Reap & Redeem (22 page)

“You might not be a reaper, Nate, but Grim thinks you have special potential, and he has a specific job in mind for you. If you agree, you’ll be included as well.

“Ruth is pregnant, so she’s not under consideration to join the Authority at this time, but she’s agreed to house everyone here. Are there questions?”

“When do we start?” The others were nodding their agreement.

“What is your name, reaper?” Deacon asked, pointing at one of them.

“Raguel. They call me Ragu…’cause I’m saucy.” Someone chuckled in the crowd.

“Welcome aboard, Ragu. The rest of you might as well introduce yourselves before we head to Purgatory. You?” Deacon pointed to the reaper farthest left.

“Ouriel.”

One by one, he pointed to each reaper, and they stepped forward. “Dardariel.”

“Zachriel.”

“Samkiel.”

“Leo.”

Kylen shot Deacon a look. “Did you know that all the new guys were named after angels?” he asked under his breath.

“Not until now.”

“What the hell do you think that means?” Kylen asked, taking a hard look at each of them.

“Means they’ve got a lot to live up to.” Deacon walked back to Ruth and Olivia, who were still lingering in the doorway to the bedroom. He pulled Ruth aside and whispered in her ear before giving her a quick kiss. Kylen’s feet were still firmly planted. The flesh was willing, but the withering look Olivia sent him gave him pause.

“Maeve, you’re going with us,” Deacon said. “Olivia, I’d like for you to stay here if that’s okay. I don’t like the idea of Ruth being alone.”

Ruth rolled her eyes at him, but then gave Olivia a big smile.

Kylen thought he detected a ghost of a smile cross Maeve’s face as well, but it was gone before it manifested.

Deacon nodded to Kylen. “You ready?”

Kylen took one last look at Olivia, searching her face for a sign that she was truly all right. She gave him nothing in return. Torn, he answered. “Yes.”

Deacon flashed them all to Purgatory, leaving Olivia alone with Ruth, protected only by magic.

* * *

Kylen, Deacon and Nate stood in Rashnu’s private chambers in Purgatory while the other reapers waited outside the closed door for their own special instructions. Grim shone resplendent before them, hovering above the floor, his robes trailing like a bridal train, his wings stretched out behind him, spreading from wall to wall. Kylen stared in wonder at the Seraph, a reaper myth come to life. For all the wonders and horrors he’d seen in his two hundred years, this was somehow the most shocking. Grim was the closest creature to the One True Light—to God—he’d ever seen with his own eyes, and was proof positive that for every evil essence there was an equal good to balance it. He’d never really believed that to be true until this moment.

Kylen watched Nate’s mouth fall open as he also took in the otherworldly appearance of Grim and the chamber. If this was unlike anything Kylen had ever seen before, he could only imagine how shocked Nate must be. Olivia’s apartment had been a Victorian Gothic explosion, but this? This was a gold-plated, bedazzled Hell all its own. Every surface was covered with some sort of gold, fabric or glitter, except for the white-washed walls and the chandelier, which seemed to be composed entirely of diamonds.

It was nauseating. And surprising.

He’d never been past the depot, which was far starker in its decor.

“Welcome.” Rashnu worked behind the bar, pouring two dark red drinks into shot glasses before placing them on the countertop.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve poured this particular vintage, old friend.” Grim said, folding his wings tightly behind him. He glided across the room to join the men at the bar. He directed his question first toward Deacon.

“You are prepared to lead this force?”

“You know I am,” Deacon said.

“And you?” Grim asked Kylen. “Are you ready to forsake your ties to darkness? To accept this high calling?”

Kylen hesitated. Pledging his allegiance would tether him to yet another master. After all that had happened with Deacon, with Olivia and now the portal opening. Was there even really a choice for him anymore?

“Your answer, Kylen?” Grim repeated.

Kylen shook his head to clear his rambling thoughts. “Yes.”

Grim bore his gaze down on Kylen, seemingly penetrating through to his very soul. Kylen felt a warmth blossom inside his chest. He took a step back from the Seraph, and then held his ground. “Yes,” he repeated.

Grim nodded and gestured toward the shot glasses. “Very well. This glass contains the blood of Christ. Not the metaphoric blood of Christ, but the
actual
blood of Christ from his time on Earth in human form. By taking this communion, you will be making an oath to serve against the forces of evil for the remainder of your days. It is no guarantee against suffering, only a promise that if you serve to the best of your ability, you will be rewarded. As you work to eliminate the demons, I shall strive to destroy their source. The One True Light has sanctioned this Authority of Powers to restore the balance of good by all means necessary. Each who drinks of Christ’s blood shall from this day forth be endowed with the power to destroy evil in its true form, to travel to and from Purgatory without carrying a soul, and to navigate the earthly realm at will without the limitation of consecrated ground. Drink and go forth.”

Rashnu pushed the glass toward Kylen. Taking hold of it, he stared down into its mesmerizing red swirl. Finally, he raised it in salute then downed the contents. Kylen expected fireworks or some physical sign of their compact, but all he experienced was the unusual copper taste at the back of his throat.

“That’s it?” Kylen asked, a little disappointed with the whole thing.

“Do not be so eager for the dramatic. You will be partnered with Deacon. Drama enough for you both, I’m sure. Each reaper pair will have complementary abilities. Together you will be a force to be reckoned with as time reveals new challenges…and abilities.”

Grim turned to Nate. “Nate, the Force will need a tracker other than Kylen to help them find the demons. While it’s true that you do not appear to be a reaper, you already possess some special abilities according to Deacon. I’m officially pairing you with Maeve, although you’ll each have separate mandates for now. Don’t wait for her to get started. I think you can be of great and immediate service to the cause, and I believe this will help you.”

A low growl emanated from behind them, causing the men to swivel around. In front of them stood a jet-black dog the size of a small pony. Its ebony coat shimmered in the supernatural light of the chamber and its square head was as high as the men’s elbows. Strings of silvery drool dripped from the beast’s jowls.

“Nate, meet Bocephus, a hellhound. He’s especially adept at finding demons. Eats them for lunch, so to speak. I leave him in your charge.” The dog loped over to Nate’s side, and then sat obediently at his feet.

Nate reached out tentatively to pat the beast’s head, only to receive a sloppy lick that left a string of sticky drool trailing from his hand.

“Wonderful. I knew you two would get along.”

“Now we must speak to the rest of the Authority Force. Go. Rashnu will send the others back soon so that we can finish what has been begun.”

Grim placed a glowing white hand on top of Nate and Bocephus’s heads and Kylen watched as they vanished from the chamber. The Seraph approached Deacon and Kylen next. When he touched them, Kylen felt power surge through him as he was ripped through space and time. He landed back in Ruth’s living room with Deacon at his side.

“What happened?” Ruth asked, rushing to Deacon’s side. “And where did he come from?” Ruth looked at the dog in amazement as she wrapped her arms around Deacon’s waist.

“We were initiated. Grim told us to take the hellhound and get to work.”

“A hellhound?”

“Apparently it’s more of a demon bloodhound. Nate’s got dog duty.” Deacon grinned. “And Maeve, too.”

“What does that mean, Nate?” Ruth asked.

“It means that I have a pet who’s happy to see me.” Nate scratched the dog behind the ear and it thumped its tail on the hardwood floor like a drumroll. “And a partner who’ll be less so, I’m afraid.”

“We need to get going.” Deacon said, kissing the top of Ruth’s head.

“Already?” Ruth snuggled closer.

“Yes.”

Sensing her presence before he saw her, Kylen turned as Olivia emerged from the bathroom, her hair wet from showering. Her cheeks were still pink from the hot water, and his heart contracted inside his chest.

She was a weakness he couldn’t afford.

“The others should be back anytime. Kylen, Nate, get your stuff together. We’ll meet back here and head out as soon as they arrive.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Kylen could feel Olivia’s eyes bore into his back as she followed him to his trailer. His emotions battled within him. He was about to get exactly what he wanted—the chance to kill demons with impunity, but the thought of leaving Olivia alone filled him with a dread that was far worse than anything Camael could do to him.

She was fragile. And dying.

What if she died while he was gone? Somehow his energy had helped sustain her but who knew for how long? He couldn’t stand the thought of being responsible for another’s life.

He opened the trailer door and stepped inside, knowing she would follow him.

Heading for the top bunk, he rifled through his weapons, obtusely ignoring the unspoken tension between them until it was finally broken.

“What is wrong with you, Kylen?”

Dear God. Wasn’t that ever the question of the hour?

“Nothing.”

“Then talk to me. Are you going to continue to ignore what happened between us?”

“Yes.”

She moved toward him, and he could feel her energy behind him. Still, he was paralyzed; he couldn’t turn and face her. He didn’t want the reminder of everything he couldn’t have.

When she reached forward and touched his shoulder, he closed his eyes in surrender. If her touch alone could reduce him to a withered shell of angst, what would her imminent death do to him? He couldn’t, wouldn’t deal with that inescapable reality.

“Please, Kylen. Tell me what’s wrong. Is it me?”

His heart tore in two.

Yes. No.

“It’s complicated.”

“Then explain it to me. I’m a smart girl.”

Kylen nodded. He couldn’t deny her the truth. She deserved to know that his confusion and indecision was his alone. But when he opened his mouth to speak, the words stuck in his throat.

Olivia slid around him and stood between him and the bunk full of weapons, forcing him to look at her. Her hand grazed the side of his face, brushing down his growing stubble, and his face turned into her touch without his permission. He was like a drowning man clinging to safety.

“Have I done something wrong? Hurt you somehow? Are you repelled because I’m dying?”

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” he said heatedly.

“Then what? I won’t let you leave with this hanging between us. What if this is the last time I ever see you? I don’t want it to end like this.”

Dread slid through Kylen’s stomach. “Don’t say that. You have plenty of time.”

“I don’t, Kylen. That’s why it’s time for some hard truths. What’s tormenting you?”

“Everything.”

“What’s tormenting you at this moment?”

“I can’t lose another lover.”

“You’ve lost others? Who? When?”

Olivia slid her hands up his chest, creating a trail of blue sparks, and wrapped them behind his neck, cradling his head in her hands. He broke under her tenderness. “Kara.”

“Tell me about Kara.”

The floodgates opened, and before he could stop himself, the words spilled from him in a torrent. He was at once relieved and terrified to unleash his most private pain to her. It was the most he’d spoken in a century.

She would be his undoing.

When he finally ran out of words and stood quietly before her, his soul bared, he closed his eyes against the look of pity he was sure to see on her face. After a moment, her lips pressed to his, and relief and regret spilled from him in equal measure. His body was greedy for her again, but there was no time for that now. There might never be again.

And that was the worst pity of all.

“Thank you, Kylen. I know what it’s like to lose the people you love. It’s never easy. Even though you know Kara’s in Heaven, it doesn’t make it any easier. You still never got to properly say goodbye. I’ve suffered from loss, too. Not a lover, but my parents. Now that I’ve met you guys, I do believe they’re in a better place. A place without suffering, pain or even loss. Have faith, Kylen. Faith that we can all be with our loved ones again one day. I do.”

“I’m not worthy of that reward.”

Olivia forced his face to his. “Why would you say that? You are an Authority now, yes? Would they allow you to pledge yourself if you weren’t worthy?”

He was silent for a long moment and then finally said, “I don’t know.”

“Of course not. Somehow you have given me more time, which has been an amazing gift, but you don’t have to feel responsible for me. I was dying before we ever met. It’s my fate. I’m at peace with it. There is good in you, Kylen. Reach for it. Hold on to it. Cherish it. Keep your faith, and you’ll keep your loved ones forever.” Olivia stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead. “And ever.” She kissed his lips next.

Kylen crushed her against him, kissing her with a ferocity that scared him to the core.

He needed her.

And it might just kill them both.

* * *

“I’ll be back soon,” Kylen whispered into Olivia’s hair as they walked back into the house. The newest reapers had returned and were gathered in the living area. He knew he would have to leave her soon. It still hurt.

“I know. I’ll be here,” she promised.

“Let’s do this thing. It’s time to start killing some demons.” Deacon stepped out of Ruth’s arms. “If we get separated, we’ll all meet back here at dawn. Stay inside the circle, Ruth. No matter what.”

Ruth crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes in defiance. She wasn’t the type of woman who liked to give an inch. It was something Kylen admired about her. Deacon gave her a hard look. “Promise me.”