A Reaper Made

by Liz Long

  A strange squawk escaped me at the revelation. I’d always found that tragedy oddly fascinating; I had all sorts of questions. Tessa cut me off with a serious look.

  “And why exactly would you go to him now after so many years?” she asked.

  “Because as one of the oldest Reapers, I would imagine even if he does not know who is behind this, he will be aware of the situation. Something like this doesn’t escape the elders.”

  Tessa pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “There are elders? How have I been alive so long and not known you actually do have some grand poobah council?”

  Tully bristled and I bit my lip to prevent a smile. He hated that term and I liked to use it often. He scowled. “They are the oldest of our kind, the messengers that connect the rest of us to Death. They are consulted over situations such the one we are in now.”

  “Did you have to talk to them over the Titanic debacle?” I asked him with interest.

  “Yes, they-”

  Tessa cut him off, annoyed. “Will Alistair be able to help us?”

  “At least with information; I doubt he’ll want to tag along on our adventure,” Tully said wryly. “In any case, it’s better we do not reveal our current plan which includes breaking a main rule in the handbook. Let me do the talking.”

  “No problem.”

  My mentor turned to Tessa. “I’m sorry, but as you are not a Reaper, you cannot accompany us this time.”

  “Yeah I get it, no witches allowed,” Tessa said, her hands palm up. “Can you at least tell me what happened when you jokers get back?”

  Tully gave her a terse nod and turned away, hands behind his back as he paced the hallway. I shrugged at Tessa’s concerned look.

  “I have no idea what to expect,” I said. “You know more about this guy than I do.”

  “Which is why I’m worried. I didn’t even know the guy’s name, only that Tully’s got some issues with him,” she said under her breath. She risked another glance to Tully, who ignored us, clearly deep in thought. “Sorry I didn’t tell you the whole story behind how Tully and I met.”

  “I think I understand,” I said, “it wasn’t your story to tell.”

  She flashed a relieved smile and gave my hand a squeeze. “See you in a bit.”

  As she stepped back, she offered a brief wave. My smile felt more like a grimace as Tully and I prepared to find his mentor, one of the eldest Reapers in existence.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Tessa disappeared into her back room, presumably to look at more of her spell books and give us some private time. Tully put a hand on my shoulder; I jumped at the contact, turning to look at him in surprise.

  “Like I said, let me do the talking. Elders aren’t keen on talking to Mades and your being practically brand new won’t help matters.”

  I huffed in frustration. “You know, it’s their fault we exist. They needed us yet they don’t want to work with us?”

  Tully dropped his hand from my shoulder. He made a face as though he agreed, but continued on. “In any case, my relationship with Alistair is a bit…difficult. Despite our distance, I am tethered to him, as you are to me.”

  His statement made me squirm a bit. I’d never asked and Tully had never said, but I had a feeling that makers could require their Mades to follow requests as needed. Sure, Reapers were neutral, but if demons were forcing a Reaper’s hand, that wasn’t exactly news we wanted right now.

  “We’ll go to their location and speak with him.” Tully shifted his weight and I knew he had the same doubts I did.

  “What, they have a corporate office?”

  “Something like that. With me now, please.”

  He placed his hand on my back and together we took a step forward. Light flashed as we walked through planes. Instead of Tessa’s apartment, we now stood in front of a dilapidated building that had definitely seen better days. I opened my mouth to make a snarky comment, but Tully shook his head a little.

  “Take another look,” he simply said.

  Magic hummed around us and I realized my mistake. This building sat between two planes, ours and the human one. Spells coated this spot, making the initial glance a rundown old place. After a long moment, however, the building transformed before my eyes. Behind the ugly facade was a stone building that looked like a true relic of days past. Giant dark window panes nestled beneath arches dotted the gray walls, the features castle-like. While a church automatically came to mind, I knew there were no religious associations - Reapers were older than religion.

  “Can all supes see this place?” I asked Tully in astonishment.

  “Only Reapers,” he replied. “Can’t have demons or werewolves getting in, now can we?”

  “Or humans,” I added.

  Tully managed a grim smile. He led the way into the building and I trailed after him, gaping at pillars of marble and granite. I wrinkled my nose at the mausoleum-like atmosphere. The deafening quiet made my ears ache for music. Fifty or so marble statues littered the area, gorgeous pieces that reminded me of wingless angels. Perhaps they were the inspiration? I took a step toward one, eager to see its inscription, but Tully grabbed my arm and kept us on the pathway.

  “One does not dawdle here,” he murmured.

  No one greeted us and I wondered if anyone knew we were here. I looked around for a reception desk, maybe a giant sign that said “Elders This Way.” Several wooden doors lined either side of the room. I stayed right behind Tully as he strode to a door in the far back corner. With no idea of what lay on the other side of that door, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Tully rapped his knuckles on the thick wood twice before turning the heavy black knob.

  We came through the doorway and my jaw dropped at an elaborate room with dark wooden trim and floor. Flames crackled in the marble fireplace and I found myself overwhelmed at the library above our heads; it covered every inch of wall space and even needed one of those ladders that swept you from section to section. Despite the fire, the room still felt cold; it gave me the willies. Tully nudged me to pay attention and I had to tear my eyes away from the shelves.

  The reason for our visit sat behind a large mahogany desk, an imposing figure with his shadow bouncing off the wall from the fire. No papers or office supplies littered the desk and my brow furrowed in confusion. I guess Death didn’t fax in the souls’ names.

  Alistair, a True Reaper who’d been around longer than I could fathom, spun in his chair and came into view. He sat tall and rigid in his leather chair; despite the robes of black he wore instead of a suit, he reminded me more of a hardass CEO rather than a mystical, supernatural force that helped souls greet death. His skin was dark olive, but his thick hair white as snow; I couldn’t decipher any particular culture on him. Maybe elders were a mix of all races. Even from a few feet away, I could see his liquid gold eyes, a mesmerizing amber that glowed in the firelight.

  My mentor took a tentative step into the room, looking as nervous as I’d ever seen him. He sounded unsure of himself when he said, “Hello, Alistair.”

  “Tully.”

  The deep bass tone boomed across the room. The one word greeting was more frosty than I’d expected and a chill went up my spine. Based on the look Alistair threw my way, maybe I shouldn’t have come with Tully.

  “I come seeking your wisdom,” Tully said. I twitched at the formal attitude, but Tully paid me no mind.

  “Then ask.” Alistair made no movement, his gold eyes staying on us. He didn’t even blink and I fought the urge to shiver. Elders were now on the ever-growing list of things that creeped me out.

  Tully recapped all the information up to the meeting at Luther’s. I noticed he was careful not to mention his contact by name, though I felt sure Alistair would pick up on it. Once Tully finished his tale, he went silent, gaze never leaving his mentor. Hope blossomed in my chest that Alistair would be able to help us, to know the answer to saving our fellow Reapers.

  “You went to someone on your own? Behind our backs?” Alistair
said, disappointment dripping off his words. His rich voice sounded even deeper when he lowered his chin to his chest to stare Tully down. His pointed question made my hope fleeting and I cringed.

  “There was no need to waste your time with rumors,” Tully replied. Despite the elder’s glare, he stayed strong. “Only special circumstances request your valuable time.”

  Alistair was calculating, almost careful about how he phrased his question. “And who, pray tell, is your contact? Perhaps we owe him a visit so that we may learn more from his wealth of information.”

  “A shifter who will not repeat it to anyone.”

  Alistair lost interest at the term, apparently believing it wasn’t worth his time. He and Tully still held each other’s gaze. Uncomfortable, I shifted my weight.

  “Forgive my step over the boundaries. It was not my intention to upset the elders,” Tully said. “It is our duty to protect souls and with Reapers missing, destinies could be altered.”

  Tully’s complete lack of backbone was beginning to get on my nerves. This Alistair guy really had a hold over him. I was finally understanding why Tully was the Reaper he was.

  I stood a little taller as Alistair accepted the reasoning. My resolve flickered when his shrewd eyes rested upon me. Tully didn’t move, but he’d noticed the shift, too. Uh oh.

  “This is your progeny?” Alistair asked with a sniff.

  Tully nodded. “Grace, I am honored to introduce you to not only an elder, but the Reaper who made me: Alistair.”

  “Um, pleased to meet you?” My voice cracked on the last word. Tully winced and I knew I’d made a mistake.

  “How old is she?” Alistair asked Tully as though I hadn’t spoken.

  “Three years, 8 months, 4 days, and 16 hours,” he said. I resisted the impulse to gape at Tully. Here I’d been rounding down and he knew right to the hour.

  “Yes, I thought she looked young. Humanity is all over her.” Alistair made the word humanity sound dirty, below him. I bristled and his eyes narrowed. “She has no control over herself, with those nervous twitches and facial expressions. Carries herself like a teenager-”

  “I am a teenager,” I shot back before I could stop myself. Tully’s sharp intake of breath made my mouth shut tight, but the damage was done.

  Alistair stood up, bigger than I’d expected. He towered over his desk, fingertips on the wood. His black robes absorbed the light in the room; no shadows danced off him. He stared me down, lustrous yellow eyes searing through me. The venomous tone set me on edge.

  “Made or not, you are a Reaper and will behave as such. You hardly seem worthy of such a gift.”

  I blinked in surprise, the teen girl in me instantly hurt. The elder’s words were like a slap in the face; I toed the line a bit when it came to my mouth, but that last part stung. He didn’t even know me and I thought I’d been doing a pretty good job so far.

  Tully stepped in to ease the tension. “Alistair, please. The danger we are facing-”

  “Is now our problem to solve,” Alistair snapped. “Do not discuss this with anyone else; we do not want to cause panic over what is probably your overactive imagination.”

  “Hey, we did you a favor,” I said, ignoring Tully’s open glare. The guy didn’t like me anyway, so it wasn’t like standing there would do me any good. “If Reapers are being taken by a demon, then we’re all in danger. That means souls are, too.”

  Alistair sneered at me. “Do not preach to me, Made.”

  “Then don’t pretend we’re making this all up,” I said, my arms crossing over my chest.

  “It makes no matter if someone takes Reapers.”

  “It does if souls are in danger,” I argued. “Besides, what if the demon or whatever is trying to kill us off?”

  Alistair’s frown deepened. “We are immortal.”

  “Sure, but can we die?” I asked.

  “We are entities,” he said as though it were obvious.

  My shoulders sagged in relief. At least we had that going for us. Tully spoke up to get the attention off me. “Then demons could be coercing us in other ways. Grace concluded that the Made Reapers have living family; they could be forced to help the demons in some way.”

  “Did she now?” Alistair hadn’t moved from his standing position behind his desk, but he cocked his head back to me. “That leaves the obvious choice standing here in front of me, does it not? Humanity is all over you; perhaps you would do anything to save your loved ones. Let us hang you out as bait and capture this demon.”

  I froze, unsure of how to respond to his anger. Never mind the bait plan, I risked spilling the secret of our plan to save my family and then we were all screwed. Alistair would definitely be pissed if he knew I was breaking protocol. Tully jumped in again.

  “That will not be necessary,” he said, blue eyes flicking to me and back on Alistair. “We trust your judgment on this matter.”

  “Is there any sort of magic that can give someone control over Reapers?” I blurted out.

  Alistair stiffened. “There is magic for many things. We cannot rule it out.”

  “Then maybe that’s why demons are taking them,” Tully said. “They can puppeteer and have as many souls to feast on as they like.”

  My nose wrinkled at the image I conjured; at Tully’s warning glance, I quickly made my face blank again.

  “We will look into it,” Alistair said, enunciating the we. “The elders thank you for bringing it to our attention. As I warned, do not share this information with anyone. I trust you are intelligent enough to drop the discussion and continue your Reaper duties. Including working on your progeny’s attitude.”

  My jaw clamped shut at the dig. Tully nodded at him, evidently accepting the answer. It also doubled as a goodbye, because he turned on his heel and ushered me out.

  “By the way, Grace,” Alistair called as we prepared to leave. His voice filled the room, rang in my ears. “If you ever speak to me like that again, I will reap your soul to its original destination. Respect your elders.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “‘Respect your elders,’” I mocked in a deep voice to Tully as we re-entered the makeshift lobby. “Is he always like that?”

  “Quiet, child.”

  Giving one last glance to the beautiful statues, I managed to keep my mouth shut until we were out of the building. The moment we stepped outside, Tully touched my arm and teleported. He moved so fast I was thrown off, stumbling a bit when we arrived back in Tessa’s apartment.

  I backed away from Tully with a scowl. “What was that about?”

  “Do you realize what you’ve done?” he barked at me. “You angered an elder, put yourself on his watch list!”

  “He won’t kill me.” I heard the doubt in my voice. Movement caught my eye and I saw Tessa in the doorway, keen to hear about the meeting. She looked as surprised as I felt about Tully’s raised voice. Then his arms raised, his hands slapping by his sides, and I knew I was in trouble.

  “He will reap you, child. Send your soul away, force you to take the path you never wanted.”

  I paid no attention to Tessa’s jaw drop. “Can he really do that?”

  “Alistair does not say anything he does not mean,” Tully said darkly.

  My hesitation was enough for Tessa to jump in. “What happened?”

  “You tell her, I need to go see about a few things,” Tully said. He’d lowered his voice, but still scowled at me. Without another word, he disappeared.

  Tessa’s focus came back on me, eyes wide as marbles. She made a frantic gesture with her hands, encouraging me to share. She’d threaten me with magic in another ten seconds if I didn’t start talking.

  “Grandpa doesn’t like me.” I summed it up with a shrug.

  Her well-tweezed eyebrows came together in confusion. I started at the beginning and by the time I’d finished, her mouth hung open in shock.

  “Grace, you can’t just mouth off to them,” she hissed.

  “I’m still here, aren’t I?�
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  Tessa huffed, threw me that look that said I’d hear a speech later. For now, it seemed, she wanted to focus on the important stuff. Fine by me.

  Tully popped back into the apartment, his expression still more than annoyed.

  “Where’d you go?” I asked, only half caring about the answer.

  “To check on my souls, and yours too,” Tully snapped.

  I started at his answer. I hadn’t even thought about my souls at the retirement home since the recent events. “Are they okay?”

  At my fearful tone, Tully relaxed a bit. “Yes, everyone is fine. They are in no danger.”

  My bravado slipped; I couldn’t keep it up any more. “Would he really reap me?”

  “Aye, without hesitation. I told you to be quiet,” Tully said.

  “That was my plan until he started picking on me. The guy’s an asshat.” My arms crossed over my chest. My eyes dropped to the floor and I stood there as though being reprimanded by my father. Like he’d done that one time I tried to sneak in past curfew.

  “He is my maker and one of the eldest Reapers of all time,” Tully scolded. “You have no right to speak to him in that fashion.”

  I stared at the wooden floor, traced the marks from years of scrapes and foot traffic. Tessa shifted, clearly uncomfortable. I could feel the questions bubbling up in her, desperate for more details. She cleared her throat.

  “Guys, this doesn’t really answer anything about the demons or what’s happening to the Reapers. He didn’t get real descriptive of their plan, huh?”

  I dropped the sullen attitude, my head snapping up at her words. “Yeah, Tully, what do you think? What will the elders do to stop this before someone else is taken?”

  “I am not privy to their plans.” Even he sounded annoyed about it. His posture straightened, our argument forgotten. “Now we are supposed to wait for it to be fixed.”

  “But what if they don’t venture out of their little museum? Then what?”

  Tully’s expression didn’t inspire confidence. Tessa raised her hand to speak.