Reaper

Chapter 3

“I feel them looking for me.” I say with a groan as Fernie hands me another cup of coffee.

“I’m sorry Dear. I didn’t know this would use so much of your magic. But you did a fascinating thing.” He says.

Both of us were sitting at his desk that faced a large window. The window reaching the floor and showing the view of a town not to far away hidden under the bright glow of the sun.

“What is that interesting thing?” I ask absentmindedly as I sip away at the coffee.

“Look up for me please.” Fernie says as he fishes out his wand from his lab coat pocket. The shiny metal glinting in the sunlight as he holds it up.

My eyes follow to the iridescent glow of the glass dome and a small spark of light shoots from Fernie’s wand hitting the peak of the dome.

Suddenly there is a bright flash of light and my eyes widen with fascination. The air filled with something that looked like waves of light. Many waves, each like a different color ribbon decorated with stars.

“What is that?” I whisper in awe.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it. It’s called a Castor’s Glass, it’s what the ceiling is made out of and you have to personally make it. It take a long time and most are much smaller, like the size of hand held mirror. Some people even make them into glasses. This is what I use to study the flow of magic. See this ribbon here?” He says point his wand up and bringing down a green wave of light. The stream of magic pulling itself to us, Fernie and I stepping closer to it. “This is like a river of a type of magic. Magic in relation to the earth, nature sprites, fae that practice earth magic, the spirit of that magic is measured by this.”

“I was wondering how you were....”I stutter on my words. “What does this have to do with my magic? I work specifically in death and with death. I don’t see any representation of that here.”

“Well you see each of the ribbons don’t you?” He says.

I look up again just as the green ribbon floats back up joining in. Each wave of color, red, blue, pink, yellow, white, purple, more colors than I can list moving with each other. Flowing together beautifully.

“When you were trying to free Noen, I was watching the movements of each of the ribbons. And just as you were about to free him all of it stopped. It froze and the moment Noen was freed, it began to move more fluidly. Before there were certain hitches, maybe a break or two in pattern.”

“So you think what I did to Noen’s soul helped the flow of magic?” I say staring up at the odd phenomenon. Too fascinated and entranced to look away.

“I think it did. I said so before I’ve been noticing too many things hindering the flow of magic and it’s worrying me. I knew you would be able to help.” Fernie grabs my hand with a confident smile.

“Fernie I really don’t know how much help I could actually be. When I come here it’s for no more than a month, and I don’t do more than collect souls and cross them over. Me ripping a soul usually doesn’t happen unless a soul is in denial about it’s death. Noen wasn’t in denial, it looks like he was intentionally trapped there.”

“And you were about to see that. You were the only person able to see that because I never would have guessed it. The theories I had were necromancy, zombification, but those require a body with no soul. Specifically.”

“Fernie I don’t know what you expect me to do here other than my job. Speaking of which we need that other dude out. He’s probably dealing with the same thing Noen was.” I say and stand with a groan. My head swimming in pain as I had an on going headache from ripping Noen.

Jadious and Noen were still deep in conversation. I head over to the other corpse. Opening his mouth like I did Noen’s and putting my ear to his lips.

This one was louder.

“Jadious watch the Castor’s Glass.” Fern says as they both back away. Noen staying close to watch.

“What’s your name?” I ask. My fingers pressing into his head.

The loud screams coming to a stop as I hear gasping breaths. “Stop panicking and tell me your name.” I say again.

“Detus!” He shouts. The fear in his voice to real for me to ignore. What ever happened to these two wasn’t humane. “My name is Detus! Please help me! Please!

“Relax. I’m going to help you.” I say calmly placing my hand on his throat.

“I can hear him.” Noen whispers moving closer to the corpse. “He sounds terrified.”

“Yeah well it’s not cool being forcibly trapped in your dead body.” I say as I flex my fingers into his jugular.

“Help me!” Detus cried again.

“You need to reach. Feel for me.” I say as I begin to feel lightheaded.

“Please don’t leave me here!”

“Reach!”

“I feel you!” Detus cried. “Don’t let me go!”

“My word!” Jadious gasped behind me. Fernie laughing. Seeing them both looking up at the Castor’s Glass. It has stopped moving, all the opalescent waves of light had froze in place seemingly glowing brighter.

Turning my attention back to Detus as I began to feel his skin breaking underneath my finger nails. With a loud cry I wrench back ripping Detus from his corpse. Falling once again on the ground as my vision fills with splotches of light.

“By the gods Doctor!” Jadious gasping in awe.

I could hear Detus’s panicked breathing, but I couldn’t even open my eyes. My head pounding as I push my legs under me trying to stand. Reaching out for anything to help me, I felt something soft move under me to boost me up.

“This magic takes a lot out of you.” Jadious hums and as my vision comes I see that it’s him helping me to stand. “I’m sorry for the distress.”

“Oh no.” I groan sarcastically. “I do this all the time. I go to rip soul from bodies after a night of doing nothing but crossing souls over into the after life, because I’m apparently the only b***h in two worlds to have to do it!” I shout annoyed.

“Bex I am very sorry.” Fernie says. “I didn’t realize how much this would do to you physically. I didn’t even take that into account.” Fernie huffs at himself. “Like a rookie! I am sorry.”

“I’m just going to go home. Fernie if you would.” I say gesturing to the mirror.

“Of course.” He nods pulling out his wand.

“Wait!” I flinch at the voice and turn to see Detus. “You pulled me out?”

“Yes.” I say. “These two will keep you company until I get back. And Jadious?” I say catching his gaze. “Find out what ever you can about what happened to them. Granted if they can remember anything.”

“Of course.” He bows his head to me. “Return soon. We have much to discuss, you and I.”

Saying nothing as I hug Fernie goodbye and step through the mirror. In a swift second I was back in my living room. Heading towards my small alcohol bar in the corner of the living room, I pour myself a glass of wine.

Sitting on my couch as I try to nurse my headache, I gesture my hand to the table, the book appearing. Hovering above the table as the book flies open and the pages turn madly. Finally setting itself down on the table as I lean back on the couch.

This is the part of the job that never ends. I’m always recording souls, there are too many to count and too many to ignore. The book never stops writing, I never stop working.

Closing my eyes with a sigh as I take a sip of wine, I listen to the world and the book keeps writing.

I feel a hand on my shoulder as a voice calls my name. “Bex.” Too distracted by the whispers of the dead, the book still writing as the souls around me whisper their sorrows and regrets.

“Bex, wake up.”

I jerk awake with a start. My eyes foggy and moaning groggily as I rub my eyes. The wine glass still in my hand and empty.

“What happened?” I groan.

“You were deep in meditation.” Looking up I see Fernie holding two plates of food in his hand. “I was only standing here for two minutes, that book had flipped maybe fifty pages.”

“Astral projection does well.” I say as he hands me a plate. Loaded with rice, beans, and steak. My stomach growling in appreciation. “What happened after I left?”

“We got Detus to talk. He says he remembers what happened to him. It was a lot less sudden unlike Noen’s it seems.”

“What did he say?” I ask with a mouthful of food.

“He said he was a student. He was learning spirit work and herbology. He said someone came to him and had glamour on, a sort of mask. Asked him if he knew anyway to help him get to the other side. Essentially what you were doing just now.”

“That’s basic meditation.” I say as my brows knit together. “That’s not enough motivation for something like this.”

“You’re right. Detus said that when he explained he couldn’t do what this man needed. He didn’t have enough experience or practice, the man touched his chest and Detus died. Now as for how the body was able to preserve itself, I still don’t know.”

“It’s started the decomposition process then.” I say.

“How do you know?”

“I can smell it on you. I guess even from the Otherworld death is still a rancid experience.” I laugh humorlessly as I shovel another spoonful of food into my mouth.

“You do loath the Otherworld don’t you.” Fernie says with a smirk. “I can’t imagine why, it’s beautiful there.”

“I don’t hate the Otherworld, I hate the people in it. Do you know how many bastard children are left in the human world because Other’s cross over to leave them here. Hide them here from their families and some even come to just f**k the humans for the experience, parent a child and never take responsibility for it.”

“How would you,”

“I come across those souls everyday. Hybrids, half breeds, changelings that have lived there entire life here. Crossing over there souls, I see their lives. From the moment they’re born to the moment they died, I see all of it. At least the humans are more predictable, what the Other’s do is just plain cruel.”

Fern is quiet as I place the plate down, grabbing the empty wine glass as I head over to the mini bar. Pouring myself a glass of wine and Fernie a small shot of tequila. Heading back over and placing the shot down in front of him.

“How do you manage going there then? If you hate them so much,”

“Because.” I cut him off. “I still have a job to do. And I know I’m the only person around to do it. If there was someone else to take the job of dealing with the Otherworld, trust me I would give it up in a second. But I can’t.”

Fernie sighs as he grabs the shot off the coffee table in front of us and takes a sip. “I’m surprised you knew what you were supposed to do as such a young age. But it’s thanks to that that I have the profession I do now.”

“Yeah,” I snort. “Seeing me talk to spirits every single night must have been a trip for you.”

Fernie shifts in his seat, facing me as he places his plate on my lap.

“Bex, you know when the state first put you in my care, I was more than afraid. You were already thirteen years old and the way you were and what I had heard happened to you, I was afraid of not being strong enough to protect you.” He sighed. “Seeing you do your magic, it fascinated me and drove me to the Otherworld to figure out this fantastic phenomenon.”

I continue eating as he spoke. Nearly finishing the whole plate, grabbing my glass of wine, I sip away at it, listening to him.

“Then I heard you talking to Babs.” He sighed.

“You need to move forward.” I say.

“She was my wife.” He says. “I just need to hear her voice.”

“I cannot break my rules for you.” I say. “I cannot hold you over the rest of them. Once was enough.”

“I miss her. I understand your rules, but she is slipping from my memory. Her voice. Loosing everything in that fire years ago was hard enough. This is the only refuge I have, Bex. Please.”

“You will never ask my for this again.” I say deadpanned.

We stare at each other, eyes locked and after a moment I wave my hand to the book. It moves in front of us. Propping itself down on the table, the pages still flipping widely. My eyes still locked onto Fernie’s.

“Henrietta ‘Babs’ Moses.” I speak aloud and the book freezes. The pages stopping in place, shifting lighting in the air like a feather before they begin flipping backward.

All the way to her page. And on that page are her last words. Her voice echoing in the air as the page reads,

“Dear Ferdinand,

I love you. If I haven’t told you enough when I was alive. I love you darlin’. I know you’ve been struggling real hard. I know that me being gone, that it seems unfair. I know it’s not and I hate leaving you like this, honey.

You were my best friend, the reason for my smile. You were my greatest deepest love, and you would have made an amazing daddy. Our kids would have been lucky to have you. I was lucky to have you.

Thank you Ferdinand. My Ferdinand. Thank you for choosing life, thank you for choosing us. Thank you for keeping me in your heart. I love you, Darlin’.”

Her voice fades away. The book resumes flipping madly and I move it back to the table by the window.

I didn’t look at him but I knew he was crying. I reach out to him taking his hand in mine and squeezing. He squeezes back, sniffling as he wipes at his face.

“I miss her.” He whispers. “I could never not love the southern twang in her voice. She was so nice.”

I sigh as Fernie tries to hold back his sobs.

“She really was.” I say.

The evening passes, the night filled with its usual bout of literal soul sucking work. Long hours stretches into morning as the human world begins to wake.

Gently pulling myself out of bed I head to the bathroom. Stripping myself out of my clothes and climbing into the shower, I twist the knob until piping hot water is spewing out of the shower head.

Scrubbing my body free of junk and mess, I sigh at the feel of the hot water moving down my body. Relaxing my muscles and giving me the only relief I’ve had in weeks. Probably months.

Finally feeling clean, I hop out the shower, brush my teeth and head to put on some clothes. Settling for a grey graphic t-shirt and loose fitting black pants that swept against the floor as I walked. I braid my hair into one long heavy braid down my back still damp from the shower.

My head felt a lot better, heading over to the mirror I knock on it waiting for Fernie to let me pass through. A minute passes and nothing. I raise my fist knocking again this time I see the mirror move and shift.

Stepping through into Fernie’s lab the light of the morning shining down almost gloriously blinding.

“Fernie please have coffee!” I shout squinting my eyes at the brightness.

“Bex.” Fern’s voice coming from the other end of the lab.

“Please I need something to keep me alive. Just because I talk to the dead doesn’t mean I want to join them.” I sigh raising my hand to block the sun from my eyes.

“Bex, we have company.” Fernie’s voice coming out as nervous. The hairs on my arms prickle up in goosebumps. Moving closer to where Fernie was.

“Who’s here?” I ask finally seeing Fernie but he’s surrounded by a bunch of large very imposing looking men.

Looking around to see them all staring at me with a cold calculative look in their eyes. All dressed like war men, swaddled in leather and armor that glinted brilliantly in the sunlight, it was obviously very precious metal.

But one stood out among them. He was taller, a cloak draped over his broad shoulders falling down to the floor. His hair long and brown, draped over his shoulders but braided away from his face. He had a regal face, strongly defining features that made him look like he was carved from marble. Tall nose, lips set in frown but still had a pout.

His eyes were the most interesting, seeing them swirl with a vivid color of a fiery orange with a hint of red and gold.

“I very much feel like I’m in a cosplay convention.” I say with a roll of my eyes.

Fernie clears his throat, and I notice how he looks as if just woke up. “This is Emperor Demethos. King of the Dragons.”

After a beat I shrug.

“Okay. Great. Do we have coffee?” I say showing no concern for the men present.

“You know, coffee does sound great!” Fernie says rushing over to me and pulling me out of the main room. Dragging me into the kitchen the door swinging shut behind us.

“You look panicked.” I note flatly.

“I am!” He whispers. “They arrived only minutes ago. They began hounding me for the magical energy that was admitted from here yesterday. Before I could even get a proper answer out, you came.”

“Well let’s get some coffee first and then we can talk about this.” I say moving passed him to the stove. Digging through his cabinets until I found the metal coffee pot. Passing it to Fernie, he sighs and takes it from me. Loading it with water and ground coffee.

“I cannot imagine what they think they’re going to get from this. We weren’t even doing anything.” I say with a tired yawn.

“Yes we were. We were trying to find out why the flow of magic was being disrupted, in the process we caused a magical phenomenon that was felt by everyone within a thousand clicks of this place. You tell me that’s not anything to be worried about.”

“That sounds like a problem that will be solvable with some coffee.” I say with a low purr. Fernie pulls out his wand pointing at the stove and lights it. Placing the coffee pot over it.

“I don’t have any clue what to tell them.” Fernie says crossing his arms over his chest. Looking put out in his brown and white pin strip pajamas and slippers.

“You have every clue what to tell them.” I say. “You tell them what you found out. You tell them what you tried to tell them before. When they turned you away, because this is about that and if they’re smart in any sort of way, they’ll listen.”

“They wanted to tear me apart the moment they walked in.”

“Luckily you have death on your side.” I say with a wink.

We both walk out with our own cups of coffee.

“If you would like a beverage Your Majesty,”

“No.” His voice was deep, smooth and calm. Too calm. “We came to discuss your discovery, human.”

“His name,” I cut in. “Is Dr. Ferdinand Moses. If your going to barge into his home and be hostile as f**k, the least you can do is address him by his name.” I say, my eyes glazing over as I sip my coffee.

“Or human.” Fernie says with a wave of his hand. “Human is fine too.”

The dragon king c***s an eyebrow at me letting out a slow breath through his nose.

“Dr. Ferdinand Moses.” He says with a hum. “What did you discover?” Turning his eyes to Fernie. A wide smile slides on his face as he nods to the king.

“Well your majesty, weeks ago I had found the flow of magic to be moving in unnatural ways.” Fernie looking around the lab for his wand.

“It’s on your desk.” I hum and he thanks me quickly grabbing it off his desk and aims it towards the dome. A beam of light shooting from the end of it and the Castor’s glass coming into effect.

Proudly displaying the shimmering colorful waves of light. I watch the the dragon king steps closer to inspect it.

“I had noticed the magic to be shifting in directions, directions it would never go in. It’s hard to see and harder to place which aspects of magic are being obstructed, but it’s enough to cause a sort of tear in the fabric of more defined magic like earth, or spirit.”

“How were you able to measure the ones you were able to find?” He asks staring at the glass dome. I sip away at my coffee calmly watching the lot of them as the survey the lab.

“Very small obstructions in the magic of spirit specifically, but would sometimes branch into earth and water, also surprisingly fire.” Fernie raises his wand and brings the ribbons down, twisting them to show an example, he goes on. “You would notice it, if you studied it long enough. Something as small as this, hard angles, like bones breaking.”

“And what explains the two corpses in the other room?” The dragon king looking from the shimmering beams of light to Fernie.

“That I feel has something to do with this. The two men were in a unique circumstance that is somewhat hard to explain.”

“I have time.” He moves around the room look over the bookshelves that lined the walls. “How did you obtain so much Castor’s glass? That couldn’t have been cheap.”

“Well it’s quiet cheap and easy to make.” Fernie laughs nervously. “It took up to almost an entire year to finish the dome.”

“That’s quite talented for a human.” He say picking up a vile off the book shelf. The vile filled with a glowing purple liquid.

“The bodies in the other room are the result of some kind of botched death.” I speak up grabbing his attention as I sip away at my coffee. “Both of them were trapped inside their bodies, forcibly so. A hand print is on both of their chests and both funny enough were practicing spirit work.”

“I’m not sure if that detail is important.” Fernie says.

“Fern your a scientist. Every detail is important.” I retort.

“Well what they did for their occupation or hobbie, I don’t feel as if it’s the thing that would land them in this situation.” I turn around to face him leaning over the table.

“Fern last night you told me they had nothing else in common except that. As far as I’m concerned that is something to consider.” I look back towards the king. “I had to rip them out of their bodies, essentially. What we don’t know is what put them there. Neither one of them remember what had happened to them.”

“What does this have to do with the flow of magic?” The king looks my way skeptically.

“Oh that’s the extraordinary part.” Fernie speaks up again. “As she was freeing the souls, the flow of magic froze. The small obstructions that I saw suddenly seemed to fix itself.”

“You do spirit work then?” He nods to me.

“Sure.” I shrug not caring really to answer. This seemed to annoy him as I heard quick footstep come my way.

“Half answers are a personal pet peeve of mine.” He growls lowly. I c**k an eyebrow as I stare up at him. “This nonchalant attitude of yours and lack of respect for my position with not be tolerated.”

“I could care less for what an over grown flying lizard has to say.” I say with a roll of my eyes. “With what I do for a job, you’re the least of my concerns.”

“And what would that be?”

“She’s a Grim Reaper, Demethos.” We turn to see Jadious coming through the mirror. Padding over to stand beside Fernie.

“Good morning doctor.” Jadious says bowing his head to him. Fernie bows back greeting him in return.

“Jadious.” The emperor turning to face him. “You know this woman?”

“I do. I met her just yesterday. She had brought light to a situation we were very lost with. My friend Noen, had passed under mysterious circumstances. In finding him, I found a pattern of this. More bodies have been discovered with the same hand print, in the same state. Their flesh not smelling of death, but not burning with life. It’s almost abominable. Yesterday one was able to awake an attack myself and Ferdinand.”

“They also seem to have the same black gooey substance circulating through them. It seems to be how they can become animated.” Fernie speaks up.

The dragon king looks to me before looking back to Jadious, and then Fernie.

“I wasn’t made aware of your recent attempts to relay this information to me. I apologize for the way you were treated. My own mage was able to detect the energy caused by this one yesterday, apparently.” He says looking to me.

I keep quiet, deciding it’s just better to let that one fly.

“We will assist in anyway you need to find what’s causing this.” He says looking to Jadious. “You should have come to me sooner.”

“Thank you Demethos. But I’m rather happy I chose this path. I’ve found my equal in this one. There hasn’t been a Grim Reaper in centuries.” Jadious leaps over the table coming to stand beside me. Face level with mine. “How are you, Bex.”

“Barely alive as the coffee here sucks ass.” I groan smacking my lips as the mug.

“Very true I’m afraid. They don’t have many options for coffee here.” Fernie says. “I should make a note to go into the human world and get some real coffee.”

“Please do. We can’t keep suffering like this.” I say placing the mug down.

“I truly apologize that our coffee is not up to your standards.” The emperor says in a mocking tone.

“Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to know what quality tastes like.” I shoot back with finesse. Moving away from him as I head towards the mirror.

“And where are you off to?” Jadious calls after me.

“To the grocery store to get us some real coffee and some weed.”

“Bex Veline! I do not condone the use of marajuana!” Fernie shouts after me in a scolding tone.

“Well I do. If I’m going to be dealing with pretentious monarchs all day I’m going to need something to make it bearable.” I say and pass through the mirror. Behind me I hear Fernie give a nervous laughs.

“She’s a charmer.”