Reaper (Dragon Prophecies Book 1)

by Hickory Mack

  “Nuh-uh,” she said out loud, shaking her head and trying to ignore the part of her mind that was screaming ‘YES! Go to him!’ That part hadn’t faded in all the time they’d been apart, and she hated it. “Nope.”

  Elsie couldn’t go to Saint with her problems. Not for this, not for anything. It would be a cruelty. Both to him and herself. Thinking of him only brought sorrow and longing and shame.

  There was a space of time when she could have gone to him. After Santisima left her, she had no purpose other than to continue training. Instead, she’d gone north to hide from her problems. She hadn’t seen Saint since she’d sent him away, but she could still feel him out there. Their bond was broken, but it hadn’t healed. It was still there, a tugging, nagging reminder of what she’d so stupidly given up and driven away. If she could ever forgive herself enough to beg for his forgiveness, she’d be able to find him, wherever he was.

  Her sofa groaned in the living room, tearing her away from her thoughts. Elsie imagined the great beast squashing what remained of it. She couldn’t let herself start thinking of him as a dog or even a wolf. Behind his shape was an intelligence she couldn’t hope to understand.

  Elsie considered approaching him now, while he was quiet, but decided she didn’t want to disturb him if he was sleeping. She scooted back until her shoulders hit the wall and leaned against it, arranging pillows around her so they’d help her stay upright. She’d have to figure out her back-up plan in the morning when she could see straight. Until then, Elsie allowed herself to sleep.

  She woke to the sound of her phone ringing and scrambled to silence it. Heart pounding, she looked to the door but heard nothing. With a sigh, Elsie checked the caller ID, unsurprised to find it was Mara. She had five texts from her already. They’d started out friendly enough but quickly devolved.

  Mara: Hey, just me. Were you able to figure out whatever it is you had to do?

  Mara: Hey! If you’re up to it, we can do a late movie night? I made some strawberry ice cream!

  Mara: Is everything okay?

  Mara: Els, why are you ignoring me?

  Mara: If you don’t answer, I’m coming over there.

  Fuck. Elsie sighed and called her back. Mara answered on the first ring.

  “There you are! What’s going on? Are you okay?”

  “Look, Mara, I’m sorry, but this really isn’t a good time. I told you last night I’ll explain everything when I take care of it,” Elsie stressed in a whisper. “I’m sorry I had to stand you up last night, Mar.”

  “Wait, you’re still dealing with… with whatever? I’m not kidding, Els! If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m coming over. I’m worried about you! I can still bring that ice cream, and we can talk it over. Whatever it is, we can solve it together. And why are you whispering?” Mara questioned suspiciously. “Are you with somebody?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. You can’t come over. I’m serious. This is serious. I’m sorry, Mar, but I can’t talk right now. I’m dealing with something important. I promise I’ll call you when it’s done so we can talk. You can tell me all about your day, and I’ll tell you everything that’s going on,” she promised.

  “I just don’t understand why you’re keeping secrets all of a sudden,” Mara complained.

  “Mara, please trust me, okay? This isn’t about us. It’s something else entirely.” Something crashed in the living room, and Elsie stifled a groan. It was awake.

  “Can’t I please come over? I can help you with whatever it is.”

  “No. You can’t. Mara, you’re not listening to me—” Elsie tried. A knock came at her front door, and Elsie’s heart stopped.

  “I can listen to you in person. I’m already here, open up.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck! Elsie heard a growl start in the living room, and suddenly, she couldn’t remember if she’d locked the door.

  “I’m not kidding, Mar. You need to leave, now!” she whisper-yelled.

  “What’s that noise?” Mara asked, and Elsie heard the door open.

  “Fuck!” Elsie hung up the phone and threw it down, scrambling off the bed. Fear for her own life took second place to her fear for Mara. Holding her dagger in front of her defensively, she lunged through the bedroom door and down the hallway, jumping over broken glass on the way.

  “Oh my God! What happened to this place? Did somebody break in here? Els, what the fuck?! Why didn’t you tell me? You shouldn’t be alone after something like this,” Mara scolded. Her eyes were wide and her hands full. She was carrying her handmade ice cream and a plate of leftovers.

  Elsie looked around frantically, but she didn’t see the shadow wolf. For that matter, she could only see a few links of the chain before it vanished into nothingness.

  “Mara, you have to leave. I’m not asking,” Elsie said furiously. She didn’t know where the wolf had gone, but she wasn’t willing to wait around and find out. Mara couldn’t be here when he came out of hiding.

  “But I brought treats! And I can help clean this up. You can tell me everything you’ve been going through; it’ll make you feel better.” Mara walked in with her nose scrunched up in distaste. “What have you been doing all night? It doesn’t look like anything has been cleaned up in here.”

  “Mara!” Elsie grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Leave. Now.”

  “But…”

  Elsie spun her around and physically walked her back to the door.

  “Els, I don’t understand?” Mara appealed, her full lips puckering into a pout that had gotten her almost anything she wanted in their relationship. The woman was too sweet and adorable to say no to. Most days. “Can’t you explain it to me before kicking me out? I don’t get what’s going on.”

  It’s the drugs in the water, she can’t think with too much clarity, Elsie reasoned with herself, though she knew that wasn’t entirely it. To put it plainly, Mara just wasn’t all that deep, which was part of her appeal. She was easy to be around, and nothing had ever been overcomplicated between them.

  “I know you don’t, and I’m sorry about that, but you have to leave. Don’t call me again. I’ll call you. Now go!” Elsie gave her a quick, impatient kiss, intending to leave it at that, but Mara leaned into her, making it last longer.

  Elsie sighed and returned it, knowing it would be a while before she could taste her lover again. She cupped Mara’s cheek then pulled away, looking into those beautiful eyes before stepping back and closing the door, not giving her the chance to say anything else. She locked it and let her head thud against the door with a groan.

  When she got through this shit, she was going to have to reevaluate her relationship with Mara. She couldn’t have her death on her conscience just because the woman was too stubborn to take direction. Though if she thought about it for a bit, she’d realize she was expecting her girlfriend to respond to orders like one of her squad members. All these years later she was still expecting to be obeyed without question.

  Elsie turned away from the door and scrutinized her apartment with growing horror. It looked like a crime scene with her living space being the victim. The walls had deep scratch marks in them, and the corner leading into the hall had deep gouges where the damned beast had gnawed on it.

  It didn’t take further inspection to see that the couch and her favorite chair were unsalvageable. The carpeting was completely ruined. The longer she looked, the worse it got, and eventually, she came to the conclusion that there wasn’t a single salvageable item in the room. The demon had even ripped her jacket to shreds, leaving bits of red fabric everywhere. So much for having the sleeve repaired.

  She followed the damage to the kitchen and groaned. He’d ripped the oven door off, and the fridge was empty. The plastic containers she used for leftovers were all over the floor, along with the remnants of her three drinking glasses and a single mug.

  “What a dick,” she muttered. Interestingly enough, the only thing he’d targeted in the bathroom was the mirror. Elsie looked for hi
m once more and decided that since he wasn’t around, she’d take a shower. She hadn’t been able to clean herself up since her fight with the boar, and she felt grimy.

  “Frida,” she called, not wanting to leave the alebrije out there alone. She came sauntering in with a squeaky mew, and Elsie praised her, setting her inside the tub where she wouldn’t get hurt. Closing and locking the door, she wondered if it would even hold or whether it would need to. It seemed like the monster was content with frightening and intimidating her for now.

  She gathered the pieces of broken glass and piled them on the sliver of countertop next to the sink. Listening for any sounds outside but hearing nothing, she went for it.

  “Do you want to take a shower, Miss Kahlo?” she asked quietly, then turned on the water. The cat gave her a disdainful look and leapt to the top of the toilet to wait.

  While it warmed, Elsie undressed, examining her wounds as she went. Although they were still an angry red, the gashes in her arm were closed. There was a bruise on her calf that she didn’t remember getting, which she found strange. She didn’t bruise easily, and they didn’t last. There was nothing else she could see. Picking up one of the bigger pieces of glass, she checked the side of her head, relieved when she found no cuts.

  She stepped into the shower, and Frida scolded her before starting to groom herself.

  “You’re ridiculous,” Elsie laughed at her. Once she was clean, she stepped out and toweled off. Before she was completely dry, she could hear the shadow wolf out there, ripping into something again. The chain links were back, leading through the freaking door.

  Okay, that’s not weird or anything… she thought, looking around for what she was going to wear but finding nothing. Damn it. Wrapping herself in her pale green towel, Elsie mentally berated herself for forgetting to grab a change of clothes. It was a tight fit, considering her curves were generous and her ass and breasts could only be considered voluptuous.

  She sat with her back against the door, the dagger in her hand. At least if she was going to be stuck this time, she had access to water and a toilet. Then she realized she hadn’t closed her bedroom door. He could easily tear her bedroom to shreds.

  “Hey, wolf!” she called in a sharp voice. The ripping sound stopped, and a growl began. “Can you stop wrecking my shit for a minute and come talk with me?”

  Elsie could almost feel his curiosity as his steps came to a rest outside the door. She swallowed hard—she hadn’t exactly planned out what she was going to say to the creature. She’d never even heard him speak, but she knew he’d understand what she was saying to him.

  “I know you’re pissed off, and I totally understand why. I would be too. But you’re not the only one this sucks for. I don’t want to be attached to you anymore than you want to be attached to me. The hunters are using you to force me to do what they want,” she explained. His growl was so fucking terrifying from this close.

  “I don’t want them to get away with it, do you?” she asked. The growl stopped again, and she hoped he was using that intelligence of his to think it over instead of plotting her demise. “You and my mom have a long history, and I don’t know much about it other than she kept you against your will. I don’t want to do that to you, so I want to offer you a deal.”

  Silence.

  “If you promise not to kill me the first chance you get, I promise to actively search for a way to release us from these chains. Once they’re off, I’ll send you back to your dimension. Just tell me where you want to go, and I’ll get you there. You can go home,” she offered.

  There was a whoosh of air, almost like she’d startled him.

  “I’m not ready to die, and to be completely fair, I had nothing to do with my mother keeping you for her own gain,” she tried to reason. The beast snarled at her, and she flinched as Frida scrambled to hide behind the sink so she could growl in safety. “Okay, sensitive subject, I get it. I’d like the chance to make it right.”

  “They used mages to create the spell that’s binding us together. I know a mage who might be willing to help, but it might take us a while to find her. When we do, I’ll try my best to convince her.” A sudden feeling of a question pressed on her mind, the overwhelming pressure sending her reeling. There was no doubt where the feeling was coming from.

  He couldn’t speak to her, but he could still communicate! And he was interested in knowing more.

  “If she can’t help us, we’ll figure something else out. I swear, I won’t stop looking until these chains are broken,” she told him. The feeling changed to disbelief, but she couldn’t blame him.

  “You don’t trust me, and I’m sure my mother has given you plenty of reason to mistrust the women of my family. She’s a goddess, and I’m just a reaper. Goddesses do whatever amuses them, but a reaper never goes back on her word,” she reminded him. He’d been around long enough to know it was true; it was a quality instilled in all of the reapers.

  Those who couldn’t be trusted couldn’t have the job. Their power had too much potential for corruption for it to be gifted to just anybody. If someone with truly evil intentions were to get their hands on a reaper’s magic, it could have catastrophic results.

  “Maybe we can agree to take it a day at a time? You can judge me as you witness the steps I take to be true to my word. We can even put a time limit on it if you want. Say… a year?” She really didn’t want to be stuck with him for that long, but she didn’t have the slightest idea of where Riven was at the moment, so it could take a while to track her down.

  A frigid breeze touched her skin, and the scent of snow wafted through the bathroom. Six months. He was giving her six months. She could work with that.

  “Okay, we have a deal. I’m going to spend today cleaning up the mess you made, and you have to stop fucking up my home. We’ll do our planning tomorrow and leave the day after. Is that agreeable to you?” she asked.

  Acceptance flooded her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Is there any way you can tone the psychic stuff down? It’s kind of overbearing,” she complained, and he sneezed. The next emotion to hit her was smugness. “Okay, that’s a no,” she muttered.

  “Oh! Also, you can’t eat Frida!” she said as the alebrije popped her head out from behind the sink. Feeling his confusion, she explained, “She’s my friend. I take care of her. She’s not food.”

  The taste of bile filled her throat, and she gagged, her stomach lurching in protest. Apparently, he didn’t enjoy the taste of little spirit guides, anyway. Elsie stood, doubtfully looking at the door, then opened it. The great shaggy wolf had seated himself just outside, and even sitting he was taller than her.

  “Do you promise not to eat me today?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  He studied her with glittering eyes as black as his long, shaggy fur, then nodded his head once.

  “Great. Would you mind letting me past? I need to get dressed before I start cleaning. Also, I’d appreciate it if you would refrain from touching me. I don’t want—”

  He reached out and swiped her with his paw, then pinned her to the ground, using just enough pressure to keep her still. Elsie’s breath whooshed out of her, and he bared his teeth, bending closely enough that she felt his hot breath on her face.

  “Sorry,” she squeaked. He’d made his point and allayed her worries all at once. A single touch was all it took to form a mating bond, and now it was clear she was in no danger of forging a bond with this monster. He let her up and turned to the living room, ignoring her as she adjusted her towel and jumped to her feet. Her heart was pounding, sure, but he hadn’t hurt her.

  Navigating the glass in the hallway, she made it back to her bedroom, which had thankfully been spared the monster’s destruction. Frida followed her in, and Elsie closed the door. The cat was sticking much closer to her than usual, obviously understanding how dangerous the beast in their home was.

  She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, then came back out with the dagger strapped
to her thigh. They may have made a deal for the day, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

  Her stomach gurgled, and she looked balefully toward the wall separating her from what was left of her empty kitchen. Looking out the window, she groaned. The sun was up, which meant the store downstairs would be opening soon. Mrs. Cutler would see every trip to the dumpster, meaning she’d have to bag everything up and take it out after the store closed for the night.

  Stepping back into the hallway, she eyed the chain once again with a frown. She wouldn’t be able to do the shopping with a massive wolf on her heels. She’d have to figure out just how far she could go before venturing out in public.

  For now, she’d start on cleaning up the kitchen. She’d go get some food afterward. It was motivation to work faster, as her stomach was already complaining of hunger. Taking out her broom and a trash bag, Elsie got to work.

  Chapter 4

  By the time Elsie finished cleaning the kitchen, her stomach was threatening mutiny and her temper was rising. There was nothing she could do about the oven door or the handle that had been ripped off the fridge and used as a chew toy. She was thirsty, and the fact that she had nothing left to drink out of was driving her crazy. There wasn’t a whole lot of sand in their part of Alaska, and glass was hard to come by these days.

  Drinking out of kiln-fired clay mugs just didn’t taste the same.

  The destruction of the flower pot holding her marigolds left her steaming. She meticulously tended those flowers. The soil and flowers themselves were in a temporary bowl until she could find a new pot to house them in. They were a direct connection to her mother, so when she traveled, the flowers came with her.

  The chain was visible, and she assumed that meant the demon must be as well. She had to ask him about the limitations of his leash, and it couldn’t wait until after she fed everybody. A demon wolf appearing in the middle of Mrs. Cutler’s store would not go over well.