Chapter Thirty-One

Nova

August’s siblings and their marked mates were prepared to fight Harvest. The only one who was getting left behind was Kitty. Grim wanted her with him and Melanie. I wasn’t positive since I hadn’t been around the family long, but they treated Kitty differently than the others. She seemed capable of taking care of herself, but they were making her stay behind.

Maybe they kept her in the woods because her marked mate was the Devil himself. I’d keep her locked away, too. Anything that created a being such as Harvest couldn’t be good. And Harvest seemed sure he could use Kitty to bait his creator. If Harvest could hurt the Devil through Kitty, she didn’t need to go with us.

Despite what I knew, I asked August why she received special treatment and he said, “Kitty’s the youngest. Everyone babies her.”

Well, it appeared Kitty didn’t want to be babied. She appeared downright annoyed when she muttered, “I’m physically stronger than you guys. Don’t you think it’s time to leave me alone? I don’t understand why it’s so scary every time I leave the woods.”

“Harvest still wants you.” Even though Grim appeared translucent, his stern voice left no room for arguments.

“We don’t know that,” Kitty argued. “All we know is he wanted one of us. He seemed to stop trying after Joy’s kidnapping.”

Kitty didn’t know why Harvest was after her. None of them seemed to.

“I know why Harvest wanted you,” I spoke up. Everyone in the ballroom turned toward me. “ Harvest captured two angels over the last century. The second one knew of your marked mates. Harvest pulled me out of my prison when he found out I was August’s marked mate. You see, Isabella and I are the same.”

I met the eyes of the other witch in the room.

“He was going to use me as the key to the apocalypse when I was a teen, just like he used Isabella, but he couldn’t. I’d met August and gained his immortality. Harvest couldn’t control me with his blackness, so he killed me. Or at least he thought so. When he found me alive, he threw me into a cell and left me there for a long time. He couldn’t figure out why I was immortal until the second angel.”

The first angel must have known who I was back then. And if he had, maybe he tried to protect the world that day by withholding the truth from Harvest. The angel had failed since Harvest still started the apocalypse and learned of Reapers’ mates.

Grim frowned. “I’m sorry you’ve endured so much, but what does that have to do with my daughters and why Harvest wanted one of them?”

“Harvest wanted the Devil’s mate.”

Gasps filled the room. Grim staggered backward and appeared even paler than before. Payne held him upright.

Kitty burst out laughing. “What?”

“I’m serious,” I said. “The angel transformed into a demon before revealing to Harvest the identity of the Devil’s marked mate. Considering you’re the only one without a mate, it must be you, Kitty.”

August grabbed my hand. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I thought you guys knew, or I would have told you sooner.”

“What Nova said makes sense,” Grim whispered, palming his forehead. “No wonder…”

“No wonder what?” Kitty asked.

Grim’s head slumped forward. Payne was still helping him stand or he would have fallen to the floor. Melanie ran toward Grim and placed her fingers beneath his nose. Her shoulders slumped. “He’s okay. He passed out.”

“Dad won’t survive until the end, will he?” Joy asked, tears glistening.

“He’s as old as time. He’s not going anywhere,” Maureen muttered, but her eyes were wide and glossy as she stared at her dad.

“Your father didn’t want to worry you. And he’d be upset if he saw you getting scared now.” Melinda looked at Maureen as she spoke, wiping her eyes. “We knew things were going to get bad. The worst is here.”

“I’ll stay with our parents and keep them safe,” Kitty announced, holding her mom’s shoulder as Payne carried Grim. “Just capture Harvest for good this time. That’ll be one less monster to stop at the end.”

“I’m going to help get Grim in bed, then we can leave,” Payne said.

My heart hurt for the youngest Reaper. I gave her a shocking truth. Her marked mate was the lifelong enemy of her father’s.

August exhaled as he watched them walk down the hall. He tugged at my hand when he caught me observing. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

“I know,” I said. “We can still save everyone.”

______

Harvest was in the City of the Dead, the last place we suspected of finding him. He was in a small shop I didn’t know about called Twisted Magic. The store appeared abandoned when we faded inside. Cobwebs covered the cash register. Someone had knocked over several vials on the shelf while more lay broken on the wooden floor. The dried up potions left stains on the ground.

I frowned. “No one’s here. Are you sure this is the place?”

“This is the right place,” Maureen answered as she opened the door to the back. We looked at each other as the sound of the old wood creaking broke the silence.

“He’s down below,” August muttered.

Barron and Sebastian nodded at each other before slipping inside the door.

August grabbed my hand and faded us. A multitude of colors hit us before a rocky surface came into view. We were in some sort of cave. Corroded lanterns hung from the rocks. The passage was smaller than I liked. August had to lower his head to walk through the archway.

My muscles felt tight. I couldn’t relax them. Revenge was right there, through those narrow corners. The thought made me jittery. I knew how well Harvest could evade the Reapers. He only encountered the Reapers when he wanted to mess with them. Finding him felt too easy, but we had to take the chance.

If there was a possibility that we could end the fight with Harvest, we had to try. The Reapers were becoming mortal too often. Grim was fading away, and I feared the Reapers’ resolve would falter if something happened to their father.

To make up for the wrongdoings I’d done while under his control, I would capture Harvest. Despite knowing it couldn’t undo my past, I was hoping for a brighter future with August. For once, I wanted to live and reach for happiness. I wanted to be with August and get to know Sofia again. I could save the Reapers and assist them in preserving what remained of the human world they protected.

Anything. Without shackles on me, I could do anything. Be anyone.

That day, I would imprison a monster. Or try with all my might.

“I need everyone to get out of here once I start my magic,” I said as I gripped August’s hand and squeezed.

He angled his body slightly. “I’m not leaving you. We’re immortal again. You don’t have to be careful.”

“I don’t want to capture one of you by accident.”

“You won’t.”

I didn’t share his confidence. My magic had gone berserk before and I hadn’t noticed until someone called my name. What if I lost control?

“You were upset about the harem that first day,” August said, as if sensing my turmoil. “You’ve always had control of your power. It was just about your emotions that day.” My eyes widened, and he smiled, tapping his temple. “I can hear your thoughts.”

“Since when?”

“Just now.”

“Do you not realize how strong you are? One day, my little star. You allowed yourself to fall apart and then you picked yourself up. You believed in me again and yourself when normally that would take people months, if not years. I would have waited however long it took to be with you, but you continue to surprise me with your resilience. You amaze me.”

August thought so highly of me. I felt far from strong on the inside, but I had always known how to protect. At least, I always tried my best. I had individuals I desired to protect. August and the things he held dear. Maybe that’s why I held on. Maybe if I held on long enough, we might reach that peace I so desperately wanted.

“We will. We fucking will,” August said.

Harvest’s chuckle echoed around us. August and I ran toward the sound. The cave opened into a giant, circular room. More lanterns hung from the rocks, lights flickering eerily.

Maureen and her mate stood side by side. Payne and Joy stood to their right. In front of them, Harvest bent over a wooden desk. Failed experiments littered the place. Parts of demon corpses, some still twitching, lay everywhere. And the smell. I wished I had a mask to conceal the putrid decay.

Harvest never looked away from the desk, but I knew he was aware of us. He continued laughing until I entered with August.

Harvest sighed. “I see Derrick’s obsession with you finally killed him.”

“Just like your obsession with my mate will soon end,” Sebastian said as he joined us with Barron.

The flames on Harvest’s head rose higher. “Not an obsession. The witch belongs to me. Since she survived all this, she’ll return to my side when the Reapers perish.”

Veins popped on Sebastian’s forehead and arms as he gave a menacing stare.

Harvest continued, “Tell me, how is daddy dearest fairing? Has he faded away yet? I wonder which of you will be next?”

Maureen reacted first. Two thin blades appeared in her hands as she rushed the entity. He chuckled as she approached, dodging every blade as she swung.

“You’ve lost, Reapers. You could trap me as you intended and nothing will change,” Harvest said, provoking her.

Maureen screamed as she lifted one of her blades above her head. Jackal appeared suddenly behind Harvest. He sensed Jackal’s presence and quickly covered the portal chip in his pocket with his hand. Harvest disappeared, only to reappear right in front of August.

August reacted so quickly; he seemed like nothing more than a blur. He grabbed Harvest by the throat and squeezed. Harvest’s eyes bulged as he stared at my mate, then at everyone else, displaying surprise at seeing us.

Isabella slipped out of the shadows. “You can’t port out of this cave. I made sure of it.”

Very clever. Isabella disabled the portal chips with a spell, knowing Harvest would try porting away.

Harvest huffed. “It makes sense. No wonder you didn’t attack me at once. I should have thought of that.”

Even knowing we had him trapped, Harvest refused to show fear. It was enraging, but I expected nothing less from a monster.

Harvest’s sword appeared in his grip and swung, but my mate was ready. He caught the blade with his mechanical hand. August shoved Harvest backward and materialized his sword. Their weapons clanked together as they parried back and forth. August drew blood when he slashed open Harvest’s shirt. The flames on Harvest’s head darkened.

August stepped back, giving Sebastian the opportunity to take a few swings. The eldest brother stabbed Harvest in the shoulder and then allowed Barron to attack. One by one, the Reapers had a go at Harvest.

“My, my.” Harvest spat blood from his mouth. “Look at how angry the Reapers are.”

Everyone was eerily quiet, and I believed I understood why. It would only make Harvest happier if he saw more anger. He already knew how much he hurt them and destroyed their lives. Sharing angry words with him would bring him joy.

“ He doesn’t need to see how much he’s affected us ,” August whispered to my thoughts. “ He’s won enough. Let this victory be ours, even if it’s in silence.”

Maureen and Joy cut Harvest’s arms off at the same time. The entity dropped to his knees. Blood sprayed everywhere, but his gaze remained as intense as the flames on his head.

“Does that make you feel better?” He cocked his head at Maureen, unbothered by the pain he must have felt.

Maureen’s body shook as she pressed her lips together. More than anyone else, she seemed the most bothered. I had a lifetime to be accustomed to his cruelness. I was glad she said nothing as she stalked off, because the tick in his jaw meant our silence was slowly upsetting him.

“Go ahead, Nova,” Isabella said. “Let us be done with him.”

“You’ll never be done with me. I’m eternal.” Harvest smirked. “When the Reapers are gone, I’ll be here to grab you again.”

Isabella turned away, and Sebastian snatched her by the arm. She curled into the crook of his armpit, wrapping her arms around his stomach.

Harvest lips curled in disgust.

I glanced around the cave, unsure how to proceed. To imprison Harvest, I had to use everything around me.

“It’s okay,” Isabella whispered, as if sensing my hesitation. “Unleash Hell on him. I saw what you did last time. I can protect us from your magic.”

Fear released inside me. My shoulders relaxed, and I narrowed my eyes on Harvest. I had to hurry because his limbs were regenerating.

He shook his head. “Careful, Nova. I’d hate for you to hurt your new family.”

Disregarding him, I lifted my hands. Instantly, a tingling sensation spread through my fingers. The walls of the cave bent inward. Dust blew up in the air as rocks stacked against Harvest, accompanied by loud cracking sounds.

“You couldn’t save your first family,” Harvest said. “Do you think you’ll be able to save this one when the time comes?”

My heart ripped apart.

“ Don’t let him get to you,” August said inside my head. “ He knows he’s lost and just wants to hurt you .”

I knew that, but the words still hurt. I wasn’t as immune to Harvest’s cruelty as I thought.

“When you have people you care about, they will get hurt. It’s what keeps us human. It’s how we relate to those we’re supposed to protect. You’ve always been a Reaper. It’s why you’ve tried so hard to save others for so long.”

It was like a dam broke inside me. Tears spilled down my cheeks as the cave walls smacked into Harvest from every angle. I saw nothing as the dust blew up. And saw nothing until the smoke settled. Where Harvest once stood, there now loomed a massive boulder in our path.

Sebastian pressed his hand against it. “Harvest is in there. I can sense him.”

“I can’t believe how easy it was,” Joy uttered. “Are we sure it was him?”

“He’s evaded us for so long,” Payne added. “It seems weird.”

“It’s him. Regardless of Harvest’s plans—if indeed he has any—we must be prepared.” August wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. “ How could he escape that?”

“We can take turns watching,” Sebastian suggested. “Just to be safe.”

“There’s still Nadine,” Joy said, crossing her arms. “She might try freeing him. Honestly, I hope she attempts to. I’d still liked to take a bite out of—”

I jumped as a painful cry pierced the cave. Maureen fell to her knees, covering her face as she cried. Maybe it was the frustration she held in when Harvest messed with us that erupted from her so suddenly.

“Harvest is right, though,” she said. “We might have trapped him, but nothing has changed. We still must stop the Devil and Dad. He’s, he’s…”

Jackal dropped to his knees behind her and curled his arms around her. “We can still fix things,” he said.

My heart hurt at the gut-wrenching sounds she made. Her tears had Joy crying too, seeking Payne for comfort.

I didn’t understand the implications of Grim’s fading, but was there still hope for everything to be saved? “Yes,” August answered my thought. “I truly believe we can save everyone.”