A Reaper Made (25 page)

“For what it’s worth, I know the circumstances weren’t for fun, but I’m glad you got to experience that.”
 

The quiet way she said it made me smile; she still knew me better than anyone. I wrapped her in a hug and kissed her temple.
 

“Thank you,” she said, putting her head on my shoulder. “You saved my life, my soul.”
 

“You’re meant to do amazing things,” I said with a smile. “Be sure to go out and do them. Yes, this was a bit traumatizing, but don’t let it deter you from your goals.”
 

She nodded, her chin quivering. I pressed my forehead against hers, the way we used to as children. I breathed in her shampoo, the strawberry scent making me long for humanity. For a life with her.
 

“Is this really how it has to be?” Ally asked, her soft voice making me wish for everything to be different. She sounded so young, despite technically being older than me now.
 

“I’m afraid so,” I said, taking her hand in mine. She didn’t flinch, instead gripping on as though it would keep me in her sight. “I’m meant to help other souls move on and you…well, you’re meant for great things.”
 

“It would be easier for me to do them if you were here with me.”
 

I chuckled. “Nice try, but it doesn’t work that way. You’re meant to do it on your own, Ally. Whether it’s the family business or something else you want to try, it’s up to you.”
 

She looked down at our clasped hands. “Do you think…”
 

When she trailed off, I squeezed her hand. “Do I think what?”
 

“When I do eventually die, could you be the one to reap my soul?”
 

I hesitated, unsure of how to answer the question. I decided to be honest. “I don’t know. It’s pretty unusual for me to even be talking to you right now. Kind of forbidden, actually.”
 

“You’ll get in trouble for saving me, all those other souls?” she asked, surprised.
 

“Not in this case,” Tully answered for me, walking up behind us.
 

Allison squeaked in surprise, but relaxed at Tully’s Irish cadence. She even offered him a small smile, her grip relaxing on my hand. Not for the first time, I appreciated his calm demeanor. He greeted us with a nod and continued.
 

“Seeing how there were special circumstances and all, I believe they will be willing to overlook Grace’s, er, rule-breaking.”
 

“They?” Ally whispered.
 

“Don’t ask,” I whispered back. She nodded and sat back, clearly happy to remain ignorant.
 

Tully cleared his throat. “I can’t answer if she’ll be able to help you cross over - that usually depends on your location and Grace is not allowed to keep watch over you.”
 

“Even after everything that’s happened?” I blurted out.
 

Tully spared me a sad smile. “I’m afraid so. We must go back to abiding the rules as they once were.”
 

I slumped back in defeat. I hadn’t really expected anything to change, but it was still a little depressing to hear that things had to go back exactly as they were. Sure, I’d broken the rules, but Tully, Tessa, and I had saved all those Reapers and souls, not to mention heaven and Earth. I thought that earned me a little slack.
 

Tully didn’t miss my unhappy state. “We are chaos without our rules, child.”

“It’s the rules that got us all into that problem in the first place,” I tried, but Tully shook his head, expecting that argument.
 

“You know as well as I do that demons will always try to break the rules. As long as we, and the rest of our world, uphold them, the demons won’t win.”
 

“Let’s hope,” Allison said.
 

“In any case,” Tully said, his bright blue eyes on me, “the rules are in place for your own good. You think you will be ready, but you should never have to watch your family die.”
 

My heavy heart knew he was right; the sad look on his face said everything I needed to know. It had to have been difficult knowing his wife and children’s souls moved on without him. I knew he didn’t want that for me.
 

I nodded to show him I understood. I got up, not letting go of Allison’s hand, and she stood up next to me. I gave her a fierce hug, trying to put every ounce of love I had for her into it.
 

“I hope you know how much I love you,” I whispered in her ear.
 

She nodded into my shoulder. “You kinda came back from the dead to protect me, so yeah, I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
 

Ally pulled back slightly to look at me, the corners of her mouth in a tiny smile that I returned.
 

“Thank god for your sense of humor.” I hugged her tight one last time and stepped away. “Take care of yourself, Ally. Do good things.”
 

“You too,” she said as though to remind me. “Take care of all those souls.”
 

We pulled our hands apart and she stood tall, no longer teary-eyed. Pride swept through me, at the woman she’d become, at all the things in store for her future. She’d be okay without me, maybe even more now that she knew the truth.
 

Tully and I both raised our hands in farewell; Allison returned it and I gave my little sister one last look. Then my mentor and I teleported out of sight, back to Tessa’s apartment. Tessa followed in after us a moment later.
 

“Grace, you okay?” she asked.
 

I nodded, shooting her a grateful look. “I am and so is Allison, which is the most important thing. Thanks for helping keep her alive and intact.”
 

“Things will be better for her, now that she got to say goodbye,” she said.
 

“She’s a special young woman, your sister,” Tully surmised. “I’m most impressed with her attitude despite knowing how wretched this world can be.”
 

“Allison could change that world,” I said to him.
 

“Possibly,” Tully agreed, “but she wouldn’t be able to do it if you hadn’t helped save it first. I’m proud of you, Grace.”
 

I couldn’t help but puff up a little, having never heard those words from him. I owed my maker everything. I took a deep breath.
 

“Tully…I want you to fulfill the prophecy.”
 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

My mentor gaped at me, his lips parting in shock. I bit back a smile at his wide eyed expression, instead waiting for his answer.
 

“Child, you cannot do that…”

I shrugged. “Why not? The prophecy speaks of a Made Reaper. Alistair was an Original, so he could technically be the hand of Death or whatever.”
 

“But the prophecy was for you—”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “You were the one to help the spirits leave that underground space, and let the souls move on with Rhys’s assistance. ‘
The help of an angel
,’ remember? I think the prophecy always applied to you.”
 

Tully tried to find his argument. “But the Oracle’s prophecy came at your touch—”
 

“Yeah, and I got my hands on that scythe long enough to keep him down.”

“Grace has a point,” Tessa said. “You’re not exactly the touchy feely type, so maybe her touch was a roundabout way of describing you. You two
are
connected, after all.”
 

“Exactly.” I nodded fervently, glad she saw my point. “Our bond, a part of your soul with me, however you want to look at it…honest, Tully, I believe you’re the Made in the fancy prophecy.”
 

“Then it is even worse I take paradise away from you.” Tully’s blue eyes cut to the ground, his voice quiet and ashamed. “I do not believe I am meant for such a thing.”
 

“Well I do, and this is my gift to you. Chosen One or not, I want to stay here and make a difference, help keep fate on track. It’s time you moved on to be with your family.”
 

“I cannot take it away from you, I will not change destiny in that fashion…” I could feel Tully’s excuses building up in his chest, ready to pour out for whatever reason I gave him. It didn’t matter. My heart felt full again, the way it used to when I was human.
 

“You called me a fluke,” I said to him in a gentle voice. “I think you made me a Reaper so that I could help you save those souls and ascend. It was my purpose, maybe even in life. I’m
meant
to be a Reaper.”
 

It was only when I said those words that I finally realized it. My purpose was to help others; I’d always known it. Now I could do it for eternity. I was okay with that. Maybe I was still scared, but it was the right thing to do. Regardless of whether I wanted to cross over, facts were facts: Tully had done his time and he had family waiting for him on the other side.
 

“This isn’t an easy way to get rid of me so you can gallivant off doing whatever you like, is it?” Tully gave me a warning look. I avoided looking at Tessa to prevent laughing while he continued. “This does not mean you can go visit Allison anytime you like—”

“Relax, Tully,” I said with a chuckle. “I’m done rule-breaking. For a while anyway.”
 

He huffed at my teasing, but managed to look past it. Instead he clasped his hands in front of him and I knew he’d accepted my offer. He gave me a fond look.
 

“Tully,” I began, not sure how to even start my thanks.
 

“Child,” he said at the same time. We shared a small smile, each waiting for the other to speak.
 

I stepped in and wrapped my arms around him. He froze beneath my touch, the first truly intimate contact we’d ever had - probably that he’d had since his death. After a moment, he returned the hug, his strong arms folding me into his chest. We stood there like that for at least a full minute, his fatherly contact making me realize what I’d be losing when he left. My mentor, my savior…my friend. I just hadn’t seen it until now.
 

Tully’s arms tightened around me and I knew we were on the same page without having to say a word. Our connection was solidified the night he saved me. I hoped I’d be okay once he was no longer with me.
 

He stepped back, the tiniest smile still on his face. The trust in his open expression warmed me; he believed in me and in that knowledge, I would be okay.
 

“So how does this work?” I said, lightening the moment.
 

Tessa’s hand popped up. “Rhys texted me; he’s on his way back, says he has another spell.”
 

I nodded. “I still find it hard to believe that he’s an angel.”
 

“Tell me about it,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes. “He did help us defeat Alistair, though. Looks like I was right, Tully. We had to ask an angel for some help.”
 

Tully’s lips pursed, but he said nothing. He took a few steps over to the window, maybe for his last glimpse of this earth.
 

Tessa put an arm around me, keeping her voice low. “I’ll miss Tully, but I’m glad you’re sticking around.”
 

“You did mention that you were ready for something interesting to happen,” I said. We shared a grin.
 

“That was a bit dramatic even for me. Maybe next time there won’t be a near apocalypse. I’ve got things to do.”
 

“That reminds me,” I said, forefinger coming to my lips in thought, “don’t you have a hot date with an angel?”
 

Instead of the usual scowl, she merely shrugged. I couldn’t help but grin at her warming up to the idea.
 

“An angel,” she said, marveling at the fact. “I’d never met one and now one’s taking me out for dinner. And here I said life was getting boring.”
 

“I thought angels were supposed to be all proper,” I said, directing my question at Tully. “How’d we get the fun one of the bunch?”
 

Tully’s left shoulder came up an inch. “Rhys has always been a character.”
 

My jaw dropped. “Wait, you
knew
?”

“Not until very recently, but that does not change the fact that he is indeed a character,” Tully said. A hint of a smile played on his lips.
 

“But why didn’t you
say
anything?” I asked.
 

“It was not my place to reveal the truth. I—make that we—are a chosen few who know his true identity.”

Tessa’s brow wrinkled. “But that story about angels not helping out…”

“That is typically how it goes,” Tully said, holding his hands behind his back. “Rhys is a very unique individual. I did not know he would be interested in helping us until after he brought in the Oracle.
 

“I had my suspicions once we heard the prophecy, but I certainly was not going to ask him about his lineage. I had no idea he and Alistair had such a long history. Seems it all came full circle, as fate would have it.”
 

Tessa looked even more interested now. I waved a hand at him. “Before you go, are there any other secrets I should know about?”
 

He mulled over it for a moment, coming up with a shrug. “You’ll find them out eventually. You’ve got all the time in the world.”
 

“Literally,” Tessa said under her breath.
 

I remembered Alistair’s weapon from the doom room. “What about the scythe?”
 

Tully’s mouth turned up as he pointed to an item on Tessa’s coffee table. I bit back a giggle. Tessa had wrapped up the world’s worst weapon in a pink bed sheet.
 

“What do we do with it?” I asked.
 

Tully’s mouth twisted underneath the red beard. “I suppose we take it back to the elders. Even if they cannot destroy it, they will hold onto it for safekeeping, prevent any of our enemies from getting their claws on it.”