Page 105 of Reaper's Ruin
His eyes narrowed. “Soraya—”
“He killed me,” I said, the words sharp with renewed anger. “He killed my mother. I’m not going anywhere until I know why.”
“This isn’t a game.”
“Do I look like I’m playing?” I stepped closer, refusing to let him dismiss me. I had been brave enough to beg Death himself to fuck me. Now I felt brave enough to do just about anything. “I died in my pajamas watching Netflix. I never got to finish nursing school, never got to travel, never got to get married and have a family. All because ofhim. So no, Rhyker, I’m not leaving.”
We stared at each other, locked in silent battle. Finally, he looked away.
“Fine. But stay behind me. Do exactly as Isay.”
“I will.”
He moved to the door, checking the hallway, then returned to where I stood. “We’ll hide until he returns,” he said, gesturing to the curtains where we’d hidden before.
Once again, we pressed together in the narrow space between heavy velvet and cold glass. But now, after what we’d shared, the proximity was excruciating. Every brush of his body against mine brought fresh memories of his hands on my skin, his mouth claiming mine, the way he’d moved inside me.
The silence stretched between us, heavy with things unsaid. He was so different now. If it weren’t for his ripped shirt and jacket’s missing buttons that were proof of our interlude, I may have thought I imagined the life-changing connection we’d shared.
I wanted to ask why he was pulling away, why he seemed to regret what had happened between us. But fear kept me quiet—fear that his answer would hurt more than his silence.
An hour passed, marked only by the distant sounds of celebration drifting up from the gardens below and the steady rhythm of Rhyker’s breathing beside me. Finally, as midnight approached, the door opened.
Lord Cassius entered alone, humming softly to himself as he moved about the chamber, unaware of our presence.
I felt Rhyker tense beside me, coiled energy radiating from him like heat. He caught my eye, his message clear:Stay here.
Before I could respond, he slipped out from our hiding place. I peeked out from behind the curtain watching in awe as he moved with a predator’s silent grace. Lord Cassius didn’t hear him approach, didn’t sense the danger until it was too late. In one fluid motion, Rhyker grabbed him from behind, one hand clamping over his mouth, the other securing his arms.
“Make a sound and I slit your throat,” he growled, his voice barely audible. “I’m far faster than any scream.”
Lord Cassius struggled briefly, then went still, recognizing the futility of resistance against Rhyker’s incredible strength. I emerged from behind the curtains, a strange sense of power filling me as I watched my murderer’s eyes widen in shock and confusion.
“Hello,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “Remember me?”
He stared at me, brow furrowed, clearly trying to see my face in the dim light.
“Lady Soraya?” he answered as Rhyker removed his hand from the man’s mouth. He glanced back and saw Rhyker for the first time. “Lord Rhyker? What the fuck is going on?”
“No, I’m not asking if you rememberLady Soraya,” I said as I closed in on him. “I’m asking if you rememberme.”
He searched my face, fear and confusion warring in his eyes.
“No?” I smiled without warmth. “Let me help. You broke into my home in the Mortal Realm. You stabbed me. Multiple times. Then you killed my mother. Ring any bells?”
Recognition flashed in his eyes, followed immediately by disbelief. “Impossible,” he muttered. “You’re dead.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Thanks to you. And yet, here I am.”
“How? How... are you here?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Rhyker growled. “You see, her soul ended up here in Faelora, and I was the Reaper sent to erase her. But now I’m the Reaper sent to rip the truth out of you.”
Lord Cassius looked between us, stunned. “You’re... a ghost?” He looked at me then his eyes moved to Rhyker. “And you’re... a... Reaper? But... I don’t... how?”
“How doesn’t matter. All that matters now is if you don’t answer my questions, the next person getting reaped is you.”
Rhyker forced him into a chair, using cord he’d torn from the curtains earlier to bind his wrists and ankles. Lord Cassius looked between us, calculation replacing his initial shock.
