Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel

by Christie Palmer

  Uriel’s eyes rounded in shock, “You can’t ignore them.”

  “Aren’t I an Arch?” Lailah asked.

  “Yes but…I…You…” Uriel stuttered his eyes rounded in shock.

  “Aren’t we dealing with enough, without the Arch’s butting in?” Lailah asked. But another stab of pain had her grabbing her forehead and stumbling over to a chair she just couldn’t stay on her own two feet anyone longer. “Ahh, how do I answer this stupid call before my head explodes?”

  “You just need to relax and give into the call, it will do the rest,” Uriel explained. “You will then be transported there. After a time, you will figure out how to do it without thinking about it. It is like being able to Shift, something you will learn how to do without thought.”

  Lailah closed her eyes and tried to calm herself but it wasn’t easy, she heard Uriel and the others leave and she took a couple of deep breaths as she tried to ‘tap’ into the intrusive call of the other Arch Angels she didn’t know and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Didn’t they know she was busy? And nothing happened. She was about to just ignore the call. But decided to take a couple more deep breaths, then she had the sensation of falling.

  Lailah landed flat on her butt again, “Shit.”

  “Language,” A voice boomed over her.

  Lailah looked up, and up. She had landed at the bottom of a set of stairs and at the top of the staircase were a row of high backed chairs, sitting in the chairs were eleven larger than life individuals. Lailah blinked several times as she processed the information her brain held, then shook her head. Lailah knew exactly what she was looking at, she knew each and every one of them. But she couldn’t help being slightly in awe of them. Lailah knew she shouldn’t be, after all, she was one of them, wasn’t she?

  Instead of rising to her feet she pulled her knees up and rested her wrists on her knees, “And to what do I owe this summons?” Lailah asked trying for a bored expression.

  Several of the faces grew stern, but she wouldn’t cow to them. Lailah was an equal, she may not be as old as them but she would be damned if she would bow and scrape at their feet. Regardless of what they intended her to do, but she wouldn’t do it dammit.

  “You should have come to us when your transition was complete, why did we have to summon you?” Asha one of the oldest of the Arch’s asked.

  “It’s been a busy week,” Lailah explained with a shrug.

  “Too busy for us?” Gabriel asked.

  Lailah shrugged again, “I am the earthbound Arch, and I don’t really answer to you, do I.”

  Zadkiel stood and pointed a finger at Lailah, “You will not be flippant with us, child. We know more than you, we have seen and done more than you. Show us the respect we deserve.”

  Lailah jumped to her feet, “Do not talk to me as if I were an errant child, my transition gave me the knowledge and teachings of all the Arch’s. I am not blind to what you know. And I will not be treated like an unknowing, misguided, wayward, youth.” Lailah used just as much power as Zadkiel had in his put down. Several of the Arch’s looked at her differently.

  Michael stood and walked down the steps until he stood with Lailah, “We are not here to fight with you, Lailah,” Michael told her obviously trying to be the diplomat. “We only wanted to speak with you, to confirm we are all on the same path toward the light.”

  Lailah laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “You Arches have not been on the path of the light for some time. I’m not sure what path you have been on.”

  This had them all shouting at her, and the room was a cacophony of arguments. The echoing of voice’s bouncing off the solid marble walls like a ping-pong. Finally, Raphael pounded one foot against the floor causing the room to vibrate with a sonic boom, and the room grew eerily silent after all the noise.

  “Why would you make such accusations? Considering you just joined our ranks?” Michael asked quietly.

  “Who do you serve?” Lailah asked them taking the time to make eye contact with each of them as her words sunk in. When no answer was given she shook her head sadly, “That is the problem, you don’t know who you serve? Shouldn’t it be the mortals you protect? The mortal souls you wish to usher into the next world, don’t you see you have lost your way?”

  “You have no idea what you are talking about,” Ariel said slamming her hand against the armrest of her chair. “You are but a child. Unware of what we have done, or need to do in order to keep the mortals safe from the evils of the world. You, who cavort with a Reaper. You have no idea of what needs to be done in order to keep the mortals safe.”

  Lailah felt herself go hot, and she turned to Michael. The only one of the Arch’s who had deemed her worthy enough to come to look her eye to eye. “Don’t you see you have lost touch with mortals, and the Others? There is a war going on. The Angels must choose a side, must make a stand before any more innocent mortals and Others die.”

  “We do not take sides in petty Other or mortal wars. It is not our place,” Zadkiel pronounced.

  Lailah turned back, “I am the earthbound Arch. I am telling you, No I am pleading with you. It is time for the Angels to take a different tack. We are going to lose souls and Guardians if we continue to do nothing and allow these travesties to continue.”

  “I will not discuss this further,” Zadkiel stood and walked away, taking a door out of the great hall Lailah hadn’t even seen, several of the other Arch’s following him.

  When the exodus was complete the only Archs who remained were: Gabriel, Ariel, Raphael and Michael. Michael offered Lailah his hand and they walked up the steps to join the others.

  Raphael gave Lailah a sad smile, “Changing the minds of the others will be a long and argues process. The four of us understand what you are asking. What is needed of the Angels as a whole. The gods of old have left and the one true God has not spoken to us in ages. But it doesn’t mean we cannot be a light for the Others and the mortals.”

  “So what is the next move?” Lailah asked.

  “Your presence on the mortal plane was foretold, prophesied,” Raphael explained. “The other Archs both reviled and rejoiced your coming. It will be our responsibility to change their minds about what your presence means.”

  “And until then?” Lailah asked.

  Michael shook his head, “Until then I am sorry to say most of the fight on the mortal plane will be done alone.”

  Lailah turned to him, “Are you kidding me?”

  “I wish I were not. As a Collective, there is very little we can do,” Raphael interjected. “We must all agree, or nothing will be done.”

  “That is total bullshit,” Lailah sighed heavily making the four angles blush. “So the mortal plane is just SOL because the Collective can’t come to a unanimous decision? What a load of shit,” This time, Lailah shouted the explicative. And turned on from the other Archs Lailah stomped down the steps. She was halfway down when she turned back to them. “What are you going to do when there are no mortals or Others left to lord over? What are you going to do then?”

  “Lailah please understand we are trying,” Raphael pleaded.

  Lailah nodded, “Try harder, Raph, because shit is getting real down there.” Lailah turned from them and closed her eyes she focused on the bookstore. When she opened them again she was sitting in the chair she had been in before.

  “So much for the Arch Angels,” Lailah said to herself. She wanted to get up and run for the hills. She wanted to rescue Hunter and run away where there weren’t any bad guys and hid from the worries of the world. She wanted to pretend she didn’t understand what was really at stake in this ward. Because she didn’t have any answers. And now she had met the other Arch Angels she felt bleaker about her current situation. What she needed was to talk with the White again, not like they had given her any answers before but she sure would like to give it a piece of her mind. What the hell had the White been thinking?

  “Oh, your back,” Uriel said coming into the back room.

  Lai
lah gave him a sad smile.

  “So it didn’t go well?” Uriel asked.

  Lailah shrugged and sighed. “The other Archs aren’t as progressive as I am.”

  Uriel laughed, “Well I could have told you as much. They are stuck in their ways and beliefs.”

  This time, Lailah laughed. “That is putting it mildly. I’m not sure what I was excepting for my first visit with them but what I just went through was exhausting and frustrating.”

  Uriel pulled up a chair and sat down across from Lailah, “I would say that about sums it up for the Arch Angels if you asked me.”

  “You have all the answers today don’t you, my friend.” Lailah said with another laugh.

  Uriel laughed again, “Thank you.” He said with a bow of his head.

  “For?”

  “For calling me friend. Two days ago you wanted to kick the shit out of me,” Uriel said with a smile.

  Now it was Lailah who was laughing. “Yes well, two days ago I was scared shitless about my transition, and in constant pain. Forgive me?”

  Uriel nodded, “Of course.”

  Lailah sobered, “This plan we have, be honest with me, do you think it will work?”

  Uriel shrugged, “If it were up to me, we wouldn’t be worried about a Reaper. We would have taken off days ago.”

  Lailah threw her head back, “Oh, Uriel, you do make me laugh. Sorry to burst your bubble, my friend.” Lailah leaned forward so she could whisper the last part “While I was out during my transition?” Uriel nodded and she continued, “I met with some God’s and they told me a couple of things,” Uriel’s eyes rounding in shock. “Hunter? He’s part of my destiny.”

  Uriel’s eyes rounded in shock and horror. Which only made Lailah laugh all that much harder.

  * * *

  When Hunter woke he was still coughing up water. Dammit, he still felt like he was drowning, and he came awake with a start, shaking his head. Hunter jerked his stiff arms making himself moan in pain.

  Ever part of his body hurt both inside and out. At least, he was upright again, and the damn towel had been removed from his face. Hunter took two deep breaths glad they weren’t laced with water, burning his throat and lungs.

  “She isn’t worth it you know,” Banner said from somewhere to Hunters left.

  Hunter didn’t bother turning or even acknowledging Banner.

  “I’ve never met a female worth any sort of torture,” Banner continued.

  “Who said I was doing any of this for her?” Hunter finally said.

  “He speaks,” Banner announced, his words surprised. “And you speak in defense of her? Tell me again how you aren’t taking this punishment for her?”

  “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Hunter muttered. “You are fighting for a cause you know nothing about. Do you even know who your masters are?”

  “I have no masters,” Banner growled low.

  Hunter finally raised his head so he could see Banners face, “Then why do you do this? If not for a master then for you?”

  “I have been given a job,” Banner emphasized. “Not a task by a master. It’s really just as simple as that.”

  Hunter gave him a sad smile, “Keep telling yourself that, and maybe one day it’ll be true. But if you think you can walk away from the Tribunal you are more delusional than you think. They will take your soul as surely as I will. But unlike me they will use it for gods only now what.”

  Banner snorted, “You have no idea what the Tribunal is capable of.”

  This actually made Hunter laugh, which sent him into a fit of coughing. “You are deceiving yourself you know that?”

  Banner moved so he was in Hunter’s line of sight. “Don’t push me, Reaper. Or you’ll be kneeling before the Tribunal instead of your pathetic show of resistance here.”

  Hunter spat at Banners feet, “Do what you want, take me to the Tribunal. I’m not giving you shit. And neither will my brothers. This…” Hunter looked around the cell he was in, “is useless, I deal in souls and whatever you are trying to do is feckless. Torture me until my blood covers the walls, and I’m drained dry, it won’t change anything. I will never answer your questions, and Lailah and the Guardians are out of your reach.”

  As Hunter spoke Banner grew more and more agitated. But he cared little for how upset Banner became, every word Hunter spoke was the truth. Nothing Banner did to him would change the truth. The torture would either continue or Banner would put him out of his misery.

  Banner looked ready to rail on Hunter more but then suddenly stepped back, “Then how about you deal in the souls of some lost little lambs?” Banner asked. His fury causing spittle to spray out from the corners his mouth. “Because I will have my answers, and I will have what I came for.”

  Banner went to the cell doors and threw it open. “Bring them in.” Banner shouted.

  The smell hit Hunter before he saw what the goons were dragging in and his head spun to Banner. The fear, the horror, pain, and death. But most of all was the utter sorrow. This is what giving up smelt like, and to Hunter if felt like a kick to the stomach.

  Four women were quickly dragged into Hunters cell by three men. Of the four woman three of them had been beaten to the point they could barely walk without help and when the goons released them they collapsed against each other and crumpled in a heap on the floor. The fourth woman hadn’t been touched and was chained heavily, but she reached for the three trying to comfort them.

  “You bastard,” Hunter swore.

  Tabatha looked up at Hunter and swore, unshed tears clouded her eyes. But despite it all she stood proudly, but Hunter could tell it took everything she had with the heavy chains she wore.

  “I’ll let you get acquainted. When I return the beatings continue.” Banner said with a smile. The women on the floor moaned, and Tabatha jerked toward Banner but her chains didn’t allow her to move even an inch toward her captor. “Think about answering my questions, Hunter, will you?” Banner said to Hunter as he left the cell.

  Hunter glared at Banner as he left. But the moment they were alone Hunter turned to Tabatha, “What the fuck, Tabatha? Last time I saw you, you were fighting with the Sons of Adam? You were headed back to your Tribe?”

  Tabatha crouched down with the women, “Our compound was attacked by the Tribunal.” Tabitha explained. “We didn’t stand a chance, we had no warning. They swept through with bombs and trucks full of men. We weren’t prepared for an all-out attack on our own home. They just came through and killed everyone,” Tabatha said, tears now streaking down her face. Hunter knew this was hurting her to talk about.

  “We tried to fight, I was knocked out,” Tabatha said. “When I woke up I was in a cell with several of my sisters. Banner didn’t want anything from us but information. Information on Others. Information we wouldn’t give him until he started killing our sisters.” Hunter saw her shiver, the other women looked so frail his anger felt like a pot about to boil over.

  “Why hasn’t he beaten you?” Hunter asked.

  Tabatha looked at her sisters on the dirty cell floor, “Because I have the cleanest blood line. I am the last living heir to the throne of the Daughters of Eve for our branch of the Sisterhood, and he thinks by beating my sisters I will eventually capitulate.”

  From where Hunter stood it looked like it might work, Tabatha looked like shit. She might not be getting beaten regularly but her conscious was not clear that was for sure. Tabitha looked like she had aged several years in the couple of months since he had last seen her.

  “How much longer do they have? Because I think Banner might be gearing up for something gruesome,” Hunter said honestly.

  Tabatha looked at her sisters and shook her head. She looked back up at Hunter. “This is all I have left of my Tribe Hunter. This is it, they don’t have much left. I can’t ask them to take anything more. What does he want from you?”

  “Names of Guardians I don’t have and the soul of a person I can’t give him,” Hunter to
ld her honestly.

  “What about Elle and the bastard? Can’t they Trace you?” Tabatha asked practically begged, which Hunter knew must be taking part of her soul. Tabatha was one of the proudest women he had ever met. She begged for nothing. Hunter looked from her to the three women on the cell floor. Tabitha was begging for the lives of her Tribe and it was all he could do to keep his shit together he had nothing to offer Banner. And it would cost Tabitha the lives of her sisters.

  Hunter shook his head, “If they could they would have. Banner must have the place warded.” And it was a good thing too, because if they had Traced him already then they would have never found out about Tabatha being held.

  “We need to get out of here,” Tabatha said, shaking the chains encircling her wrists. “By the way you look horrible. What the hell is he doing to you?”

  “You don’t want to know,” Hunter said. He couldn’t imagine how bad he might look because he felt like he’d been to hell and back and he knew the damn way.

  He gave Tabatha a sober look, “Banner is determined Tabatha, I’m sorry he drug you into this with me. But your females, even you. He isn’t going to hold back, I have no information to give him,” he told her honestly. “For you and your sisters I wish I did. But I have nothing to offer him.”

  If possible, Tabatha looked even more despondent then before, “Then we are as good as dead,” Tabitha said her shoulders hunched. Tabitha knelt down next to her sisters and they all mumbled what Hunter could only assume were prayers they were low and hushed but had a calming rhythm to them and Hunter bowed his head and took solace in them. Hunter wished he could have offered some kind of hope to the females but he had nothing, he wouldn’t sell out Lailah and he had no Guardians to give to Banner.

  Banner returned way too soon, Hunter was surprised when Tabatha stood proudly in front of the woman who lay together. Their weeping had stopped and they now seemed to have come to terms with what would happen to them. Banner looked around the cell and then turned to Hunter.

  “Give me what I want,” Banner demanded.