The Reapers (The Hunted Series Book 1) Read online

  “Here, let’s get you some food and clean clothes,” Kain said. He lifted the man by his arm and walked him into the building. Others gathered around them, offered blankets and clothing items then showed him to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

  The people who frequented Saving Grace didn’t have much, but what they did have they were more than happy to share. Kain loved that his project had such a warm and giving effect on the community. A few volunteers who worked there had once been in need and had come for food and shelter. With help, they were able to get what they needed to get back on their feet, secure jobs, and find places to live. They were grateful and wanted to give back to others in the city. Kain scanned the dining room with satisfaction, then turned and walked to the kitchen in the back to start the preparations for breakfast.

  Nivian

  Nivian concentrated on the human’s energy as she neared her destination. An odd sensation washed over her, forcing her to stop. Disoriented, she fell against the side of the building. She couldn’t focus. The world swayed beneath her feet and knocked her off balance. The ringing in her ears grew louder and drowned out all other sounds. Her vision blurred, then went black. She stiffened as a sharp pain radiated throughout her. As quickly as it came on, the world righted itself once again, as though nothing had happened.

  Straightening herself, Nivian continued. How odd. That was the second time today, she thought as she rounded the corner. She wondered what caused the unusual dizzy spells.

  Across the street from the soup kitchen, she watched the activity from a safe distance. Focusing on the suspected hunter’s energy pattern had led her to this place on the edge of town in the historic district. From outside she could hear the quiet murmur of voices and soft laughter. The aroma of eggs, bacon, and pancakes wafted out the door and mingled in the air. Inhaling deeply, she savored the smell of food.

  That moment, the human she wanted to find, walked out from the alley. Kain supported an old man into the shelter. Nivian couldn’t stop the ghost of a smile that formed on her lips.

  There was something different about this mortal. From the small amount of time she'd studied him, he seemed to be fully awake. Not stuck in the same sleepy state her marks tended to wander their lives in. He noticed things around him.

  The rest of the world was determined to walk forward through life with their heads down, as they rushed forward to imaginary goals like hamsters on a wheel. This human saw everyone and everything. He seemed kind, and helped those the world had turned its back on, as they walked past with their eyes closed.

  Perhaps that was the reason this mortal had such an intense energy about him. Nivian decided there was no way he could be a hunter bent on destruction; he was only an average human with amazing karma on his side.

  Crossing the street, she headed into Saving Grace. She stood inside the door and looked around at the basic layout. On the left, there were two rows of tables and benches. Directly in front of the door on the opposite wall, a window led to the kitchen. People shuffled along the window in an assembly line for their morning meal. To the right, a hallway with an arrow pointed down the hall to the showers and bathrooms. Another arrow pointed to a room for donated clothes and blankets. Saving Grace was nothing fancy, but it appeared clean and functional. Fresh white paint covered the walls, and the building still felt new. Nivian walked along one of the walls and examined the photographs and placards that hung and showed the accomplishments of Saving Grace since it opened. The images were of her human and several of the people who apparently visited often. Several photos lined another wall showed the visitors and volunteers surrounded by holiday decorations, smiles on their faces with their arms around each other. It gave the place a warm, homey feel.

  Noting an empty table near the back of the room, Nivian walked over and sat down to observe this extraordinary human. Mesmerized, she watched the people sit, eat, and converse happily with each other. She would never have thought such a place could be so full of happiness.

  She was jolted out of her daze when a plate was set down in front of her. Eggs, pancakes, and two slices of bacon. Nivian looked up to see the back of the human’s head as he walked away. If it had been a cup of coffee, she would stay to enjoy it. But this… odd pile of food looked strange, even if it did smell fantastic.

  Nivian stood and walked toward the door. If he had seen her, he didn’t seem to be all that threatening. She turned and looked back, seeing the timid old man from earlier sitting down to eat the plate she had left.

  Maybe he hadn’t seen me after all, she thought. The man shoveled the plate of food into his mouth. Strange… why do humans eat that stuff?

  She glanced back at the strange mortal. He looked in her direction and absent-mindedly wiped down the counter. The corner of his mouth lifted up into a half smile. He inclined his head slightly, held up a hand, and waved a small goodbye. Just as quickly, he turned to continue to clean. Her face clouded over in confusion, she spun on her heel, and pushed open the doors. Nivian rushed out of the building and into the alleyway. Her heart pounded against her chest as she backed against the brick wall. She hated to admit it, but it was time to admit to herself that this mortal could see her. Though there were quite a few humans around. She needed to get him alone to be sure. That was the only way to know for sure. Here, too many factors provided enough doubt to be less than one hundred percent sure.

  Pressing her palm to her forehead, Nivian took a ragged breath to calm her nerves. Light from the sun reflected off an object on the ground, catching her eye. A broken pocket watch, half submerged in water, lay at her feet.

  That looks familiar, she thought, as she stooped to pick it up. She examined it. When the shock of realization hit her full force, the watch slipped through her fingers, landing at her feet with a soft clink.

  This is no ordinary watch; it’s a reaper’s watch. She picked it back up and clenched it tightly in her hand.

  Why was it left here in an alley? She pushed down the latch release and opened the cover. The dials spun fast in both directions, the glass on the face was cracked from the center, spidering out. Immediately she knew something was wrong. With a click, she closed the watch and stuffed it in her pocket. A visit to Caspian was in order. She needed to notify him about this and find out what it meant.

  Did a reaper fail in creating the watch only to throw it down when he realized it wasn’t working? It hadn’t happened in centuries, but an inexperienced reaper could fail in creating the watch that ticked down a mark’s final moments. Though, she had never seen a failed attempt end up like this before. Nivian pulled her hood up over her head and vanished, transporting to Mophar to find out what she could about the watch and the reaper who had left it.

  Camira

  Camira stood on the roof above Saving Grace, her arms folded. Her friend stood in the alley below and picked up an object, examined it, and then put it in her pocket. Camira’s eyes narrowed. What could be on the ground in an alley that Nivian would want to keep?

  Something was up with the annoying mortal Nivian had been going on and on about for days. Camira had watched through the window as he set a plate down in front of Nivian and walked off. Nivian’s two physical forms were distinctive, unlike most other reapers who chose to stay close to their original appearance. As a reaper, Nivian's long platinum hair fell past her waist. As a human, her auburn hair fell to the middle of her back. Camira watched Nivian sit at the table, her long pale hair spilled over her shoulders. There was no way a human should have been able to see her unless she wanted them to. But that was forbidden.

  Camira knew this human was trouble. She would go to Silas about it, which is something Nivian should have done right away, if you asked her. That stupid girl always ran to Caspian for everything. The worst part was that he let her, even encouraged her. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms and blew out her cheeks in a loud puff of breath. Camira did care for her friend, but sometimes she couldn’t help but feel annoyed at Nivian's naiveté and the obvious and de
sperate way she threw herself at Caspian. He was a fool to fall for her flirtatious attempts. She knew Caspian cared for Nivian more than anyone else, and everyone saw it. Everyone, that was, except Nivian. How oblivious can one girl be? Camira thought bitterly. He should be with someone who wasn’t so… human. Anger marred her features. Out of all the reapers, only Nivian embraced many human traits. It was unnatural for a reaper to care about them.

  It looked like she would have to take this into her own hands; if she left it up to Nivian, who knew what would happen? Something strange was going on here, and she didn’t like it. With a look of disgust, Camira threw her hood over her head and vanished in a gust of wind.

  Five

  Camira

  Camira appeared on the top spire of G.R.I.M. Headquarters. She watched as her friend walked through the gates, no doubt to go see Caspian and talk his ear off. Nivian always followed the “No transporting inside G.R.I.M. Headquarters gates,” rule. No one follows that custom, except her, apparently, Camira thought and rolled her eyes.

  She waited on the roof and leaned into the wind as she held onto the spire. The wind whipped across her skin, causing a smile to break out over her face. This was her favorite place to be. From up here she felt as though she could fly. Bending forward, she watched Nivian enter the gates and walk up the stairs to Caspian’s office. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Camira heard Nivian’s soft voice. With a swift jerk of her hand, she tossed her hood over her head. She took off at a run to the edge of the roof, leaped, and twirled in midair, flipping off the back of the roof, disappearing in a swirl of wind. She appeared in the hallway outside Caspian’s office, and pressed her body against a pillar. She strained to listen. Silence. She peeked out to make sure the area was clear, then with careful steps, walked up the hall until she reached the door. With her back against the wall, she peered into the room through a small opening.

  Nivian

  Nivian walked up to the open doors of the study and knocked. Caspian raised his head and smiled at the sight of her.

  “Come in, Nivian. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit tonight?” He gently closed the tome he had been studying.

  “Something strange happened today.” Nivian stopped halfway into the room, and nervously wrung the fingers of her left hand.

  He stood and walked around the desk, meeting her in the center of the room. “What is the matter, Nivi?” he asked, and clasped her delicate hands in his.

  “I followed the human again.” She kept her chin level and focused on a button in the center of his chest. Doubt over this situation still nagged at her thoughts.

  “Did anything good come of that?”

  She knew it wasn’t unlike her to go off on her own and study a mortal. However, the uncertainty of the situation weighed heavy on her tonight.

  “I—I honestly don’t know. Nothing serious happened. Though, he did wave at me.” Nivian dropped her head. Embarrassment burned her ears after she said the words out loud.

  “I see.”

  “That’s not why I've come to see you tonight...” she said, peeking up through her lashes to meet his gaze.

  Caspian looked at her with his head tilted to the side. “Then, tell me why you have come to see me.” He leaned in and tugged at her hands, pulling her closer, until their faces were only a few inches apart. Nivian did her best to swallow the nervous fluttering in her stomach that showed up every time he was close to her.

  “I found this.” She slipped one of her hands out of his grasp and fished the watch out of her pocket and handed it to him. “When I picked it up, the face of it was broken and the dials were spinning.”

  She dropped her hand. He took the watch from her and carefully opened it. His mouth formed a tight line as he stared down at it. Caspian stood unmoving. His eyes locked on the watch in a daze, his face void of any emotion. Nivian chewed her lip and waited for him to move or speak.

  A long moment passed. Gently she placed her hand on his upper arm, pulling him back into the now.

  “Caspian?” she whispered. He looked into her eyes, as worry filled them, but his eyes saw through her. “What happened, Caspian? Why would a reaper leave a watch like that?”

  “That is an excellent question.” Caspian sounded tired. He rubbed his slightly stubbled chin and continued to study the watch. “Why do you think, Nivian?”

  “I am not sure…” Her voice trailed off. Nivian didn’t know if he expected her to have the answer or if it was a rhetorical question. “Perhaps he cast the spell incorrectly and gave up?” It was the only thing she could come up with, though even to her ears it sounded like an unconvincing reason for a reaper to leave a broken watch laying around. Even if something had gone wrong, it never should have been left behind. There weren’t any inexperienced reapers anymore... so what could have gone wrong?

  “I will look into this,” Caspian said. He placed the watch in his pocket and turned away. His voice was strained, betraying the emotion he tried to hide.

  “What does it mean?” She asked again.

  He looked back at Nivian’s curious face. She knew by the sudden tension in his stance, the news she had unknowingly delivered by giving him that watch, had affected him deeply.

  “I am unsure at this moment. I must research this further.”

  A sinking feeling prickled along her spine. She had never seen him like this.

  Caspian placed his hand on the small of her back and walked Nivian to the door. They stopped; a rustling noise came from down the hall, as they stepped out into the hallway. Caspian narrowed his eyes and scanned the open area from left to right. Nivian didn't see what he was looking for other than an open window. He shrugged his shoulders. Nivian hadn’t missed the sudden change of suspicion back to worry, but decided against bringing it up.

  He turned to her and placed a hand on her cheek. “I will see you soon. And, Nivian? Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Do not worry, I will have it taken care of.” Caspian searched her eyes.

  Nivian nodded and watched him walk back into his office, closing the doors behind him. Her gut told her whatever had happened earlier today wasn’t just some reaper being careless. The hot grip of panic at the base of her spine told her that what she had stumbled on was not a matter she could dismiss lightly. Though, she only had to look at Caspian’s face to know that. He wasn’t as good at hiding his feelings from her as he thought.

  Camira

  Camira entered the Great Hall where Silas would grant an audience with his reapers. The circular room was located several stories underground. The high vaulted ceiling supported obsidian arches merging in the center where they joined and twisted downward, dropping low to form a spire flowing into the center of the room. A dark chandelier gave no light, but instead seemed to pull light into its void. Directly below, sat a throne, where Silas waited for her reports.

  Camira walked into the room halfway between the entrance and the throne, stopping to bow down low to Silas.

  “My Lord.”

  Silas wore his cloak, the hood hung over his eyes and blocked all light from reaching his face. Impossible to make out even a hint of his features. No one had ever seen his face. Some reapers claimed he was hideous with peeling skin, showing bits of muscle melting off his bones as bugs crawled in and out of his eye sockets. Some claimed the sight of his face would stop the heart of any reaper and destroy them. Others claimed he was so beautiful that one look would blind any living being, mortal or immortal. Well, that’s what she'd heard. However, it never stopped her from trying to, unsuccessfully, sneak a glimpse.

  She could not be sure if he smiled to himself, as her eyes attempted to make out his face. He lifted the palm of his left hand, motioning for her to stand. “Rise, Camira. Come to me and tell me what news you bring.” She felt the rumble of his deep voice down to the very core of her being. He pushed himself to his feet and walked closer to her, stopping a few feet away.

  She straightened herself and took a step forward. “I follo
wed Nivian as you requested. The human was there. I believe he saw her.”

  Silas closed the short distance between them. His hands gripped her shoulders and squeezed. “Are you sure?”

  Camira nodded, and looked into the void that shielded his face. She squinted into the space where his voice resonated from, still unable to make out a line or shape. “Yes, my Lord, he looked at her and walked right up to her and,” Camira shuddered, “it looked like she was about to talk to him.”

  She did not understand why her friend was so curious about this stupid mortal, or any human for that matter. Sure, it seemed as if he could see reapers, but so what? He was just another boring human bound to die sooner or later, and all Nivian was doing was causing issues in the reaper world by attempting to associate with him. Camira opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, hesitating. Her face paled, the intensity of his stare compelling her to continue.

  “Is there something else you wish to tell me?”

  “There is.” She looked down, unsure of herself. Would Nivian see this as a betrayal? She might be annoyed with her over how she acted, but she was still the only friend she had. Silas needed to know, and Nivian should have gone directly to him anyway, not to Caspian. “Nivian mentioned that she found a broken reaper watch. She told me the face was cracked, and the dials were spinning. I don’t know what it means, but I thought you needed to know.”

  Silas’s hands slid down from her arms and fell to his sides. He was silent for a long time. He stood lost in thought, Camira was sure he had forgotten she was in the room. The implications of the broken watch couldn’t be too serious. Could they? Camira’s gaze was downcast as she shifted back and forth on her feet. Her nervous movements brought his attention back to her.

  “Thank you. That will be all for today.” Silas lifted his hand to dismiss her, but paused. “Camira?”