by Pamela Labud
"It's about time," Artemis's voice filtered into Holly's thoughts. "You've no idea what's been going on around here. Your friend has sent his underling here twice looking for you and your boyfriend."
Holly let out a breath. "I'm sure. Which is why we don't have much time."
"You're going to do it, aren't you? You're going to try and save him."
"Yes."
Holly reached the top stair and threw open her bedroom door. Bright light stung her eyes, but she pushed forward toward the room's only occupant.
The bird ruffled its feathers, sending dust and dander out in a cloud of luminescent white. "I was afraid you were going to say that. No way I can talk you out of it?"
"I love him," Holly said, voicing the words that had been growing in her heart since the moment they'd met.
She felt the energy increase around her. "Foolish humans," the bird huffed. "There was no way to do this without drawing attention to us. You're going to need my help, you know."
"I'm counting on it."
Suddenly the light faded and where the bird had once been perched upon its stand, there now sat a petite figure, a light sprite. Her head was covered in fine, soft feathers, but her face, arms and legs were flesh. She had small, white feathers as eyebrows, but her eyes and mouth were a perfect pink and when she smiled, it was clear that what had once been her beak had now receded inward and become teeth.
"Oh," Holly breathed. She'd always known her friend had the ability to shift to semi-human form. Still, watching her do so was truly breathtaking.
"Ready to do this?" Artemis asked.
Artemis, Holly thought, suddenly remembering Greek mythology, the goddess of war. She never realized it, but her friend was one of the most decorated warriors of all time.
Holly knew a familiar could increase her powers when the circumstances warranted it. She'd never known how or why and had never thought to ask. The Reaper was always simply grateful.
"Your highness," Holly bowed before her.
The shifter ruffled its remaining feathers. "No need to suck up. The time of Gods and Goddesses has passed. I'm simply a shifter with precious few powers these days. Besides, it's I who should be bowing to you, Reaper. You've given me purpose these many years past and I've mostly enjoyed your company."
"What can you do to help me?" Holly would have liked to learn more about her mysterious friend, but there simply wasn't time for it. "Can you help me fight Renault?"
"Oh heavens, no. Not in the traditional sense. I'm afraid that battle is between the two of you. As it is, I can barely hold on to this plane. What I can do, is combine my senses with yours, so to speak. I'm able to hear the thoughts of others and that may be helpful. Any foreshadowing of what that old goat is up to may be helpful."
"Right." Of course, Artemis would be the better fighter in her own right. She'd been among the strongest of her ilk. There'd been stories that she'd out maneuvered her enemies at every turn so that when she drew her sword, her cut was deadly.
"Good. The Immortal grows restless. It's time..."
Suddenly, the room shook around them and Holly fell to the floor. A loud crashing sound cut through the room.
Artemis gasped. "He's here. That devil has arrived." She covered her ears and crouched low to protect herself.
Holly didn't wait to ask what happened because deep inside, she knew. "Max!" she screamed, and scrambling to her feet, she grabbed her scythe and headed for the door. Without looking, she knew Artemis had taken flight again and was close behind.
Taking the steps two at a time she bounded down, but with the house shaking around her, it was impossible to keep her footing. By the time she was half way down, she was bouncing from side to side, the sharp edges of the stairs striking her as she tucked and rolled to the bottom.
The atmosphere roared a result of a battle between the Magical realm and the earthly one. Just as Holly made the bottom stair, a piece of the wood mantle broke loose and, even though she ducked, it struck her square on her right temple. Dazed, she refused to give in to the encroaching darkness, but instead struggled to stagger to the door.
"Hurry," Artemis whispered into her thoughts. "He's got the Immortal."
Finally, Holly grasped the knob and, using the very last of her strength, she yanked it open. An impossibly bright light shone down from the heavens and in its center was a sight that froze the blood in her veins.
Renault stood, wearing his Reaper gold robes and grasping his silver scythe. A large, oily smile broke through his mad expression.
But that wasn't the worst of it. Beside him was Cravens, the hideous man now enhanced by his master's new powers. Bigger, stronger, and more twisted than Holly remembered. He held in his hands a thick iron chain and when he jerked it forward, another entered the column of light.
"No," Holly barely breathed.
"Leave me," Max said. Beaten, he now was covered in bruises, his right eye blackened, and his mouth cut and swollen. He stood hunched over, his left arm cradling his right, and there was a vicious cut on his right thigh that oozed blood.
"Let him go. He's not yours to Reap."
The other Reaper laughed. "Before I'm finished with him, he'll be begging to leave this mortal coil. When he does, then I know you won't let him suffer."
"You can't do this."
"I can and I will. The High Council is in shreds and they’re powerless to do anything about it. Now, do the merciful thing and let me have him."
Holly bit her lip and using her scythe to lean on, stepped forward. "I will not. I challenge you, former Master Renault. As a present member of the Reaper Guild, I command you to turn loose that subject. You will stand down."
The light grew brighter and even from ten feet away, she felt the scorching heat. From the circle, Max cried out.
"Do you really want this? You could be my second, you know. Help me change the fabric of magic for all.
"Please," she said again, her resolve crumbling like sand being wiped away by the surf. "You can't do this. I beg you, let him go."
"Holly, please," Max strangled out. "There's a way to beat him. You know what you must do. Reap me yourself..."
She heard no more. A loud blare sounded and the next thing she knew, the light flashed and then night returned. Renault, Cravens, and Max were gone, and no evidence of them ever being there remained.
"No," she screamed, falling forward.
The blackness covered her like a lead-lined quilt. Max was right and it broke her heart. Now that Renault had him, he could do as he liked. Anything but kill him that was. As her subject, only Holly could do that. And, that was the last thing she would ever do.
#
It never occurred to Renault that it would be so easy claiming the Immortal. He'd felt the man's presence the moment they'd pulled into the funeral home's drive.
"There he is," Cravens said, the ever-vigilant servant. "Shall we move in, sir?"
"Yes." The car eased up the road, lights dim, the only noise that of the quiet hum of the engine. "But, stay quiet. I don't want to lose him again."
"Yes, sir."
When they finally came within viewing distance, it was immediately clear that his attention was turned toward the house. Fortunately, the Reaper was not with him — close, but far enough, perfect for what the old Reaper had planned.
"Let's go."
The two quietly slipped out of the rental car and approached the Ferrari. Stealth was on their side. When they arrived at the back of the car, Renault went to the driver's side and he motioned his employee to go to the other. He didn't want the Immortal to escape.
Once they were in place, Renault gently tapped the window. The man inside dozed, no doubt a result of the spell the Reaper had cast earlier. While he couldn't outright kill the Immortal, he could slow him down considerably.
The Immortal stirred from his sleep. Bleary-eyed he quickly turned around and saw Renault standing beside the car. He started to jerk away,
but it was too late because Cravens had already unlocked the passenger side door and grabbed the Immortal. A few minutes of wrestling and the henchman prevailed, pinning the Immortal to the ground.
"You can't do this," he said. "The only person who can Reap me is Holly, and she’s not going to do it."
Renault smiled. "Oh, you'd be surprised at what she might do with the proper incentive."
The other man remained still for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "What is it you want? Why do this?"
The old Reaper thought for a moment. He had his reasons, sure enough. All the times he'd been taken for granted. The long hours he'd worked, the centuries without the slightest recognition.
"I want what's mine. What should have been mine from the beginning."
The other man looked at him, narrowing his eyes and scrutinizing Renault in a way that made him feel like his skin was being pulled off, layer after layer of muscle and bone bared until his soul lie open and bleeding.
"You underestimate her. Holly is far stronger than you or the Council have ever guessed. True, she hides it well, but if you bothered to look close enough, you'd see it."
"Nonsense." Renault turned away, but said nothing else.
Was it possible? Was there more to his former student than he'd ever suspected?
No, he thought. She was weak. She carried the weight of empathy for all her clients and that very thing alone kept her from true strength. No one could be a leader without strength.
He heard the Immortal sigh behind him.
"Fine. Don't believe me. But, you're making a huge mistake."
Turning back, Renault gave him a sharp look. "We'll see who's making the mistake here, Immortal. It's a waste of time discussing this with you. In a few hours, you will no longer be a problem. Perhaps you can learn respect in the next realm, eh?"
Despite his threats, the Immortal appeared unshaken, which told the old Reaper that he was likely stupid or a fool. It didn't matter. Once he was gone and Master Georges absorbed his power, no one could stop him and at last, the ruling council of Reapers would be no more.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Reaper Dent," Melody called from the door. "There's a lady and an, um gentleman here to see you."
Holly looked up from her reference book in Max's library. She needed information before attempting to rescue him. Time was short and an interruption was the last thing she needed right now. Of course, there might be a chance it was someone with useful information, so she didn't want to dismiss them without even asking.
"Show them in," she said at last.
The door opened and Max's brother and his girlfriend walked through.
"We came as soon as we heard he'd been taken," Fiona said. "What's going to happen now?"
Matty cleared his throat. "I'm not sure. He hasn't been Reaped because I'm still here."
Holly sighed and closed the book in front of her. It hadn't been any help anyway.
"Renault can't Reap Max unless I give him permission. So, for now he's safe. Well, relatively safe, anyway."
"What does that mean?" Matty asked.
Fiona held up her hand. "He might not be comfortable but he's alive."
She sent a knowing glance toward Holly.
"I just need to find him."
"You don't know where he's taken him?" Matty moved forward, his face turning even more pale. At first she'd thought it was fear, but then another thought occurred to her. While the Master Reaper couldn't kill Max, he could drain his magic. Bit by bit, but the longer he was in the madman's care, the more dangerous it became for him. While it was true, you couldn't kill an Immortal, you could make them so weak that they no longer wished to go on.
And that would be the worst tragedy of all.
But there was a good side to it. Clearly, the two of them were linked and Holly could discern his brother's condition by watching Matty.
"What do we do now?" Fiona asked, stepping forward, taking Matty's arm and giving him her support without making it too obvious.
"We have to find him. When we spoke last, he was at the Hotel Chalet. A small inn on the outskirts of town."
"Really?" Fiona asked. "That place has been booked up for months. In fact, they start booking a week after the festival."
"Which means he's been planning this for a long time," Holly said. Again, a wave of guilt washed over her. She was the reason he'd come to Nocturne Falls. He'd probably had something to do with her being assigned to Max in the first place.
He'd been manipulating her from the start.
Fiona pulled out her cell phone and punched a number on its surface. "Hello? Yeah, I need to talk to one of your customers. A Renault. Is he available?"
Holly held her breath as she waited for Fiona's answer. "Come on," she muttered under her breath.
Fiona pulled her phone from her ear and clicked it off. "There has never been anyone by that name at the hotel. He's in the wind."
Holly's heart sank. She had to find him without letting him know he had her at a disadvantage. In other words, he'd set the stage. The only way she'd be able to locate Max was by giving in.
She would never do that.
"What are we going to do now?" Matty demanded. A fine sheen of sweat covered his brow. His condition was worsening by the minute.
"Matty," Fiona said softly. "Why don't you sit down? You don't look so good."
She sent Holly a worried expression, her fear clearly mirroring Holly's.
"He can't be too far," she said, shaking her head trying to clear it. Then, a thought occurred to her. "So, all the rental properties are filled in town, right?"
Fiona shrugged. "As far as I've heard."
"Right. What about any new residents in Nocturne Falls? This community has been around awhile and I bet you don't get too many people buying up property and setting down roots."
Fiona blinked. "Hardly anybody. Wait, the MacCallister’s place on Demonstar Lane," she turned to Matty. "You remember honey? They had the road blocked off when the roofers came last month. Gnarled up traffic for a week."
Matty nodded. His breath grew short and his skin took on a waxy color.
Holly swallowed. "That has to be the place. How long ago was it sold?"
"About a year ago, this month. I remember because the place was in such bad shape. The old warlock who lived there reached the end, you know. Check out time..."
"And I bet an old Reaper showed up to help him cross over."
"I guess. I mean, they didn't come to Underworld, and I have to admit, I don't get out much."
"Fiona..." Matty moaned. Before she could answer, he collapsed and slipped from consciousness.
"Matty!" she cried out. "No. Don't leave me, you jerk. I'll never forgive you if you do..."
Fiona didn't look the type to give into emotions easily, but it was clear she cared for Max's brother.
Holly knew the time for dancing around things had officially passed. She had to face off with the Reaper beast once and for all. She'd likely die in the attempt, but Holly wasn't going to give up without a fight. Besides, she'd rather die than let the cancer that had invaded her guild continue.
"Fiona," she called out softly. The other woman's attention was still on her boyfriend, but she nodded.
"Yes?"
"I need your help. Tell me where this place is. I'm going to find them and end this once and for all."
"Right. I'll come with you." She started to stand but Holly held out her hand.
"There's nothing you can do. Reaper magic can't be affected by other forms of magic. You need to stay here with him and do what you can to give him ease if I fail."
Fiona bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Right." Reaching under her blouse she pulled out a silver amulet. "In case things go south and you need to get out, use this to contact me. Say my name and it will pull you back here."
Holly was touched by the other woman's concern. She started to take the amulet. "Thank you, but if th
ings go south, there will be no coming out for me. If Max crosses over, I go with him."
For the first time since she'd arrived in Nocturne Falls, she gave voice to the depth of her feelings for Max. They'd barely started their relationship and though she'd never expected anything like this to happen, she felt it through to her very soul.
She loved Max and he loved her. They'd fight together. They'd win or lose together. And if she failed, she'd gladly follow him across the veil.
After all, that's what true love was.
#
"Master Renault?"
The Reaper's servant had been keeping watch at the front gate when he emerged from the mansion.
"Any sign of her yet?"
"No, sir."
Renault paced, doing his best to understand what had just occurred. "It's not possible."
"Sir?" The other man gave him a blank expression. "Are you ill?"
The old Reaper spun around. “Why do you ask that? Do I look sick?"
"You look upset," he began. "But, it could be my imagination." He shrugged. "I'm not a doctor, after all."
"I'm fine," he said after a breath. "She should be here soon."
"How do you know that, sir?"
"Because of her flaw. Her sympathy for others knows no bounds. She will give all to save him a painful death."
"She's already tried to fight you once. Won't she do so again?"
"Even if she does, she can't oppose me for long. I outrank her. She will surrender him if she wants to save our guild."
#
He didn't know how much time had passed since his abduction, but Max was sure of one thing. His time was running out.
While Renault couldn't kill him outright, he could make him awfully uncomfortable. Like, for instance, the constant painful pull on Max's magic increased by the hour. It was a constant, dull ache and his muscles throbbed, his head about to burst.
He'd tried talking to the wretch, but as it was with the unbalanced, his words had little effect. Renault was taking advantage of Max's weakness so that when Holly finally gave in, as Max knew she eventually would, the transition would be quick — like a scalpel excising a cancer.
