bookmark is placed inside in case the book was to close. Hell, it’s just a fifteen-minute drive from where I am.

  After a moment, I open my eyes and back out of the driveway making my way to the destination. It’s close by, but isolated from the rest of the city. From what I can tell, it’s a rundown house that has seen better days.

  Before long, I’m driving past a small house and note there are no cars in the driveway and no lights on in the house. There are trees all around and the neighbors are a good two acres away. I pull in the driveway since the book is right inside the living room and the neighbors don’t have a clear view.

  This needs to happen fast. They might not be home now, but they could come back at any moment. I get out of the car and walk up to the front door. I grab the door handle and it turns almost to the point of opening.

  What the hell? I grab a credit card from my wallet and use it through the door to press the lock in just enough to pop the lock in causing the door to swing open.

  A loud, piercing alarm goes off as soon as I step foot into the house. Holy shit, this place may be a dump, but they have the place guarded. I can’t leave here without the freaking book, though. I rush to the couch and find the black book on the couch just like I saw in my mind. I grab it and rush out the door not even bothering to close it.

  Not wasting a moment, I jump in my car, and back out of the driveway. After I drive past the house just a few feet, a rundown truck barrels down the narrow road and a guy who looks a lot like a younger version of Paul is in the driver’s seat.

  Whatever is going on, I just broke into a place and stole a freaking book. I’m not getting paid nearly enough for what I do for them. What am I doing? I push my foot down more on the gas just wanting this to be over.

  Within ten minutes, I’m pulling into my client’s driveway.

  He opens the door and runs out before I can even turn the car off.

  I get out of the car.

  He takes the book from my hands and gives me a check. “Here you go.”

  And just like that he wants me gone. “Uh … thanks.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to be rude.” He holds up a finger and disappears into the house for a minute.

  Just when I’m about to give up, he walks back out. “But where did you find this?”

  “At a rundown house a little outside of town.” I wonder why he wants to know.

  “That punk lied to me.” He shakes his head and rubs a hand down his face. “You better go. I’m sure my son is on his way.”

  Now that makes sense and I do not want to be here if that guy is on his way. He looked like he was desperate to find out who was breaking into his house. “I don’t know what is in that book, but next time my pay is double.”

  His eyes find mine and he exhales. “Fine.” His cell phone rings in his hand. He turns it over and glances at the name. “You better get going. It’s my son.”

  I don’t need to be told twice. I climb into my car and head back to the apartment. Of course, that brings my whole set of council and demon problems back to the forefront of my mind. I’ve got to figure out a way to the Angel Realm. I grab my phone and dial Becca’s number once again. It rings and rings, but no one picks up. Ugh… I want to toss the phone out the window, but I force myself not to.

  Something is wrong, but I have no clue how to get ahold of her to know what it is. I take a deep breath needing to calm down. Getting all flustered is not going to help. I dial Charlie’s number and he answers on the second ring.

  “Hey,” His tone is warm. “Have you finished your assignment?”

  A strangled laugh escapes me.

  “Are you okay?” His voice now fills with concern.

  “Yeah, it’s just…” I sniff and a tear I didn’t even realize I had falls down my face. “You used to ask Beth that all the time when I was over at your house.”

  “Well, we’ll get to ask her that again soon.” It almost sounds as if he’s growling. “We will find a way to bring her back.”

  Let’s hope he’s right. I would love to have her right next to me again. “Yeah, I’m on my way back. Want me to pick you up?”

  “Don’t need to.” He chuckles. “I’m already at your apartment, but I think we need to do some Angel Realm research. I’m assuming the council would be okay with us using their resources now that you work for them?”

  Well, I hadn’t thought about that, but he’s got a point. We probably need knowledge that’s not going to be easily accessible at the library. “I’m sure they would be in favor of it. They want me to succeed. Or at least Margaret does.”

  “Then come on and pick me up here and we’ll go there together.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there in five minutes.” I hang up the phone and put it in my lap. This is going to be fun.

  Soon I’m pulling up at our building and Charlie is at my spot waiting on me.

  He waits till I stop the car and opens the door and slides into the passenger seat. “How’d the job go?”

  Focusing on driving to the mansion, I keep my eyes on the road. I don’t want to alarm him about what just happened on the job. I’m not even sure what I got myself into. “Oh, he lost a book and I had to find it. It was just at his son’s house.”

  “Are you serious?” He laughs. “You’d think they would have found it between the both of them.”

  Yeah, but in this case the son must have stolen it. Who would have thought. “I guess they both must have forgotten.”

  All too soon, we are pulling up at the mansion. I pull the small car in the circular drive and get out. Charlie and I walk to the front door together.

  The door opens, and a butler crosses his arms. “How may we help you? You weren’t invited.”

  Well, no time like the present to own my new position. “Well, as I’m sure you are aware, I’m now employed by the council and need to use their resources.”

  The butler raises his chin. “That may be the case, but we need it cleared by the elders. They did not give you rights to the mansion.”

  “Of course, they didn’t.” Charlie whispers.

  “Then let’s get it cleared.” I won’t be turned away. We need to figure this out. “Are they here?”

  “They are.” The butler huffs. “Please follow me.” He turns down the hallway and we follow behind him.

  He takes us into the familiar room I’ve been in countless times. Their desks are high on the podium so I’m sure they will make their grand entrance. The butler leaves us there and does whatever he needs to do.

  “So… how do you think this is going to go down?” Charlie glances around the room.

  I shrug. “I never know.” That’s the truth. “It usually doesn’t go well for me with them.”

  A door opens from the back, and the four elders walk in together. They are dressed in more modern clothes. The men are wearing khakis and polos while the women are wearing knee length dresses.

  This throws me off kilter. I’m used to the parade and formal attire. Yes, Margaret was casual with me earlier, but I still expected the normal treatment with all four. What the hell is going on?

  Margaret breaks free from the rest of them. Her face is tense and there are small lines around her eyes. “Christina, I’m surprised to see you so soon.” She glances at Charlie and back at me. “And with a guest no less. What is it you need?”

  My eyes stray back to the three behind her. The eldest lady is frowning at me and her
husband is tense. I’m guessing they aren’t happy about my new position. “I need to research the Angel Realm to know what I’m getting into. Can I have access to your library?”

  She bites her bottom lip and closes her eyes for a second. “Yes, but only because I understand the urgency. Go there now and get this job done.” She takes a step towards me and grabs my arm hard. “Do you understand?”

  “Hey now,” Charlie takes a step in my direction.

  “I understand.” I hold up a finger to Charlie. He doesn’t need to cause a scene. We are getting what we need. Right now, we don’t have the upper hand, so we can’t rock the boat. I don’t think he’s used to that and doesn’t understand how things work when you’re in our situation. He needs to learn fast though or we both will be locked down in that dungeon.

  “Fine, you both come with me.” She walks to the door we had entered from and opens it.

  Another butler steps into the room. “My Elder.”

  “Take these two,” she points at me and Charlie, “to the library and only the library. Once they are done, they are to leave the premises immediately. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, my Elder.” He bows to her.

  Gag me now. Like their egos aren’t already big enough.

  She sashays back into the room like she owns the place. Well, in all fairness, she kinda does.

  The butler begins moving down another hallway and Charlie and I follow him, staying close to his heels. He turns down a hall I’ve never been down before and then another dark hallway that leads to a set of stairs that go underground. It’s not the same set that goes to the dungeon, it’s more around the back of the house.

  We walk down the narrow, wooden stairs into a dark basement. When we reach the bottom, the air feels moist and smells of soil. When we reach the bottom, an old, gray stone door stands in our way. It is worn and has small cracks through it, but it’s sturdy. The butler goes to open it, and groans as he pulls it open.

  When we walk through, it opens into a huge room that has good lighting but is old. The floors are made of old, light yellow hardwood and the room has a chill. It’s a huge library that has rows and rows of old, dusty bookshelves. There are a few longer tables in the middle of the room with chairs for research, but other than that, nothing more.

  “Well, here you go.” The butler walks around us and heads for the exit. “Good luck finding what you need.”

  “What is his problem?” Charlie watches him as he leaves us behind.

  “No clue, but I don’t care.” I walk to the tables in the middle and sit on top of the table. “I have a book to find.”

  “You know, I’m kind of excited.” He grins and walks over to the other, facing my direction. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to see you work.”

  “It’s nothing at all.” I don’t know why people make a big deal out of it. It isn’t. I close my eyes focusing on a book about the Angel Realm, and just like that it pops up. My eyes open. “Come on, it’s in the back corner.”

  He follows behind me as I jog to the farthest corner of the library and right into a pile of cobwebs. I begin coughing and sneezing but suffer through it just wanting to get the book. I bend down and find an old, worn blue leather cover and pull it out. It smells of fresh air despite the dust and mold.

  “Here it is.” I turn to him and hold it out to him.

  “This is it?” He takes it and carries it back, placing it on the table. “I’m not sure. There isn’t even a title.”

  Huh, he’s right. I walk over and touch the cover again. It’s cool to the touch. and as soon as I touch it again, fresh air fills the room once again and a title appears; Angel Realm. What the hell?

  “How did you do that?” He touches it and it all disappears.

  “No clue.” I glance around. Is this some kind of joke?

  He opens the book and there is some writing but it’s all in a language we can’t understand. “Ugh, what does this even say?” He glances at me. “You touch it.”

  I’m not even sure I want to at this point, but I don’t have the luxury to be unsure. I have to figure this out. I take it from him and as soon as I touch it, the writing converts to English. “What the hell?”

  “Obviously, you are meant to read it.” He scoots closer to me, so he can see the words as well.

  We spend the rest of the evening in the library. We learn the Angel Realm is made up of three tiers of angels. The first tier is rarely in the Angel Realm and one we won’t have to worry about which consists of Seraphim, Cherubim, and Powers. The second level is the one we will need to handle there which consists of the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers. I’m assuming we will either have to deal with a Dominion which is an angel trying to keep the balance of the universe or more than likely a Virtue who is focusing on the balance of Earth.

  They are strong warriors and respect great leaders who lead with a strong heart and heavy sword. They live in the clouds and practice fighting on a daily basis. They don’t need sleep and believe trials and tribulations reveal a person’s true heart.

  After spending hours reading through the material, I stand up. “My head can’t take anymore. We’ve got to go.”

  “That I agree with.” Charlie yawns. “Let’s go home and get something to eat.”

  Not wanting anyone else to find the book, I put the book back where I found it and we leave the mansion. I am surprised no one stops us.

  It’s after nine when we pull back up to my apartment. We both walk into my home and I warm up some leftover spaghetti from earlier that day.

  After we eat, I sit back from the table. “It would be great if we could talk to an angel.”

  Something shifts in the air, almost as if a window has been opened.

  “Well, then I guess I timed my entrance perfectly.” A voice that sounds similar to music echoes against the walls and a beautiful woman who appears to be in her thirties is standing in the middle of the room. Her skin is transparent and she’s wearing a dress. She almost looks as if she’s a hologram.

  “Are you an angel?” Charlie’s mouth drops open and some noodles fall on his shirt.

  “Yes, I am.” She gives a small smile.

  That seems way too convenient. What’s the catch? “So, why are you here?”

  She flinches but she nods. “You’re cynical.”

  Tell me something I don’t know. “Well, if you lived through what I have, you would be, too.”

  “That may not bode well for you.” She tilts her head at me.

  “Let me ask once again.” I stand up. “Why are you here?”

  “I was told to follow you.” She blinks.

  “Told?” Charlie glances down and wipes off the noodles. “What kind of angel are you?”

  “I’m a low tiered angel. Just an angel.” She shrugs. “I was a human before, not born an angel, so I get ordered around. I do what I’m told and then go about my business.”

  “So why show yourself?” It was out of the blue.

  “Well, to be honest, I’m tired of following you. The library part tonight was horrible.” She turns and plops down on the couch. “I was told you have the power to change things and could pull souls from the afterlife and bring them back to the Earth realm. I need to know how and why so I can go back home. So, I figured we both could have a little question and answer session to get some things done faster and we both could move forward.”

  Okay, that makes me feel a little more comfortable. She’s telling me what she gets out of it. She doesn’t have to follow my boring ass around anymore. I wouldn’t want to do that either if I were her. I glance at Charlie.

  He nods. “That sounds fair to me.”

  “Let’s do it.” I’m in for anything that could speed this along.

  “Okay, great.” She smiles. “So how do you do it?”

  “Oh, no.” I shake my finger at her. “You first.”

  “Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “What do you need to know?”

  “Where is the Angel’s Breath in
your realm?” This is probably pushing it.

  “Guarded by a Dominion.” She raises an eyebrow. “The best warrior they have. You wouldn’t stand a chance. Angels are faster, stronger, and smarter than anyone on Earth. You have no chance.”

  Oh, wow. Thanks. That sounds promising.

  Charlie stands next to me and crosses his arms. “What are they like?”

  “They are pompous and very smart.” She looks up at the ceiling. “You have to remember they are made differently than you and I. Even though I’m an angel, I was made the same as you. They understand things faster than we do and are made to endure the most horrible conditions.”

  We aren’t getting anywhere and she’s not giving us much more than what was already in the book. “All right, how do we get there?”

  “You’ll need a realm jumper.” She grins. “Now it’s your turn.”

  “I don’t know why, but the power inside me is different.” I’ve never told Charlie this but it’s too late to make him leave. I hope it doesn’t change things between us. “I struggle to reap; my power seems to want to give life instead. I don’t know why. It just happens.”

  Her eyes shine silver at the information. “Thank you.” She then disappears from sight.

  What the hell are we going to do? Even if we get to the Angel Realm, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to make it out with the Angel’s Breath. Am I going to be able to beat a freaking angel?

  5

  A pounding on the door startles me awake. What the hell is going on? I get up and stumble to the front door and yank it open before I comprehend what I’m doing.

  A grin breaks out across Charlie’s face when he takes in my disheveled appearance. “Well, good morning sunshine.”

  Oh, dear god. I don’t even have a bra on. “Bite me.” I go to slam the door, but he catches it with his hand before it shuts.

  “Hey now.” He laughs. “Don’t be rude.”

  “Me? Rude?” I hurry back in the room and go to my closet searching for clothes to put on. “I’m not the one who is waking everyone up at the butt crack of dawn.”

  “Come on.” A huge smirk is across his face making me want to smack him. “It’s for a good reason.”