Reapers

Chapter Six: The Curse of Dying and Coming Back

Thane sat on a beach, book in hand, wind going through his black hair while he had completely undone the buttons to his black collar shirt so that the downward crescent moon symbol that was tattooed over his heart showed.  

    He smiled softly as he turned to next page and began reading.  He knew people who had met him would have never believed him to be a bookworm, he didn’t fit the stereotype.

    He finished the chapter and closed the book; he laid back placing the book on his stomach.  He felt the warm sun on his face and the sand as it slipped through his fingers.  He listened to the waves as they crashed over and over on the sandy shore, he listened to the wind as it blew through the trees that surrounded the lake.

“Lake Michigan?  That was week ago” Era said.  

Thane opened his eyes to find her standing above him in her dark jeans and leather jacket.  “Longest place we’ve this year” he said, “Five whole days”

“This place is coming in second...and I don’t like it” Era muttered, “There have been now five soul that have risen from Hell here.  Two today and three yesterday, not to mention the day’s not even over”

Thane closed his eyes, “Yeah.  So how’s lil miss Darcie doing?”

“How would I know?  You were with her last” Era said.

Thane opened his eyes and looked at her, “But then she was taken by my father to your mother”

Era sighed and sat on the ground next to him; she took a stone out of her pocket and threw it up in the air, a katana came back down.  Era caught it and began drawing in the sand with it.

“Really?” Thane murmured.

“Yes really, Thane” Era snapped, she then sighed.  “I don’t know.  Part of me is...worried, I guess, about Darcie.  We’ve grown up around them, around our parents but Darcie...she met them little more than an hour ago.  Thane, how is she going to handle all of this?”

“She may not” he said flatly, “I suspect all of this has already done a number on her, besides, they want to keep as much information from her as possible.  They know what’s at risk”

“Which is why they’ll eliminate her if they believe it’s for the greater good” Era said softly.

Thane turned his head toward her, “But it won’t come to that” he said firmly though he knew that it was very be possible that Darcie might never return to her foster parents.  He sat up, placing his book on his lap, and began to button up his shirt.  “So?”

“What?” Era responded.

“Why’d you come looking for me?” he asked finishing buttoning up his shirt although he left the top few undone.

“What made you think that?” she gave a quick, nervous laugh.

“Well” he began, “You never go looking for anyone unless you need something.  So why?  What do you need?”

Era hugged her arms letting her katana rest in the sand, “I don’t need anything...I just wanted someone to talk to, someone who might be as worried as I am about Darcie”

Thane smirked, “Let me guess, Mo cracked a joke and didn’t help at all?”

Era smiled, “Yeah, so I went and found you”

“Uh huh, and?” he asked taking a stone in which a scythe and bat had been engraved out of his own pocket, he threw it up in the air.  A pair of twin daggers fell; he caught them in mid air, one in each hand.  He began to flip the one in his right hand, an old nervous habit he had developed long ago.