The Reapers (The Hunted Series Book 1) Read online

  Kain nodded. “Was he a friend of yours, that reaper?”

  “Mmm? No, but he was one of us. We are like a family, or at least the closest thing to a family a reaper can have.”

  “I’m truly sorry, Nivi. I never meant to destroy him.” Kain placed a hand on hers. “If all reapers are like you, none of them deserved that fate. I wish I could make it up to you somehow.”

  “I know you are, Kain. It’s okay, you didn’t know about any of this.” She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

  “He told me something else,” He added after a moment.

  Nivian looked up expectantly.

  “He told me there was a problem with the balance. That the reapers are responsible for the shift.”

  She pulled back. “You don’t believe that, do you?” Her voice raised an octave.

  “I’m not sure what to believe at this point. I’m being told two different things. The only thing both sides can agree on is that you and I are enemies. You’ve been sent to kill me, Nivian. What else could be creating the imbalance if not the reapers?”

  She shot him a look that made it clear that the answer was obvious. “The hunters. They are trying to create the imbalance. We just can’t figure out why. Or what the hunters have to gain by doing it. If they succeed—life as you know it—will be lost, Kain.”

  “I’m a hunter, Nivi,” he spoke in a sad, defeated tone, eyes downcast.

  They sat there watching the other, both wishing they were right. Doubt prickled at the back of their minds. Nivian knew the reapers. Things had been in a near perfect balance for as long as she could remember; the reapers would not risk upsetting things.

  Nivian dropped her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. “This is bad, Kain.”

  “I agree.”

  “I trust the others. They would not lie about something like this. This is too big. It goes along with the research I’ve been doing, even in the hidden texts.”

  Kain inclined his head. “I just met Holter, but I didn’t feel like he was deceptive. He seemed almost desperate, as though he’s afraid what he said was true.”

  “Kain, I think you’re a great guy,” she started.

  “Thank you.” Kain smiled at her sudden compliment.

  “Don’t interrupt,” she scolded. “I think you’re a great guy, but I could cut your life force right here and now.” She held up a hand as she watched Kain’s smile drop. “I won’t. Though, I don’t see how we can get around this. So I want you to train before we attempt to fight. So whatever happens in the end, we can both know we had an equal chance—no regrets.”

  Kain nodded woodenly. If they sat around like this, not speaking, she could almost believe they were friends. Just two normal people going about their lives that had found each other and were happy with their mundane lives. It was too bad the thing that brought them together was also the thing that would keep them apart.

  “I guess this means that we should avoid each other until then?” His face showed his disappointment. “I was just beginning to enjoy our little chats.”

  His attempt at lightening the mood fell flat as Nivian gazed at him, her features clouded. Her face told him she had come to the same conclusion.

  “I suppose I should find someone to train me.” He added when she didn’t respond.

  Nivian nodded and walked him to the door. “Goodbye, Kain.”

  Kain turned to face her. “Goodbye, Nivian.”

  Their goodbyes had sounded so final to her ears. In a sense she supposed they were. The next time they planned on meeting, one of them would die. She watched him walk down the hall until he disappeared down the stairwell.

  Kain

  Pausing at the landing to his floor, Kain wondered what to do. He didn’t feel like being cooped up in his apartment right now. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined life throwing him such an insane curve ball. He knew nothing about being a hunter until recently and, unfortunately, his knowledge was what others had told him. A reaper told him one thing, a hunter—the man who abandoned them—had told him another. Who was telling the truth? Could he trust either of them? He couldn’t think of a reason to doubt her, as she had been more than fair with him so far. Trying to figure this out was going to give him an ulcer. He needed space to clear his head.

  Turning around, he jogged down the rest of the stairs until he reached the foyer and pushed the front door open. The crisp air surrounded him as he pulled in several deep lungfuls. The past few days were getting to him. The chill of the light breeze felt good on his hot skin.

  Kain walked down the street with no destination in mind. He honestly liked Nivian; she was strange and awkward, and her lack of understanding social norms was endearing. It’s too bad they would have to come to such an unappealing end. Though, he had lucked out. Any other reaper wouldn’t have been so willing to give him a fighting chance. She had the power to end this now, but chose to give him any advantage he could get to level the playing field. It spoke volumes to him. If she had been human, she was the kind of girl he could see himself being with for a long time. She was quirky, curious, and a mixture of feisty and shy. He couldn’t remember the last time he spent time with anyone who made him smile as much as she had, just by being herself.

  A twig snapped behind him. His head shot up, as he spun around. Unknowingly, he had wandered into the park—he was on the same path he had taken with Nivian the night they went to the diner.

  A woman with long blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail stepped out from behind a tree and into the light. Her red trench coat brushed the top of her black knee high boots. She strode confidently up to him. Her eyes held the same look as Holter’s—as though she had seen too much for one lifetime.

  “Kain,” she purred, “I’ve heard so much about you. I was beginning to doubt we’d ever get the pleasure of meeting.” She circled around him, dragging her index finger along the collar of his jacket.

  He cringed at the way she said his name. Her voice grated his nerves and he’d only known about her for about five seconds.

  She’s trying to… to what? Seduce me? Who is this woman? Is this what she thinks I want? She’s way off base.

  The woman stopped behind him and draped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder as if they knew each other.

  “No offense lady, but I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care.” Kain demanded, not in the mood for games. He stepped back and ducked out of her embrace. He was already dealing with enough to waste time like this.

  She huffed in disappointment. “I’m Karen.” Stepping forward, she offered her hand. “I’ve been sent to bring you to Yeva. She wants to meet you—and now I know why.” Her tongue darted out between her lips as she scanned him from head to toe.

  Yeva. Holter had mentioned her. Maybe this Yeva could tell him what he needed to know.

  Nodding, Kain looked down at her offered hand, but kept both of his firmly at his sides. He was not going to touch this woman’s hand; she might take it as an acceptance of her advances.

  “Let’s go. I’d like to get this over with.”

  He had been referring to his conversation with Karen, but she smirked to herself. “What hunter wouldn’t be nervous to meet such an all-powerful being such as Yeva for the first time?”

  Turning sharply on her heel, she walked off. Kain followed, not knowing where they were headed. At this point, he frankly didn’t care. While he had begun his walk wanting some air, he knew this was the only way he was going to find someone to train him. He kept his head down as he walked. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, making him feel as though he were being watched.

  Karen led him to a parked short, black limo. The tinted windows were impossible to see through. A driver stood next to the door, holding it open as they approached. The man’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly when Karen slid into the back seat. Kain gave a nod to the man before sliding into the car next to her.

  “So,” Karen began. She ran a finger up and down his arm
. “How excited are you to finally meet her?”

  Kain shrugged. Partially to remove her finger off his arm, and partially because he didn’t actually care about meeting someone he’d never heard of until recently.

  “The others will be there too.” She said, leaning back.

  “Others?”

  “The other hunters. Aren’t you paying attention to anything that’s happening?”

  “There’s a lot to take in.”

  “You’ll meet Finn and Daniel. They are the two most senior hunters—after Holter. But you already know him.”

  “You say that like it means something to me.”

  “You’re hopeless.” Karen threw her hands up in the air. “Whatever, you’ll figure it out. Those are the ones to look for, the others aren’t important—except me—stick by me and I’ll watch your back.”

  Kain nodded and turned away, resting his head against the window.

  They drove for three hours on the highway. Kain grew tired of the car ride fast. It wasn’t the time spent in the car so much as it was the company he was stuck with. At first Karen had slid right up against him, pressing herself up against him while she played with his shirt collar. After almost an hour of that, she finally gave up and moved to her own space on the back seat bench.

  She had attempted small talk with him, still trying to get his attention. Kain had occasionally grunted, saying no more than a few words, mostly “yes” or “no” as he stared out his window, watching the blur of everything passed by. He didn’t want to encourage her advances by responding to her or making eye contact. Eventually, she gave up on that as well, sitting back against her door and pouting with her arms crossed.

  He was grateful for the silence. Everything she had tried to talk about had been shallow and uninteresting. Much—if not all of it—was about her.

  Kain had just closed his eyes in an attempt to nap when the limo began to slow. He glanced around. The limo stopped next to an airplane hangar, a few hundred feet out a private jet waited with its door open.

  “Where are we going?” He didn’t mind traveling to see this Yeva, but he didn’t want to spend much longer just trying to get there. He needed to train, and sitting in a car or plane for who knew how many hours was a waste of time as far as he was concerned. He may have been thrown into this war, but it didn’t mean he wanted to be part of these “family reunions.”

  “I already told you,” Karen snapped, obviously still pissed he wouldn’t give her the time of day. “I am taking you to see Yeva.”

  Kain glared at her. She knew what he meant. Something in his eyes must have had an impact, because her snide expression dropped, and she gave him the answer he wanted.

  “We have to take a plane to the island. It’s not on a map—so don’t even bother asking where it is. It’s a two-hour flight. If you’re hungry, they will serve food.”

  Kain almost smiled but thought better of it. Stretching his legs as he stepped out of the car, he strode quickly to the waiting jet.

  The harsh wind bit into his skin. It would have been nice to know he was taking this long trip; he could have prepared. He looked over his shoulder and waited for her to catch up. She took her time, smoothing out her jacket and fussing with her hair as she walked. She seemed unconscious of her motions, as if it were a habit. Once she reached him, the stairs were lowered, and they boarded. Kain buckled himself in the first seat he spotted, leaned back, and closed his eyes. He wasn’t about to take a chance at being forced to listen to her babble on and on again.

  He awoke as the pressure in the cabin made his ears pop. The plane it’s descent. It’s about time. Yawning, he stretched his muscles and wished he could stand up to move around for a bit. The wheels touched down, and the plane bounced as they were thrown forward by the swift stop. Karen stood and once again fussed with her clothes and hair. She shoved past him and out the door of the jet. Kain sighed and followed. Her attitude was getting old, but he’d gladly take the silent treatment over her advances.

  Stepping out of the plane, he looked around. The curve of the island suggested it was small. It would appear as no more than a blip on a map—though it would still take someone several hours to walk. Kain could see the ocean only a quarter-mile away from the runway.

  The sun descended, setting the sky on fire with hues of pinks, purples, and reds. He wouldn’t mind having a view like this when he retired. That is, if he managed to live that long. Kain trailed behind Karen along a path leading straight into a dense forest.

  Once again, Kain found himself wishing he could have been somewhat prepared for this trip. The trees were thick, and the forest floor was blanketed in a mixture of mosses, grasses, and tangled roots. The leaves on the trees blocked most of what little light remained. After a few yards, Karen stopped, pulled a compact flashlight out of her bag and handed it to him. It was no bigger than a key, but combined with hers, it provided adequate light. Kain followed silently. This journey was starting to get on his nerves.

  Twenty-One

  Kain

  The island had an eerie silence to it. The unnaturalness of it was magnified by the sound of his own breathing, as Kain followed Karen into the forest. The only signs of life he had seen were the woman ahead of him and the worn path they walked. Vegetation had been stomped down camouflaging the trail. It would be easy to get lost if he walked it alone. The air had an eerie quality to it. No birds sang, no bugs chirped, none of the noises he expected to hear were there. An unnatural hush filled the air, except for a light breeze that rustled through the trees. It was as though they had entered another world. Karen stomped through the brush in her boots as though it were a runway. Branches snapped back in her wake, slapping him in the face.

  An hour into the hike, the trees thinned out, getting farther apart, but the deeper into the forest they went, the larger they became, growing thicker and more densely packed. Vines twisted around trees.

  Drip, drip, drip.

  A large drop of water landed on his cheek. Great, now it’s raining.

  Kain lifted his face to the sky above. Angry clouds covered the stars that had been out only moments before. Frustrated, Kain stopped and threw his hands up in frustration. He’d had enough. The long car ride? Fine. The plane ride? Pushing it. Trekking through a creepy jungle on an uncharted island in the rain? That was the final straw. He was done. This endless voyage across the world crossed the line of ridiculousness hours ago.

  He called out, “I’m done. I’m not going to follow you on this never-ending journey any longer.”

  Karen stopped and turned to face him, her features hardened. “We’re almost there. It's not far from here.”

  “Exactly how much farther is it?” He had been under the impression it would end after the plane ride.

  She pointed the direction they had been walking. “Just over that hill.” She turned and continued forward. Kain ran his hand down his face, sighed deeply, and followed her.

  It was another half-hour into the trip when they finally reached a small cave. The entrance was a mere crack between two boulders. He would have missed it completely, even in the bright light of day. Karen started to squeeze through.

  “This doesn’t look safe.” Kain eyed the cave. Why would anyone think it was safe to go inside?

  “It’s safe. Yeva made sure of it.” With that, she pushed through, expecting him to follow. Kain let out an exasperated sigh and squeezed himself through the crack after her.

  “Turn off your flashlight.” Karen instructed after a few steps in, clicking her light off. Hesitantly Kain turned it off. He was surprised to be able to make out the vague shapes of the rocks and boulders and a narrow path ahead of them. He’d expected pitch darkness. In fact, the longer he let his eyes adjust to the dark the more he was able to see. Strange crystals embedded into the walls of the cave, scattered fractals of light everywhere he looked, casting shadows over the stalagmites and stalactites. Kain rubbed his eyes. The cave continued to grow brighter. It wasn’t his imagination—t
he crystals gave off a soft cerulean light—gradually intensified the longer they stood there.

  “Wait here,” Karen instructed and walked off down the path and around a turn. Kain didn’t wait long before she rounded the corner. Without saying a word, she motioned for him to follow with a jerk of her head and spun on her heel, walking off once more without waiting to see if he did.

  They slowly walked down a narrow dirt path and skirted around a boulder obscuring the entrance of a cove. Kain ducked under the low-hanging rock and stepped through. The room glowed with the light of crystals. Water trickled off rocks in the distance. A tall woman stood in the back. A long white gown flowed out around her bare feet, and long red tresses fell around her shoulders. She looked ethereal in the dim light. Slowly, she walked toward him, stopping in the middle of the room where the light was brightest, presenting herself for admiration. Kain rolled his eyes.

  Great. She’s the melodramatic type.

  “Welcome, Kain. It is nice to see you again. I am Yeva.” She spoke slowly, as she approached him. Placing her hands on his shoulders she looked him over. Her dark sea green eyes had an otherworldly quality to them, hypnotizing to look at.

  “Again?” Kain asked. He would have remembered meeting someone like this.

  “I have been waiting for you for a long time.” She smiled, her eyes looking through him as she remembered.

  It began to feel awkward as the strange woman continued to hold onto him. “I’m sorry, Yeva, was it? I think you have me confused with someone else.”

  “You would not remember. It was… many lifetimes ago.” She dropped her hands and sighed wistfully.

  “I’d appreciate if you could tell me why I am here. It was a long trip, and I am not in the mood to talk in circles. So if you could be straightforward from now on, that would be great.” Kain’s voice betrayed his tension. He silently counted to ten, trying his hardest to be patient. He wanted answers and his tolerance for these games was wearing thin.