I watched the frantic way she patted her body. Her tan complexion was more vibrant unlike when she was sick, and the rosy smudge on her cheeks hadn’t been there either. She was full of life, and suddenly everything was different. I didn’t know why, but it was. And my heart jackknifed in a direction I didn’t want it to go. One filled with hurt.
One more person to protect.
One more person I tried to keep safe, but it had been futile from the very beginning. Our fates were already woven together.
But Gwendolyn didn’t know or understand that since she carried my mark, she would die when I would. I studied her vibrant, red essence. My immortality gave her life. We shared the same lifespan and the same fate.
She wouldn’t go to Heaven.
She’d disappear like me and my family. Something I didn’t want. The reason I sent her cannonballing far away from me.
She’d disappear.
Nonexistent.
Gone.
Her being there fucked everything up.
I didn’t deserve her. That was why I fucking sent her to a place I could never reach. I was selfless when I made that decision, and yet, I still ruined her afterlife.
I couldn’t let her fade away with me.
“Did you do this to me?”
Her words slipped through the insanity playing in my mind. I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
Gwendolyn’s cheeks turned redder along with her neck. She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced at her feet. “Did you do something to me earlier?”
I ran my palm over my face. Was she embarrassed or genuinely naïve? Either was bad, but the latter proved just how young she was—a twenty-year-old carrying my mark.
When was it going to sink that she was mine? Heat spread passed my stomach alerting me to the fact. “Are you not telling me something?” I asked slowly.
“Are you not telling me something?” she echoed.
Wrath boiled inside me. When she took a step away, I knew she must have seen my sin playing peek-a-boo with my flesh. It was strange. I didn’t think I’d rage. At least not with her around. Fucking Hades. The way my essence and sin crawled over my skin reaching out to her was embarrassing. Were my soul and my curse that desperate? Perhaps my sin wouldn’t hurt her, but I sensed that it wanted to consume her somehow. My pulse kicked up a notch.
Better be careful. I was twitching already with the urge to touch her. Maybe I could keep her safe if I distanced her from me.
My wrath spiked at the thought.
“Come on,” I barked angrily. There wasn’t much I could do for her standing there.
I grabbed her cloaked shoulder. The black material draped over her body parted at the opening, and I glimpsed a bare collarbone before she squeezed the wrap shut. I tensed and realized she was naked beneath it. Suddenly, my rage came to life, and it shocked me—nearly frightening me. I dropped my hand and staggered backward. My ears, neck, throat… Everything tingled and burned with the need to let loose. I concentrated on fighting my fury. Whatever was happening, I wouldn’t let it have its way. I squeezed my eyes shut as I fell to my knees. I feared I was wrong about Gwendolyn. Maybe I could still hurt her. It was the absence of knowledge that scared me. I didn’t know what she was doing to me, and I didn’t know what I might do to her.
“Hey…” she said hesitantly.
“Stay back!” I shouted.
She didn’t. The moment she touched my shoulder, I surged. Her gentle caress didn’t touch my flesh, but she was too potent against my sin. Fireworks lit up beneath my skin, and I braced myself for the inevitable.
Then…
Nothing.
My struggles stopped entirely. Not before I heard it, though. The same, deep thundering laugh as before. It was menacing like a warning. But for what? I opened my eyes and gazed up at Gwendolyn. What was going on with me?
My curse had always been unpredictable. It was always a fight to stay in control and not let anger get the best of me, but still I often lost myself. That was all I knew, but it was familiar to me. I knew and sensed the change in me before it happened, but the unpredictability was unsettling. And the laughing in my damned head? I never heard it before Gwendolyn.
All the problems with my sin acting up pointed to her.
I stood. She shrunk away as I towered over her once more.
“Let’s get you settled in,” I told her.
“Settled in?” Her nose wrinkled.
“We have work to do.”
“Work?”
I smirked. “Don’t lose your scythe. You must learn how to use it since you’re now a Reaper.”
“Reaper?” Her jaw dropped, eyes drowning in sorrow at the knowledge I’d given her.
“Welcome to the business. Everything revolves around the dead with us, but you already know that. You should also know the human world is ending, and we’re the only ones that can stop it. If we fail or die, we doom everyone.” I cocked my head. “Regretting that Heaven spat you out yet?”
Chapter 12
Gwendolyn
Regretting that Heaven spat you out yet?
I knew better than to react. He wanted to see my fear.
But I was more confused than afraid. I’d already died, was thrown into a bright light that supposedly led to Heaven, and spat out like they denied me access. Being with the Reaper was more comforting than anything else. He was a jerk who was distancing himself from me, but he didn’t pretend or have a secret agenda. I’d much rather have him wanting to kiss me again, but it was plain to see he was upset that his plan to keep me in Heaven backfired.
How did I end up in that world? And, how did I become a Reaper?
I was desperate for answers. The biggest question I had? Why would demons kill a dying girl in the first place?
“What’s your name?” I asked as he neared.
Flurries of nervous energy crackled in my stomach as he latched onto my cloak. A squeak escaped my lips as his behemoth arm wrapped around my body. When I unsuccessfully tried jerking away from him, I saw that I was naked beneath the black robe.
“Barron,” he barked. Twisting his fingers in my hood, he yanked me closer.
My breasts met the hard expanse of his chest. His eyes slithered over me. Something akin to anger and surprise slashed across his evil features. I didn’t think he meant to pull me so close. I started to push away and then I saw what looked like a black hole. Instead of putting some distance between us, I grabbed onto Barron desperately as the darkness swallowed us up. There was a brief light, and then we were back in the rainbow-colored land. As soon as we reached our destination, he shoved me and practically knocked me on my butt.
I hadn’t even gotten to enjoy his lips during our first kiss while I was busy suffocating and all. It seemed it would be awhile before I’d be able to experience it again.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves. “I want answers.”
“Well, I wanted you in Heaven. We don’t always get what we want.” A muscle in his jaw jumped. He wasn’t looking at me. “Somehow, you’re a fucking Reaper.”
“What’s your problem?” I tossed my hands up.
“I didn’t want you here!”
“What?” My eyes narrowed. I might have understood him completely if he wasn’t being such an asshole. “But before this happened, you wanted me. I didn’t ask for this to happen either. At least you know what’s happening. I’m clueless, and you’re being a jerk.”
The red shadowy stuff around him flared to life. Only I saw it slightly differently that time. It almost appeared like hands in a murky fog reaching out for me. I leaned back thinking it would touch me. Then it stopped. Barron pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and took a deep, harrowing breath. The red haze returned inside of him.
I shuddered. Was that the skeleton monster? I shivered. Should I tell him about the weird heart transplant slash proposal? He seemed pretty desperate when he returned to normal earlier. “Barron.” I tested his name on my lips, then whispered it onc
e again just because I finally had a name to go with his face. “Earlier—”
“It’s not your fault,” he interrupted, but still wouldn’t face me. “This was out of anyone’s control. I’m taking you to my parents.”
“Your parents?”
He nodded. “Yeah. They’ll show you the ropes and teach you everything you need to know.”
“You’re a Reaper. Why don’t you teach me?”
He is trying to get rid of me.
The realization, like a bucket of ice, was enough to make fear creep in.
Barron turned and scowled. His piercing glare cut into me like shards of glass. “I don’t want to.”
I was used to being unwanted, so I wasn’t about to let his rejection get to me. Maybe I received a new life so that I could finally take care of myself.
I lied. The only thing I dreamed of while dying was the moment he’d come for me. I was ready to follow him anywhere, leaving every part of my life behind even if that made me foolish. Thinking of my old life and everyone in it, I gasped. “I need to go to the hospital. Helen and Harold are probably freaking out right now.”
“You can’t go, Gwendolyn. This is where you belong.”
Did I belong? Then why did he try to send me away? Although his words gave a flutter of warmth in my chest, they didn’t match his actions. “I can’t leave them wondering what happened to me. They’ll spend their entire lives feeling guilty over my disappearance.”
“There’s another way.” He started walking, so I followed.
“What is it?”
“They can forget Gwendolyn Dolson ever existed.”
I halted. If they forgot me, I’d truly have no one and no place in either world. Barron stopped, possibly realizing I was no longer with him. Slowly, he turned and gave me the evil eye. I suspected it might be the only expression he was good at. “Maybe we can alter everyone’s memories so that you received your heart transplant. Given your situation, I don’t think Grim will ask you to stay here if you’d rather do that.”
Barron had said I belonged in that world. Once again, he was quickly changing his words. I studied the angry slant of his brows and the firm line of his lips and then sighed. Funny how picking out dresses seemed so insignificant after being murdered and resurrected. I didn’t want to return to my old life. I wanted to know Barron’s world and the reason I was thrown into it—answers he didn’t want to share with me.
Besides, even if I went back to my life, I wasn’t the same anymore, right? I couldn’t live feeling the way I once had.
Yes, I was alone there, but that was nothing new. I was used to it. After surviving death, I could continue on my own with no problem. But, I didn’t want to. Not any more.
Also, Barron belonged to that world and despite him pushing me away, I couldn’t ignore the fire in my heart for him. The numbness that swept over me no longer existed. His presence demanded me to feel every emotion.
“Where will I stay?” I asked, resuming walking until I was ahead of him. “Am I safe here?”
“You can stay at the castle,” he muttered. His heavy footfalls, pounding the soft, luminous grass, caught up to me. “The people here will protect you. You’ll soon learn how to defend yourself.”
When we slipped out of the forest and I looked beyond the cotton candy-like trees, I saw the ginormous castle. It stood out from the vibrant world around it. Nothing about the ashen-colored brick, worn with age, with broken towers appeared welcoming. Did Barron have a princess locked away in one of them? I rubbed the chill away as I stole a peek at him. He passed me and walked up the concrete steps.
“I thought I sensed your presence,” a charming, smooth voice said out of nowhere. In front of Barron stood a beautiful, smiling blond man. Helen always said you could tell a lot from someone’s smile. Just looking at that guy’s perfect toothy grin screamed that he was someone I’d like. That was crazy. He wasn’t as tall or scary as Barron, but he still towered over me. A turquoise-blue fog buzzed around him. It was like Barron’s angry red kind. While Barron’s whipped around and stirred erratically, that guy’s fog barely moved.
“Move, Sloth,” Barron griped, shoving the man to the right.
Sloth?
Sloth stumbled and laughed before his blue eyes landed on me. “Who’s this?” Side by side, I could see the similarities between the two men—the shape of their chins, lips, and even their eyes were alike.
Barron’s body tensed. “No one.”
“I haven’t seen her before.” Sloth stroked his chin and tilted his head. “Hmm… There’s something odd about her aura….” His gaze widened, and he smirked. “Your essence is intertwined with her soul.”
His what?
There was a teasing gleam in Sloth’s eyes before they fell on me again, mouth agape. “Is she… Does she have your mark?”
Mark? That was what the demons were talking about before they kidnapped and killed me!
Barron’s dark pupils frantically darted over to me then Sloth. Pursing his lips, Barron abruptly stepped forward and grabbed Sloth. Acid rose in my stomach as I watched him grab Sloth’s neck. Snap! I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to bear seeing someone killed in cold blood. Even with the roaring in my ears, I still heard the bones breaking. The Sloth’s body hit the ground with a thud, and my eyes popped open.
“Oh, my God! You killed him!” I screeched.
“Believe me, he’s fine. I’ve done worse to him.” Barron said it so casually. I just stood there, jaw slack as he went up the steps, leaving Sloth there.
Anxiously, I watched Barron leave. Could I really trust him? What I had witnessed made my stomach roil. But, did I really want to risk not being around him?
And, my traitorous heart still fluttered for him!
Suspicious of Barron yet unwilling to stay there alone, I stepped over Sloth and hurried to catch up. “Is he really okay? Who is he?”
“He’s fine.” Barron exhaled and shrugged. “That’s just my brother Sebastian.”
“What was he saying about a mark?” I asked despite being afraid.
“Nothing.”
“Stop it! Lying to me isn’t helping me.”
He whirled around. “I was trying to keep you safe!” His face pinched as if he was hurting. When he saw me flinch, it lessened the creases on his forehead. His dark orbs softened, and then he dropped his head. “That’s why I sent you far, far away from me and this world.” He resumed walking without further explanation.
“Barron?” A soft, feminine voice called. “I heard yelling.” A tall, gorgeous brunette appeared at the top of the steps. Like Sebastian and Barron, she also had something flowing around her. It peeked over her shoulders and around her waist. The orange color wasn’t as intense as Barron’s. Was that what they called essence?
Barron tossed his hands up. “Can everyone stop being nosy and let me get her into the castle?”
The brunette crossed her arms over her chest. “Who is she?”
“A new Reaper,” he said. “Come on, Gwendolyn.” He beckoned me with his hand.
The brunette stared at me intently and lowered her arms. “Her…”
“Don’t say a word, Maureen,” he warned.
Her brow quirked up. “Hmmm.”
“Aren’t you and Jackal supposed to be in the human world?” Barron asked.
“You’re changing the subject,” she said. When his red essence seeped out, Maureen held up her hands. “All right. All right. Chill out.”
So, it wasn’t just me. Others were cautious when his red essence appeared. What exactly was wrong with my Reaper? And why was I still claiming him as mine?
Maybe because he shoved a heart into your chest!
Another voice piped in with The results are in. That right there was a lie!
“I can take her if you’d like,” Maureen offered.
Barron paused, and his red essence shifted into dozens of red hands.
Her lips flattened, eyes narrowed as she watched the fingers reach for me. “Or no
t.”
The appendages retreated, reverting to the essence’s normal foggy behavior as it moved around Barron.
She tilted her head. “Huh.” That wasn’t a normal confused ‘huh’. It was the kind that was pondering something. “Are you going to rage?”
Barron chuckled dryly. “I’m always on the verge.”
“Before you distracted me, there was a reason I came out here. We’ve captured a Harvester.”
Barron mouth curved slightly like he might be slightly happy or sinister about the news. He rushed into the castle while Maureen walked with us. The massive double doors of the castle towered over Barron. An astonishing sight since the man had to be close to seven feet tall. “In the family room,” Maureen told Barron. He nodded and walked toward a door leading into a giant room. All I saw were a dark floor and a piano in a corner.
When I moved to follow him, a hand landed on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” Maureen said with a smile.
“Why?” I frowned.
“Too intense for humans or used-to-be ones.”
I shrugged out of her grip. “I assure you I’m a big girl. I’ve been handling life just fine.”
“Okay,” she muttered. “I really just wanted to get you away from my brother for a second.” She latched onto my arm and led me through another room and into a hallway. We kept walking until we reached a kitchen. A blonde with blue eyes sat at a table scarfing down food. She had to be a sibling since she resembled the others. Another clue was the purple essence bouncing around her as she ate.
“Who’s dis?” she said around a mouthful.
“Barron’s mark.” Maureen beamed.
Blondie dropped her fork and said, “Unh-uh.”
Maureen scowled. “Swallow, Kitty. No one wants to see that.”
Kitty swallowed. “Really?” She studied me skeptically. “Barron? Our brother, Barron, fell in love? He’d have to let someone close to do that.”
“I’m telling you… Wait! Can’t you see the essence around her?” Maureen asked.
Conjuring Wrath (Seven Deadly Book 3) Page 9
