I yelped and would have jumped back against the elevator wall if it weren’t for Ryker’s steady hand on my shoulder.
The man was tall and wore a clean, black suit, and a dress shirt. His tie was the only color on him—a striking crimson red that stuck out from the black swallowing his thin frame. Even his hair and eyes were black, making his pale skin seem all the more ghostly.
“Good evening,” Ryker said while I calmed my racing heart.
Once I’d gotten my breath back, I stepped out of the elevator before it started dinging impatiently. Ryker followed, and the doors closed silently behind us.
“Good evening,” I said. “I’m here to see Elizabeth.”
The man’s eyebrow twitched and the corners of his lips twisted into a frown. “Her majesty, Princess Elizabeth, has been expecting you.”
I winced at the scolding tone of his voice. “Right, Princess Elizabeth.”
What I assumed was Elizabeth’s butler turned on his heel and folded his hands behind his back before leading us down the hall to several large windows at the end. I glanced out the windows at a small courtyard nestled between four large concrete walls. A set of doors led out to the courtyard on either side, and windows decorated the free space.
The butler cleared his throat as he turned left and continued down another corridor into a sitting room. “The princess will be with you shortly. Please make yourselves comfortable.” The man bowed before he disappeared out the only other exit in the room.
I took a moment to inspect the parlor—a large ornate fireplace on one side, and ancient looking plush sofas in the center atop a fur rug.
So far, so good, I reassured myself.
I didn’t feel comfortable sitting on the expensive furniture; so instead, I inspected the knickknacks on the mantle.
“Finally!” a familiar voice crowed the second she sauntered into the room.
I flinched before slowly turning to face her. I once knew Elizabeth as Eli, my co-worker turned friend. She’d had blazing red hair, ruby lips, tan skin and vivacious curves. While she still had her curves and red lips, her hair wasn’t curly, or crimson any longer. Now it was a sea of gold descending in waves over her breasts instead of curling at her collar.
I blinked in surprise at her transformation. I still found it strange to see her dressed in a glittering silver gown instead of wearing our former workplace uniform of a black polo, pants and apron. We’d worked at the same bar for six months. Part of me wished we could go back to that—but with all I’d learned about the princess, that’d never be possible.
“You really took your time, Clara-dear.” Elizabeth smiled, a devious glint in her eyes. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
I cleared my throat. “Of course not.” She knew I didn’t have a choice.
“Well I’m glad you showed up,” Elizabeth said. “How do you like my new look?” She spun in a circle, the glittering jewels on her skirt swirling around her knees. “I’m back to my old self again.”
Oh. So this was her regular form. I wondered why she’d disguised herself to be my co-worker, but I didn’t have the lady balls to ask.
When I didn’t respond, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t be impolite, Clary. You’ll speak when you’re spoken to.” The venomous edge in her voice had me backing up a step.
“You look… good,” I said. With nerves still crashing through me, I couldn’t think of anything better to say. Every inch of me wanted to run. It was only the safety of my loved ones that kept me from racing back to the elevator.
“That’s better,” Elizabeth said. She swept into the center of the room, and I realized where the jasmine and honey smell was coming from. Again, I took a step back as it consumed my senses. With a flare befitting an immortal princess, Elizabeth swished out her skirts and sat on one of the sofas. She crossed one leg over the other, bouncing her silver heeled foot. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
I gulped. Sitting across from her put me far too close for my liking. But again, what choice did I have? Slowly, I obeyed her request, sitting across from her while Ryker stood behind the sofa. He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. The simple touch made me relax slightly.
“There. Isn’t that better? Now we can have a proper discussion.” Elizabeth smiled haughtily and leaned her chin on the back of her hand.
I nodded, ushering her to go on. My voice couldn’t be trusted.
“After I graciously gave you two weeks off, you’re not going to speak with me?” She frowned.
“S-Sorry,” I muttered.
“There’s no need to be nervous, Clara-dear.”
I barely held back a snort.
Elizabeth sighed and waved her hand dismissively like she could read my thoughts. “You’ll get used to this in time,” she said. Somehow, I doubted that. “Let’s get down to business then, shall we?” She looked over her shoulder. “Zane. Enter.”
I expected the butler again, but what I got instead had my mouth popping open in surprise. The most beautiful Asian man I’d ever seen emerged from the doorway with a jawline and cheekbones carved by the gods, thick, full lips, and hair as black as mine. His gaze was dark and aloof, his expression unreadable. I’d never met another Reaper before, but there was no doubt in my mind I was looking at one now.
“Zane, please sit in with us, dear, while I explain our next steps to Clara,” Elizabeth said.
Zane nodded, moving to stand behind Elizabeth in almost the exact same way Ryker stood behind me. He didn’t sit as Elizabeth had requested, but I had a feeling this was more what Elizabeth had in mind. Zane was her soldier, or at least he looked like it. With wide shoulders and a muscled chest straining the fabric of his tight black t-shirt, he had a military look about him.
“As I was saying…” Elizabeth said, refocusing her attention on me. “Your two weeks are up, and now it’s time for you to begin gathering souls. As promised, you’ll begin with only one soul a week until you’re better trained.”
Trained? Before I could ask, Elizabeth continued.
“Zane will teach you and keep an eye on you for me.” Elizabeth winked like we were two girls conspiring at a sleepover. Her false comradery made me want to gag. “I do hope you’ll both get along.”
I swallowed, my gaze slowly slipping up to meet Zane’s penetrating, black eyes. Quicker than I meant to, I looked away. “So we’ll set up weekly training sessions?” I asked hopefully. Dread knotted my stomach—there’s no way she’d let me off that easy.
Elizabeth tilted her head back and laughed. “Oh, Clara. Sometimes you can be so silly.” She shook her head and grinned. “Zane will be staying with you until you’re ready to go out on your own. You’ll train daily. He’ll assist you in delivering souls for now, but I’ve instructed him to make sure you’re the one delivering all killing blows.” Her little smirk turned downright menacing. She wanted me to be the one to kill people. I knew she wanted me to deliver souls to her, but her lack of empathy was horrifying.
My hands shook so hard I was forced to ball them if I didn’t want this evil bitch to see. I didn’t want to show fear in front of her, though I’m sure it was written all over my face. “If you remember, I live in a one bedroom apartment. I don’t think Zane will be comfortable there.”
Elizabeth waved off my concern. “You’ll work something out.”
My lips thinned. “So you want me to kill one person a week? For how long?” Goosebumps rose on my skin as I said the words. I’d been avoiding thinking about it until now. I don’t know how she expected me to do this. She knew me, and she knew I wasn’t a killer. Or at least I hadn’t been until the night she’d poisoned me.
“One soul per week.” Elizabeth held up her pointer finger as she leaned forward. “Eventually I’ll up it to two, and then three, etcetera.”
Zane scoffed.
My eyes widened. She couldn’t be serious. I knew she’d eventually up the number, but there had to be an end to this. How many people did she expect me to kill?
/>
“Zane will keep me apprised of your progress,” Elizabeth continued like I wasn’t having a meltdown.
“When will this end?” I choked out. I couldn’t help the strangled quality of my voice. This was insane. She wanted me to slaughter innocent people!
Elizabeth smirked. “Never.”
My body cooled like I’d been dunked in ice water. I’d hoped Elizabeth would change her mind—that she’d realize how crazy this was. But she hadn’t. I had to find a way out of this. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life killing people. I didn’t want to kill anyone, let alone the magnitudes I’m sure she’d eventually demand.
Ryker tightened his grip on my shoulder to the point of bruising. It was like he could sense me spiraling. The ache grounded me slightly, pulling me from my desperate, racing thoughts.
“Can I go now?” I asked through my teeth.
“Of course,” Elizabeth purred. She stood and grabbed my hand, pulling me up to stand before her. I tried to wrench my hand back on instinct, but her fingers crushed mine like an iron vice. I winced, barely holding back my whimper as my bones protested. “Remember, Clara-dear… one soul a week. Fail to deliver, and consider the life of your loved ones forfeit.”
My whole body shook. “I know,” I ground out. Tears burned the back of my eyes, but still Elizabeth gripped harder.
The princess smiled. “Good girl.”
Finally, she released my hand. I gasped in relief, and took a step back, nearly toppling back onto the sofa. Ryker seized my elbow to steady me as Elizabeth took her leave.
“See you soon, Clara-dear!” Elizabeth singsonged from down the hall.
I ground my teeth, glaring murder at her retreating form. I’d never wanted to kill someone before, but the rage licking up my throat and clogging my airways made me tempted to go Demon Bitch Mode right here and now. Maybe I could get in a killing blow before Zane stopped me. But with a glance at his stoic face, I doubted it. His well-toned body was decorated in knives. I’d be no match for him, and I’d be putting Ryker at risk.
“Clara,” Ryker whispered softly.
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. I had to keep myself under control. I couldn’t risk Elizabeth coming after anyone I cared about. “Let’s go,” I said, barely getting the words out.
Ryker nodded solemnly. He led the way, his hand firm on my elbow. I focused on his cold fingers, which slowly warmed the longer he touched me.
I glanced back to find Zane following. Now that Elizabeth was out of sight, he had fire in his eyes. His intense glare and deepening scowl told me all I needed to know. He hated me, and from his earlier scoff, he definitely thought Elizabeth was being too lenient.
I looked away. Let him hate me all he wanted. This was no one’s fault but Elizabeth’s. And one day, I was going to make her pay for it.
Chapter 6
I sat in the passenger seat of Ryker’s car staring out the window without actually seeing anything. We’d come to a stop a while ago, probably in front of my apartment, but I didn’t bother to look around and see where we were. I felt numb, my whole body cold and lifeless. How could I do this? How could I kill people just because some bitch demanded I do it?
My fists shook in my lap. I’d never been so frustrated in my entire life.
“Clara. We’re here,” Ryker said. He laid a gentle hand on my knee.
I closed my eyes and began counting to ten. I took deep, even breaths with every number until finally, I reached zero.
One step at a time, Clara, I told myself.
First. I had to get out of this car. Then I could return to my apartment, lock myself in my room, and ball my fucking eyes out. Because I damn well deserved it after this stressful day, and I wasn’t going to let Zane’s presence deter me from doing what I needed to.
When I opened my eyes, I looked out the windshield to find my building directly in front of us. I sighed through my nose, and opened the car door. Two minutes and I’d be in bed. Two minutes and I could pour out my soul into my pillows.
Car doors shut behind me as I made a beeline for the front door of my building. Ryker’s familiar steps followed until he stepped in front of me slightly, grabbing the door handle to allow me in first.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I passed through.
As we climbed the stairs to the third floor, I realized I couldn’t hear a third set of footsteps. I glanced back, but sure enough Zane followed a few stairs down, his gaze as black as ever.
I wanted him to disappear—for all of this to go away so I could go back to a normal life with my family and friends. I didn’t want to be a demon. I didn’t want any of this.
Turning back around, I stomped my way up to the third floor. When I finally saw the crooked 3B on my door, I wanted to sag onto the floor in relief. Only a few more steps and I’d be in blissful solitude.
I grabbed my keys, struggling for a moment to open the door with my hands shaking so hard. Part of me wanted to let Ryker in, and then insist Zane stay outside. But the consequences of disobeying Elizabeth were too great.
Against my better judgment, I left the door open behind me and went straight for my bedroom, dumping my purse on the kitchen counter on the way.
“You’re back!” Ky leapt up from the living room sofa, flying at me in an open-armed hug. I yelped as the massive man encircled me with his arms, his momentum slamming us both against the wall.
My heart pounded hard as I stared up into mischievous emerald eyes.
“Welcome back, Master,” Ky said on a grin.
I banged my head back against the wall and groaned. Not this again. “I forgot you were here.”
Ky gasped in mock offense. “Master, I’m hurt.”
I ground my teeth. “Please for the love of god, stop calling me that.”
“Get off of her,” Ryker growled. He grabbed the back of Ky’s shirt and yanked him away from me, nearly throwing the cat shifter across the room.
Ky had apparently found some clothes because he was no longer only wearing a towel. He looked good in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt. The clothes looked vaguely familiar, making me wonder if he’d pilfered them from one of my neighbors.
Not deterred by Ryker’s impressive show of strength, Ky smirked at the vampire and stepped closer once again. “A servant should always greet his master properly.”
Ryker snorted. “So you’re going to suffocate her every time she enters a room?”
Ky shot me a devious grin. “Maybe.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe they were making me deal with this right now.
“And who is this?” Ky blinked in surprise at my Reaper shadow.
I followed his gaze, looking over my shoulder to find Zane standing awkwardly in the center of the kitchen. His eyes roamed my Batman themed toaster and eclectic prints of New York City on the far wall.
“My new babysitter,” I deadpanned.
Ky raised an eyebrow. “Babysitter?” He looked me up and down. “You’re not like any child I’ve ever seen.”
Ryker chuckled under his breath. “No, she certainly isn’t.”
I sighed and returned to the kitchen, closing the front door, which had been so carelessly left open. Did Zane have any manners? “You can come in, I guess.” Well, maybe I didn’t have the best manners either, but he wasn’t exactly a welcomed guest.
Zane barely acknowledged me with a glance before drifting through the kitchen doorway and into the living room. He looked around in silence, not making a sound as he took everything in. When he was done with the living room, he checked the hall closet, the linen closet, the bathroom, and then made a move for my bedroom.
“No way!” I raced in front of my bedroom door, pressing myself up against it like I could stop him from entering if he really wanted to get inside. “My room is off limits.” I looked around the room, which had seemed so large for just a single girl living in New York, but now felt tiny with three massive men inside it. “That goes for all of you
.”
Zane leveled me a steady look—one that said he was both irritated and unimpressed. I had a feeling he’d march inside the second I left the room.
“I mean it.” I narrowed my eyes at him, meeting his look with one of my own. “I need my own space to deal with all of this shit, and if you’re going to stay here, we’re going to need some boundaries.”
“What kind of boundaries?” Zane asked, his voice far deeper and sexier than it had any business being.
“Like… my room. Off limits.” I looked around the apartment. “You can sleep on the couch. We’ll share the bathroom, but you can buy your own food. We’ll figure out an arrangement for the fridge and cupboards later.”
Zane snorted. “Food? Human food?”
I blanched. Shit. I totally forgot about Ryker’s surprise that I still needed human food. So did that mean demons only ate flesh and blood? “Yeah,” I said. “If you want. You don’t need to.”
The corner of Zane’s lips twitched like he might smile, but the grin never fully formed. “All right. Then I’ll set some rules of my own.”
I scoffed. “This is my apartment. You have no business setting rules in my home.”
Zane raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes boring into me so harshly I barely resisted flinching. “We’ll train once a day just as the princess demands.” He spat the word princess like a curse.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. Did he dislike Elizabeth?
“We’ll start at eight a.m. sharp. You’ll do everything I ask you to—without argument,” Zane continued.
“Okay, hold up,” Ky said, holding his hands up. “What the hell is going on? Who is this guy?”
Slowly, Zane’s gaze shifted to Ky, who stiffened at the look on Zane’s face. No one said a word for a long, tense minute. “Zane,” the Reaper said.
Wait. Is he introducing himself? He hasn’t even given me that courtesy.
“Ky…” the cat shifter said, confused.
“I told you I was a demon, didn’t I?” I raised an eyebrow at Ky. Frankly, so much had happened in the last few days that I could have just dreamed the encounter for all I knew.
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