Lumiere the Reaper's Daughter

by kelly Hambly

  ‘Do I look okay?’ I whispered to Lucinda. I felt a pinch on my arm, which I took as a yes. So we both waited for a little while in silence. It was when I felt her presence disappear I sensed Daniel.

  ‘Lumiere?’ I heard.

  My heart did a little leap as I turned to the steps to face Dracula. No, not the real one. It was Daniel.

  ‘You look beautiful.’ He gushed.

  ‘And you look quite dashing too.’ I replied. ‘No Thor?’

  ‘Oh, he’s at home with Mum.’

  Oh, yes, then I remembered, his dad, the crime lord that is threatening my father. That bit of information may have slipped my mind. But it didn’t mean that he was like his dad. And so far no memory of what happened to him.

  ‘Shall we?’

  I slipped my arm in his and walked into the ballroom. It resembled my bedroom on a good day. Bats, cobwebs, skeletons, you name it, it was here. It felt as though someone had sprung a surprise party for me.

  ‘Lumiere?’ Daniel tapped my shoulder. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’

  How could I refuse?

  ‘Yes, thanks.’ I took the glass and drank it in one go. He looked bemused and then burst out laughing.

  ‘You’re crazy.’ He hollered above the music.

  ‘It’s my middle name.’ I joked, but it was more or less true.

  I wasn’t the type to stick to rules as we have already established.

  The DJ turned the music down, and a gentleman got up on stage holding a microphone. Everyone stopped what they were doing. And as the chatter died down, Daniel leaned into my ear.

  ‘That’s my dad, he’s the on the board of governors.’

  His dad? I felt alarmed.

  The man was short, with silver hair and a nice, jolly face. He looked like someone’s huggable granddad, not an underground crime lord that is threatening the Reaper.

  ‘Excuse me a moment.’ I said and made my way through the throng of the crowd.

  I had to get in touch with Lucinda; I heard someone screaming at the end of the corridor.

  ‘There’s someone claiming to be the Reaper on television.’ The voice shouted.

  I soon realised that they weren’t screaming in terror but laughter.

  ‘What did you just say?’

  The young woman, who was looking down at her phone, lifted her head and called me over.

  ‘Come and see.’

  My hopes of it being a random movie I have never heard of were dashed when I saw my dad’s face on CNN. Oh my gosh, he had taken over the entire planet’s TV stations.

  Chapter Eight

  Now I started to panic. If Dad was on Earth he was going to be in so much trouble with my grandparents. I haven’t spoken about them much, have I? They are the Universe. The Ying and Yang that is life. They set the balance and order to things, and when they are disobeyed they give out punishments. They tend to be as kind as they can to the human race. But where Dad is concerned they go tough on him. I had no idea if they knew of his gambling debts yet but if Uncle David is involved it’s more than likely.

  ‘Lumiere. I’d like you to meet my father.’

  I stood in the foyer regretting coming here in the first place. I turned around with the biggest fake smile I could manage.

  ‘Sorry, I had to come out for air.’ I lied through my teeth.

  ‘Dad, I’d like you to meet, Lumiere. The girl I told you about last night.’

  ‘Lumiere?’ He held out his hand. ‘That is a rather unusual name.’ His eyes seemed to light up and I thought he was taking too much interest.

  Reluctantly I shook his hand.

  ‘Yes, it’s my mum’s favourite French word.’ I realised I was giving too much information away. He already seemed to know an awful lot about my family. But did he know of me? If he did, surely he wouldn’t recognise me? Shit. This hadn’t occurred to me until now.

  Daniel seemed to be on edge and I soon found out why. Two men in black cloaks walked into the foyer and stood next to me.

  ‘Who are these?’ I asked, jerking a thumb to the one on my left.

  Daniel turned away looking guilty.

  ‘Lumiere. The Reaper’s daughter?’ He exclaimed.

  ‘Leave my dad alone, you hear me?’ I screamed. ‘And you,’ I yelled to Daniel. ‘How could you betray me like this?’

  ‘I’m sorry. I was forced to do it.’

  ‘Shut up.’ Yelled his father. ‘Get him out of here.’ He spoke to the one of the hooded idiots next to me.

  I did believe that he didn’t want to set me up but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing.

  ‘You are messing with the wrong people, you know that?’

  He laughed.

  ‘You think? Your father shouldn’t have borrowed money he couldn’t pay back that’s what’s wrong about this.’

  ‘So what are you going to do, huh?’

  ‘If he can’t pay it back, I will hold you ransom until he exposes who he truly is. The world could do with a bit of shaking up if you ask me.’ He sniggered.

  He was an evil bastard by the looks of it. I thought I knew some creeps in my time at Hell, but this guy was sorely messed in the head if he was going to expose Hell to the human race. Or get Dad to do his dirty work for him. I had to stop him. Both of them.

  I swerved around, kicking one of them in the chest and made for the doors when an electrical charge went through me, rooting me to the spot. Oh the bloody pain tore through my muscles and there was nothing I could do right now until it wore off. I allowed them to take me outside and shove me in a black unmarked car. Wherever they were going to take me would lead me to Dad.

  Lucinda where are you, girl?

  Chapter Nine

  According to what I heard sitting in my cell, dad was still talking on the TV stations and they couldn’t figure out how to shut him up. I had no idea if he had spoken about Hell yet, because let’s face it, if he is admitting to the world who he is, he has to prove it somehow and I think I knew what he’d do. I began to regret my foolish actions as I realised I had been set-up. But by who? Surely Uncle David wouldn’t have allowed it to get this far.

  I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway, and despite being tied at the hands and legs, I wriggled myself up on the seat and fixed my stare towards the door. I wasn’t about to take any shit from them.

  There was a muffled conversation going on outside and then I heard the door unlocking, followed by a few latches being slid across. Bloody Hell, what did they think I could do pinned to this chair.

  The door creaked open, and I mentally prepared myself for what would come next.

  ‘Lumiere?’ I heard a whisper.

  I opened my eyes to see Daniel kneeling, untying the rope around my feet. He could’ve at least untied the gag around my mouth first.

  ‘I’m sorry, Lumi.’ He looked up. ‘I had to let them take you or dad would’ve been suspicious.’

  He stood up, and untied the gag. I could smell his cologne which I wouldn’t forget in a hurry, and caught sight of his chest from the open black shirt he wore. Why did he have to be gorgeous and an asshole.

  ‘Why did you do this to me?’ I yelled as I got to my feet. He was a little taken aback, and I regretted my outburst.

  ‘Look, Lumi…’

  ‘Oh it’s Lumi, now, is it?’

  ‘I had no choice to do what I did, but when I got talking to you, I realised what a beautiful and intelligent girl you were, and dad was an idiot to ask me to do it in the first place.’

  ‘And what did he do? Hang on, mister, how did you know I’d be in New York at exactly the time that I was?’

  He turned his head towards the wall. I knew that look, it was guilt.

  ‘Oh come on, tell me. My dad is about to unleash Hell on Earth. Do you really want that to happen?’

  ‘No. I don’t. Okay. Your dad and mine were at a poker game one night and your dad… what’s his real name by the way?’

  ‘The Reaper, but relations cal
l him Grimm. It’s his first name but don’t tell him I told you that. Well?’

  ‘Well, the Reaper asks my dad if he could borrow money. He said he was good for it and it would be paid back. Except it wasn’t. Dad invited him over one night for a game and during one of your dad’s drunken soirees, he told my dad everything, even proved it. I have no idea how he managed that but my dad vowed to expose him if he didn’t pay up.’

  ‘So how did you know I was in New York?’

  ‘Your friend, Ulrich. He told my dad everything. Well, dad paid him to tell him everything.’

  ‘That bastard,’ I screamed. No wonder he buggered off when we arrived in New York.

  ‘Lumi, we don’t have much time. I need to sneak you out of here, come on.’

  He took my hand.

  ‘Trust me.’ He pleaded.

  I looked into his eyes and I felt secure. My instinct has never let me down. ‘I do trust you.’

  He edged around the door.

  ‘There’s nobody here. Come on.’ He whispered.

  ‘Where the hell are we, anyway?’ I whispered, running up the corridor.

  ‘Dad’s house.’

  ‘It’s huge.’

  ‘Yes, he can afford it.’ He laughed.

  We reached the end of the corridor, and Daniel pulled me upstairs.

  ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘The front door is secured, so we’ll go to my room and climb down the fire escape.’

  ‘Won’t your dad know I’m missing?’

  ‘Not for a while. I’ve managed to bribe the security at the door.

  We got on to the top landing and I could hear his mum in the bathroom, singing.

  ‘Does your mum know about any of this?’ I asked.

  ‘No. Get in.’ He whispered.

  I had never been in a mortal’s boy’s bedroom before and I was mighty impressed that it was immaculate. He rushed over to his desk and switched on his laptop.

  ‘I need to check what’s happening. Fingers crossed your dad hasn’t gone nuts yet.’ He looked over his shoulder at me. ‘I meant that in the nicest way possible,’ he smiled. ‘Sit down.’

  I looked around for a chair but there was nothing. So I flounced on his bed.

  ‘You know, if dad has said anything the entire world would have its dead walking around, don’t you. Imagine how overpopulated the cities would be then.’

  ‘Are you kidding?’ He swerved around.

  ‘Nope. That’s how he’ll prove it. We can’t let that happen, Daniel. I’m quite fond of this place. Hell is great, and it’s my home, but it’s all I’ve ever known. I want to discover new things, experience new places. I can do that here.’

  ‘I’m sure it won’t come to that. Anyway, your dad is causing a storm everywhere.’

  ‘Yeah?’ I got up to look. And he was right.

  On every channel in the world, there he was sat on his throne, in his best leathers yapping away about the best place to buy black shirts. What has got into that crazy mind of his the last few days?

  ‘What are people saying?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m scrolling through social media now and people think it’s some kind of joke, but the governments across the world are going fucking crazy thinking he’s a terrorist.’ He laughed.

  ‘The Reaper is a terrorist now?’ I laughed too, I couldn’t help it.

  ‘So what do we do, Lumi? You know him best.’

  ‘I think the best thing is to get out of here before your dad finds out I’m gone.’

  ‘Good idea.’ He opened the French doors to his balcony. The moonlight spilled in and I could feel its energy coursing through me.

  ‘Are you okay?’ He asked.

  ‘Yeah. The moonlight gives me energy.’

  He didn’t seem fazed.

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ll need help to get down here,’ he said quietly, taking rung of the ladder.

  ‘No. I’m quite capable.’

  ‘Of course, I didn’t doubt you.’

  We ran across the manicured lawn to the back gate when I heard the terrified screams of a woman. I turned and looked up to the window and saw a couple of shadows behind the curtain.

  ‘Mum!’ Daniel cried. ‘That’s her room. Lumi, we have to go up there.’

  He was about to make a run for it, but I knew that whatever it was up there had already taken his mother to the Otherside. Of course, I didn’t really want to tell him that right now unless I had to.

  ‘No.’ I pulled him back. ‘Whatever is up there, you don’t want to know. Sorry, but there’s nothing we can do now.’ I yanked the gate open onto an affluent suburban street. ‘Where are we?’

  ‘Upstate New York.’ He said, choking back the tears.

  I realised I wasn’t very tactful about his mum, and I felt a twinge of emotions stirring up inside me I hadn’t experienced before.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry if I’ve come across as being a bitch but we must find out what was in your house before anyone else gets hurt.’

  ‘You’re right.’ He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and took a slow breath. ‘Okay, what do you think we should do?’

  I glanced up and down the street. So far it is quiet, but I smelled chaos and disaster if I didn’t hurry up and do something.

  ‘Aaarrghhh. I can’t bloody think at the minute.’

  Daniel grabbed my wrists and looked intently into my eyes.

  ‘Lumi, you’re the Reaper’s girl and pretty damn awesome, if anyone can stop your dad tonight, it’s you. Now think.’ He pleaded.

  ‘Right. Dad’s on the TV talking shit, for now. Let’s hope he continues with that. But I feel things have begun to escape from Hell already.’

  ‘Where would they come from?’

  ‘The graveyards.’

  Chapter Ten

  He would unleash Hell on Earth and you know what that meant. Zombies. I grabbed Daniel’s hand and ran up the street.

  ‘We’re not going to a graveyard are we?’

  ‘Chicken, are you?’ I laughed.

  ‘No. If I was I wouldn’t let you drag me up the road in two inches of snow.’

  I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. We had just crossed the road when out of the shadows came Ulrich holding a red poker in his hand.

  ‘Oh my God, what is that?’ Daniel screeched, taking a step behind me.

  Ulrich’s face was contorted with rage; his dark beady eyes were full of mischief and terror. I wasn’t overly concerned about his ugly face but the poker he had is the most lethal thing in this entire universe. It could kill immortals, and if we die, the entire universe would fold in on itself and there would be nothing. Imagine what nothing would be like? It’s impossible.

  ‘Where did you get that from, you little scab?’

  ‘I guess your father shouldn’t be too trusting, eh?’ He sniggered.

  He started towards me and raised the poker.

  ‘Daniel, get back, don’t let that touch you.’

  ‘What is it? What’s he?’

  ‘He’s the little snitch that was supposed to be working for my father and that in his hand can turn everything to dust.’

  ‘So that’s Ulrich. Was he the thing that hurt my mother?’

  ‘More than likely. So what do you want?’ I asked, not really in the mood for bargaining with him.

  ‘I’ve been promised a much better life on the Earth plane but only if I obliterate you and your family first.’

  ‘Not if I’ve got anything to do with it.’

  I pushed Daniel away, lifted my dress, and aimed a sharp kick into his left side. He stumbled, but the poker remained in his hand.

  ‘Ooh you little bastard.’ I yelled, about to stomp my foot down on his face when I saw moving shadows from the top of the road. ‘Zombies.’ I yelled when Ulrich vanished.

  ‘Where?’ Daniel asked, taking hold of my arm.

  ‘They’re coming down the street. Let’s go. I need to find my dad.’

  ‘Here.’ He reached into his trouser pocket a
nd took out his phone. ‘He’s talking about life in Hell. On the Saturday Night Live Show. Fuck. He’s not far from here.’

  ‘Dad is on an actual TV show?’

  This was one of his ambitions. I wouldn’t have said much if he did it without having to destroy Earth in the process. He only had to say two words, and these words spoken from the Reaper’s mouth would have an irreversible effect on everyone. ‘Come on. We’d better go before people start noticing the zombies.’

  He threw me an incredulous look.

  ‘If they haven’t already.’

  It was freezing, and the graveyards were waking up one by one. It wouldn’t be long until the entire population of Hell would be on Earth. We hailed a cab to Times Square just in time to find Daniels’ dad entering the building.

  ‘I don’t think he knows I’m missing yet.’

  ‘No, all the better.’

  He opened the door in a fit of rage and slammed it closed. I didn’t have any money, so I asked the driver if he wouldn’t mind waiting whilst I went in the building to see someone.

  Thanks to my charm, I got the man on the desk to let us into the studio. I told him we were part of the Halloween act they had booked and we were running late. Another lie, but hey it wasn’t like I would be sent to Hell for it.

  We crept down the corridor when I felt a tug at my dress.

  ‘Lucinda?’ I whispered.

  I felt two tugs now and an insistent pull on my dress as though she wanted to lead me somewhere.

  I followed her lead when I glanced over my shoulder. Daniel had gone.

  ‘Lucinda, where’s Daniel?’

  She brought me to a door, and I felt another tug but this time it was very insistent.

  I opened the door when I felt a hand clamp around my mouth.

  Chapter Eleven

  Being tied to a chair twice in one night was grating and to be honest, very unoriginal. A light flickered on, and when my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I saw them all standing around me with their arms folded. Mr. Lee wasn’t very happy.

  ‘You must think you were clever to escape, huh?’

  It was Daniel’s dad, and he was seething. I shrugged.

  ‘He will do it, you know. In less than ten minutes. If he doesn’t come up with the money he will tell the world the secrets that have been kept since the start of the universe.’ He laughed.