My Soul to Take
Page 70
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How do you know?
I leaned into Nash, smiling innocently as my fathers jaw tightened. Nashs friend Tod is a reaper.
My fathers brows rose in surprise, and for a moment he forgot to scowl. Your friends a reaper?
Nash shrugged. I knew him before hedied.
Dad leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees, eyes narrowed. And this reaper told you the girls werent on his list?
They werent on any list, I said, drawing his scrutiny from Nash. Tods boss thinks theres a reaper out there poaching souls to be sold in the Netherworld. Or something like that.
Uncle Brendon froze in the doorway, holding two steaming, fragrant mugs. Someones selling souls in the Netherworld? He and my father exchanged twin looks of horror and dread before turning back to us. What do you know about the Netherworld?
Just that there is one, and that some of the locals are hot for human souls. I shrugged, trying to set them both at ease. But that doesnt really matter to us, right? Tods boss said he would take care of it.
The relief on my uncles face was as thick as the tension in Nashs posture. Good. The reapers should take care of their own problems. It really isnt bean sidhe business.
Frowning, I scuffed the toe of my shoe into the carpet. Except that this psycho reaper tried to take a bean sidhe s best friend. That kind of makes it my business.
Uncle Brendon scowled and looked ready to argue, but my father spoke before he could. Did people see you bring Emma back? he asked, cradling his steaming mug as if for warmth.
Nash sat straighter, eager to defend me. No one knew what was happening. Em had just collapsed, and everyone thought Kaylee was freaked out over that. And once Emma sat up, they all thought shed just fainted.
That was mostly true, though rumors were already circulating that Emmas heart had actually stopped for a minute. The lady who took her pulse had probably started them. Not that I could blame her. The poor woman would probably need therapy.
But then, so might I. And maybe Emma.
My father shrugged, eyeing his brother sternly. Sounds like no harm was done.
Except for Julie, I muttered, and immediately wished Id kept my mouth shut.
My father paused with his mug halfway to his mouth. Shes the exchange?
Yeah. And though I knew in my heart that Julies death wasnt our fault, I couldnt escape the guilt that tightened my chest and made my whole body feel heavy.
Uncle Brendon sank into the other armchair and shook his head in regret. This is why you have to stay out of reaper business. That poor girl would be alive right now if you two had just leftthings alone.
Yeah, but Emma wouldnt. My free hand gripped the arm of the couch. And we had no way of knowing for sure shed take another one. Tod said there shouldnt be any penalty for saving a life that shouldnt have been taken in the first place.
She? My father slowly lowered his mug onto its coaster. Do I even want to know how you know the reaper is a woman?
I shifted uncomfortably on the couch and glanced at Nash, but he shrugged, leaving it up to me. So I made myself meet my fathers gaze. Wekind of saw her.
Uncle Brendon sat straight in his chair, every muscle in his body tense. How?
She just showed up. I shrugged. When they were doing CPR on Julie. She was at the back of the gym, behind most of the crowd, and she smiled at us.
She smiled at you? My father frowned. Why would she show herself on purpose?
It doesnt matter, my uncle said. The reapers will take care of their own. We should stay out of it.
For a moment, I thought my father would argue. He looked almost as angry as I was. But then he nodded decisively. I agree.
But what if they cant find her? I demanded, Nashs hand still clasped in mine.
My father shook his head and leaned back in his chair, crossing both arms over the front of his sweater. If you two can find her, the reapers can find her.
But
Theyre right, Kaylee, Nash said only inches from my ear. We dont even know who the reaper will go after next. If she does it again at all.
She would. The moment shed smiled at me, Id known she wasnt finished. She would take another girl soon, unless someone stopped her. But no one else seemed willing to try.
My father turned to his brother, his thoughts hidden by a calm facade. How are your girls? he asked, and just like that, the subject was closed.
They arent taking this very well. My uncle heaved a heavy sigh. Sophies out with her friends. The girl who died yesterday was on her dance team, and the rest of the squad is spending every waking moment together, like some sort of perpetual wake. And ValShe got a quarter of the way through a bottle of brandy this afternoon, before I even knew shed opened it. I put her to bed about an hour ago to let her sleep it off.
Wow. Maybe Aunt Val needed to go see Dr. Nelson.
Im sorry, Bren.
Uncle Brendon shrugged, as if it didnt matter, but the tense line of his shoulders said otherwise. She was always pretty high-strung. Sophies the same way. Theyll be fine once this all blows over.
I leaned into Nash, smiling innocently as my fathers jaw tightened. Nashs friend Tod is a reaper.
My fathers brows rose in surprise, and for a moment he forgot to scowl. Your friends a reaper?
Nash shrugged. I knew him before hedied.
Dad leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees, eyes narrowed. And this reaper told you the girls werent on his list?
They werent on any list, I said, drawing his scrutiny from Nash. Tods boss thinks theres a reaper out there poaching souls to be sold in the Netherworld. Or something like that.
Uncle Brendon froze in the doorway, holding two steaming, fragrant mugs. Someones selling souls in the Netherworld? He and my father exchanged twin looks of horror and dread before turning back to us. What do you know about the Netherworld?
Just that there is one, and that some of the locals are hot for human souls. I shrugged, trying to set them both at ease. But that doesnt really matter to us, right? Tods boss said he would take care of it.
The relief on my uncles face was as thick as the tension in Nashs posture. Good. The reapers should take care of their own problems. It really isnt bean sidhe business.
Frowning, I scuffed the toe of my shoe into the carpet. Except that this psycho reaper tried to take a bean sidhe s best friend. That kind of makes it my business.
Uncle Brendon scowled and looked ready to argue, but my father spoke before he could. Did people see you bring Emma back? he asked, cradling his steaming mug as if for warmth.
Nash sat straighter, eager to defend me. No one knew what was happening. Em had just collapsed, and everyone thought Kaylee was freaked out over that. And once Emma sat up, they all thought shed just fainted.
That was mostly true, though rumors were already circulating that Emmas heart had actually stopped for a minute. The lady who took her pulse had probably started them. Not that I could blame her. The poor woman would probably need therapy.
But then, so might I. And maybe Emma.
My father shrugged, eyeing his brother sternly. Sounds like no harm was done.
Except for Julie, I muttered, and immediately wished Id kept my mouth shut.
My father paused with his mug halfway to his mouth. Shes the exchange?
Yeah. And though I knew in my heart that Julies death wasnt our fault, I couldnt escape the guilt that tightened my chest and made my whole body feel heavy.
Uncle Brendon sank into the other armchair and shook his head in regret. This is why you have to stay out of reaper business. That poor girl would be alive right now if you two had just leftthings alone.
Yeah, but Emma wouldnt. My free hand gripped the arm of the couch. And we had no way of knowing for sure shed take another one. Tod said there shouldnt be any penalty for saving a life that shouldnt have been taken in the first place.
She? My father slowly lowered his mug onto its coaster. Do I even want to know how you know the reaper is a woman?
I shifted uncomfortably on the couch and glanced at Nash, but he shrugged, leaving it up to me. So I made myself meet my fathers gaze. Wekind of saw her.
Uncle Brendon sat straight in his chair, every muscle in his body tense. How?
She just showed up. I shrugged. When they were doing CPR on Julie. She was at the back of the gym, behind most of the crowd, and she smiled at us.
She smiled at you? My father frowned. Why would she show herself on purpose?
It doesnt matter, my uncle said. The reapers will take care of their own. We should stay out of it.
For a moment, I thought my father would argue. He looked almost as angry as I was. But then he nodded decisively. I agree.
But what if they cant find her? I demanded, Nashs hand still clasped in mine.
My father shook his head and leaned back in his chair, crossing both arms over the front of his sweater. If you two can find her, the reapers can find her.
But
Theyre right, Kaylee, Nash said only inches from my ear. We dont even know who the reaper will go after next. If she does it again at all.
She would. The moment shed smiled at me, Id known she wasnt finished. She would take another girl soon, unless someone stopped her. But no one else seemed willing to try.
My father turned to his brother, his thoughts hidden by a calm facade. How are your girls? he asked, and just like that, the subject was closed.
They arent taking this very well. My uncle heaved a heavy sigh. Sophies out with her friends. The girl who died yesterday was on her dance team, and the rest of the squad is spending every waking moment together, like some sort of perpetual wake. And ValShe got a quarter of the way through a bottle of brandy this afternoon, before I even knew shed opened it. I put her to bed about an hour ago to let her sleep it off.
Wow. Maybe Aunt Val needed to go see Dr. Nelson.
Im sorry, Bren.
Uncle Brendon shrugged, as if it didnt matter, but the tense line of his shoulders said otherwise. She was always pretty high-strung. Sophies the same way. Theyll be fine once this all blows over.
