I was a little confused. I’d always thought Grim Reapers and the Angel of Death were one and the same. I come to find out now my assumption was wrong.
“I’m not sure I follow.” I tucked a lock of strawberry blonde hair behind my left ear. “Grim Reapers collect souls?”
“Their job is specific to guiding souls to their final destination,” he clarified. “We are often mistaken for one another because of the similarities behind our responsibilities.”
“So what do you do?” So this whole crap about seeing the angel of death moments before dying wasn’t true?
“We are more like chaperones, if you will.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Chaperones?
“That’s one way to put it. You see, there are specific people in this world who are not meant to die, but death looms over them. They might have been targeted by a demon or some other force, and that’s where we come in. We try to guide them away from death. Push them in the other direction, so to speak. We must help them, or at the very least try to keep them alive by any means necessary.”
“So that’s why when people see you they assume they’re going to die?”
“When humans see us they know they are going to die, but only we know they have been targeted for death.”
“Are you allowed to tell them who or what wants them dead?”
“No. Our abilities are limited due to our cursed existence, but we have ways to work around this limitation. If they die however, we bring them here,” he smiled, “to Levion.”
“You guide them here after death? Why?”
The man nodded. “This is sort of a transition realm for those people who die and were not meant to die. Here they will await their new fate,” he said. “They will serve another purpose in the future.”
“Transition? You mean heaven or hell?” I asked. “Serve another purpose? Aren’t they dead when you bring them here in the first place?”
He dipped his head. “There are many transitions the dead go through. Some end up trapped in the world of the living. Some end up in purgatory. Some must remain on earth to serve a purpose, though they are not considered trapped. And others move on fairly quickly after death. It’s a never-ending cycle.”
“You mean this isn’t purgatory?” I was so confused.
“No. Purgatory is mainly for those who have committed the worst crimes you could possibly think of. It is a jail of sorts. Souls that end up there are usually punished for a time before they get sent to…well, you get the idea.”
I winced. “Yeah, thanks for not providing details.”
“The Marked are not always dead when they are brought to Levion. In extreme cases we have no choice but to bring them here. But they have a very important transition to go through. There are many evil creatures marking innocent humans and it is our job to ensure their souls get a second chance.”
“Because they weren’t meant to die in the first place?” I asked.
“Correct.”
The man or angel—I wasn’t sure what to call him anymore—stepped to his right, waved a hand over a cloud of fog floating next to him, and the white mist turned into a large wooden stool. I swear, had I not seen it myself I would have never believed it.
He sat on it with his back straight, his bare feet touching the ground. “Do you wish to sit?” He gestured toward me.
I shook my head. “No. I’m good.”
“Very well.” He looked at me and smiled. That smile really unnerved me. I mean, he was shirtless and yes, what I could see of his body was just…perfect. Well-toned muscles, washboard abs, hairless chest. He really did look as if he spent a minimum of three hours a day at the gym.
“So, you’re telling me that you recycle souls?”
“Something like that.” He smiled briefly. “Whether right after death or before they pass away to go through the recycling phase—as you put it, we must see to it that they are given a second chance to serve the purpose they were originally born to do.”
“Your job does sound very similar to that of the Grim Reaper.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You think so?”
“I…uh, yeah.” I nibbled on my lower lip. “You’re both sort of guides.”
“I can see why you would think that, but you see, the souls that come here are brought here for a reason,” he explained further. “The Grim Reapers only guide the souls who have already served their purpose in life to the afterlife. We watch over The Marked.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. No matter how well he tried to explain things to me I was still slightly confused and unsure how the process really worked. Being that I was there to find out who my charge was, I didn’t think it mattered whether or not I understood everything.
He furrowed his brow. “But that is a subject we don’t really have to discuss in full detail. However, the reason you were brought here is equally important.”
“My charge.”
A dark shadow crossed his gorgeous features. “Many have come to think of us as the carriers of death because those who have been targeted can usually see us. Not often, but enough to know they are going to die. We do not carry death. We don’t have that power. Our presence is more of a warning. There have been times when our mere presence has avoided a catastrophe. Those who do see us take matters into their own hands and by one action or another avoid death. However, there are times when the person targeted for death is someone we, The Overseers, cannot help.”
I blanched. “What do you mean?”
“Sometimes a name hits our list that is not supposed to be there. Someone will be marked for death. Someone who cannot get a second chance. Someone who cannot be reborn—whose soul cannot be restored. Someone’s whose life means the difference between life and death for many during his or her current lifetime.” His gaze bore into me. “When this happens, a third party intervention is absolutely necessary to prevent a disaster from unfolding.”
A third party intervention? I thought he was the third party in my case.
“That would be me then, right?” I hugged myself again. The flapping of the giant wings above made me a little tense about the whole discussion. Not to mention all this talk about death.
“Yes. We do not have clearance to go back into the world of the living. We must remain here, in Levion, because of the curse that hangs over our shoulders.” He gestured behind him with one hand, indicating his black wings. “Your charge, the innocent you have to protect, is a very valuable asset to us. One that must not die.” The man reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a piece of golden paper, holding it in between two fingers as he added, “Before I hand over the name, you must know how critical it is for this person to remain alive. She has been targeted. Well, her soul has. And if she dies, the balance between good and evil will tip in the wrong direction.”
“Why is she so important?” I started toward him.
“The only thing you need to know is that she means the difference between life and death for many. It is imperative that she lives. And you have to figure out who is after her and why. Once you do that, you need to get rid of him or it.”
I stopped when I came within three feet of the angel. His dark wings were even more astonishing this close. His unnaturally beautiful male face was not far behind.
“I get it,” I said. This assignment was going to be hard. I already knew that, but this was what I was born to do. I’m a Keeper of the Innocent.
“Demi, I understand this is your first assignment, but you must not fail.” His tone of voice was enough to let me know this was more than a serious matter. This was life or death. “You will not get a second chance.”
Boy, if that wasn’t putting pressure on me, I didn’t know what was.
“I know,” I murmured. For the first time since I’d heard about this meeting, I was actually scared. Something big was entrusted to me, a pro. And I felt the pressure of it deep down in my bones.
“But before I hand over this piece of paper there is one more thing you shoul
d know.”
I stared at him in silence, waiting for him to continue.
“Even though Keepers of the Innocent usually have one permanent charge at a time, there will be occasions when you’ll be required to watch over someone else. It may be a one night thing or a month of constant vigilance, but if you perform well, once this temporary charge is safe from his or her aggressor, you can focus your entire attention on your main charge. When an emergency pops up, I will inform you personally.”
It was somewhat surprising to hear this tidbit, but I was kind of expecting it. Mom had saved many innocents during the years, but I had assumed they were just random people in need of magical intervention. Although Mom had trained me to use my supernatural abilities as best as she could, she had never discussed her charges in full detail.
For years I wondered why, but as I came to meet my Overseer I was beginning to understand more than I ever thought I would.
“Okay, I get it.”
“I have trust in you.” He finally offered me the paper, which I took.
“Before I open this paper, can I ask you something?”
He lifted his chin. “Go ahead.”
“I have read many books, seen many movies, and I always got the impression that angels’ wings were white.”
He chuckled softly. “You have not been the first one to mention this and I’m quite sure you will not be the last.” He stood and I had to take a step back. He was well over a foot taller than me. “We are not your ordinary angels, Demi. We are the cursed, the fallen, the banned. We are not allowed back in heaven for betraying our superiors and we are not allowed on earth. The only place we can exist is in Levion. We still have a job to do, but our black wings decree our status in this world. We are neither good nor evil. We just are,” he explained.
I gazed down at the paper in my hand, fidgeting nervously with it. If the angels of death could not do this job of keeping this person alive, how was I going to?
“I understand.” I quickly tore at the seal keeping what I originally thought was a piece of paper and which turned out to be a closed envelope, and opened all four flaps. My heart raced as I turned the envelope over and read that single name I’d come to repeat often in the past few years.
Written in bold black letters was the name: Renee.
Chapter Five
Being A Witch Is Not Easy
My entire body broke into a cold sweat. I could hardly believe what I’d just read. Renee. That little sweet redheaded girl, targeted for death? Why? She was only a child. An innocent child. Who would want to hurt her?
“This has to be a mistake,” I whispered. I refused to believe it. I was actually terrified to think Renee could get hurt or worse.
“It is no mistake,” the angel assured me. “This girl has been targeted by someone close to her. She is too young to understand the amount of danger she’s in, but you are her Keeper, it is your job to make sure she does not die. She has a very important destiny to fulfill when she grows up and if she dies now, all will be lost.”
“What kind of job?” To say that I was astonished was putting it mildly. I had just been thrown for a loop.
“I am willing to bet you will find out soon enough. In this case, I have been instructed to give as little details as possible. The rest you will have to do on your own.”
This information was very hard to swallow. I have to admit that Renee being my charge did make things easier on me, but knowing someone aimed to hurt her made me want to crawl into a fetal position and cry. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. No one deserved to die; much less an innocent child too young to understand what was going on around her.
“She has been targeted by someone close to her?” I shoved the paper into my jeans’ pocket. “Who is this person?”
“I cannot reveal this information. You have to find this out on your own. I cannot intervene,” the angel responded somberly.
This day was turning into one of the most stressful in my life. First the demon living next door, then Renee’s weird sketch of the face with the hollow eyes, and now this.
My eyes snapped to the angel’s face. “There’s a demon living next door to me. He claims to be half human. Do you know anything about this?”
The angel stared in silence for a moment. “The rumors have been circulating for a while. We have heard about this practice and quite frankly we are appalled by it. It seems demons are up to something, creating human-demon hybrids is against the natural law. But you do not need to worry about this. It is already being taken care of.”
“It worries me for one reason only.” I patted my pocket where the envelope was. “Renee. What if he’s after her?”
“The demon you speak of is not close to her. The one that’s after her innocent soul is someone close to her. Someone she trusts.”
My face scrunched up as I tried to come up with names. Aside from my parents and me, who else was close to her? Evan. Mina. But they were her siblings. Could it be? No. Why would they want to hurt her?
“Until you get to the bottom of things, trust no one.”
I looked up at him. “This would go much smoother if I knew what I was dealing with.”
The angel’s wings opened and expanded as he got ready to take flight. “Yes, but there is only so much we can say. The rest is up to you.”
He spread his legs apart and spared a glance up. He was getting ready to leave.
“Wait.” Was he seriously going to leave without telling me his name? “Do you have a name?”
“I do.” The angel turned his attention back to me. “My name is Ezekiel.” With that, he took off, shooting up to the cloudy sky with the speed of a rocket. The force of his flapping wings threw me off balance and I fell on my rump. I glanced up and watched his retreating form until he was out of sight.
In a blink of an eye he was gone and I was left alone, pondering my troubled thoughts. Someone wanted to hurt Renee and I had to find out who it was. I had to get rid of it before Renee ended up hurt. But what if a human was after her? I couldn’t possibly be put against a human being, right? What the hell was going on?
I picked myself off the ground and trailed back the way I came; aiming for the door I knew was somewhere behind the foggy mist that seemed to cling to this unusual place. I pressed on quietly. My priority now was to get back home and have a chat with Mom.
Thinking about Renee, one thought crossed my mind often, how had my life turned into a big jumbled mess? And I had a feeling things were about to get a lot worse. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do for now. After I spoke with Mom I would have to decide on the best course of action.
Thankfully, I only had to walk a short distance to get to the door, which I quickly opened. Thank God the door opened into the living room, where Dad was still sitting on the couch, watching TV. Relieved to be back home, I shut the door of what should transform into my bedroom again soon and slumped to the floor.
The second Dad saw me; he got to his feet and hurried to me. Placing one hand over my forehead he asked, “Demi, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
I was touched by the look of genuine concern on his face. “Life is complicated, Dad.” I hugged my knees to my chest. “That’s what’s wrong.”
He sat down next to me, our backs to the door.
“Yes, life is complicated. But I guess yours is more so,” he said.
“It just got a lot more complicated.” I rested my chin on my right knee.
“Did you find out who your charge is?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m guessing that’s what has you all worked up.”
“My charge is not the problem. I just…” am afraid that something will happen to her. “This whole Keeper thing is a lot of work.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but I had no clue how to express myself when it came to him. He was a great father, but he knew nothing about what Mom and I went through as witches.
“I can’t imagine it being easy, sweetheart. But you know, nothing in life is
easy.” Dad folded his hands over his torso and sighed. “You girls have it tough, but you girls are tough, hard headed, and as determined as they come.”
I laughed at the way he described us. “Yeah, well, things always find a way to get even tougher. I’m not sure how to handle this one.”
“Yes, you do.” He took my hand and squeezed it lightly. “I don’t really know what it feels like to be in your shoes, or your mother’s, for that matter, but I know you can do this. I have faith in you both. You’re both strong and capable of anything you set your mind to,” he said. “Whatever’s bothering you, find a way to fight through it. Your responsibilities are great. You have it tough, I get that, but I know you. You’re independent and brave, reliable and responsible, stubborn and sweet. Most of all, you have the whole Keeper thing in your blood. It’s in your nature to protect. I know you can do this.”
Dad’s words made me feel a lot better. He did have confidence in me and it wasn’t like I didn’t have faith in myself, I was just worried about Renee. But Dad was right. There was nothing I couldn’t do when I set my mind to it. And I was determined to protect Renee and find her would-be killer. There was no way I was going to let anyone hurt her.
“You know, your mother’s instincts to nurture and protect is what made me notice her in the first place.” He looked at me and smiled.
“Really?” I sensed a story behind his words, one I was hoping to hear.
Dad looked away and laughed as if he had just recalled something. “Did we ever tell you how we met?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I’ve never heard the full details, anyway.”
“To make a long story short, your mother almost ran me over one warm summer morning. It was mostly my fault, though.”
I shifted on the floor so that I could look at him better.
“The traffic light was green, so the oncoming traffic had the right of way. Since there were no cars close enough, I decided to cross. I was too distracted to notice the car peeling out of the gas station until it was too late.”
“Oh my God,” I exclaimed. “It was Mom?”
Keeper of the Innocents Page 6
