Who knows if that is true, though.
“Welcome to Messorem, the city of reapers,” Torfinn states as I let go of his hand, tugging mine harshly to my side like it burns. Messorem, Latin for reapers, is a place of nightmares for me. The city of the reapers looks so beautiful in the distance, and I can see it all from the hill we are on. Tall buildings made of pure white stone smother the outskirts of the city, and magic shimmers between each building, making a barrier around the whole city. At the back of the city is a large cliff, and right at the top is a portal that is always open, a portal to the Otherworld. It’s said to be the only one in the reaper world, but I know that is a lie. I know exactly where there is a smaller portal. The portal here is the size of five houses at least and as tall as a tree. The yellow magic shimmers in the night, a stark reminder of the portal I dropped through when I left the Otherworld. At the front of the city are two massive white statues of cloaked beings holding scythes that meet in the middle to make an X shape. Above where the x is, is the only light other than the stars in this place. A giant sphere spins constantly, filled with enough magic to end all the living beings on Earth and turn everything to dust.
And it’s not reaper magic in that thing. I grit my teeth with anger and pull my eyes from the city.
“Why does the city make you angry, Daesyn?” Alun asks me, running his eyes over my face. “Are you not happy to be back in a place your parents were from?”
“I am angry because it was made with blood and stolen magic,” I bluntly answer. Alun’s eyebrows bunch together, and Torfinn stares down at me. “You could never understand as you are part of the lie. I’m freezing, where is your house?”
No one answers me for a long time, even as snow starts to fall from the sky, marking my bare skin and drenching my dress.
“This way,” Alun finally answers. Feeling Torfinn’s eyes on my back, I follow Alun over the hill of glowing white moonflowers and down a bridge to a house hidden by the hills around it. The house is small, almost Earth-like with its brick walls and white-framed glass windows. It can’t be more than two or three bedrooms at most. At the side of the house is a stable with a row of stalls facing out, and I can hear the clip-clop of horseshoes on the stone floors. Alun places his hand on the door and pushes it open.
“I’m home and we have two guests!” Alun shouts through the house as I step inside the small entrance hall, which only feels more cramped as Torfinn steps in after me, shutting the door. It’s warm in here, and it smells like roast dinners and coffee. I already like it.
“I thought it was only—” An older woman stops mid-sentence in the middle of the stairs right in front of us as she sees us all. The woman has an apron on over a simple grey dress, and her black hair is pulled up into a messy bun. Her eyes are kind as they fall on me, and she smiles softly before looking to Torfinn.
Now, her eyes look fearful for a moment before she finishes her descent down the stairs. She hugs Alun, and he kisses the top of her head. “I think introductions are in order?”
“This is Daesyn Heartlocke, and you know Torfinn from my stories,” Alun comments and then looks at me. “This is my mate, Velia.”
Velia looks a little confused, but she hides it well. “I’m glad to meet you both. I’m afraid my twin daughters are out with the horses, but they will be back within a few hours. The only issue is we have one spare room and only one spare bed.”
“I will take a sofa, and Daesyn may have the bed,” Torfinn suggests, and I glare at him.
“Considering I’m an unexpected guest, I should take the sofa. I don’t want any favours from you,” I growl.
Torfinn smirks. A dangerous smirk. “Take the bed. It’s not a favour.”
“It is,” I snap.
“Is there food?” Mossy wakes up, grumbling. Everyone’s eyes, including mine, fall on the monkey in my arms.
“What is that?” Alun asks, frowning at it. “And how does it talk?”
“This is Mossy,” I say. I’m not telling them he is fae kind. Not considering what they do to fae here.
“How about I take you to your room, Daesyn,” Velia kindly suggests, not thrown at all by the talking monkey. “And then I will start dinner.”
As Velia makes her way to the stairs, Torfinn leaves through one of the doors.
“I want to know why you have me here first. What do you want, Alun?” I question. Velia pauses on the stairs, looking back between us.
“If you don’t leave, you will find out” is Alun’s only answer before he walks through the same door Torfinn left out of. Velia smiles softly at me and nods her head up the stairs. Knowing I don’t have a choice and I could really use a shower, and new clothes, I follow her up.
“Why did you look at Torfinn in fear?” I ask Velia when we get to the top of the stairs. She looks back at me.
“I was taught as a child to fear the gods, and you should too,” she quietly answers. “It’s not often a demi-god is sent to our world.”
Chapter 5
Combing my damp black hair, I leave it down as I go back into the bedroom Velia led me to, shivering from the coldness of the corridor and missing the steamy bathroom. The bedroom Velia has given me is a small box room with a single bed, a square white-panelled window looking over the back of the house, and a small cabinet under the window with four empty drawers. Resting on the cabinet is a pile of dark clothes and even some worn-down boots. I pull the long-sleeved black top on over my bra, enjoying the soft fabric, and slide into the tight black trousers that were clearly made for a taller person than I am. I roll the bottoms of the trousers up to my ankles before sliding on the socks and boots, which again are a little big, but it’s liveable. I’ve sure as hell lived in worse clothing than this.
“When are we leaving, short stuff?” Mossy asks me, jumping onto the bed from the window. The blue and silver monkey looks right at home on the white sheets of the bed, and I hope I can be as relaxed as him at some point. I’m still not sure this whole house and offer isn’t a trap.
I groan. “Drop the nickname, Moss, and we aren’t leaving until I find out what they want. That failed job means boss man will kill my ass if we go back to Earth.”
“I told you taking that job was going to get us in trouble,” Mossy singsongs. I roll my eyes at him and walk to the window, crossing my arms and looking out over the hills and forests in the distance.
“There wasn’t a choice,” I gently remind him. “And you know this. Now go and figure out a way to escape this place if I need it, and don’t disappear this time because you find food!”
“Grumpy short stuff,” Mossy mutters with a little snicker. He opens the window and slides outside. The cold breeze instantly fills the room, and I close the window shut behind him. He has a fur coat on after all.
“Daesyn! Dinner is ready for everyone!” Alun’s voice fills the house like a damn echo. With the thin walls and creaky floors, I bet no one got away with anything in this house. Leaving the bedroom, I head out into the empty corridor. There are three other doors, one of which I know goes to the Jack and Jill bathroom I used, and I’m guessing they are bedrooms. I hear light chatter as I make my way down the stairs and follow the noise through the left door. The kitchen and dining room are one room, with the kitchen cabinets taking up all the walls and a six-seater table in the middle of it. The table has candle tealights floating in water inside the jars, giving the room a little more light in this always-night place.