A Shade of Vampire 73: A Search for Death

by Forrest, Bella

  “Not so much in the hands of others,” Kill replied. “Some creatures are gifted enough to be able to wield one, but that is more theory than fact because, despite the many scythes lost by Reapers-turned-ghouls over the ages, no one seems to have come across one. Not that I know of, anyway.”

  I knew of one now. Taeral. Well, Taeral and his crew. They had Yamani’s scythe.

  “Back to your question. Thieron was the name of Death’s scythe,” Kill continued. He paused, anticipating Herbert’s gasp of surprise, which didn’t come out as dramatic as Kill might’ve hoped for. He even seemed a little disappointed. “Death’s scythe is the first scythe, the original. It is an extension of her power. Without it, her abilities are reduced, from what I’m told. Which is why we ghouls can walk these worlds like nobody’s business.”

  The information was new and shocking to both Herbert and me. A few questions I’d had in the past had gotten their answer just now. “I’d often wondered why she didn’t just kill us, since we’re repeatedly referred to as unnatural abominations,” Herbert said thoughtfully.

  “We’re fast and slippery,” Kill said. “And Death doesn’t have the kind of sprawling omniscience she used to boast. And her Reapers are obviously a little too busy reaping to bother hunting all of us down.”

  “What happened to Thieron? I assume she doesn’t have it anymore?” Herbert asked, following up on Kill’s statements. It was a reasonable assumption.

  “Well, the word is that one of those ancient Hermessi—you know, the ones who started the first ritual—the word is that one of them managed to steal Thieron from Death, somehow,” Kill replied.

  Herbert and I were understandably baffled. “What?”

  Kill nodded, delightfully amused. “I have no idea how that happened, but it did. Death transferred a significant amount of her power into Thieron, long before the Hermessi even cooked up their ritual, and no one knows why she did it to begin with. Point is, one Hermessi saw an opportunity, and they took it.”

  I now understood why Herbert had considered this detour necessary. This was an incredible development, and I was already even more eager to return to my body, so I could reach out to GASP and tell them everything I’d just learned.

  “That’s amazing,” Herbert managed. “A little disappointing, coming from Death, but…”

  “Oh, don’t hold it against her.” Kill laughed. “I think stopping the ritual wore her out enough to make her momentarily vulnerable. I only know what I heard from other Reapers before I dropped out, and from other, older ghouls.”

  “Would you know where Thieron might be?” Herbert asked.

  Kill thought about it for a moment. He took a deep breath and flashed across the twenty yards of white dust that had separated us until now. Before Herbert could react, Kill was right in front of us, taking deep breaths as a hungry smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

  “I wonder, Herbert. Are you asking for me or for that soul you’re hiding inside you?” Kill shot back, his tone cold and sharp and spelling all kinds of doom.

  Herbert was paralyzed by what I could feel as genuine fear. Original ghouls were faster and stronger than devolved ghouls. Kill’s crew came down from the tall rocks on which they’d been sitting. With light steps, they made their way toward us.

  Terror gripped me. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” Herbert said.

  “Don’t insult my intelligence or my instincts, Herbert,” Kill replied. “I could sniff that soul from twenty yards away, and I’ve spent the past five minutes wondering why you’d carry one inside you without eating it, given your condition.”

  He reached a hand out, black claws itching to find me. Herbert moved back. His leg muscles, as wiry as they were, had turned to rocks, his entire body ready to spring to action and defend me.

  “Right now, I am inches from it, Herbert, and it smells so good. I can only think of one reason why it’s here, intact, and not coursing through your flimsy veins,” Kill continued, a look of determination settling on his face. “That deal you made with your warlock. It had to involve carting this soul somewhere. Correct me if I’m wrong.”

  I’m afraid we’re in a pinch of trouble, Herbert thought.

  You don’t say.

  The other ghouls had reached Kill. We now had eight of them to deal with. If they took Herbert down, they would crack him open, pull me out, and eat me. My body was so close, it hurt me to even think that I might die here, before my time. My biggest concern now was not finding an answer to one of my more dangerous questions: Exactly what were the differences between the Nevertide original ghouls, such as my ancestor Hellswan, and Kill’s crew? The answer could dictate our survival.

  They’re not to be trifled with, Herbert said to me, internally. That didn’t make me feel any better. It just amplified the fear creeping through me like tendrils of ice water.

  All I could think of was ways to get us out of here in one piece, but I knew little about the original ghouls—certainly not enough to save me. The only creature who could do something here was Herbert, and he was temporarily frozen by fear. Quite the pinch of trouble…

  Taeral

  I couldn’t get that Reaper’s thinly veiled warning out of my head. “You’re not safe here, you know,” he’d said. As we continued our trek through the seemingly endless forest, his words echoed on an irritating loop. I’d failed to get more out of him, but Raphael had made a fair point—surely, we’d find another Reaper in these parts, one whom we could maybe get to help us.

  We still didn’t know where we were, but we had a faint understanding of how Yamani’s scythe worked, along with the fact that all these wandering souls I could still see were being “herded,” probably by more than that one Reaper, because of a “mess” that Death had made. It wasn’t nearly as much as we’d have liked to know, but it beat total ignorance.

  Word had come in from Calliope via Telluris. We’d learned about Harper’s impending return via Herbert, and the fact that Varga and his crew were currently on their way to Mortis. Thanks to Herbert’s memories, Ibrahim had been able to give them an accurate location. My only hope was that they’d make it there in one piece, since they were traveling with a “blind” interplanetary spell, without an item from their destination.

  “You look worried,” Eira said to me. I led the group, with her by my side.

  “There’s just a lot to process and think about,” I replied.

  Amelia, Raphael, and Lumi were right behind us, following up on what we’d heard from GASP about Harper and the others. I’d stayed silent for the most part, as I had possession of the scythe and could see souls watching us from nearby, on all sides.

  “About Varga’s team, you mean.” Eira sighed. “I know, I’m concerned about them, too.”

  “Technically speaking, we shouldn’t be, because they’ve got two full swamp witches with them, but… I don’t know, my experience tells me that we’re not going to get anything easily handed to us in this quest,” I said.

  She glanced around, frowning slightly. “You can still see them, right?”

  “Yeah. They’re quiet. Won’t dare approach us. I figure it’s only a matter of time before that Reaper I saw comes around again.”

  “We’ve been at this for a day, now. It’s night again,” she observed.

  Above, wherever the sprawling tree crowns allowed it, the starry sky unraveled. Somewhere to the northeast, a full moon was rising, its milky light spilling downward across the forest. Insects chirped from dark bushes, and predators prowled the area. None of them dared approach us, though. Their instincts had probably warned them to stay away.

  “He’ll show up again, I’m sure of it,” I said. “He’s got a job to do.”

  As if summoned by my ardent desire to confront him again, I could see the signs of his presence. I came to a sudden halt, causing the others to bump into me. Around us, the spirits were vanishing again. One after the other, they faded into the darkness of the woods.

  “What’s wr
ong?” Raphael whispered.

  “I think there’s a Reaper here,” I replied. Looking around, I couldn’t see anything suspicious on our level. However, about fifty yards ahead, at our ten o’clock, a cliff rose from the greenery, its top covered in wildflowers, and a stream poured down into a nearby river. We all heard the water rushing over the rounded stones.

  Eira followed my gaze. “What do you see?”

  At the top of the cliff, three dark figures stood. I didn’t have a clear view, but it was obvious that I was the only one seeing them. They weren’t moving, and I could feel them watching us. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up like spikes.

  “Everybody, link hands,” I said, settling the scythe in a thigh pocket, its blade out and glistening in the moonlight. I did appreciate its short handle, allowing me to move easily with it like this.

  Amelia gasped as soon as she touched me. “Holy moly, I can see them. Up there, on the cliff!”

  I’d asked for them to touch me so I could teleport them to where the three figures were, but I hadn’t expected them to be able to see them simply from physical contact with me. Even so, I welcomed the development.

  “So, touching someone with the scythe reveals Reapers,” Raphael concluded, his voice low. “But how come I can see them, too?” he asked. “I’m not touching you directly.”

  “It’s got to be some kind of transference,” Lumi suggested. “We’re all physically connected. I bet the scythe affects all who touch its handler, even through indirect contact.”

  “Mm-hm. Now, hold on,” I replied and zapped us all on top of the cliff.

  This time, however, the Reapers didn’t move. They simply turned around to face us. Curiously eyeing them, Lumi broke contact, no longer connected to my scythe. She smirked. “I think they’ve made themselves visible to us all. I can still see them.”

  “Who are you?” I asked them. “Why are you showing yourselves?”

  From up here, the night sky was even more beautiful, though as peculiar as the first time I’d laid eyes on it. The view itself was astonishing. Lanterns seemed to light up parts of the forest, lining snaking pathways that led in one direction. Miles away, where the glowing trails met, was a massive mountain with a flat top.

  On it, a majestic building had been erected, with pagoda-style modular roofs, put together like a mismatched puzzle. Waterfalls gushed from beneath it, on all sides, in clear and crystalline streams that stole some of the moonlight from above before they spilled into a ring-shaped pond that surrounded the mountain.

  “Those lights weren’t there before,” Eira mumbled.

  “And what is that place?” Amelia asked, unable to take her eyes off the waterfall building. We could see candlelight gleaming from inside, a soft sheen of amber that permeated what had to be thin, maybe paper walls. A chill slithered out of there, creeping through the woods, back down the illuminated paths, up this very cliff, climbing up my spine.

  “I didn’t think you’d be so reckless,” the blond-haired Reaper said. Those flanking him looked like copies of him—they had the same type of black-and-white tunic, the almond-shaped eyes. Only the hair was different, though they all wore it long and softly combed down their backs. The second Reaper had black hair, as black as a crow’s feather. The third was redheaded, a delicate scarlet cascade. All males, all cold and eyeing us with a mixture of contempt and curiosity.

  “We have nothing better to do,” I shot back, “since you won’t tell us where we are. So, who are you?”

  The red-haired Reaper spoke first. “I’m Wrik. This is Baethal,” he said, pointing a thumb at the blond one. “And this is Theoth.”

  “Okay. At least we have some names. Thank you,” I replied, giving him a polite nod. “It’s much appreciated.”

  Wrik grinned. “It’s common courtesy. You’ll have to forgive Baethal; he’s a little antisocial. He’s been out here for a long time. Why, it took quite an effort for him to tell us what he’d witnessed earlier in the woods. I think you rattled him.”

  “Though he’ll never admit it.” Theoth chuckled.

  They seemed more relaxed than Baethal, who was clearly uncomfortable and not at all eager to talk to us. Even so, despite his earlier evasive maneuvers, he didn’t go anywhere. On the contrary, they’d all revealed themselves to us. Based on our previous Reaper experiences, I had to ask:

  “What are you three doing here?”

  “That is not your concern,” Baethal shot back, scowling at me as if I’d just insulted him.

  “Baethal, my good friend, if you want to get rid of these people, you can at least tell them how to get out of here,” Wrik said to him.

  “Where are we, exactly?” Lumi asked. “Nobody wants to answer that basic question.”

  Wrik smiled, though I couldn’t consider it genuine. It was cold and necessary, not something meant to illustrate any kind of friendliness. With the little we knew about Reapers, to begin with, I doubted they were the buddy types. “You can go back through the pink waters, you know.”

  “Again, you’re dodging my question,” Lumi replied.

  “The pink waters will take you home, if you think of home,” Wrik continued, ignoring her.

  Amelia frowned. “We’re not sure where the pink waters might take us,” she said. “We don’t know how they work. The risk of getting stranded elsewhere is worse than being stuck here.”

  “Oh, but… Wait, you didn’t know.” Wrik chuckled. Theoth and Baethal seemed equally amused. “You had no idea, when you first jumped into that pink water, did you?”

  “I’m confused,” Amelia said.

  “The pink water reacts like a wormhole, but its destination is always in your hands. Whatever place crosses your mind, that’s where it will take you,” Wrik explained. “I can’t believe you just went in, without knowing where you would end up.”

  “How did we get to Hellym, the first time, then?” Raphael asked, looking at Amelia.

  “I… I have no idea. I didn’t know where it would… Oh, dear.” She paused, pressing her lips into a tight, straight line.

  “Go on,” Raphael urged, as Amelia sucked in a breath and let it out, ever so slowly.

  “I was thinking… I was, though just for a moment, thinking about possible destinations. Local destinations,” she said. “While we were swimming through that white space. But it was only a flicker, the briefest mention of Hellym in the back of my head, as I’d wondered whether the moons of Eritopia had pink water caves, too. Hellym’s name had been the first to come to mind. I didn’t even register that thought!”

  Wrik sighed. “The pink waters obviously did.”

  “It makes sense. Because while we were back down there, desperate to get as far away from Hellym as we could, I was thinking about finding Death,” Amelia said. She froze, her eyes bulging as she glanced at the three Reapers. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  The Reapers, however, didn’t look like they’d say much else. All three took out their scythes, prompting me to do the same with mine. “You should really go back to the pink water,” Theoth said. “Otherwise, we’ll make you leave, and you won’t like it.”

  Lumi scoffed. “You boys are playing a dangerous game here.”

  “You think you can take us, swamp witch?” Theoth shot back, pointing his scythe at her. “You haven’t danced with a Reaper, lady. You don’t know what it entails.”

  “What in the world is going on here?” I asked, more and more confused. The rapid exchange thus far had only left me more baffled. Why were the Reapers so adamant about driving us away, all of a sudden? Why had Baethal said that we weren’t safe here? Was it because of this particular moment, which he’d perhaps seen coming? Or was it because of the strangeness oozing out of the waterfall building?

  Lumi stepped forward. “What’s happening is that Amelia brought us to the right place without even realizing it. And now, these Reaper fellas think they can scare us away.”

  “We can do a lot more than that,” Wrik replied.

&n
bsp; I didn’t like the direction that this conversation was taking. It spelled danger and death, and not for the Reapers. We were the living ones. We were at risk. Glancing at Eira, I immediately thought of a way to get her as far from here as possible, before things escalated.

  “Wait, what did you just say about Amelia?” I croaked, suddenly aware of what Lumi had just said. It was as if my mind was finally functioning properly again. As if I’d been plucked out of a daze.

  “We’re on Mortis,” Lumi said. “Where Death lives.”

  “Snap…” Raphael managed, giving Amelia an appreciative smile. “Look at you, quite the explorer.”

  “I had no idea! I just wanted us to find Death and get this over with,” Amelia replied.

  “We’re not going to ask you again,” Baethal cut in. “You need to go. Now. You’re not welcome here.”

  Lumi moved to stand in front of me. She lit up white, like a star. The light was so powerful, so bright, that it caught the Reapers by surprise. We had no choice but to close our eyes, but I did hear the Reapers cursing. Then, silence followed, as the light faded.

  Seconds later, Lumi was back to normal, and the Reapers were gone.

  “What the hell?” I gasped. “Where’d they go?”

  Lumi gave me a brief glance over her shoulder. “They got the Word’s message?”

  “Whoa. That was you interacting with the Word?” Amelia asked her.

  The swamp witch nodded. “It just told me to let it out like that. It told me not to be afraid. I don’t know if it will do that again, but… I couldn’t not trust the Word, you know?”

  “It scared the Reapers away,” Eira said. “That’s… unbelievable.”

  “What’s even more unbelievable is that we’ve been on Mortis this whole time, and we had no idea,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “I cannot believe this!”

  A slew of expletives left my mouth as I moved away from the crew and walked over to where the Reapers had stood. The building continued to watch me, in its wordless away, from across the forest. The glowing paths seemed to be inviting me to tread them, beckoning me to go there.