Reaper's Fire

by Katherine Bogle

  “You’re lucky you got out alive,” Zane continued his tirade. “You’re not in control yet. You shouldn’t have—”

  “Shut the hell up!” Rose snapped. “Can’t you see the state she’s in? Now is not the time.”

  I glanced between Ryker, Zane and Rose, barely able to keep my eyes open. Ryker tucked my hair behind my other ear, his touch gentle. Zane looked between us. Finally, his gaze settled on the blood covering my neck, spilling down my chest and coating parts of my legs. Now that my demoness had returned to her cavern inside my mind, pain was pushing back. My throat ached and my jaw twinged every time I moved it. There had to be bruises marking my skin, and Zane took his time looking at each of them.

  “Clara,” he said on a breath, his eyebrows furrowing. His mask melted, and his fists clenched. He took a step towards me, and both Ryker and Rose stiffened. But the Reaper only leaned down to kiss my forehead, the feather kiss so gentle I barely felt it. “I’m sorry.” He turned on his heel and left my bedroom. I heard the front door shut, and his footsteps slowly faded.

  Rose sighed, her fingers brushing my arm. “I’m sorry, Clara.” Her hand trailed from my arm, up my shoulder to the unwounded side of my throat. “Let me help you.” Her touch disappeared and there was a soft pop before Ryker’s hand flashed out.

  “What is that?” he demanded. He held Rose’s wrist, a small glass bottle in her hand.

  “A magic tonic to help her heal,” Rose said. She yanked her wrist out of his grasp and uncapped the bottle.

  “A magic tonic?” Ky appeared at the end of the bed. He crouched, looking between us all with worried eyes. “Will it help the bruises and… everything else?”

  Rose nodded grimly. “Yes.”

  “Then do it,” Ky said. “What are you waiting for?”

  Rose smiled ruefully and faced me again. Ryker sat back, uncertainty in his eyes. I twitched my fingers atop the duvet, and reached feebly for his hand. My whole body hurt. I ached all over and my mind felt like a blanket of fog was descending upon it, calling me to darkness.

  Cold and then warmth brushed my neck, and then my jaw. The ache disappeared almost immediately, and I relaxed with a relieved sigh.

  “Sleep, Clara,” Rose whispered softly. “Let my magic do it’s work.”

  I hardly registered her words anymore. Darkness pulled me down, thickening around my eyelids until I closed them. I know I should be questioning what was going on. How did Rose have magic and what was she?

  But it didn’t seem as important as the all-consuming dark. So I let it take me, and slowly descended into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 24

  I stared at my phone, my contact list a blur through tired eyes. Despite having slept for hours, I was exhausted. Physically, I was fine. My jaw and neck no longer ached, and the throbbing in my shoulder had calmed. I was itchy with dried blood coating my skin, but couldn’t be bothered to crawl out of bed just yet.

  I had to talk to Gloria and Jamie. They deserved an explanation for all of this. But how was I supposed to face them after last night? They’d watched me kill three people. Sure, those people had been vampires trying to kill us, but still. They’d seen my demoness, and there was no going back from that.

  Sighing, I rolled onto my other side. My apartment was quiet despite the amount of people in it. I could still smell Rose’s delicious scent, and hear Ryker tapping on his phone. Ky purred softly in his sleep, curled up at the end of the bed. The only one missing was Zane. I vaguely remembered him leaving last night, but with everything still a blur I couldn’t remember if he said when he’d be coming back.

  My chest twinged unexpectedly. I wanted him to come back. Despite all the pain that was brought on by Elizabeth, and all the harsh words from my Reaper teacher, Zane had become part of my world. Even if he was an ass.

  Blinking the haze from my eyes, I focused on the group chat with my two best friends. I had to talk to them and make sure they were all right, even if they did hate me this morning.

  I hit dial and held the phone to my ear. My pulse spiked, and I heard movement from the other room. My fingers tightened on the phone as it buzzed in my ear. After the sixth ring, I moved my phone away. They weren’t going to answer. It was too soon. Maybe they needed more time before they could talk to me.

  “Hello?” Gloria’s voice tinkled from the phone and I sighed in relief.

  “G?” I said on a breath, pressing the screen back to my ear. “You answered.”

  Gloria chuffed softly. “Yeah, sorry, C. Just getting out of bed.”

  My eyes burned with relief and I blinked quickly to hold back unexpected tears. “Me too. Well, still in bed, but you know.”

  Gloria’s breathy laugh sent another blast of relief through me. “Oh I know. Last night was a, uh… night.”

  My stomach dropped. “G, I’m so sorry. I-I don’t know how to explain all of this over the phone.”

  “It’s okay,” Gloria sighed. “I think we need to talk.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes. She didn’t hate me. This was the best I could hope for right now. “I think so too. Have you talked to Jamie yet?”

  Gloria paused, her silence making my heart race. “Yeah. She’s still processing.”

  I swallowed thickly. “I need to explain everything to both of you. Do you think you could come over?”

  “Yeah, I can after lunch,” Gloria said. “I’ll try to convince Jamie to come, but no promises.”

  “That’s okay.” My chest clenched painfully. “Thank you.”

  “Talk soon, C.”

  “Talk soon.” The call ended with a beep and I dropped my phone onto the duvet. My pulse hammered in my ears as I stared at the end call screen.

  A soft rap came at the door, and I jumped, turning to see Ryker. He held up his hands defensively, a guilty look in his eyes.

  “Apologies,” Ryker said. “I just wanted to check in.”

  I sighed and leaned back against my pillows. “I’m okay.”

  “It sounds like your call went well.”

  “Better than I expected,” I admitted.

  A flash of orange fur caught my eye as Ky shifted and narrowed his eyes at me. I’d definitely woken him up when Ryker startled me.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  Ky stood and stretched before slipping languidly up the bed only to curl up against my side and close his eyes again. I smiled as his motorboat purr rumbled against me.

  “What will you tell your friends?” Ryker asked, his voice quiet. Maybe Rose was still asleep on the couch.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “The truth?”

  Ryker worked his jaw, his eyebrows furrowing with uncertainty. “Are you certain?”

  I sighed. “No. But they’ve seen me at my worst. I don’t know what else I could tell them.”

  Ryker stepped further into the room, avoiding my eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Did you know that vampires have the ability to glamor someone?”

  I blinked in surprise. “Like in the movies? You can make someone do something with your mind?”

  He winced. “Sort of.”

  “Wait.” My racing heart sped up. “You want to make them forget?”

  Ryker shook his head. “Only if it’s what you want.”

  I looked away from the handsome vampire, my mind suddenly racing. He could make Jamie and Gloria forget this ever happened. We could go back to normal. They’d never have to know what I was, or how easily I could kill a person. But if I did that, and they found out somehow, they’d never forgive me. Gloria seemed all right this morning, like she could handle it. Jamie might just take more time.

  Would it be fair to steal their memories if it meant protecting them from me?

  I closed my eyes and sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You don’t need to decide right now,” Ryker assured me. “If your conversation doesn’t go well, you’ll always have that option afterward.”

  I fiddled with my fingers and stared at the duvet. I h
ad no idea how our conversation would go, but even if it did go poorly, I don’t think I could take their memories like that.

  Ky’s purring ramped up with my anxiety, and I stroked his head mindlessly. At least it gave me some comfort. “I’ll think about it,” I said.

  Ryker nodded and stood, leaving the room, and me to my thoughts.

  I paced the length of the living room, my heart racing with every passing minute. Gloria said she was coming, and that she’d do her best to bring Jamie, but how would this conversation go? Despite how fine Gloria sounded, was she really okay with my demon side? I couldn’t imagine she would be. If I were in her shoes, I’d be freaking the fuck out.

  “Clara, you’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” Ryker said. His tone was breezy. He was trying to make light of the situation, but it didn’t calm my pounding heart or spinning mind.

  “Sorry,” I said absently. I stopped by the entrance to the kitchen, but the second my eyes landed on the front door I turned on my heel and began pacing again.

  Ryker sighed from his seat on one end of the sofa. I felt bad worrying them, but I couldn’t keep still. My entire body buzzed with nervous energy.

  While the vampire watched me with worried eyes and a furrowed brow, Ky seemed almost as anxious as me. He sat on the other side of the couch, his gaze following me back and forth. He tapped his foot obsessively, the sound grating my nerves, though his anxiety felt strangely in tune with mine.

  I suddenly missed Rose’s serene energy. She’d left soon after I woke up and wished me well with the girls, but her flower shop couldn’t run itself.

  A knock at the door made me jump. I spun to face it, cold sweat running down my spine. They were here. Soon I’d find out if our friendship was over, or if we could fix the mess I’d made.

  “Clara?” Ryker said, standing slowly.

  I swallowed the lump building in my throat and forged through the living room doorway. “Please keep hidden,” I called back softly before I reached the front door.

  Soft shuffling came from the living room as Ryker and Ky went to hide in my room. We’d discussed the plan before their arrival. The guys would stay hidden while I talked with my friends, and if anything went wrong, Ryker would be out in a flash.

  I stopped at the front door, my heart pounding in my ears. I don’t think I’d ever been so nervous in all my life. Here goes nothing. With one last deep breath, I opened the door.

  “Hey, C,” Gloria greeted, her usual smile plastered to her face.

  “Hey,” I said. My heart stuttered as I spied Jamie over Gloria’s shoulder. The tall woman had dark circles under her eyes and chewed on her lip nervously. Jamie’s gaze darted down the hall as if she was rethinking her decision to show up today. “Come in.”

  I took a step back, allowing Gloria to shuffle past into the kitchen. Jamie hesitated, her knuckles going white as she clutched her purse strap hard. “Hey, J.”

  Jamie met my gaze. Fear lurked in the widening of her eyes and the tick in her jaw. But when our eyes met, her grip on her purse softened slightly. I hoped she knew she could trust me. I was still me.

  “Hi,” Jamie said softly. Finally, she stepped inside, and followed Gloria to the kitchen table.

  I exhaled loudly. Relief was like a blast of cold water to my system. They’d both come to my apartment. Maybe this would all be okay. Maybe they’d accept this new, dangerous me. Closing the door, I turned on my heel and joined them in the breakfast nook.

  “Can I get either of you some tea?” I asked. I reached for the kettle, but they both shook their heads.

  “I’m good,” Jamie said.

  I lowered my hand and slowly sat down, all too aware of the distance Jamie kept between us. While Jamie seemed like a nervous deer about to bolt, Gloria acted like her usual self, if only a little worried.

  When no one spoke for several long seconds, I took that as my queue to begin the explanation. Only, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin. This was all new to me too.

  “So, uh,” I began brilliantly, “Last night… I don’t know where to begin.”

  Gloria smiled sympathetically. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, C?”

  The beginning? Somehow that felt like ages ago and just yesterday at the same time. “Well, you remember that party we went to outside of town a couple months ago?”

  Gloria nodded while Jamie’s eyebrows cinched in confusion. “I remember,” Gloria said. “I always thought that was… odd. I don’t remember why we decided to leave.”

  I sighed. “Well, that’s another can of worms in and of itself,” I chuckled humorlessly. “But that night I was drugged with blood. It’s the night I discovered I’m not totally human.” I swallowed, glancing back and forth between my two best friends.

  “What?” Gloria inhaled sharply. “Who would do that?”

  “My ex-coworker.” I shook my head at their confused looks. “This is all a long story. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Gloria assured me. She glanced between us, guilt clouding her eyes. What did Gloria have to feel guilty for? “Go on.”

  “Well, apparently Eli is actually Elizabeth, a deranged… person, who creates people like me,” I said. I didn’t think going into the whole heaven and hell thing was a great idea right now. This was confusing enough as is.

  “What do you mean she creates people like you?” Jamie asked. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

  I couldn’t blame her. Jamie was a very logical person and having all of this supernatural crap shoved in her face must be hard to handle. Maybe she thought the alcohol had just gotten to her last night and she was just waiting for the shoe to drop. I wished I could tell her that’s all it was. But telling her that would be a lie, and Jamie hated liars.

  “It’s difficult to explain,” I began. “I’m not entirely sure I understand it myself, but that… person you saw last night, she’s me, but not me. It’s like a demon taking over my body, like I can see and hear myself doing things, but I don’t have any control over myself.”

  Jamie worked her jaw back and forth, that same uncertain look in her eyes.

  “That makes sense,” Gloria said.

  I blinked in surprise. “It does?”

  Gloria’s lips twitched, that same guilty look in her eyes. “Sorry. I think I have something to confess myself before you go on.”

  Jamie stiffened, her eyes rounding.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I’ve never told anyone this before,” Gloria said on a little laugh. “Nana always raised me not to tell a soul.” She shook her head. “But I don’t think I can hide it anymore now that you’re part of the supernatural world too.”

  My eyes widened and my heart raced. What?

  “I’m a witch.” Gloria shrugged her narrow shoulders. “The Society of Supernaturals frowns upon telling humans about us, so I’ve always kept it a secret. I never thought you were anything other than human, C.”

  My mouth popped open. “Witches are real too?”

  Gloria laughed. “There’s a lot of strange things in this world.”

  “You’re telling me,” I mumbled.

  “I’m sorry for interrupting,” Gloria said. “But I want you guys to know now that you both know about this other part of the world.”

  I nodded slowly. “I get it. It’s been so hard not telling you guys about all of this.”

  Gloria chuckled. “I know the feeling. There have been so many times a spell would have fixed everything, but I couldn’t without revealing what I am.”

  “Me too,” I sighed. “I didn’t want to avoid either of you these last few weeks.” I looked between them, my heart hammering. Tears burned the back of my eyes, both relief and anxiety flooding me. Now that they knew, this opened up so many doors. Maybe I could tell them all about Elizabeth and get them to safety so I wouldn’t have to kill anymore. Maybe I could save them and my mom and myself. A bubble welled up inside my chest, pressing against my lungs. Words spilled out of me before I could st
op them. “I didn’t want you to see this… side of me. And now that I have to do these terrible things, I never wanted you to know. But maybe this is a good thing. And you’re a witch. Shit.”

  Gloria laughed as tears glazed her eyes as well. “Yes, I am.”

  “Maybe this will all work out. Maybe Elizabeth won’t win after all,” I gushed.

  The slam of the front door had me jumping to my feet. The table screeched as I banged against it. Zane tore inside the kitchen, his eyes wild.

  “Clara,” he growled. “What the hell are you thinking?” Zane grabbed my wrist and yanked me away from my best friends. I yelped, my heart racing as I stumbled forward. As soon as I was behind him, he grabbed a dagger from his hip and advanced on Gloria and Jamie.

  My heart leapt and my eyes bugged.

  “Zane! What the fuck are you doing?” I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, but he tore out of my grip.

  “They can’t know any of this. They’re human,” Zane growled. He raised his knife, the point aimed at Jamie.

  Hot rage flooded me as I reached for him again. “Don’t fucking touch them.”

  Jamie yelped as she backed into the wall, her hands shaking as she raised them to defend herself. Gloria took a step in front of our best friend, her brown eyes blazing as the scent of sweet spice licked the air.

  I didn’t have a second to wonder what the scent was as fire burned through my veins. I grabbed the back of Zane’s shirt and yanked back as hard as I could. He stumbled, thrown back nearly off of his feet.

  My demoness roared in the back of my mind. I pushed between Zane and my best friends, flicking my fingers out without forethought. As cold tickled my fingers, I realized too late what I was doing. I grabbed my scythe and tore it from the void. Only this time I pointed it at my teacher.

  Zane’s eyes widened slightly as he stared down the tip of my blade.

  “Get the fuck out,” I growled. My words lisped with my newly pointed teeth.

  Zane narrowed his eyes, getting over his shock. “Put it down, Clara.” He stepped forward, his dagger lowered slightly. His gaze darted over my shoulders at Jamie and Gloria.