Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel (22 page)

“I’m already someone, Aldon.” She said quietly and she actually believed it.

Aldon growled something low that she didn’t catch right before he sprung at her. He moved so fast Elle almost missed it, if Fiona hadn’t been helping her regain some of her demi-god abilities she wouldn’t have been able to see it. But she had regained some of those abilities and she saw him move just in time.

Elle ducked as he moved in to grab her, and rolled like Victor told her to. And thank the gods she was in the exact spot she needed to be, she rolled under the granite alter. Victor snarled as he arrived, Aldon laughed.

“Do you actually think you can fight me?” Aldon growled from where Elle had been just seconds before.

Elle scrambled to her feet on the opposite side of the alter. Victor stood facing Aldon, his scythe in his hands. “I plan on trying.”

Aldon threw his head back and laughed. “I answer to a god more powerful than you.”

Chills raced up and down Elle’s body, she was truly freaked out. Aldon was either truly insane or he knew something they didn’t.

Victor said nothing as he swung his scythe at Aldon who moved out of the way as if he was swatting a fly. Throwing a punch that connected with Victor’s chin sending the Reaper back several steps. Elle was so shocked she just stood there, Victor recovered only to have Aldon attacking again and again. Victor swung and attacked but Aldon side stepped each swing and countered Victor’s attacks like Victor was a toy. Soon Victor was bloody and beaten.

“Elle, now!” Victor bellowed.

Elle shook herself and scrambled for her backpack she dumped out the contents they had gone over the plan so many times, but now it was happening she felt like they hadn’t gone over it enough.

“Please, please, please,” she begged, not sure who she was talking to.

“Elle, now would be good,” Victor called.

Elle looked up. “I’m working on it.”

It was a modified Pandora’s Box, Tracker/Elemental style, it hid whoever was inside. Without trapping the soul or torturing them. Falcon, Kyra, and Bowen had been working on it. Elle put it down and flipped open the lid. Whispering the words that Kyra said would activate it. Praying it worked.

Six Trackers and Kyra popped out like genies from a bottle. And as they did there were Flashes of light. The box activating was the sign for Christian and Garrett.

Aldon stopped pummeling on Victor to stare in shock as the Trackers attacked. “How the hell?”

“It’s about damn time,” Garrett snapped at Elle. “Thought you were going to leaves us out of the fight.”

Christian grabbed Victor and pulled him to safety, Elle rushed to him.

“Victor?” Elle crouched down. He looked so terrible Elle wasn’t sure he was even breathing at the moment.

“That bad?” Victor muttered.

Elle didn’t even want to touch him. Sure anything she did for him, would surly hurt him. “Yes.”

When everything went quiet, Elle looked up.

Aldon held Garret by the throat with a wicked looking dagger. “Give me Elle.”

“Fuck you.” Garrett swore.

Aldon laughed. “You first.”

Elle was climbing to her feet, she had to get to Garrett first. Everything was happening so fast. People were moving, Victor, and Christian were bellowing.

But none of them got there. A blur moved in, pulling the dagger away. Garrett was cute and blood splattered everywhere. He was also pushed away as Aldon’s face was smashed in with an elbow. His arm was wrenched and the bone snapped. The noise so loud, it seemed to echo in the night. Aldon’s scream split through the dark night. He doubled over, and the blur solidified into the form of a darkly cloaked figure holding a limp arm. A leg coming up to slam into Aldon’s stomach, so hard Aldon came off the ground a good foot.

But Aldon wasn’t cowed. He growled and tried to stab at the figure holding him. The figure released him to spin free of Aldon. It was enough for Aldon who winked away, one moment he was there and the next he was gone.

The cloaked figure swore, and then swore again. And to the surprise of the group, turned to the group and threw back the hood.

“Of course it’s a girl.” Skylar shook his head.

“Get me to Garrett,” Victor wheezed. As he clawed at the dirt.

Garrett was gasping and clutching at the cut on his throat. Elle and Christian dragged Victor over to Garrett who was bleeding out. Victor lay on top of his brother,

“What the hell?” Christian asked Victor.

“Blood Rite Dagger,” Victor said just before he passed out.

“Oh shit.” Christian swore and grabbing Garrett, he Flashed out.

“We got huge problems,” Falcon said to the group. “Get Kyra,” he said to Ryder.

Elle just looked at the group. “What now?”

“We regroup,” Falcon announced.

“Just who the fuck are you?” Skylar barked at the woman, still staring.

She ignored them all and walked up to Elle and held out a hand. “I am Tabitha. Please understand the very last thing I want is for you to mate with the Sons of Adam. I am here to protect you.”

Elle took her hand. “Umm…okay then.”

“You will come with me?” Tabitha asked.

“Uh, I’m kinda with them.” Elle looked around.

“These males are a hindrance,” Tabitha explained.

“Well, fuck you too, bitch,” Skylar said.

Tabitha turned to Skylar. “A very loud and obnoxious hindrance,” she said turning back to Elle. “I don’t work well with others. I am here to protect you and you alone.”

Elle bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I understand. But these men are with me.”

Tabitha stepped forward and whispered words Elle couldn’t understand, and the world around her slowed to a stop. She looked around shocked at the frozen men around her.

“Um what the hell?” she asked Tabitha.

Tabitha gave her a small smile. “I can’t hold this spell long. You need to trust me Elle, I am here for you. What can I do to make you understand?”

“Why should I trust you? You just pop in and try to kill Aldon, and you think that makes you trust worthy?” Elle asked. “Plus you froze everyone? They aren’t going to like this.”

“I promise, I’m here to help you,” Tabitha insisted. “They aren’t even going to notice. Their simple minds, cannot possible comprehend my abilities.”

“That’s just not enough,” Elle said. She had been burned just too many times. Abandoned by those who she cared for. “And for the love of the gods, don’t tell them how ‘simple’ their minds are.”

“I will give my life to protect you,” Tabitha pleaded.

Elle stood over Victor’s body while everyone else stood frozen, as tears ran down her face. “How do I know that?”

Tabitha slashed her hand, making Elle stumble back in shock as the tall amazon advanced on her. But Elle tripped over the uneven ground, and Tabitha was faster than she was, anyway. Taking her by her hand, she grabbed her hand and sliced Elle’s hand. Pressing them together. Elle protested but it was happening so fast. Images started swimming through her mind at a break-necking speed and she couldn’t pinpoint any of them.

Then Tabitha was speaking, “I swear a blood oath to you; I am here to protect you. By my blood I swear you are a sister of my heart and I will do everything within my power to protect you.” Elle was swimming in memories as Tabitha shared with her small tidbits of her life before she released her hand.

Elle looked up into her green eyes and tried to shake her head. “Why would you share a blood oath with someone you don’t even know?”

Tabitha shared a sad smile. “Because it is my destiny.” She released Elle and pulled a cloth from a backpack she cleaned the wounds on their hands with a salve. “This will aide in the healing.” Tabitha cleaned off the blood and Elle was surprised to see that the wounds were already closing up.

“Now what?” Elle asked looking at Victor and the others who were still frozen.

“I will un-freeze them. And we will continue with our mission. It is taking a great deal of my Magik to sustain this spell,” Tabitha admitted.

“They aren’t going to like this,” Elle said again.

“Yeah, the male race typically doesn’t like anything they cannot control.” Tabitha agreed. Slipping her back-pack back on.

“I can’t tell them about this, can I?” Elle asked.

Tabitha laughed. “Oh please do. I’m sure they’ll love it.”

Elle groaned knowing just how wonderful Victor was going to respond to the blood oath Tabitha had sworn to Elle. Yep. It was going to go over like gang busters.

Tabitha regarded her for a moment. “Fine. I will keep you safe. If you insist on traveling with them I will not argue for now.”

Elle rolled her eyes, things just kept getting better. How many more people were they going to add to this merry group? Tabitha unfroze the group.

“How gracious of you.” Skylar snorted as they were unfrozen.

“Shut it.” Falcon slapped Sky in the back of the head.

Elle suddenly felt exhausted. “Where are we headed?”

“Safe house.” Falcon nodded.

Elle nodded, this was plan B. Skylar and Ryder picked up Victor and they headed out. Tabitha stopped Elle. “It is very important you know I am here for your safety, Elle. When we reach the ‘safe house, you and I need to speak privately.”

Elle nodded, she felt like she had fallen down the rabbit hole. Tabitha nodded and before she let Elle go she checked the path forward several times and then walked beside her and a step or two behind her but she could feel Tabitha was aware of absolutely everything going on around her.

Tabitha never left her side, and Elle never went far from where Victor was.

“This place isn’t safe,” Tabitha informed her when they got to the house.

Elle looked around. “It’s warded,” Elle explained. “And it’s kept us safe so far.” She followed Ryder up the stairs, as he carried Victor up to a room. He put Victor on a bed. “He should wake up soon. His wounds are already healing.”

Tabitha was checking the room like she expected something to jump out from the closest or from under the bed.

Elle stood to the side, all she really wanted was to climb into the bed and sleep. “Okay want to tell me who you are now?”

Tabitha looked from Elle back to Victor. “You want to have this conversation in front of a Reaper?”

Elle laughed. “Not sure he is going to have anything to say about it.”

“You trust him?” she asked surprised.

Elle didn’t even hesitate. “With my life.”

“Considering the situation, you have no other choice,” Tabitha said crossing her arms over her chest.

“Who are you?” Elle asked shaking her head.

“I am a Daughter of Eve. I am a Warrior class and in this case judge and jury. We were informed that a Son of Adam was attempting to mate with a demi-god. We didn’t know who it was or why, I was sent out to find out what was going on. And if necessary protect the demi-god fromn the Son of Adam. And where possible reap justice on the wayward Son of Adam. My spies led me to the Freaks and you, and then to Aldon. What he is trying to do is against our laws. He has broken the Compact, and his life is now forfeit.” Elle sighed, looked around and found a chair, and then sat down heavily as Tabitha finished. “You have become a pawn and it is paramount Aldon does not succeed in mating with you. I have sent a message to the Daughters of Eve as well as the Sons of Adam on the Judgment.”

“So neither fraction knows what he is doing?

Elle had a hard time believing that. “Who is funding his little science project then?”

Tabitha shrugged, “Aldon is breaking many of our first laws. I have a hard time believing he is in good standing with the Sons of Adam.” She admitted. “Like I said, I was sent out to find out if the rumors were true. And if they were I was to take care of the issue. The Sons and Daughters have long been thought gone, and we are not part of the Tribunal. We do not fall beneath there rules. Unless otherwise stated from my council Aldon is a dead man walking. And I will protect you from him till my dying breath.”

Elle rubbed at her temples, “Sorry but none of this makes sense to me.”

Tabitha nodded, “You’re exhausted, and you need to get some rest. And will be no good to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion. Get some rest. I will stand guard.” Tabatha motioned to the bed.

Elle agreed completely and climbed into the bed next to Victor, Tabitha turned the light out. Elle watched as she moved to stand by the window. The sun was just rising, Elle placed her hand over Victor’s heart.

The night had been so busy and fraught with so much excitement and fights and information she couldn’t begin to wrap her brain around it all.

She should stop and think it all through but she was just too damn tired. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

****

“Who the fuck are you?” Victor growled. Bringing Elle fully awake, she rolled to her feet and looked around the room.

Victor had Tabitha by the throat; Tabitha had a gun to Victor’s temple. “Release me,” Tabitha growled back.

“Let her go.” Elle stumbled toward them.