When Asena was alone, she started to tremble. She looked down at her hands and smoothed them on her lap as tears dripped onto her jeans.
“You can’t pretend I don’t exist,” I snarled, revealing myself. I stood in the corner of her room, leaning against the wall with my arms folded over my chest to keep from strangling her. “You can’t pretend tonight didn’t happen, and you can’t pretend the danger surrounding you isn’t real.”
“If you’re real then they’re going to kill me.”
“Wow, that's what you got from that?”
“I’m trying, okay! You show up out of nowhere, tell me that I’m some sort of being that will become a grim reaper, and that I was a reaper–which, what is the difference?--and then now you’re screaming at me for thinking it was fake! Of course I thought it was fake! Magic hasn’t exactly helped my life–”
“Well, especially since you’re living with the very leader who is trying to kill you.”
She scowled. “I hate to break it to you, Death, but I’m still mourning the loss of my parents. I don’t have time for magic or fairytales–”
The anger that exploded from me in that moment was too strong to even consider holding back. One second, I was against the wall, and then next I had thrown her onto the bed and hovered over her, inches from her face. “Do I look like a goddamn fairytale to you?” I demanded through my teeth, looking down my nose at her.
I didn’t care how I’d crossed the room. I was done playing nice with this absolute child of a being. I needed her to understand the danger she was in and I would happily do anything to open her eyes.
She shook her head, her eyes wide.
“I have not defended you in every moment of your existence to be this pathetic,” I snarled into her face. “Your past life would be ashamed of you–your bloody parents would be ashamed of you. You should be celebrating your parents induction to the Other Side, but instead you use it as a crutch to coddle your sorry emotions. You blame magic for their death yet you don’t even know true magic because you’ve run from it your entire life. Why have you run, Asena?”
She opened her mouth to answer but quickly snapped it shut, looking away as a tear fell from her eyes.
“Goddamn it Asena!” I snarled, jolting the bed which shook her. She stared up at me, terrified. I held up my hand. Magic swirled in between my fingers, inky black with a metallic hue of green. “This is what you’re so afraid of, but it’s yours. Nothing you can say or do will stop it from happening.” I let my inky finger smooth her cheek.
This got her attention. “What do you mean?”
“Did you really think this magic does not awaken if you do not use it?” I chided. “Our magic is the kind that awakens and grows. It’s already awakened in you. I can feel it and no doubt the witches will feel it within the next few weeks it’ll be a miracle.”
“They’ll sense my magic?” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
I leaned down so all she could see was my face. “Yes. You will be so powerful before your ascension, they’ll be able to feel you for miles. You can’t hide or run from this. They will not stop until your blood covers their alter.”
Her face blanched. “Then just kill me now.”
“I told you. I. Can’t,” I seethed through my teeth, feeling my magic pulse within me as it threatened to break hold.
“Why not? You’re Death! You told me earlier it was inevitable, so why can’t you just claim my soul now?”
I grabbed her face, forcing her to look at me. “I. Don’t. Choose. The God of Death is not me. They are known as the Master and they are the one who tell me who to take and who to leave behind. I have been at their service for over a millennia and I am cursed to do their will. I cannot break it, even for a pathetic creature such as you.”
She gulped and said nothing.
“The Master has plans–terrible, painful plans–for you that I am trying to protect you from, but I can’t protect you if you don’t let me!”
My fingers started igniting magic, causing her to shrink in my grasp. The idea of watching her suffer had made my pulse quicken and my desire to get her to understand–no matter the method–had made me afraid.
Still holding her face, I whispered to her, “ Now stop being a cunt and listen to reason. You are going to die a painful death unless you listen to Rory and I.”
A single tear escaped her eye. “Why do you care?”
“Because you’re my reaper and I promised no harm would come to you. So help me keep that promise before I decide your bullshit has gone too far and I’d rather watch you suffer.”
Asena made a small, pathetic sound as another tear escaped her eyes. “You couldn’t watch me suffer. You promised you’d never let harm come to me…I think.”
I snorted and jerked my hand back from her face, startling her. “Some promises have expiration dates when the other party isn’t holding up their end of the bargain.”
Asena rubbed her face, tears streaming freely. “What bargain?”
“The one you made to be my reaper. You’re not my reaper here so my protections mean nothing–unless you return my loyalty to you. You don’t want to die a horrible death? Act like it.”
I stood, backing away from her. “When you’re ready to agree to my terms, just call my name and I will come. But until then…suffer in silence.”
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“Are you going to destroy your bedroom again? I’m still trying to salvage some of the art you destroyed,” The Master huffed when they found me facedown on my bed.
“Gods, I’m going to be sick,” I moaned.
“You can’t get sick,” The Master huffed. “You’re immortal. Fucking act like it.”
I rolled over and stared at them leaning in the doorway. “Oh? And how am I supposed to act?”
The Master sauntered into the room, fanning themselves with a very expensive looking fan. “Like you starved galaxies, brought gods to their knees, and destroyed nations,” they said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Our very existence earns the confidence it brings.”
“What if I’ve done none of those things?”
“Fake it. You look pathetic whimpering over a girl who’s own stupidity put her in the path of your wrath.” They huffed to themselves. “Let me repeat myself, she put herself in the path of your wrath. Your wrath. Death. All powerful being of the night.”
I groaned. “She forgot me. After all I’ve done for you.”
“Finn, look at me.”
I did, frowning.
“She. Forgot. You.Let me guess, she even swore she wouldn’t forget you when she went to the mortal realm? She all but spat in your face when you appeared to her. And why would she? She viewed you as her friend, never her protector, defender…or whatever else. Honestly, you’ve been soft on her and it shows. It’s time for her to see Death as you were tonight. You were once a viking, a vicious killer of clans in battle, and now you’re a reaper of souls. Act like it.”
I sighed and dropped my head. Of course they were right. I was moping over a girl forgetting me after…what? Being made mortal again? The rules were simple and clear. If you saw someone from your past life, you would remember them. I’d assumed since she knew me in her afterlife, it might be a bit foggy, but full on stubborn denial? The Master was right, she deserved what she got tonight.
I’ve been too soft. It’s time she sees me as I am.
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