them. But other people say Yin and Yang began experimenting again and that’s how it happened. It doesn’t matter either way, the fact is that male reapers began to mate with human women and have kids. But there were some hitches because it only worked with human women and after nine months the chicks died in childbirth,” Uri said, letting out a loud sigh and ran a hand through his short red curls, looking so much younger than his centuries of existence.
For some reason Nina could only see Uri as Grim’s mischievous little brother, and not actually a badass reaper like his brother. The two were so different that Nina wondered if they were from different parents. But the story fascinated her far more than finding out what their relationship as brothers was like.
“So to protect the women and ensure that the women didn’t refuse them, they bargained.” Uri explained glancing quickly up at her before looking down at his thumbs again. “It was a temporary contract that allowed the human woman to live in the Underworld during her pregnancy. During the times when this was being done, human life was hard and brutal. They didn’t have modern medicine and death was about as normal as the sun rising and setting.” Uri explained.
“But if you agreed to have a Reaper’s child, then you could go to the Underworld and live in the lap of luxury. Sort of like Persephone, but they weren’t tricked; they wanted that life.
“You see, because time passes much slower there, a nine month pregnancy can be stretched into several years, practically an entire human life time. It was sort of like immortality because you remained whatever age you were when you got pregnant; you just increased so slowly that it was almost like you weren’t pregnant.” Uri turned to Nina then and looked her in the eyes.
“However reapers aren’t supposed to kill human, and however inadvertently as it was, we were still killing humans. We’re supposed to be mediums, one foot in the grave type deal. Which is how the laws came to pass,” Uri said ominously, the air dropping a few degrees.
“What Grim did, talking to you, watching over you, kissing you, it’s forbidden; because you’re alive,” Uri explained, taking her hands in his own as she felt a numb cold shoot up her arm. “See?”
“We can make a temporary contract, where in three days you will come back to the human world and die. It’s the perfect amount of time to live and raise a little hell without lasting consequences.”
Nina sat back and puzzled over everything Uri had told her. And it was a lot of information, a lot of things that she had never known and never tried to look at differently. Mad scientist created the world? Human women used to bargain their bodies and lives off for a few years of luxury? Grim had been breaking rules?
The last one perhaps bothered her the most. The entire time they’d been talking she’d been thinking that he was only doing it because she was going to die, and that way there’d be no blame or repercussions for him. I mean what can a dead girl say? But it was deeper than that. From what Uri had said, even talking with a living, breathing female was breaking some rule, and kissing? Two steps away from having sex and potentially getting her pregnant? How did that equate in punishment?
“You’ll make a temporary contract with me just because I’m unique and you pity me?” Nina asked quietly, no anger in her voice. She just wanted to know his reasoning.
“Well,” Uri began with a shrug, turning away from her. “You’re going to die soon anyway. Plus from the looks of it, you’re not going back home, and it just so happens we got an extra room in the house.” Uri said nonchalantly, like he made this sort of bargain often.
But from what’s he’s told me, he doesn’t. So then what’s in it for him? “What’s in it for you?” Nina asked slowly, carefully watching his
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