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“Damn!” she shouted. “I guess this is the end of my run.”
“You’re the one who’s been killing the men of Hideaway Hills, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Yes,” Trixie said with a look of pride. “But I didn’t begin here. I started a couple of towns over and have been working my way through the county.”
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, turning to Kristin.
Kristin crossed her arms over her chest. “Trixie was in the same Necromancy program I was at the academy. The council suspected one of our own had gone rogue, but I wouldn’t have expected it to be you, Trixie. You were valedictorian of our class. You were dating the captain of the football team. What happened?”
“Johnny didn’t turn out to be such a nice guy,” Trixie replied bitterly. “I ended up being your stereotypical battered wife…too meek to fight back, too embarrassed to tell anyone. I lost my human job in accounting because I was a mental basket-case. Well, I’d finally had enough! I killed that bastard, and then I set out to hunt down every no-good scoundrel in the county and give them exactly what they deserve…Death! I switched to your magical profession, Ainsley, and now I’m a reaper, just like you!”
I shook my head sadly. “No. You are not a reaper, Trixie. This is not what we do. A true reaper knows that we come to people as a blessing, offering them the gift of peace from suffering. We protect their soul during the transition and show it the way to the light. We are never the ones in charge, either. We carry out our assignments with gratitude because we know the work we do is an honor. You will never be a reaper.”
“I’m texting the council,” said Kristin, pulling a phone from her purse. “They’ll determine your fate.”
Her fingers flew over the tiny screen and the next minute there was a puff of smoke and Trixie was gone. Kristin and I shuddered and hurried over to Logan.
I bent over him as I began to sob. Tears dripped down my cheeks and onto his. I pressed my fingertips into the side of his neck, but I already knew there wouldn’t be a pulse.
“Let me,” said Kristin.
“Are you sure you can do this?” I asked, barely able to get the words out I was crying so hard.
“Yes,” she said, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. “Trust me, Ainsley. I’m going to bring him back for you. The two of you belong together. It’s clear as day.”
I moved back and let her take over, sending up fervent prayers to the heavens.
Kristin leaned close to Logan and muttered a spell I didn’t understand.
Suddenly, Logan’s eyes fluttered open and he inhaled deeply.
“Where am I?” he asked, dazed.
“Logan!” I hurried forward and nearly threw myself on top of him, hugging him. His arms went around me, and he hugged me back. Sure enough, his heart was beating steadily again, and his skin felt warm to my touch.
Kristin and I helped him sit up.
“Did what I think happened really happen?” he asked, gazing at me, then Kristin, and back again. “Was Trixie some sort of rogue supernatural who went off the deep end and started murdering random guys because she had a grudge?”
“That’s what it looks like, unfortunately,” I replied.
“She’s in front of the council now,” said Kristin, looking at her phone. “They’re going to keep her in custody for a while and send her to treatment.”
“Yeah, that’s good,” I replied. “She definitely needs it.”
Logan rubbed his temples. “And you guys are…What you are?”
“Necromancer here,” said Kristin, raising her hand.
“And I’m a reaper,” I said with a smile. It was no use trying to hide anything from him now. He deserved to know the full truth.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” he said.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” I said, patting his leg.
“You have no idea,” he replied, pinching the top of his nose between his thumb and index finger and closing his eyes for a second.
I looked at my watch. “We need to get back to Edward.”
