Reap & Reveal (The Reaper Series Book 3) (17 page)

“I don’t know.”

“Is it me?”

“How could it be you? I drew it fifteen years ago.”

“How can any of this be happening? You should be dead after that little episode. You know that my light is poison.”

“Maybe what happened to your brother was a fluke. Maybe he had a defect that went undetected or it was some strange combination of circumstances that could never happen again?”

“I don’t think so. He was strong. I’m the one with the defect.”

He stepped closer to her, taking her elbow and turning her to face him. “You’re not defective. In any way. Maybe you’re damaged from your time with Camael, but you’ve never been defective, never will be either.”

“That’s what my parents said.” Maeve picked at a dried sunflower head on the Litha altar, avoiding his eyes. “But it still didn’t bring back my brother.”

“What happened with your family, Maeve? After your brother died, I mean.”

“Nothing was the same. They forgave me and told me it was an accident of some sort, but they were afraid for me. I couldn’t stand their pity. I ran away for a while and tried the normal human things. Even went to college for a semester. It didn’t work out. Death was everywhere and once you’ve actuated to reaper, you can’t deny the pull. At least I couldn’t.”

“You went back?”

“Yes. My parents had passed while I was gone. I didn’t even know until I returned. I finished training and threw myself into the work. I was careful, but no one wanted to be around me. Not after my brother…after Jacob died. Work is all I have.”

“Not anymore.”

Maeve frowned. “Don’t we have some more altars to visit?”

Chapter Twenty-One

The hub was packed with witches and it hummed with the cumulative magic of a gathering of so many. There were more than a thousand witches and family members along the outside rim of the hub. It was the largest turnout Nate had ever seen.

He led Maeve back to stand near the Beltane Street entrance. They’d visited all eight altars, taking just enough time for the tour that they could blend in with the Yule crowd in the darkness. He led her to a vantage point where she could still see, but they could still make a quick escape back home when the ceremony was over. Of course, some participants would stay until sunrise. Nate wasn’t feeling all that committed to the cause this year.

Harland West, the coven’s High Priest, ascended the podium. The P.A. system, a modern concession to their coven’s growth, crackled with static and feedback.

“Is this thing on?”

The crowd laughed and Harland continued.

“Welcome, on this longest night of the year. We gather to celebrate Yule, the festival rejoicing our lives, families and blessings. Having you all here is visual evidence of those many blessings. Tonight we’ll cleanse ourselves of the old, the negative and the impure, and embrace this as an opportunity for renewal, regeneration and hope. Let us cast our circle, including all who are present in its hold. Then we’ll light the Bonfire of the Sacred Woods and send our thanks to the gods and goddesses. Join hands.”

Nate chuckled at the sheer dynamics of more than a thousand people holding hands in the tight space, but he took Maeve’s in his and they added themselves to the developing chain. Her skin was cold against his. He smiled when she tucked both of their hands into the pocket of his jacket, which she still wore. Somehow he’d forgotten about the cold, finding it difficult to concentrate on anything other than Maeve’s immediate presence and his memory of kissing her.

Despite the bizarre complications of those kisses, he found himself wanting more. This party couldn’t be over quick enough to please him.

Harland tapped the mike again, sending more waves of feedback rippling through the crowd. The man was ancient, well into his eighties, and it was clear technology wasn’t his strong point. But he was also a fount of Wiccan knowledge and had led the coven for the last decade, an admirable feat.

“Let us cast.” Harland held up a candle and lit it, giving it to a young boy, who would carry to its ceremonial location. “Guardians of the East, I call upon you to watch over the rites of this Eternal Light Coven…”

Nate felt a shift in the air as the circle was cast and it became a visible presence. He wondered if anyone else could see or if it was a result of his own transformation. The circle surrounded the hub, sliding along a permanent indention in the ground that had come from years of casting this spell in the same location.

The circle complete, Harland chose a log from the small pile beside him.

“Tonight we burn the nine sacred woods in this first ritual fire of the new year. Birch, for rebirth and regeneration.” He tossed the log onto the eight-foot high pile, and then picked up another log from his stash. “Rowan for personal power and success. Ash for divination. Alder for spiritual decisions. Willow for protection. Hawthorn for cleansing. Oak for strength and good fortune. Holly for good luck and safety for your family. Hazel for wisdom.” He tossed the last log onto the bonfire.

“Nine woods in the fire be. All once were of living tree. Burn them quick or burn them slow. To each here may blessings go.”

Four chosen pyromancers ignited torches and placed them at the base as the stack. When it caught fire, the first tendrils of smoke rose into the clear night sky. The group watched in silent meditation for nearly an hour before attendants returned to the fire and tossed in a small packet. Purple flames danced up out of the fire and floated into the air, flickering into the night. A few minutes later, another was tossed in and the flames turned turquoise.

Maeve squeezed his hand. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes.”

A few people began to wander about, greeting friends, but the crowd remained thick, most of the guests opting to stay within the circle. Nate pulled Maeve toward the fire. As the most supernatural beings present, chances were good that they were the only two who couldn’t physically leave the circle until it was broken.

“What are we doing?” Maeve asked.

Nate pulled a folded bandana from the back pocket of his jeans. “If we collect ashes from the edge and you sleep with them under your pillow, you’ll receive dreams of guidance for the coming year.”

“God knows I could use that.”

“We both could.”

They made their way to the fire and Nate picked up a shovel from the edge of the podium. Once Harland gave a nod of approval, he scooped a shovel full of ashes from the edge of the burned down pile. After gathering a half-dollar sized amount from the shovel with his hand, he carefully folded the ashes into the bandana and laid the shovel on the ground. A line had formed behind him of others who apparently intended to do the same thing. Tucking the bandana into his front pocket, Nate reached for Maeve’s hand and led her back to Beltane Street.

Harland’s voice sounded one last time over the speaker system as he cleared the cast circle. Nate and Maeve stepped past the perimeter and headed home. He kept her hand in his while they made their way back to the Hands of Healing Center and his basement bedroom.

Maeve yawned.

“It was a long day for you.” Nate kept his eyes trained forward, trying not to stare at her even though that’s all he wanted to do.

“Not a bad one, though. It’s been nice to relax. I’d say I can’t remember the last time I got to relax, but that might not be the best excuse.”

“My mother’s treatment was very thorough. Being cleansed of that much negative energy takes its toll. A larger one than can be overcome by a few good hours of sleep. Maybe I should share some more energy with you.”

The corner of Maeve’s mouth curved up into a sly smile. “Are you propositioning me, Nate Blackburn?”

“I guess that depends on your answer.” Nate could feel the blush creep up his neck and across his face. He hoped she didn’t notice.

“I wouldn’t hate it.”

***

Maeve was nervous. Which was just wrong. Nate turned her all squishy and soft inside.
Dangerous
. What was she playing at with him anyway? The guy had to be confused—she was attacking him one moment and teasing him sexually the next. Maybe she was brain damaged after all. How long could she keep using that excuse?

Her mind—what was left of it—told her to leave it alone.

But her body was saying, “Hell, yeah.”

Her experience with men so far had been limited to 100 percent humans. All of three of them. She figured there was zero chance that humans could draw energy from her unexpectedly. Based on what she’d gathered through observation, reapers were another matter—they had a way of inadvertently tapping into you and mainlining on your mojo.

After her brother’s death, she’d proceeded with the utmost caution. Even thought about dropping off the map completely, but the call of her destiny had been undeniable. Besides, it was the one job where she didn’t have to worry about killing anyone. Her clientele was already dead.

Following Nate into the house, her heart kicked up its pace and her hand grew sweaty in his. Every fiber of her being told her to stop. If she followed him down to that basement, things were going to happen. Things that couldn’t be undone.

She went anyway.

Her body betrayed her old inhibitions. Life was short and uncertain, even for a reaper, as had been evidenced by the past few months. She liked Nate. A lot. Moreover, her body responded to him in a way she couldn’t explain. The energy between them was beyond anything she’d ever experienced. The mere fact that he was still alive after their numerous exchanges, both the casual and intense sharing, and seemed to even crave her light was enough to convince her to take what she wanted.

The house was quiet, the only sound was the crackling of the dying fire in the fireplace as they walked past. Garrett and Rosemary were still at the bonfire. She hadn’t had sex as a teenager, but she imagined this was how it would have felt like to sneak into her boyfriend’s room past his parents.

Maybe that was part of the allure of Nate. His whole family values vibe was something she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. Her extended family had scattered to the ends of the earth after the death of her brother. Her own parents had retired, passing on soon after the incident, while she was still away from home, trying to forget about what had happened. Reaper families tended to dissolve quickly even under the best circumstances. That was one of the reasons the Authority compound setup had seemed so odd to her. They’d made their own family there. Maybe a family of your own choosing was better anyway.

She was thinking too much. If she kept this up, she’d bail out. Maybe she was trying to talk herself out of it.

Hell.

Nate flipped the light on at the top of the stairs and pulled her in after him.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nate couldn’t believe Maeve was still agreeing to this. He wanted her.

Bad.

Their kisses today had only fueled his desire for her. The more he touched her, the more he craved her, but he also feared at any moment she would change her mind.

His mind was a jumble of emotions. On the one hand he was sure he should go slow with her, but on the other, there was no telling how many tomorrows there might be. He wasn’t going to waste another day with indecision.

Nate turned on the bedside lamp and switched off the overhead lights. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at her.

“Come here.”

Maeve crossed the short distance and stood before him. He wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her to him, burying his head against her stomach. Her hands combed through his hair and he marveled at what a difference thirty-six hours could make.

Pulling his hair, she tilted his face upward. Her eyes searched his, full of questions that weren’t going to be answered tonight. Leaning into him, she pressed her lips to his. He tugged her down onto the bed and rolled her against the wall, pressing her into the mattress with his body as he took her mouth with his.

When their energy began to build, he tamped his down with effort, not wanting it to release a new reel of images through them. Not now. All he wanted to experience in this moment was Maeve, pure and simple.