Reap & Redeem

by Lisa Medley

  “Good.”

  * * *

  Kylen led the way down the three flights of stairs to the building’s back entrance. He hesitated at the door and drew his scythe.

  “You really think that’s necessary?” Olivia asked, backing away from him.

  “Yes.”

  He cracked open the door, taking a cautious assessment of the distance to the garage—it was open, thank God—before wedging himself through it, scythe first. Reaching back for Olivia, he took her hand and drew her up against him as they made their way to the car.

  “Open the locks.”

  She clicked the remote, and he heard the beep as the doors unlocked. They sprinted the fifty feet to the carport, and he opened the passenger door of the Focus, pushing her inside. He folded himself behind the wheel of the tiny vehicle, and breathed out a sigh. As he backed out of the carport, the headlights illuminated the herd of imps, which had pulled in close, their glowing yellow eyes like a carpet of stars lining the driveway.

  As he pulled forward, the imps closed ranks around the car, hemming it in. Rage built inside him as he stared at the beasts.

  “Part,” he commanded.

  When they didn’t yield, he hesitated in confusion for only a moment. The imps had been responding to his commands for more than a century. They’d obeyed him just days ago. Surprised, he smashed the accelerator to the floor and ran right over them. The car crunched over a handful of imps, and others careened away and were sent bouncing off the hood of the car.

  Olivia screamed.

  He knew it must look like he was running over and killing defenseless animals, but that was absolutely not the case. If he couldn’t command them, he couldn’t keep her safe, either. He had to get her to consecrated ground without delay. The imps wouldn’t be able to cross the boundaries of the cemetery unless Camael had desecrated it. Imps could only use the portals leading directly to and from Hell, not the consecrated subway used by reapers. If he got her back to Ruth’s, she’d be safe.

  Once he got them through the hoard, he drove straight to the cemetery. He didn’t stop the car until they were in the center of the small grounds. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, letting his heart break a little as Olivia snuffled softly beside him, her breath hitching. She was crying. For imps.

  Holy shit, the world really is going to Hell.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her hands down her face.

  “They’re not cats, I promise you.”

  He left the car and walked around to her side. Opening the door for her, he reached for her hand, and when she gave it to him, he pulled her toward a headstone near where they’d entered the cemetery several hours earlier. Imps were lining the perimeter of the cemetery, all the way around the acreage, so the consecration must be secure. This night was completely FUBAR. He couldn’t imagine how it could get any worse.

  Holding his scythe in one hand, he drew a sobbing Olivia to him with his other arm and concentrated until he felt the familiar swirl and tug that would bring them home.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ruth’s living room was bedlam. The place was wall-to-wall reapers, just like the bar in Purgatory. Huge, badass reapers, all of them talking over one another. Deacon and Ruth were standing just inside the open doorway of their bedroom, having what appeared to be quite an animated conversation. Kylen counted six new reapers, plus a woman who had to be Deacon’s replacement reaper, Maeve. Nate stood next to her, a strange expression on his face. The room reeked of testosterone and anticipation.

  Deacon spotted him from their bedroom doorway and nodded, making his way over to him. “I am glad you two are back. We have problems.”

  Olivia stared wide-eyed at the new additions. Kylen wanted to put his arm around her waist and pull her close, but he couldn’t summon the courage to do it in front of Deacon, let alone this roomful of strangers. He looked at Ruth, who was still standing in the doorway, and she took pity on him, motioning for Olivia to join her.

  Olivia gave him a tense smile. “I’ll be back.”

  “Sure,” he said, watching her wind her way through the crowd.

  “What was that all about?” Deacon asked. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s great.”

  “All righty then. Are you okay? You kind of look like hell. And we both know that’s saying something.”

  “It’s been a long night.”

  “It’s about to get longer.”

  Kylen nodded. “I know. A huge portal just opened. And it won’t be the last. They’re building up to something big.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I had a dream—sort of—then I…felt it open.”

  “You’re still connected? I mean, I knew you had your mojo on for the demon tracking, but has there been more?”

  “Nothing specific. Until now. Deacon, I think Camael’s trying to open a permanent portal for Lucifer. These small ones have been tremors. He’s working up to the big quake.”

  “I don’t know how much bigger we can take. Grim is pissed. We got this one sealed within minutes, but our best guess is that a few hundred demons may have escaped.”

  “Is that why the Mickey Mouse Club is here?” Kylen asked, nodding towards the crowd.

  “Yeah. Grim handpicked them. We have an edict.”

  “Sounds very official.”

  “You’re about to become a part of it, too. This is big, Kylen.” Deacon grabbed Kylen’s shoulder, making eye contact with him. “Are you good? Can you handle this? Are we good?”

  Kylen studied his friend’s face. The friend he’d grown up with since childhood. The friend who’d once sworn to kill him before allowing him to be possessed…and then reneged. The friend who’d finally helped save his miserable life. Deacon had risked a lot for him, and if the circumstances had been reversed? Kylen didn’t know if the man he had once been would have been able to kill a possessed Deacon, either.

  “Yeah. I am. We are.” Kylen’s bitterness melted from his heart, and for the first time in…forever, he experienced forgiveness. “Do not hug me.”

  “No problem.” Deacon slapped his shoulder. “I’m going to need your backup here. You’re the only one of us with true inside information. Ready?”

  “Best get started.”

  Deacon smiled, and then turned to address the gathered reapers.

  He whistled loudly and the room instantly quieted. “You have each been pulled from your previous positions, which are now being filled by other reapers. You have been handpicked by Grim to join this reactivated order.” Deacon walked toward the center of the room, and the reapers parted, making way for him.

  “As you know, I am the new Powers, and Grim has ascended to Seraph. For more than four thousand years, there hasn’t been a need for the order you are about to join. Demons have stayed in Hell where they belong. But a war has begun once again, and you will be on the front lines. It’s the same old story. Good versus evil. But there can no longer be only one Gatekeeper. You’ve been recruited because of your skills, your strength and your record of success. Your task will be to guard the Earth from evil and eradicate it everywhere you find it.”

  “We will hunt down and destroy every last demon Camael released today, and we will continue to patrol the borders of Heaven and Hell to protect mankind until our dying day. If you have doubts or misgivings, now is the time to declare them. If you accept this appointment, you will become Authorities in the Order of the Powers, and for your service, you will ascend to The Sixth Choir as an angel upon your death. And I can guarantee no one has seen angels the likes of this motley crew.”

  Several of the reapers laughed, and Deacon continued. “You are warriors and protectors. This will be your chance to prove yourself. You’ll be paired according to your special skills and sent forth to track and dispose of the demons. There are a lot of them. Hundreds. Maybe more. It’s not going to be an easy task. You can live here. The accommodations will be uncomfortable for the moment, but we will im
prove them together. We will be an army and a family, and we will succeed.”

  “If you accept your role, you’ll be allowed to return to Purgatory with me, and Grim will install you as members of this elite Reaper Authority Force. It will not be without its perks… For one, you will no longer need to carry a soul to travel to and from Purgatory. You’ll be able to travel at will. The downside is that it’s a lifelong commitment, and you have to make your choice now.” Deacon took his measure of each reaper, and then turned his gaze on Nate.

  “You might not be a reaper, Nate, but Grim thinks you have special potential, and he has a specific job in mind for you. If you agree, you’ll be included as well.

  “Ruth is pregnant, so she’s not under consideration to join the Authority at this time, but she’s agreed to house everyone here. Are there questions?”

  “When do we start?” The others were nodding their agreement.

  “What is your name, reaper?” Deacon asked, pointing at one of them.

  “Raguel. They call me Ragu…’cause I’m saucy.” Someone chuckled in the crowd.

  “Welcome aboard, Ragu. The rest of you might as well introduce yourselves before we head to Purgatory. You?” Deacon pointed to the reaper farthest left.

  “Ouriel.”

  One by one, he pointed to each reaper, and they stepped forward. “Dardariel.”

  “Zachriel.”

  “Samkiel.”

  “Leo.”

  Kylen shot Deacon a look. “Did you know that all the new guys were named after angels?” he asked under his breath.

  “Not until now.”

  “What the hell do you think that means?” Kylen asked, taking a hard look at each of them.

  “Means they’ve got a lot to live up to.” Deacon walked back to Ruth and Olivia, who were still lingering in the doorway to the bedroom. He pulled Ruth aside and whispered in her ear before giving her a quick kiss. Kylen’s feet were still firmly planted. The flesh was willing, but the withering look Olivia sent him gave him pause.

  “Maeve, you’re going with us,” Deacon said. “Olivia, I’d like for you to stay here if that’s okay. I don’t like the idea of Ruth being alone.”

  Ruth rolled her eyes at him, but then gave Olivia a big smile.

  Kylen thought he detected a ghost of a smile cross Maeve’s face as well, but it was gone before it manifested.

  Deacon nodded to Kylen. “You ready?”

  Kylen took one last look at Olivia, searching her face for a sign that she was truly all right. She gave him nothing in return. Torn, he answered. “Yes.”

  Deacon flashed them all to Purgatory, leaving Olivia alone with Ruth, protected only by magic.

  * * *

  Kylen, Deacon and Nate stood in Rashnu’s private chambers in Purgatory while the other reapers waited outside the closed door for their own special instructions. Grim shone resplendent before them, hovering above the floor, his robes trailing like a bridal train, his wings stretched out behind him, spreading from wall to wall. Kylen stared in wonder at the Seraph, a reaper myth come to life. For all the wonders and horrors he’d seen in his two hundred years, this was somehow the most shocking. Grim was the closest creature to the One True Light—to God—he’d ever seen with his own eyes, and was proof positive that for every evil essence there was an equal good to balance it. He’d never really believed that to be true until this moment.

  Kylen watched Nate’s mouth fall open as he also took in the otherworldly appearance of Grim and the chamber. If this was unlike anything Kylen had ever seen before, he could only imagine how shocked Nate must be. Olivia’s apartment had been a Victorian Gothic explosion, but this? This was a gold-plated, bedazzled Hell all its own. Every surface was covered with some sort of gold, fabric or glitter, except for the white-washed walls and the chandelier, which seemed to be composed entirely of diamonds.

  It was nauseating. And surprising.

  He’d never been past the depot, which was far starker in its decor.

  “Welcome.” Rashnu worked behind the bar, pouring two dark red drinks into shot glasses before placing them on the countertop.

  “It’s been a long time since you’ve poured this particular vintage, old friend.” Grim said, folding his wings tightly behind him. He glided across the room to join the men at the bar. He directed his question first toward Deacon.

  “You are prepared to lead this force?”

  “You know I am,” Deacon said.

  “And you?” Grim asked Kylen. “Are you ready to forsake your ties to darkness? To accept this high calling?”

  Kylen hesitated. Pledging his allegiance would tether him to yet another master. After all that had happened with Deacon, with Olivia and now the portal opening. Was there even really a choice for him anymore?

  “Your answer, Kylen?” Grim repeated.

  Kylen shook his head to clear his rambling thoughts. “Yes.”

  Grim bore his gaze down on Kylen, seemingly penetrating through to his very soul. Kylen felt a warmth blossom inside his chest. He took a step back from the Seraph, and then held his ground. “Yes,” he repeated.

  Grim nodded and gestured toward the shot glasses. “Very well. This glass contains the blood of Christ. Not the metaphoric blood of Christ, but the actual blood of Christ from his time on Earth in human form. By taking this communion, you will be making an oath to serve against the forces of evil for the remainder of your days. It is no guarantee against suffering, only a promise that if you serve to the best of your ability, you will be rewarded. As you work to eliminate the demons, I shall strive to destroy their source. The One True Light has sanctioned this Authority of Powers to restore the balance of good by all means necessary. Each who drinks of Christ’s blood shall from this day forth be endowed with the power to destroy evil in its true form, to travel to and from Purgatory without carrying a soul, and to navigate the earthly realm at will without the limitation of consecrated ground. Drink and go forth.”

  Rashnu pushed the glass toward Kylen. Taking hold of it, he stared down into its mesmerizing red swirl. Finally, he raised it in salute then downed the contents. Kylen expected fireworks or some physical sign of their compact, but all he experienced was the unusual copper taste at the back of his throat.

  “That’s it?” Kylen asked, a little disappointed with the whole thing.

  “Do not be so eager for the dramatic. You will be partnered with Deacon. Drama enough for you both, I’m sure. Each reaper pair will have complementary abilities. Together you will be a force to be reckoned with as time reveals new challenges…and abilities.”

  Grim turned to Nate. “Nate, the Force will need a tracker other than Kylen to help them find the demons. While it’s true that you do not appear to be a reaper, you already possess some special abilities according to Deacon. I’m officially pairing you with Maeve, although you’ll each have separate mandates for now. Don’t wait for her to get started. I think you can be of great and immediate service to the cause, and I believe this will help you.”

  A low growl emanated from behind them, causing the men to swivel around. In front of them stood a jet-black dog the size of a small pony. Its ebony coat shimmered in the supernatural light of the chamber and its square head was as high as the men’s elbows. Strings of silvery drool dripped from the beast’s jowls.

  “Nate, meet Bocephus, a hellhound. He’s especially adept at finding demons. Eats them for lunch, so to speak. I leave him in your charge.” The dog loped over to Nate’s side, and then sat obediently at his feet.

  Nate reached out tentatively to pat the beast’s head, only to receive a sloppy lick that left a string of sticky drool trailing from his hand.

  “Wonderful. I knew you two would get along.”

  “Now we must speak to the rest of the Authority Force. Go. Rashnu will send the others back soon so that we can finish what has been begun.”

  Grim placed a glowing white hand on top of Nate and Bocephus’s heads and Kylen watched as they vanished from the cha
mber. The Seraph approached Deacon and Kylen next. When he touched them, Kylen felt power surge through him as he was ripped through space and time. He landed back in Ruth’s living room with Deacon at his side.

  “What happened?” Ruth asked, rushing to Deacon’s side. “And where did he come from?” Ruth looked at the dog in amazement as she wrapped her arms around Deacon’s waist.

  “We were initiated. Grim told us to take the hellhound and get to work.”

  “A hellhound?”

  “Apparently it’s more of a demon bloodhound. Nate’s got dog duty.” Deacon grinned. “And Maeve, too.”

  “What does that mean, Nate?” Ruth asked.

  “It means that I have a pet who’s happy to see me.” Nate scratched the dog behind the ear and it thumped its tail on the hardwood floor like a drumroll. “And a partner who’ll be less so, I’m afraid.”

  “We need to get going.” Deacon said, kissing the top of Ruth’s head.

  “Already?” Ruth snuggled closer.

  “Yes.”

  Sensing her presence before he saw her, Kylen turned as Olivia emerged from the bathroom, her hair wet from showering. Her cheeks were still pink from the hot water, and his heart contracted inside his chest.

  She was a weakness he couldn’t afford.

  “The others should be back anytime. Kylen, Nate, get your stuff together. We’ll meet back here and head out as soon as they arrive.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kylen could feel Olivia’s eyes bore into his back as she followed him to his trailer. His emotions battled within him. He was about to get exactly what he wanted—the chance to kill demons with impunity, but the thought of leaving Olivia alone filled him with a dread that was far worse than anything Camael could do to him.

  She was fragile. And dying.

  What if she died while he was gone? Somehow his energy had helped sustain her but who knew for how long? He couldn’t stand the thought of being responsible for another’s life.

  He opened the trailer door and stepped inside, knowing she would follow him.

  Heading for the top bunk, he rifled through his weapons, obtusely ignoring the unspoken tension between them until it was finally broken.