I motioned. “Then let’s go have some coffee, and we’ll talk about plans for you. If you need to be safe, we’ll find a way to keep you that way. It will be harder for the demons to snag you when there are more people around.”

  She moved past me and didn’t look back. I trudged along behind her with Pete by my side. “You didn’t just come down here for coffee did you?”

  “I’m already tired of people popping in and out of my realm and acting like they own it. I haven’t had a true chance to grieve or heal, and Famine is already on my ass about powers. I can reap one soul at a time. Do you know how useless I am as Death right now?”

  Pete nudged me. “So you came down here to pretend and be human.”

  “Yep.” I laughed. “It’s the small things in life, right?”

  He nodded, and we approached the shopping center with the coffee shop. A leather-clad woman stood outside the empty shop next to the coffee shop. Her hand curved over the hip she had cocked to the side. The skirt inched up as she shifted her weight to the other side before she turned around to face us.

  “Oh, Death. Nice to see you again.” She grinned, and her teeth seemed a bit more pointed than the last time we had seen her. “We’ve expanded our pizza business. We’re opening our new chain here.”

  I didn’t want to think about it. The last time I’d seen her and her fallen angel boss was when we had visited the Devil’s Playground. “Sounds lovely.”

  “I assume you’ll be stopping by for the grand opening? The government has relocated about three hundred people here; we’re hoping to draw a crowd.”

  I didn’t imagine that was hard to do when there were only three hundred in town. “I’ll take a rain check.” I walked into the coffee shop.

  The little bell jingled over my head, and the employee looked up from washing a coffee pot. He smiled at us. “A bigger group today? Where’s the other chick?”

  “Mary had business to deal with,” Katie stated. “She’ll be back tonight.”

  He put the pot underneath the coffee machine. “One of the perks of being the only coffee place in town is that I get to know everyone. Did you guys meet the hottie next door?”

  “Yeah, we’ve met her before. I’d stay away from her; I hear she’s a real…demon.” Aeron kept his face straight, but Pete and I snickered.

  The employee laughed and turned around to make coffee. “I’ll get you some larges right up.”

  Katie dug out some money from her pocket and put it on the counter. “Thanks.” We went to the miss-matched furniture that crowded the corner of the place. I sat down and leaned back in the chair. “So the government relocated people?”

  “They’ve been pouring in slowly. Since the massacre at the walled city, there were only a handful of people that had been released into Mesa city. Because it’s on the highway, they wanted it to have some form of a population.”

  I nodded. “Which is why they are reopening the college and the hospital.”

  “Exactly, they are hoping more people will want to relocate to here.”

  The employee brought us the coffee on a tray. He balanced the round tray on one hand and handed out the coffee with the other.

  I wrapped my hand around the mug and let the warmth settle into my skin. “So more people and Mary teaching you how to fight will help keep you safe. We’ve sealed the Sins up, so they aren’t a worry, but Lucile and her demons…”

  “Lucile will only be a worry until she’s bound to Hell. So once you bind her or seal her, then I will only have to worry about the demons.” She shrugged. “Mary and I can take care of a demon or two.”

  The amount of confidence she held tugged at the worry inside me. The last year and a half taught me that a lot of time confidence was misplaced. “If there is an increase in attacks, then we’ll have to see if we can get you more people to protect you.” I sipped my coffee. “Once Lucile is sealed,” assuming I could manage it and I came into my powers, “then one of the guys can help Mary out in guarding you. It’s what they did for me until I started to come into my abilities.”

  “I told you that I don’t need a bodyguard.” She shook her head. “You are all too stubborn to listen.”

  The bell rang, breaking the tension a little. We looked over to see the demon walk in. She smiled at us and walked over.

  “What you don’t know, little prophet, is that these guys know what they are talking about. They’ve seen the demons, they’ve seen the pits of hell, and have faced Lucile. You want to be safe you listen to them, or you hire a fallen angel to do the work.”

  I gritted my teeth. “I don’t like that idea.”

  “Don’t trust fallen angels?” She tsked at me. “You should know better than anyone that just because they are fallen, doesn’t mean that they are evil.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The smell of coffee filled my nostrils, and I could hear the dripping of a fresh pot in the background.

  “Sammy?” Pete drew my attention back to the conversation. “What do you think?”

  “What do I think about what? Hiring a fallen angel?” I opened my eyes.

  His brow creased in concern. “No, Katie working at the pizza place since both fallen angels and demons protect it?”

  It was a public place, and the fallen angel that ran it took pride in it. “I think it might be a good alternative.” I nodded. “With the idea that if anyone betrays us, they meet death.”

  The demon laughed. “So full of threats now that you’re a Horseman…woman?” She paused and tilted her head to the side. “Is that the correct term?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea. So far the only thing people have called me is Death and a Horseman. I don’t really care either way.”

  She nodded and blew a kiss at me. “Katie, we’ll see you tomorrow bright and early then.”

  Katie nodded and then looked at me. “Are you sure?”

  “My dad trusted the fallen angel that runs the pizza place. If he’s smart, he’ll make sure that he doesn’t cross me.” I took another sip of my coffee, savoring the liquid as the slid down my throat. “Everyone would be smart not to cross me right now.” I felt a pull within me. My scythe tried to come to my hand. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling.

  “I need to go.”

  “Everything alright?” Pete asked.

  I nodded. “I have some souls to reap.” I took myself back to my realm.

  36

  I appeared in the field of dead weeds. The tan wispy plants bent as the breeze wrapped around me. I summoned my scythe and closed my eyes. Tension pulled on every limb, trying to tear me into several directions at once. I could hear each soul in my mind, some begging for release while others tried to bargain for more time. The tension turned into pain, and I tried to figure out how I was supposed to call all of them to me.

  I held out the hand without the scythe and demanded them to come. I called for them, and wisps of white came to my hand, one after another they swirled into my palm and disappeared. Names and memories assaulted me with each one that I claimed. Thousands of images flooded through my mind as the souls were judged. The onslaught stopped, and I fell to my knees gasping. How did my dad do this day after day, time after time?

  “It gets easier.” War’s voice came from behind me. “We all have abilities that take a toll on us, but it gets easier.” He walked in front of me and held a hand out.

  I clasped my hand around his wrist, and he pulled me up. “I don’t have time to get used to it. I need to finish coming into my powers, and I need to stop Lucile.”

  “You have time because we don’t know how to stop her.” He reminded me. “Death thought what the seal needed was demon blood. We all felt it start to form with it, but we know that it needed something stronger.”

  I remembered the power that pulsed through the seal with each drop of demon blood, but as soon as the demon died, that power faded. “I’ll start my research tonight.” I put my hands in my pockets trying to stop the shaking of my arms.

  “You need to eat something.” He walked with me back to the house. The weeds brushed against my legs as we walked. “And rest a little. Did you learn anything in the human realm?”

  I licked my lips and opened the door to the house. “Katie doesn’t want protection; she doesn’t want to leave the human realm to be protected. I also learned that the Fallen Angel who ran my dad’s favorite pizza place has put a branch in Mesa City.” I looked at the steaming bowl of soup that sat on the table. Eventually, I’d get used to the world giving me everything I needed, but right now it felt more like a creepy “Big Brother” kind of deal. I sat down at the table and War sat across from me.

  “She’s a prophet, she may not be able to tell when she’s in trouble, but she should be able to know enough to keep herself safe. Plus she has a guardian angel.” War shrugged and tapped his fingers on the table. “With all the Sins gone, it’s not that big of a deal, Sammy.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “The apocalypse happened, and you don’t think it’s a big deal that a prophet suddenly shows up and that the demons are after her? A guardian angel doesn’t mean fail-safe protection—”

  “I know that you think Ruthie failed.”

  I slammed my fist on the table hard enough to make my bowl jump. “Ruthie didn’t fail. She did what she had to so we could defeat the Sin.” I closed my eyes and relaxed my hand. “Look, it just doesn’t feel right. How about that?”

  “You’re worried about her. I get it; I’ll have one of the boys look into it and see if we can find some justification for your gut feeling. Then maybe we can convince her to seek more protection.”

  I nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for my outburst.”

  “I saw a spark of your father there for a moment.” War leaned back in his chair. “That spark that he got when something wasn’t going his way or something as you put it wasn’t right.”

  I shook my head. “My dad was always so reserved. I feel like I’m nothing compared to him.” I swirled my soup with the spoon and watched the small waves. My heart ached at the comparison to my dad. “Death is big shoes to fill.”

  “You’re getting there, and I promise to keep Pest away from here until you figure more things out. We’ll let you have your space, but we’re not going to leave you all alone to discover what abilities you have.” War’s voice seemed to drop a pitch, and I looked up at him. “We were all centuries old when we stepped into our spots. You’re eighteen and have dealt with more death and more terror than any child your age, and now you’re carrying a huge responsibility on your shoulders.”

  I nodded and ate my soup. War sat with me in silence for a few minutes before he stood up. “I have some things that need to be taken care of. Wars to stop, people to persuade, you know the usual.” He chuckled. “You enjoy your research tonight.”

  “Thanks. Have fun.” I took another sip of the soup and sat my spoon down. War simply faded from the world, but I swore I heard hoof steps prancing around. I shook my head. “I’m just hearing things.”

  Sammy…

  My father’s voice whispered in my ear, and I shook my head. “Between you and Ruthie, I’m going to go crazy.”

  No answer came, and I leaned back in my chair. The gentle breeze pushed around the house creating the white noise I needed to break the silence of the world. I closed my eyes and listened as the breeze picked up to be a howling of the wind.

  Sammy…

  There it was again, my father’s voice, this time wrapped in the wind making it louder.

  Sammy…

  My eyes shot open as I thought he was standing right next to me. My gaze bounced around the room, but there was nothing there. I stood and zipped my jacket up. I stepped out of the house, and my jacket disappeared, replaced by the reaper cloak my father had worn when we first met him, my human clothes were replaced by a black robe tied around the waist with a blood red rope. My scythe came to my hand, and it felt like an old friend as I wrapped my fingers around it.

  Sammy…

  This time the wind pushed me towards the horse. I walked through the dried weeds and approached the stable where the horse stood at the gate. It kicked its back feet and huffed at me. I let my scythe disappear and walked up to the gate. She was different now. I saw the glowing of her eyes, the red eyes met my gaze and I smiled. “I see you now.”

  She huffed and shook her head.

  “I know you now.” I put my hand out, and she pushed her nose against it. “My father never told me your name, but now I know it. Spirit. The horse that guides us through the realms to exactly where we need to be.”

  She backed up and bowed to me, one leg bent, and her head held down. I walked into the corral and pulled myself up on her bare back. I expected it to be uncomfortable, but I felt right at home. There was no bucking under me, just the steady warmth of the horse. I brushed my hand down her neck. “So Spirit…where is it that I need to be?”

  She whinnied, and her feet beat against the ground as she ran towards the fence of the corral. With a quick push, she jumped over the gate and continued with her run into the field.

  The wind beat against me as I lowered myself over her neck to keep me steady. I twisted my fingers in her mane as she continued to gather speed. The world around me blurred to nothing but colors, and I had no choice but to trust the horse.

  When the wind stopped beating at me and the noise of hooves against the ground slowed to a mild trot, I sat up and opened my eyes. Around me were walls and walls of floor to ceiling shelves that would put any worldly library to shame. The smell of leather and paper floated through the room, and I nudged Spirit to a stop and slid off her. She nuzzled me and then disappeared, leaving me alone. My feet made no sound against the stone as I walked further into the library. I spun around looking at all the worn bindings, in some places scrolls were tucked neatly between books.

  “Ah, Death. What can I help you with?”

  I spun around to face the soft voice. A woman in a light purple robe appeared in front of me, her white wings folded against her back, and her hands held in front as she patiently waited for an answer. Her blonde hair was pulled into a pile of curls on the top of her head and held with a gold rope, and her blue eyes watched me expectedly.

  “Um…Where am I?”

  She smiled. “Oh, you’re new. You must be Sammy? We didn’t think you’d be taking over his spot so soon, but everything happens for a reason.” She held her hand out. “Come, I’ll take you to the index, there you can find whatever you want. You’re in the Library of Knowledge. Everything any creature on this earth knows is here in these books and scrolls. New knowledge is added every day. Your father visited not long ago. We all assumed he was simply checking your origins.”

  I shook my head. “He was here to find a way to lock Lucile away. Who has access to this?” More questions spun in my head as I tried to wrap my mind around it. Why didn’t Pete and the others use it to figure out who and where I was? Or the other Horsemen for that matter?

  “Only a select few are welcome, and it’s not so easy to find the answers. First, you must know the right questions. What do you seek?”

  “How to lock Lucile away.” I frowned. “The same thing my Father sought.”

  “And did he find the right answer?” She looked over her shoulder at me and squeezed my hand as she continued to lead me through rows and rows of books.

  No, he hadn’t. He found his death instead. “No.”

  “Then he had the wrong question. Think of it this way, Sammy, sometimes the problem needs to be looked at differently. Keep that in mind as you seek your answer. Maybe the problem isn’t Lucile, or maybe that’s not the seal you need to be trying.” She stopped at the wooden circle in the middle of the shelves. “Sit here and meditate on what you need to know. The library will summon the books for you, and you can start your studies. Be wary though; you could spend days here when you only intend to spend hours.”

  I nodded and looked around the index. A leather chair and a table sat in the middle of the circle. Dark and light wood exchanged in patterns to create several stars under the desk and chair, spreading out to reach the bookshelves. I looked back to asked the angel something and found myself alone.

  I sat in the chair and closed my eyes. Being inside my own head was never one of my favorite things. Clearing all the thoughts away proved hard as past mistakes swirled around in my mind, reminding me how much I had screwed up throughout the last year. The death of my mother, Pete’s grandfather, Ruthie, and my dad beat against my mind trying to escape in screams of grief. I took a deep breath and tried to push them out of the way, but it only brought up the wrong questions. How can I keep them safe?

  That wasn’t what I needed to know. I needed to know what to do to seal Lucile away. I took another deep breath, and when I let it out, I forced the thoughts of death out of my way. We were focusing on the wrong thing. We’d been trying to seal Lucile in another dimension of her own. Like we had the Sins and like Lucile had done to the Horsemen. But what if we tried just to seal her in Hell?

  I opened my eyes, and a leather-bound book dropped on the desk in front of me. The thud echoed against the shelves and through the library. It might have been my imagination, but several voices shushed in reply. I ran my fingers over the wrinkled cover, the dips and hills of the old leather still felt soft under my touch. No title had been inscribed, so I didn’t know what kind of book it was.

  Curling my fingers over the cover, I gently opened it and skimmed through the first pages. I found that I could read the scrolling Latin that graced the pages. The fading ink gave me exactly the information I needed. I took note of everything that needed to be done and traced my fingers over the words and instructions on how to complete the seal, and at the very end of the page the signature read “Death.”

  Centuries of Horsemen and the one who held the answer was one that proceeded my father and me. I closed the book and leaned back in my chair. The seal that I needed required all of the Horsemen, and we’d need the Children of the Apocalypse’s help as well. Of course, as with the other seals, we needed one hell of a sacrifice, but it didn’t have to be fresh. I knew where we could do this.