not quite sure what to do. “What happened?” I asked Julia and hurried over to her side.
“Reaper demon,” she said quietly so René wouldn’t hear.
“It’s nice to see you guys again,” I said to be polite, though it felt weird saying that after a demon attack. Ethan emerged in the room, gun in hand.
“Good, Annie, you’re back—” he cut off when he saw René.
“It’s ok,” I told him. “What’s going on?”
“The, uh, things Sam was hunting followed her. Luckily my dad and Julia were there to clean up her mess.”
“Things? As in more than one?” I asked. A flash of panic coursed through my veins. I knew it was inevitable that I would face more demons; I just didn’t expect it to be so soon and without a warning. Not that I expected demons to call before they came over, but I did expect at least some time to prepare.
“Yeah. And they might have followed us back here,” David said, wincing as Julia stitched the wound closed.
“Just one, hopefully.” Ethan gently pulled me aside. “I think you should take René home.”
I shook my head. “I’ll put her in my room; she’s had a rough night, doesn’t want to be alone, and is really drunk right now so she might not even remember this. Hunter will entertain her while you explain. If demons are around, then I shouldn’t leave, right?”
“It would be nice to have you turn that thing into a pile of ash,” he said with a smile.
“What’s a reaper demon?” René asked. She was still sitting on the floor. I shook my head; I didn’t know. “Is it the Grim Reaper?”
Julia’s hand froze in mid air. Her eyes flicked to me, René, and then Ethan.
“Do you want to see Romeo?” I asked René. She smiled, nodded, and struggled to get up. I extended a hand to pull her to her feet.
“If you find the Grim Reaper, you tell me ok?” she slurred her words and stumbled up the stairs. “Because I’m gonna take his axe-thing and not give it back until he visits Scott.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said with a laugh. “But even if we find the Grim Reaper, I don’t think we can get his scythe.”
“Darn.”
I opened the door to my room and mentally asked Hunter to keep an eye on René. I let Romeo out, told René I would be right back, and hurried down the stairs to the hunters.
“Please tell me it’s not the real Grim Reaper,” I only half joked to Ethan.
“Not at all,” Ethan explained. I shuddered at the thought of a real Grim Reaper. Ethan must have noticed because he put his hand on the small of my back and continued. “Though they do tend to go after people who are already dying, which gives them the name ‘reaper’. But they don’t cause death like and Angel of Death would”
“Dying victims are an easy target,” I speculated.
“Right. Everyone has energy—an aura— and when you die it gets released. That’s what reapers feed on; wait until that moment life ends and gather the energy.”
“Well, that’s not all they take,” Julia added softly.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Most reaper demons eat their victims’ flesh,” she grimaced.
“Lovely,” I said. “So, how did it get away? I thought Sam said she finished her mission. I took that to mean she killed it.”
“It’s not that easy.” Sam’s icy voice came from behind me. “Killing demon’s just isn’t that easy. Like you would know.”
“Then tell me,” I retorted.
All attention turned to Sam. She narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond. Tension filled the room. Hunter’s thoughts entered my head and he let me know that René was on her way down the stairs. He also showed me that he closed the door to keep Romeo in.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“Who are you talking to?” Ethan asked.
“Hunter,” I told him. “I guess I don’t need to say it out loud.” I shook my head. “Habit, I guess.” I smiled and shrugged. “René’s on her way down.”
“Distract her for a bit?” Ethan asked. I nodded and
“Reaper demon,” she said quietly so René wouldn’t hear.
“It’s nice to see you guys again,” I said to be polite, though it felt weird saying that after a demon attack. Ethan emerged in the room, gun in hand.
“Good, Annie, you’re back—” he cut off when he saw René.
“It’s ok,” I told him. “What’s going on?”
“The, uh, things Sam was hunting followed her. Luckily my dad and Julia were there to clean up her mess.”
“Things? As in more than one?” I asked. A flash of panic coursed through my veins. I knew it was inevitable that I would face more demons; I just didn’t expect it to be so soon and without a warning. Not that I expected demons to call before they came over, but I did expect at least some time to prepare.
“Yeah. And they might have followed us back here,” David said, wincing as Julia stitched the wound closed.
“Just one, hopefully.” Ethan gently pulled me aside. “I think you should take René home.”
I shook my head. “I’ll put her in my room; she’s had a rough night, doesn’t want to be alone, and is really drunk right now so she might not even remember this. Hunter will entertain her while you explain. If demons are around, then I shouldn’t leave, right?”
“It would be nice to have you turn that thing into a pile of ash,” he said with a smile.
“What’s a reaper demon?” René asked. She was still sitting on the floor. I shook my head; I didn’t know. “Is it the Grim Reaper?”
Julia’s hand froze in mid air. Her eyes flicked to me, René, and then Ethan.
“Do you want to see Romeo?” I asked René. She smiled, nodded, and struggled to get up. I extended a hand to pull her to her feet.
“If you find the Grim Reaper, you tell me ok?” she slurred her words and stumbled up the stairs. “Because I’m gonna take his axe-thing and not give it back until he visits Scott.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said with a laugh. “But even if we find the Grim Reaper, I don’t think we can get his scythe.”
“Darn.”
I opened the door to my room and mentally asked Hunter to keep an eye on René. I let Romeo out, told René I would be right back, and hurried down the stairs to the hunters.
“Please tell me it’s not the real Grim Reaper,” I only half joked to Ethan.
“Not at all,” Ethan explained. I shuddered at the thought of a real Grim Reaper. Ethan must have noticed because he put his hand on the small of my back and continued. “Though they do tend to go after people who are already dying, which gives them the name ‘reaper’. But they don’t cause death like and Angel of Death would”
“Dying victims are an easy target,” I speculated.
“Right. Everyone has energy—an aura— and when you die it gets released. That’s what reapers feed on; wait until that moment life ends and gather the energy.”
“Well, that’s not all they take,” Julia added softly.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Most reaper demons eat their victims’ flesh,” she grimaced.
“Lovely,” I said. “So, how did it get away? I thought Sam said she finished her mission. I took that to mean she killed it.”
“It’s not that easy.” Sam’s icy voice came from behind me. “Killing demon’s just isn’t that easy. Like you would know.”
“Then tell me,” I retorted.
All attention turned to Sam. She narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond. Tension filled the room. Hunter’s thoughts entered my head and he let me know that René was on her way down the stairs. He also showed me that he closed the door to keep Romeo in.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“Who are you talking to?” Ethan asked.
“Hunter,” I told him. “I guess I don’t need to say it out loud.” I shook my head. “Habit, I guess.” I smiled and shrugged. “René’s on her way down.”
“Distract her for a bit?” Ethan asked. I nodded and
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