The Reaper (S E Rise's The Fade series Book 1)

by S E Rise

  Marley’s smile slipped and I began to draw forth my Reaper’s Scythe. “Time to make a choice Jack.”

  “I’m not going to let you kill her.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” He said and I pulled the Reapers Scythe out in all its glory and prepared to reap the black hearted bastard’s soul. With or without permission, Marley was going to die.

  “Put it away Jack.” The voice commanded from behind me and the Hellion took a place beside me. I almost hated him more than I did Marley, but at the moment, I almost welcomed his presence. I needed someone on my side for once. Someone that could help me win.

  “Why?”

  “Because I told you too.”

  “Not good enough. I’m not going to let him kill her.” I said and waited for the Pains of Hell to overwhelm me.

  “How many times do I have to tell you? You are a Reaper, you are a servant of Death. You were warned not to meddle in the affairs of mortals. This is why.”

  “I am not going to let him kill her.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” He said and I felt the power of my Reaper’s Scythe diminish and slip from my grasp. I grabbed for it and it would not respond. You sorry son of a bitch.

  “Have you lost your god damned mind?” I asked and nearly used the only weapons I had left on him…my fists.

  “It is not your place to save her, you can’t. She is going to die.” The Hellion said and his words disgusted me. I was in a no win situation. Marley was going to kill them both and I had to let him do it. I slammed my hands into my jacket in incredulous rage and turned my back on the both of them. I was at my wits end…until I felt something I had forgotten about. I wasn’t sure what it would do now that he was all amped up on black magic but it felt reassuring in my grasp none-the-less.

  “I’m not going to let him kill her.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” The demon repeated and I felt the compulsion to reap both of their souls rapidly approaching.

  “Everyone has a choice.”

  “Time is running out Jack. What’s it going to be? Who do I get to carve up? Please let me carve her up. If you do, since I know you have a thing for eyes, the first thing I will do is pop out those baby blues and let you have them as souvenirs.”

  He was right I had a choice to make and I had made it.

  “I have made my choice. I have something else in mind.”

  “Good boy Jack.” Marley said as he saw the decision settle in my eyes. I cocked and pulled out Brin’s revolver, the one she had shot me with. It was the only thing I had left.

  “Once marked by Death thou shall see death coming.” Marley intoned and I saw the red line appear between his brows.

  I heard the words but I was beyond understanding. I aimed it at his forehead.

  “Stop Jack.” The Hellion said from beside me and I thought about putting the first round in his head instead.

  “Too late.”

  “Twice marked by Death thou shall see Death going.” He mumbled and the ragged socket holding the sorcerers eye grew brighter but I was already in motion. My finger squeezed down upon the trigger. The concussive blast nearly deafened me, but I watched with pure satisfaction as it flew straight and sure. He screamed out as it did, his hand flew in front of him and the grey flesh of the heart exploded as the bullet passed through it. Grey wetness splashed to each side and onto the ground. The hole visible in his hand. Through the hole, for a surreal moment, I saw the sunburst of red appear in the middle of his forehead as the bullet tore its way into his skull.

  “God damn it, Jack.” The Hellion said as we both watched Marley’s lifeless body topple backwards. The blade of liquid black dissolved and behind me I heard someone scream out in alarm. The clang of stainless steel and utility trays rang out as something crashed to the floor.

  “Get the crash cart.” Someone shouted out within the Operating Room.

  I felt the compulsion to reap the Doctor’s soul burn stronger within me…but only the doctor’s. The compulsion to reap Brin’s soul dissipated and disappeared altogether.

  “You goddamn hard headed idiot.” The Hellion said and he turned on me. Frustration and anger warring across his Demonic features. He took a series of deep breaths and visibly calmed. I had no idea why he was so angry. It seemed to me that things had worked out rather well and in my favor.

  “Someone page the on call.” A voice ordered from behind the doors.

  “On it.” A voice responded.

  I whipped my focus from the Hellion as the laughter began.

  There is no way.

  I saw the bullet tear open his forehead.

  The words were loud and confident. It was the sound of victory and it was coming from a dead man.

  “THRICE MARKED BY DEATH AND THOU SHALL HAVE POWER OVER DEATH ITSELF.” Marley said and his body rose to an upright position. The red sunburst on his forehead was now a pink ugly scar.

  “Congratulations Jack, you have just broken the most Forbidden Law we have.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve just created the world’s only Necromancer, the most powerful sorcerer alive.” The Hellion said without looking at me. Marley reached down to his lap and brushed himself off, pushed himself upright and stood for all the world to see.

  “And you didn’t think this was something I should have been told.” I asked incredulously.

  “Would it have made any difference?” He asked and turned his demonic eyes upon me. We both already knew the answer. I turned and looked at the Operating Room doors. “Do you think she will forgive you for killing her one chance at sight?”

  “She’s alive.” I said and tried to act like I was in control.

  “You saved the girl, Jack, but lost the battle. Is that really enough for you?”

  We both knew the answer to that as well. I remained silent. Could I forgive myself for taking her one chance at sight? Marley had been temporarily forgotten and as he shouted out in victory, the Hellion turned his attention back to the problem at hand. “Go do your job, Jack. The Doctor is waiting for you. I’ll take care of this.” He took a step forward and I was dismissed. I didn’t bother looking back; I knew what I had done. The room was in Chaos. I pushed myself through the swinging doors and heard Marley send his last message to me.

  “Thank you Jack, I couldn’t have done it without you. Give your girl a kiss for me.”

  “You’ve gotten what you wanted Necromancer, well played and congratulations…now leave while you still can.” The Hellion said though the conversation was fading behind me as I put the distance between us. I had more important things to think about.

  The last exchange I heard between the two of them was this.

  “Is that last little bit a threat Hellion?” Marley asked in challenge.

  The Hellion chuckled and said in a rather dismissive tone. “You better take the time I am giving you to grow a little stronger… before you decide to challenge me.”

  “Noted, besides I’m done here anyway.” And that was the last thing I heard Marley say. The noise of the room exploded around me. Everything was a blur and my vision was fuzzy at the edges. A tall slim looking man, his face covered, pushed passed me and stepped over the body on the ground.

  “What the hell is going on here?” He asked the room and he didn’t need a response. He glanced over to Brin. For a minute I thought he was going to turn around and leave the room. On the floor, the rhythmic beat of chest compressions sounded like a weird version of the seventies hit Staying Alive by the Beegee’s.

  The dead Doctor’s soul stood in wait and the sadness of his failure was heavy upon him. He turned to me and spoke. “I was so close. I just needed five more minutes.” He shook his head and watched as the new doctor tried to take over for him.

  “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. Go in peace.” I said to him and reaped the Doctor’s soul.

  Brin’s hands clenched the sides of the bed and she was trying to control her breathing. My God she is awake. Of course she was
awake. They have to be awake.

  “I’ve never done this kind of procedure before.” I heard the young doctor say and the guilt of what I had done slammed into me. Marley had never planned on killing Brin and/or the Doctor. Or maybe he had…All he had really been doing is pushing and pushing me until I snapped, until I marked him a third time. I was the reason the doctor died. I was the one who shot the heart within Marley’s hand. I was the reason Brin would never see again.

  “I’m sorry Brin.” I said to the room and didn’t wait to see if she had heard the words.

  I’m sorry Brin, I am the reason you will never see again.

  CLEAR

  SHOCKING

  The body of the dead doctor lifted unceremoniously from the ground and I stepped towards the swinging doors of the exit.

  We do not get involved with the living.

  We do not meddle with the affairs of mortals.

  We reap the souls of the dying.

  We are Reapers.

  If I had listened none of this would have happened.

  Chapter Forty Eight

  “Another.”

  “So, what you just walked away?” Ginger asked and topped off the glass in front of me.

  “Yes.” I was well into the booze and she knew it. It wouldn’t stay with me long but at the rate I was consuming them it would get the job done.

  “That’s lame.” She said and poured a shot for herself. She glanced up and across the room. It was the look she saved only for her Demon. It was a look of love and lust and fear. Brin had looked at me that way once in the Fade and I would never forget it.

  “What about her father? You didn’t just leave him there for her to find did you?” she asked and the litany of questions was starting to take its toll on me. I did the best I could damn it.

  “No, I took care of that while we were here. The Grimly’s.” I said, I knew the next question before she even asked it.

  “So, What? They just toss his body into the black and leave her without closure?” she asked and I could tell she was starting to get heated. She and Brin had gotten along well for the little time she had been here.

  “And to top it all off during the worst moment in her life you just walked away. She’s got no father, no grandfather and without you…you left her alone.”

  I have done enough damage. How could I ever face her knowing what I had taken from her. I couldn’t make this better. I couldn’t fix it.

  “Ginger, Please. What else was I supposed to do? This is the worst moment in her life because of me.” I blurted out and slammed the shot glass on the polished mahogany of the bar.

  “How about be a man and own up to your mistakes. At least you could still have your pride. Now you’re just pathetic. In fact, this is your last one. We may be friends but you are pissing me off just looking at you. You’re a coward Jack. Go feel sorry for yourself someplace else.” She said and it touched on the perfect nerve. I felt the spark of anger ignite in me and I wanted to lash out at the injustice of everything.

  I felt the Demon’s strong reassuring hand rest upon my shoulder. His mistress’ discomfort had drawn his attention. This was not a desirable position to be.

  “Take that anger inside you my friend and use it wisely.” The Demon said quietly next to my ear and escorted me up the stairs to my room.

  Chapter Forty Nine

  Ginger is right. I am a coward. How many nights have I walked by the Deli and not had the courage to look into the windows? Even after being shamed by Ginger and me tell myself that enough is enough… I still find a way to remind myself that I am the reason her father is dead in the first place; that I am more than likely responsible for her grandfather’s death and last but not least…I am the reason she is still blind.

  But wait there’s more, how could I ever forget; that I am actually the reason she is blind in the first place.

  How can I look into her eyes and know that I have destroyed her dreams?

  I tell myself that she will forgive me but therein lays the problem. I do not want her forgiveness. If she forgave me then it would make all of it even worse. Because then it would feel like it was okay to do the terrible things that I have done to her.

  I ignored her phone calls and she stopped calling me eleven days ago. Am I really the kind of guy that walks away from the woman he loves at the worst time in her life?

  I have run the scenario over and over again, trying to see if there was any better way I could have prevented this; there are about a thousand. But what it comes down to is this; in this scenario, she is alive, blind and alone.

  It was better than dead.

  Was it though?

  Was it better to have loved and lost than to never love at all?

  The rain had stopped and the orange light of the street lamps illuminated the steam and humidity of the day’s heat. I needed to close this portion of my life and I needed to do it without hurting her even more. I waited until the last customer stepped from the doorway and she pulled down the closed sign on her way out. The familiar jingle was a comfort that I had not known I had missed.

  It was now or never. I stepped up and into the open door. The breeze of the fan felt cool against my wet skin as I stepped further into the deli.

  “Sorry we’re closed.” She said and almost clipped off the end of the last word as the breeze carried my scent to her. Her back straightened the slightest bit and I knew she recognized it. She kept her back to me though and continued working on the task in front of her.

  “Hello Brin…”I started to say but she cut my greeting short. There was a hardness to her voice that I had never heard before.

  “Sorry we’re closed.” She said and my jaw opened and any and all hope I had spilled out onto the floor. I stood there in stunned, rejected silence. I hadn’t expected it to go this badly. Secretly, even to me, I had hoped she would forgive me and the reality of her not doing so was destroying me inside.

  What had I expected?

  She continued as if I wasn’t there.

  I started to try again.

  She beat me to the punch.

  “I said sorry we are closed.” She said with such finality that my mouth snapped shut. Again what had I expected?

  I had expected to feel like a human being again and I had gotten exactly that. I turned to leave and this time as the breeze of the fan hit me I was numb.

  Numb was a good thing. I had no one to blame for this pain but myself. In time it would go away too.

  My hand stopped in mid air as it reached for the door handle, the chime and buzz of my cell phone drew its attention and I redirected its effort.

  I should answer it outside. The digital screen came into view and I didn’t wait until I was outside to answer it.

  “Hello Brin.” I tried again, this time with my back to her.

  “I see that your phone does still work.”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re not the type of guy that would ignore a girl in her time of need would you?”

  I kept the phone to my ear, if this was the way she wanted to do this then I was fine with that. It was time for truth.

  “I think that I am and I am sorry for that.” I said and in the reflection of the glass I saw that she still kept her back to me.

  “I’m sure you had a good reason. In fact, this is your one chance to tell me why and what that reason was.”

  If I was going to do this then I was going to do this right. I turned and with each step I took I told her why.

  “I killed Dr. Chun and took away your best chance at ever seeing again. Your father is dead because of me and possibly your grandfather as well. I am the reason you went blind in the first place. I made you blind.” I said into the cell phone as she kept her back to me. She knew I had more to say and I did too. I had stopped at the counter across from her and she waited. The distance between us was still to great for the words I had to say to her. I came around the counter and stood behind her. I resisted the urge to reach out and touch her.


  “You love me Brin and you will forgive me for all of this and because I love you I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you do that because I can never forgive myself. I will always know that I am the reason you are blind and…”

  She interrupted me.

  “You can’t forgive yourself.” She finished for me and pounded the last nail into my coffin. The silence between us was only for a second and she began to speak.

  “Well Jack, I have to admit, that’s a pretty damn good reason you have there…but as they say there is always more to the story.” she said and I waited silently for her to continue, she made a show of hanging up her phone yet she still would not turn around to face me.

  “Jack, I know you had a lot going on at the time; you know with saving my life, killing my doctor and defeating the grand sorcerer Marley but you missed something important.”

  What did I miss?

  “What did I miss you ask? Well for one, Damian Christos, in all his arrogant grandness, my vampire doctor and surgeon, was in fact there. You might have bumped into him.”

  The young looking doctor with his face covered.

  “And the world renowned and self proclaimed surgeon of all surgeons, Doctor Damian Christos, was against the greatest possible odds, able to finish were Doctor Chun had been abruptly stopped.” She said and her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

  What?!?

  “What?”

  The world blurred and time stopped then as she spoke the words and whirled around to face me.

  “It worked Jack, I can see.” She said, her bright blue unblinking eyes…were in front of me.

  I opened my mouth to say something…anything, her eyes never leaving mine. She stepped in close, pulled me down to her mouth and closed her eyes. I tasted mint and strawberries.

  No!!!!Damn it No!!!!

  As she closed her eyes, I longingly lingered on the kiss. Because I knew it would be the last time.