SWNOVELS Prince Of Lust: Chapter 4
I held the small bag of possessions tight as Sitri pulled us through the void into the human world. I’d never been among humans before and was told that Reapers appeared on Earth to collect their charges and ferry them to their final plane. It was a purpose without plaudits, but I was proud to serve my place in the universe. That was until the Archangel Michael saw my existence as the perfect opportunity to punish Lucifer and the prince who had created a new demon without consequences.
When we appeared again in a large, open room, a chill washed over me. My insides churned until foul acid rushed up my throat and released on the smooth, shiny floor.
“Take a deep breath, Dabria,” Sitri said softly next to me. “The unease will pass if you breathe slow and deep. The air here is thick, dirty, and hotter than you’re used to.”
Every sip of this new air smelled putrid. Acidic. Virulent.
The substance retching from my throat and out of my mouth was vile.
My knees hit solid ground, and then a pair of hands raked through my hair to pull it out of the path of the sick.
“I’ve got you. Deep breath.”
It wasn’t Sitri, but whoever was holding me was someone strong and half holy.
When he spoke again, he sounded angry, but it was directed at Sitri. “What the fuck is this?”
“This is our new infant Reaper. I’ll explain later,” Sitri answered from somewhere far off. “Dabria, meet Ezequiel, a Watcher Angel.”
I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked back to see a man who was equally—if not more—as beautiful as Lucifer or Sitri.
My stomach leaped again, but it had nothing but air left.
Ezequiel was one of the Watchers who had left Heaven to breed human women and was punished by exile and caused the Great Flood. It was a cautionary tale of becoming too involved in the lives of humans. Not needed in my utility. Humans were just my metaphysical cargo, not my companions.
“Come now, love.” Ezequiel cooed and helped me to get to my feet. “I’ll take you upstairs and get you settled.”
Sitri, who was pouring dark liquid into two glasses, ignored the mess I had made of his floor.
“The spare room is prepped for company,” Sitri deadpanned.
“Such a generous host.” Ezequiel scoffed and led me toward a darkened corner.
To my surprise, we stepped into a small, mirror-lined room. An elevator, Ezequiel explained as he pushed a button on a panel near the door. I had been made with knowledge that was relevant to collecting my charges—a vast knowledge of ways humans could possibly die paired with a general understanding of how Earth was run. But there were gaps that I would eventually fill through encounters with my charges or during my time on Earth while I waited for my charges to expire.
I was expected to live here and jump right into my work, otherwise I would be plunged into Purgatory for the rest of time. Reapers were not given second chances. We were the true neutral in human existence. No one could escape us, but we were each human’s eventual fate. We welcomed them into their new journey with familiarity, comfort, and acceptance. It was what my being was made of.
Well, it was what I was meant to be made of.
At the moment, I was made of cells, organs, bones, and a very unsettling feeling in my gut that quickened at the calming strokes Ezequiel’s hand was making over my back.
“It will take a couple days, but you’ll get used to being solid.” His voice sounded duller in the elevator.
“I don’t want to get used to it.” My words came out on their own before I could stop them.
He laughed, and it was possibly the most wonderful sound I’d ever heard. Deep, thick, and bubbly.
“You’re really cute.”
Oh, Father, that fluttering feeling is going to ruin me.
“Am I?”
I didn’t choose my appearance. I merely wasn’t and then a moment later, I was tangible. Aside from the morphed blob reflected in the silver elevator door, I didn’t have a clue what I looked like.
“Mhmm. I’ll show you when we get up to Sitri’s.”
And as if he’d commanded it, the door opened into a hallway with only one door to enter through.
He stepped out and looked back for me to follow. “I can’t stay long, but I’ll show you around and help you get settled. Sitri and I have some business to attend to before the club opens for the night.”
He led me into what was a kitchen. The next area was a living room, but Ezequiel held out one of his sculpted arms to show me down the hallway.
“This is the bathroom. Once the queasy sensation subsides, you’ll need to become familiar with that room.”
I took a step inside. The cold floor radiated up through my bare feet, then it warmed as I stood longer. Ezequiel placed his hand on the small of my back and pointed to the mirror on the wall over a sink.
“Let’s introduce you to your human form,” he said.
The face looking back at me was soft. My body was rounded in the breasts and hips. I ran my hands over them, becoming acquainted with their feel and look. The thick, black curls on my head danced over my brows in bouncy rings with each movement of my head. I pulled back from my reflection and stood as tall as I could next to Ezequiel. I was much shorter than he was, at least a full foot.
He watched me with a playful smile until I’d had my fill, then continued his tour.
“On the left is Sitri’s bedroom. Mine is at the end of the hall there,” he said, pointing to a darkened door. “And this will be your room.”
There wasn’t much to the space: a bed, a window, and some random furniture that I was sure humans would find comfortable. I set my bag down on the bed and ran my fingers over the plush white bedding. The dark-colored walls made the room feel closed off but calming. I didn’t mind the dark, and the window gave me a glimpse of the outside world, which was a haze of buildings lit from within against a dark-blue sky.
“I hate to ask, but what did they send you down here with?”
I looked back to Ezequiel, who was leaning against the wall with his bulging arms crossed over his chiseled chest. The thin white T-shirt he wore only accentuated the defined body underneath.
“What?” I gawked more than asked.
“In the bag?” He gestured with his chin toward the bed.
“Oh.” I looked inside. “The book of rules I have to abide by, a pair of clothes, something called a toothbrush, and a couple other items to groom myself with.”
“A pair of clothes?” He smiled and his brows raised. The humor danced in his blue eyes, and I swore I saw specks of bright yellow shining through them.
“Yes?” Not an answer but the only word that would come.
He looked me over and gave me a smile that somehow felt warm. The uneasy feeling in my stomach was back, but this time, it warmed through me until my cheeks burned.
“Can I see the book?” He waited for me to rummage through the bag and take out the thin guidebook.
It was white, and my name was written on it in raised gold letters.
The rules weren’t as simple as one would think. I was the face of peace, but I was also the all-imposing middle ground for all beings. When a human came to their fated end, I would be by their side to take them into their final beyond. Except, I was solid now and couldn’t slip from void to void to find my charges. Sitri or Ezequiel would have to transport me when the visions came over me.
I hadn’t been taught how to travel through the void on my own. That task was usually done by a more experienced Reaper.
The three charges could take days or months. The internal calls to their souls would be sporadic and sudden. I would have no hand in their fate or over their ticking clocks.
Ezequiel thumbed the pages with a wrinkle on his perfect forehead. “Would you mind if I take a look through this?”
“Uh—sure.”
He looked up through his thick blond lashes and gave me a bright grin that made my insides wriggle again. I looked away with heated cheeks before I made a mess of the white fur rug.
“I’m sorry to drop you here and run, but I have to go.”
I believed him, but I didn’t want to be left alone in this strange place.
“Wander about,” he said. “Get familiar with your new home, and then I will come get you in a few hours to introduce you to The Deacon.” He pushed off the wall and headed down the hall.
“You expect me to just stay here?” I called after him, but I didn’t leave the room he’d deposited me into. “What if I get called for a charge?”
“Scream out my name. I’ll come running.” His voice trailed behind him, the door closed, and I was alone.