Reapers by Kim Richardson Page A

are only
interested in the souls…then where are the bodies?”
    “ I was just wondering the
same thing,” said David. “Should we be seeing piles of dead bodies
by now?”
    “ Let’s get moving,” said
Jenny. She raised her bow. “I don’t have a good feeling about this
place.”
    Their footsteps echoed as they passed
the burning casinos, hotels, and restaurants. The smoke obscured
the last of the sunlight, making it really hard to see more than a
few hundred feet ahead. Ashes and debris fell from the sky like
heavy rain. Kara could feel panic and uncertainty wash over her
friends like a heavy paint. It was not like them to be so
nervous.
    To make matters worse, Kara had the
eerie feeling that something or someone was watching
them.
    From the corner of her eye, she could
see that David was watching her as often as he was scouting the
streets. He was worried about her, like he expected her to collapse
at any moment. While it frustrated her that David seemed unduly
concerned about her, she still couldn’t shake off the feeling that
they were being watched. It was there, like a bad
headache.
    The smoke and darkness muffled the
last of the light, and she knew they would be covered in
darkness.
    She thought she heard a scream, but
she realized it was just the wind blowing through the
buildings.
    Five blocks further down the strip
they passed dark street corners that stank of gasoline, and cars
ablaze in tall yellow and orange flames.
    And still, they found no
one.
    Kara forgot about her
curious disintegration and focused on this new threat. Although she
didn’t have her elemental abilities anymore, she didn’t feel like
anything was missing either. The more she pondered, the more she thought it
strange. Shouldn’t she feel different? Maybe she wasn’t meant to feel
disconnected. Maybe she wasn’t part elemental anymore. Maybe she
was just a regular angel, like everyone else.
    Just like everyone
else , she thought as she stared at her
hand and remembered the golden electricity that had once danced
along her fingertips. But now it was just a plain hand.
    The sharp pain erupted on her back
again. She flinched and stumbled forward.
    David was at her side before she had a
chance to blink.
    “ If you say it’s only an
itch again, I might have to tie you up and check you myself.” And
then he added, “Not that I would mind, actually.”
    Kara smiled, but she felt uneasy.
“Well, whatever it was, it’s gone now. I don’t feel anything
anymore.”
    “ But there is something
wrong.”
    “ I’m not sure I’d call
it wrong , but I
did feel something like a sting on my back.” She looked up into
David’s face. “It’s probably nothing serious, so stop
worrying.”
    David watched her. “But it
could be really serious.”
    “ If it was serious, I’d be
in a lot more pain, which I’m not. I’m perfectly fine.
    “ Yes, you are fine .”
    Kara rolled her eyes, but her smile
widened. “Let’s keep moving, lover boy, before the others think
there’s something really wrong with me.”
    As they made their way forward, the
smoke cleared for a moment. A mass of people, men, women, and even
children, hundreds of them, stood like statues in the street and
blocked their way.
    Their faces were lifeless, and when
Kara looked at their eyes, she held back a scream. Their eyes were
black, not the pitch-black eyes of demons, but of empty, hollow,
bottomless pits. Their souls had been taken. Their bodies were
empty shells. Their faces and skin were covered with black veins
that looked like tattoos and their nails had become gleaming red
claws, like the claws of beasts.
    They lived, but they were not human
anymore.
    “ At least now we know
where all the people went.” David waved his soul blade.
    “ Do you think they want to
hurt us?” asked Peter. He pocketed his globe and took out his soul
blade awkwardly, as though he had never held a sword in his angel
life.
    “ Well, I don’t think they
want to dance,” said