More gray-tinged skin breaks the surface, and I watch, horrified, as the creature swings its limbs in jerky motions, struggling to pull itself onto dry land.
Joints snap and bend the wrong way, and his mouth hangs open, locked in an agonized, soundless scream.
He’s in pain.
The realization is enough to jolt me out of my fear, and I cautiously approach him. “Hey, what are you doing? Get back in the water. You… you’re hurting yourself.”
Gently, I push his shoulders, easing him back into the water. He doesn’t resist, but he holds onto my hand, even as he slips back into the murky depths. I try to be subtle as I shift my weight, making it harder for him to tug me back under – just in case.
“We don’t have much time.” His urgent voice echoes in my mind once again.
I frown, torn between being grateful he’s talking at all and annoyed that he’s apparently on a timer. I need answers. “Who are you? What is this place?”
Milky eyes soften slightly beneath the rippling surface.“We’re just like you. Reapers.”
Shocked, I almost jerk back. “What? But how? Reapers haven’t been around for thousands of years. The Council–”
“Need conspired with the nobility of the Underworld Realm. They somehow knew who we were, across every realm. It took less than a day before we were rounded up and killed.”A bitter edge laces hisdisembodied words.“But it wasn’t enough to wipe us from the universe. She had us cursed, to ensure our souls would never separate from our bodies. We are bound to this pool, to ensure our souls are never reborn.”
His revelation sends a renewed wave of despair crashing through me. Need was behind the slaughter of every Reaper – and it took her less than a day.
Something wriggles against my hand, distracting me from the enormity of who I’m up against. Glancing down at where the corpse is still holding me, my stomach twists. I’m feeling his skin blacken and decompose.
I try to pull my hand back, but he holds firm.
“Uhm, maybe you should get back in the water?” The stench of rotting flesh permeates the air, and I fight the urge to gag.
His face hardens.“Not yet. Not until we are finished. We need help.”
Tiny holes start to mottle his flesh, and I swallow thickly. “Okay, okay,” I murmur, trying to appease him, even as I lower myself onto the stone, submerging our hands.
“How can I help you?” I ask, when I’m no longer distracted by the feeling of his skin turning into Swiss cheese. “Do you want me to reap your souls?”
The corpse almost smiles, but it’s sad.“You are kind…curse can only be lifted by the witch who… Should you fail, our souls could be lost forever. We must remain… water until we are free.”
His voice is starting to get choppier.
I frown and nod my chin at the skeletons behind me. “Is that what happened to them?”
He shakes his head, causing water to lap against the stone ledge.“No. Need’s acolytes believed them… Reapers. But they were like you… Other.”
I nod slowly, even though I still don’t understand why I’m here. “Right.” I pause, clearing my throat. “So, if you don’t want me to free your souls, then what exactly do you want from me?”
“Skeleton in the center… has something… only… a Reaper.”The choppiness is getting worse, as if we’re talking on a radio and losing signal. “Take it.”
“Sorry, you’re breaking up. To confirm, you want me to rob a dead body?”
I’m starting to think the universewantsme to be a thief.
The grip on my hand tightens. “Almost empty… words cost energy.”His tone becomes more urgent and forceful.“…does not belong to you… deliver it.”
“Uhm – to whom? And I’m not sure how much you can see or hear, but I’m not exactly in a position to be making deliveries topside. I’m a little trapped,” I explain, trying to keep the bite out of my words.
He helped me hide from Leon, so surely, he knows I’m in a bit of a bind.
Remembering why I came down here in the first place, I quickly add, “Any chance you know where the other Destroyer is being held? That might help.”
The corpse frowns, looking at me like I’m a little dense.“You’re… Reaper. Cannot be held… Cannot sense Destroyer.”His grip loosens as he continues,“Return it. Her soul left this place… walks the realms once more. She can free us.”
