9

T he friendly introductions were over and Zak had us run the track.

The wolves took the lead, soon to be followed by the vam pires. I thought everyone was going to continue on foot like me until Mallory launched herself from the ground; cutting her time in half. Occasionally, she would add a flip or two like a flying acrobat, and I watched from below with slight envy.

The others joined in with their alternative forms of running. Max and Barrett both hunched over like they were about to transform into wolves any second. I thought I was fast, especially after outrunning Max once before, but I was barely keeping up. Tori was kind enough to keep pace with me.

On our final lap, we cooled down by walking in circles together. I put my hands on my hips and tried to catch my breath. My legs hadn’t felt that heavy the other day when I was booking it across town.

“Hey,” Tori said in a hushed tone, “Don’t expect Zak to go easy on ya’ just because he’s cute. He’s ruthless deep down.”

My cheeks burned while she snickered at me. I knew I couldn’t have been the only one who found Zak attractive. He had the face of a god. It wasn’t a big deal, it was just that Heaven knew what it was doing when it made him. I was simply appreciating art.

“Duly noted,” I said.

Tori hummed happily to herself and reached for her toes, stretching out her legs. When she caught me scratching my head over it she laughed. “It’s just a habit. I don’t really feel anything.”

I broke my stare. “You don’t?”

“Nah, well, sometimes. But it’s not painful or anything.”

“How are you so…”

“Solid?” Tori flashed a proud smile. “I know. I can pretty much do normal stuff. Except I don’t need to eat anymore, which does kind of suck. All I need to regain my energy is rest. But I miss pizza, ya know?”

I nodded, feeling guilty about my previous dinner with Zak.

She went on to talk about the one time she had tried to eat food, resulting in traumatic failures, but we were interrupted by another unearthly presence.

Guy didn’t have the shine of sweat like I knew I did. The only difference after running that much was the wind had moved his hair a fraction. He pulled the strands back in a small ponytail, revealing some softer features that I hadn’t noticed last night. I was too focused on catching his face changing into a skeleton again.

In his hand was, what looked like, a purple teddy bear. He pressed the toy to Tori’s chest as he passed, muttering under his breath. “Your physical form only lasts a few minutes at most, don’t forget.”

Tori hooked the bear to her pants like it was a totally normal occurrence. An accessory, even. “Killjoy.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him, Jess. He’s just a big grump.”

I chuckled awkwardly, unaware of whatever dynamic they had. What was up with the bear? She looked young but I couldn’t imagine her needing a support toy to cuddle at night. It was cute enough; rounded ears, beady eyes, and four plush arms and legs.

But why ?

Guy let out an exasperated breath, only turning back once to look at me.

“You look better this morning, Jess,” he said, “Less like a lost sheep.”

One of my eyes twitched. “Gee, thanks?”

The corner of his lips crept upward before he faced away. Tori on the other hand crossed her arms and frowned. “Get used to his mood swings,” she said, “He can be a real butthead when he wants to be.”

“How long have you two known each other?” I asked.

“Forever.” Her eyes wavered and she twirled the ends of her pink-tipped hair in her hand, “Forever for me, anyway. We used to be close until I died. Ghosts make him uneasy.”

“A reaper uneasy around ghosts?”

“I know, right? When did you two meet?”

I paused. “He sort of arrested me.”

She laughed. “For real? You must’ve been really naughty.”

“Was Guy the one who retrieved you?” I asked, “When you…”

I didn’t want to mention someone’s death right in front of them. Though, I’d never been in that kind of awkward situation before.

“Yeah,” Tori said, “but I don’t like thinking about it. Too gloomy.”

“Fair enough,” I said, “So, how does training usually go?”

“Besides making our muscles ache? Not mine,” she said haughtily, not out of breath like I was, “Combat. Oh, and some basic criminology and such. I know this is all new and scary but like, you’re in good company.”

“Yeah.” I focused on the grass at my feet. Suppressing my self was practically second nature. I didn’t have to now. Was I happy or terrified about that?

“So,” Tori said suddenly, breaking me from my spell and I almost tripped, “What makes you scared? Zak must have no ticed something about you.”

“Uh… I hurt people if I touch them,” I said, “At least, I think that’s how it works.”

“Is that why you wear gloves?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Is it an automatic thing then? You can’t control it?”

“I’m not sure, actually,” I said.

“Oh. Well, either way. Sounds useful.” Tori bobbed her head, agreeing with herself. “Zak wouldn’t have recruited you if he didn’t think so.”

Zak did seem convinced that I would be useful. I wasn’t so optimistic. What else could I actually do ? There was that weird, smokey magic stuff, but I had no idea how to conjure it at will. Was it something all demons could do?

We circled back around to meet Zak in the middle. His smile was a flat line across his face this time. I wasn’t sure what had changed since a few minutes ago, but the air felt tense.

He curled a finger toward him.

“Jess and… Guy. The rest of you split up. Practice sparring for a bit.”

Max contributed a low huff, but everyone obeyed. I really wanted to see what sparring looked like between my peers; to see if I could survive the daily onslaught, but I guess Zak had something else in store.

When Guy made his way next to me, he lifted his shoulders lazily. At least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t have a clue.

“You’re going to take an assessment test,” Zak explained. “It’s just Jarmiel and me observing, so don’t get too nervous.”

I looked past him and saw his angel buddy looking clean-cut and sharp as he appeared on the field. He greeted me with a quick, “Winters,” and carried a clipboard close to his chest.

But Jarmiel hadn’t been alone.

“Not even going to introduce me, Zakiel?” The voice was female; firm, like Jarmiel, except she had a hint of playfulness that the angel did not.

“ And Lisha,” Zak said. It wasn’t like him to turn his nose up to anyone, so I was taken aback when he snubbed her.

Lisha was a vision of night; black hair, dark skin, and vibrant, violet eyes with pupils like long, vertical slits. The hair closest to her face was pinned all the way back and I saw something glistening across her neck, like layers of deep, purple amethysts.

Scales.

“Winters,” she addressed me, “Or do you prefer Jessebel?”

“Jess, please,” I said. She was a beautiful woman, in a regal, unapproachable kind of way. There was something about her that I felt I needed to be reverent toward. Was she a god? Not like I knew much about gods, mysterious bastards.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, “Not enough, though.”

Lisha’s eyes shot toward Zak.

“Lisha is only here so she can lure you to her team,” Zak said, “Anyway, Jess, I’ve asked Guy to help with your demon- stration. Get it? Demon… stra—anyway, it’s not a formal demonstration. We just want to see where you’re at before we start training you.”

He never said anything about a test. What if I did something too extreme or nothing at all, and I let Zak down? Did the video of me not “demonstrate” enough? It wasn’t like I actively practiced any demon magic; only by accident.

Zak slapped Guy on the back. From the volume of the impact and the way his hand lingered on his shoulder, it felt more like a threat. His approach with me was much gentler. “Do your best. And don’t go easy on this one.” He thrust his thumb over his back at Guy, who didn’t appear nervous about what was to come. “Oh. And you don’t want these.”

Zak smoothly cradled both of my wrists and slid my gloves off.

Gone. Just like that.

“Wait—” I went to snatch them back but he stopped my hand, making us high-five instead. He’d already pivoted his back to me. He just gave them back and now he was stealing them again?

“Trust yourself,” he said, keeping our palms touching long enough for me to feel a charge. I gasped, realizing I’d just fed off his energy.

A shot of adrenaline couldn’t hurt before getting my ass kicked…

Guy shook his head but when he looked back at me, his expression changed. His brows twitched, like he noticed something on my face. “No hard feelings, newbie?”

“Why?” I asked, “Not taking my soul today, are you?”

I meant it as a joke since he started it by getting playful with his competitiveness but the reaper smirked.

***

We moved away from the track to our own little patch of dirt. Zak perched like an owl atop the nearby fence, which I found both silly and impressive. I assumed he wanted the best view of whatever was about to happen.

A circle was marked for us on the ground. Guy and I stood inside the lines facing each other. Waiting. My arms hung awkwardly at my sides. Jarmiel started attaching red circles to Guy’s body; his back, chest, shoulders, and legs. Why was he getting the extra armor and not me?

“Okay, Jess,” Zak called down, “See the targets on Guy? All I need you to do is hit as many as you can before he knocks you out of bounds. You’ll have three chances to do so. Use any means necessary.”

Jarmiel grumbled.

“She can handle it,” Zak said.

Jarmiel’s glance in my direction failed to encourage me like he was watching a sick animal about to be put down. Good gods… I shook it off. The test itself sounded simple enough. It was basically a game kids could play. I located the easiest circles to get to on Guy’s arms, chest, and thighs. They were large enough targets. Reaching one shouldn’t be a problem, but I knew it would turn out easier said than done.

My aunt taught me some self-defense, but her tactics focused on flight, not the fighting itself. A hostile vampire would go for the throat, using claws or fangs; sometimes targeting their victim’s soft core. Sadly, the most common attacks involved vampires, so I was clueless about reapers.

Guy watched me from across the mat. I’d seen him in action once when he pulled me out of my aunt’s teleportation circle. Back then, I hadn’t been ready for a brawl. I took a deep breath and flexed every muscle, waking them up.

Still, it would’ve been nice to surprise him with an explosion of power. It wasn’t like I could kill a reaper, right? I closed my eyes and searched for any inkling of my inner darkness. It was similar to reliving my dream last night. Behind my eyes were black, but there was substance to it. Movement. A flow, like a watery current. I called into the dark with my mind, and received a low rumble in response.

And a spark.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the world flying away from me.

My back came crashing down. The dirt did nothing to soften the blow. A harsh gasp from my chest left me hoarse and confused. All I could do was stare at the sky, clueless as to how I got there.

Guy appeared in front of my lame body, as swift and unsuspecting as my fall. He offered me his hand but I just glared and rolled myself up. Call me petty. I was outside of the white lines; my ass and my pride were injured.

“Sorry,” Guy said, sounding the exact opposite.

I mumbled. “Just get back to your side.”

“Oh? I shall then.”

He did. I still wasn’t sure what Guy had done to me. My stomach was sore like I’d been hit pretty hard by something. I heard Mallory’s bell-like chuckle from across the field and groaned.

One of my attempts was already over.

“Come on, Jess,” Zak said, “Don’t let him get cocky.”

Not wanting Guy to toy with me the entire time, I moved first on our second round. The taste of dirt on my tongue kept my anger alive. I stuck to the middle, giving myself a chance to stay inside the lines even if I got hit. Guy remained motionless.

Then, I felt a change in the air. He raised his arm and held it out like half of a cross. The certainty on his face sent a chill through me. I braced for whatever was coming my way, even if I couldn’t see it.

He swept his arm to the right, so I went left. A sharp wind blew past me. Something had definitely been there in front of me. Guy twisted his arm back to come for another swing. I didn’t know if I should run forward or back—

“ Oof! ”

He caught me in my overthinking again. That time, I was hit across the chest. I tumbled and almost rolled out of bounds for the second time. Dammit. I couldn’t let him keep doing that. I clutched my shoulder, worried about how I looked in front of my new commander. If Zak believed in me, I wanted to prove that he hadn’t made a mistake, that I wasn’t a mistake.

“That was a close one,” Guy said, “You learn quickly.”

I kicked off the line before he could nudge me out. Guy twirled his hand around like he was carrying a baton. What was he wielding and why couldn’t I see it? Was I doomed to keep dodging blindly?

I ran at him again. His movements became swifter to match mine. I dodged twice before getting hit again, but I was close enough to reach him. One of his targets was inches from my hand, and then, I was blocked at the last second.

He spun both hands around, and I finally saw it.

The object moved through the air, distorting him with a blur. Not sure what I did differently this time, but the image was becoming clear. Honestly, I should have known right away what it was.

His scythe.

It warped into reality, showing me its dark, reflective metal. The malicious blade curved to a pointed end. Crazy to think that weapon was the last thing a living soul saw before being parted from mortality. Guy quickly used the distraction to his advantage and catapulted me out of bounds with the butt-end of the scythe.

“ Fudge …” I wheezed, back on the ground, “I don’t like you.”

“Come on. One last shot.”

Irritation overshadowed my pain. Even if I could just touch him once , I’d be satisfied. I didn’t care about everyone’s expectations anymore; I couldn’t leave this ring with a zero.

When I ran toward him, he behaved the same, like he had a card up his sleeve. I wasn’t sure if he’d meant to unveil his weapon or if he hadn’t noticed. He didn’t strike with the intention of cutting me. Thank the gods. But he also wasn’t paying close enough attention to where my eyes were moving. It was my turn to smile.

As I suspected, he still didn’t know I could see it. Not until too late, anyway. I dodged a low sweep with a jump and then lunged at the bastard with all my strength.

To his surprise, and mine, his body gave to my weight.

He didn’t topple over completely, like I’d hoped, but I moved him back a few feet. We stood there with my arms wrapped around him in a bizarre embrace. I blinked, wondering what to do next. He didn’t look heavy, so why couldn’t I lift him or push him over with my half-demon strength?

So, I did what anyone would do to thwart a man while in a panic.

By any means necessary, right?

My knee came up toward his crotch and he immediately caved into me with a loud grunt. Even servants of death experienced biological pain. Good to know. It gave me the time I needed to push him to the ground. I trapped him be neath me with legs on either side of him, surprised by my own boldness.

He spoke up at me through gritted teeth. “That was a cheap shot.”

“And your invisible scythe wasn’t ?” I snapped back and punched one of the targets on his shoulder. Twice. Three times. Every hit made him pulse against the ground, and I thought I might’ve had the upper hand.

He decided to forgo the scythe altogether and focused on getting me off of him. Guy dropped the staff and rolled us over in one, swift movement that made him the dominant one. Both of my arms were pinned out to the sides. His fingers felt like ice against my skin.

Cold, cold, cold!

There was no warmth, unlike the abundance of sunshine with Zak. I wiggled desperately, releasing quick, sharp breaths. The dread bled from my chest like poison the longer we were touching. I thought I’d go mad being like that much longer, but then, the frost in my veins became bearable. Constant, unsus pecting, and calming.

The glare on Guy’s face mellowed as did the shock from his touch. He looked down at me in wonder just as I stopped struggling. Keeping eye contact, he glided this thumb over the veins in my wrist, as if performing a careful experiment.

My chest reached for his with every breath, entranced by his examination of me as well. Guy cleared his throat. “Giving up already?”

I wormed them upward and planted my feet on his stom ach, kicking his middle target repeatedly, like a killer rabbit. My legs were always the strongest part of my body, but I felt my strength had increased. He grimaced and his grip slipped once, but as soon as he recovered, he clamped on to keep himself from being kicked off.

Then, I saw it again. The sparks of dark matter reappeared briefly on my body.

It sizzled off of me like steam, not forming a cloud like before. I was excited at first but then panicked, remembering what it had done to the monster before. Lights traveled up my arms, making the white-web effect with my veins again.

With an unladylike growl and an effort to pull a leg muscle, I tried to launch him to the side. It worked, but he still held my arms. We tumbled together toward the line. The magic subsided.

I lost.