Keeping Up with the Deadlanders

by J.R. Rodriguez

  *

  Half an hour later, Angelique was writing feverishly on the clipboard and she hadn’t looked up in the past few minutes. This made Famine nervous. What was she saying? Was he passing? He had to ask even if it sounded presumptuous. Was there was no point in being a teenager if you couldn’t be annoying?

  “When can I expect the license to arrive?” he asked smiling sheepishly.

  Angelique said nothing. She continued staring at the papers before her. ”You’ve successfully paralleled parked, changed lanes, and gotten in and out of the fast lane. You’ve shown that you can keep control of the vehicle and that you know the rules. If all else goes well, you can expect that license by the end of the week. Is your address current?”

  “Yes, it’s all on those forms.”

  Angelique went through the papers. As she was scanning the pages, her eyes flashed. She blinked, then gave Famine a look of wonder. “You live in The Deadlands?” she asked.

  “Yes. I live in a cemetery in the middle of The Deadlands with my folks and my uncle.”

  Angelique gave the cart a once over then turned her attention back to Famine. “You mean to tell me that your uncle is The Ankou?”

  “That’s right,” Famine nervously answered, keeping his eyes on the road, “He doesn’t live in the mausoleum with us. He has his own place down the street.”

  “Your father, then, is the Reaper?”

  Angelique was nosy. Shouldn’t she be worried about his driving skills rather than his parentage? Again it was time to be bold and ask her direct questions. “That’s right. Is there a problem? I mean what does that have to do with my test?”

  Angelique quickly threw the clipboard out of the cart. Why the hell she did was beyond Famine’s comprehension. She looked around the passing countryside with narrowed eyes. Ahead was a turn off that led to a muddy road flanked with tall leafless trees. She pointed in that direction without answering Famine. “Take the next right and go down that road.”

  “Why ma’am?” asked Famine asked timidly.”

  “Just do what I say! You want your license don’t you?”

  Famine gulped and nodded. He didn’t remember studying for that in the manual. Morrigan had told him that the examiners make surprise requests just to see if testers had really looked at the material. However, this request seemed odd in light of the last few questions she asked him. He had a weird sensation in the pit of his stomach. This somehow didn’t seem right. Since he wanted to pass and get on with his night, he saw that he had no option.

  At the next right, Famine turned onto the road. There were huge puddles of murky water dotting the street. As he progressed, it got harder and harder for the horses to make their way through the mire. He glanced over at Angelique. She had not picked the clipboard up again. Instead, she kept her focus clearly ahead. The cart suddenly stopped. Famine gave the reins a quick snap and it moved slowly ahead a few feet.

  Morrigan poked her head between him and Angelique with wide eyes. To hell with keeping quiet, she thought, something had to be said. “I don’t think this was a good idea.”

  “She’s right,” Famine replied, “I think we should go back. We’re going to get stuck if we keep going.”

  “I didn’t ask your opinion, boy. And I told you to keep your mouth shut, girl! I suggest you sit back before you find yourself on the side of this road!”

  The rudeness struck Morrigan so hard that she wordlessly followed Angelique’s. Famine’s voice became firmer as he glanced back at his friend. “There was no call for that. I’m just saying that we may not be able to get out if we do get stuck.”

  Angelique turned to Famine and started at him angrily. Her eyes were blazing as she spoke through clenched teeth. “I said keep going!”

  At that exact moment, the cart stopped again. Famine tried using the reins to move, but the wheels sank deeper into the stinking black mud. He could now see that the horses were stuck. They attempted in vain to pull themselves free with all the strength their skeletal bodies could muster. Famine pointed at them and shouted.

  “See there! I told you! Now look at the mess we’re in!”

  Morrigan had once again put herself between driver and examiner. Seeing the horses struggle struck a chord with her. That only made her anger deeper. She screamed directly in Angelique’s ear. “You stupid bitch!”

  “Don’t raise your voice to me,” Angelique shouted back, “get out and push, boy!”

  Famine turned and faced her with an incredulous look on his pale face. He couldn’t believe what this woman had just said. It had been bad enough to put him in this situation; she now wanted him to get himself out. Morrigan shot her a venomous glare.

  “What?” Famine asked.

  “I said get out and push! I don’t care how long it takes to get this heap out of the mud, just do it! If you really want to pass, you’ll be quick.”

  He gave her a dirty look and hopped out of the cart. He landed in the mud with a loud squishing noise. Almost immediately he was up to his ankles in thick slimy sludge. He looked down at his pants and sighed. The muck had just ruined them. There was no way he could go into the Blue Crypt wearing dirty clothes. He moved around to the back of the cart. Each step was an effort as it was hard to pull his feet free from the vacuum the mud seemed to have.

  He had just put his hands on the cart when he felt something brush his leg. He looked down to see that the mire was actually moving. It pulsed and undulated as it slapped around his feet. Suddenly a muddy tentacle shot forth from the road and wrapped itself around his right arm. Two others appeared and grabbed his legs and torso. They gripped him with incredible force; he could feel them squeezing tighter and tighter with each passing second. His mind reeled. This couldn’t be real. Perhaps he was still at home in bed and was now having a nightmare. He screamed and tried to pull himself free from the tendrils. Each time he pulled, though, they seized him tighter. To his horror, tiny versions of the monstrosities had slinked their way out of the mire and had wrapped themsearound his feet. He tried calling to Morrigan despite the heavy constriction around his chest.

  “Help me! Please help me!” he screamed.

  In seconds, Morrigan had jumped out of the cart to help. As soon as she landed in the mud, she was entangled in the same fashion. She reached over to grab his arm but a tentacle wrapped itself around her hand.

  A maniacal laughter met his ears and looked up to see Angelique rising into the air. She peered down at them with demented glee; her smile was broad and beaming. Her voice was icy. “You’re not going to get any help so I suggest you shut up.”

  Famine gasped. What the hell just happened? This weird woman had gone from a bitter bureaucrat to a scary floating bitch. As if the tentacles weren’t bad enough he now had to deal with some sort of strange supernatural being. There wasn’t time to think about this now. He continued struggling against the tendrils as he spoke. “What’s going on? What happening? Help us!”

  Angelique put her hands on her hips and spoke off-handedly. “I’m sorry but I had to subdue you. It was the only way I knew you’d listen.”

  “You’re doing this?” Morrigan screamed. She didn’t seem phased by the crazy woman hovering over her.

  Angelique gave her a look of disgust. “Yes, that’s right little girl. Now quit squirming. If you relax, the mud will too. I need you to pay attention.”

  “My mother will have your ass for this!” Morrigan screamed.

  Angelique floated down and hovered a few inches above the mud. She kept her hands planted on her hips and wiggled her head. “Your mother won’t do squat…and it’s your ass that I have. I’m the one with the upper hand.”

  Famine’s face contorted in anger. He continued fighting against the tentacles. “I’ve been threatened by better villains than you, you stupid whore. Let us go if you know what’s good for you.”

  “I don’t respond well to threats, child,” Angelique said moving behind her two captives, “you seem to think you’re dealing w
ith an idiot. I assure you I am not an idiot.”

  Morrigan turned her head to face Angelique. “Forget my mother, I’m going to kick your skinny ass.”

  Angelique laughed. “I’d like to see you try, Sort of hard to fight when you’re tied up. I told you two to stop squirming. The tentacles will soften their grip and we can get this over with.”

  Famine had grown tired of fighting the tentacles anyway. He stopped pulling against them and looked up at Angelique with rage in his eyes. “Say what you have to say, bitch.”

  “Now, now that’s no way to talk to your elders. You must respect them.”

  “I don’t respect anyone who holds me against my will. What the hell do you want?”

  Morrigan nodded enthusiastically in agreement with Famine’s question. Angelique sighed and floated to a nearby stone with a flattened lichen covered top and sat upon it. She crossed her legs and patted her hair. After a second, she turned her attention back to Famine and spoke in a haughty manner. “It’s quite simple, really. I want you.”

  Famine’s face twisted with disgust and he let out a small gasp of shock. Morrigan’s jaw dropped in astonishment. Angelique rolled her eyes at the reactions. “I don’t want you that way, you stupid boy.”

  Famine’s face visibly relaxed. “What way do you mean it then?”

  “You’re a Deadlander. As such, you possess something many of those other things back at the ROT don’t. You have a unique power and strength that far surpasses anything they could dream of.”

  This was the first Famine had heard about this. No one ever said anything to him about power. He knew that his familial ties had given him some prestige but that was about it. This woman was spouting drivel and he was in no mood to hear any of it.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “No one’s told you about Dead Light?”

  Famine shook his head. A look of utter shock washed over the Angelique’s face at the reply. She put her hands in her lap and talked to the boy as if he were a small child. “Dead Light is a strong inner power that only a soul collector or its children possess. It gives you strength, courage, and great intellect. It also gives you complete control over life and death. Every Death Omen goes through it even if they’re not natural ones. They’re about your age when it happens, I believe. I’m really surprised no adult has had this talk with you. I thought it was one of those things that just happened as you got older. It’s like a supernatural puberty if that helps you understand.”

  Famine continued giving her a puzzled look.

  Angelique sighed. “Getting back to the matter at hand, you have to be aware of it before you can use it. But once you do unlock its secrets, you’ll be able to fight and win any battle. You’ll be able to see a great many things and know lifetimes of fantastic knowledge.”

  Famine had almost grown unaware of the tendrils still holding him captive. Angelique was weaving tales that captivated his imagination like noting else ever had. It was too good to be true. He thought about the fanciful tales in the Reaper’s library books. That sort of thing just couldn’t exist. This woman’s actions still stirred rage deep within him. This, coupled with her fanciful lies, drove him to use a word he never had. “I don’t believe you, Mytho.” he sneered.

  Angelique and Morrigan both gasped. Mytho was a derogatory term for anything living in the Borderlands. It underscored the deep-seated scorn and contempt most Deadlandsers had for supernatural beings. He hated using the word in front of Morrigan, and did not want to hurt her feelings. He suddenly thought of that after he said it. “Sorry, Morrigan. I didn’t mean that to be directed at you in any way.”

  “It’s okay, honey.”

  “Oh, please spare me the sentiments.” Angelique said rolling her eyes..

  “Hey,” Morrigan shouted back, “we’re not the ones talking nonsense. That stuff you’re talking about sounds like a load of old shit. What are you on?” “On? I’m not on anything. Believe what you want, kids.”

  Famine began pulling against the tentacles again. He spat his words at Angelique. “What does any of this have to do with you? What are you? Some supernatural guidance counselor?”

  Angelique got up from the rock and hovered back to him. She looked him up and down and spoke flatly. “What I want is to get a hold of this great untapped power. I need you to do that of course. I need you to share it with me. I’m on my way up as they say. Soon I will take possession of what was rightfully taken and take revenge against those that wronged me. I’ll make them suffer endlessly and every second. Your Dead Light could help me achieve that. I must show you how to find it. I will help unlock your power and give you unimaginable abilities”

  “What makes you think I’d help a crazy bitch like you, granted that this Dead Light is even real?”

  Angelique brushed some dust off her skirt and floated down directly in front of Famine’s face. The mud parted as her feet barely touched the ground. He took a step back and almost fell. The tendrils held him upright and pushed him back towards Angelique. “You’re going to help me. You’re in no position to refuse.”

  Famine spat at her. She quickly moved aside and his spittle hit the muddy ground. “You’re not getting anything!”

  Angelique smiled and nodded towards Morrigan with her head. “You must like this young woman. You seemed very close to her. A girlfriend?”

  “No, she’s just a very good friend.”

  “I’d bet you’d be upset if something happened to her, right?”

  “Is that a threat?” asked Morrigan angrily.

  Angelique ignored her. “Don’t underestimate my power, child. I may not be able to do much to you other than hold you, but I can make others suffer.”

  Famine got it. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach and he was gripped with deep fear. He wondered what she intended to do but didn’t want to chance finding out. Losing Morrigan as soon as he found her would be too terrible to even contemplate. He looked down at the ground, his voice sounding defeated.

  “It would upset me if something happened to her.”

  Morrigan sneered at Angelique. “Don’t listen to this bitch, Famine. She can’t do anything. If she did, my mother had her ass on the wall. Besides, I’m a ghost. She can’t hurt me. I’m already dead.”

  “I can crush both you and your mother, little girl. You’re women of the water, don’t forget. I control that element and therefore I can do with it what I desire. You see what I can do with mere mud. Imagine what else I can do.”

  Morrigan backed down and gave Famine a worried look. He nodded and returned his attention back to Angelique. “Please don’t hurt anyone.”

  “Then I suggest that you take me up on my offer. I don’t give them to just anyone. You should consider yourself lucky. Many people I deal with end up in a watery grave. I’d hate to see your lovely friend in that situation.”

  “My family is never going to go for this, you know. Do you really want to mess with the Reaper?”

  Angelique laughed and pulled Famine’s hood down. She brushed a lock of hair from his face and stroked his cheek. He recoiled.

  “I’m not afraid of any of them. I don’t see why you’re defending them anyway. What have they done for you? Tell me, wasn’t coming to get your license today your attempt to gain some independence?”

  “Yes but that has nothing to do with--”

  Angelique cut him off with a raised hand. “If you’re like any teenager, I imagine that you were trying to get the freedom they never gave, correct?”

  Famine said nothing. He stared ahead with an expressionless face. She was right. He had spent a long time wanting to get out more but The Reaper held fast in holding him in the confines of the graveyard. Getting out with Ankou had helped tremendously but there was something missing. Hunting wasn’t the same as exploring. It lacked the adventure of seeing the world through unsupervised eyes. Angelique was still talking as he brought himself out of his thoughts.

  “I take that as a yes. I’m offering
you the greatest freedom you can imagine. I’m giving you the chance to see the world in a way they never will. You’ll be able to truly be yourself without any boundaries…any rules. Let me show you how. Leave them and become the most formidable being in all of The Deadlands and the Borderlands.”

  It was damned tempting. But a strong stirring in his gut brought him back. He thought about the family dinners and the times spent with his uncle. Perhaps these times weren’t times when he was setting the world on fire, but they reminded him of his human side. He turned to Angelique and spoke with defiance. “But they care for me. I won’t give that up for power no matter how good it sounds.”

  Angelique stood up and stared down at him. Her tone took a spiteful and angry tone. “They’re not your real family. They just took you in. To them you’re no better than a stray dog. Do you really think they have any loyalty to save you? They’d cast you off if it meant they’d be saved.”

  “How do you know any of this any of this?”

  “Please, child, everyone knows about you and your family. Your story is well known in the Borderlands.”

  Famine knew she was trying to get to him. He had to be a better person and persevere. Angelique sat back on the stone and crossed her arms over her chest. Her face was smug and proud as she watched him struggle with his thoughts.

  Morrigan had managed to pull herself closer to the cart. She was trying to pull up and get out. “Don’t listen to her. Your family cares about you. They want you around and they would miss you if you were gone. She can’t give you anything. She’s nothing.”

  “Really? If they cared so much why did they keep you captive for so long? They just wanted you around to take care of the house and be a good little boy. And do you really approve your being the way you are? It’s not exactly a natural thing. I imagine they’re disgusted. What sort of traditional family wants your kind. Now, what do you say? Do you accept?”

  Her words stung deeply. Some of it had a grain of truth and that was what bothered him so much. The poor imprisoned boy was who he was. There was no denying that. They openly accepted his Other Nature. Could they really hate it? Were they just pretending to save face? He had to fight it, though, he had to win. Summoning all his inner strength, Famine pulled against the tendrils and shook his fist at Angelique. “Take your offer and shove it up your ass! I’d never go with you!’

  Angelique’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She stood up, her hands once again on her hips. She spoke with venom and spite. “I’ll ask you one last time. You know what will happen if you refuse.”

  Famine turned his head up and his face away from Angelique. “You heard me, woman, go to Hell and kiss my narrow ass on the way! I’ll never leave my family and I’ll never help you hurt others.”

  In his mind, he reached out towards the Reaper. The bond was something he had hated. It meant that the Reaper knew what he was doing. It meant there was no trust between the two. Despite that, Famine called anyway. The Reaper’s mind was cold and dark and it was very hard to reach out to because he had such a wall around it. Please come. I need help. Famine kept repeating the words over and over. He hoped the Reaper would answer.

  Angelique was still taking in the answer Famine had given her. She didn’t see that his eyes were closed and that he was talking under his breath. Morrigan noticed, however. She regarded her friend with curiosity. She wanted to reach out and see what was wrong but she knew that something was going on. Given the events of the night, she wasn’t about to interfere with whatever he was planning. Angelique finally snapped out of her shock and saw what Famine was doing. She smiled and laughed in a mocking manner.

  “Praying are you, boy? That won’t do you any good. No one’s around to hear it. It’s a waste of valuable mental energy and strength. We’re the ones that exist outside of the mortal realm. How can you call yourself for help?”

  Angelique stood up and raised her arms over her head. She looked down at her two captives and shook her head. “I’m sorry it had to end this way. I was hoping your friend would have come around and helped me. But his selfishness will cost you your life, girl. I hope you enjoy your bath. I hear it does wonders for your skin.”

  “Shut up. If you’re going to do something to me then do it,” Morrigan spat out, “I’m tired of listening to your voice. If you’re going to kill me, go ahead. At least I’d be spared any more of your bullshit.”

  The sludge around Morrigan began to stir again. A sheet of water detached itself from the mire and wrapped itself around her legs and slowly started creeping up her body. It behaved like some sort of smothering blanket; Angelique would drown her on dry land. Morrigan took in a deep breath and looked over at Famine. His eyes were still shut, his muttering becoming a chant. The water had now made its way up to her waist and was getting closer. The end was near. Suddenly, a stern male voice came from behind.

  “Pick on someone your own intellectual level…that is, if you can find another person that stupid.”

  Angelique whipped her head towards the voice’s owner. She let out a small gasp. There was The Reaper. He stood with his right hand cupped around his chin, his eye sockets softly burning in a golden light. Famine’s eyes opened and a smile spread over his face. The call had worked. Angelique took the sight in a few seconds more and laughed mockingly. She turned her attention back to Famine and Morrigan and spoke with icy hatred.

  “Look who stopped by, kids. The ugliest man in town.”

  The Reaper sighed and stepped forward cracking his knuckles. “Ordinarily, I’d be happy with such a reunion but I’m…as humans say…pissed… right now, not that you can tell it by my face. So I suggest you take your leave, Angelique.”

  Angelique threw back her head and laughed dismissively. “Idle threats. I hardly think you’re going to do anything to endanger the brats, my old friend. One move and I’ll smother them both.”

  The Reaper fell back. Famine’s face had lost the rigidity it had a few seconds ago. He was smiling broadly at the sight of the skeletal man standing in the road. The water had stopped just under Morrigan’s neck and had stayed there. She breathed a sigh of relief. The Reaper then addressed Angelique. “Fine, I’ll step back. Just tell me what you want.”

  Angelique sighed with frustration. Why must she always be the one to put up with all the brainless ones? It was infuriating. “Do I have to go through this again? How many times can a I gloat about my grand schemes before it gets old?”

  “But I’ve only just tuned in, so to speak. You’ll have to fill me in.” The Reaper explained.

  Before she could answer, Famine shouted out, “She wants my Dead Light!”

  “That’s right. I want the boy to come with me. I’m playing the body snatcher this time, Reaper, and there’s nothing you can do about it! Your child refused a very gracious offer. No one refuses my offers and lives.”

  “Ok, ok. Just calm down.” The Reaper said.

  “This will be great payback,” Angelique said smiling, “Ironic, isn’t? I’m taking from you what you took from me?”

  “What’s that mean? What did we ever do to you?” asked Famine.

  “I’d ask your old man about that, kid. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a teenage girl to dispatch. Your boy will miss her, I imagine.”

  “Leave her and take him. Please. Even if he did take you up on this phantom offer, you’d be getting a defective piece of merchandise. His Dead Light is worthless.”

  Angelique lowered her arms and whipped around to stare at The Reaper. He was now looking at the tips of his bony fingers, as if he were scrutinizing non-existent fingernails.

  “What?” asked Angelique with surprise. The Reaper’s tone was one of aloofness. “That’s right, I said take him. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

  Famine let out a loud gasp. When he managed to say something, he stammered through his words. “A favor? What the hell are you talking, old man?”

  Morrigan nodded in agreement, her face one of disbelief. The Reaper
remained calm and collected. Angelique turned from Famine and Morrigan and addressed The Reaper defiantly. “Yes, what are you talking about? I’m threatening to take your son and you stand there and encourage me?”

  “He’s a pain in my ass. Not that I have one but you get the point. Do you know what’s it like to have a rude, disgusting, hideous teen-ager around your house all day? Talk about drama. And he eats all the time...and he smells. Nasty. Now then, I was on my way to eat someone. I got interrupted, I hate that. So do what you want. Quickly.”

  “But he has great power within him. He’s of you.”

  Now the Reaper sounded surprised. He replied as if he were talking to someone very stupid. “Of me? Where’d you get a daft idea like that? Oh, no. He’s not of me. He was just some teenager I felt sorry for and decided to spare. I mean, he died as a human, but he didn’t have his soul taken away. He’s more a high-end zombie.”

  “I can’t believe this. You’re lying.”

  “I’m not. He’s about as powerful as a burned out light bulb…and just as useful. You won’t be getting much.”

  Famine felt a deep pang of hurt go through his body like a lightning bolt. Angelique had been right. In his hour of need, the people he had come to trust most had abandoned him. The Reaper should’ve been there to help him, not to throw him to the wolves. He hadn’t felt sorrow since he had come to The Deadlands. There was no need to. Now, in this cold mire, it had come back. It filled him with great despair and hopelessness. Everything that had given him the strength to strive and thrive in this realm had suddenly been taken away with just a few words. He was nothing. The Reaper, the most powerful being in The Deadlands, had said so himself. As far as he was concerned, he was just something to be discarded like yesterday’s corpse. Angelique had been right. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Next to him, Morrigan was crying a little. The gripping tendrils tightened as he let himself go limp. Angelique was still talking to the Reaper.

  “You say this just to annoy me. It won’t work. I’m still taking him.”

  “Stop talking and start taking then. The sooner you get this…stray dog…off my hands the better. I can convert his room into a nice orchid garden or classics library.”

  “He’s not even gone yet, you bastard!” spat Morrigan.

  Famine spoke, his voice was hollow. “It’s okay. He’s made his decision. Let him get rid of the trash.”

  “Now you’ve go the spirit, child,” said the Reaper, “Go ahead and check his Dead Light level if you want, Angelique. You’ll find him quite empty.”

  “I will!” she spat lowering her arms.

  Angelique walked to Famine and put her hand on his head. There was a slight purple glow around her fingers. Famine remained silent, his stare downcast. No one said anything as the woman sensed what the boy had within him. A few seconds later, she removed her hand and stood up with a cry of anger and disgust. “He’s as empty as your head, Reaper. He’s of no good to me. I was wrong. I can’t believe I ever considered his company.”

  “I told you. But you can still have him.”

  “Bah! No, thanks! Last thing I need is a nasty ass teenager. I’m much too classy for such a thing.”

  “Of course, class like yours should never be messed with.”

  “Mark my words, you sorry bunch of dead bastards. I will be back if I’ve found you’ve been lying or cheating. No one - but no one makes me look bad. I will find the power to enslave you all and make this realm and all others mine. When the time is right, I will emerge and become the ultimate ruler of all! I will become the god I was meant to become!”

  She laughed, gave them all a cunning smile, nodded, and raised her arms above her head. She said a few nonsensical sounding words and an array of multicolored lights surrounded her in a spinning cloud. When the lights dissipated, she was gone. The Reaper hovered over the cart and extended his hand to Morrigan. She gave him a wary look before taking it. He pulled her from the mud and sat her in the back of the cart before doing the same for Famine.

  The Reaper then hovered back to the road, raised a single hand, and waved it in a circle. An orb of pulsing pink light came from the bony appendage and encircled the cart. Famine and Morrigan felt a warmth spread over them as the light lifted the carriage from the mud and carry it over to a solid piece of ground a few feet away. They were scraping the much from their clothes when the Reaper came over sat beside them. Famine didn’t bother looking up. He couldn’t bear to see the Reaper’s face at the moment. Morrigan stopped cleaning herself and stared narrowed eyed at him. Her tone was sharp.

  “Thank you for saving us, Mr. Reaper. I’m sorry if I sound insincere right now, but you said some nasty things to get that woman to go away. When you hurt Famine, you hurt me.”

  The Reaper sighed. “I’m glad I could get here before anything happened. I know that I may have seemed like an ass but I had my reasons, Miss Morrigan. How are you, Famine?”

  Famine had crossed his arms across his chest and was regarding him with watery eyes. “I’m OK, not that you care.”

  “Now, please don’t be that way. You’ll have to trust me on this. I’ll explain everything in a bit,” The Reaper said before turning to Morrigan, “Are you OK? Did she hurt you?”

  “I’m fine, Mr. Reaper. I’m shaken up but I’m fine. I think I just want to go home and get cleaned before we go to the Blue Crypt.”

  “I think we should make arrangements to do dinner another night considering what just happened.”

  Morrigan had stopped cleaning the mud off her gown and was now attempting to put her hair back into a bun. When she realized it was useless, she gave up and threw the hairpin over her shoulder. She glanced over at Famine who had now begun twiddling his thumbs and humming the song from earlier in the evening. She touched his shoulder.

  “Are you OK, sweetie? I should be getting home. I’ll have to make up some excuse why we can’t go out tonight. Hopefully my mother won’t get too angry.”

  “Tell her to call me if she has any problems,” The Reaper said.

  Famine laid his hand on hers and nodded. “I’ll be fine. You go...”

  Morrigan leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to The Reaper. “You guys talk this over. Things need to be addressed.”

  “I just baked a blood cream pie. I’d be happy if you’d come over later. It won’t make up for tonight but at least you can be with Famine.”

  Famine smiled and gave Morrigan a pat on the leg. “Please come, we’d love to have you.”

  “I’ll see you guys later.”

  She stood up and gave herself a slight push. Famine and The Reaper watched as she floated up and away from the cart into the night. She turned and gave them a wave and a smile as she faded out of sight.

  “You’re probably wondering why I said what I did. You know that I didn’t mean it,” The Reaper said flatly.

  The Reaper must be playing on his pity, thought Famine. This was even worse than the belittling words spoken earlier. He didn’t need pity. “I guess.”

  The Reaper looked off into the distance, his voice keeping the same cadence. “I had to make you believe what I was saying. It took away your strength and power. Without any real grounding, you become unsure of yourself and end up confused. As long as you have faith and believe in yourself, you have an unmatched and unbeatable ferocity that beats any opponent. Tonight, with just a few words, you became weak. It was that weakness that turned the Rusalka away.”

  Famine was confused. He tried looking the Reaper in the face, but he kept his head turned away. For the moment, the hurt was forgotten. “Rusalka? What the hell is that?”

  “It’s a sort of angry water ghost,” said the Reaper “that drags people into the depths to live with it. The one tonight was different. She wasn’t around any bodies of water. That tells me she’s more potent than others of her kind. I underestimated her abilities.”

  He leaned forward and patted the bac
ks of the horses. He kept talking without facing Famine. The boy could sense something in the timbre of his tone that he had never heard before. It was serious and tender at the same time.

  “But getting back to what I was saying…I took what I did tonight so that she would spare you. She will probably return once she finds out what really happened. But that doesn’t matter. What matters here, young Famine, is that you keep the power alive within yourself. Never let anyone or anything else ever take it away again. I brought you back because it was that energy that made you different than the others. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. That kind of energy will conquer even the vilest of attackers. Do you understand?”

  Famine weakly nodded. “I think I do. Do you know her? That Rusalka?”

  “I do. Let’s just say that we’ve crossed paths. Some things really do come back to haunt you.”

  The Reaper finally turned around. He quickly wiped a tear from his eye socket and put his hand on Famine’s shoulder. There was a faint light glowing within his skull cavity. The old man had changed somehow. Famine wasn’t sure what had happened. He just knew The Reaper had a different look about him.

  “Can I still call you Father?”

  “Of course.”

  “Is Dead Light real? Is it this power that you’re talking about?”

  The Reaper took a deep breath and answered. “It’s real. I should’ve mentioned it before, I’m sorry it had to come to this to make me say anything. And no, the power I was talking about helps you discover your Dead Light. Think of it as the strength you need to turn it on.”

  Famine nodded. “You talk about Dead Light like it was the strongest thing ever. Is it?”

  The Reaper waited a few seconds before he spoke. He got serious again. “Sort of. It ties into something more powerful than even you and I. Something that even we must surrender to.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Eternity, son, eternity. Everything that was and is…will be again. It’s a never-ending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. We’re at the center of that cycle. We’re servants to the spirals of eternity. As long as these aspects exist, as long as is death is a part of it, we will exist. We may never rest.”

  Famine wasn’t exactly sure what The Reaper had meant. It all seemed weird and strange. Reason and logic seemed even more blurred than ever. For even after death, nothing was ever answered in full. “Can we go home now?” he asked.

  “We certainly can, child. I think things will look a lot better in the dark of a new night.”

  Famine sat suddenly sat upright. His voice took on a tone of wonder. “How did you know we were in trouble? And how in the hell did you find us?”

  “They say parents have a sense about their children, that they’re tied together in an unbreakable bond. Think of it like that. I just knew. Let’s leave it at that.”

  With that, The Reaper took the reins of Ankou’s cart and made an odd clicking sound from somewhere deep within his skull. The wagon became encased in a faint red light and lifted itself off the ground and the two Death Omens rode off into the rising sun. A feminine face suddenly appeared in one of the puddles of water. It pulsed and glowed in time to a sinister laughter that filled the still morning air.