Reaper (50 page)

“Nik,” Ethan explained and swung his hand back to point my eye in the direction of the faery. Nik was sitting on the stairs, terror plastered on his face. “He poured your anti-Mindy potion on you.”

“With a little bit of faery dust,” Nik added. He wrapped his hands around the banister.

“That’s genius,” I told him. “Thanks.” I closed my eyes and shook my head, wondering if I would ever forgive myself. “Ethan!” I said suddenly. “I cut you!” Horrified, I forced myself up. I stumbled to him.

“You just grazed the surface. It’s you I’m worried about?”

“Me?”

“Do you remember Melcovel cutting you?”

I shook my head. Ethan gently took my arm and extended it. “Oh,” I said and looked at the bandage. “Yeah, I definitely don’t remember that.”

“You need stitches,” Ethan told me. “And maybe even some blood. You bled a lot while you were murderous.”

“Not funny,” I scolded. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough. Oh my God, René! Are you hurt?” I spun to face her and felt dizzy all over again.

“I’ll be sore in the morning,” she said honestly. “I’m more scared than hurt.”

“Seriously?” I asked and felt like crying or puking. Or maybe both. “I threw you backwards into the side of the house. That has to hurt.”

“Luckily my big ass took the blunt of the hit,” she said with a weak smile. “I’ll have a lump on my head for sure.”

“Maybe you should go to the hospital,” I told her. “To make sure you don’t have brain damage.”

“Did I ever tell you that Shelly and I have exercise ball wars when we drink?”

“What?”

“You know, those big exercise balls. We each take one and run into each other. The point is I’ve been hurt worse from that. I just never realize it at the time. I broke a coffee table once. You should have seen the bruises.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any less bad,” I told her. “I almost killed you.”

“Not really,” she said. “I played dead. I watched you running toward me. Hunter stopped you before you even touched me.”

“Oh, ok.” I turned back to Ethan. “But I did hurt you.”

“Your throat punch was impressive,” he said with a smile. “Annie, stop playing the blame game. I’ve told you it’s annoying for one. Two, you were under demon influence. And three, we have bigger things to worry about.”

“So what are you going to do?” René asked.

I sat back down next to Hunter. He let me know that he wasn’t mad at me either. And he was secretly happy I didn’t turn on him. We both agreed that nothing could separate a witch from their Guardian. “I’ll set up the circles again and make sure I don’t get close this time.”

“No, Annie,” Ethan said definitely. “You can’t summon Melcovel again. He doesn’t just make you confused, he makes you dangerous.”

I couldn’t refute that. “Then I don’t know what to do.”

“He went into the mirror, I’m guessing to the Nether. Close the gate and keep him there,” Ethan suggested. “We know why he’s there now; no one can get close enough to kill him. He’ll do the same thing over and over again. The bullets didn’t even slow him down.”

A heavy silence fell over us. I leaned against Hunter. When Melcovel touched him, he became stunned, but not confused. Mel’s powers were over humans. If he couldn’t infect a Guardian, then maybe he couldn’t infect other nonhumans.

 
I looked over the couch at Nik. His arms were wrapped tightly around his torso. Wearing Ethan’s clothes, he looked like a kid playing dress up in his big brother’s clothing. There was no way I could ask him to do this. He meant too much to me; I didn’t want to endanger him. I needed someone nonhuman and expendable.

I gasped, causing René to jump again.

“What?” Ethan asked.

“I might not be able to get close to Melcovel, but I think I know someone who can,” I said in a low voice.

“Who in the world do you know who could—” Ethan cut off, my idea clicking into place in his head. “Annie, no. That is not a good idea.”

“Do you have a better idea?” I asked.

“Put him back in the Nether.”

“That’s not good enough!” I argued. “It would be stupid not to try!”

“You can’t trust them! They’re just as bad as he is!” Ethan countered.

“No, they’re not. They like me, remember?”

René leaned forward, putting her hands on the sides of the arm chair. “Anyone want to clue me in?”

“Reapers,” I told her with a smile. “They will be able to kill Mel. Their minds are already messed up with homicidal thoughts. The worst he can do is make them think they are soft and fluffy.”

“Ok,” she said slowly. “But why would they kill Melcovel? And how in the hell would you get them here?”

“Oh right,” I said. René didn’t know. “They think I’m their master. They listen to pretty much whatever I say,” I summed up quickly, knowing the shock value that statement carried. I turned back to Ethan. “It’s worth a shot.”

“No,” he said and waved his hand in the air. “The only thing worse than having Melcovel around, is having Melcovel plus a few dozen other demons around.”

“I’m with Ethan on this one,” Nik agreed. I glared at him.

“But my reapers listen to me!” I protested.

“
My
reapers?” Ethan questioned. “Since when do you feel such affection for them?”

“Since one saved my life!” I told him, my voice raising. I took a breath to calm down. “I know how crazy this sounds. All I have to do is get them here. Then Mel threatens me in front of my reapers and boom—he’s dead.”

“No offense, Annie,” Ethan said and rubbed his forehead. “The last time you had an ‘easy plan’ it didn’t quite pan out and you tried to kill me.”

“That’s because I didn’t know what Mel could do. I got too close. I should have done this the whole time.”

“Can you really control them?” René asked shyly.

“Every time they’ve come around I’ve been able to. And the last time I even got one to help me burn and bury bodies.”

“Then I agree with Anora,” she said.

“Two against two,” Ethan pointed out. “Back to the drawing board.”

“Hunter’s on my side,” I spoke up. “So three against two. Reapers it is.” I stood.

“Wait, Annie,” Ethan said and rushed forward. “You lost a lot of blood. You really should go to the hospital. You might be anemic right now.”

“I did a double plasma donation around Christmas time, remember?” I asked Ethan.

“Yeah, and didn’t the Red Cross people tell you to take it easy the rest of the day?”

I nodded. “And they gave me a cookie.” I sighed. “I don’t feel up to par, I’ll admit it, but I don’t have the luxury of waiting. We have no idea where Mel is or what he’s doing. This
has
to end. Now.”

“You’re right,” Ethan finally gave in. “But eat something first, please.”

“Ok,” I agreed. The thought of food made me realize how hungry I was. I sat on the couch and let Ethan bring me apple juice and a turkey sandwich. Nik changed the blood soaked bandage, coating my arm with his miracle potion. My body ached so much. I didn’t want to get off the couch. So easily could I have slipped back into a deep sleep.

“Alright,” I said and stood up. “I do feel better, thanks.” I ran my hands through my hair, which had dried leaves and grass stuck to it. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom first,” I announced and hurried off to pee. When I returned, Nik and René sat on the couch. Buffy had weaseled her way in between them. Her stumpy tail wagged when I walked into the room.

“How are you going to call the reapers?” René asked me.

“I’m not really sure. I’m hoping if I think about them, they’ll come,” I told her.

“Right away?”

“If they’re around, which I think they are.”

Ethan stood. “Ready?”

“It’s kinda now or never, isn’t it?” I asked.

He smiled. “Yeah.”

Nik sprang up. “We’re going to stay in the house this time. Unless you need me, of course,” he added.

“Have the potion ready,” I only half joked. Ethan, Hunter, and I went onto the back porch. I closed my eyes and felt around me. A maelstrom of black hovered nearby; good, Melcovel was hanging around the portal. I thought about the reapers. I imagined Ethan and Hunter’s glowing light and felt a longing in my heart to see it again. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

When I opened my eyes, it was there. Gold shimmered all around Ethan. I touched his arm and the colors exploded. I let go, and the rainbow melted into gold. I held his hand and smiled.

“What are you doing?” he whispered.

“When I touch you, your aura is so much brighter. And it has so many colors,” I whispered back. My eyes darted around his body. “It’s beautiful.” I let go once more and reach my hand out for Hunter. His midnight blue aura magnified when we connected. “That’s so weird,” I muttered to myself.

Something moved in the brush along the tree line. Hunter growled, just once, when a reaper appeared. The reaper’s thoughts entered my mind. He wanted to know if I knew of a good kill.

The best
, I told him.
Where are the others?
I asked, hoping that was a question he could answer. He turned around; one by one, more reapers came into view. I stepped off the porch. A muddy blue tinged Ethan’s aura. It was his worry, and it was weighing on his energy.

The first reaper to arrive stuck his head out at me, casting his eyes on the ground. Unsure of what to do, I patted his head, trying my hardest not to grimace when his greasy hair touched my fingers. Seven reapers formed a circle around me. The notion that they could easily kill me fluttered through my head.
Stay calm
, I reminded myself. If I want to be their leader, I have to act like it.

The female reaper that saved me from the scrappers pushed her way to the front. She looked identical to the males. It was mind baffling that they were separate sexes.

Alright
, I thought to my reapers.
I have a treat for you tonight. Melcovel, brought here from the Nether just for you
. I thought of him, of the chaotic energy he gave off, and felt the reapers’ excitement grow. I was able to pick out bits and pieces from the random reaper thoughts that filtered through my mind. Demon energy wasn’t as pure as human energy, of course, but it was able to sustain them for long periods of time. They salivated—literally—at the thoughts of ripping Melcovel to shreds.

“I just have to get him,” I said out loud.
Hide,
I instructed. I stepped away from the group and watched them scatter. Ethan and Hunter pressed themselves against the house, trying to be inconspicuous from Mel’s eyes. I jogged over to the old barn. The candles had burned out and the place was a black hole of darkness.

A shiver of apprehension went through me as I stepped into the barn. I held out my hand and formed an orb. The bright light was more than enough to allow me to find the black mirror. I took it outside, placed it on the ground, and cast an energy circle. I redrew Mel’s symbol with my blood, stood back, and put my hands up.

Summoning him from this world shouldn’t be as hard. I didn’t have to by pass any astral doors; they were still open. I had completed the chant only twice when the black mist billowed from the mirror.

“Done already?” his voice bellowed. “Your friends are weaker than I thought.”

I set my face and crossed my arms. “Actually, I brought more friends to the party.”
Now!
I told the reapers. They closed in.

Melcovel’s sunken in eyes widened. “No! How? You-you can’t break my curse! Nobody breaks my curse!”

“There’s a first time for everything,” I told him with fake sympathy.

“I’ll put you in a different reality,” he threatened. He stepped forward; I could tell by his jerky movements that he expected to be trapped in a salt circle. When he didn’t hit a wall, he sneered, “Getting brave aren’t we, witch?”

“I’ve always been brave,” I told him. “And go ahead, make another reality…for yourself. Because in this one, you die.”

He took a step back, placing one foot above the mirror. That was how he got away before, through the mirror! The female reaper moved with catlike grace behind Mel. If she wasn’t stalking the demon that had made my life hell, I would be scared shitless. Hunger was all she was feeling; her beady eyes were set on Melcovel. Her body moved fluidly and she didn’t make a sound.