Reaper Mine: A Reaper Novel Read Free Page B

ago.
    When had Helena started calling them an emergency number? Helena thought it was hysterical. Elle thought it morbid. Elle had no idea what type of creature she would be summoning. In all her existence she had never truly seen a Reaper. Didn’t really want to see one now. But drastic measures and all, she glanced over her shoulder before turning back to the symbols on the stone she had drawn. She drew the last symbol, she merely had to press her palm against the center and wait. Elle leaned over so she could look out at the thing waiting for her. It squatted down drawing something in the dirt. Elle recognized in her heart of hearts whatever happened it spelled disaster for her.
    Bleed out in the cemetery or call a Reaper?
    “The devil you know or the devil you don’t?” She asked and looked again at the thing waiting to take her to the Tribunal or his master? Gods only knew what type of fate awaited her. “Against the devil you don’t know?” Elle pressed her palm into the center of the symbols; truly not in the mood to die tonight. It hurt too damn much.
    She closed her eyes expecting something cataclysmic to take place. A flash of lightning. A clap of thunder.
    Something…
    Anything…
    Nothing happened. Elle peeked one eye open and looked around. Then peeked the other open everything looked the same. She would have laughed if she could but the blackness was starting to swamp her.
    “You’re going to lose,” she muttered over her shoulder. Making the Freak look up from whatever it was he was doing.
    “And why is that?” he asked.
    “Because I’m going to bleed out long before you come up with an answer,” she murmured.
    He said something, but the ringing in her ears drowned him out. She wanted to cry, damn Helena and her emergency number. Elle slapped the stone. “Why aren’t you working?” She felt tears prick her eyes, and slapped it again. She was going to have to try again. But later, because the ringing in her ears was getting worse and her eyes were too heavy.
    ****
     
    Victor sensed the tug of the summons from deep in his consciousness and rolled from the bed, he could only ignore Dante for so long. Climbing naked from the bed he ignored the three women as he dressed and Flashed to Dante’s Fortress in the Infernos, Dante sat on his throne waiting.
    “You thought to ignore my summons?” He questioned.
    Victor knelt on one knee. “Of course not, father.”
    “I summoned you three times, Victor.” Dante’s voice was deceptively quiet. Enough to make the hair on the back of Victor’s neck stand on end.
    “I apologize, Father.” Victor kept his eyes on the floor knowing he had displeased Dante.
    “The Tribunal is demanding all Others register or stand trial for dissention,” Dante said shocking Victor. Victor’s shocked expression fell onto the marble thankfully as he remained kneeling; head down at his father’s feet. “This of course includes your brothers and I.”
    “My spies are saying they’re building an army and demanding Others on the mortal plane pledge themselves to the Tribunal and everything the Tribunal stands for,” Dante continued to explain, Victor heard his father move from the dais and walk away. Prompting Victor to move to his feet, he turned to find his father staring out the window. “They are making a move.”
    “What would you have me do?” Victor asked.
    “Someone has summoned a Reaper.” Dante changed the subject as he turned to Victor. “You will answer this summons.”
    “What?” Victor asked shocked. “Who would dare to make a demand on a Reaper?”
    “I have no idea. All I know is someone has summoned us. And with the Tribunal acting the way they are, we will not turn our back on possible allies.” Dante turned his back on Victor, dismissing him.
    Victor wanted to argue, but one certainly didn’t argue with Dante. And he had gotten off easy actually. He had been given a punishment as well as a mission. He moved silently out of Dante’s