Reaper: The Beginning (Prequel) (The Artifact Reaper Saga Book 0)

  Reaper: The Beginning

  Jen L. Grey

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  About the Author

  Also by Jen L. Grey

  Reaper: The Beginning Copyright © 2018 Jen L. Grey

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Holy hell. I’ve got my hands on this stupid dummy and can feel everyone’s eyes on my back. It doesn’t help the smell of plastic fills my nose. I try to tap into my power like Christina always goes on about, but I can’t find anything. It’s like I’m searching through a black hole.

  My brother said she was full of it. He came into my room last night with his signature furrowed brows and sat down on my bed after she left. I swear he pressures me more than my parents, reiterating how big of a deal today is. Like I don’t know, and when I tell him that Christina and I have it all figured out and about what she says, he shakes his head, calling her a liar.

  She isn’t lying to me, but I sure feel like a dumbass right now. I got nothing and one of Charlie’s friends is snickering behind me. Great, I’m sure I’ll get reamed when I get home.

  “Pull your magic.” The teacher walks up beside me and huffs. “This shouldn’t be that challenging. Don’t overthink it.”

  Yeah, well. That’s easier said than done at this point.

  More giggles ring in my ears.

  I wish I could just become invisible. Ben’s in here too, to top it off. I’ve got to clear my head. Okay, think of nothing and just focus on the rubbery fake skin my fingers are digging into.

  Yeah… this isn’t working.

  “All right. That’s enough.” Mrs. Palmer’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard. “You’ll get one more chance tomorrow, but that’s it. If you don’t pass, you’ll lose your reaper ability.”

  No. This can’t be happening. I refuse to turn into a butler. I won’t be a lapdog for the council and deal with my family losing what little status they have. It’s bad enough to serve them this way; let alone tend to their every whim. They’ve already harassed me enough to last a lifetime about my best friend.

  “Now, Christina, it’s your turn.” The teacher straightens her shoulders back and turns facing my best friend. “I hope you have better luck than this one.” She tilts her head my way.

  What a jerk. Christina better put that bitch in her place.

  My best friend pulls at her chic, pink floral romper dress I’m sure her mother picked out for her as she steps toward the dummy. Her long, black hair is in a loose Dutch braid, and she looks like every other Malone in her family.

  However, I know that’s not the case. She’s a bit of a rebel.

  She glances at me as she makes her way over and bites her lower lip. If she messes up, her mom will be alerted before she even makes it home.

  I hate how she’s treated. She’s the best person I’ve ever known, but her parents treat her like a pet or a puppet. I haven’t decided which one yet.

  As she bends down over the puppet, she stretches her arms out and her hands tremble. She touches the dummy and closes her eyes.

  The teacher walks over to her, the sound of heels hitting the tile echoes.

  Come on, girl. You got this. Show Mrs. Palmer where she can shove it.

  The room begins to feel off kilter and my skin begins to crawl.

  The girl next to me reaches out and puts her hand against the wall.

  I’m not sure what’s going on, but something doesn’t feel right.

  “Stop.” Ms. Palmer’s tone is almost desperate. “Right now. Stop.” She stumbles toward Christina and puts her hand on her arm.

  Christina stiffens, but releases the dummy and stands. After a moment, she turns around and glances at me before focusing back on the teacher. “Did I mess up?”

  “I wouldn’t say that.” The teacher reaches up and puts a piece of hair that fell out of her bun behind her ear. “You have strong power and can’t control it. You pass, but we need to work on your endurance.” Her face is slightly white and she swallows hard. She turns away from us and checks the clock. “All right, we’re out of time for today. Ben, you will go after Beth retries tomorrow.”

  Yikes. What am I going to do? I have to pass this, or my life will be over. Well, not really, but might as well be. I loop my arm through Christina’s and pull her toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go to my house.”

  “Yeah. Let’s get out of here, please.” Christina lifts her hand to her forehead.

  I laugh out loud. She’s so dramatic sometimes.

  “Hey, ladies,” a voice that sounds a lot like Ben’s calls out after us.

  No way. I turn around and it is in fact the cool guy in our class, heading my way.

  “He’s probably ready to propose to your right now.” Christina leans over and giggles into my ear.

  A chuckle escapes me, but I put my finger to my lips. “Shhh. Don’t scare him away.”

  His brown eyes twinkle and his left dimple is on full display. “Hey.” He runs a hand through his dark brown hair and taps a foot. “Christina, I was hoping you’d give me some pointers on how you passed today.”

  Of course he was. Ugh, I should have known he wasn’t coming to talk to me. I mean, I did just fail a huge rite of passage today. Gosh, I’m such a moron. It’s not like he’s still really my crush anyways.

  Christina wrings her hands and bites her bottom lip. “I don’t know how I did it really.” She glances at me and cringes. “I just closed my eyes and tapped into my powers.”

  “Huh.” He rubs his thumb across his bottom lip. “I guess that makes sense. Thanks.” He turns and leaves.

  As soon as he’s out of hearing distance, she turns to me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Girl, please.” I hold up my hand. This is ridiculous. “Nothing for you to be sorry about. Got it?”

  A small smile spreads across her face. “Yeah, but still. I know you like him.”

  “Still, sisters before misters.” I wink at her.

  “Oh my god.” She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Did you just say that?”

  I grab her arm again and pull her close to me. “Yes, because it’s true. Now let’s get to my house and get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  Since I don’t live far from campus, we arrive at my house within minutes. When we walk into the kitchen, Charlie is already there and sitting at the kitchen table eating a hotdog and chips.

  His eyes land on Christina, and he scans her from head to toe.

  He will deny it ‘til he’s blue in the face, but he’s always found my best friend attractive.“So, hope you guys aren’t hungry.” He takes a huge bite out of his hot dog and talks with his mouth full. “I just ate the last thing in the refrigerator.”

  What a dickhead. He’s a great brother; except when it comes to food. It’s all hands on deck when it comes to that. I raise my middle finger and salute him high in the air.

  Christina snorts with laughter.

  After swallowing, Charlie takes a sip of water, then scowls in my direction. “You know. That’s very unlady like.”

  “Eating all the food is inconsiderate.” I go to the pantry and grab some chips. “So, I guess that makes us even.” I turn and throw a pack of chips at Christina and then grab two waters. “See you later.”

  We walk out of the kitchen and through the small living room to the hallway that connects the three bedrooms. Mom and Dad’s bedroom is to the left and to the right is a large bathroom Charlie and I share. To the left is my room and right across from my room is Charlie’s. Our house is small, and we have just enough space for the four of us, unlike Christina’s large mansion. However, her family is one of the prestigious ones. She’s a Malone.

  Once we enter my room, we plop down on my full-size bed pushed against the pale blue wall.

  I sit crisscross on my bed and open the bag of Doritos. “I’ve got to figure out what I did wrong today.”

  Christina bends over and removes her shoes, before she pulls her socked feet underneath her and opens her own bag. “Yeah. Do you have any clue what happened?”

  If I did, this would make it all easier. “Not a clue.” I eat a chip and sigh. “I couldn’t feel the magic inside me like you talked about. Nothing happened.”

  Her blue eyes turn my way. “I’m so sorry. Maybe yours works different than mine.” She runs her fingers across her bottom lip. “I’m probably the reason why you messed up.”

  Oh, no. We aren’t going down that road. “You’re not. That’s how it works for you.” I place my bag on the bed and put my hands in my lap. “You were just trying to help. You didn’t mess me up. Don’t even try to blame yourself.”

  “But my parents….” Her hands jerk.

  “Stop.” I hold up a hand. “Your parents are over critical of you. They don’t see what an amazing person you are. Just stop. It’s not your fault. I’ll figure it out tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

  She lets out a breath and leans back against my wall. “They’re being really secretive here lately.”

  Her parents are something else. “What’s going on? Any clue?”

  “Not a clue.” She picks at the royal blue quilt we’re sitting on. “They are gone a lot and whisper when I’m around. They’ve never acted like this before. It’s like something big is going down.”

  Times like this make me hate them even more. They always make her feel like something is wrong with her and exclude her from things. Families are supposed to be able to confide in one another. We’re old enough now to be in on the details. They’re making her feel more inadequate. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Yeah.” She looks up at me and forces a grin. “You’re probably right.” Her cell phone chirps and she picks it up. “That’s mom. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She reaches over and pulls me into a hug. “Call me if you need to talk, okay?”

  And that’s one reason why that girl is so amazing. No matter how hard her parents are on her, my problems and concerns always come first. “Of course, and same for you.”

  She stands up and heads out my door.

  I glance to the left and look at the window in my room. The sun is shining down and the leaves on the tree are beginning to turn yellow, orange, and red. Fall is coming on in full force and so is our last year of school. Next year, I will be out working the field with our parents, which is what Charlie is doing now. However, if I can’t get my shit together and reap that dummy tomorrow, I might just get stripped of my reaper ability.

  2

  My alarm blares loud, startling me from my sleep. I sit up in bed and grab my phone, turning the blasted thing off. Shit. Today is the day. The day that if I can’t get my act together, I could become just another butler serving those righteous elders.

  What I want to do is lay back down and hide under my covers, but that’s not going to resolve anything. Something flashes by my window, catching my eye.

  I jump out of bed and hurry over, wanting to catch whatever was at my window. Of course, when I get there, whoever it was is already gone.

  Instead, there’s a picture of Christina and I from yesterday walking out of the school arm in arm, but it’s ripped down the middle.

  I open the window and grab the picture. When I flip it over, there’s a message on the back. I put the two pieces together and read them:

  This is your last warning. Stay away from her or you will pay the price.

  Like hell I will. I’ve gotten these types of threats since elementary school. Granted, nothing quite like this. They were more notes left saying if I stayed friends with her, then I’d get in trouble at school, which I did. But Christina is my best friend and whoever is obsessed with her needs to stop. I’ve never told her about these threats, but unfortunately Charlie found out about them. That’s one reason why he gives me grief over her.

  Might as well put it with all the others. I bend down and pull out a storage container from under my bed. I open the lid and put this one in with all the others. It’s almost filled to the top. Whoever it is, is getting more desperate. I guess it’s because we’re getting ready to graduate. It’s ridiculous they’re so adamant they don’t want us to be friends. I put the lid back on the container and push it back under the bed.

  The day already began ominously, but this has just pushed it over the top. How the hell am I supposed to be able to concentrate on my task today with this over my head. I’m going to have to shake this from my mind. I can’t focus on this. It doesn’t matter anyway. Christina is my best friend, and nothing will ever change that.

  I stand straight and head to my closet. All right, time to pull myself together. I grab the hangers and sort through my outfits one by one. I settle on a pair of dark blue jeans and a flannel shirt. I put my clothes on and pull my hair into a bun on top of my head. I dab some concealer under my eyes and put the rest of my makeup on. I settle for a shade of ready pink lips and head out of my room to the kitchen.

  Mom’s standing at the stove flipping over some pancakes. Her blonde hair is down in waves and contrasts against her navy-blue dress. “Hey, honey. I’ve got you a set of pancakes on the table.”

  The scent hits my nose and my stomach rolls. Even the thought of eating makes me feel closer to vomiting. “Thanks, but I think I’m going to head on into school and practice.”

  She places the hand with the spatula on her hip. “You need food, so you can think straight.” Her hazel eyes scan me. “Oh, baby, don’t do this to yourself. You have this. I know it.”

  Tears sting my eyes, and I take a deep breath, attempting to hold them at bay. “I don’t know if I do.”

  “Of course you do.” She sets the spatula down on the brown laminate counter and walks over to me. She pulls me into a hug and her soft, floral rose scent hits my nose. “You have always been a confident, loyal, and dedicated person.” She pulls back and stares into my eyes. “You have this. I know you do.” She reaches up and cups my cheek with her hand.

  “I sure hope you’re right.” I take a step back and give her a small smile. “I can’t eat right now, but I’ll grab a muffin to take to eat in a little while.”

  “All right, fine.” She drops her arms, walks to the pantry, and pulls out a pack of blueberry muffins. She tosses it to me. “Here you go. You better eat them.” She points at me. “I’ll be there today for support.”

  My heart drops in my chest. “You don’t have to.” What I want to say is that I don’t want her there, but I can’t hurt her feelings.