cutting around corners, running like his life depended on it. I hope he didn’t think he still had a life.
Ziri disappeared after him first, and I followed. When I got there, Ziri was holding out her arms to block Kevin’s escape. He skidded to a stop and turned around, only to find his face within inches of my scythe’s blade.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked him, holding out my weapon threateningly.
“Gettin’ away from you crazy girls,” Kevin the Spirit said, backing away and glancing from me to Ziri.
“Sorry, we were busy earlier,” my trainee explained. “But we’re really here to help you. You know you’re dead, right?”
“Uh… duh . But I ain’t goin’ to Hell.”
“We never said you were,” I replied. “That’s not for you or us to decide.” I opened a portal along one wall of the alley. “Time for you to cross over.”
“Why should I trust ya’ll? Ya’ll might’ve been sent by the devil for all I know.”
“We work for the Angel of Death,” Ziri said, with surprising patience. “We’re grim reapers. We just want to help guide you.”
“Oh, ya’ll are grim reapers? Awesome.” Kevin eyed my scythe. “Can I hold that?”
“ No ,” I answered, and pointed to the vortex. “Goodbye, Kevin.”
The soul’s shoulders slumped, and he headed toward the portal.
“Have a nice afterlife,” Ziri called before he and the portal disappeared.
I nodded in approval at the grim-in-training. “Nice work. You’re getting better.”
“I know. I’m learning from the best.” Ziri grinned at me. “And I’m sorry for not showing up on time.”
I shook my head, getting rid of my scythe. “Nope. I’m not falling for that.”
“What are you talking about? Can’t I be nice for no reason at all?”
“You? Ha!”
“I’m just trying to pass my training so I can get my scythe. Geez.” Ziri crossed her arms and pouted. I couldn’t tell if it was genuine sadness or a trick to get me to feel sorry for her.
I walked over and placed my arm around her shoulders. “I’m proud of you for how you handled Kevin. But you’re not getting my scythe again. Last time you nearly took off a spirit’s head with it.”
Ziri sighed and teleported away, making my arm drop to my side. I started to leave too, but then something made me look up at the building to my left.
On the roof of it, Aquil, my favorite superior, was gazing down at me warily. When she realized I’d spotted her, she turned up her nose and disappeared.
I grinned. I must be doing a good job training Ziri for Aquil not to be meddling. The punishment I’d been given wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.
* * *
“Close your eyes,” I said.
Shilah shook his head. “No.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I thought you trusted me.”
“I do, but you’re a reaper. I don’t know what crazy plan you have up your sleeves. It might be something a human shouldn’t do.”
“You’re right. It’s way too dangerous for humans to do what I like to do. But I’ll be with you, so you’ll be fine.” I smiled.
“Xia…”
“ Close your eyes . It’ll be cool, I promise.”
“I think your cool and my cool are two different things.”
I laughed, grasping his arm. “Trust me, this will be cool to both of us.”
“Oh boy, I hope I don’t regret this.” He closed his eyes.
“Okay, don’t open them until I tell you.” I teleported.
“Why did it just get colder?” Shilah asked when we arrived at our destination.
“You’ll see. Open your eyes. And don’t panic.”
His eyelids gradually rose, and he gasped. “Xia! Wha–why are we–take me back!” He clutched my arm tight.
“I told you not to panic. Do you know where we are?” We stood on the parapet of a tall building, and several feet below us were hundreds of lights and screens of all colors. Even though the sun had gone down here, everything was lit up so bright that it wasn’t dark.
“Is this…Times Square? We’re in New York?” Shilah
Ziri disappeared after him first, and I followed. When I got there, Ziri was holding out her arms to block Kevin’s escape. He skidded to a stop and turned around, only to find his face within inches of my scythe’s blade.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked him, holding out my weapon threateningly.
“Gettin’ away from you crazy girls,” Kevin the Spirit said, backing away and glancing from me to Ziri.
“Sorry, we were busy earlier,” my trainee explained. “But we’re really here to help you. You know you’re dead, right?”
“Uh… duh . But I ain’t goin’ to Hell.”
“We never said you were,” I replied. “That’s not for you or us to decide.” I opened a portal along one wall of the alley. “Time for you to cross over.”
“Why should I trust ya’ll? Ya’ll might’ve been sent by the devil for all I know.”
“We work for the Angel of Death,” Ziri said, with surprising patience. “We’re grim reapers. We just want to help guide you.”
“Oh, ya’ll are grim reapers? Awesome.” Kevin eyed my scythe. “Can I hold that?”
“ No ,” I answered, and pointed to the vortex. “Goodbye, Kevin.”
The soul’s shoulders slumped, and he headed toward the portal.
“Have a nice afterlife,” Ziri called before he and the portal disappeared.
I nodded in approval at the grim-in-training. “Nice work. You’re getting better.”
“I know. I’m learning from the best.” Ziri grinned at me. “And I’m sorry for not showing up on time.”
I shook my head, getting rid of my scythe. “Nope. I’m not falling for that.”
“What are you talking about? Can’t I be nice for no reason at all?”
“You? Ha!”
“I’m just trying to pass my training so I can get my scythe. Geez.” Ziri crossed her arms and pouted. I couldn’t tell if it was genuine sadness or a trick to get me to feel sorry for her.
I walked over and placed my arm around her shoulders. “I’m proud of you for how you handled Kevin. But you’re not getting my scythe again. Last time you nearly took off a spirit’s head with it.”
Ziri sighed and teleported away, making my arm drop to my side. I started to leave too, but then something made me look up at the building to my left.
On the roof of it, Aquil, my favorite superior, was gazing down at me warily. When she realized I’d spotted her, she turned up her nose and disappeared.
I grinned. I must be doing a good job training Ziri for Aquil not to be meddling. The punishment I’d been given wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.
* * *
“Close your eyes,” I said.
Shilah shook his head. “No.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I thought you trusted me.”
“I do, but you’re a reaper. I don’t know what crazy plan you have up your sleeves. It might be something a human shouldn’t do.”
“You’re right. It’s way too dangerous for humans to do what I like to do. But I’ll be with you, so you’ll be fine.” I smiled.
“Xia…”
“ Close your eyes . It’ll be cool, I promise.”
“I think your cool and my cool are two different things.”
I laughed, grasping his arm. “Trust me, this will be cool to both of us.”
“Oh boy, I hope I don’t regret this.” He closed his eyes.
“Okay, don’t open them until I tell you.” I teleported.
“Why did it just get colder?” Shilah asked when we arrived at our destination.
“You’ll see. Open your eyes. And don’t panic.”
His eyelids gradually rose, and he gasped. “Xia! Wha–why are we–take me back!” He clutched my arm tight.
“I told you not to panic. Do you know where we are?” We stood on the parapet of a tall building, and several feet below us were hundreds of lights and screens of all colors. Even though the sun had gone down here, everything was lit up so bright that it wasn’t dark.
“Is this…Times Square? We’re in New York?” Shilah
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