Page 10 of Reaper's Quest

Shifting my focus across the room, I settled my gaze on the small collection of reaper artifacts locked in the floor-to-ceiling glass cabinet. A limited collection, only a few items sat on display, with ample room around each.

Steadfast steps took me across the expanse to where I pressed the tips of my fingers against the display’s cold, clear barrier. The space behind the glass smelled of leather, metal, and must. At eye level, placed in the center of the shelf, rested the piece I’d used on my last task. The piece that had left me feeling incomplete.

Dangerous yet effective.

I pulled my hand from the cabinet and studied my palm. An impression of emptiness resided beneath the bruise, deep within my skin and bones. The unsanctioned device had carved away a piece of my spiritual self on that smaller, challenging task. Should I take the tool with me again, what would it do to me on this seemingly treacherous and impossible reaping?

I didn’t have the time to contemplate the answer.

The front door to the penthouse swung open with a bang. I broke free of my internal musings with a jolt and whirled toward my father as he stepped into the room.

Scorpeo Gunn approached me with long, quick strides. Before I could utter a word of welcome, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.

“I heard the news. Thank the reaper’s scythe I caught you before you left.” He pressed his cheek to the side of my head.

Smiling into his shoulder, I attempted to commit thesmell of him to memory. Espresso beans and smokey mesquite barbecue. His brunch, I guessed.

“I only just received the task. How do you already know?”

His chest rose and fell against the press of my cheek. “News such as this travels faster than lightning.”

The smile slipped from my face, my assessment of the impending situation darkening. I pulled back and studied his features. His dark hair and eyes, the hint of gray at his temples.

He continued to hold my upper arms, his gaze upon me intense, almost frightening.

“Okay, stop it.” A shiver raced over my skin. I took another step back, slipping free from his grasp. “Your fierce attention is starting to scare me.”

“Apologies, my daughter. It’s just…” He spun and walked to the bar, grabbed the crystal decanter and a glass. After pouring himself a drink of liquid fire, he swallowed a large swig, then he set the glass down with a heavy hand. “When I heard of your assignment, an uncontrollable concern clamped my chest—knotted my gut.”

My eyes widened. “What is it about this place that has so many elder reapers on edge?”

I closed the distance between us, keeping a keen eye on my father’s facial expression, searching for any hint of secret-keeping.

Coming to a stop across the bar from him, I pushed the heels of my palms to the surface and leaned forward. “From everything I’ve heard, this doesn’t seem like a task for newer reapers such as myself or Chace.”

“Chace Badden?” A muscle along his jaw twitched, and his eyes glazed over.

“What is it?”

“Gunn and Badden.” Father reached for his glass and took another sip of his liquor. “Two of the strongest reaper families and their coming-of-age members. I have a hard time believing there’s a coincidence in such an assignment.”

A similar thought vexed me. But if the assignment had come from Chace’s uncle…

Father circled the bar, glass in hand, and strode to the center of the room, where he stared at the cabinet filled with his collection of artifacts.

“Here is what you need to know.” He heaved a deep breath. “Not a single soul has been reaped from the Royal Citadel of Veritas in over a hundred years.”

“A hundred years?” My voice pitched higher. I circled the bar and stepped to his side. “I get that the people there probably live long lives, butwhat the death? Are they frozen in time?”

“Not frozen, but not dying.”

“How is that even possible? Are they still producing? Increasing the population without the balance of death? I mean…” I scratched my temple. “After a hundred years, wouldn’t there be an overcrowded population problem?”

“That would be a minor issue, all things considered. But I can’t truthfully answer your questions. The Reaper’s Council is rather clueless on the depths of the situation. No one has been able to successfully obtain information about the status within the citadel’s walls. Most can’t get past the outer gate, and those who do…” He emptied his glass and shrugged.

“What?” I pressed. “Those who do…what?”

He released a heavy sigh. “Those who enter have yet to report back.”