A Veil of Mist

CHAPTER 4 THE REAPER OF DEATH

Watching humans was his favourite activity. They purposely got into life-endangering situations convincing themselves it was fun. Anyone who chose differently was made fun of and bullied unless they participated. This is why no one had guardian angels anymore. No one could protect humans from their own selves.

As he now sat, watching a group of girls dancing in the middle of a packed restaurant where no one else was, his gaze lingered on one particular petite human girl, clutching a tall glass to her chest and swaying with the music. She looked uncomfortable, unlike the friends who danced with her. Before Aylward could confront the guys leering at her, he felt the attention of the room shift.

Mara had arrived.

A chill followed her wherever she went, a chill that prickled even Aylward's angelic skin. She was dressed, as usual, to be the sultriest girl in the room. She was fascinated by the attention she received simply by her clothing and always requested meetings in glaringly human places.

"One of the few commendable advances humans have made is in clothing. Learning how to weave, creating new materials and in abundance," Aylward greeted Mara.

She stopped a few steps away from him and cocking her head to one side, slid one foot forward just enough that her entire leg showed from the slit in the side of her shockingly tiny red dress.

"You always know what to say to a pretty girl, Ayl!" She laughed, moving forward to hug him.

Aylward braced himself for the unwelcome hug. He would return the gesture if only there was an inch on her back covered with cloth. After an agonizing long minute, she let go, looking at him with a fiery gaze that made him squirm. Under the facade, she was mad.

Aylward waved towards the empty stool next to him. Mara's expression changed to indifference and she sat, crossing her legs over.

"One would think with the way things have been going for you, you'd be a little more concerned." Aylward said. He did not like everyone's gaze on him and was meticulous about avoiding attention. Mara pulled the drink Aylward was holding and downed it in one gulp. Aylward turned to face her.

"That had holy water in it," he said.

"I am concerned!" she said, placing the glass back down, not reacting at all to what Aylward had just said. "I am mighty concerned, sweets. Do you think I would be bothering with you if I weren't?" She swung away from him to face the group of dancing girls, her elbows resting on the counter. Her head was tipped back, causing her shoulder length copper hair to cascade down. She closed her eyes and hummed along to the song playing around them.

"In all of my years here, nothing has stirred me like human music has," she turned to face Aylward.

"Mara, you're failing as a reaper. More and more of them escape everyday."

Mara looked at him like there wasn't anything more preposterous than the statement Aylward had just made.

"That just isn't true love. I reaped more today than I have all week!" Mara responded as she began tapping her feet on the footrest of the stool.

"Then the Ghostlord must be on a break today," Aylward snorted. Mara stilled. Aylward immediately regretted his comment, but could do nothing as she spoke in quiet seething rage.

"That's enough! You have nerve, sitting here questioning me when you are failing your task just as well."

"Not as spectacularly as you, though." Aylward said and bit his lip. Why couldn't he for once keep his hell darned comments to himself! But it was too late. The damage had been done. Everything in the room stopped, save for the swirling lights. The girls in their various dance moves had stilled.

"I could take all these people right now, to make up for the failures as you insist, love."

Aylward's gaze carefully shifted from Mara to the crowd. The girl he was watching earlier was frozen with her face turned towards them, eyes boring into Mara. Had she sensed what had happened, or was it a coincidence?

Aylward was sure Mara couldn't just take souls as she damn well pleased but looking at her now, the expression she wore, he wasn't sure she wouldn't— with a snap of her finger— wipe this place clean. But just as Mazen was about to say something, like taking a video off pause, everything unfroze.

"Too bad I take orders from the same place as you do," Mara said as she smoothed out imaginary creases from her dress, "shall I now discuss what I called you here for?"

Her earlier mood had been replaced with something unrecognizable. Aylward nodded meekly, gaze flitting towards the girl, who had resumed her swaying. That damn girl. He wished she would leave already.

"Unfortunately for me, you were right when you said more of them have escaped. But unfortunately for you, I was also right when I said, I reaped more today than I have this week," she paused, uncrossed her legs and crossed them the other way. "What kind of spirit does the ghost have to evade a mighty hunter like you?"

Mara looked at Aylward, extremely pleased with herself. If it was because she was insinuating that she had done her job better than him or if it was because she made this bad pun about ghosts having spirit, he couldn't tell. Either way, Aylward found himself wanting to end this meeting.

"She is difficult to track. She is not like the others. She hides most of the time, and doesn't seek revenge as eagerly as the others have."

"Ayl, love," Mara raised a brow and drew herself closer to him, "this one is difficult, I know. But she has been on the run long enough. Find her and bring her to me." Mara held onto Aylward's arms and dug her polished nails into his skin with each word. He caught her hands in his and wrenched them away before gold seeped from his skin.

"Trust me, I know," he stood up. If he waited until Mara was done, he'd be waiting forever. He looked at the girl again. She had moved towards her table and replaced her glass with a bag. She was hugging one of her friends goodbye when her eyes met Aylward's.

He felt a strange tug, his eyes zoning out the room and focusing only on her. Aylward forced himself to look at Mara, before she could realize what had just happened.

"I will find her." It had been by far the toughest hunt of his existence, but Mara didn't care for excuses.

"I will find her soon." Mara nodded and leaned back against the counter, eager to have her time with the mortals as he was to get away from her. Either way he had to follow the girl and break his guardian bond.

Things are getting serious! What do you think of the new characters coming in? Any predictions?

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