Times like this it’s crazy why her parents don’t think she succeeds. She never fails. “But once again, you passed it.”
“Because failure isn’t an option.” She rubs her forehead with her fingertips. “If I hadn’t passed, I would never hear the end of it. Just like they gave me a hard time at ten when I found my first target the unconventional way.”
Times like these makes me appreciate the parents I have. They love me despite my flaws and encourage me to be myself. What would it be like to have parents that always found the negatives in me?
She stands and paces my room. “But what if I ever accidentally brought someone back after reaping them and the council found out?” She pulls at her hair and turns a circle. “What would they do?”
I’ve seen her close to melt downs, but something seems different with her today. “You would never do that.” I move a little closer to her. “You’re a reaper. You know better.”
Her blue eyes widen and stare deep into mine. “No, you don’t understand. That’s what my powers want to do. They want to restore, not reap.” She stumbles to me and falls to her knees, grabbing my hands. “What if I mess up? What would the council really do?”
Now this, I’m not sure how to answer. We both know the rumors. “All we know is something happens and it’s big. Isn’t that what everyone says?” I force a small smile. “But it doesn’t matter, because you aren’t going to mess up. You’re always afraid you’re going to, but never do.”
She drops her hands and wipes them on her pants legs. “For now. It’s only a matter of time.” She stands and turns to the window. “It’s almost as if a clock is ticking. My powers don’t work the same as everyone else’s. It’s a struggle to make them do what’s expected.” She sighs. “If my parents lose their status, it’ll be the end of the world to them. It doesn’t matter what happens to me, as long as they remain intact.”
This doesn’t surprise me. Her parents are assholes and she’s always told me things didn’t seem right, but not quite like this. However, this year is putting more stress on both of us. “We’ve got this.” I grab her hand and smile. “We just need to practice and, since you can do it, maybe you can show me how.”
“All right,” she raises an eyebrow, “but if I bring any socks to life, you better keep it a secret.”
I have to bite my tongue hard to keep a giggle from coming out. I place my right hand over my heart and tilt my head in her direction. “I swear.”
We both burst out in giggles.
Once I compose myself, I glance around my room. “How in the world are we going to practice? I don’t really have a way to do it.” The dummy had a spell around it, but we don’t have anything like that here.
“We aren’t going to actually reap.” Christina sits on the bed and pats a spot next to her. “We’re just going to practice getting in tune with it.”
Huh, I guess that makes sense. I should be able to feel it even when it’s not activated. My brother says he can. I join her on the bed and we face one another.
“When I picture my magic,” she licks her lip and rubs her fingers together, “I see a void inside me filled with magic, but I seek the black coils. The black is what actually reaps.”
That’s interesting. She sees a void and coils and I get nothing. Maybe something is wrong with me after all.
She snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Beth. Come in.”
I grab her fingers and twist them. “You know I hate that.”
“Then stop overthinking it over there.” She pulls her hand away and points. “Now close your eyes if you need to and picture what you think your power looks like.”
The first thing that comes to mind is squiggly lines, but let’s hope that’s not it. All right, I’ve got to stop overthinking it. I close my eyes and force a blank mind. I focus inside me and wait, taking deep breaths. Soon a gray swirl begins forming inside me, almost as if it’s in my belly, but not. I force myself to continue to breath slow and continue to watch as the gray begins to move. Holy shit. It’s about time. “Oh, I see it. I see it.”
“Great.” Her tone sounds relieved. “Okay, try to connect with it. When I touch mine, it feels icy and cold. Try to touch yours.”
How am I supposed to touch it? I watch as the gray swirls and coils around inside me. I push it up and out toward me and feel as it comes toward my skin. However, when it connects with me, my power warms me and thrums comforting. “That’s weird, because mine is warm and comforting.”
“Huh.” She shifts her weight. “I knew I was weird. But now it should be easier for you to connect to your powers.”
Well there is that. I continue to let it thrum and push against me. This is what I felt earlier at school, but it was so foreign I didn’t realize it was my reaper magic.
The front door slams shut, startling me from my concentration.
My eyes pop open. “Who the hell could it be?”
Christina shrugs but stands. “I don’t know, but I don’t want my parents to know I got out early.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll go downstairs.” I stand and go out of my bedroom. As soon as I walk into the hallway, I almost collide into Charlie. I stop short of running into his chest. “Hey, what are you doing home so early?”
His forehead is wrinkled, and his blond hair is a mess. “No reason.” He walks past me and into his room.
He’s never home during the day. He’s either on assignment
