The Reaper's Keeper (UNEDITED)

Chapter 31

I tugged my collar higher to cover my neck and walked the short distance to my car, which was parked around the side of my building.

While I walked I created the black smoke blade the Reapers commonly used and kept it hidden beneath my coats sleeve. I then pulled out my cell phone and dialed Ethan’s number. It went straight to voicemail.

“Ethan, I found out what’s happening, why D wants your girl and it’s not good man. I need to talk to you. I found this book and…” I said while pulling out my keys and heard heavy foot steps behind me.

I stopped dead already knowing who it was, even though he wasn’t supposed to be close to this continent. Recognizing my pursuer by his uneven steps, I think I had given him that limp. I really didn’t have time for this right now.

“Shit.” I whispered. Seeing no way out of it.

“I was wondering when you’d find me.” I said without turning around and hung up the phone.

“Now Tommy, right… that’s what you’re calling yourself lately…Tommy. It’s so… Western. You have forgotten where you had come from brother and finding you would have implied that I had lost you. I had never lost you Tommy.” He spat out my name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

I turned around and saw Akil standing at the end of the alleyway smirking at me.

Akil was an old friend that had betrayed me many years ago to D. He was now D’s right hand man, known as the Reaper killer. He was old as I was, meaning powerful, but I was still older, I’m not the first for nothing. I had thought he was in New Zealand hunting a Reaper named Sal.

“Then why wait until now to make contact.”

“I wanted to see how far you would get. Very impressive by the way then again you were nothing but determined for as long as I had known you.”

“You’re not here to praise me, what do you want?”

“Always straight to the point. Fine I want the book. Hand it over.”

“How do you know I have it?” I asked feeling my blade up my sleeve, the cold smoke wrapping around my wrist.

“Let’s just say a little birdie told me.” I glared at him and then asked

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll just have to kill you and take the book anyway.”

“Then I guess this is good-bye old friend.” I said pulling my blade.

“Good-bye it is.” The he pulled out his blade as well as a smoky whip. I noticed the shadows being drawn to him and shadowy creatures we called inks started to climb out from the shadows and the ground, to take the form of a men.

“Need help Akil?” I asked taunting him as I dropped my blade into the palm of my hand.

“I’m not an arrogant man, I know when I need help and you old friend is stronger than I, so yes. I do not wish to dally and I want this over as fast as possible so I can get on to what’s important.”

“And what’s that?”

“The book.”

“What’s so special about this book anyway?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He asked as the last of his inks took form. The rain beat against us, plastering my hair to my face, running down into my eyes, slightly blurring my vision.

“So D didn’t send you then?” It was a wild guess but I needed to know if this was a single act or a hit,

“D doesn’t control me.” A single act, that means it has personal value to him. I wonder what he’ll gain from the book.