Reaper (Dragon Prophecies Book 1)

by Hickory Mack

  “The fox was a trade off,” she groaned, reminding herself that if she didn’t do this, the hunters would force her to hunt others instead. She could bring in a single fox demon or hundreds of lower-classed demons in his place. Taking the kitsune was a kindness to so many others.

  Besides, they were so famously temperamental and tricky that she had her doubts they’d be able to capture it in the first place. If they did manage, Elsie expected he would keep Cornick busy for a long while. Her stomach soured at the thought.

  “Ugh, I don’t want to do this!” she yelled. Frost touched her mind, sending her feelings of calm. The damned wolf was trying to comfort her without even knowing what was wrong, but she didn’t want comfort just then. She wanted to rage. She wanted to strike out against everyone who’d cornered her into this place.

  Frida chirped and jumped onto the side of the tub between the shower curtain and its liner. She arched her back and batted at rivulets of water as they dripped down the liner until Elsie poked the cat’s nose through the plastic.

  “I don’t know how we’re going to do it yet, Frida, but we’re not going to let them get away with this. By forcing me to come back, they brought me straight inside their organization. We’ll rip them apart from the inside out,” she vowed. Frida batted at her finger with a single paw.

  Elsie washed up, feeling slightly better now that she’d decided to add revenge to her to-do list. She finished her shower and toweled off, giving Frida some head scritches in the process. Her long cream-colored fur was looking in need of grooming, so she added that to the to-do list as well.

  Going into the other room wrapped in a towel, Elsie rummaged around to see if the hunters had provided her with anything to wear. All she found was a pressed and starched dress uniform that she’d never worn, not even to ceremonial crap. She rolled her eyes and pulled the white button-up shirt from under the jacket, leaving the rest.

  She grabbed her shorts and pulled the button-up on. It was far too large, fitting like a short dress that covered her shorts entirely. She left the top several and last few buttons undone so that she could tie it at her hip. Rolling up the sleeves, she left the cuffs loose. She couldn’t reproduce the beauty Wren had created with her hair, but she was going to take a nap anyway, so she threw the long mass of blue into a messy bun.

  Frost came out of the bedroom, his ears pricked forward and his eyes alert. He stopped a few feet from the door, lips curled back silently. Seconds later, there was a knock. Frida ran in and perched on the arm of the sofa, preening and preparing herself to look her best for her guests.

  Elsie opened the door to find Cross with a rolling cart of food. Behind him was Fairbanks with another cart, bearing the answer to one of her problems. Growing up among the hunters, she’d always made her own clothes, and they’d supplied her with everything she needed to do so. Someone, probably Cornick, had already been prepared for her return. The cart had a sewing machine, several fabrics, and all the supplies she would need to throw a few options together.

  “Come on in,” she said, opening the door wide.

  Cross entered and left his cart in the center of the living room before turning to Frida. He looked at the cat seriously, studying her while Fairbanks set up a small table for the sewing machine.

  “Ella es una alebrije,” Cross said eventually, looking to Elsie for confirmation.

  “She is.”

  “She’s lovely,” he praised, and Frida chirped at him, turning her head so he’d see her in profile. He turned to Elsie then and motioned to the food he’d brought, lifting one of the lids. The scent of a spicy chili filled the room, and she grinned. There was a dense cornbread to sweeten it as well. They’d taken her request for real food seriously.

  There was an entire pot of the stuff for Frost, and she gave him a sly look. He was so going to cry over the spices.

  “This looks great,” she approved, taking a bowl. “Better than I expected, anyway.”

  “Unfortunately, they refused to take requests, so there’s no mashed potatoes, but this is the food they serve the officers,” Cross explained.

  “Where would you like the litter box, ma’am?” Fairbanks asked, and she motioned to the bathroom.

  “This is good, Frost,” she said after taking a spoonful of the chili. “Come have some.”

  He sniffed at her, pinning his ears back, disbelieving anything she had to say about spicy food. Once everything was unloaded, Fairbanks immediately took his cart back outside.

  “If you need anything, we’ll be stationed outside of your door,” Cross said.

  Elsie frowned and rolled her eyes. “They’ve made my captive status official then.”

  “I suppose they have, if that’s how you see it. You’d know more than me, Commander,” he said. “However, we have not been instructed to stop you from going anywhere. We’re here as your support system. We work for you, so your orders take precedence over what anyone else asks of us.”

  Elsie snorted. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to feel better about what you’re doing for them, go for it. I never would have expected to find one of my mother’s people here, helping them.”

  Cross’ face hardened. “I never would have expected one of Santa Muerte’s daughters to judge a man without knowing his story.”

  Elsie pressed her lips together, looking away. That stung. Especially since he was right. She’d spoken from a place of bitterness, where her mother would have given him grace.

  “Fair enough,” she conceded without pressing him to give her an explanation. This stranger didn’t owe her anything. It wasn’t like she was the mother of death. “Where are the exit doors to go outside, so can I take the wolf to do his business? I’m assuming you don’t want him defecating in the hallways.”

  “I wanted to see this world, so I asked the same question when I first came here,” he said. “The answer is, there aren’t any exit doors. The base operates entirely underground to escape detection from the world’s natural inhabitants.”

  “That explains the lack of windows.” She sighed and took another bite of her chili. “We’ll have to dimension hop every time the wolf needs to take a crap. Man, do I hate these guys.”

  “Then why are you here?” Cross asked, earning a scowl from Elsie.

  “That’s personal.”

  One corner of his mouth curled up in a smile. “Fair enough. I’ll be right outside if you need anything. How long do you intend to sleep?”

  “Oh man, don’t tell me you offer turndown service?” she taunted, and he shook his head.

  “If I’m to bring you someone to explain the situation with your trip, it would be best to know when I will not be disturbing you,” he answered. Elsie exchanged a look with Frost.

  “Four hours,” she said, giving herself a little extra time.

  “Very well.” He went to join Fairbanks outside.

  As soon as the door was closed, Elsie put her bowl down and set the stock pot on the ground for Frost. They’d even brought a large mat so it wouldn’t get all over the carpet. She lifted the lid then grabbed her bowl and some cornbread before she retreated to the sofa to eat her meal.

  “You should be able to fit your muzzle in there,” she told him. The wolf approached the pot hesitantly, his nose wrinkled in suspicion. He mentally hit her with a cold sensation, and then she felt the splash of cold water. Elsie laughed at him and went into the bathroom. She blocked the drain, filling up the sink so he had plenty of water ready to go, just in case.

  “Your safety net is in place, Precious,” she teased, watching him gingerly touch the tip of his tongue to the chili. He shuddered, and she laughed some more, sitting with Frida to watch his theatrics. Elsie dipped the cornbread in her chili and devoured it while the wolf took little bits at a time.

  “If you stop panting, it won’t feel as hot,” she told him. “Keep your mouth closed to absorb the flavor instead of the heat.”

  Frost threw her a disgusted look, and she shrugged. “Suit yourself.�
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  She got up and set her empty bowl on the cart, then picked Frida up, bringing the cat into the bedroom with her. Taking the wet cover off, she lay down and got comfortable. As soon as she stopped moving, Frida curled up in her arms, purring softly. Elsie kissed the top of her furry head.

  They lay for several minutes before Frost padded into the room. Without a sound, he climbed up onto the bed, and Elsie scooted over, making room for him. He lay down with a sigh, then leaned until his shoulder was pressed against hers. The wolf was like her personal space heater, the perfect thing to combat the chill in the air. With Frost on one side and Frida on the other, Elsie fell into a deep sleep.

  “Commander. Commander. Ma’am? Commander Chantraine!”

  Elsie jerked awake, sitting up, feeling dazed. She looked around in confusion, trying to figure out just where the fuck she was. At the foot of her bed was a good-looking man with an extremely judgmental frown on his face. She tilted her head to one side, then her eyes widened as she realized who he was and where she was.

  “Did I oversleep?” she asked, her mind snapping to attention. Frida was missing, but Frost was fast asleep next to her. Apparently, he was more exhausted than he had let on. “Is someone here to brief me?”

  “Ma’am, Commander Grant refused to have anyone sent. You did not come to the door when I tried to relay the news,” Cross told her. Oh. That’s why he’d come in.

  “It’s good you let me know.” She yawned, stretching. “I guess I’ll have to go speak to Grant myself.”

  “There’s no time for that, Commander. You’re needed to open the gate in ten minutes’ time,” Cross said. “You at least packed for your trip before falling asleep, right?”

  “What?! There’s no way I slept all day,” she said in denial.

  “Sometimes it’s needed,” he replied.

  “Precious, wake up.” Elsie shoved him over so she could climb out of the bed. She almost panicked before she realized this was the perfect opportunity to work on some of the homework Wren had given her. Elsie called her ethereal magic, letting it fill her hands with brilliant balls of light. Her lips moved in silence as she mouthed the words in the ancient language to bring time to a standstill.

  Cross nodded at her curtly when he realized what she’d done. She’d bought herself at least a few minutes, so long as she could keep her concentration.

  She looked down at her clothes. The top was rumpled and the shorts were the same she’d been wearing for days, but she didn’t have anything else that was clean. Crossing the room and entering the bathroom, she grabbed her robe and pulled it over her head. When in doubt, the robe was always an impressive choice.

  She went running for her bag once she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She had a major case of bed head. Rummaging through her bag, she grabbed her hairbrush and toothbrush, cleaning herself up as quickly as she could while Cross stood in the living room looking as though he hadn’t a care in the world. Once she was up and moving, he didn’t pressure her to move any faster.

  “How many people are coming with us?” she asked through the foam of her toothpaste.

  “A lot,” he answered, looking up as Frost invaded his personal space. The wolf lowered his head so he could look Cross in the face. The witch didn’t move, averting his gaze and letting the creature assess him without offering a challenge. Elsie spotted them and held her breath, hoping the damned wolf wasn’t about to eat the guy.

  Keeping his eyes on Cross, Frost sent her a mental image. The witch held a vial of the elixir, and then he put it into his pocket. Elsie nodded once to let him know the message had been received. The wolf could smell her elixir on him.

  “Frost says you have something that belongs to me,” she said, and Cross’ forehead wrinkled in confusion.

  “Oh, I forgot,” he said in surprise when he figured it out. He fished the vial out of his pocket and tossed it to her. “I’m supposed to give you today’s dose. Whatever that means.”

  Elsie popped open the vial and held it under Frost’s nose. She wasn’t taking any chances that something could have been added or taken out. There were exactly two people she trusted on the base, and they both had four legs and fur.

  The wolf gave her the okay, and she drank the contents quickly. Leaving the empty vial on her unused sewing table, she called out to her alebrije. “Frida, it’s time to go,” she said, grabbing the Staff of Sanaia. She was finding it difficult to remember to bring the darn thing with her everywhere she went.

  Frida came out from under the bed and hopped onto the couch before leaping onto Frost’s back. They turned toward the door as Cross opened it. There were three men out there, including Fairbanks. Her entourage had grown during her sleep. Fairbanks didn’t even look her way, but she brushed his snub off easily. She didn’t care if the stupid man acknowledged her.

  They formed a box around her and Frost as they walked down the hall. Cross and one of the new guys were in front of her, while Fairbanks and the last guy were behind her. She noted that they were giving Frost a healthy amount of space and was grateful for his presence. He made having to be here tolerable, at least.

  At the elevator, she smirked. It had been a tight fit with only two escorts. The two extra guys were going to get real up close and personal with the wolf, real fast. As the doors opened, he pushed his way through, getting on first and nudging Elsie between him and the wall, forming a barrier between her and their security detail. Even though she was extra squished, nobody could touch her this way.

  They didn’t stop where she expected them to. Instead, the elevator kept rising. When it slid open, the men piled out onto an unfamiliar floor, making room for the wolf and Elsie to escape. They led the way across the floor to another elevator.

  “Where are we going?” she asked before getting on.

  “To the top floor,” Cross answered. “That’s where they’re waiting for us.”

  They repeated their actions once more, taking a third elevator from what looked to be a medical floor. At the top, they went through a series of hallways and intake offices. When they came around the final corner into a wide hall with a large double door at the end, the air was charged with anticipation. Already, the noise level was building, and Frost’s ears pinned back against his head.

  Cross pushed the door open, and Elsie walked through before stopping in her tracks, barely believing what she was seeing. It was like a warehouse. A seemingly endless space with concrete floors, it was filled with trucks. There were deuces carrying loads of soldiers and lighter trucks meant for scouting. Still another carried a bulldozer, just in case they needed to clear a path during their journey. She spotted several tanks, and something large was covered with a huge tarp.

  The most heart pounding thing she saw was row after row of flat beds, each carrying a metal cage with thick yellow bars. About a fourth of the cages had demons in them. Elsie laid a hand on Frost for support. It couldn’t be more obvious that their plan was to force these demons to fight for them.

  She gripped the staff and clenched her teeth together to keep from cursing out everyone within hearing distance. The hunters had reached a whole new low. She’d thought Commander Grant and Angus Cornick weren’t taking the concept of attacking a kitsune seriously. Now she saw she’d been dead wrong.

  Cross gave her a minute to compose herself, then walked forward, through the bustle of trucks to the far side of the cavernous space. She could feel the gate as they drew closer, and her stomach flip flopped with nerves. They expected her to open this gate and let an army loose on demon kind.

  One demon, she corrected herself, but she knew it was a lie. Even if she wasn’t expected to accompany them in the future, they wouldn’t stop at just one fox demon. The proof was right behind her, staring into space with hopelessly blank eyes.

  “Commander Chantraine, we were beginning to wonder if you’d ever grace us with your presence,” Commander Grant said, turning to her as they drew closer.

  “Here I am,” she mutter
ed, looking at the empty wall in front of her. This gate was bigger than the other one. Large enough to let all these trucks through. She shook her head and looked at Frost. Grant had known ahead of time that there was no way they’d be back within a week. These trucks were too huge to move that fast.

  The wolf looked back at her and sighed. He understood, too, but he didn’t look like he was about to go on a murderous rampage over being lied to. Elsie wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

  “What are you going to do with all those demons when we’re finished with this mission?” she asked, already knowing she was going to hate the answer.

  “That has yet to be determined,” Grant told her.

  Elsie closed her eyes, forcing herself to shove her morals deep enough down so she could do this. Everything in her was urging her to leave these people here to rot for all eternity. She could do it, and no one on Earth would be the wiser.

  Cross took a step closer and bent down, placing his mouth next to her ear so his breath sent shivers down her spine as he spoke. “Live to fight another day, Chantraine,” he said, then backed away. Apparently, he’d been able to guess what she’d been considering, but he didn’t think she’d have much of a positive outcome if she tried it.

  Elsie let out a long frustrated sigh and opened her eyes. The pale lavender had taken on a glow as her scythe did the same. Commander Grant moved out of her way, and her security team took several steps back, leaving only Frost by her side.

  She focused her ethereal magic through the scythe and woke the gate, opening it and ripping a hole from one dimension to the next. It was impressive, even larger than she’d expected. A rush of hot air swirled around them, and Elsie was the first to walk through the gate.

  Relief hit her bond with Saint as it became easier to feel him on Earth’s side of the gate. Then she noticed how much closer she felt to him. Looking around, a frown formed as she saw how unfamiliar the land was. They stood in the center of a huge circular clearing. There were no mountains in the distance, and even the fucking trees were different.