The Reaper (S E Rise's The Fade series Book 1)
Page 14
Brin was a mortal with none of the old or new magic coursing through her veins. She was only a girl that magic had nearly destroyed. That was not enough.
I had felt the Forget Me spell engage as she closed her eyes. In a moment, every memory of me would be gone. As the Forget Me Spell erased my existence from Brin’s mind, because that’s what it was supposed to do, I could not help but be happy for her. She was alive, she could see once again and I could no longer hurt her.
Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?
The bells above the door jingled as it closed and I heard Brin say to the empty room…
“Sorry we’re closed.”
Chapter Fifty
The bluish milky white laps at the shore: erasing the foot prints of reality...forgiving all who trespass. The Sea of Oblivion is silent because it has forgotten it is but a river through time. The only sound is the haunting melody of an old Sea Shanty whistled by Charon as he navigates his raft between the worlds.
The voice from behind me pulls me from my introspective world.
“Are you thinking of taking a swim in the River Styx?” The Hellion said. I didn’t need to look at him to know he would be dressed in a gray suit with a black tie. He always was. His hair would be slicked back in place and he would smile with too many teeth. I remained silent because his question didn’t deserve an answer.
After a stretch of silence he got the hint that I wasn’t going to answer.
“It wouldn’t help even if you did; you would still feel the pain and torment of hell but you wouldn’t know why…”
“I am sure you have more important things to do besides babysit me.”
“Of course, I am merely checking in on my investment.”
An ancient bottle washed upon the shore and I kicked it out of my way. The waves brought hundreds of them in and their broken glass could be seen sparkling like stars amongst the sand. After a few steps I heard his footsteps as they touched the sand.
This gave me pause.
The corked bottle rested lightly in his grasp and I could see the pleasure this was giving him. He brought the bottle up to his nose as if testing its odiferous quality and then inhaled deeply.
“Mmm…mid 18th century I would say.”
I looked at him and waited for him to elaborate.
“Ever want to taste the hopes and dreams…the memories of another?” The Hellion asked teasingly. “So sad really, all those memories, lost and forgotten, floating across an endless sea.” He pulled the cork, took another sniff and poured the smoky blue contents out onto the wet sand.
What a prick?
“Oh don’t look so shocked. All memories fade…and each of those hopes, dreams and experiences wash ashore eventually.”
After a few moments of my staring at him and at what he had done, I saw the change in his demeanor as he remembered who he was talking to.
I turned and started walking away. Of course as most supervisors do he chose at that moment to chastise me.
“Don’t you have work to do or do I need to turn up the heat a little to remind you?”
“You haven’t needed to yet have you?” I asked and let the light breeze carry my response to him. Apparently, he was not pleased with my dismissive response.
“That’s right my little worker bee. Snip, snip and cut those threads…Papa needs a new pair of shoes.”
I let his words slide off me like water on a ducks back; I didn’t need him to know that I was searching for one bottle in particular, a special bottle. If there was a chance to get Brin’s memories of me and our time together back to her…then I had to try.
The Hellion was right though…I had souls to reap…because that’s what I do.
Fin
S E RISE’S
THE FADE SERIES
CONTINUES IN
BOOK TWO
THE GYPSY AND THE DEMON
BOOK THREE
THE WITCH
BOOK FOUR
THE BRIN
Also in
S E RISE’S
THE FADE SERIES
THE VAMPIRE
BY
P. MATTERN