Reapers

Chapter Sixteen: Gone In A Dream

Darcie collapsed on one of the two twin beds in the two hotel room they had just checked in to, Era sat on the other bed taking off Darcie’s boots.  As soon as the boots hit the floor Era fell back in the bed, she took in a deep breath then exhaled.

    Darcie felt like laughing at the Demi-Reaper who was as close to falling asleep as she was, “Era?”

    “Yeah?” Era groaned from her bed.

    “How old are you?” Darcie murmured, she wasn’t sure where the question had come from but it was something she had always wondered.  She heard what sounded like Era sitting up.

“Well, let’s see it’s January...I’ll be eighteen in April, April 29th actually” Era said.

“What about Thane?  And Mo?”

Era laughed, “What’s with the sudden interest in our personal information?”

Darcie lifted her head from the pillow and yawned, “I guess I just figured that I’m one of the few...uh...mortals that knows who you really are...and I’d like to know as much as can, if that’s alright”

“Okie dokie” Era smiled, “Mo will be eighteen May 13th...and Thane will be nineteen on November 1st" she said.

Darcie froze, each of them was about a year older than she was as she had just turned seventeen; but they didn't seem that old.  No.  They seemed exactly her age, not any older, not about to turn eighteen!  Especially not nineteen.

"Darcie?  You look pale" Era commented.

Darcie sat up and looked at the mirror that stood on the wall opposite to their beds.  Color has drained from her face, she wondered why.

Era gave a short laugh, "Didn’t think our ages were that big of a deal" she said.

Darcie tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, "It's not...I just...I thought you were younger"

"Our ages aren't that different, Darcie.  Besides, it shouldn't matter"

"It doesn't matter" Darcie said, "Sure, Thane should be over sixteen so that he can drive, but still...I didn't think he was actually eighteen" she remember him in the hospital muttering something after Dr. Harris said none of them looked over eighteen and how Era had told Thane how none of them were actually over eighteen.

"Yup, Thane's the oldest, Mo the youngest, and I'm smack dab in the middle...though I'm the leader of this little team, or whatever, so I shouldn't complain"

Darcie looked toward her, "What?"

"Daughter of Elvira” Era said shortly, “The fact I'm a girl and the daughter of a female Reaper makes me boss.  Though it causes problems in the Alaskan, Canadian Demi-Reapers lil’ team.  See Trix is the son of a female Reaper but Kali is the only female Demi-Reaper so it causes a conflict.  Women are viewed as powerful in Reaper history, my mother won't tell me why" Era paused, "I mean...she never told me why..."

"Your mother isn't dead, we'll find her" Darcie said, a hopeful tone obvious in her voice; she just hoped it wasn't the false hope adults gave children to comfort them.

"I don't need you to tell me that" Era said firmly, "If any of them were dead we’d be seeing mortals who were shot in the heart or had some fatal something or other walking the streets like it was nothing” she paused, “Besides, Darcie, I  accepted a long time ago that one day Mo, Thane, or even I may not return to the Observatory...that we may face something that's too great for us to take down.  So please, I don't need any comfort or hollow words, because I’m all ready prepared to lose everything"