Reaper (Dragon Prophecies Book 1)

by Hickory Mack

  She picked her way through the wreckage in the hallway, following the chain into the living room, where the beast lay on her ruined sofa. Elsie sighed. She’d already put two hours of work in, and there was still so much to do, but it wasn’t like she could leave it in this state. Even after cleaning everything up and fixing what she could, she’d be leaving Mrs. Cutler with a shameful amount of work to do. She’d never be able to show her face in this town again. It would be far too embarrassing.

  “Hey, wolf, I have a few questions,” she announced as she approached him. He didn’t so much as look in her direction. She wiggled her wrist, so the chain lashed side to side, jerking on his collar in an attempt to get his attention. “I need to know how this thing works.”

  He grumbled a low growl and sighed. At least she knew he could hear her.

  “How far are we able to stray from one another? Is it far enough that you can stay here while I go get us some food?” Elsie asked. His ear twitched, and an even stronger hunger hit her belly. “Yeah, I know, I’m hungry too. I could have figured something out for us to eat if you hadn’t destroyed my kitchen!”

  No response. Gods, was this getting annoying fast.

  “Do you not know, or are you just being obstinate? Look, I can’t take you into the store with me. You’ll frighten people, and they’ll drive us out of town with no plan and no food. Is that what you want?” she snapped. Hunger hit her again, and she growled. They were getting nowhere this way. Maybe she needed to break it down to one question at a time.

  “Where do you go when the chains disappear and I can’t see you anymore?” she tried. The chain glowed brighter, and her brows knitted in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  He heaved another sigh and dissipated. Black smoke curled where he’d been laying. It cleared as the chain and then the runes on the cuff glowed before going back to normal. As before, only a few links of the chain remained.

  Elsie touched the cuff and realized it was slightly warm. “I must have been too scared before to notice,” she muttered. “Can you stay in there? I’ll grab what we need quickly, so you can come back out when we get back up here.”

  There was no response, but she hadn’t really expected one. He was hiding inside of the freaking cuff binding them together for Gods’ sake. It must have a dimensional pocket built into it, which was probably how the mage had transported him. Callum had said it was a containment spell. No, wait, an encasement spell. She doubted there was much of a difference between the two. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was comfortable in there, then shook it off and snapped into motion.

  Running back to her bedroom, she grabbed her wallet. Her phone sat on the bed, an accusation that she hadn’t yet explained everything to Mara, but she threw a pillow on top of it and walked back out. It wasn’t time to tell Mara. Besides, with the way Mara reacted to being told no for the first time, coupled with the fact that she’d need to travel for an undetermined amount of time, Mara was probably no longer a part of her life.

  Tugging her shoes on, Elsie bolted out the door. She didn’t want to test the demon’s patience. Down the stairs and around the front, she went inside, too geared up to stop and talk with any of the locals.

  Mrs. Cutler’s shop was charming. It was the only place in Providence that sold fresh produce without having to drive out to the farms. Four aisles of food options and a fifth for hygiene products and first aid supplies. The sixth aisle had pots, pans, and other kitchenware.

  To the left of the entrance was a counter where locals could sit and order a coffee, or whatever Mrs. Cutler had cooked up for the day. Three older men were already bellied up, catching up on the gossip.

  Elsie listened to them talking as she shopped, grabbing essentials she could take on the road with her, along with enough ready-made food to get them through the next two days. Their gruff voices sounded no different than if they’d been discussing the weather, which she’d often heard them do.

  “They found her remains in his living room. Can you imagine?”

  “No… That’s just awful.”

  “Her poor parents.”

  “I never woulda suspected Sam of being one of them.”

  “No, me either.”

  “Kinda makes you feel like you can’t trust anybody. How many more of ‘em do you think are around here?”

  “More than you’ll ever know,” Elsie muttered as she tossed some canned beans into her cart. They had every reason to be wary. Some demons, like Sam, were extremely good at hiding their presence. She glanced down at the cuff around her wrist and walked faster. These people didn’t need a run-in with the demon king of the shadow world. They’d never recover.

  “Yeah, they say it was old Mrs. Carter that found him this morning. His head was taken clean off!”

  “No more than he deserved after what he did to that poor child.”

  “Maybe. I say, what’s around here capable of doing that to one of them?”

  “You think there are hunters around here? They’re usually down in the South. We haven’t had any of their sort come through in years!”

  Guilt settled over Elsie’s shoulders. There were five of them in town right now because of her.

  “They come when they’re needed.”

  “How could they have known to come that fast? They’re saying the girl’s death was reported after that demon was killed. Hunters might be useful, but unless one happened to be here… They aren’t prophets, so far as any of us know. No, I think this was something else.”

  “What else is there?”

  “Reapers.”

  There was a long pause in the men’s gravelly voices. Elsie held her breath, listening hard. It was rare that anybody said that name out loud. At some point, speaking of reapers had become a sort of taboo, and not only among the humans. Even demons would think twice before uttering that single word.

  “What makes you think one of those creatures are skulking around here?”

  “He was decapitated the same exact day he killed that girl. That doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence, does it? I’m thinking it had to be a reaper.”

  “That word is an ill omen.”

  “Yup. Chills me to the bone just thinking about them. I’ll see you boys tomorrow. Talk like that is too much for me.”

  Two of the men paid their bills and left together, continuing to mutter about omens. She wondered if they’d mention the conversation to their wives around the dinner table later that night. There were local legends about one demon or another everywhere she went, some creature of the night that plagued the citizens of the area. It amused her to think she might be the cause of a new legend.

  Elsie looked her cart over one more time. She was pretty sure she had all the food she needed, so she wandered down the aisle with the kitchenware. An aisle she usually avoided unless she was feeling wistful. These weren’t the kind of items someone bought on a whim.

  There were two small drinking glasses on the shelf, but each one was exorbitantly expensive. She kept looking and settled on a ceramic mug. She could drink water from a mug, and it would taste better than the clay. Elsie looked longingly at a heavy iron frying pan but left it on the shelf. It was too expensive and would raise some eyebrows if she suddenly started flashing that much money around.

  Taking everything up to the front so she could pay, Elsie got a good look at the guy still at the counter. Stewart Townsley. Figured. He was known for spreading rumors and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. She set her supplies on the counter as Mrs. Cutler came bustling over, wearing an apron with pockets filled with random items over her clothes. Her dark hair was pulled into a severe bun, and her gaze missed nothing.

  “I’ve been wondering when you’d be down. Figured you must have been running low,” she said in her friendly way. Then she paused and her eyes narrowed. “Child, it isn’t windy enough to keep the bugs down today, where is your coat?”

  “I, uh, lost it,” Elsie lied, scratching her elbow, trying to keep the guil
t out of her voice and expression. Unlike her full fae relatives, she was capable of lying. There were some advantages to being a half-breed, even if they didn’t outweigh the stigma. She glanced at Mrs. Cutler, trying to convince her she was telling the truth. The woman was worrying about her while she was getting ready to leave her with a gigantic mess.

  “You lost it,” Mrs. Cutler deadpanned, as though she couldn’t imagine someone losing something so vital for survival in Alaska. Elsie was pretty sure her landlady suspected she was a little short in the intelligence department.

  “Yeah, I’m sure someone will find it.” She shrugged. That was a positive about small towns. Everyone knew everyone else, and most of them were kind. If a lost item were found, it would eventually make its way back to its owner.

  “There’s a storm coming tomorrow!” she harped. The mosquitos were always terrible right after a storm.

  “I know, rotten luck, huh?” Elsie grinned.

  “I swear, between you and Mr. Cutler, there’s always something going missing.” She quizzically looked at Elsie’s groceries as she totalled them up. “This isn’t what you’d normally buy. Where are your peppers, girl?”

  That was a negative of living in a place this small. Everyone knew everything about everyone. At least, the superficial stuff. Anything considered odd behavior was met with the Spanish Inquisition, so everyone had their secrets.

  “Oh, just craving some comfort foods. I’m going through some things,” Elsie said, leaning in and lowering her voice. If she made it sound like a secret, the old woman would focus on that instead of what was right in front of her. She’d bought almost exclusively canned meals she could easily cook over a campfire. Mrs. Cutler’s eyebrows raised dramatically, taking the bait.

  “It’s not trouble with that Mara girl, is it? I know you like her, but I warned you about that child. She’s got a reputation for not being one of the loyal ones. Pretty as she is, I can’t say I’m surprised. You deserve better than that, dear.” Mrs. Cutler started putting her haul into a sack.

  “Mara’s never been disloyal to me, Mrs. Cutler. I think that reputation is more talk than truth. She’s a sweet and kind person who could never intentionally hurt anyone. Those rumors probably started from someone’s jealousy. Thank you for the sentiment though,” Elsie said, handing over the money and taking the food.

  “You’re welcome, dear. If you need anything, you just holler, okay?” She didn’t even have the grace to look uncomfortable at being called out for her gossiping.

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Elsie returned her cart and darted back upstairs. There was no relief in getting back, though. Too much destruction was staring her in the face.

  Before she could get too lost in it, Frida ran up to her with her usual excitement. The cat acted like a dog some days. “Hi, sweet girl,” she crooned and kicked her shoes off. Hooking her key on the nail, she made sure to lock the door. “I guess we’ve skipped breakfast, so let’s make some lunch.”

  She brought the sack into the kitchen and unloaded everything onto the counter. Nothing she’d bought needed to go into the refrigerator.

  Elsie washed some rice and tossed it in a pan. Giving it a light sear so it browned, she then added water so it could cook. While that happened, she drained one can each of corn, black beans, and garbanzo beans then scooped some into a little bowl and set it on the floor for Frida.

  The beans and corn went into a frying pan with sea salt and some chili pepper flakes that the demon hadn’t destroyed. They finished at about the same time as the rice, so she mixed it all together, finishing it off by slicing open a lime and drizzling it over the top. She dished the mix onto two plates and covered the pan so Frida wouldn’t get into it. The damned cat would try to find a way in anyway; stealing food was a specialty of hers.

  Elsie scowled at the second plate, then called out to the demon. “Uh… Wolfie? It’s time to eat.”

  She left his food on the counter and started eating without him. There was no sense in waiting, and it wasn’t like she had a coffee table to eat around anymore. She was so hungry she ate quickly, shoveling huge bites in and barely chewing. Elsie paused only long enough to fill her new mug with water then went right back to it.

  She finished eating before the demon made his appearance and she scowled when she saw his disgruntled face. After all his whining about being hungry, he didn’t even have the good sense to come when food was available. Elsie scraped the leftovers from the pan into a container, then set it in the fridge and cleaned up. The demon’s plate stayed on the counter. He’d just have to eat it cold.

  Re-energized, she got to work cleaning up the hallway, which wasn’t nearly as big a task as the kitchen had been. It only took one trash bag to clear the space. She set it with the others and made her way into the living room.

  “At least he didn’t mark anything,” Elsie muttered, finding the only positive in the situation. She opened a window anyway to let her tiny space air out. It reeked of wild animal, and he’d been there for less than a day. “I wonder if he would let me give him a bath…”

  She started scooping poofy white stuffing from the chair and couch into bags while Frida made a nuisance of herself, playing and jumping into the filling. The scowl on her face deepened as she worked. This wasn’t her idea of a good time. She was going to have to make so many damned trips up and down the stairs after Mrs. Cutler left for the night.

  “Wow, that demon really did a number on this place last night, huh?” Marley said from behind her, closing the door. Elsie straightened up, and her brows scrunched together. She hadn’t heard the door open in the first place. She didn’t remember Marley as being so sneaky.

  “You have some balls, coming back here after what you helped them do, Mar,” she grumbled irritably. “I’m not in the best mood right now, so don’t expect me to be polite to an uninvited guest.”

  “I’m just here to see if you’re ready to accept our generous invitation,” Marley said, swinging her arms in an innocently childlike gesture and smiling. She dropped her hood and tilted her head. She looked almost exactly the same as Elsie remembered her. Except for the thick scar running across her cheek.

  “What happened to you?” Elsie asked, unable to help herself.

  “Not all squad captains are created equal, I guess.” Marley shrugged, but there was anger in her eyes. “Nobody else fit in with our squad. Perrie left the field shortly after you did. We split up. I was too new to the squad, hadn’t had enough practice with them when we were attacked. It was an accident, but one of my own teammates did this to me. The only reason I have this scar is because you left.”

  “My Gods, Marley. I’m so sorry. I never would have guessed that would happen to you or I—”

  “What? You wouldn’t have left?” Marley laughed, looking around. “You think I’d believe that? Look at you! With your easy life and all this space to yourself? You’ve changed, Elsie.”

  “So have you.” She held up her wrist. “The Marley I knew never would have participated in something like this.”

  “Maybe you didn’t know me as well as you thought you did. Where is the beast, by the way? We have a wager on how long it will take for you to start begging Callum to kill it for you.” Marley looked around curiously.

  “I’m not sure. He does his own thing,” Elsie said tightly. “I don’t want him killed. What you did—capturing him and bringing him here—was cruel.”

  Marley’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Elsie incredulously. If they wanted to label her as a sympathizer, they could, and it wouldn’t impact her life in any way. She didn’t answer to them anymore, nor did she care what the hunters thought.

  “Are you serious? You want to let a creature that would kill you without a second glance live? What happened to you? Where’s the Elsie who would kill her own pet just for touching her?” Marley demanded. Elsie flinched. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, it still hurt just as much.

  “Don’t talk about him.”

>   “Who? Saint? The demon that followed you around with moon eyes like a lost puppy? I never understood how you ever put up with him, but now I guess it makes sense. Did you feel bad for Saint? When you killed him and buried him in an unmarked grave?” Marley taunted.

  “Saint was more of a friend to me than you were,” Elsie snarled. Marley’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Do you really think that? All he ever did was drag down your reputation.” Marley took a dagger from its sheath and played with it, a small smile on her face. “Do you think you’re still better than me?”

  “I never considered myself to be better than you.”

  “Yes, you did. It’s okay though. Everyone did, because at the time you were. The question was, do you think you still are?” She tilted her head. “I saw how slowly you moved when the mage grabbed you. Too slow, not enough detachment, easily distracted... You haven’t been training, Elsie.”

  “I haven’t needed to. It’s peaceful here,” she said warily, Marley had observed her closely. The conversation had taken a darker turn than she’d expected.

  “Is it? I heard a demon killed a young girl yesterday. That doesn’t sound very safe. Since you’re the only one around here with the skills to take out a demon, doesn’t that make her death your responsibility? You should have killed that boar the moment he walked into this quaint little village,” Marley jabbed at her.

  Elsie’s eyes dropped, knowing that very same thought had already plagued her. Samuel had been her responsibility, and a child had died because she hadn’t paid closer attention. She should have acted when the cat was found, but she’d let him go, believing he wouldn’t take it any further. If she’d acted, he never would have gotten his hands on that girl.

  “Do you think anyone would notice the difference if I were to kill you?” Marley asked, and Elsie’s eyes snapped to hers. “I can make it look like it was the demon, and no one would even question it. They’d believe me, Elsie.”