Chapter Five

My scythe hit the wet cement at the exact time the car drove past. The water splashed against the sidewalk, flying through my body, and splashed down on the homeless few sitting under the small awning.

There was hardly any shelter to shield them from the pelting rain. It soaked their few belongings and ruined the little food they had. Now they weren’t just cold and hungry, but sickness would soon seep into their bones and my reapers would take them as well.

Their lives were brief, whether they knew it. But this night I wasn’t here for them.

My fist tightened around the lead chain. I transformed Fluffy into the shape of a hellhound. He hated this form, but he knew very well if he came into the earth realm, this was to be his animal. The evil had to fear him, and he understood he had to put on a good show.

I wrapped my bones around the chain again to get a better grip. Fluffy’s demeanor was more ravenous tonight. His claws scratched against the wet surface of the ground. My body was unmovable, my boned fingers coiled around the metal as he barked and snarled at each passerby.

He smelled their sins, their evil.

The sooner this was done, the better. I was tired of pondering Ember’s words.

My body continued its slow, meticulous pace. I didn’t want to arrive too early, I may be the Reaper, but neither I nor the rest of my army were completely sadists and wanted to watch a murder.

Maybe some reapers were, but my soulless bones had grown cold and indifferent over the years, and I do not fraternize with the other reapers I charge. I didn’t love my job nor hate it—it was the way of life. It was why I was born, created by fate. Just like this female.

An old church chime rang just past one a.m. My hood slipped further down my cold-boned forehead as I gazed at the brightly colored face of time. We were close.

A female’s scream filtered down the streets. The bustling street was too busy to care, and I took the long four-block walk to my destination.

Fluffy was restless, his strength stronger than ever before. I almost chuckled at his eagerness to help me obtain a soul tonight. If only he knew what weighed heavily on my mind with this mortal.

My silent steps went further into the single light alley, and I stood in the corner and waited.

Unfortunately, Fluffy”s eagerness brought us here too early, and now I would have to wait and watch a gruesome sight. I pulled on his chain and halted him.

With a rush of wind, a feminine whimper blew past us and down the alley. The only way out was whence she came, and it wasn’t looking well for her.

Blood covered her. Blood dripped from her nose. She had a split lip, a black eye, and blood ran down her bare stomach. Her short skirt and top were ripped, almost exposing her chest. The female leaned up against the dumpster and panted heavily.

My bones do not tremble easily, but the sight before me has my head turning away from her. For the first time, I cannot watch because rule number one —

Reapers do not intervene.

A body stood over her with no shirt. His muscles were overly large, too large to be natural. In his hand, he held a knife and panted heavily. This male had shown no honor, beating a defenseless woman. A burning sensation filled my chest, one I had never felt before.

In the past, I would have waited around the corner, hidden by my death”s veil. The living could not see me, couldn”t touch or call out to me, and there was nothing I could do about it until the evil deed was done.

As I gazed upon her, I couldn”t help but notice the piercing emerald hue of her eyes, now clouded with overwhelming despair. It tore through me, shattering what small bit of emotion I still held within myself.

The male who was hurting her bent over, and Fluffy snarled, unaware that we could not be seen. We were not yet allowed to intervene. And though it pained me to the core of my being...

Because the reaper never shows himself.

I turned away, refusing to look as Fluffy howled and pulled at his chain. He could not be released until it was all over.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Her screams dragged me down into the dark recesses of my mind, a place I never wanted to visit. A place of pain and suffering.

For years, I had been numb. Why did I suddenly feel? Why did I want to reveal myself and kill this bastard?

Deeper, darker questions flooded my mind. Such as breaking rules, codes, and laws that both the Fates and I had agreed upon in order to save this woman from suffering. Ember, a queen herself, had asked for my involvement, but dare I break the very rules that governed our existence?

A fierce fire roared behind my cloak, its intense glow reflecting in my eyes. The crackling sound filled the air, echoing in the depths of my being. The scent of burning wood enveloped me, awakening a primal demon inside.

The piercing screams of the female echoed through the air, sending shivers down my bones. With a tight grip on my scythe, I swiftly turned to confront them, feeling the weight of Death”s presence surrounding me. Anticipation built as I prepared to unveil Death”s shroud and protect the woman from the male”s grasp.

The piercing sound of my hellhound”s mournful howl echoed through the alley. Its deep, rumbling tone resonated with haunting sadness, surpassing the impact of any gruesome murder I had ever witnessed. As I cautiously moved forward, my loyal companion stayed by my side, his presence reassuring me.

However, once the decision was made to rescue her, there was only one person with a beating heart, one soul ready to take.

Her human body still leaned against the dumpster, the male tumbled over her. If I had a heart in this form, I swear it would have stopped at that moment.

My scythe trailed behind me as I leaned forward and gripped the male”s head, exposing his neck and leaving a river of blood down his skin.

As the male was pulled off her chest, the female with clover-colored eyes looked up at me with no fear, just awe.

My breath hitched as I continued to gaze into her captivating eyes. I could feel warmth spreading through my marrow, melting away the icy barriers that had once encased my soul.

Her eyes, like two deep pools of endless possibilities, held a power that was both mesmerizing and frightening. They seemed to possess an uncanny ability to peer into the depths of my being, as if they could unravel the secrets I had long buried within.

It felt like her gaze penetrated the layers of my guarded self. In that moment, I realized her eyes held not only beauty but also an unyielding kindness, a compassion that could heal even the darkest corners of my soul.

The intensity of her gaze was electrifying, like a surge of energy coursing through my entire being. It was as though she had ignited a dormant fire within me, igniting passions and desires I had long forgotten and now wanted to possess. Her eyes held a magnetic pull, drawing me closer with each passing second.

And yet, amidst the overwhelming brightness, there was a subtle vulnerability in her gaze. Why wouldn”t she? She was sitting in the back alley of a strip club. Inside her eyes, I could see her pain, her struggles, and most of all her resilience, a kaleidoscope of emotions, each flicker revealing a different facet of her complex soul.

I wanted to see more of it. Wanted to experience each one with her.

As I continued to lose myself in the depths of her gaze, admiring her soul, I took in her physical appearance. Despite the blood and surrounding chaos, she held an ethereal beauty unlike any I had seen before. It transcended the boundaries of conventional aesthetics, leaving me spellbound and craving more.

I knew her eyes were not just a window to her soul, but also a mirror to my own. Through them, I could witness the transformation happening within me, the metamorphosis from an emotionless being who could understand fear and anger into something else entirely. I yearned for more, to know more about these feelings that were entering my being.

I desired her.

She held fire and ice, warmth and coolness that would quench my thirst and dry my tears. A near symphony soared within my body. Emotions I had never once known erupted in my ribcage.

How did this one tiny human have a soul so large that it could fit inside a body so small?

The male’s body slumped in front of her. She was too stunned to move it further away from her, and I too was caught up in my thoughts. My fingers loosened on the chain holding my companion and instantly, Fluffy raced toward not the body to retrieve the soul that needed reaping but to her.

She continued to stare at me, her green pools welling with tears as she continued to hold on to a shard of mirrored glass in her hand. The glass had cut into her palm, running down her wrist, and she wasn”t just covered in her own blood but also the abuser”s blood.

What a powerful human female.

Fluffy surrounded her and licked her face, awakening her from the trance she had fallen into. She looked at Fluffy, blinking and staring until the shard fell from her hand and she lovingly petted his cheek.

My hellhound was not the average beast. Fluffy”s body underwent a transformation, and he didn”t live up to his name. His head was a skull, his teeth sharp and his breath putrid. His tongue was black and his eyes blazed with fire. The body fortunately had fur, some places longer than others, but they were terrifying, especially to the souls he had come prepared to reap with me.

She studied him, and he nuzzled his boned nose against her nape. Fluffy licked the blood from her cheek and she closed her eyes as he tended to her.

She wasn’t afraid of a beast from hell? Feeling the coldness of his bones?

More surprises.

My fingers tapped against my scythe, watching her intently instead of retrieving the soul of her abuser.

I was far too fascinated by her reaction. I designed Fluffy’s form to frighten everyone around him. With women and children, he usually stayed by my side, knowing his face was hideous, and waited until I took them to their designated resting places. But with her?

He forgot his appearance.

The female’s hand reached out, touching Fluffy’s ivory boned jaw, and if my eyes could widen, they would have.

She was petting a beast, without care.

Fluffy then pulled away, seeing that the abuser’s body was covering my female. He circled the male and pulled on his ankle, dragging the dead body away from her. Blood continued to pour from the neck, it was slit right across his throat.

It was a perfect cut, the right angle and depth. It impressed me, the tiny thing able to make such a strike at just the right time. I puffed out my chest. Even though I could not protect her, she held her own. She protected herself; she was a fighter.

Once Fluffy dragged the body closer to me, I pulled up my sleeve, showing off my boned hand. The female’s heart sped up slightly.

My fingers tightened around his ankle, feeling the cold, lifeless flesh against my skin. His tormented soul writhed violently, desperate to escape as I forcefully extracted it from his now lifeless body. Curses and screams echoed through the air, mixing with the sound of my labored breathing. Each punch that failed to touch my robed form fueled my anger further. Even in death, he remained unrepentant, a fact that would only intensify his suffering during judgment.

“Put me down, you scary fuck!” With a flick of my wrist, his blackened soul landed on his back. His eyes widened, seeing my covered face and my scythe by my side. “Shit!”

I stared down at him, looking into his eyes, and realized this was a demon soul. A demon had penetrated a human’s body and thrown the human’s soul elsewhere. I paused, watching him wither beneath me. “Name!” I bellowed.

“No!” he snapped. “I won’t tell you!”

I needed a name. A name to command him back to The Underworld. “I command you give me a name!” I ordered.

He shook his head again. He tried to push me away.

“Koozoth,” the female whispered.

I turned to her, and the demon cursed.

She swallowed. “Koozoth is his name.”

“You bitch!” he roared.

”Koozoth, I sentence you to the torture chambers of Lucifer, where you will be tried and judged.”

I threw him to the ground, and with one swipe of the scythe, I beheaded his soul, causing it to fade into a mist that was sucked into the earth.

I felt a sense of accomplishment wash over me, but I knew my task wasn”t done just yet. Because the female’s heated gaze was still burning deep into my robes.

Why? Why did I feel I was naked in front of her when I held so much fabric between us?

“Are you here for me, too?” Her voice was raw, her eyes stayed on me, but her hand continued to pet the hellhound like it was a puppy.

I stayed silent and walked slowly toward her.

I wanted to say yes, that I was here for her. Her heart beat more slowly, her movements grew sluggish. There was no way she would survive this. Taking her soul would be the easiest option.

The idea repulsed me.

“I just want to know if Amanda is okay. I-is she okay?” She took in a shaky breath. “Did she get out in time?”

She dropped the hand that was petting Fluffy. He whined, nudging her with his nose.

“Is she at least alive?” Her eyes drooped.

I sunk back into my mind, recalling any reapers around the area taking a soul with the name Amanda. None came to. “There is no soul named Amanda in my care.”

The female hums. “I feel cold. I heard that happens before you go. I guess it’s true?” she said to herself.

I looked around the alley. It’s dirty, it stinks, a body is just a few feet away from her. It is a terrible place to let go of her life, especially after spending so much time in a place where she never wanted to be.

I balled my fist in anger. It was unfair for her to leave the earth like this. Who knows where else her life could have taken her?

To her mate.

I growled, gripping my scythe with both hands. I didn’t like that, either.

A torrent of dark shadows whipped and whirled at my feet, creating a mesmerizing dance around me. The chilled wind tugged at my robes, causing them to billow and sway. I could feel the gentle rustle of my ebony wings as they adjusted to the gusts.

“I’m not seeing a bright light, though. Guess I wasn’t good enough, or didn’t fulfill some greater purpose?” Her lips wobbled. “Did little of anything with my life. I can understand that.” She nodded.

She looked straight into my hood, and unlike the other gods and goddess, this human continued to look into the darkness, searching for my face.

“You’re not that scary, you know,” she whispered. “You’re kinda calming.”

Calming? Even with my emotions bubbling inside me? My shadows were dancing wildly around me, my wings spreading, making myself appear larger.

I looked behind me, gazing at my massive state. I wasn’t trying to scare her, not her. Not this innocent soul. Then what was I doing exactly? I paused, looking upwards, trying to understand why my body was making itself larger.

I moved my wings and found that drops of rain fell through my hood and onto my skull.

Shielding her. I was protecting her from the rain. Protecting her from the elements. Protecting her body that should no longer matter.

Rules, fate, I had but two jobs: to collect souls and to help Ember with her cause. Now the lines were fading. Now emotions, very uncontrollable emotions, were messing with my head.

I came closer, bringing my scythe with me, and she didn’t flinch like many humans would. She showed no fear in me. She stared death in the face.

It was refreshing.

I liked it.

And the more I looked at her, even with the blood, her bruised face; she was beautiful.

A beautiful creature like her would not want to know a monster like me, but I found this female fascinating. I had the urge to know more about her, be around her the longer I stood in her presence.

As I grew near, her soul entrapped me, suffocating me with its aura.

Her soul didn’t call for me to reap, it was reaching for me to—do what?

I tilted my head.

She was someone’s soul mate; she was fated. Perhaps her soul was trying to live on, knowing part of themselves was missing. Yet she did not know.

A fire blazed inside me. A fury that I had never known before seared my bones, ready to char whoever she was to be gifted to.

I didn’t want anyone else to see the soul inside her. I didn’t want anyone else to take the beauty of what lay within her. They would taint it, they wouldn’t understand how special it was.

Only I could see that. I was the only one who could look inside one’s body and truly see.

I want her.

My wings shuttered, hearing the rolling thunder.

This female had a soul too interesting, too delicious, too powerful for me to just let her live and let her go. Her mate was not here to take care of her, to heal her body, and I would be damned if I just left her here.

By the fires of Tartarus, have I really considered this? Take her? Steal her away and never letting her meet her mate?

Fuck.

I was, I truly was. I’d gone mad, let emotions I had long buried deep come to the surface. It was her. She was doing this to me.

My bones warmed at the thought of bringing her back with me. She would fit perfectly in the confines of my home. She was my type of light that I needed. Like the moon.

Like the moon. Yes, a moon. She was my moon.

Fluffy nudged my arm, breaking me out of my trance. He whined, pulling on my robes with his sharpened teeth.

I couldn’t think straight. Not with her sitting here, staring deep within me. She opened the damn flood gates. There was no going back to what I once was.

Now that I have seen her, could nearly taste the essence of her soul on my tongue, I wanted her to be close to me. The female that does not fear Death.

I would make sure no one would ever find her. Not even her mate. She would be my secret, my hidden desire, my oasis in all the darkness.

Mine.

I straightened my shoulders, leaning closer to her. “Mortal, I have a proposition for you.”

“Juniper,” she coughed, “that’s my name.” Blood pooled in the corners of her mouth.

I have spent so much time thinking, I let her suffer like this, but this fire crackling, exploding inside me, had to be dealt with.

Ah, but Juniper. It suited her. Her muted red hair, her ferocity to fight back at her attacker. She was not weak in the slightest. I knew she would accept the deal I was about to give.

“Do you want to live?” I rasped, leaning close to her ear.

Fluffy nudged her hand and whimpered.

Juniper’s eyes fluttered, but her eyes bore into the blackness of my hood. “Yes,” she muttered.

My hands shook, excitement thrummed through my bones. The will to live. That”s all I needed in order to keep her alive.

I knelt down, my wings surrounding her body as I scooped her up into my arms. Her body was cold, my robes now stained in her blood.

She didn’t protest while I held her. Instead, she laid her head on my chest, tiny puffs of air barely escaping her lungs. “Do not worry. Keep your will strong, and we shall save your body.”

She hummed in reply, and I spread forth my wings. Fluffy leaned his body beside me as we whisked away from the alley.