Anyone who wasn’t a reaper might’ve ran for their lives after taking one step in here.
“What is all this stuff, Granna?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t being rude.
“My spiritual objects,” she replied, lowering herself into a fluffy armchair. She leaned her cane against the side of it. “They help me connect with death.”
I had no idea what that meant, unless it included what was happening right now, between her and me. “Do you know why you and Shilah can see me?”
“We got the ability from our ancestors. We have Grim Sight, which means we can see beyond. Not only reapers, but dead spirits too.”
“Grim Sight? So how many people have that?”
“Only Shilah and I that I know of, and I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones. Grim Sight was more common among our people many centuries ago.”
“Why do your people have Grim Sight?”
“My ancestors had a hand in establishing the first grim reapers. Thousands of years ago.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes. Does Shilah know what you are?”
I shook my head. “He thinks I’m Italian.”
Granna laughed. “You must be having a hard time keeping your secret.”
“ That’s an understatement. Your grandson asks too many questions.”
“He gets his curiosity from my son, his father. I think you should tell him you’re a grim reaper.”
I blinked in confusion. “Tell Shilah’s father?”
“No, tell Shilah .”
“Oh. I don’t know about that…”
“Trust me, he should know. Ya’ll are friends, aren’t you?”
“Sort of…”
“Then go ahead. He’ll be able to handle the truth. I talk about reapers all the time, though Shilah thinks I’m a senile old fool when I do.” Granna chuckled.
I smiled. “I’ll think about it. But I might not be able to stay friends with him for long.”
“Why, because of Rule Two?”
This woman still hadn’t seized to amaze me. “You know the Rules of Reaping?”
“Yes. I think it’s a bunch of gibberish. Rule One, even if it could be broken, would not bring about the end of the world. Death himself would stop that from happening.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“The world still hasn’t ended, has it?”
“That’s because no reaper has broken the Rules.”
“I highly doubt that. Rules are meant to be broken.” It sounded like she was speaking from experience.
“Well…it isn’t my fault Shilah can see me, so I haven’t broken Rule Three. And as for Rule Two, I don’t think I’ll become emotionally involved with him.”
Granna gave me an emphatic look. “Xia, I believe you already are.”
Chapter 7
I got the dreaded Summons later that evening after reaping the soul of a cancer patient. I knew I was about to receive my punishment from my superiors.
I was ready. I had explored every possible thing they could do to me. I would accept my punishment without complaint. And I might consider being a better reaper. Hey, I wasn’t perfect.
Jayza came with me to my sentencing. She waited behind me while I stood in front of our three superiors. They stood on raised podiums, staring down at me. They all wore their official black robes.
“We have come to our decision,” said Waiser, standing in the middle of the trio. The one to his left was a caramel-skinned woman named Dajila, and the one to his right was my archenemy, Aquil.
She spoke next. “You need discipline, Xia. Maybe it would help if you have someone with you while you’re reaping.”
My heart sank. They were going to give me a babysitter. Ah well, I could handle that.
Dajila continued then, speaking in her rich voice, “At the same time, there is someone who needs a mentor. So we can accomplish two things at once. We are pairing you up with a grim-in-training.”
“ What ?” I cried. No way. They were making me into a babysitter? Okay, so there was something I hadn’t considered, and this was the worst possible punishment ever.
“Her name is Ziri. She’s fourteen and has graduated
“What is all this stuff, Granna?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t being rude.
“My spiritual objects,” she replied, lowering herself into a fluffy armchair. She leaned her cane against the side of it. “They help me connect with death.”
I had no idea what that meant, unless it included what was happening right now, between her and me. “Do you know why you and Shilah can see me?”
“We got the ability from our ancestors. We have Grim Sight, which means we can see beyond. Not only reapers, but dead spirits too.”
“Grim Sight? So how many people have that?”
“Only Shilah and I that I know of, and I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones. Grim Sight was more common among our people many centuries ago.”
“Why do your people have Grim Sight?”
“My ancestors had a hand in establishing the first grim reapers. Thousands of years ago.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes. Does Shilah know what you are?”
I shook my head. “He thinks I’m Italian.”
Granna laughed. “You must be having a hard time keeping your secret.”
“ That’s an understatement. Your grandson asks too many questions.”
“He gets his curiosity from my son, his father. I think you should tell him you’re a grim reaper.”
I blinked in confusion. “Tell Shilah’s father?”
“No, tell Shilah .”
“Oh. I don’t know about that…”
“Trust me, he should know. Ya’ll are friends, aren’t you?”
“Sort of…”
“Then go ahead. He’ll be able to handle the truth. I talk about reapers all the time, though Shilah thinks I’m a senile old fool when I do.” Granna chuckled.
I smiled. “I’ll think about it. But I might not be able to stay friends with him for long.”
“Why, because of Rule Two?”
This woman still hadn’t seized to amaze me. “You know the Rules of Reaping?”
“Yes. I think it’s a bunch of gibberish. Rule One, even if it could be broken, would not bring about the end of the world. Death himself would stop that from happening.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“The world still hasn’t ended, has it?”
“That’s because no reaper has broken the Rules.”
“I highly doubt that. Rules are meant to be broken.” It sounded like she was speaking from experience.
“Well…it isn’t my fault Shilah can see me, so I haven’t broken Rule Three. And as for Rule Two, I don’t think I’ll become emotionally involved with him.”
Granna gave me an emphatic look. “Xia, I believe you already are.”
Chapter 7
I got the dreaded Summons later that evening after reaping the soul of a cancer patient. I knew I was about to receive my punishment from my superiors.
I was ready. I had explored every possible thing they could do to me. I would accept my punishment without complaint. And I might consider being a better reaper. Hey, I wasn’t perfect.
Jayza came with me to my sentencing. She waited behind me while I stood in front of our three superiors. They stood on raised podiums, staring down at me. They all wore their official black robes.
“We have come to our decision,” said Waiser, standing in the middle of the trio. The one to his left was a caramel-skinned woman named Dajila, and the one to his right was my archenemy, Aquil.
She spoke next. “You need discipline, Xia. Maybe it would help if you have someone with you while you’re reaping.”
My heart sank. They were going to give me a babysitter. Ah well, I could handle that.
Dajila continued then, speaking in her rich voice, “At the same time, there is someone who needs a mentor. So we can accomplish two things at once. We are pairing you up with a grim-in-training.”
“ What ?” I cried. No way. They were making me into a babysitter? Okay, so there was something I hadn’t considered, and this was the worst possible punishment ever.
“Her name is Ziri. She’s fourteen and has graduated
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