She spat black blood onto the ground. Swirling the blades by flicking her wrists she started to circle me. “I’ve heard of you Little Death; you killed my mother.”

  I felt an evil smile curve on my lips. I couldn’t stop it; the grief still ate at me. “We’ll call it even; your mother killed mine.”

  “Your mother was a Fallen.” She stopped her steps.

  “And yours a Demon.” Neither of the titles really mattered, each creature had free will so that they could have chosen the path of good, but neither did. I heard something whistling behind me and jumped over a throwing knife.

  I had been lucky I’d heard it. There was just enough silence around that I could, but the fact that it made noise told me it wasn’t Sloth’s. He was silent and deadly.

  Another demon, the mirror image of Carrie, appeared. “Pete.”

  “Twin tricksters, I feel like that’s really fitting actually.” He came up behind me, his back facing mine. “We can do this though.”

  We could, neither of them were Sins, they were able to be killed. I focused on Carrie. She took a couple steps toward me, but I didn’t move, I didn’t flinch at her false attack.

  I didn’t wait for her to go through with an attack either. I took a few quick steps and swung my scythe towards her stomach. She jumped back, but I took a step forward and twisted my scythe so that the blade was facing up. I pulled the blade up and cut her from her stomach to her chest. Black blood flew from her as she stumbled backward.

  The wound wasn’t enough to kill her, but it would slow her down. She jumped in the air and brought her swords down together, trying to strike me. I held up my scythe and blocked the blades, throwing her back.

  She crashed to the ground, and I shoved my foot into her chest and brought my scythe down. The blade caught her neck, severing her head from her shoulders. Blood pooled under her, and I stepped away before it could touch my boots.

  Pete came up just as her body started to dissolve to black dust. “That was a nice warm-up, don’t you think?”

  “I think so, two tricksters down, but also an entire city dead.” I looked up the road. “Except for the people who were released.”

  Pete put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s hope those people won’t die from the plague and that the government officials running the city weren’t actually staying here.”

  “Probably not. I don’t remember seeing anyone super official except for the aids and the military.” I let my scythe go, and it disappeared as all weapons did.

  We turned back to the gate. “How did you know that throwing knife was coming?”

  “I heard it. I’m not sure how, I just knew it wasn’t one of your arrows, and it wasn’t Sloth’s because his are silent.” I looked both ways once we got out of the gate. “Think Kaleb and Aeron ran into trouble?”

  “Depends on what your definition of trouble is. We had a pair of tricksters.” Aeron came down the beaten pathway.

  Kaleb followed him. “They’re gone now, what about you two?”

  “Twins.” Pete shook his head. “Twin tricksters.”

  “Camille’s daughters at that.” I motioned in the direction where the hut used to stand. “Did you go check out the hut?”

  Aeron nodded. “There’s nothing there. Judging by the burn marks, I’d say they torched the place, and that could have been for a number of reasons.”

  “Probably didn’t want evidence of what they were doing to the people who couldn’t die.” I cringed. “Those poor people.”

  Pete nodded. “Let’s go check out the rest of the city; maybe we can get some other idea of what happened. Other than they were all killed by trickster demons.”

  We walked through the gate and up the main road stepping over the occasional body with blood still leaking from its wounds. We checked everyone we found, and no one had survived.

  “These were all done with the tricksters’ blades, you can tell from the wounds.” Aeron nudged a body with his foot and flipped it over. “Look at the way the flesh is torn.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t really want to.”

  “Okay fine, but serrated blades caused these injuries.” Aeron stepped over the body. “This was a full-on bloodbath.”

  I stopped when we got to the end of the main road where the training warehouse was. “I have a thought.”

  “What?” Pete paused.

  I looked at the warehouse and firmly grabbed the door. I slid the barn style door open, the warehouse sat completely empty of everything. No bodies, no living, no supplies or weapons. The sound of the door sliding echoed through the warehouse. “Katie said that she had overheard that cities might start sending scouts out.”

  “Yeah? So?” Pete came to my side. “There’s nothing left to see here. Let’s go look at the surrounding areas.”

  “No, she’s on to something.” Aeron put a hand up. “Go on.”

  I walked into the middle of the warehouse. “Tell me how a city was wiped out by four tricksters when they had an army at their disposal.” I held my arms out. “When Aeron was training with the army they were planning on attacking other cities. With War still locked up, the chances of them having the advantage and winning would have been slim. If they went through with the attack, it would leave the city susceptible an attack as well. I think that the tricksters were posing as people. Maybe had even been involved with another city and came out as scouts, taking advantage of the weakness.”

  “That’s a good theory, but since we killed them, we can’t confirm it.” Kaleb looked around. “The training area is empty; there’s no blood here.”

  “No bodies either.” Pete motioned for us to leave. “Which means there was no one in here to kill.”

  No soldiers to protect the city. We needed to visit another city to see if this was something that was happening all over or if it was just Mesa City that was being whispered to by Wrath and going to war.

  I shut the gate to the city after we left. “Let’s check the surrounding area to see if there are any survivors. We can point them to the city and hopefully someone there can help them.”

  “And if we don’t find anyone?” Aeron kicked a rock. “Death is part of war, we can’t change what happened to these people, and if there are others out there…they were failed by those who were supposed to protect them.”

  Pete glanced at Aeron and then to me. “I know you two have your differences on this, but I think Sammy is right. Let’s look for survivors, and maybe they can update us on what happened in the city. Just maybe they can confirm Sammy’s theory.”

  Then we’d know what the extent of the damage caused by War locked away. It always seemed to take a place on the back burner to the other Horsemen, but I never questioned why. I thought maybe fewer people died from war than would die of the plague or starvation, and it didn’t hold nearly the horrors of not having Death did.

  My thoughts turned to immortal warriors. How many just suddenly died on the battlefield because someone thought it’d be a good idea to put walking dead out there? What about the troops that had been overseas when the apocalypse broke lose?

  My stomach started to churn, and bile burned my throat.

  “Sammy, you’re thinking too hard again,” Pete called. “And you’re falling behind.”

  In the past, it would have been Ruthie who had pulled me out of my thoughts. Pete was starting to learn what my zoned-out looks meant and was able to pull me out of my thoughts. Ruthie had just known because she was my guardian angel, and it was her job to know.

  I took a deep breath and a few quick strides to catch up with them. “Sorry, I was just thinking back to the Horsemen. I think War should be the next one.”

  “I agree, because if this gets out of control, the demons are going to use it to their advantage.” Pete put an arm out. “Hold up. Do you feel that?”

  Goosebumps marched up my arms like bugs crawling across my skin, and I shivered. “A Sin is near.”

  “Aeron, go get Death or Famine. We’re going to need them,” Pete snapped. “Kaleb, Sammy, ready yourself.”

  With only three Sins left it limited our luck when it came to which one we were facing. Envy walked out of the shadows.

  “Oh look, I’ve found three children lost.” She summoned her two blades, too long to daggers but too short to be called swords.

  I summoned my scythe. “You’re outnumbered Envy.”

  “Just a little bit, nothing I can’t handle.” Her laugh sounded like bells in the wind. “I heard you managed to lock away a few of us.”

  I rushed toward her, and she went to block me. I didn’t strike like I had planned too.

  “Sammy,” Pete called, and I ducked in time for his arrow to fly over my head.

  Envy blocked it and lunged forward right as I stood. Her blade skimmed across the top part of my shoulder. I jumped forward, taking her down to the ground with my shoulder and landing on top of her.

  Flipping off her and to my feet, I hit the ground just as Kaleb shoved his foot into Envy’s chest to keep her pinned there. He’d waited until I needed him, trusting I could handle Envy.

  She laughed, and her eyes glowed green. The same hue leaked over her skin, and she started to grow under Kaleb’s foot. With a massive clawed hand, she backhanded Kaleb, sending him a few feet away.

  Standing, her feet turned to massive clawed legs, and an armored tail whipped out from behind her. Pete shot an arrow, and it bounced off her with a clink.

  “So about that armored skin of hers,” I called over my shoulder. “Anyone know how to get around it?”

  Her tail swung towards me, and I jumped over it. Another arrow bounced off her. I looked up at the big beast, almost as tall as one of the older trees.

  I fell back to where Pete and Kaleb were. “Pete, up the tree, aim for her eyes.”

  “What?” He looked at me with confusion in his eyes.

  “Blind her, if she can’t see then we can at least get Dad to seal her without her knowing what is going on.” I kept my voice low.

  Envy swiped down with her claw, and we all jumped back. The ground shook as her clawed hand hit it. Rocks and debris flew up around us. I held a hand over my eyes to protect them from the dust.

  She let out a roar that might have contained English words, but none of us were going to pay attention long enough to figure it out.

  Pete disappeared into the tree line, and Kaleb and I readied ourselves for another attack. All we could do was keep her busy.

  Dad suddenly appeared at my side with his scythe at the ready. “Envy, not a bad one to run into.”

  “Are there really any good ones?” I asked and tightened my grip. “We have Pete on a plan already.”

  “Good, what’s our part in this?”

  “Wait for Pete to make his move and help us distract her.” I jumped over another swipe of the tail, this time landing on top of it. I held my arms out to keep my balance as I ran up it.

  Envy turned and went to knock me down. Aeron jumped down from a tree, dragging his sword down the front of her. Her massive claw caught me, and I flew away from her and into a tree.

  I took a moment to shake the shock off and fill my lungs back up with the air they’d lost in the impact. Kaleb ran to attack in my place, and then Famine appeared with his own sickles.

  “Really, what did you do to piss her off?”

  I heard the tree rustle above me and I looked up. Pete crouched on a branch and pulled the string of his bow back with an arrow notched.

  I whistled. “Envy.” She swung around to look at me.

  I swirled my scythe and ran straight to her. An arrow pierced her eye, and she cried out as blood flowed down her face.

  The other one missed and she turned straight towards the tree. Her hands swung in the air wildly, knocking branches off the trees. Pete jumped out of the tree, landing in front of me.

  “One down.” He shrugged. “I tried.”

  Footsteps sounded, followed by the battle cry of Death and Famine.

  They jumped onto Envy’s back, and suddenly the three of them disappeared with a little pop.

  I let my scythe disappear. “I feel like that was too easy.”

  “Let’s just be grateful that our fathers seem to have this down to an art that none of us have mastered yet.” Aeron dusted his hands on his pants. “Envy was one of the weaker ones. That leaves the two strongest ones left.”

  Greed and Sloth. Who knew when they’d appear? But now that Envy was locked away, we could go to Hell and free another Horseman since it was one less sin to deal with. War would be free soon, and we’d be one step closer to ending the apocalypse.

  I ran a hand over my back and knew that I’d be sore come tomorrow. Had I been human, the throw would have killed me; I couldn’t really complain about walking away with just minor bruises. “Anyone still want to check out small town? I’d be curious to see who might have made it out of the walled city. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  “Or maybe we’ll find another demon. I think that’s more of a possibility.” Kaleb looked at me. “But since we’re here, why not?”

  Unlike Mesa City, the small town that had surrounded the walled city hadn’t been restored. Desolate houses still dotted the land, though the farmlands were now rich in soil and crops so it held more life. A church stood just off the main road. It’s white siding dirtied by the rough winds and dust around the area. The bell in the tower still hung without a crack in it.

  I’d been in this church before. I’d met a priest and a little girl named May, both walking dead. I stopped at the door and looked up. It hung a bit crooked, and I knew it was the result of the government raid of the small town that took out most of the walking dead.

  Pete came up behind me. “Ruthie told me about them. She gave them a proper burial once Death claimed their souls.”

  “It was the right thing for her to do. They were both innocent and had the best of intentions. May, she was so young, and she should never have faced these horrors.” I put my hand on the door and closed my eyes. “The people of this town have either died or abandoned it. There won’t be any life in this church again.”

  “Let’s move to the next city.” Aeron put a hand over mine. “Don’t give up yet. If there were any survivors, they would probably go toward Mesa City because that’s where all the help is. The government isn’t going to focus on the small cities until the big ones are taken care of.”

  He had a point, and there was no reason I should dwell on the two souls from the past. We needed to move forward. We needed to figure out what happened in the walled city and then free War.

  We chose to walk the few hours to the next town, without knowing the situation there was no way of knowing what we were heading into. There could be a bunch of government people, or there could be nothing. At this point, running into another Sin wasn’t out of the question.

  Kaleb and I had found a family killed by the plague out here. Last time we had seen that house, hazmat tape was still vainly trying to block it off. Now though, it was burnt to the ground.

  The fields around it were once again overflowing with stalks of corn, but the idea that a human family had lived there was wiped away.

  “I think the government is taking over the fields.” Kaleb looked over the crops. “This doesn’t look like local farmer work, all the fields are being used, but there’s no equipment anywhere to show that someone is taking care of the land.”

  “Not to mention the family has been dead for a year.” I put my hands on my hips. “So, we know that the government is at least helping with the food supply, the fields in Mesa City were in use too, but the houses were still standing.”

  Aeron leaned over the fence to inspect the crops closer. “That could be because the wheat there is growing back naturally, it’s out of control, while these are planted and taken care of. Just taking a guess.”

  “That’s a possibility,” Kaleb said.

  “Or,” Mary’s voice chimed in and I spun around. The others summoned their weapons, but I didn’t. “It could be that the government plans on putting people in those houses. This one was destroyed because it housed a family with the plague. No other reason. Sammy, Pete, Kaleb, Aeron, nice to see you all again.”

  “Nice, sure.” Pete pulled his string back just a little. “Last time I saw you, you were threatening Sammy.”

  Mary nodded. “And I see that she is the only one here not summoning a weapon to protect themselves. Could it be because she was right about me grieving?”

  My heart skipped a beat. I knew I had been, but I didn’t expect her to be past her grief already, not while I still clung to mine. “I’m still sorry that Zacharia became a fallen.”

  “So am I, and I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that he would betray his entire team, but I’m hoping I can help you out now.” She held her hand out. “As allies and not enemies.”

  I grasped her hand, and we shook. I glanced at the others. “Put your weapons away.”

  They did, but Aeron sneered as he did so.

  I turned back to Mary I asked, “What can you tell us about the walled city?”

  “It was attacked by demons, tricksters of a high ranking. There were a few stragglers that managed to survive. They said that they’d never seen anything like it. The remaining soldiers were torn apart, and then they started killing the civilians. I know from the description that they were tricksters.” She shrugged. “That’s all I know though. I’m assuming that War hasn’t be unleashed yet because it seems to be coming from all directions. I’ve seen other cities, and they are preparing to either attack or be attacked.”

  “Not yet, but we have Death and Famine now.” I leaned against the fence of the field. “Is there anything else we need to know about these last couple months?”

  She looked around and then motioned for us to follow. Her path took us down the road and into a small abandoned coffee shop. If you breathed the right way you, could still pick up the scent the freshly ground beans that had penetrated the wood. The tables were flipped up properly, and I assumed it was because she had been there before. If they were putting people into houses, then she would have had to find a new place to hide.