Page 9 of Right Hand Of The Reaper
“No. At least, I don’t think so.”
“So why did you get the scythe?” she asked.
“No idea. Maybe it knows Thane is in trouble.” I hoped not, I really didn’t want to think of my friend in danger. He’d always been there for me, especially at the beginning when I’d struggled with coming to terms with being a Reaper. I hadn’t found it easy and not knowing who I was or where I’d come from, had led me down some dark paths, but Thane had been by my side through it all. Now it was my turn to help him.
“What are we going to do about Hades taking all the souls?” Rafe asked. He was the guy who’d saved me from doing something stupid just moments ago. He and his twin Rayne were my personal Hell Hounds. Each Reaper was assigned a Hell Hound when they awoke and usually, we only got one, but when I’d travelled to Infernium to claim mine, I’d been drawn to the pen right at the back of the room. The keeper had tried to dissuade me saying that these two were untrainable, that they’d constantly fought all the other Hounds, and that I’d be stupid to want to claim them, but I knew they were meant for me. I could feel a connection to them right in my very core. The three of us had been inseparable ever since.
Rafe’s ever present scowl sat over his piercing blue eyes and his mouth was turned down in a grimace. The guy was a grump, always in a sour mood and always looked like he was on the cusp of going feral. But at least he talked. His twin barely said anything.
“We have to let the souls go,” I said with a sigh.
“What?” Rafe exploded and closed the distance between us with long powerful strides. “You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t want to do this either, but we have no choice. These orders have come direct from Hades, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to piss him off.” Well, not with this. I might look for subtle ways to annoy the bastard to keep him on his toes, but they didn’t carry serious repercussions. Ignoring his orders on this would have consequences and that would make it impossible for me to help Thane. So as much as I didn’t want to follow orders on this, I knew we had to.
“This is bullshit.”
“I know, Rafe.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I was not in the mood for a fight right now. “Look, go and oversee the removal of the souls with Rayne. I’m going to visit Thane’s house to see if there’s any sign of where he might have gone.”
“You’re not going alone,” Rafe growled.
“He’s right, babe. There is no way we are letting you go anywhere without some protection. What if someone kidnapped Thane? You might unknowingly be a target.”
I scoffed. “We don’t know what’s happened to him. He might have just gone on holiday and forgot to mention it.”
Rafe gave me a flat look. “You really believe that?”
“No, but I don’t need a bodyguard. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“I’m sure you will,” he replied cupping my shoulders gently. “But I would feel better if we were with you. Please wait for us.” The 'us' being him and his twin. They never went anywhere without the other. Some people found that odd, but I just thought of them as two halves of the same person. Intrinsically linked with an inseparable bond. Something that I'd never understand.
Rafe lowered his eyes to mine and a lock of his jet-black curls fell forward onto his brow. I couldn’t miss the plea that was blatantly begging me in his big blue eyes. Man, this guy nailed the puppy dog eyes.
“Fine,” I huffed. “I’ll read through these papers that Atticus gave me while you sort the souls out.”
Rafe’s expression hardened at the mention of the demon’s name. “I don’t like him.”
I laughed. “You don’t like anyone.”
Flecks of golden honey shone in his blue eyes and a growl reverberated from his chest and I realized, hereallydidn’t like Atticus. His beast was pulling to the surface and that meant his primal instincts were trying to take control.
“Please don’t kill him,” I begged. “I do not want to have to clean up that mess.”
He grumbled. “No promises.”
I turned to Lila. “Help me out here.”
“Honey, they won’t listen to me,” she said. “They’re your pups.”
Rafe snapped his teeth at her. “I am no pup.”
She giggled. “Gods, you’re so easy to rile up.”
“Hey, pack it in you two. Rafe, deal with the souls and get back here so we can visit Thane’s house. Lila, can you go and see Norman. I may have been filmed taking down a rogue vamp.”
“Again?”
I gave her a sheepish grin and Rafe gave a low chuckle.
