A manmade bay stretched out to our right. Small fishing boats were anchored to its rafters, bobbing up and down as the waves came to and fro. A small shack stood near the bay. In front of it were two carriages headed by a man on a horse.

“This island is divided into three main areas. Levi is in charge of our fishing vessels. This beach is under his supervision. That’s him right there,” Luci explained, pointing at the moving convoy. She cupped both her hands around her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs. “HEY! LEVI!!!”

The guy just reeled his horse and waved back upon hearing her. Then he went on with his convoy.

I did a three-sixty degree turn. To the right of the beach was a clearing on the face of a hill. Wooden fences were built around it to keep grazing animals in. From here, they seemed like ants. Between the hills was a vast leveled area that looked like vegetable fields.  

At the other end of the island was a lone white domed structure with several beams poking out of the roof. It was difficult to spot among the gigantic trees that swarmed its now nonexistent courtyard.

Hesitantly, she smiled at me as she motioned to the white building in the forest. “And that’s my laboratory. What’s left of it, actually.”

“That’s Belial’s farm to the south,” she said, pertaining to the fields and the ranch. “Most of the town’s produce comes from there. All else, we try to get from the forest. That is, whenever the guardians hide to hibernate.”

“Guardians?”

Grigori made a choking sound. “Three of them, in fact. Made hunting a whole lot of trouble last summer. Killed some few good men too. Monstrous beasts with the sole task of delivering the most potent essence of Hell to the peace-loving residents of Halja, Zaebos being one of them. They hibernate during the winter but there’s not much we can get from the forest at that time.”

“Can’t you just—I don’t know, kill them?”

With a sigh, Luci turned around and headed for the stairs. She smiled at me, flitting her blond hair over her shoulder. “We have been here for quite a while now, Aramis. Don’t you think we would have done it if we could?”

My eye twitched involuntarily. I totally didn’t know how respond to that.

“E-hem,” Grigori pretentiously interrupted. “We should go.  Mr. S is expecting you. He doesn’t like it when people are late,” he told me.

Right then, I heard Luci’s footfalls against the wooden stairs as she walked out on us. She was very hard to read. I was almost sure that behind those big smiles of hers, she was hiding something other than her real name.

We went after Luci but she was too fast and I could already hear Grigori breathing heavily. I slowed down and mindlessly said, “This is such a weird place.”

“Weird place. Weird people,” he sniggered, his hands on his thighs while he panted.

“People,” I echoed, a totally random idea popping into my mind. “If this is Hell, then you’re demo—“ I caught my mouth with both hands before I could say it out loud.

“Wow,” he straightened up, blowing out a lungful of air. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“S-sorry…” I pursed my lips.

“Tell me, Little Miss, are you a Catholic?”

Tentatively, I followed him. “My mom is.”

With a gentle shake of his head he shifted his eyes on me. “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

“Sorry?”

He walked past me, pausing contemplatively to scratch the side of his jaw. “Revelation, chapter twelve, verse nine. I believe that’s what your Bible says about us. Not completely accurate—Mr. S being not quite so much a dragon as you can see—but that is pretty much our history in a nutshell.”

In silence, we climbed down the stairs. Questions started to cram inside my head faster than cockroaches multiply. I just couldn’t quite figure out how to voice all of them without sounding rude. When we reached the woods, I had a hard time catching up. Small branches whipped on my face as I ran after Grigori and I had to push them away before I could choke leaves and bugs and stuff I didn’t even want to name.

“Grigori! Wait!” I coughed out, my eyes half-closed while running. “So you’re angels?! Angels are real!”

I bumped onto something hard and huge. Like a brick wall. A pair of hands caught me by the arms. Dizzy, I stepped back to see Grigori’s worried expression.

“Ex-angels,” he said, looking down on me. “Now, we’re just like any mortal on the planet. Only, better. One, because we don’t die. And two…” He scratched his head, thinking. “Well, I can’t think of a second reason.”

Laughing quietly, I tried to stop myself from freaking out. My Dad would totally freak if he was hearing this. I had this strong urge to look for a pair of wings on Grigori’s back. Or any trace left of them.

“I can’t believe it… So, heaven is real too?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Angels”—he waved his left hand—“and heaven”—then his right—“are human terms. Before the earth was created by Eldest, we lived in the Realm of Immortals where everyone was equal, living in perfect harmony. In there, we were just… people who never died.”

My face must’ve flashed a huge question mark because he continued explaining. “Eldest is this guy—“

“Or lady,” Luci interjected, suddenly appearing out of the tall bushes. “No one had really seen Eldest face to face. Hence, she could be either. Let us not cancel the probability.”

Resignedly, Grigori shrugged. “The point is, Eldest created earth. The seas. Mountains. The trees. Animals. Everything on it. It was a promise of paradise to our people. A promise of hope. But then, all of that was ruined when humans were created by him.”

“Or her,” Luci butted in again.

“You mean… like God?” I asked, hardly able to focus on the trail.

The two exchanged meaningful looks before they could give me unconvincing nods. But it was Luci who elaborated on it as we crossed the brook again.

“Eldest is an immortal like us,” she began. “No one has seen her. No one knows her real name. Basically, she is the first and the most powerful being in the Realm of Immortals. Thus, we call her Eldest. So I guess you could say that she is the counterpart of the God of humans. She brought it upon in herself to look out for our people. Maintain the balance of our perfect world.”

As we reached the dirt road leading back up the town, I said, “If it’s so perfect there, then why did you leave?”

Smiling, she crouched on top of a rock and tilted her head toward me. “If you have just listened to Grigori’s long verses, you’ll know that we were forced out of our home. Eldest banished us all to this place because we tried to expose humans as the unworthy creatures they truly are. Murdering each other, stealing other people’s possessions, abusing earth itself. And now, the paradise we so longed for is dying.” Her voice quivered as if she was about to cry.

“Luci…” Grigori helped the girl up and carried her to the bank.

The strain on her face was obvious as she mechanically fiddled with her hands. “Since the dawn of humanity, our realm had never been the same. What with Eldest being excessively fond of them even as they were selfish, ruthless beings.”

“Still are. I couldn’t agree more,” I told her, both my hands up. I couldn’t decide if I should feel sorry or annoyed. “But that doesn’t define us per se. We’re also capable of other good things like love, kindness, bravery and… love. Oh wait. I’ve already said that.”

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Luci halfheartedly nodded. I could see it in her eyes that she wanted to say more but thought better of it. If things got out of hand, this casual exchange of opinions could’ve easily turned into an argument. I for one didn’t think having a row with the daughter of the devil quite enticing.

Just then, a loud honking sound startled me. It sounded three times, coming from the town. I heard wheels sloshing through the waters and the clacking of hooves against the ground.

Soon, Levi and his convoy came into view. He stood on his horse as he rode, goading it to run faster. When he reached us, he pulled the reigns so hard the horse stood on its hind legs, neighing in protest.

“Luci!” he called before his horse could even get the chance to calm down. “On the horse. Now.” It wasn’t a request.

The girl climbed onto the horse without a word. An urgent look was on her face when she said, “Wait for the carriages. They’ll give you a ride.”

Levi rapped the horse’s side and it galloped, careening uphill, leaving us with nothing but a cloud of dirt. I coughed, my eyes tearing up. They were long gone before the dust could settle down.

“What’s happening?” I turned to Grigori who as of the moment was doing a three hundred sixty-degree survey of the area.

“The alarm,” he answered shortly, climbing on top of a huge boulder. When he reached the top, he peered over the whole forest vigilantly.

“Alarm for what?”

He jumped down in front of me. “Usually, we use that whenever the Guardians wander off too close to the town. You know, before they can destroy it. Last time I heard the alarm, Cerberus had almost trampled his way all around Bel’s farm. He even ate half of the sheep. We were lucky he didn’t eat anyone. But I can’t see any disturbance right now. So, as of the moment, I’m not quite sure. We have to hurry back to find out.”

The sun was almost on top of our heads when the carriages reached the town. Grigori sat in the front with the guy who steered the horse and I was left to bump and tumble with the drums of freshly caught fish. My stomach was churning from the rough ride and the smell by the time the carriage pulled over in front of Sathariel’s house. Such a fun ride.

Not.

Everyone was already in the orchidarium when we arrived. Everyone I knew, at least. Sathariel and Levi were having a quiet but serious conversation in a corner while Luci, Byron Flynn and a few other people waited by the garden benches. Belial stood at the gate, her eyes droopy, her cheeks flushed as if the alarm wasn’t enough to sober her up.

She leaned on the metal frame, yawning. “Told you,” she muttered, almost half-asleep as we passed by. “That boy’s a pain in the butt.”

I knitted my brow. “Who?”

Before she could answer, Luci rushed to us, panic-stricken. “Vincent… Vincent is missing!”

“That’s it?” Grigori sighed in relief. “Thank Eldest! I thought Zaebos was attacking the granary again.”

Before what Luci said could sink in, I was already heading for the gate. A hand closed around my wrist, pulling me back. It was Byron Flynn.

“Where are you going, Aramis?” Startled, he let me go and stared hard at his hand as if it was something unfamiliar to him.

“To Vincent,” I answered, unable to focus. I was standing there but my mind was already miles away.

He ran a hand through his long ruffled red hair.“Have you even any idea where he ran off to?”

I paused to think. “No,” I said and I knew it was true. My voice sounded weird, like rusty hinges. “But I have to find him, Byron Flynn. I should… do something.”

“Don’t you worry,” Bel clapped me on the shoulder, sniggering quietly. “I’m sure he’s just wanderin’ around here somewhere. He can’t escape from this place. No one can. Just one of the many curses of this island. Nifty, ain’t it?”

Sathariel and Levi joined us, cutting their private conference short. Both of them sat behind the garden table, beckoning us. Unwillingly, I followed the others, watched them calmly parked themselves beside Sathariel.

I stayed standing on my spot staring at him, thinking that he was no different from Pilgrim Reaper. Just the fact that he let us stay here must mean that he wanted something in return. And that something was Alessandra’s ability. I didn’t know what he wanted it for, what awful plans he had for me and my master.

Maybe it was a mistake coming here. For all I knew, he had just locked Vincent up somewhere while I was gone. Or thrown him in the forest so the monsters there could dispatch him easily. And then pretended he was missing.

“Let us all be calm about this,” Sathariel began, pinching the bridge of his nose as he slowly took sharp deep breaths. “Tell us what happened, Belial. I left the boy under your care.”

Bel just shrugged, placing a hand under her chin. “What do you expect, Sathariel? Servants were blathering all over the place about Luci takin’ the boy’s familiar to the lighthouse at Levi’s beach. I think he overheard that and went after them.”

“He is in poor health and in a worse state of mind. He knows nothing of the dangers in our forests. Of the monstrosities lurking about.” His tone was severe, gradually intensifying, the rise and fall of his shoulders becoming more and more rapid. “He is just one boy, Belial. One boy! And you let him out of your sight?!” he roared, slamming his hands on the table.

No one said a thing. All I could hear was the resonance of the man’s voice all over the orchidarium. His eyes blazed like molten steel, his breaths scraping against his throat so that it sounded more like the rumble of earth.

The woman just looked like she had never been more bored in her entire life. “Now that’s calm, Sathariel. Absolutely calm. So the boy gets messed up in the head when it comes to his familiar. That ain’t my fault anymore. Not one bit.”

The look on Sathariel’s face was indescribably scary. I had never seen anyone angrier. I wouldn’t be surprised if we would all be buried under his backyard the next morning. To tell the truth, I thought he was acting way more concerned than he was supposed to, given that he had no responsibility whatsoever over Vince. I thought Satan was all badass and pure evil.

He turned to Levi. “Arrange a search party. I want the boy inside the town premises before dark.”

“I’ll look for him,” I volunteered, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Sathariel furrowed his brows in a very familiar way, his smoldering eyes focusing on me like he was trying to read my thoughts. Or reduce my brain to dust.

“Look,” I started, gulping. “If someone has to look for Vincent, it has to be me. He’ll just keep running away if he sees your men.”

“Your opinion does not matter here, girl,” he warned.

Cautiously, I lifted my chin and took a step closer to him.

“I’m his familiar. It’s my duty to protect him from himself and from everything else. But mostly from himself. I don’t care if you’re in charge here because you can’t stop me. I’m going,” I rambled.

I was about to turn around and go when I saw Sathariel smile. Well, not actually smile. He didn’t even move a facial muscle. But now, his eyes were mellow with an approving kind of air. It was weird. Like déjà vu.

“Let me think first. You do not know these lands. It could be gravely dangerous.” He sounded doubtful as if he was half-expecting me to change my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I answered, “This is Hell. It’s supposed to be dangerous.”

“I’ll come with her.” Luci’s voice was small but final. Her small hands were balled into fists beside her and her legs were shaking. She still managed to stand and face her father. “I know the terrain like the back of my hand. Abum, please let me do this. Vincent needs me.”

In some other day, I might’ve turned her down. That didn’t sound right. To me, at least. I mean, in what page of The Book of All Verified Facts of the Universe did she find out that Vincent needed her? The girl was clearly deluded.

Unluckily for me, beggars can’t be choosers. I needed all the help I could get. I had to suck it in and get the job done. I could whine later. And believe me, I would.

“We don’t have all day.” I shook my head, my mouth spitting the words out before I could even sort the acceptable from the unspeakable. “He’s probably crying in a corner waiting for me to find him like right now.”

“I’m still thinking!” Sathariel snapped, disheveling his pale hair.

The thought of Vincent curled up under a tree in a dark forest while calling my name did touch my mind. I knew it was highly unlikely. And he would definitely hit me on the forehead if he knew I was imagining these things. Still, I couldn’t help but smile.

He would be like, “Save me, save me!” with a voice similar to those talking stuffed bears. Yeah… That would be cute.

Ugh. Now is so not the time for that, Aramis. I castigated myself, closing my eyes tightly and puckering my eyebrows. This is serious. Focus!

“Come on, Mr. S,” I pressed on.

“Hmm…” The guy paused to think for a while, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the head rest of his chair. “Then I expect you to be back before dark.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*mic test. one. two* Hi! First of all, I want to thank every one of you for understanding my alibis. *LOL* Seriously. Thanks. So, I've decided to self-publish this by making it into ebooks. Once the editing is done *yup. I've made some changes to Reapers 1 because I'm planning to submit it to Harper and apparently, it has to be a screaming romance*. I sure hope for your continuous support! My next chapter is going to be on Tuesday. And I promise you'll see more of our two fave Reapers :)                        LOVE ~shim