Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Deal with Death

Evelyn:

Resting in our bed, the smile never left her face. Grappy and Bloodsworth rested in their own room, their noises keeping me up all night. The door burst open, Peony crashing onto the bed. Her eyebrow twitched with annoyance, her arms catching Peony. Tossing her to the side, Peony whimpered on the floor.

"I just wanted to say hi." She sobbed wildly, tears of frustration flooding from her eyes. "I missed you so much. Gabrielle said that I could visit anytime." A snarl curled on her lips, her fingernails digging into the mattress. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, scarlet burned my cheeks the moment I realized I was naked. Tossing one of his black t-shirts over my head, I crouched down to her level. Her face was buried in her palms, her long pink hair brushing the floor. Rosy pink feather wings burst from her back, my breath hitching at the beauty of them. Embracing her warmly, her head snuggled into my shoulder. Ruffling the top of her hair, my finger lifted up her chin.

"Honestly, you are acting like a dog begging for its master." I mused playfully, her face softening to an excited grin. "How about we hang out once a week, and call it a deal? I don't care what we do, but we can have fun. In fact, we can do that today if you want." A squeal escaped her lips, her tiny body melting further into my arms. Carrying her out of the room, she protested as I closed the door. A soft whine left her lips, my face inches from hers.

"I need to get dressed, so just hang tight." I chirped cheerfully, a defiant twinkle sparkling in her eyes. "In fact, I bet your father would love to talk to you. Oh, Bloodsworth!" Her hands waved in protest, her father running up to her. Shooting daggers in my direction, that was for waking me up too early. Tossing the shirt onto the bed, Hudson wrapped his arm around my bump. Brushing lips against the nape of my neck, shivers shot up my spine. Spinning me around, his lips pressed mine sensually. Melting into chest, his chiseled body caused my thighs to rub together. He felt so right, his heart pounding out of his chest. How could I be so lucky to have him in my life?

"You really attract people, don't you." He joked tenderly, pulling out a black sweater and black leather skirt. "She even tried to kill you." Chuckling warmly to himself, his loving gaze never left mine. Swinging me underneath him, a tender blush rose to our cheeks. His handsome face hovered inches from mine, my heart fluttering.

"I really love you." He admitted sheepishly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I am so lucky to have grown up with you." Slithering out of his arms, he hovered behind me. Throwing on a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt, he whined softly, Pulling on my outfit, a quizzical look dawned on his face the moment I bounced up to him. Cupping his face, my lips locked with his sweetly. A goofy grin curled on his lips the moment I released him, my boots pounded towards the door. Pausing at the door, my real smile flickered onto my face.

"I love you, Hudson. I always have." I returned lovingly, turning the knob. "Be ready for dessert tonight. I have to help a friend. Don't worry, I will be right back. Peony probably just needed to get out." Leaving the room, James ran up to him with his clipboard. Clapping his hands in his face, Hudson snapped out of his trance. Peony leaned against the wall, her white lace dress gracing her body beautifully. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she leaped out of my window. The cold morning air lashed at my cheeks, my hair fluttering in the wind. A playful smile lit up her face, the trees growing sparser. Landing gracefully in the parking lot of a black movie theater, she dragged me in. Folding her wings away, pink feathers drifted aimlessly to my feet. Putting two fingers in the air, the pale face of a goth teen fell as she slid two tickets across.

"You know that you two are the only ones here." She complained bitterly, adjusting her scarlet colored hair. "You're lucky that you are a regular." Sliding over a bag of popcorn and two cans of orange soda, the goth teen adjusted her black rockabilly dress the moment she crashed back into the worn rolling chair. Giggling jovially, her dainty hand wrapping around mine. Flying through the doors, she slammed me down in the middle row. Smiling quietly to myself, her bright personality could cheer anyone up.

"I just love the movies!" She sang enthusiastically, smiling serenely in my direction. "They allow me to escape into another world. Can we watch a movie a week? It would please me." Pressing her palms together, she crashed onto my lap. Wrapping her arms around my neck, this level of hugging and touching irked me further. Attempting to peel her off of me, she only held me tighter. A silver bullet whizzed by my head, the goth girl holding a long black rifle. Knocking Peony to the ground, her head cocking to the right. Spinning a pink feather in between her fingers, her cruel grin twisted her face. Green vines curled up my arms, orange flames hovering above my head.

"I have watched you for too long, Peony. I, Resorsia Althoria, will take you two down!" She introduced herself proudly, resting her hands on her hips. "I have been on this mission for far too long, and I could bring in both of your heads they will have to respect me. Bouncing off of the wall, Resorsia kept aiming for me. Combining the flames with my vines, they twisted into a whip. Cracking it with each bullet, the endless rain becoming too much for me. Blood poured from my nose, my reaper's eye going nuts. A blood ruby glimmered in her gun, a black cloud curling from it. Great, I couldn't destroy it.

"If you are looking at my death stone, I have one of the seven. They were all given to hunters in the form of weapons, so I guess it works out for me." She bragged gleefully, bending forward while waving her gun around. "I will succeed." Rolling up my whip, Peony popped up behind her. Scarlet stained the golden velvet carpet, her sword running through her stomach. Ripping it out, her shaking hands aiming for my head. Stomping my foot on the ground, vines whipped towards her gun. Sprinting towards her, the heel of my boot knocked the gun out of her hand. A chill stole the warmth in the air, a reaper walking through the wall. Blood spilled to the tip of my boots, Resorsia crashing to her knees. Peony trembled in her spot, this proving to be her first kill. Ice curled up my arm, yellowed bony fingers gripping my shoulder. Tossing the gun to the reaper, my eyes widened with horror. Several more came from the walls, Peony cowering in the nearest corner the moment their bony fingers began to tear her apart.

"Stop!" I begged desperately, my palms splashing into the growing pool of blood as I collapsed to my knees. "She was just given the gun. Spare her and I will do another task for you. I promise." My voice cracked, all of them turning towards me. Red eyes stared emptily into my soul, dusty robes wrapping around my body. Struggling violently, nothing was working.

"I told you no more deals!" Hundreds of voices shouted furiously, the robes squeezing my body. "You can't spare everyone! She needs to be punished for her crimes!" Struggling in the robes, my ribs began to crack. Blood flooded from my red eye, a searing pain causing me to howl in pain.

"I said enough." I wheezed, coughing up blood. "She didn't do anything wrong. Why do you want the stones anyway?" Saying nothing, there was nothing I could do to stop them from devouring the last of her. The robes dropped me, snow fluttering around me as they faded back into the walls. Crawling over to Peony, the ice never melted away. Her blade rested at her feet, blood covering her face.

"I killed someone!" She stammered, my reaper's eye calming down. "I had to do it to save you. Thank you." Tears mixed with blood, her body collapsing into my arms. Her death didn't deserve to happen, sobs wracking my body. Death was so unfair, taking lives far too early. Lifting up her chin with my finger, my other hand wiped away her tears.

"I am a monster!" She cried out brokenly, gripping my sweater like her life depended on it. "How can you look at me? She was just a girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We would always talk once a week, and she would always smile warmly up at me. She always gave me extra popcorn." Clutching her close to my chest, an explosion shook the building. Of course, the rest of the hunters had arrived.

"We need to get out of here before backup shows up. Grab your blade and let's go!" I ordered sharply, her trembling fingers snatching up her blade. Stomping my boot on the ground, a ball of fire shattered the wall. Tossing her over my shoulders, the hot air of flames lashed at my cheeks the moment I leapt into the busy streets of the surrounding city. Skidding to a stop, my fingers wrapped around my dagger. Ripping it out from my boot, several hunters circled me. Surprise widened my eyes, the dagger growing into a scythe with an ivory blade and worn wooden handle. Tying her to my back with a nearby rope, both hands gripped the handle. Spinning it above my head, ice swirled over my head. Storm clouds brewed above my head, a blizzard whistling away. Was this the true power of my dagger, Peony shivering on my shoulder.

"Stand down, and let us arrest you. Come on Evie." A cold female voice taunted icily, a white haired human stepping out of the snow. "I am Marie Althoria, the commander of the hunters. Come with us peacefully, or take the hard way out." Rage seethed in my eyes, Peony passed out on my back, her body dragging me down slightly.

"How could you sacrifice your daughter for your stupidity!" I barked ferociously, black claws growing from my fingers. "I refuse to back down for people who abuse their own children. I begged for the reapers to save her, but they didn't listen to me. They devoured every bit of her. Every child you gave a stone to is now doomed to die in that painful state. Don't tell me that you gave it to adults, there is no way your ancient bodies could handle the power." My vision blurred, my migraine throbbing harder. Raising her military grade level pistol, her finger pulled the trigger. A flash of black blocked the bullet, white following after. Strong arms scooped us up, white and black feathers floating aimlessly. Her pixie hair danced in the winter gust, her icy blue eyes watching with excitement.

"This means war, Miss Evie!" She declared with determination, putting her gun away. "I will kill you, just you wait. Mark my words, I will be the one to kill you! I will hunt you down like the mutt you are!" Grappy gazed with relief down at me, my scythe shrinking down to my dagger. Tucking it in my boot, my body hung limply in his arms.

"You always come through when I need you." I whispered brokenly, knowing full well that Marie would do anything to fulfill her promise. Landing gracefully in front of my home, teardrops crashed to the ground. Gabrielle crouched down to my level. A weary smile dimmed his face, his arms embracing me feverishly.

"Thank you for saving Peony. I know it will cost you mentally." He thanked me graciously, untying Peony from my back. "I can't thank you enough. I will always be in your debt." Glancing around, numbers floated clearly over their heads. Attempting to claw out my eye, the pain became unbearable. Tortured wails escaped my lips, the blood pouring onto the loose dirt. Every lost soul screamed in my ears, the warmth of my blood flooding from my ears dying my face red. Digging my claws into the dirt, the raw agony became too much. Collapsing into a heap, my vision blurred. Slapping an onyx wool eye patch over my reaper's eye, the tortured screams stopped. Scooping me up, his scent relaxed my muscles. Try to find the light at the end of the tunnel. There was always a light at the end of the tunnel, a lump forming in my throat.

"You're dating a pirate now." I joked playfully, his fingers wiping away my bloody tears. "I am hideous." Gazing lovingly in my direction, his eyes rolled. Brushing his lips against my forehead, a tender blush rose to my cheeks.

'Then shall we plunder the world together." He laughed gleefully, cupping my face. "I will always be by your side no matter what. Sleep." Closing my eyes, sweet slumber swept me off to dreamland.

My black mind space shifted to a snow ridden landscape, the snow changing to blood. The voices of the reapers echoed around me, clammy sweat drenching my skin. Struggling to stand, the tortured screams began. Falling to my knees, the snow reddened to blood upon my touch. Black robes wrapped around me, a reaper floating in front of me. Unable to cover my ears, my migraine began to throb as blood poured into its rising level. Chills shot up my spine, the red eyes staring into my soul. Scarlet stained the white robes flowing over my body, the level up to my chest. A snarl curled on my lips, there being no way they were going to take over my mind.

"You can't deny death!" A deep voice thundered, everything else ceasing. "You will let us kill all the children carrying the weapon! They have sinned." Fury boiled in my veins, my claws digging at the robes holding me captive. Hiding my eyes with my bang, tears of rage streaming down my cheeks.

"I won't let that happen." I wheezed, all of my ribs shattering. "They don't deserve it. They were only handed the weapons. Do they get cursed like me too? Do they have to hear the tortured screams of the lost souls that didn't want to come with you? Tell me, right now. Why is it that we have to suffer for the rest of our lives? Haven't I suffered enough! I am drowning in the blood from my past, and everything I have done. I am broken beyond belief. I have watched a wife murder a man for me, so leave the children alone. They have been forced into shitty situations where they don't get a choice. They are forced to hunt us down like dogs while on the inside I know that they don't want to do it. Only evil people want to kill, only evil people enjoy it. I can see the tortured looks in their eyes when they get killed by me. I hate killing people. I hate it!" The reaper crouched down to my level, his bony fingers wrapping around my neck. Slamming my face into the sea of blood, my breath failed to escape me. On the brink of death, he lifted my head out. Red dyed my skin, his hand slamming into my chest. The bony fingers wrapped around my heart, a sharp pain stopping me in my tracks.

"Indeed, they are cursed." He admitted coldly, dropping his hands. "So they will die if you take their weapons away. Either way death is imminent for them. What is your next move, little rabbit? What will you do?" Blood poured from my reaper's eye, my other eye darkening to an inky black.

"How about I keep them in my clan until either you or I can find a cure?" I offered briskly, coughing up blood. "Shit, this hurts. I am not done! Can we do that? You can kill them if they don't agree to fight by my side." Curiosity flickered in the red eyes, his hand receding from my chest. Stepping back, he snapped his fingers. The blood drained away, the robes whipping back towards him.

"Okay. I can work with that. I have never had anyone try to bargain with me before. I am a death itself, and you will see me in a different form each time." He mused playfully, messing with my soiled hair. "You certainly are peculiar to say the least. I can work with this, but I get to claim anyone who doesn't side with you. I admit that they went too far, but I will let you know that I can't remove the curses. You unfortunate lot are doomed to carry out the damn things until you die. Once you die, your weapon disappears with the last beat of your heart. Your weapons chose you, and you can't deny that. The ones they chose are the only ones strong enough to bear them. It shows in different spots, your blade choosing your one eye. Do you really think that you just happened to find it! It found you! It picked you! Just cover up your reaper's eye, and the voices will stop. I am counting on you to watch our doomed children. May the odds be in your favor." Floating up into the abyss of my mind, relief mixed with unintended pressure. Clutching my knees to my chest, my wrists rested on top of them. The scenery changed to a butterfly garden, their colorful wings tickling my face. A black wolf walked up to me, his eyes watching me intensely.

"I will always be there for you." Hudson's familiar voice comforted me, his snout snuggling into my neck. "You can always count on me. Do you remember this day?" Smiling warmly to myself, his tongue licked my face. Of course I did. How could I ever forget?

"This is the place where I stole my first kiss on the cheek." I whispered sweetly, my voice still gone. "You blushed so hard that I thought a new shade of red had been invented. This is where I really fell in love with you. The butterflies landed on me while they avoided you like the plague. You were so mad that day, it was adorable." A fit of laughter burst from my lips, his head laying on my lap. Gazing up at the sky, wails exploded from my lips. All my failures began to taint the scene, the butterflies changing to moths. The warmth faded away, Hudson remaining on my lap.

"You don't get it do you." He sighed tiredly, his paws resting on my hands. "I am your rock. No matter what happens you will always be mine and mine only. Wake up from this nightmare, and let me hold you all night long. You don't have to smile falsely for me. You can bare your heart to me. I may never understand what you have gone through but I can try. Wake up!"