Killing Me Softly (Reaper Romance)

Chapter Ten: Dead to Rights

Azrael used to praise Micah for his essence of timing. He always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. His internal clock was, for lack of a better word, immaculate. However, on a day like today, his bragging rights seemed to be shot to hell. Kinda like a few moments ago, when he's staring at Briseis resurrect a young woman named Stacy Landry, when she was supposed to have died. A clear violation of her vow, just as he feared she would. But the fun didn't stop there. What's more tense is that Gideon, a pretty decorated reaper on his own accord, was standing there, staring at him. He came back after realizing Stacy's soul had mysteriously made its way back to its original owner. Taking the centuries old advice of humans when dealing with something misplaced, Gideon simply decided to retrace his steps, looking back to the last place he had the soul, which landed him in the ambulance. They both watched as Briseis tended to the woman who was supposed to be dead, essentially screwing over two reapers at the same time. She now holds some sort of record, for Micah doesn't believe that's happened before.

Gideon stood next to Ebbie, his short dreads pulled into a ponytail and wearing his all black suit. He had stopped trimming his beard down, lending quite a bit of thickness to his chin. His hazel eyes kept darting from Stacy to Briseis then finally settling on Micah, who stood next to Briseis. Both of them were invisible to the eye and able to communicate without disrupting the mortal coil, but now it was a standoff on who would break the silence. The tension piled up between them in bulldozer proporations and it was painfully clear that Gideon was not happy and most likely found Micah responsible. Sadly, that part of pretty true.

"What the hell is going here, Micah?" Gideon finally broke the silence between them with his smooth, deadly voice. His arms crossed, he continued to bore his eyes into Micah, demanding some sort of explanation. "I was told that she was put under wraps and didn't have to worry with this kinda shit anymore."

Micah shook his head. "Azrael kinda jumped the gun on telling you guys, but I'm actually in the middle of working on this, alright? I'm sorry, I didn't get here in time. She's going to be dealt with, I just need some time."

Gideon's eyes turned to thin slits."Do you have any idea how fucking humiliating it is to get to the platform, shed my paperwork, only to be told that the soul didn't even make it to the treasury? Or worse yet, it did make it to the treasury, but it was removed again? Do you have any idea, Micah?"

Micah folded his arms. No, he didn't, but he could definitely empathize with his brothers and sisters. "Yeah, I get it. I'm gonna take care of it, alright?"

"This isn't some game of catch and release!" He pointed at Briseis, who, obvious to their existence continued to look after Stacy the patient. "She is a damn menace and if you and Azrael have any sense, you'll either get her locked up in an institution or get her soul claimed! We are done with this bullshit, Micah."

Micah ran a hand through his hair, sharing the frustration that Gideon had for the situation. The energy that Gideon has around him was strong and full of angst. So much, that Micah was uncertain how the necromancer's well-being would have turned out if Micah hadn't appeared. Reapers were not allowed to touch, not allowed to interact with humans without clearance, but that didn't mean that reapers couldn't mysteriously 'make' something happen. Free will works as much for them as it does for mortals. That is why reapers are chosen so carefully. They had to be trusted not to cross the line. But by now, the news and complaints of the little necromancing witch from New Orleans had passed throughout the team of reapers, to which none of them, including Azrael, was happy. So at this point, he wouldn't put it pass his reaper brethren not to take matters into their own hands. Micah cut his eyes to Briseis, who was getting ready to step out of the truck to help transport. She was completely oblivious to how much danger she was in. Or maybe she didn't give a shit. Either way, it wasn't a good idea to have Gideon around her in his pissed off state. "Look, I heard you alright? I said, I'll handle it. Leave this one be, I'm sure you've got others to worry about and I need to strike while the iron's hot with this one."