The Reapers (The Hunted Series Book 1) Read online

  She looked up shyly. Worry written across her face, she wondered if she had done something wrong. “Yes, my Lord?”

  “You have done well today.”

  “Thank you,” she said meekly. Her face lit up at the compliment, knowing she had pleased him after all. He was clearly upset over the watch, but she had no idea what it meant. Silas had smiled at her. She couldn’t see his expression, but she could feel it.

  Caspian

  Caspian leaned his forehead against the closed doors of his study with a soft thud. His throat tightened; he had lost an old friend today.

  “Damn it!” he swore and pulled out the broken pocket watch Nivian had brought to him, his fist closed tightly around it. He had tried not to let on about the severity of the situation, but suspected she knew he was holding back. She could always read him. When he asked her to explain the broken watch, she had given him a simple answer to what it could mean, but he knew she didn’t believe it. Deep down, Nivian knew more than she would allow herself to admit. Whether it was out of fear or out of innocence, he didn’t know. He loved that she tried to see positive in any situation, even the ones she knew were hopeless.

  With a sigh, he shoved the watch into his pocket, pushed open the doors, and headed down the long stairwell to Silas’s room deep below the surface of Mophar. He dreaded the conversation he was about to have. The broken watch could only mean one thing, and he didn’t want to think about it. Glowering, he stalked down to the lower levels.

  Caspian entered the large throne room, Silas stood, and met him halfway. Silas pulled back his hood. His long blond hair flowed freely down his back, pulled back by a leather band in a low ponytail.

  “Are you still not letting the reaplings see that face of yours?” Caspian laughed, shaking his head.

  “It adds to the all-powerful image I have. I need to get my fun in somewhere. This job is still not what I would call an uplifting profession, as you well know. Besides, I rather enjoy the stories they have come up with. They are quite creative.” Silas let out a deep, throaty chuckle. Sobering up, he asked, “What brings you down here, Caspian, my old friend?”

  “I fear it is not good.” Caspian shook his head in disappointment.

  The ancient reaper’s dark, gray eyes grew stormy, the entire universe reflected in them.

  “Let me see it.” Silas held out his hand for the watch.

  He narrowed his eyes as he examined the broken object. “Ah, so it is true.” Silas dropped his head. “We have lost a great reaper today. I was afraid of that. I had felt the shock of loss, yet I did not want to believe it. It has been so long since a hunter has crossed that line.”

  “I suppose we can no longer call it a rumor. A hunter lives.” Caspian’s eyes darkened and clouded over, his face void of any expression.

  “This hunter cannot be allowed to live any longer. He has started a war against us.”

  “How did we not know of his existence before now?”

  “I knew there were hunters out there. Yet, we let them live so long as they did not disrupt the balance. I had thought all who were responsible for causing the imbalance had been eradicated centuries ago. However, I now suspect there is a small group of them living in hiding, biding their time, and building their numbers.”

  Silas walked over to a cove hidden in the shadows of the room. Vials sat on a small shelf, all filled with various colors of liquids and smoke. Silas grabbed one of the smallest bottles. Its contents were coal black and gray. The colors swirled and mingled, sparkling as they mixed. Silas popped the cork out and carefully poured a single drop of the smoky liquid on a small piece of paper, the very paper he used to initiate a mark. While Caspian needed the Tome of Fate to create a mark, Silas had the ability to create them from pure power. Being the original reaper had its advantages. Silas scribbled down a name, walked back, and handed it to Caspian. “Give this to Nivian.”

  Caspian’s breath caught as he fought to remain calm. The head reaper had not assigned a mark in centuries. “Silas, are you sure? I would hate to lose such a reaper as Nivian to the likes of a hunter. I have never seen another bring in such powerful souls as she does.”

  “There is no other reaper who can do this. You know as well as I exactly why she is so powerful, that this is the reason for her existence.” His eyes narrowed. “Do not let your feelings for her cloud your judgment and keep her from doing what is necessary.”

  “Yes, my Lord.” Caspian took the note, bowing low at the waist. With an abrupt turn, Silas pulled his hood up over his head as he walked back into the shadows of the room, signaling the end of their conversation.

  Caspian straightened up and turned sharply, walking out of the room.

  He didn’t want to risk losing Nivi to this hunter. Nevertheless, he had to admit Silas was right. There was no other reaper who could do this and survive. It was the only reason she was a reaper and had not been long dead. He looked down at the note in his hand: “Kain Evers—3 days.”

  It was a serious matter when a reaper had a limited number of days to carry out a mark. It was almost unheard of. Silas did not want any time wasted on this threat.

  Caspian closed his eyes and pulled in a slow, deep breath. He knew that to give Nivian this mark was going to be one of the hardest orders he had ever had to follow. With a sigh, he decided it could wait until tomorrow. This way, he could guarantee her safety, for at least one more night.

  Six

  Nivian

  Nivian lay on the ledge of a movie theater high above the twinkling city. She waited for her human to exit the building. Her arm dangled over the edge. She twisted her head to look at the people walking past on the sidewalk below. After what had happened between her and this mortal earlier at the shelter, she wanted to talk with him.

  What is taking him so long? The human had been inside for what felt like forever. Restlessness took over after having already watched the sun set slowly on the horizon, and the moon climb its way up the darkened sky. Sitting up, she decided she had had enough waiting. Unless she wanted to wait another century, she would have to go inside and find him. Pushing herself up to standing, she paused as the clamor of voices reached her ears. A flock of people poured out of the movie theater and dispersed into the street.

  Finally! She thought and leaned down over the railing.

  A young couple walked out of the theater arm-in-arm. The young male leaned over and whispered into his companion’s ear. She pressed her body into him and giggled hysterically over whatever he had said.

  “Let’s go this way,” the teenaged boy said, as he pulled the girl into the alley next to the theater. “We can make out here, and no one will see.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Oh my gosh, Derek! You have got to be kidding. It smells like a dump back here,” she squealed pinching her nose, but let herself be pulled along by her human mate.

  Nivian rolled her eyes and turned from the young couple to scan the crowd for the one human she was actually interested in observing. There he is.

  At that moment, he exited the building, and turned to his left, headed in the direction of the same alley the young couple had gone down seconds before.

  A scuffle came from the couple’s direction in the alleyway. Curious, Nivian looked back toward the two teens. Another reaper stood, working his mark. The girl and the young man stood facing another human figure. Tension from the scene could be felt all the way on top of the roof where Nivian waited. She bent over the edge to watch; it was rare to see another reaper work. Reaping was a solitary job. Except for the rare mass reapings that happened during large disasters, every reaper worked alone. The number of reapers involved in those cases varied based on their skills and the strength of their individual power.

  Nivian followed the movements of the group below, as the reaper played out his scene. She forgot the reason she was even there in the first place, until her human walked into her line of sight, once more reminding her.

  The other reaper stood next to the girl. He look
ed to the mugger, and focused his power and guided his movements. The gun would fire at the precise moment in time, as the human girl’s watch ticked down the final seconds of her life. The reaper concentrated on his task, and slowly pulled on the thread of her life force, exposing it, drawing it out. He readied his scythe and waited.

  “Hey! Get back here, you jerk!” the girl shrieked. Panic and indignation rose in her voice, as her companion shoved her in front of him to shield himself from the mugger. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he took off around the corner, his now ex-girlfriend the last thing on his mind.

  “I said, give me all your money now!”

  Kain

  Kain heard the shout come from the alley as he neared the opening. He stopped when he reached the edge of the building and peered around the corner to see the struggle.

  “All right, all right, just take it!”

  He saw the teen girl shove her purse at the masked guy as though it were a dead animal, as the man waved the gun around. Both appeared extremely nervous. Something bad would happen if one of them didn’t calm down fast. Another figure stood off to the side of her seemed to be watching. What’s going on? Is he with the girl or with the mugger?

  “Shut up, you stupid—ah!” the mugger yelled, fighting to keep his balance. With a violent jerk, he grabbed her purse and shoved her down onto the ground in an awkward motion. She cried out, and landed hard on her wrist trying to stop her fall. She lifted her other hand in a vain attempt to shield herself. The girl cried out in fear at the distinctive click of a bullet being loaded into the chamber of the gun.

  “Leave her alone!” Before Kain realized what he was doing, he found himself racing around the corner. He yelled at the man with the gun and charged forward. Kain made contact with the mugger, pushing the man away from the girl and into the hooded man.

  The mugger spun as he fell and landed with a hard “Hrumpf” on the pavement. The gun flew out of his hand and skidded, landing under a nearby dumpster. Watching his weapon slide out of reach, the masked man scrambled to his feet and stumbled over the various garbage items that littered the alley, as he took off running.

  Kain watched the mugger take off down the narrow space before he turned to offer a hand to the girl.

  “That was pretty stupid of you,” the girl bit out as she rubbed her wrist.

  Taken aback, Kain’s eyes widened as he looked down at the girl sitting on the ground. Not quite the reaction he had expected. He was just glad she was okay. “Where did the other guy go?”

  “What other guy?” The teen stood and looked at him in confusion. “There was only the one guy. Unless you mean the creep who left me here; he used me as a freaking shield so he could run! Maybe you missed him running out of the alley?”

  “I swear there was another guy behind you…” Kain’s voice trailed off.

  “Ugh! I am so dumping that jerk. He totally left me here to die alone.” The girl dusted herself off, snatching her purse up off the ground. She fished around in her bag until she pulled out a cell phone. Wrapping her arm around him, she snapped a picture of them together, surprising a distracted Kain.

  “Thanks for saving me, Robonator. I’m outta here.” Her face contorted in disgust as she looked down, noticing her outfit now covered in mud and who knew what else. “Gross! I’m never going to get this out.” She stormed off and mumbled to herself about her—now ruined—brand name outfit.

  Nivian

  Nivian fell to her knees and clutched her head with both hands. A sudden bolt of pain gripped her entire being. The sensation of falling backward into a void of power enveloped her. The world was violently pulled out from under her feet. She gasped for air, as the pain ripped throughout her body in waves, and slowly tore her apart. The pain lasted a second, but it felt like an eternity.

  What in Gaia’s name? What was that? Nivian took a moment to try and steady her world. It had happened to her three times today. Her gut told her it wasn't the stress of all that had happened recently, but something more. Whatever this weird sensation was, the feeling had grown stronger and more violent each time. She pulled herself up and leaned over the edge of the building. The reaper was gone, but the girl still lived. A reaper wouldn’t leave in the middle of an assignment. Something is definitely wrong here. She dropped down quickly to hide herself from the humans below.

  “This cannot be happening!” Nivian’s heart pounded hard as it tried to break free and take off without her.

  Kain

  A figure stood underneath a street lamp across the street from the theater and watched the exchange. He leaned against the lamp with one foot propped up and both hands in his pockets. He wore a crisp black business suit with a coal-gray, knee-length, trench coat that hung open, and a black fedora that hid his face from the light. Kain followed the stranger’s gaze as he watched the girl run off. He waited until she was out of sight before he crossed the street.

  “Hey, man, did you see where the other guy went?” Kain called out to the man jogging up toward him. He had no idea where the man had come from, but he could have seen something important.

  “Don’t worry, Kain, he’s gone now.” The stranger said in a low voice, showing no concern as he came to a halt.

  “Gone where?” Kain looked down the alley once more to make sure the hooded figure had left for good. He froze when it hit him. “How do you know my name? What is this?” With narrowed eyes, he looked the stranger up and down, taking a defensive half-step back.

  The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to Kain. “You want answers? Call this number,” he said gruffly.

  “Who are you? What’s this number for?” Kain looked down at the card, wrinkles creasing his forehead. A plain white card with nothing more than a phone number in the center.

  “Just call,” the man said, his voice flat. Abruptly, he turned and walked off, leaving Kain to watch after him in confusion.

  “Hey!” He called after the stranger. “What’s your name?”

  The street was now empty, the moviegoers long gone on their way to their next destinations. Kain’s voice echoed off the sides of the buildings. The man must have heard him, but gave no indication, as he continued to jog away.

  Kain looked down at the card again, annoyed with the cryptic stranger’s response. He shoved the card in his front pocket and looked around once more. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up; he had the distinct impression he wasn’t alone. He shrugged off the sensation and headed home. He had had enough of the weird things happening around him this week. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the whole week felt like a Thursday.

  Nivian

  Nivian waited, her back against the ledge on the roof, the rough concrete digging into her until she was sure the humans had left. A male voice echoed around her. Minutes passed. Silence. Gingerly, she lifted her head enough to peek down to the street below. They were gone, and the coast was clear. She stood, brought her hood up over her head, and transported to the ground. She looked around once more to be sure she was alone, before pulling her hood back.

  She walked to the last spot the other reaper had been. A quick glance at the ground told her whatever had happened here tonight was the same thing that happened earlier. A reaper’s watch lay on the concrete, partially submerged in a shallow puddle of water and sludge.

  Reaching down, Nivian picked up the reaper’s watch. She paused to take in a deep breath before she pressed the crown, dread at what she would see. With closed eyes, she pressed down on the crown, releasing the latch. Opening her eyes revealed exactly what she feared. The watch face was cracked, and the hands spun aimlessly. Panic sat heavy like lead in her stomach. Quickly, she shoved the watch into her pocket. She needed to tell Caspian what she had witnessed, even if it was hard for her to believe herself.

  Twice she found broken reaper watches, and twice, this human had been at the scene. Was this all just a coincidence or was he hiding something and using these so-called acts of kindness as a di
straction from something more… sinister?

  Whatever the answer, the truth remained: this human was without a doubt dangerous, or some danger followed closely behind him. He, or something else, had managed to destroy a reaper without directly touching him. It would require such impossibly strong power to travel through the other human before reaching the reaper. That wasn’t possible, was it? Panicked, she pulled her hood over her head and vanished.

  Nivian appeared in her small apartment. She threw her cloak off and aimed for one of the coat hooks near her entryway. It hit the wall and crumpled in a heap on the ground. She leaned against the door for support and inhaled a shaky breath, as her knees tried to give out on her. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed. The human seemed to have the power to destroy reapers.

  Unable to keep upright on legs that decided they had finally had enough, she covered her mouth, and slid down to the floor. Was this guy seeking out reapers to destroy them? If so, why didn’t he use his power to destroy her earlier? Nothing about him or his actions made any sense. The watch she had picked up earlier that morning, the disorientation, the feeling of falling into a void—this human had been there twice. Had he destroyed a third reaper this morning? Had he killed this reaper tonight? She couldn’t be sure; she hadn’t actually witnessed him killing either of them. But it was beginning to look more and more like he was the cause of their destruction. Did Caspian know what it meant when she had given him the broken watch?

  Too disturbed by the day’s events to move, Nivian continued to sit on the floor. Time stood still, her mind raced frantically. Minutes or hours passed, she wasn’t sure how long it had been until she able to was calm down enough to think clearly.

  She straightened herself and walked to her bathroom to splash cold water on her face. A face as pale as death stared back at her from the mirror. The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement at the thought. She was tired and needed rest; she would wait to talk to Caspian about what happened until the morning. Another minute of dealing with this strange day and she would lose her mind. She needed time to process what had happened. Panicking and giving a report that sounded like nonsense wouldn’t get either of them anywhere. She ran her hands through her hair and transformed to her human appearance. Blending in gave her a sense of safety, and it would help her hide who she actually was.