The Reapers (The Hunted Series Book 1) Read online

  “What can I get for you two?” Beatrice strolled up to their table before Nivian had a chance to respond.

  Nivian startled at the interruption. She hadn’t noticed Beatrice walk up to them. The older woman smiled expectantly at her, pen and notepad ready.

  “Two cheeseburgers with fries and two sodas,” Kain said.

  Nivian turned to look out the window. What was she doing spending time with her mark like this? It was abnormal. Reapers didn’t hang out with their marks before they reaped them. The click of the woman’s heels as she left didn’t register in her mind.

  She could feel the weight of Kain’s eyes study her as she stared out the window. His gaze sent a blaze of heat through her body. She twisted in her seat, blocking his view of her with her hair.

  Beatrice brought their drinks and set them on the table, drawing Nivian out of her reverie. She hadn’t realized Bea had even left. They thanked her as she walked away to check on their food.

  “So about this Santa Claus.” Kain leaned forward on the table and crossed his arms. His eyes playfully sparkled with mischief.

  Nivian rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. “There is no such thing as a big, happy guy dressed in a red suit named Santa Claus.”

  She turned her head to once again look out the window. Kain followed her gaze. At that moment, an older scruffy man wearing a red sweatshirt and red sweatpants turned the corner and walked by the diner window. Their eyes followed him until he disappeared. Nivian watched, her mouth hanging open, while the world’s biggest grin broke out on Kain's face.

  Slowly Nivian turned to face Kain. Kain opened his mouth, but Nivian held up her index finger and cut him off. “No,” she said firmly before he could start.

  “But—,” he gestured with both hands in the direction the old man had walked.

  “That was not a Santa Claus. It was just some old guy in red sweatpants.”

  “You’re the one who’s trying to convince me of supernatural things. Or did you forget?” Kain reminded her.

  Nivian shook her head, unable to keep from smiling. “Santa Claus is magic, and magic isn’t real. Reapers aren’t magic.”

  Beatrice walked over to their table with their food and set down two large burgers, each surrounded by a mountain of fries and two new drinks. Kain thanked her, and she gave him a warm smile before walking off. He picked up the burger and took a big bite. Nivian looked down at the giant plate of food. She had never seen so much food at one time.

  “Did you put contacts in?” Kain asked between more large mouthfuls.

  “What are you talking about, hunter?” She dragged her eyes away from her pile of food, connecting with his.

  “Your eyes are amber now.”

  “No, I changed my eyes back at the laundromat…”

  “That sounds pretty creepy.” He gave her a grossed out look. “Do you keep spare eyeballs in your pocket or something?”

  Nivian rolled her eyes and shook her head. For a hunter, he didn’t seem to know much about reapers. Maybe he was just using it as a way to make fun of her. She narrowed her eyes. Or maybe it was a ploy to make her think he didn’t know anything, so he could catch her off guard after she brushed him off as an easy kill, then—BAM! He’d attack before she knew what hit her. Nivian leaned back in the booth and eyed him up and down.

  Nivian moved her food around and picked at it, not ready to try and eat it just yet. Meanwhile, Kain proceeded to inhale his food.

  “Aren’t you going to eat your food?” he asked, shoving several more fries into his mouth and gesturing to her plate with what remained of his burger.

  “I’ve… never had this,” she waved her hand at her food like it was a giant bug, “a, uh, cheeseburger before.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Kain said. His mouth dropped open to expose chewed up fries.

  “Gross, hunter.” Nivian grimaced.

  Kain blushed, snapping his mouth shut, quickly swallowing his food.

  “You’re killing me.” Kain put his food down and grabbed his chest, feigning a heart attack.

  “I am?” Nivian looked panicked. She wasn’t trying to reap him here! She still wanted to question him. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to!”

  Kain let out a deep belly laugh. “Calm down, it’s just a figure of speech.”

  “Oh.” Nivian looked down, heat burning her ears. She’d felt embarrassment a few times before. But the sheer number of times she’d brought it upon herself in the span a few hours by the things she had said and done, was a whole new level of humiliation. She was just grateful he didn’t call more attention to it.

  “Here,” he said, picking up a fry and handing it to her. “Just try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll eat your food for you.”

  Gingerly, she took the fry from him and bit into the offering. It was a little salty and soft. Not too bad, she thought, putting the remaining piece in her mouth. She wanted more. Picking up two at a time from her plate, she began eating them with more enthusiasm than she’d thought possible. Who knew human food could be this delicious?

  “Here, try this with it, you’ll love it,” Kain said, handing her a bottle of ketchup. She eyed him warily.

  He was right about the fries, so he is probably right about this too. Grabbing the bottle, she squeezed a little bit of the red paste on her plate. She searched her plate and picked up the smallest fry she saw, dipped it in and—eyeing him suspiciously—popped it into her mouth. The cold, tangy taste of the paste with the warm saltiness of the fry was like heaven. She closed her eyes as the flavors danced on her tongue. “Mmmm.”

  Nivian picked up the bottle again and squirted ketchup on her remaining fries. Shoving them into her mouth, she gradually increased the number of fries she ate with each bite.

  He laughed. “That good, huh?” Kain said, smiling at her and going back to his burger.

  Nivian nodded vigorously, continuing to stuff her face with fries. When she finished, she sat back in her seat and eyed his fries, licking her lips.

  “I see that look on your face,” Kain said. He dropped his arm in front of his plate to shield it from her eyes, bringing her attention from his food to his face. “You haven’t even touched your burger yet,” he pointed to it. “It’s even better than the fries. If you don’t agree, I’ll trade you the burger for my fries.”

  Nivian nodded, liking the sound of that deal. She picked it up and unceremoniously took as big of a bite as she could. She chewed slowly; her eyes grew large, and she tried to mumble to Kain around her food while pointing vigorously at her burger. Unsuccessful, she gave up and continued to chew, her eyes closed, enjoying the mixture of flavors bursting in her mouth.

  She swallowed, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, “That was the most amazing thing ever!”

  Kain

  Her excitement over eating a burger and fries brought a smile to his face. He was glad she was beginning to loosen up a bit and not be so uptight. She finished up her food and looked up at him, the tiniest bit of ketchup on the tip of her nose. He reached up and wiped it off. She crossed her eyes, rapidly blinking as she followed the movement of his hand.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed your food. I still can’t believe you’ve never had a burger and fries before.”

  Nivian shrugged.

  He studied her; at first glance she could be mistaken for just an average girl, but the way she moved was more graceful than any dancer he had ever seen. Her eyes were a little too round to be human. The shape of her nose—a little too perfect.

  “So,” Kain began, “what is this nonsense about us being mortal enemies trying to kill each other?” He propped his head up on both hands.

  Nivian narrowed her eyes. “You already know, hunter.” Her words were slow and deliberate. She shifted in her seat and wrapped her arms around her middle. Her eyes moved around the room at the other customers.

  She had closed herself off to him again after he had spent the majority of the day trying to get her to open up. Kain realized his mis
take and could tell she was uncomfortable talking about this in public.

  “Why don’t I walk you home and we can talk about this at your place if you would like?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” She smiled awkwardly. “I would be more comfortable talking about this in private. I'm not accustomed to being in this form for so long.”

  Kain nodded and, signaling for the check, pulled out his wallet as Beatrice walked up to the table.

  “Did you kids enjoy everything?” she asked, grinning down at them.

  “Yes, thank you. We just lost track of time and need to head out now,” Kain replied, smiling at the woman and handing her a fifty-dollar bill.

  “I’ll have your change back to you right away.”

  “No, keep the change. You were wonderful as always, Bea,” Kain said, giving her a soft smile.

  Her face lit up at the generous tip. “Thank you, pumpkin, it’s always a pleasure seeing you.” She wrapped her arms around him in a quick embrace, before walking off to take care of her other customers.

  Kain stood up and offered his hand to Nivian. He held back a smirk as she eyed his hand and slid out of her seat, doing her best to avoid touching him. Whatever she was—reaper or human—she was strange. He found himself oddly drawn to how amusing and adorable she was in everyday situations.

  Together they walked out of the diner, Kain’s hand absentmindedly resting on the small of her back.

  Sixteen

  Nivian

  Walking side-by-side towards the apartment building in silence, Nivian worried her bottom lip with her teeth. This slow mode of transportation left a type of silence she wasn’t used to.

  “Thank you, for the food. It was really good,” she said keeping her eyes straight ahead.

  “My pleasure Niv—”

  She spun to give Kain a withering look. He was getting dangerously close to getting reaped before he made it home.

  “Nivian,” he corrected clearing his throat and giving her a sheepish grin. Satisfied, Nivian faced forward again and continued. They walked in silence a while longer until Kain paused at a corner.

  “What’s wrong, hunter?” she asked, with a slight tilt of her head.

  “I know a way through the park over there. It’s a little longer, but the scenery is worth it.”

  “Let’s go,” she said. With a sharp movement, she turned to the right. She stopped when he cleared his throat.

  “It’s—It’s actually this way,” Kain corrected her, pointing in the opposite direction with his thumbs. Nivian’s face remained blank. She didn’t get out much, at least not like this. She waited for him to begin walking in the correct direction, then hurried after him.

  “I’m not used to traveling like this,” she offered a moment later, after she caught up with him. Kain nodded and reached out to grasp her hand, holding it firmly as they walked. She looked down at their joined hands and then up at his face. He looked straight ahead as if he was unaware he had done so.

  This feels strange… though I suppose it’s okay, for now. Walking as a mode of transportation gave her a sense of vulnerability, but this gesture helped—a little. It grounded her, taking away the uneasiness that clawed at her belly. Nivian kept one step behind Kain as they walked. Could he sense the small comfort he provided from holding on to her?

  “My friends call me Nivi,” she added after a while. Her nerves made her want to fill the silence between them.

  “Nivi.” Kain’s lips lifted into a smile. A strand of hair fell over his eye. Nivian found herself watching him more and more out of the corner of her eye. Something about him drew her to him like a magnet.

  They reached the park just as night fell. It rained while they were at the diner, just enough to make the ground damp. The path in front of them glistened from the rain in the glow of the street lamps. The trees were almost bare with only a few stray leaves still clinging to their branches. Above the clouds had cleared, leaving the air chilled. The empty canvas showcased the millions of tiny diamonds streaking the black night sky.

  Nivian breathed in deeply, drawing the crisp night air into her lungs. Kain was right; the walk through the park was worth it. The serenity of the early evening and his company made her glad they had gone this way. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

  She was almost disappointed when they reached the apartment complex. Her human had let go of her hand as they walked through the front door, and Kain followed her up the stairs, letting her lead the way. Pulling her key out of her jeans pocket, she let them in. He followed her into her kitchen. There was almost nothing to her kitchen; like his, it was compact but functional. Kain took a seat on one of the stools she had around her tiny kitchen island, which he assumed was also her table. She positioned herself across from him and placed a fresh pot of coffee between them to share. They sipped from their cups, watching the other for a long moment.

  “So tell me about the white wig you always seem to wear. Oh, and the eye-changing thing you do. It’s weird,” he said, breaking the silence.

  “I don’t wear a wig; it’s part of my transformation. This,” she stood up and motioned up and down her body, “is the disguise I wear on the rare occasions I don’t mind being seen by humans. I only wear it occasionally.”

  “What about the cloak you always wear? Is that just your standard issue reaping attire? What does it do?”

  She smiled at his curiosity. “You could say that. It allows us to transport from place to place as well as keep us hidden from human sight.”

  “I don’t think it works. I’ve always seen you just fine.”

  “You can see me because you’re not fully human. Humans don’t see a reaper unless we allow them to see us, which is rare and mostly forbidden, except when we reap them.”

  Kain narrowed his eyes when she stopped talking. “Go on,” he said in a low voice.

  “Look, there is a lot of information I could give you, so tell me what you want to know.”

  “Start with your disguise or non-disguise thing.” He wagged his index finger around at her.

  “It will be easier if I just show you.” Nivian backed up so he could see her. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, changing it back the to her naturally long, silver, waist-length hair. When she opened her eyes, they were the ice blue he was used to. He stared, unblinking and slack-jawed.

  “So, it's not contacts then,” he managed to say stupidly, “And you really did vanish before my eyes in the coffee shop that day. It wasn’t just a hallucination, and I’m not crazy.”

  “Now, what else would you like to know?” she asked as she sat back down on her stool.

  “Is this what you actually look like?” His eyes widened with shock.

  “This is my reaper look. It’s how I’ve always looked.”

  “I like it. You should always keep that look,” Kain said, the words flying out of his mouth without warning. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to flirt with her or just trying to think of something to say at this point. Either way, he knew he had meant it.

  “Thank you, hunter,” she said, smiling at him, a faint blush staining her cheeks. She definitely felt more comfortable back at her place.

  “Why do you keep calling me hunter? I told you before; my name is Kain.”

  “I know your name is Kain. Hunter is what you are, not your name.”

  “I have never hunted a day in my life,” he said, his features clouding over.

  “Don’t mess with me, hunter. You know exactly who you are,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

  “I do know who I am, and I’ve never been a hunter,” Kain said slowly, wishing she would understand.

  “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”

  “Can’t you just use The Force and read my mind?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Mind reading isn’t a thing.”

  “Whether or not you believe me, it is the truth.” Kain’s face hardened.

  Nivian paused, contemplating his response,
not sensing any deceit in his words. “You honestly don’t know, do you?”

  “No. I don’t. Please enlighten me. I don't know how to get you to believe I don't know the first thing about this situation."

  “It’s a long story. I’ll just give you the basics for now, okay?

  “Originally, the hunters were called the watchers, and they were the keepers of life while reapers were the keepers of death. We were created to keep the balance between the two. Reapers end human life energy and take it back to be restored. Hunters destroy reapers. They keep us from doing our jobs. It’s not as if we go after people for no reason. We go after a particular life force that is in need of restoration. Each death is an assigned mark.”

  As she explained things to him, she felt the need to make him understand reapers weren’t out going crazy taking the life force of humans on a whim. If she could get him to understand, he would stop the attacks.

  “Why do hunters go after reapers? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “They weren’t created to do so. They changed their purpose because they wanted more power, and now hunters and reapers seek to destroy each other when they meet.”

  “We are going to fight to the death or something because that’s what our ‘groups’ are telling us to do?”

  “Kain, you’ve killed reapers. If you hadn’t attacked us, I don’t think Silas would have put a mark on you.” Her gaze dropped to the surface of the table, studying the smooth lines of the wood.

  “I don’t have the slightest idea who Silas is. And for the record, Nivian, I would never attack anyone.”

  Nivian averted her eyes, and said, “Kain, I saw you. You destroyed a reaper in the alleyway by the theater.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Did he really not know what he’d done?

  He was looking thoughtfully down at her. He had to know he attacked Reapers… wouldn’t he? A hunter couldn’t be capable of attacking without knowing what they were doing.