A Hollow Cry (After Life Book 1)

by Bee Douglas

  As the three of us step inside the boardroom, Death is already waiting for us. The sun streams in through the window, creating an unseemly light around the dark princes.

  “As you requested, my Lords,” Griffin greets them. Pleased with Belial’s acknowledging nod, he steps into his usual corner of the room.

  Royce and I stand dead center. The brothers look us up and down, surveying us as if we stand on trial; their eyes like branding irons.

  “May I ask why we were summoned, my Lords?” Royce asks.

  Satan’s top lip curls into a sneer, but it’s Belial that speaks. “Have we been unfair in deferring your reaping tasks in order to direct your focus on more important matters?” The question is obviously rhetorical. I catch the side glance Royce gives me. “Did we not offer an abundant amount of time to carry out our requests? Were we not clear on what we expected from you? Did we not stress the importance of these tasks?”

  I don’t dare turn to look at Griffin, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that he’s wearing a shit grin. Grounding myself, I keep my temper at bay.

  “Were we wrong in choosing you two to complete our work - in believing you were more than capable?”

  In all my time as a Reaper, I’ve never been given their version of a stern talking to. Even after disobeying direct orders, I’ve received nothing more than a slap on the wrist. But I’ve heard stories. There have been many gruesome incidents. Lost limbs and bodies voided from the earth.

  Belial stands from the chair, placing his hands on the conference table. “We chose you,” he gaze pins me, “because we have yet to be disappointed in your work. Why now?”

  “My Lord-”

  The prince slams his hands down on the surface. “Were we wrong in entrusting this asset in the hands of the two of you? Obviously, the Banshee has yet to come to her full potential. What is it that you have been wasting our precious time doing?”

  This time, he waits for a response. Royce glances at me, hesitant to speak. Not that I blame him.

  “The Banshee has been able to see the souls of humans,” I say. Each word comes out slow and purposeful. “She’s been working on controlling sonic vibrations.”

  “Ahh, yes,” he muses, “Nora.”

  The bones in my hands snap from how tightly I have them fisted at my sides. The sound of her name from his lips does nothing but piss me off. I want to reach down and rip his tongue from his throat, making sure he never mutters her name again.

  “How is our lovely Nora doing?”

  The taste of liquid metal pools in my mouth as I bite down on my own tongue.

  “She looked perfectly fine,” Griffin calls from behind me.

  I take a deep breath before answering. “She’s resting. She’s had a rough couple of days. Between training and taking the life of a woman, she’s been pushing herself harder each day.”

  The corners of Satan’s eyes squint as he watches me. Belial’s lips form into a thin line before asking, “Was it not clear that her safety was of the highest importance?”

  “I’ve kept her safe.” The words barely make it past my clenched jaw.

  “And yet, the Changelings had her in their grasps while you were... what? Ill?”

  Royce clears his throat, finally deciding to step into the hearing. “He was injured while protecting her from a Changeling. I stepped in, as well as an ally, to ensure she kept up her training.”

  Fuck. A gleam shined in Leviathan’s eye. “Let me guess,” he toys, not even trying to hide the smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, “the same one you were found fucking in a bathroom stall?”

  “Brother!”

  “Am I wrong?” The prince levels with Royce. He swallows hard, realizing his mistake. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve narrowed down the reasoning for their incompetence. It seems as if they’ve allowed women to grab hold of their cocks, corrupting their judgement and mindset.”

  “We have not strayed from our goal,” I bite out, seething at their ridicule.

  “Where has the witch gone?”

  Royce’s intake of air is barely audible, but standing this close to him, I hear it as clear as day. An amused look plays on Leviathan's face. He barks out a laugh when I explain that we’d been on our way to find her. It’s a sound that only pisses me off more.

  “What you are admitting,” Belial toys, “is that you allowed her to slip away?”

  “We didn’t let her do a damn thing,” I say. “She was gone when we woke up.”

  Satan stands as I open my mouth to continue, throwing the chair several inches backward. “We did not ask for you to list all the menial excuses you have running through that brain of yours. Did you or did you not lose hold of your custody over the witch?”

  “There’s no containing her, she-”

  Royce stops short when Satan snaps his attention to him. My temper spikes, but I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. The prince’s eyes bore into mine. Finally, I nod. A cynical smile cracks across his face.

  “My Lords,” Griffin’s sniveling voice nears closer, “that’s not the only trouble these two have provoked.” The three of them turn their attention to him. Clearing his throat, he continues, “The Changelings. With all the uncertainty in the world right now because of the Banshee, it was assumed that extreme precaution would be taken. And yet, the Changelings have now stepped in twice regarding the situation. For all we know, they are working with them.”

  “Bullshit,” Royce snaps.

  Griffin sneers in his direction. “There had to be some type of reasoning than just curiosity. They don’t usually come prepared for an attack, especially not in groups.”

  “That you know of. You always run in the opposite direction the moment they’re mentioned.”

  His words blanket an embarrassed flushed over Griffin’s face. The mediator finally chooses a side. Despite the smile Leviathan still holds, Belial cuts in, calling for decorum.

  “It’s known how imperative the secrecy of our activities from the Changelings is.”

  “They don’t know anything,” I sigh, growing tired of this situation. We have a witch to find and I have to plan on where I’ll be stealing Nora away to. “It’s all speculation.”

  “And yet, they’ve stepped into our territory more now than they have in years. Their suspicions are raised, regardless.” I don’t say anything else. There’s no point of arguing with any of them, especially Belial. They’ve already made up their minds on the topic. “It seems as if proper precautions were not made, and on top of it all, Nora still does not have control of the Banshee.”

  “To be fair, she-”

  “You ignorant Reaper,” Satan bellows in Royce’s direction. “Can you not grasp the severity of this situation? Or is it too complex for your simple mind?”

  Belial continues on, not reacting to his brother’s comment, “As far as we are concerned, Nora is in the same situation as she was in the first night she stepped foot in here.”

  “My informant also told me that the Changelings are planning another attack.” The weasel keeps up with his Changelings obsessed antics. “Now that they’ve seen what the Banshee is capable of, they’re rallying more numbers. It’s just a matter of time before they make their move.” Belial holds up his hand, stopping him from continuing.”

  “We just need more time,” I cut in. “She’s nearly there. The invasive measures we’ve been taking seem to be helping. Give her a little more time. She will take hold of her powers and be ready to go back to her life, while working for you.”

  The smile fades from Leviathan’s face, but the sinister gleam remains. “Back to her old life? What did you think our plan has been for once we obtain a Banshee with fully accessible powers? Do you honestly think we would let her run off and live a free life, waiting for a summons from us?”

  “It was implied.”

  “No, you naive Reaper, that has never been our plan. We-”

  Satan holds his hand out. “Stop it, brother. We are surrounded by hearts weake
ned by love.”

  “Very well, but she will still need to be dealt with.”

  Taking a step forward, I push down the bile rising in my stomach. “I can assure you she will not share this with anyone. She can go home. This will all be a bad nightmare.”

  “We can’t have that,” Satan teases, “can we? She’s not much use to us alive. Her death could only remedy the situation.”

  The world around me slows. As Satan speaks, his brothers look over me with indifferent expressions. Turning to look at Royce, I catch the sly grin plastered on Griffin’s mouth.

  It all comes crashing down on me. They never intended for Nora to live if she didn’t succeed. And if she fought, her fate would be sealed either way. To them, other than a pawn, she is another human soul waiting to be reaped. Her face flashes through my mind. The beautiful woman with fiery red hair that I bumped into at a dive bar one night has become the most important thing in the world. And now, her existence hangs on a breaking limb. I don’t wait to hear what else they have to say. I turn to sprint out of the room, needing to get to her.

  I don’t see anything coming in my direction. One moment the exit is in my view, just a handful of feet away. The next, a sharp pain resonates from the base of my skull, causing my eyes to haze over. My knees grow weak and they give in as the world spins. The last thing I see is Royce being forced to his knees by Griffin.

  32

  Nora

  “What do you think’s going on?” Willow asks.

  She and I sit at the kitchen island. She lays her phone in between us while we wait to hear something. Anything. It’s been hours since they left the house. The longer they’re gone, the more our anxiety grows.

  Bringing the cup of tea to my mouth, I blow at the steam. Willow made it almost thirty minutes ago and I still have yet to take a drink. “Griffin had Kane ready to blow a gasket and he didn’t even step foot inside. Whatever is keeping them, I just hope it’s not because of his temper.”

  She lets out a breathy laugh. “That’s Kane for you.”

  Yes, it is. He’s always quick to react. He honestly has one of the shortest fuses. Deep down though, Kane really cares when it comes to a select few people. He would do anything and everything for them. If you make the mistake of hurting one of them, he will make sure that’s the last thing you.

  “Have you ever met Death?”

  “You mean the dark and cryptic Moe, Curly, and Larry?” She rolls her eyes, taking a sip from her own mug. The moment she pulls it from her lips, everything about her darkens. “Just once.”

  As much as I want to probe her mind and find out exactly what happened, I don’t. The plus of working closely with people, you learn to read them You start seeing fine lines a bit clearer and recognize when you’re treading close enough to cross them.

  “What exactly brought you over to the dark side?” I ask, changing the subject. “I know for a fact it wasn’t for the cookies.”

  She looks up. Her eyes are still shaded, but the laugh that bubbles out brightens her whole face. “No,” she says between breaths, “it wasn’t for the cookies. The bourbon though, now that’s a completely different bribing tool.”

  I let out a laugh - a real laugh too. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Such an unrestricted moment that bleeds over to Willow. The entire kitchen is filled with our laughter. On and on. By the time we’re able to catch our breath, tears run down both of our faces.

  “Holy shit,” she gasps. “Fuck, that was needed.”

  Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I nod. “Agreed.”

  “That’s the thing though,” she redirects the conversation, running a hand through her thick mane of black hair. “Between finding out that my soul wasn’t good enough for Heaven or Hell, and then getting put in the middle of this hidden world, it’s sucked. It’s really fucking sucked.”

  Her words hit me harder than I would’ve thought. A huge confession I never saw coming. When I was going through a hard time before, I had Aggie. And even when that didn’t help, I could curl up in a kid size bed with my little sister. From what she’s told me, Willow didn’t have anyone. From one secluded existence to another. There are the other Accursed, sure. Royce. Kane. I didn’t get the vibe that she and Raina would mess well. But no one she’d truly call a friend.

  Reaching over, I place my hand on hers. “After all this mess gets taken care of, we will have to plan a girls night.”

  “I’d love that.”

  “Good,” I smile, completely satisfied with that response. “I have-”

  The biting sound of Willow’s phone going off takes us both by surprise. We stare at it as it vibrates on the countertop. For hours we’ve been waiting for a call. And now that we get one, it’s not from who we’ve been anticipating.

  “What is it, Briggs?”

  An odd static answers. “Where are you?”

  “With Nora.”

  With how he reacted at Kane’s apartment weeks ago, we all thought it wise not to share much with him. He didn’t need to know about Banshee sound waves or the toying of human souls.

  “Where are you?”

  She looks up at me as he repeats the question. “With Nora,” she draws out.

  Briggs lets out quiet sigh. “For fuck’s sake, Will, where are you with Nora?”

  I bite down on my bottom lip, keeping a laugh from bubbling up.

  “We’re having coffee.” Tea, but he didn’t need to know the specifics.

  Briggs doesn’t answer right away. An odd silence fills the kitchen, which only sparks my tormenting anxiety. “You’re with the Reaper.”

  “No,” she tells him as her voice changes. “What’s going on, Briggs?”

  “There’s something happening at the Devil’s Playground.”

  “I thought they were going to that office place,” I whisper. Her shoulder shrug tells me that she thought the same.

  “What do you mean?”

  He clears his throat, returning to his hardened tone. “Demons. Reapers. A whole shit load are at the bar. It has the Changeling’s running around, trying to regroup.”

  “What are they doing there?” I ask.

  “It look-”

  Briggs stops short. More silence comes through the phone. Even when Willow calls his name, it’s several minutes before he answers. “You’re not with the Reaper.”

  “I told you I’m not.”

  “You’re not with the Reaper,” he repeats, ignoring her comment, “because he’s here. The other one too.” All the blood in my body drains. I lock eyes with Willow. Royce and Kane are there? “They aren’t conscious,” Briggs answers one of the million questions now buzzing in my head. “They’re being dragged in.”

  Willow’s lips form into a thin line. A sheen of tears coat her eyes. “Are you able to find out what’s going on?”

  “No,” he says. “And with how they’re armed, I don’t think a simple question and answer is going to do much.”

  Across the island, Willow stares at the coffee mug as if trying to process the information. Her surly expression turns vengeful as the seconds pass.

  “Get my bow,” she orders before ending the call. “And get Lennox. We’re going to need him.”

  Lennox. The name of the Changeling that almost killed Kane coming from her mouth has me reeling.

  “Where are you going?”

  I follow her out of the kitchen. She doesn’t waste time tying up the laces of her boots. She’s headed for the back door before I can even put two and two together.

  “Stay put,” she bites out over her shoulder.

  “No.”

  Willow stops in her tracks. Her back moves with each heavy breath she takes, but she doesn’t turn around. “You are staying here. I can’t babysit you and save them.”

  Her words feel like a pin prick. “I’m not staying here. I’m going with you.”

  “Nora-”

  “I said I’m going.” I give in to the tingling sensation of the Banshee’s forming
vibrations. I focus their waves on Nora. Not to hurt her. No. I use their force to push her forward several feet. It takes her by surprise and she whips her head around. “I may not be trained like you, but I’m not weak. I’m going with you.”

  She glares at me, eyes squinting with a mixture of anger and fear. But before she reaches for the door, she says, “Fine. But you’re on your own.”

  ...

  “Where’s Lennox?” Willow asks.

  Briggs sent her a message, letting her know where he had taken up post. We stay close to the shadows as we near. In the several blocks radiating around the Playground, it’s as if the humans were warned to stay clear. We don’t pass a single soul. And the closer we get, the more demons and Reapers we see.

  We climb up the fire escape of an old packing warehouse. At first, I didn’t understand why he chose somewhere as far away as he did, but with one look over the corner, I knew. It’s the perfect location for scouting. Aside from the adjoining wall, were able to see most of the building. And with the sun’s reign over, we are cloaked in shadows.

  “Not here,” Briggs grunts.

  He’s a burly man. When I last saw him at Kane’s apartment, I didn’t get the best look at him. Between being woken up and walking in on their fight, I honestly didn’t pay attention. But being this close, he’s an intimidating man. From his stocky frame and the size of his muscles, he’s pure power. He’d send most men running in the opposite direction. With his closely shaved head and thick beard, he’s not Kane, but he’s far from unattractive.

  “When will he be here?” Willow asks, chewing on her bottom lip.

  “He won’t be.” She whips her head, staring him down. Anger rages through her eyes. “It’s not his problem.”

  Willow stalks toward him. While she stands several inches short than him, she prowls as if he’s the weakest of men. “Not his problem? The safety of the human race isn’t his problem? What about the life of Nora?”

  Briggs sighs, as if he’d been preparing for her reaction. “She's alive. She’s not in immediate danger. The longevity of a Reapers time on earth means nothing to him. While it may mean the world to you, it’s one less problem for the Changelings.”