A Reaper Made (3 page)

The “bar” Tully referred to was Luther’s, a well-known otherworldly operation frequented by the supernatural world. The only one of its kind, it catered to all those in our world, provided they could keep it civil. I’d only visited once, when I’d first become a Reaper, as Tully frowned upon too many visitations. Reapers couldn’t get drunk and didn’t really do crowds. It would look odd, perhaps even suspicious, if we visited too many times.
 

Tessa lit up at Tully’s request for her company. “Really?”

“Why can’t I go?” I asked with a pout.

Tully huffed. “I had assumed you’d be at the nursing home, but since you are here, you are more than welcome to accompany us.”
 

I brightened. “Oh, cool. Count me in.”

Tessa gave Tully a wary look. “Wait a second there, Reaper. Why do you need me?”
 

Tully shrugged. “I could use a witch.”
 

“Because?”
 

“Because it is good practice to watch thyself in such an establishment,” Tully replied, his tone clear that it would be the end of the discussion. “If you are otherwise occupied, I will understand.”
 

“No, it’s fine, I’ll go,” Tessa said quickly, shooting a look at me. Tully didn’t ask for favors, so the fact he might need a witch was strange enough to tag along.
 

“When do we leave?” I asked.
 

“Now,” he answered. Without another word, he disappeared from his spot, using his Reaper power to teleport to the parking lot outside the bar.
 

Tessa huffed at his manners and I gave her a knowing look. We said nothing, but gave each other a nod as she went into the back room where she would use magic to teleport. Tully and I could travel in an instant, but a solid-bodied witch didn’t have that type of power. She’d need to use her own version of a secret passageway.
 

I closed my eyes and thought of Luther’s, focusing on bringing my spirit into that spot. When I opened them again, Tully stood next to me, patiently waiting for Tessa to arrive. Barely a minute later, Tessa popped into existence, the glow of magic fading from her skin. She holstered her bag on her shoulder, the magical contents clinking with the movement.
 

“Okay, Reaper, lead the way,” she said to him.
 

Tully did as instructed and we followed him into the supernatural bar.
 

CHAPTER FOUR

We stepped into the establishment, navigating our way around tables and chairs to a booth in the back corner. With low lights and glowing red candles, my eyes had to adjust to the darkness. Tessa received a few hellos and whistles, while Tully ignored everyone, clearly on a mission. I wouldn’t know anyone here and instead kept right on Tully’s heels, eager to find out why he’d come.
 

The three of us sat at the scarred wooden table, Tessa and I sitting across from the Irish Reaper. Tully sat patiently, waving a hand at the waitress making rounds. The thin brunette came over to us, popping gum and looking as though she’d rather be anywhere but here.
 

“Yeah?” she asked.
 

“Whiskey,” Tully requested.
 

“And for you girls?” she asked in a bored voice.
 

“White Russian,” Tessa replied.
 

“Nothing for me, thanks,” I said.
 

The waitress raised a hand, waving it over our table. The requested beverages appeared in front of us and I blinked at the witchy waitress. Tully plunked down a few dollars stashed in his pocket. The waitress snatched them up and took off to her next customers.
 

“Where’d you get cash?” I asked in surprise.
 

He frowned at my question. “Not that it is any of your business, but occasionally Reapers are granted stipends upon request.”
 

I didn’t even know what that meant, but I could tell he wasn’t going to elaborate. My mouth twitched. “You know she took way more than was needed, right?”
 

Tully sighed. “American currency makes little sense to me.”
 

“So who are we meeting?” Tessa asked over her milky white drink.
 

“His name is Rhys and he’s a shifter,” he said.
 

Tessa’s upper lip curled back. “A shifter? What’s he want?”

I hid a smile. I knew from one of her previous relationships that shifters weren’t high on her list of favorite people.
 

“It’s what I want from him,” Tully said, tapping his finger against his whiskey glass. “I need some information.”
 

“On?”

“A hunch,” Tully said flatly. He turned his head to look for his expected companion.
 

Tessa’s face remained neutral, used to Tully’s mystery, but I couldn’t stand the suspense. I leaned forward to get his attention back on us.
 

“You know we’re going to find out, right? I mean, you invited us here, you might as well tell us why,” I said.
 

“All in good time, child,” he said, finally meeting my eyes. His thick fingers scratched at the wiry red beard on his face. “I’d rather explain it only once, if you can dare to be patient.”
 

I sat back in a huff, arms crossed over my chest. A flicker of a smile flashed across Tully’s face; he knew patience was not a virtue of mine.
 

“Do you sense any magic in here, Tessa?” Tully asked.
 

The witch took a deep breath, smelling the air. Her brown eyes floated from face to face, looking at their auras. After a long moment, she shook her head. “Nope, not besides a couple of the waitresses. Just the usual scoundrels and alcoholics.”
 

Tully sat back against the fake leather of his seat, satisfied for the time being. The three of us sat in silence and I took the opportunity to glance around.
 

Luther’s was dark and smoky, the shadows shifting as their owners got comfortable. Music played in the background while murmurs of conversation floated between the tables. Supernatural beings (supes) knew they were safe here; no dark magic or demons were allowed. Anyone else, however, was welcome to spend their money here, including the two vampires at the bar, a suspiciously hairy guy to the far right, and several others who appeared human but I knew would be anything but.
 

Inside Luther’s everyone got along, no matter how many of us went bump in the night. Tully said it was actually humans with their fairy tales and bedtime stories that made people think supes couldn’t get along. Like that old vampire versus werewolf stigma - provided they stuck to their own territories and didn’t attack each other, they had no beef. They were happy to ignore each other, while other supes got along just fine. We all knew that demons were the ones to fear.
 

A voice snapped me out of my people-watching. “Didn’t think you’d actually come, Tully.”

“Why is that?” Tully asked the tall shadow in front of us.
 

The voice became clearer as its owner stepped in front of us. “Reapers don’t spend a lot of time in bars.”
 

I looked up to see him standing at our table, a handsome man that had plenty of eyes following him to our table. The brown bomber jacket and navy henley shirt couldn’t hide his broad shoulders and chest. His dark hair fell in a neat sweep, trimmed on the sides and just tousled enough to be fashionable. Dark eyes flashed beneath his brows as he scanned the room over his shoulder. I was surprised at his good looks; most shifters chose not to stand out in crowds, instead choosing average and forgettable appearances. This guy would catch attention standing next to movie stars.
 

“Rhys,” Tully greeted him. “Have a seat.”
 

 
Rhys had already caught the waitress, a cold beer bottle in his left hand. He slid into the booth next to my mentor. He gave me a nod, but his eyes lingered on Tessa. “Hi there.”
 

She bobbed her head in greeting, more interested in the
why
than the
who
. “Hey.”
 

Rhys looked at Tully, motioning to Tessa. “How come you didn’t tell me about her?”
 

“I did,” Tully said, his reply short, “she is the witch.”
 

“Usually when they’re her age, they’re covered in warts,” Rhys said.
 

 
Tessa’s brown eyes narrowed over her drink. “Keep your comments to yourself and your tongue will stay in that shifty mouth.”
 

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, used to Tessa’s aggressive stance to strange men, supernatural or otherwise. Tessa had been around long enough not to trust just anyone, especially someone who could change their appearance at will. Rhys grinned at her, taking no offense at her statement. Talk about a heartthrob; his straight white teeth would’ve dazzled me had I been a living teenager.
 

“Thank you for meeting me here,” Tully said, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “If you don’t mind, I would like to dive right into why I needed to speak with you.”
 

“By all means,” Rhys said, his face becoming businesslike. “Did you bring what we discussed?”
 

Tully gave him a sharp nod, passed a blank yellow envelope to the shifter. I hadn’t even raised an eyebrow before Rhys slipped it into his inside jacket pocket. I didn’t miss Tessa’s nudge to my leg as we both wondered what was in that envelope. It wasn’t like Tully to make sketchy deals; doubt began to build in my chest. Tully didn’t see my worried expression.
 

“What did you find out?” Tully asked, his voice so low we had to lean in to hear him.
 

Rhys shifted so that his back was to the outside of the booth to prevent outside listeners. His eyes flicked to us and back to Tully.
 

“It’s what you suspected,” he said. “Souls aren’t passing over. Half the state’s been deposed of Reapers and no one’s got a clue as to where they went.”
 

A gasp escaped me; I hadn’t known what to expect but that certainly hadn’t been it. Tully shot me an annoyed look before turning back to Rhys. Tully looked, for lack of a better word, puzzled. I’d never seen his face so curious or lost.
 

“Are you certain? I have noticed there are more living than not as of late,” he said. “Souls are not crossing over the way they should.”
 

“Couldn’t that be an overpopulation problem?” I asked, my eyes going back and forth on the men. “You know, make more Reapers and solve the problem?”
 

Rhys shook his head. “My girl ‘H’ is a solid resource. Says there’s been rumblings of a magical entity, something outside of the usual stuff. Could be someone’s harnessing power.”
 

“Like who?” Tessa butted in.
 

“Dunno.” Rhys shrugged. His eyes twinkled as he smirked at her. “Maybe witches.”
 

She scoffed at the dig. “Or a greedy shifter.”
 

Rhys almost smiled at her return, clearly enjoying the dynamic. Tully stuck his hand in the middle of the table to get between them.

“Now, now,” Tully said, “if we had to guess, I would insist on the obvious choice of a demon.”
 

A shadow seemed to come over our table, our expressions sour at the mere word. No one liked demons. Both the witch and shifter paused long enough to consider the Reaper’s statement. When the silence continued, Tully nodded to his confidante.
 

“Thank you for your help, Rhys,” Tully said.
 

Rhys drained his beer bottle and nodded, slipping out of the booth. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me. Ladies, here’s my number if you need anything. Anything at all.”
 

He dropped a piece of paper across the table and gave us a nod. He snuck in a wink to Tessa, who rolled her eyes. I looked down at the table to prevent Tully seeing my grin. Rhys made his way to the exit, slipping out the door without another glance.
 

“So what’s the big deal exactly?” I asked. “Sounds like people are hanging on for dear life is all.”
 

Tully gave me his usual stern look, unamused by my joke. “We are leaving now. Tessa, will you meet us in that large hospital closest to your apartment? Intensive care floor?”

Tessa nodded and finished her drink, curiosity all over her delicate face. We walked outside and Tully immediately departed, disappearing from my eyes.
 

“What’s his problem?” I muttered.
 

Tessa half-shrugged. “Not sure yet, but sounds like he’s about to come clean. Meet you there.”
 

She pulled a glass vial from her pocket and threw it onto the concrete. It exploded and purple smoke clouded up; when it cleared, she was gone. The supes standing outside smoking didn’t even blink at her departure. I followed suit and reappeared next to both of them inside the ICU of the hospital six blocks from Tessa’s place. Lucky for our witch, no doctors or nurses were currently standing in the room. I looked to Tully, who jumped back into the conversation as though we hadn’t just leapt through time and space.
 

“I appreciate your patience. I had to confirm my suspicions,” he said.
 

“Suspicions about what?” I asked.
 

“That Reapers - and therefore souls - are in danger.”
 

Tully’s face grew more worried by the minute. He glanced around, checking on patients as they laid comatose in their beds.
 

“There shouldn’t be this many living,” he said, taking a look around.

I blinked in surprise, had assumed he and I were here now to guide a few souls. “That’s what we’re here for, right?”

He shook his head. “I mean there are too many souls crowded in here. No Reaper has been here to collect them.”