by R. L. Perez
I groaned and rubbed my forehead. I really didn’t need this right now. Waving a hand, I said, “I’ll . . . consider it. But for now, we have bigger problems.” Sliding open the drawer next to my feet, I pulled out the coven ledger and handed it to Benny. “Look at the highlighted portion.”
Benny took the ledger and frowned, his yellow eyes roving over the numbers. Slowly, his face went slack with shock, then red with fury. “I—” His hard gaze met mine. “Someone’s skimming.”
I nodded. “Did this happen with Damien?”
“Years ago. He killed the guy.”
“Right. That’s definitely on my to-do list. But first, we have to find the guy.”
Benny’s eyebrows lifted. “Any idea who it could be?”
I laughed. “Take your pick. I’ve got lots of enemies.”
“Yeah, but who would be stupid enough to steal money from under your nose? Especially after you outed yourself as a Bloodcaster?”
“The ledger indicates it’s been going on for a while. We just didn’t catch it until now.”
Benny leafed through the pages of the ledger, his eyes darkening the longer he looked. “Merciful Lilith. This started before Damien died.”
“Yeah.”
Benny exhaled through his lips. “Who do you think it is?”
“My guess is it’s one of the new partners he signed on. Someone green enough to think they would get away with this.”
Benny nodded. “I’ll do some digging.” He hesitated, his eyes guarded.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s just—getting to know the coven better would help you weed out anyone untrustworthy.”
I groaned. “Yeah. I know.”
Benny’s lips spread in a thin line and he nodded again, stiffly this time. “Right. Well, I’d better get to work on this.” He lifted the ledger before leaving the office.
I stared at the spot where he’d stood, something uncertain wriggling in my stomach. Benny had seemed reluctant to leave. Had I forgotten something? I mentally sifted through everything we’d discussed, but my head started throbbing, and I couldn’t see straight.
“Later,” I muttered, leaning forward to go through the mountain of paperwork.
A small pop echoed next to me, and I lurched to my feet so violently the desk almost toppled over. Several stacks of paper fell to the floor, but I ignored them, my heart thundering loudly in my chest.
In front of me, his giant dark wings casting shadows on us, stood Vince.
My pulse roared in my ears. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
He was here. With me. Right now.
My throat was dry. My arms felt restless at my side. I wanted to run to him, but I remained locked in place.
“Vince,” I whispered numbly.
He strode toward the door, and for one wild minute, I thought he was about to leave. But he closed it softly, then turned to face me, his expression grim.
I took in his appearance from his black combat boots to the leather jacket and T-shirt. His hair was shorter than when I last saw him. And a long, thin scar ran from his eye to just above his lip.
The sight stole my breath. This was a warrior, battered by combat.
This wasn’t my Vince.
“I don’t have much time.” He drew closer to me, his steps loud and commanding. His voice was deeper and gruffer.
“Are you really here?” I asked.
He nodded. “But not in the way you think.”
I frowned, and then comprehension dawned. “You’re a Mimic.”
He nodded again.
Something in me deflated. This wasn’t the Vince I knew. This was Future Vince. Vince from a different timeline.
So he hadn’t found his way back to me.
Vince’s eyes softened, and he took my hands in his. His palms were rough and calloused, but they still felt soft against my skin. I closed my eyes, relishing the touch.
“I haven’t seen you like this in a while,” he murmured. His breath brushed my forehead as he leaned in, pressing his lips into my hair.
I suppressed a shiver of longing. Why did this feel so wrong? Almost like I was cheating on my Vince. Taking a breath, I drew back and asked, “Seen me like what?”
Vince’s brows knitted together. His eyes turned guarded and wary. He shook his head. “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “I’m here to warn you.”
I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows expectantly, trying to squash the desperate ache of longing that was ripping my body in two.
Vince sighed. “You’ll see my Mimic soon. The Vince you know.”
My heart stuttered, my mouth falling open in shock. The Vince you know. My Vince. I would see him soon. Swallowing, I looked at Future Vince, resisting the urge to beg him for more information. When? How? For how long?
“You need to send him back,” Vince said.
All hope within me shuddered and died. My chest caved inward. “What?” I breathed.
“He needs to go back to his realm, Cora. When he comes to you, he’ll try to stay. You can’t let him.”
His words gutted me like a knife. My heart twisted painfully. “W-why not?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
Anger swelled within me, and I stepped closer to him. “Yes, you can. You can’t just show up out of the blue when I’ve been desperate to see you for months, drop a warning on my lap, and expect me to just be your obedient little puppy!” My voice rose with each word.
Vince blinked, his head rearing back.
“Now, you tell me what’s going on right now, or I swear to Lilith I’ll chain him here myself when he shows up.” My nostrils flared, and fury coursed through me, fueling my fire.
Vince’s eyes darkened for a moment, flashing with something I’d never seen in his face before: a raw, bloodthirsty anger. It chilled me to the bone.
But his expression smoothed quickly, and he nodded stiffly. “Fine. That’s fair.” He took a breath. “The Reapers need his Teleportation powers. Something big is coming. Something bigger than even the mortal realm. He’s one of the few who can travel back and forth. Without him, the Reapers will be trapped. Souls can’t move on. Magic is being stolen. The gate between realms is being torn apart.”
I stared at him, horrified. It sounded like the apocalypse. “How are we supposed to stop it?”
Vince offered a wry smile. “I don’t know. It’s still going on now. But I felt the pull to the timeline. I had to come here to warn you. If I didn’t, Vince would stay here, and the Reapers would be cut off forever.”
It’s still going on now. My eyes widened. “How—when—what year are you from?”
Vince was silent for a moment. “It’s been a year since I became a Reaper.”
My heart stopped for a full beat. Six months. In six months, Vince will look like this.
How did he get his scar?
How did this apocalypse begin?
Had it already begun?
“What—what can I do to help?” I asked. “My blood, my potions, surely I can find a way to—”
“No,” Vince said sharply. “You can’t. This is beyond your magic, Cora. Just make sure my Mimic goes back.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I nodded. I wanted to shout at him. To scream that I was powerful, that he had no idea what my magic could do, that I knew I could find a way to help. But I also wanted to draw him closer and kiss him so fiercely that my knees would go weak and he would moan with pleasure.
“I know this is hard,” Vince said softly. I couldn’t tell if he could read the misery on my face or if he knew because he felt the same thing. He clenched his teeth, the veins and tendons standing out in his neck. A violent shudder rippled through him. He teetered, and I caught him by the shoulders.
“Vince!” I cried in alarm.
He shook his head, his eyes distant, and righted himself. “I—I’m out of time. I can’t be here any longer.” His gaze locked onto mine. “Remember, Cora. I need you to remember. I ne
ed you to do this for me.”
I nodded. “I will.”
With a small pop, he vanished, leaving me feeling as empty and cold as if I’d lost Vince all over again.
9
Vince
It had been several days since my fight with Mom. We didn’t speak of it, but things were cooler than usual between us. I got the impression she didn’t know how to handle arguments with me. It was certainly different from when I was a little kid.
I kept close to Jocelyn, even when Ellis was there, giving me the heebie-jeebies. We shared meals, and I sat in on their training. Ellis thought it was important to start mentally preparing her for Reaping duties even before we’d sworn in.
I knew Mom was okay with it because she often sat in on the training sessions to watch. I wasn’t sure if she was monitoring me or if she was genuinely curious about how things were going.
Training was really just a form of meditation mingled with yoga, but it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Ellis showed us various back and arm stretches to flex the muscles of our wings—even when they weren’t out. By the second training session, Jocelyn’s black wings had appeared, garnering applause from Mom and a wide grin from Jocelyn.
I wanted to feel proud. But I couldn’t. I felt even worse knowing my own wings had popped out on their own. By accident.
It felt very final to me. Even though I hadn’t sworn in yet, it made me feel like I’d sealed my fate as a Reaper.
But, as Jocelyn often reminded me, that ship had sailed. There was no turning back.
“Where do you think all this food comes from?” Jocelyn asked as she spooned soupy porridge into a bowl in the dining quarters.
I sniffed my own food, frowning. It smelled bland. “No idea.”
“The magic in the air,” said a voice behind us.
I glanced over my shoulder and suppressed a groan. It was Mom.
Jocelyn, however, seemed eager to bring my mother into the conversation. “How does that work?”
“As Reapers, we participate in the circle of life of all magic. When you swear in, your magic is returned to the air of this realm just like everyone else’s. It helps power what we do here.”
“Like electricity?”
Mom nodded.
Jocelyn exhaled in half shock and half wonder as we found seats at a small table. To my dismay, Mom sat down with us. Jocelyn immediately dug into her food, but I sat up straight, eyeing Mom with suspicion. She caught my gaze and cocked her head at me, a question in her eyes.
“Am I bothering you, Vince?” Her voice was cold.
Irritation flared within me, a normal occurrence these days. How dare she treat me with hostility? She’d been the one to admit I hadn’t mattered to her. Even while I spent my childhood grieving her.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I dropped my gaze and took a bite. The porridge was warm and mushy. Not my favorite texture, but the taste was bearable.
Jocelyn, sensing the tension between Mom and me, quickly dived in with a question about the dark wings and if they differed from white wings. The answer, of course, was no, but Mom replied anyway to keep the conversation going.
I wasn’t sure if I should feel grateful for Jocelyn keeping the awkwardness at bay, or angry that she was giving Mom more opportunities to linger.
When another lull hit the conversation, Mom asked carefully, “I was wondering when you two would feel comfortable pledging your vow to the Reapers.”
Never, I thought bitterly, but I swallowed down the retort.
Jocelyn pressed her lips together and met my gaze with unease. I felt a small surge of relief, knowing I wasn’t the only one here with doubts.
“It’s all right if you aren’t ready,” Mom said quickly. “But just know that life here will be very boring for you until you do swear in.”
“What happens if we don’t?” I couldn’t hide the bite in my tone.
Mom’s eyes flashed. “Then you’ll be trapped here as a powerless Reaper.”
“Powerless?” I raised my eyebrows. “So, you’ll strip us of our powers?”
Mom’s face paled. “What? No! I just mean that until you swear in, you won’t have access to all the Reaper abilities.”
Interesting. So, I could still use my warlock powers even if I hadn’t sworn in yet . . . I kept my face carefully neutral as I took another bite.
“Has anyone ever refused to swear in?” Jocelyn asked, her voice hushed.
“No. But some have taken quite a while to come to terms with it. We’re willing to wait as long as it takes. No rush.” She widened her eyes pointedly at me, no doubt emphasizing how different this place was from my former Nephilim clan.
I still wasn’t so sure.
More silence. This time, Jocelyn was too preoccupied to fill it. Her brow was furrowed, and she chewed on her lower lip as she gazed distantly around the room. I could tell her thoughts were elsewhere.
Mom cleared her throat and rose from her seat. “I’ll, uh, leave you to enjoy your meal.” I felt her gaze on me for a long moment, but I avoided it, focusing instead on my food. Finally, she turned and left, and I exhaled with relief.
“How long are you going to stay angry at her?” Jocelyn asked in a whisper.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. An apology would be nice. But I guess that’s asking for too much.”
Jocelyn snorted. “Parents are never wrong, Vince. You might be waiting an eternity for that apology.”
I looked at her, but she dropped her gaze. I thought of her own father, Peter Wilkes, who had worked so closely with Hector. The whole panel of clan officials had been narcissistic and patronizing. I could only imagine what it was like to have one of them as a parent. I could easily envision Peter never admitting failure. Just like Hector.
Something within me softened. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining. It must be so hard for you, Joss.”
She offered a wobbly smile. “It’s okay.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I just feel so . . . conflicted. Like, I know I shouldn’t miss my dad, given everything he did and all the lies he spread. But I can’t help it.” She shrugged, her eyes moistening. “He’s my dad. He’ll always be a part of me.”
Warmth filled my throat. I reached forward and took her hand in mine. “I’m here for you.”
Her smile turned more genuine, and she sniffed. “Thanks.”
Ellis and Mom badgered us twice more that day about when we would pledge. Each time they asked, I grew more irritable. I was starting to understand why all the Reapers in the past had eventually given in. Maybe they’d just wanted everyone else to shut up and stop pestering them.
After the third time, I finally gave in. “Two days,” I snapped at Ellis. “I’ll pledge in two days.”
“Me too,” Jocelyn said at once, her eyes meeting mine. She nodded slightly as if to say, I’m with you.
Ellis merely gazed at us, his expression as blank as ever. Then, he turned and walked away. I pictured his steps disjointed and robotic like a giant machine, but he moved with grace and agility just like all the other Reapers.
“You seemed to give in pretty easily,” Jocelyn said with raised eyebrows as she sat down on her bunk bed.
I glanced around the sleeping quarters to ensure we were alone before I knelt on the floor next to her. She perked up, her eyes glinting with excitement as if we were about to share secrets together.
“I’m going to try to Jump,” I whispered.
Jocelyn’s face turned white. “What?”
“I have to know if I can before I commit to staying here. I have to know if there’s a way back on my own.”
Jocelyn shook her head. “Vince—”
“Aren’t you tired of your life being decided for you?” I hissed through clenched teeth. “You either swear in with the clan or swear in with the Reapers. There are no more choices! Just two very different prisons.”
“But isn’t it like that for everyone?” Jocelyn asked. “Every magical being has rules to
follow, Vince.”
I suddenly thought of Cora, and my chest ached with the usual yearning I felt when she crossed my mind. Cora played by her own rules. I’d always envied that. Most demons were rule-breakers. It didn’t seem very fair to me.
Soft footsteps approached. My head whipped around, looking for eavesdroppers, but it was just another Reaper. A tall, bulky blond named Jonas. He dug through the bag by his bed, ignoring us completely.
I swallowed and leaned closer to Jocelyn. “Do you want to be there when I try it?” I breathed.
Jocelyn’s eyes were alight with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Slowly, she nodded.
“Meet me in the dining hall after lights out,” I said quietly.
She nodded again, and a slow smile spread across her face. I realized I was only inches away from her. Her breath tickled my cheeks, and her eyes stirred with desire.
No. The word coursed through me before I could even process anything. Slowly, I drew away from her and dropped my gaze. My chest tightened, and my stomach spun. I wasn’t sure what to feel. I liked Jocelyn, but not like that.
And even if I did like her in that way, my heart and head were still consumed by Cora.
Emotion climbed up my throat, choking me. I barely muttered a hasty goodbye before I bolted from the room, eager to escape the thoughts and confusion raging within me.
A restless, anxious energy swept through me for the rest of the day. There was no way to measure time in the tunnels. And even if there was, it probably wouldn’t be accurate, given everything I’d learned about this realm. I performed the usual stretches with Ellis, even though my legs ached to sprint away, to exert myself with vigorous exercise instead of these slow, careful movements. I longed to run, to sweat, to strategize, to play.
If you figure out how to Jump back home, then you will, I told myself. I clung to the idea as the hours trudged by.
I sat with Jocelyn at dinner, though neither of us could eat much. We remained quiet, our eyes drifting around the room before settling back on each other, wordlessly communicating the gravity of what we were about to do.
