“I tried to save him–”
“You let him die!” Ray screams again, and I brace the scythe between us. He sneers at the sight, but I’m not going to let him get any closer.
Ray isn’t carrying his weapons. No arrows, no blade. But his shadows pulsate in time with his labored breathing, and I know he’s going to spiral out of control if he keeps this up. “Step back, Ray. Rapunzel did all she–”
“Rapunzel did nothing!” he cries, and that broken voice doesn’t belong to my friend. “Thomas is dead, and she stopped using her magic to save him. She stopped caring!”
The shadows roll over him, almost creating a second, bigger Ray. It’s eerie, but I have to bite back the anger that he’s blaming my princess for this and find a way to respond. “Ray, you’re grieving the loss of your brother. This isn’t you.”
“You’re letting your magic control you,” Ban calls, and it isn’t enough to get his eyes off Rapunzel behind my left shoulder. I can feel Odette on my other side, and he’s not even sparing her a glance. Everything in him goes toward hating Rapunzel, and my hackles rise in defense.
Ray hisses, his eyes flashing with power. Black and scarlet, then just crimson pupils, and back again. I’veneverseen our magic react to anything like this.
You reapers are spirits too.
“You have to pay!” Ray yells, and I swipe at him with the scythe to keep him away. Instead of blocking it, the blade cuts through the layers of shadows on his arms, and he cries out.
That isn’t good. The blade is meant to fight enemies, and specifically, dead enemies. I’ve never tried out the blade on my fellow Reapers before, but I don’t think it’s supposed to react like that.
“You can’t blame her for your brother,” Ban calls again, trying to get Ray’s attention off us. If he looks away, I could move them out of danger, and we could figure out how to deal with our Hell Brother together. He’s not acting like himself, and I fear what that means. “It is not her fault that he was injured. Do not place the blame where it doesn’t belong.”
“You don’t know anything!” Ray shrieks, his voice cracking with grief. Still, he takes a step back, gripping his head again. For a moment, the red in his eyes fades.
“Odette,” I hiss, “say something reassuring.”
“Uh, okay.” She clears her throat as his eyes flash red again. “Thomas made his choices, Ray. He fought proudly to protect your home. You won’t want his death to be in vain. Hold his memory sacred.”
“There shouldn’t be a need to hold his memory!” Ray roars, throwing his hands at us. The shadows leech from his palms, trying to slam into the three of us, and I put up a barrier to block them.
But these aren’t normal shadows. They are strong, bearing down on my shield and pushing the three of us back in seconds. There is no reason his magic should be so overbearing when we have always had similar power levels.
In only a few moments, he’s bringing me to my knees just to keep the barrier in place. I grit my teeth, glancing toward the doors then in Ban’s direction. I have no idea where the rest of Ray’s family is, or if they are hiding out from this.
How long ago did Thomas die? Minutes, hours, or days? This grief feels fresh,new, and I can sense a spirit nearby. My heart breaks a little realizing it’s Thomas.
Ice slams into Ray’s side, and I half expect it to be Ban defending us. “They tried to help you! Stop punishing them!”
Of course it’s Neve. She is always willing to jump into the fray and call people out. It might be endearing if it wasn’t always so goddamn poorly timed.
Ray and his shadows whirl around, staring Neve down. He shoots shadows from his fingertips toward her, which Ban blocks. Neve stays rooted there with her hands out, ready to block him. He won’t take the two of them out easily.
Standing, I grab Rapunzel and push them toward the tavern again. “Go!”
“Don’t go!” Ray snarls, turning toward us once more. By now, the shadows have taken over his whole body, and he looks at us with those red eyes again. He doesn’t look like Ray anymore.
My breath catches. He looks like awraith.
“Someone must pay!” he screams, the noise loud enough, the whole tavern seems to vibrate. “Tom is gone!”
“Don’t blame her!” Ban barks again, and I wish, if he felt the need to speak up, he would say something more worthwhile. “Blame me.”
Keeping my scythe aimed at Ray, I’m only slightly annoyed to find Rapunzel and Odette still lingering by the door. At this rate, if I expect them to seek shelter, I’m going to need to put them inside the tavern myself. They’re too stubborn for their own good, and we don’t know what we’re dealing with. Odette’stoo emotionally invested in Ray to think clearly, which is going to be a problem for me and Ban to contend with.
“You’re not who I want!” Ray yells, and my grip tightens on the scythe. If he wants Rapunzel, he’s going to have to go through me. I’ll cut him down first.
“Yes, I am,” Ban snaps, slamming his staff into the ground. Nearby, Neve stands at the ready, and part of me is mildly curious if the queen could stand against a monster like this. “You want someone to pay. She tried to help you. Hate me instead.”
Ray shakes his head, and I have to agree. Ban isn’t making a lick of sense.
