Dead Girl Walking (3 page)

“It's just after nine.”

“Where is here, exactly?” It looked like a way station to Hell.

“The asylum. Nestled in the southwest of Vera. We offer free room and board. Plus, I have a nice cozy office on the top floor.”

Ophelia knew of Vera. It was a large peaceful country just south of her homeland. They were mostly known for farming, a quiet culture without a king. She wasn’t privy to their innermost politics, but she knew an alliance between Vera and Casmerelda had been born nearly one hundred years ago.

“You expect me to stay here?” Could this day get any worse? Just yesterday she was at home in the warmth of the castle, studying with a tutor. Now, she was dead!

“Consider your payment to be retirement when you're done. For now, you live here at the asylum, or you bunk up like Violetta and Emblyn, in reaper housing.”

“I'll take the second option.” She didn't care who Violetta and Emblyn were. She could get along with anyone if it meant not living in the creepy asylum. Ophelia hesitated. She didn't even want to step foot inside.

“We don't have all day. They're waiting for us.” He unlocked the door and stepped inside, waiting for Ophelia to follow him.

“This is a new kind of hell. One for the living,” she said under her breath. Her eyes moved over the locked rooms and she followed closely behind Edon. “Is this really where crazy people go?” She'd heard of an asylum, but had never seen one, let alone stepped foot inside one.

“I wouldn't use that word around here.” Edon kept his voice barely above a whisper. “Just stick with me, and you'll be fine.” He unlocked the back stairwell and led her up to the third floor. “This way.” He gestured toward the end of the hallway, insisting she follow. He pulled out another key, unlocking the door to a small room. Papers were askew on a desk in the corner. A bookshelf perched against a wall, filled with hand-written texts. Ophelia wanted to reach out and touch the books. He had acquired more books than years she lived. Three giant windows offered light into the room. Ophelia stepped inside. It looked far less frightening than the outside of the building, or even the first floor. So, this was a grim reaper’s office.

Two girls waited on the sofa, talking quietly to one another. The closest one looked frightening, dressed all in black with black eyeliner and matching lipstick.

“Violetta Mercier, I'd like you to meet Ophelia Dacre.”

“Wow.” Violetta held out her hand. Ophelia hesitated before taking it. Apparently, she could interact with all grim reapers, just not the living. “So, it's true. The princess really is dead. Such a shame.” Violetta glanced back at the blonde girl. “Told you there wasn't another Ophelia Dacre.” She met Ophelia’s eyes again. “I was looking forward to you reigning over the kingdom. I guess this means your sister Mara will have some actual responsibility when she gets older.”

“Don't you dare talk about my sister!” Ophelia snapped.

“Or what?” Violetta grinned. “You can't do anything to me. I'm already dead, in case you've forgotten. So are you.”

Ophelia turned toward Edon, hoping he'd put an end to this discussion. He got the hint. “Violetta, Is this some part of initiation?” He gestured toward her dark eye makeup. “Try not to scare the poor girl on her first day.”

“Would I ever do that?” Violetta placed a hand over her heart. Did she have a pulse? Ophelia would find out soon enough. In her current form, she didn't breathe, and she couldn't eat. The only folks she could interact with were other reapers.

Edon ignored the question. “Emblyn Vernon, come over here,” Edon said and sighed. “Looks like the boys are late, again.”

Emblyn rolled her eyes and held out her hand. “It's nice to meet you.” She shot a look at Edon. “Now can we get out of here, please? This place always gives me the creeps.”

“Me too,” Violetta said.

“I'm coming with you.” Ophelia inched closer toward the two grim reapers. She had no intention of spending an additional minute in the asylum.

Violetta grinned. “You didn't tell her, Edon? The first week has to be spent at the asylum.”

“Wait! You're leaving me here, alone?” Ophelia was not spending the night in this place. She’d sooner sleep among spiders in a cellar.

Violetta smiled warmly. “Not alone. The groundskeeper is one of us.”

“I'm not worried. I'm terrified.” Ophelia doubted that the groundskeeper was the only soul on the property. She didn’t care whether they were living or undead; she didn’t want to spend a moment longer than necessary there. “Come on, you have to help me out. Please. Edon, you said I didn't have to stay here. I'd rather die than spend a night in this place.”

Violetta laughed. “Be careful what you wish for.”

Emblyn glanced at Violetta. “You’re cruel.”

The door squeaked and two boys entered the small room. “Sorry we're late.” The younger one said. He looked to be about sixteen. He had black hair, albeit slightly messy, but he was cute. The other boy was a few inches taller and brunette. Were they both reapers? Ophelia held her tongue.

Edon cleared his throat. “When are you two ever on time? Ophelia, I'd like you to meet Jasper Elers and Wynter Gael. They are the other half of our reaper team.”

Ophelia locked eyes on Wynter, he was the younger of the two. “Reaper team?” She was trying to keep track of everything but there was a lot to learn.

Jasper walked over to Violetta and handed her a single black rose. “For you.”

Violetta took the flower and rolled her eyes. “Your charm doesn't work on me.”

Ophelia could swear she saw a faint blush creeping onto Violetta's pale cheeks. Was he flirting with her?

Wynter held out his hand to Ophelia. “It's nice to meet you.”

Ophelia politely shook his hand and averted her gaze. She hated how everyone kept staring at her. It was different now that she was dead. She felt strange, like a part of her was missing.

Emblyn stood up and walked over, wrapping an arm around Ophelia's shoulder. “You're staying with us. Violetta was just messing with you. After you sign the contract and become a full-bodied reaper, we can go home.”

“A what?” Ophelia asked.

Jasper walked over to Ophelia. “You didn't think you'd still be Princess Ophelia, did you? Every neighboring kingdom knows who you are. The minute they saw you’re alive, it would change everything.”

“I'm confused.” Ophelia hoped someone would elaborate.

“Your soul stays intact, but the body you'll be in will be different.” Wynter reached for Ophelia's hand, resting it over his chest. “Do you feel that?” He had kind eyes and a warm smile.

Ophelia nodded. He had a steady heartbeat. “But you're dead?”

“We're undead, technically, but the human body can't sustain a soul without a working heart, lungs, you get the idea. We're not zombies. We're real people. We just have the ability to reap a person's soul when they die, so they can move on.”

“Oh,” Ophelia said.

“You're still confused,” Wynter guessed. “Let's start from the beginning. Every living thing dies: plants, animals, people. Our job is to keep those from suffering when they pass. Do you remember how you died?”

“I was murdered,” Ophelia said, disgusted.

“Yes, but did you feel it?” Wynter asked.

“No.” She hadn't thought about it earlier.

“That's right, because Edon reaped your soul. He released it from your body before the impact of what killed you. Sometimes it's murder. Other times it's suicide, an unfortunate accident, or disease. We deal in all types of death, because there isn't only one way people die.”

“How morbid,” Ophelia said.

“Consider it a service that we perform for the living,” Jasper said. “No one wants to feel pain when they die. We keep them from experiencing it. We also help them transition over to the other side.”

“What's on the other side?” Ophelia asked.

“No one knows. We've never been there. As reapers, we can't go. A few have tried, and no one quite knows where they end up. Our best guess—dead,” Edon said.

“Aren’t we already dead?” Ophelia didn’t understand how someone could die twice.

“Reapers are part of the undead. We’re not like the stories you’ve heard across cultures,” Edon said.

Violetta smiled. “We don’t ride on a chariot transporting souls to the underworld, or wear a black cloak, unless you want to make one.”

“Forget everything you know about grim reapers, Ophelia. Humans have it wrong. It’s easier to believe in angels and demons, than to see what’s right in front of you. Who wants to believe the undead walk among us with beating hearts? It would frighten humans. It would probably send many to their graves faster,” Edon said.

Ophelia was trying to keep track of everything. No visiting her family. She had to learn a new job—reaping. No stealing a ride with the dying.

“There's more. This is just a taste of the beginning. If you're going to agree to the full terms of the contract, you'll have to sign.” Edon pulled out a blank scroll. After a moment, words appeared on the page like magic. He handed Ophelia a pen. “Sign here, and you'll receive your new identity.”

“I won't be Princess Ophelia Dacre anymore?”

“You can be Leila,” Edon said. “I know that was the name you used with Larkin. But not Dacre. You will need a new surname. Leila Bele.”

Ophelia took the ink quell and signed the scroll. She watched the signature sparkle and sizzle before the writing vanished from the page.

Her fingers burned and her arms twitched. A spasm coursed through her body, causing her knees to buckle and she collapsed onto the wooden floor. Her chest hurt. She found it difficult to breathe. Wheezing she asked, “What’s happening to me?”

With flushed cheeks and sweaty hair, her head bent forward and her eyes shut. She felt as though she were dying all over again. A muffled voice answered her question. Whatever was said, she didn’t hear.

The erratic pounding in her chest slowed. Her ears rang, and she blinked twice waiting for her vision to come into focus.

Hesitantly, she stood and her head jerked toward Edon. Something felt different.
She
felt different. Her hand shot up to her cheek; the skin was smooth but her nose—smaller. She frowned, trying to understand what was happening to her.

“You’re one of us now. You’ve changed,” Edon said.

She felt alive again. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, her stomach in knots. “Changed, how?” A small part of her was afraid of the answer.

“You no longer look like Princess Ophelia.” Edon handed her the now blank scroll. “All contracts are binding. This one's yours. Violetta will follow you around for your first reap. Be punctual; death isn't late.” He opened the door and walked out of the room.

“Welcome to the family.” Wynter wrapped an arm around Leila's shoulder as they all rushed for the door. Apparently, no one wanted to spend another minute in the asylum.

The Mistake

Chapter 2

The ride back was much more uncomfortable now that Leila was in a physical body again. She rode on the back of a horse, holding onto Wynter. Violetta refused to share a ride, and Emblyn had tried to get on her own horse before being thrown off twice. Leila wasn't too keen on sharing a ride with her. She'd likely be eating dirt before they got to their house.

After three hours on horseback, Wynter slowed to a stop in front of a small gray cottage with a green door. “This is it.”

“Thanks for the ride.” Leila climbed off the horse and watched Emblyn and Violetta walk the horses around back. “Do we get paid for our services?”

“We’re provided room and board, along with a small stipend,” Wynter said. “It’ll take some getting used to, not living like royalty, but I imagine you’ll do fine.”

Leila chewed her bottom lip raw. Just because she was a princess didn’t mean she couldn’t live like a commoner. She decided it was best not to argue with him. She needed an ally. “Do you live around here?” She hoped it wasn't too far out of his way.

“We're neighbors.” He pointed toward a small hill. Leila could barely see a building, but nodded anyhow. “I live just over that hill with Jasper. I'm sure I'll see you around. If you need anything, don't be a stranger.”

“Thanks.” Leila watched as he rode off toward his home. She pulled out the scroll, relieved that it was still blank. She didn't have an assignment yet, but that didn't mean she wouldn't have one soon.

“What have you got there?” Violetta asked. She and Emblyn walked around to the front of the cottage.

“Just the scroll.” She showed it to them.

“Still blank. Consider it a good day.” Violetta unlocked the front door and led Leila inside. “Your room is the last door on the right.”

Leila quietly approached the bedroom. Opening the door, she poked her head inside. At least it was furnished. There was a bed nestled against the wall and a dresser on the opposite side of the room. She didn't have any clothes with her, other than the ones she wore. She'd have to find out if reapers were paid a stipend. Leila closed the door and walked into the hallway, stopping in front of a mirror. She didn't recognize her reflection.

“It takes some getting used to,” Violetta said. “No more curly hair. I'm surprised it's still red. I guess you got lucky. Or maybe not so lucky?” Violetta called for Emblyn. “Come here, grab the clippers!”

“What?” Leila's eyes widened in horror.

“Trust me.” Violetta waited for Emblyn to return with the scissors. She led Leila into the kitchen and pushed her down onto the chair. “Sit still. We're going to make you beautiful.”

Leila was terrified. Violetta was pretty, but she hid behind a mountain of darkness. Was she trying to reveal to the world that she was a reaper? Perhaps this was her way of sticking her middle finger up at the heavens and saying 'screw you for ending my life early.' Either way, Leila was nervous about Violetta cutting her hair. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the clippers beside her ear. It didn't take long. Violetta trimmed the ends and a little extra on the sides, then had Emblyn bring in a clip. Violetta twirled the hair at the back, pinning it up and out of Leila's face.

“I like it.” Violetta grinned. “Now we just have to do your makeup.”