face was set in a hard line, her brown eyes narrow, lips set in a frown, and she regarded Dorian with heavy suspicion as they came into the room.
“Dorian, this is Briar, the resident Reaper.” Dash made flippant introductions as he set two paper bags on the edge of the table. “Briar, this is Dorian, our current possession.”
Dorian felt naked under the scrutiny of the Reaper, confused as to what a Reaper was, and why the woman looked like she wanted to jump across the table and slit Dorian’s throat. “Um. Hi.”
“You’re right. She’s got something very strong with claws deep in this girl. You’re going to have a bitch of a time getting it out. Your little trinket,” Briar nodded at the bracelet Lennox slapped on Dorian’s wrist, “isn’t gonna do shit for long.”
As Briar stepped closer, Dorian was able to see small, paper-thin scars peppering her face and arms. Her hands were rough, calloused, and Dorian spotted a knife sitting on a holster around the back of Briar’s waist.
“Don’t mind her,” Dash said as he plopped down. “She’s just cranky because she’s been working over time.”
“You’re an ass.” Briar smacked Dash upside the head as she walked down the hall, and a few seconds later a door slammed.
“Why does she look like she wants to kill me?” Dorian asked after a moment of silence.
Lennox let out a sigh. “Because she does a little bit.” When Dorian startled, he shook his head. “Not you specifically, but she’s a Reaper. She can see what’s inside of you and it’s instinct.”
Now frustrated and feeling like she was about to be hunted by this woman, Dorian crossed her arms. “What does that mean? And what the hell is a Reaper?”
“The short of it,” Dash said as he started pulling jars of herbs and liquids out of the paper bags, “she was possessed. Like you. She survived her exorcism after possession, and it left her with certain abilities.”
Dorian’s eyebrows shot up. “Abilities?”
“The ability to see and sense demons. She can tell when a person is connected to the demon realms.”
“A doorway?” Dorian asked.
Dash nodded. “Exactly. She can also see the demons. All Reapers can.”
“And this kid. Will that happen to him?”
Dash and Lennox looked at each other before Lennox shook his head. “No, lass. It won’t.”
Realization hit her and she let out a puff of air. “But it will…it can … happen to me. If I survive.” She rubbed her hands down her face and let out a frustrated laugh. “I don’t have a choice in this, do I? You’re not going to let me say no.”
Dash leaned across the table and clasped his hands a few inches from her plate. “There are options, love. A few of them, but none are pleasant. It’s important you see what we have to show you, to understand why we have to do this.”
She wanted to laugh, then maybe cry. Part of her wanted to rage and throw things, upend the table and claw their eyes out before making a run for it. She felt trapped, attacked, and very alone. But part of her, some quiet, sleeping part of her brain knew they were telling the truth. That it wasn’t some elaborate hallucination brought on by her multiple conditions. That escaping here and going into the hospital for another round of drugs was only slapping a band-aid on the problem. Eventually Nic would take her over and she’d lose herself. Forever.
“When do we leave?”
Lennox let out an audible sigh of relief, slapping his hands down on the table as he stood up. “Let me grab our bags and we can be out the door.”
Dorian waited in the chair, arms hugging her middle as she watched Dash prepare several vials of liquids, bags of powders, and a variety of charms which he shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He looked up occasionally, doing his best to give her reassuring smiles and winks, but it didn’t help.
She was terrified, beyond all
“Dorian, this is Briar, the resident Reaper.” Dash made flippant introductions as he set two paper bags on the edge of the table. “Briar, this is Dorian, our current possession.”
Dorian felt naked under the scrutiny of the Reaper, confused as to what a Reaper was, and why the woman looked like she wanted to jump across the table and slit Dorian’s throat. “Um. Hi.”
“You’re right. She’s got something very strong with claws deep in this girl. You’re going to have a bitch of a time getting it out. Your little trinket,” Briar nodded at the bracelet Lennox slapped on Dorian’s wrist, “isn’t gonna do shit for long.”
As Briar stepped closer, Dorian was able to see small, paper-thin scars peppering her face and arms. Her hands were rough, calloused, and Dorian spotted a knife sitting on a holster around the back of Briar’s waist.
“Don’t mind her,” Dash said as he plopped down. “She’s just cranky because she’s been working over time.”
“You’re an ass.” Briar smacked Dash upside the head as she walked down the hall, and a few seconds later a door slammed.
“Why does she look like she wants to kill me?” Dorian asked after a moment of silence.
Lennox let out a sigh. “Because she does a little bit.” When Dorian startled, he shook his head. “Not you specifically, but she’s a Reaper. She can see what’s inside of you and it’s instinct.”
Now frustrated and feeling like she was about to be hunted by this woman, Dorian crossed her arms. “What does that mean? And what the hell is a Reaper?”
“The short of it,” Dash said as he started pulling jars of herbs and liquids out of the paper bags, “she was possessed. Like you. She survived her exorcism after possession, and it left her with certain abilities.”
Dorian’s eyebrows shot up. “Abilities?”
“The ability to see and sense demons. She can tell when a person is connected to the demon realms.”
“A doorway?” Dorian asked.
Dash nodded. “Exactly. She can also see the demons. All Reapers can.”
“And this kid. Will that happen to him?”
Dash and Lennox looked at each other before Lennox shook his head. “No, lass. It won’t.”
Realization hit her and she let out a puff of air. “But it will…it can … happen to me. If I survive.” She rubbed her hands down her face and let out a frustrated laugh. “I don’t have a choice in this, do I? You’re not going to let me say no.”
Dash leaned across the table and clasped his hands a few inches from her plate. “There are options, love. A few of them, but none are pleasant. It’s important you see what we have to show you, to understand why we have to do this.”
She wanted to laugh, then maybe cry. Part of her wanted to rage and throw things, upend the table and claw their eyes out before making a run for it. She felt trapped, attacked, and very alone. But part of her, some quiet, sleeping part of her brain knew they were telling the truth. That it wasn’t some elaborate hallucination brought on by her multiple conditions. That escaping here and going into the hospital for another round of drugs was only slapping a band-aid on the problem. Eventually Nic would take her over and she’d lose herself. Forever.
“When do we leave?”
Lennox let out an audible sigh of relief, slapping his hands down on the table as he stood up. “Let me grab our bags and we can be out the door.”
Dorian waited in the chair, arms hugging her middle as she watched Dash prepare several vials of liquids, bags of powders, and a variety of charms which he shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He looked up occasionally, doing his best to give her reassuring smiles and winks, but it didn’t help.
She was terrified, beyond all
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