Winged Reaper

by Shelley Russell Nolan

  I certainly couldn’t tell him I suspected Grimm needed souls to rebuild his power and in his Grim Reaper guise he fed on the souls of people who died violent deaths.

  ‘I can’t stay here.’ I pulled away from Sam. ‘Please, I have to go.’

  Sam shook his head. ‘This is a crime scene. No one can go until they’ve given their statement.’

  I gave a short nod, begrudging the time it would take to be processed. Sam called one of his officers over and I was led to where the rest of the survivors had been herded. As I waited for my turn to make a statement, the anger I’d found so hard to call on during the attack built inside me. I would make Grimm pay for all the deaths his minions were responsible for. I gripped my necklace tight, wishing he was in front of me now so I could blast him to smithereens.

  The cold beneath my fingers registered a scant second before I was pulled into the astral plane, called to reap, my empty body falling to the ground.

  I held on to my anger, sure I was being taken to another Wraith attack, ready to strike the moment I arrived at the reaping. The necklace’s heartbeat thrummed through my body, reassuring me that this time I would be able to deliver another annihilating blow against one of Grimm’s minions.

  Instead of an attack, I came to a stop and hovered over top of a pedestrian crossing, staring down in dismay as two paramedics worked frantically to save the life of a teenage girl. Blood pooled beneath her head, the stain spreading across a white crossing marker. A young man was being held back by a police officer, tears streaming down his cheeks.

  Over at the kerb rested a car with the driver’s side door open. A second police officer stood beside it, talking to an elderly gentleman. The old man wrung his hands, body shaking as he looked from the girl on the ground and back to the police officer with him. ‘She’s going to be all right, isn’t she? I wasn’t going that fast, and I swear, I didn’t see her. She came out of nowhere.’

  The police officer’s face was grave. I could tell he knew the situation was not going to have a happy ending, for anyone involved.

  I wished it could be different. Wished that instead of being called to reap a young life I would get to prevent it happening. Why couldn’t I have arrived just before the accident occurred and been able to stop the girl from stepping onto the crossing?

  I slipped between the paramedics, anger ebbing away as I determined to do whatever I could to ease her passing. Her breath came in slow, painful gasps, eyes unfocused, limbs jerking as the paramedics continued their futile efforts

  I placed a hand on her cheek and her gaze sharpened. Her eyes met mine and I gave her a watery smile as I shifted my hand to the hollow above her collarbone. She let out one last soft breath, eyes closing, lashes brushing pale cheeks, and I called her soul to me.

  The golden light of her soul illuminated the astral plane. I placed it in my necklace and readied myself to return to the steakhouse, sure there would be questions asked about my sudden collapse.

  But the pull of my physical body took me in the opposite direction and I tensed, fearing what I would find when I arrived at my unknown destination.

  9

  I reconnected with my body as they were wheeling me into Easton Base Hospital’s emergency department. A mask covered half my face and I couldn’t move my arms. I lifted my head and peered at the straps holding me down, and the cannula inserted into my left arm.

  A paramedic patted my arm. ‘It’s okay. You’re at the hospital. You’re going to be fine.’

  I stared up at her, surprised to recognise her as the same woman who had taken care of me after I’d been kidnapped by Andrew.

  My head bounced as she wheeled the ambulance trolley over a ridge in the floor.

  ‘I can’t stay here.’ At my muffled protest she simply patted my arm once more and wheeled me around a corner. A man in hospital scrubs stepped forward and she rattled off my details to him while handing him a chart.

  ‘Please, I have to get out of here.’ They continued to talk over top of me, the mask making my words indistinct.

  Now it was the nurse’s turn to pat my arm. ‘Won’t be long now and we’ll get you settled in a bed. Just need the doctor to have a look at you first.’

  I shook my head, but that made me dizzy so I settled with rocking my body from side to side.

  The paramedic pressed down on my shoulders to still my motion. ‘Tyler, you need to calm down. Everything is going to be okay.’

  ‘No, I need the mask off.’

  She slipped the mask off my face and I spoke in a rush. ‘Please, I can’t stay here. You have to untie me.’

  ‘You’re not going anywhere until a doctor has treated you.’

  ‘I don’t want to be treated. I want to leave.’

  ‘Not happening. You collapsed. You need to stay here where we can monitor you and find out why.’

  ‘No, I have to go now.’ I couldn’t stay in hospital while Grimm might have his Wraiths killing innocent people. I had to stop him.

  ‘Look, even if a doctor was willing to release you, I doubt they’d sign the discharge papers unless there was a responsible adult here to take care of you.’

  My mind raced. Sam was out, and so were Dad and Rhonda. I also couldn’t involve Connor or Emily in this. That only left one person.

  ‘Call Chris Bradbury. He’ll come and get me, I know he will.’

  The male nurse snorted. ‘Sure, and I’ll give George Clooney a ring while I’m at it.’

  ‘Do it,’ said the paramedic. ‘She’s his girlfriend.’

  ‘What?’ He stared down at me, surprise on his narrow face.

  The paramedic pulled him aside and in a low murmur explained about the first time she’d treated me. Moments later the nurse returned.

  ‘If we call Mr Bradbury, and ask him to come to the hospital, will you promise to behave and let us treat you?’

  I nodded and he produced pen and paper. I gave him Chris’s mobile number and closed my eyes, waiting for the man who’d betrayed me to arrive.

  I’d been examined by a doctor and he was lecturing me on the perils of leaving the hospital when Chris barged into the examination room. His blue eyes were wild, hair mussed. He brushed passed the doctor and took my hand.

  ‘Are you okay? They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone, except that you were here and were asking for me.’

  ‘I’m fine. Just a bit shaken up,’ I said, pulling my hand free. Just because I’d called him to bail me out didn’t mean I’d forgiven him.

  ‘Miss Morgan has suffered a lapse of consciousness, and a possible concussion. I would like her to stay overnight so I can run tests to determine if there is an underlying issue causing her to pass out. I would also like to make arrangements for a counsellor to speak with her. After what she witnessed –’

  Chris’s eyes narrowed. ‘You were at the steakhouse? Social media is going crazy with witnesses reporting they were attacked by zombies. Wraiths?’

  I nodded, throat closing over as memories swamped me. I pushed them aside and met Chris’s eyes. ‘I have to get out of here, but they won’t release me without a minder.’

  ‘Why call me?’

  ‘There was no one else.’

  ‘Mr Bradbury,’ said the doctor, barging in between us and peering belligerently up at Chris. ‘I hope you’re not planning on assisting Miss Morgan in this foolhardy plan. She needs to remain here at the hospital, for further tests.’

  ‘I can provide Tyler with everything she needs. I will see to it that she has the best possible care, but we are leaving now.’ Chris took my arm and assisted me down from the examination table.

  I stood, smoothing my dress while the doctor insisted I sign a waiver stating I had left the hospital against his advice. Once that was done, with Chris’s hand at my elbow, I walked out of the emergency room and into the car park.

  Chris didn’t speak until I was seated next to him in the back of a black limousine. ‘So, where am I taking you?’

  ‘To see Killian.
We need to find out how to stop more Wraith attacks, and I’m hoping he has some answers to give me.’

  ‘Is that wise? The doctor said you could be concussed. Why don’t I take you back to the penthouse, get my doctor to come and check you out?’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with me. I was called to reap, that’s all, and couldn’t get away. But that doesn’t matter. Five Wraiths just attacked a restaurant full of people. If I hadn’t been there to stop them, more innocent lives would have been lost.’

  Chris stared at me in silence for a moment and then pressed a button on the arm rest and gave the limo driver the address for the motel he had booked Killian into two days earlier.

  After that he twisted around and lifted one eyebrow. ‘Do you think these attacks are aimed at you?’

  ‘If the Wraiths were after me, why attack other people? I weakened Grimm, and now I think he has his Wraiths out there gathering more souls for him to use.’

  ‘What makes you think Killian can help?’

  ‘I’m stretching, I admit, but where else can we go?’

  Soon we were standing in front of the motel’s reception desk. The young man on duty gave Chris a wink, before dashing both our hopes.

  ‘Professor Killian checked out this afternoon and I’m afraid he didn’t leave a forwarding address.’ His smile widened as he eyed Chris.

  ‘Mr Bradbury,’ he said in almost a purr, ‘if you give me your number, I’ll be sure to let you know if he returns at any time.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Chris, an easy going smile on his handsome face, ‘but that won’t be necessary.’ He took hold of my arm and we left the motel.

  I pulled my arm free as we neared the limo parked at the kerb. Shoulders slumped, I gave a sigh and rubbed my eyes. I stumbled and would have fallen if Chris hadn’t grabbed me around the waist.

  ‘That’s it. I’m taking you back to the penthouse.’

  ‘No.’ I pushed him away. ‘I am not going back to your place.’

  ‘Look at you. You’re so tired you can barely stand. You need to rest.’

  ‘Take me back to my flat then. I’ll sleep better in my own bed.’

  He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. ‘I have my cousin to look after me. I’ll be fine.’ He still didn’t look happy so I said, ‘I’ll call you in the morning, and we can work out what to do next.’

  Much as I hated having anything more to do with Chris, he was the only person I could discuss any of this with. I slipped into the back of the limo, closed my eyes and relaxed back in the luxurious leather seat. We were almost at the flat when I groaned.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I don’t have my keys. My handbag must still be at the steakhouse.’

  ‘Somehow, I don’t think you’ll have a problem getting your things back.’ Chris pointed out the window. We were pulling up out front of the flat and there was no mistaking the police car parked in the driveway. I got out of the limo and immediately a young police office climbed out of the patrol car and approached me.

  ‘Miss Morgan?’ She slid a sideways glance at Chris and then returned her attention to me.

  ‘Yes.’

  She held out my handbag. ‘Detective Lockwood asked me to give this to you with his apologies. He’ll be tied up at the scene for some time, but he will contact you tomorrow. I tried to find you at the hospital but was told you’d discharged yourself.’

  I took my handbag, conscious of Chris’s heavy gaze. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long.’

  A smile creased her lips for a second before they firmed into a line. ‘Just doing my job.’ She gave a nod and then marched to her car. I stood to the side of the driveway as she backed out and then faced Chris.

  ‘Thank you for bringing me home. You can go now.’

  ‘Tyler,’ he took a step towards me.

  I backed up, a hand in front of me. ‘We are not friends. I’ll work with you to stop Grimm, but that’s as far as it goes.’

  Chris stared at me for a long moment before he turned around and marched back to the limo. I entered the flat and pulled my phone out of my handbag. Two text messages, one missed call and a voice message from Emily. She and Connor had returned to the flat, and he’d taken her to the wine bar for dinner when they couldn’t contact me. She promised to be home by ten o’clock, and hoped I was doing okay.

  I checked the time. Half-past nine. The temptation to go straight to bed, curl up under the covers and pretend this had all been a bad dream was strong. But first I needed a shower to wash away the scent of death I felt sure clung to my pores.

  Minutes later, drained yet clean, I slipped into my pyjamas, opened the bathroom door to let steam out, and stood in front of the mirror to brush my hair. When my mother’s reflection appeared instead of mine I lost it, bursting into tears.

  ‘Tyler, sweetheart, what’s wrong?’

  ‘Wraiths are killing people. I think it’s to get Grimm more souls and I don’t know how to stop him.’

  She nodded. ‘He’s getting stronger, but he still needs more souls before he can take corporeal form again. I overheard him ordering his reapers to collect as many souls as they can. You have to get me out of here before he is back to full strength. He’ll torture me, and then he’ll come for you.’

  ‘I don’t know how.’

  ‘You must. If that other reaper did it, then so can I. You just have to find a new body for me and we can be together again. I never got a chance to be a mother to you,’ her voice broke, ‘please, Tyler, free me so that I can be with you again.’

  ‘It’s not that easy.’

  ‘I’m not asking you to kill someone for me. People die all the time. Next time you reap a woman’s soul, after ending her suffering you could put my soul into her body.’

  ‘Mum, I …’

  ‘All I want is to be with you, hold you in my arms. You were just a baby when I died. We have so much lost time to make up for. Find me a body, so I can live again.’

  I shook my head and closed my eyes, feeling hemmed in on all sides. ‘You have to be related to the body for it to work.’ The second I spoke, I regretted it. Hoping I hadn’t just made another monumental mistake, I opened my eyes.

  Mum wore a thoughtful expression. ‘So that’s how he did it.’

  ‘Promise me you will keep this to yourself. If Grimm finds out how to get Almorthanos a new body we would be in big trouble, and imagine if other reapers were to go around killing their relatives just to get a second chance at life.’ It would only work for those with Tr’lirian heritage, but I thought it best not to mention that. The less people who knew Chris was half Tr’lirian the better.

  ‘Of course, I won’t tell a soul. But tell me, how did he know it would work?’

  ‘It was an accident. Chris had no idea he was related to the person whose soul he was called to reap until after it happened.’

  ‘But it did work. So that means there is hope for me.’

  ‘I’d give you my body, in a heartbeat, but then Grimm would be able to use me to free Almorthanos and we can’t let that happen.’

  Mum frowned, tapping her finger against her lips. ‘I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me. But if you could find someone else, another female relative –’

  ‘There isn’t anyone.’ I bit at my bottom lip. ‘And even if there was, would you really want someone else to die just so you could take over their body?’

  ‘Of course I would never want that. I’m just saying it is a possibility. But if you don’t find another way to free me from the Underworld soon, it will be too late. Grimm is getting stronger with every soul his reapers bring him. Soon he’ll be even more powerful than before.’

  ‘Do you think I don’t know that?’ I threw my hands in the air, sick of coming up against the same road block.

  Emily stuck her head inside the bathroom. ‘Tyler, are you okay? I heard shouting.’

  I glanced back at the mirror, but thankfully Mum had vanished. I wouldn’t have to e
xplain to Emily why my dead mother was talking to me from the mirror.

  I turned back to Emily. ‘I was just talking to myself. Guess I was louder than I thought. I didn’t even hear you come home.’

  ‘I kind of snuck in. If you were asleep, I didn’t want to wake you. And if you were busy with the handsome detective, I didn’t want to interrupt. I was so happy when I read your note. He seems nice, a real gentleman, and I thought a night out could be just what you needed to put a smile back on your face.’

  She frowned. ‘You don’t look like you had a fun night. You look even more exhausted than this afternoon.’

  ‘I’m tired, that’s all. I was just about to go to bed.’ I didn’t want to get into an explanation of what had happened at the steakhouse. I kept sneaking glances at the mirror, hoping Mum hadn’t caught sight of Emily before she’d disappeared. I wasn’t ready to tell her I had a cousin until I’d found another way of getting her out of the Underworld.

  ‘Let’s go into the lounge,’ I said, ‘and you can tell me about sight-seeing with Connor, and your night out.’

  Emily gave a happy sigh and allowed me to usher her into the lounge. She sank down on the couch, a dreamy expression on her face. ‘Your brother is great. He’s so funny. He had me laughing the whole time.’

  Uh oh. ‘Connor is a big flirt. I wouldn’t take him seriously.’

  She blushed. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. He was just a lot of fun to be around. I mean, I know he’s had some bad stuff happen to him too, but he seems to have put that behind him. I admire him for that, but I don’t want you to think I have a thing for your brother.’ She put her hands on her cheek. ‘Oh my God, this is so embarrassing.’

  ‘No, it’s fine. I just wanted to warn you not to get caught up in his whole Mr Nice Guy routine. You’ve only known him a day and I don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all. But I am glad you had a good time.’

  ‘Thanks, but he’s not who I came here to see. You’re my family, and I want to get to know you better.’

  ‘There’s plenty of time for that. Right now, I really do need to go to bed or I’m going to fall asleep on the couch.’