Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel

by Palmer, Christie

  Elle turned and ran from the room glad she had already emptied her stomach otherwise she would have thrown up again. But she wasn’t sure how much time she had. She threw open ever door she could trying to find a way out. There were bedrooms, and offices and a kitchen, a bathroom. A bedroom with clothes in the closet, and nursery with bedding, toys and a mobile over the crib. A rocking chair by the fake window.

  Everything a person could need or want to live. The thought made her lightheaded. Aldon had planned on living here. There were windows with scenes painted of sunny days, making Elle scream and pound on the cement until her fists ached.

  There were doors leading nowhere. It was the perfect prison, and Elle was weak with fear and terror. Tears rolled down her face as she threw open another door leading nowhere.

  She pounded on the brick and screamed, “Are you freaking kidding me?” her hands were bleeding now but she didn’t care and she turned and ran to the next door. She wasn’t going to give up. She was going to go down fighting; he would have to kill her because she would not go to him without a fight.

  “ELLE!”

  Elle stopped dead, how long had she been searching through this underground make-believe home? She tried to slow her rapid breathing. She was totally freaked out and wasn’t sure how Aldon couldn’t hear it. Along with every other sound she was making. It thundered in her ears as she ran down yet another hallway, she skidded around a corner praying this would finally be the way out.

  She slammed into a set of locked double doors. She yanked on them but they wouldn’t open, and they were the first set of locked doors she had come across. And if they were locked then she definitely wanted to get into them.

  Pointing the gun at the lock she pulled the trigger.

  It’s not like in the movies and she had to shoot the door several more times before she was able to get the door open. The racket made Aldon start bellowing and screaming like a mad man. Which meant, she was headed in the right direction. She heard footsteps when she finally shouldered her way through the door.

  “Elle don’t…” but it was too late. Elle could feel her freedom as she pushed through the doors.

  Some things you can never un-see, you think if you close your eyes fast enough you might be able to erase it from your memory. And sometimes, it’s so horrible, your brain stutters. Your eyeballs freeze and you can’t blink. No matter how bad you want to. It is in that moment your brain is holding onto the image and forever solidifying it in your memory forever. Time slows down, and everything stops, your breathing, your heart, everything. Nothing moves and therefore it is forever frozen in time. A broken moment that can never be taken away.

  Elle pushed herself forward to the first basinet knowing she didn’t want to really see what was in the blood soaked thing but she couldn’t stop herself. It was empty and she thanked the gods for it, she slipped on the blood soaked floor and caught herself on another blood soaked basinet. Only too stumbled to the next basinet, and the next. Knocking them out of her way as she went, ignoring the glass jars lining the walls filled with tiny broken bodies. Her brain had already frozen the images in her brain forever.

  The huge fluid containers that housed what looked like juvenile sized bodies, the two grown bodies suspended in water. Elle couldn’t stop herself from looking into them. Elle slipped again. Falling hard onto the bloody floor.

  “Elle, you shouldn’t have come in here,” Aldon said from behind her. Elle looked over her shoulder. He stood just in the doorway. His eyes wild. The whites stark against the rest of his face. He looked wildly around the room.

  “What have you done?” Elle croaked. She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. This was a room of horror. The kind you only saw in scary movies, with a mad scientist. This was not something you stumbled on in an underground bunker.

  “I couldn’t expect you to raise my other children,” Aldon said. His black eyes wide, as he looked around the room. “I had to get rid of them. They were unclean.”

  “Oh, my god.” Elle swallowed the vomit clawing at the back of her throat. “These were your children?” she gasped.

  Aldon walked in and ran a hand lovingly over one basinet. “Yes but they were mortal, they were flawed.” He turned back to Elle. “I could not afford to have flawed children. I believed them soulless.” One shoulder shrugged as if that could explain it.

  Elle tried to back pedal but she slipped in the pools of blood. She looked down and looked around, it was the wrong thing to do. Because that was when she saw the pile of bodies. “Oh, my god.” She couldn’t get away fast enough, couldn’t move away from the horror of it. Elle screamed and skidded and slipped in the blood. Tiny bodies holding each other.

  Aldon grabbed her and pulled her away. “I tried to tell you Elle, you didn’t want to see this. The children you bear, will not be forced to endure this fate.” Elle was shaking and she pushed at him.

  “They…” She pointed a bloody finger at the small bodies in the corner. “They are just children, your children.” Her voice was growing hysterical.

  “You are a monster.” She shoved at him. “Who does this to their own flesh and blood?” her hand pointing at the horror started to shake. “How many were there?” she cried.

  Aldon shrugged, as if it didn’t really matter, making Elle crazed with remorse. “Eighteen. Why do you care? They weren’t your children, and until this afternoon I didn’t even believe they had souls,” Aldon said casually.

  Elle grabbed him and shook him. Leaving bloody hand prints on his shirt. “They were children, your children,” she screamed. Unable to understand what type of man could kill his own children.

  “But they were mortal, they died,” he sneered. “What good were they?” he shouted back. “I have no use for them if they cannot further my power.”

  “I hope you suffer. You deserve to suffer the worst type of hell possible,” Elle cried, she collapsed to her knees unable to even stand, it hurt so badly. The pain she felt for those souls that had died what she wouldn’t give to redeem them?

  Aldon grabbed her and tried to pull her to her feet. “Don’t cry for them they were worthless.”

  Elle yanked her arm free. “No. They were not worthless. They were souls, they deserved a life. And you took that from them. You, who should have protected them above all else!” Her body was racked with sobs. She felt it from so deep in her chest; she was surprised she could breathe much less talk.

  Aldon tried to grab her when she saw the Blood Rite Dagger strapped to his side. She pushed Aldon away as she pulled the Dagger free holding it out.

  Aldon looked at her and then at the Dagger. “Elle don’t be stupid.”

  Elle shook her head the sobs nearly taking her off her feet, she stumbled back and Aldon attacked. She slashed at him and she knew she must have hit him with the Dagger because he backed away bellowing.

  Elle held the Dagger and shook her head. “What you have done is wrong, Aldon.” She held the Dagger out, not sure of its power. She had to do something about the loss here, Aldon lunged for her again. Somehow, she managed to avoid him. Still sobbing, Elle looked down at the blood soaked floor. So much lost innocence. It was wrong and unholy! She sliced the Dagger over her wrist. Aldon screamed as light exploded around her.

  “I give my life for those he took,” Elle called to the light. “Please,” she begged into the void. “They deserve to live.”

  ****

  “That’s not the way it’s used daughter.” A slight man said taking the Dagger from Elle.

  Elle gladly let it go, “Umm, excuse me?”

  “Typically the Blood Rite Dagger is used to take a soul into oblivion. However, you have found the one loop hole. I believe my child you have lived several life times of loop holes.” He laughed gently.

  “If I’ve heard it once.” She said rolling her eyes.

  “This Dagger, when used against on an individual steels a life and its soul and they are gone.” He said, folding his arms behind his back. “
But you turned the knife on yourself. You cannot be killed. You are a God.”

  “No, no, no, no. Demi-god.” She corrected.

  He smiled and shook his head. And leaned forward so his lips were just inches from her ear, “From where I am it looks like you’re a God to me.” And then he leaned back.

  Elle looked around, they were surrounded by light. “Who exactly are you?” she asked.

  “Dante.” He offered with a lift of his chin.

  “I don’t want to be a God, Dante.” Elle said.

  Dante gave her a sad smile, “Do you think there is a choice in the matter, daughter.”

  “What of the souls of those children?” she asked.

  “What of them?” he asked. “If you were a God, what would you have made of them?” He asked his voice booming in the vastness.

  Elle thought for a moment. If she really was a God, then she wanted those children to live. They deserved to have a life, it wasn’t their fault their father was Aldon. No, they deserved to have a life.

  “They deserve to have a life.” Elle said with more strength in her voice.

  Dante shook his head. “Then that is what is going to happen.”

  “Now what?” Elle asked.

  “I think someone is looking for you.” Dante explained. “And frankly I’ve had enough of the Disney happy ever after bullshit.” He reached forward and placed a hand on her chest. Elle felt a pull and it took everything she had to stay on her feet.

  When he pulled his hand away, he held a dark shadow. Elle was sure he had just taken her soul, “I think you are done with this.”

  “Um…” Elle was afraid to ask.

  “Your curse?” Dante asked.

  Elle breathed out, “Really?” Tears filled her eyes.

  Dante nodded, “Yes, really.”

  He turned, but Elle stopped him by throwing her arms around him. “Thank you, Dante.”

  He froze, she laughed. “This is where you say ‘you’re welcome.’”

  “Actually, this is where you pull yourself off of me woman.” He growled.

  She released him but stopped him, “Dante?”

  He turned back to him, “One more thing.”

  He sighed heavily, “Yes?”

  She placed her hands on her hips, “Am I really a God?”

  “I really believe that is up to you?” he said honestly. “If you choose to be a demi-god then that is what you will be.”

  Elle nodded, “I don’t think the world needs another god. Demi-god is good enough.”

  He nodded, “Demi-god is fine.”

  “Oh and one more thing. You really shouldn’t whip you children anymore.” Elle said.

  Dante burst out laughing, “I shall punish my children, anyway I see fit child.” And then he was gone.

  ****

  Victor was about to lose his mind when Dante showed up on the mortal plane. Victor was so shocked he ended up ass down in the dirt looking up at his father.

  “What the fuck?” Victor muttered.

  “Interesting,” Dante said looking down at Victor.

  Within seconds all the Reapers appeared circling Victor. Dante picked up one foot and tapped it against the dirt, it opened a sink hole big enough for a van to get through. The Reapers all stepped back.

  “That will get you into the underground complex. Aldon is down there. He is now trapped in his underground complex. Too weak to use his own Magik. Give him to Devon, but his soul is mine.” This he said to Hunter. “There is a woman and children prisoners down there.” Hunter nodded and jumped into the hole, Victor went to join them but Dante stopped him.

  Christian and Garret held back as well.

  “She’s not down there,” Dante said. “And neither is the Blood Rite Dagger.”

  Victor didn’t want to hear this, didn’t want to know she was gone. He heard blood pounding through his ears and a rage so deep he wasn’t sure he could contain it, but Dante was suddenly standing in front of him.

  “She attempted to trade her soul for those of eighteen innocent souls Aldon had killed in order to keep her,” Dante explained. “She used the Dagger on herself Victor.”

  Dante placed the Dagger in Victor’s hands. “And the eighteen?” Victor gritted between his teeth?

  “They had not been reaped, they will live,” Dante explained. “By the grace of your demi-goddess.”

  “Where is she?” Victor demanded. “Where is her soul?” he glared at the Dagger in his hands wondering if she had suffered in the end. Praying to the gods she hadn’t, and he wondered how much longer he had to stand here listening to his father ramble on about it before he could walk away and join her in oblivion.

  “I’m right here.” He’d finally lost his mind but he didn’t care he turned and she was just standing there. In those stupid fatigues. Her golden brown hair shining actually glowing, her eyes glowing gold. “Shit. You’re a demi-god again.” He said breathlessly.

  Elle threw herself into Victor’s arms, crystal like tears streaming down her face. “I thought I had lost you forever,” she cried.

  They fell into the dirt, but Victor didn’t care. He pressed her to him and kissed every inch of her he could reach with his mouth. “Gods Dante said… gods I thought I lost you.” Then he pulled away and looked at her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he growled.

  Victor looked up at Dante. “What the fuck? You scared me to death.”

  Dante shrugged. “Just gave you the facts. Melodramatic much?” Dante asked

  Dante then stepped forward and extended a hand to Elle. “You are a very unique female.”

  Victor pulled Elle to her feet and Elle took Dante’s hand. “As you are Dante,” she said. Dante dipped his head. “You will not whip Victor again for loving me,” she demanded.

  Dante tipped his head back and laughed. Making Victor and the other Reapers hold their breath in shock. When Dante had regained his composure he nodded to Elle. “I shall do as I please because I am Dante. And we will not discuss it again, girl.”

  Victor squeezed Elle and she looked at him her golden amber eyes so beautiful it took his breath away. “Well that makes sense.”

  Dante turned to his other sons. “The Tribunal will not like this outcome.” He looked again at Elle. “She is no longer cursed, but she will always carry the extra protein in her system. God or demi-god, she is special. And she is now part of our family, how will the Tribunal feel about that?”

  Victor started swearing a blue streak, making Elle giggle and she covered his mouth with her hand. “Hush.” She laughed.

  “One more thing,” Dante said. And turned to Christian “Return the stone to your brother. And make sure Hunter brings me my soul.”

  Christian nodded and then Dante was gone.

  Christian snorted and Garret burst out laughing. “Does Dante truly have a sense of humor?”

  “Hell no,” Christian said. “But would Elle please tell us what actually happened down in that hole? Then you can have your way with her.”

  Victor would have preferred to have his way with her then she could explain but the look his brothers were giving him said otherwise. So he pulled himself to his feet and pulled Elle to a standing position to allow her to stand next to him.

  ****

  Elle looked at Victor and then wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. She really had thought she had lost this fight and would never see him again. But she was standing here in his arms and she was never going to let him go again.

  “You better answer their questions. Then I am going to take you home and never let you go,” Victor said and pulled away but not before giving her a kiss on the tip of her nose.

  Elle smiled and turned back to the other two. She explained about Aldon telling her about there not being an entrance and how she killed him and tried to find a way out and then finding the nursery.

  They were not happy about that. She shuddered, and Victor pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck, whispering into her ear that everything
had turned out okay in the end. She reassured herself that yes it had, but what she had seen down there had burned a place in her soul and she would never forget it.

  “So we fought again. And I got ahold of the Dagger,” Elle told them. “I was sobbing. Drained and destroyed by what I had seen. I cut myself with the Dagger and begged to trade my soul for those Aldon had killed. For the innocents he had taken.”

  Victor snarled something, but Elle was remembering what had happened. “It was so strange. I was surrounded by this light..” Elle looked around at the Reapers. “You know that feeling like when you take a step off something and its farther then you think it should be?”

  They gave her a look like she had lost her mind. “Anyway that is what it felt like, and then your father was there. And we talked about those poor souls. That it was up to me whether those poor children got to live or not. And we talked about me being a God vs a demi-god. Oh and we talked about him punishing you. I told him not to.”

  Victor shook his head, “Really?”

  “I didn’t really have anything to lose.” She said with a radiant smile.

  Victor kissed her, and then turned to his brothers. “Are you happy with those answers?” Victor asked them.

  The brothers looked at each other and smiled, making Victor growl low.

  Christian smiled. “Not really I’ve got several others.”

  Victor shook his head. “Too bad.” He turned, grabbing Elle.

  Elle tried to pull away but Victor tucked her into his arm and held her close. “They can ask next time they see you.”

  “And when will that be?” Garret asked.

  “Month maybe two,” Victor said over his shoulder.

  The two Reapers just laughed. Elle didn’t think it was funny. “Wait what about everyone else? The Trackers? Tabitha? The other Sons of Adam? The Tribunal?”

  Victor pulled Elle into his arms. “You saved Lykar’s life, he was gravely wounded burned badly but he will live. The Trackers have taken him back to Illinois. Marlee wounded, but not badly. The Bitch and her sisters are fine no wounded. Devon and the Sons have wounded, but will survive. And of course, The Tribunal will live to terrorize another day. We will get them, eventually. Now may we go home?” She looked into his dark blue eyes and was lost.