ReapingShadows_JamiesonWolf.indd

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and

incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are

used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any

resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or

persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Reaping Shadows

ISBN: 978-1-77101-047-4

Cover Artist: Staci Perkins

Editor: Shyla Colt

or reproduced electronically or in print without written

permission, except in the case of brief quotations

embodied in reviews.

Breathless Press

www.breathlesspress.com

Chapter One

He moved like the darkness itself. His shadow moved behind him

of its own accord, stretching out along walls and peeking into win-

dows. It did love to play, and it had been in a frisky mood all night.

He knew how it felt. He gave his shadow a sharp, impatient

tug and it fell into line behind him to slink along the brickwork that

formed the walls on either side of him. He made his way toward a

pool of light from a street lamp.

“We don’t have time for play right now.” Darion Muerte didn’t

have time for anything anymore. That was the problem. He sighed

again. “I gotta get a new job,” he whispered. Darion whistled. Well

trained, the Shadow was at attention immediately.

Darion motioned with his hand and let out another soft whistle

that told his Shadow to seek and find.

Darion hoped that tonight’s search would be a short one. He was

dead on his feet; that was pretty bad, considering what he did for a

Jamieson Wolf

living. He looked at his watch and wondered if it was too early for a

cigarette break.

While his Shadow crept along the walls, sensing the heat of those

inside the buildings, Darion walked farther into the pool of light and

took out a pack of cigarettes. I really should quit, he thought. But it

wouldn’t make any difference now. There weren’t that many job op-

portunities for immortals.

He snapped his fingers, and a tongue of flame danced on the ball

of his thumb. Darion watched it for a moment. The lick of fire danced,

turning blue, then red. He put his cigarette to the tip of the flame, took

a drag, and let the smoke out slowly. Fuck, I’m tired, he thought. “I

need a vacation,” he said out loud. “I’d even settle for a night off.”

His skin tensed when he heard the Shadow’s call. It was loud and

high-pitched. To mortals it would sound like the screech of cats in

heat, but to him, it was a signal. His Shadow had found a soul.

Walking with quick steps out of the light, he let the darkness claim

him. Darion flicked his cigarette to the pavement, where it landed

with a shatter of sparks. There was no need to pay attention to where

he was going. His feet would lead him to his Shadow.

He’d been working the streets looking for lost souls for over a

thousand years. Seeing so much death had almost erased the memo-

ries of passion he’d experienced years ago in his mortal life. Bringers

of death didn’t deserve joy, only penance.

The shrill call of his Shadow pulled him out of his thoughts. He

quickened his pace and entered a better area of his district, but not by

much. It was his area to reap now; they were assigned automatically

upon death.

The Shadow squealed, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, and

this call was different. Darion ran toward his Shadow. He could see

it slink under the window. It was quivering in fear, flickering like a

candle flame caught in a breeze.

Once he saw the man that stood in the window, Darion under-

stood the Shadow’s distress immediately. Mortals couldn’t see Shad-

ows, but the man at the window was looking right at it.

A moment later the man shifted his gaze and looked straight at

Darion. His blood froze. Fear filled his body. It was an emotion he

hadn’t experienced in many centuries.

The mortal didn’t have an aura of death about him. Instead, he

was something else altogether.

Chapter Two

This is not happening, Darion thought. There had to be some oth-

er explanation for this.

The mortal shouldn’t be able to see Darion or his Shadow at all.

For all intents and purposes, it was impossible. It had never happened

before. Well, Darion amended, at least not until tonight.

He looked into the light blue eyes of the mortal and felt his cock

harden. It pressed against the fabric of his jeans and he growled, shift-

ing slightly to relieve the pressure. A deep growl sounded in his throat

as a thought erupted inside of his head: mine.

Darion had never experienced such an intense reaction to anyone,

human or otherwise.

The mortal placed a hand on the glass of his window, almost

as if he could sense the discomfort he caused. Darion could see the

same want reflected in his eyes. Though they were separated by a fair

amount of space, Darion felt the mortal’s touch as if his body was the

pane of glass.

Jamieson Wolf

His Shadow let out a long, high-pitched wail and remained still,

watching. Gone was the sound of fear; now there was only curiosity.

The man turned his gaze away from Darion’s to look at the Shadow,

and he felt the loss of connection immediately. He watched the Shad-

ow slip into the mortal’s room through the cracks in the windowpane.

Darion cursed.

He had never felt such a link with anyone. It would be a shame to

have to kill him.

He held out his hand and gave it an almost lazy wave. The doors

that barred his way opened for him, almost jumping back from him to

obey his command. Darion entered the mortal’s apartment building.

He could sense the pulse of the human’s heartbeat, calling out to him

like a beacon.

He climbed the stairs to the apartment and wondered what kind

of man this one was. Most of the time they were sick and dying, or

they’d chosen to give up on life altogether. These were the only people

that the Shadow scouted out for him. He wouldn’t kill an innocent.

Darion wondered why his Shadow had led him to someone who was

not to be claimed. Perhaps it sensed his discontent and sought a way

to ease it?

Darion’s job was to kill. He didn’t sugar-coat it. Yet, there were

those like him who revelled in the thrill, the supposed beauty of kill-

ing and taking life. For Darion, it was just a necessity.

When he reached the human’s door, Darion found it already

open. He stepped into the apartment’s small foyer and the man stood

there staring at him, his green eyes flashing like emeralds in the half-

light of the hallway.

“What are you?” he asked.

“I am nothing to be trifled with,” Darion said.

Instead of causing the fear that should be there, the mortal only

smiled. “That’s okay,” he said. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Darion gestured to the Shadow behind the man. “My Shadow

doesn’t frighten you?”

The mortal laughed. “You obviously haven’t seen my mother. I

don’t call her the She-Dragon for nothing. Beside her, your Shadow

is a puppy.”

“You aren’t afraid of me?” Darion asked.

The man shook his head. “No.”

“I inspire fear in a lot of other people.”

Reaping Shadows

“I can see there’s no malice in you,” he said. “I read people pretty

well.” He looked away for a moment and then looked back at him.

“What do they call you?” Darion asked.

“You mean my name?” he asked. “My name is Kale.”

“And mine is Darion.”

Slamming the apartment door behind him, Darion locked the door

with another flick of his fingers. He approached Kale, who looked at

him with eyes that shone like stars in the dark of a night’s sky.

Just looking at Kale sent need racing through Darion. His cock

thickened and his breathing quickened. A fire spread underneath

his skin, and this was just from looking at the mortal. Darion wanted

more. He needed to touch him.

“What do you want from me?” Kale asked.

“Everything,” Darion said.

Chapter Three

With fluid movements, Darion stalked forward. Kale. The name

was a whisper on Darion’s lips. “Kale...” he said again to hear the

sound of it on his tongue. Darion leaned in to kiss the mortal slowly,

giving him time to move away.

Kale didn’t move away.

Instead, Kale reached out for him, and wrapped his own arms

around him. His actions shocked Darion. At Kale’s touch, the flicker

of lightning that had been building inside of him grew to an electric

storm. It was if the electricity that thrummed inside of Darion burned

as well within the mortal’s skin.

Darion broke away from the kiss. He relished the feel of Kale’s

body pressed against his. The hard muscle and bone, the soft yielding

flesh of skin. Darion had never experienced a touch that made him

hunger for more. Darion could feel the hardness of Kale’s cock press-

ing into his stomach. That shaft of flesh filled his body with heat so hot

it could burn. A jolt of electricity shot through both of them, joining

Reaping Shadows

the passion in their bodies. Darion’s breathing quickened, matching

the frantic pace of Kale’s heartbeat.

“The need,” Darion whispered. “You feel it too?”

Kale nodded. “I do.”

“Are you afraid of me?” Darion asked again. His voice shook with

fear as he waited for an answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.

“No.”

“You should be,” Darion whispered.

Darion kissed Kale once more, his tongue thrusting past Kale’s lips

to taste him, to savour him. Kale tasted much like a bottle of hundred-

year-old wine: full, heady, and intoxicating. His head reeled from the

taste, and his dick jerked beneath the fabric of his pants. There was no

sickness in him, no disease. Darion wondered briefly why his Shadow

had drawn him to Kale if there was nothing wrong with him. But now

was not the time for such questions.

The need he felt for this human filled his body with an emotion he

couldn’t name. How could you give shape to something that went be-

yond words? Darion knew then that Kale could not die, consequences

be damned.

He looked into Kale’s dark blue eyes. “I can’t be gentle,” Darion

said. “The need I have for you is too great.”

Kale nodded. “I don’t want you to be gentle.”

His words sent the fire within Darion into a whirl of heat and want.

If he didn’t bury himself within Kale soon, his body would probably

implode, so strong was the need. He stepped forward and began to

undress Kale. He slipped off the mortal’s T-shirt and let Kale’s pants

fall to the floor. Kale stood in front of him in only his underwear.

Standing in front of him, the half-light of the apartment left him

in the shadows. Kale looked like a god come to life to Darion, like a

Greek Titan. He studied the mortal’s coffee-colored skin, the broad-

ness of his shoulders. His eyes took in Kale’s well-muscled chest,

strong arms, and almost graceful-looking hands. His hair was dark,

and the bright green of his eyes glowed like emeralds in the dark.

Darion’s hands shook as he reached forward and eased Kale’s

underwear down to the floor, freeing Kale’s cock. It was rock-hard al-

ready, and Kale gasped when it was freed. Darion felt the desire grow

inside of him so that it was almost painful. Darion relished this, let it

lick the underside of his skin. It was the first time he had experienced

the emotion of need in well over one thousand years. It filled his body

Jamieson Wolf

with a warmth that made him wonder if this was what it was like to

be mortal.

Kale’s cock was a thing of beauty. Thick and long, it stood al-

most straight up, pointing toward the ceiling. The large purple head

dripped with pre-cum. It excited Darion to know that he was the cause

of it. He wanted to taste it; he wanted to taste all of Kale.

“You’re ready for me,” Darion said.

“I feel as if I’ve always been ready for you,” Kale said. “Does that

sound strange to you?”

Darion shook his head. He was no stranger to oddities. Though it

was a bold statement for a mortal to make in the face of death, Darion

admired Kale’s strength. He would remember his courage.

Memories were all he would have left of the mortal after tonight.

It was the only way it could ever be.

Chapter Four

Darion slipped out of his own clothes and stood naked in front of

Kale. He felt vulnerable for the first time in his existence.

Kale reached out to tuck a curl of black hair away from Darion’s

face. “You’re gorgeous,” Kale whispered.

“I am far from that,” Darion said. “You would not call me that if

you knew what I was.”

“What are you then?” Kale asked.

“There will be time for questions later.” Darion took a step closer

to him and pressed their bodies together as they kissed. Kale’s lips

were full and supple.

Passion flared inside of Darion and chased away the coldness he

carried with him. He gave in to the desire for this mortal that made

his cock throb. He let go of his duty, embracing his need to feel every-

thing that Kale offered him.

Kale led them to his bedroom, he gathered Kale into his arms, and

laid him across the bed on his back.

Jamieson Wolf

“I can’t wait,” Darion said. “I’m sorry.”

Kale looked up at him, his eyes flashing in the darkness. “It’s

okay. I’m ready for you. Let me turn on a light.”

“No, I want to see you in the dark,” Darion said.

As Darion climbed up onto the bed, he opened Kale’s legs wider.

He let his hands roam over the terrain of Kale’s body, the muscled

legs, the trim waist, the roundness of his buttocks. As he often did,

Darion wondered at the mortal dependence on light. Darkness re-

vealed all if you knew how to see.

He pressed the head of his cock to the opening of Kale’s asshole.

He pushed himself further in, expecting resistance. Instead, Kale was

slick with need and ready for him. With one smooth thrust, Darion

was inside Kale. He groaned as Kale’s asshole clenched and un-

clenched around the thick shaft of his cock.

“I feel like I have waited my entire existence for you too,” Darion

said. He began to move inside of Kale. His rhythm forced a groan

from the mortal’s throat. He pulled out of Kale’s asshole, leaving

just the head of his dick inside. Then, with another smooth thrust, he

buried himself once more in Kale’s asshole. Kale groaned loudly and

opened himself wider. Darion needed no further invitation.

As Darion thrust again and again, the slap of skin against skin

filled the room. His hands roamed along Kale’s body in the darkness,

and Darion let himself see through touch.

He ran his fingers along Kale’s jaw and let the tip of one finger

trail down Kale’s muscled chest. He stopped to tweak both nipples,

turning them into hard buds and making Kale gasp before he contin-

ued his journey downward.

“You’re so beautiful,” Kale said.

Darion smiled despite himself. “You keep saying that.”

When he reached Kale’s cock, Darion took it in his hands and be-

gan to stroke it. He worked his right hand along the shaft, holding

himself upright with his left, as he continued to drive into Kale’s hot,

wet sheath.

When Kale began to moan and buck underneath him, Darion

knew that he was close. Heat like he had never experienced bloomed

along his skin, and Darion knew that he, too, was close. His whole

body was consumed by need for this mortal, this man. His body

thrummed with passion he could put no words to.

“Darion,” Kale whispered. His name on Kale’s lips was like a

balm to his wounded heart.

Reaping Shadows

“Come for me,” Darion said. “Come for me, Kale. I want to watch

your eyes when you come.” He stroked Kale’s cock harder and was

rewarded with a loud moan. Kale’s asshole squeezed around his cock

and quickened his own release.

With a loud groan, Kale came; hot jets of cum splashed along Dar-

ion’s chest and stomach. As Kale’s asshole tightened around the shaft

of his dick, Darion let himself fall over the edge. He came in thick hot

spurts of cum that filled Kale to the brim.

The heat that had been intense only moments before began to cool

as Darion pulled out of Kale and lay beside him. He had never felt so

sated. A glance down at his cock showed Darion he was hard again.

I’m so ready, he thought.

He turned his head and kissed Kale softly on the lips, watching

him as he moved closer so that they were almost one. Darion watched

as Kale raised a hand and pressed it against his chest. He knew what

Kale would not find there.

Kale turned to him with wide eyes that showed no fear. “You

don’t have a heartbeat.”

“Why do you not fear me?” Darion asked. “I sense no fear in you.”

Kale shrugged and looked away as silence filled the room. When

he spoke his voice was soft, almost a whisper on the wind. “I’ve had

dreams,” Kale said.

“What kind of dreams?”

“Ever since I was young, I’ve had visions of you. Dreams of some-

thing dark that wrapped itself around me, but meant no harm. A be-

ing, enveloped in light, with its heart beating strong with mine. I now

know that this being was you.”

Darion shook his head. “I haven’t had a heart for centuries.”

Kale nodded, as if expecting this answer. “I think it’s time you tell

me who you are,” Kale said.

Chapter Five

“You were supposed to die,” Darion said.

Kale’s skin paled slightly. “You’re Death?”

Darion shook his head. “No, not Death. I’m just a death. There are

lots of us around.”

“You kill people?” Kale asked. Darion listened for the disbelief in

Kale’s voice, but heard none.

“No, we only gather those that are supposed to die.”

“But then why am I not dead?”

“Because I didn’t take your soul.”

“Why?” Kale asked. “Why did you let me live?”

How could he explain what he himself was only beginning to un-

derstand? “Mortals shouldn’t see us. We’re invisible to you. Yet, you

could see me and my Shadow.”

“Is he like your pet?” Kale asked.

“No, he is my Shadow. He scouts for those who are near their end

and I follow. He brings me to those that need to cross over.”

Reaping Shadows

“But why can I see you both?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Kale whispered.

Darion thought for a moment before answering. “I felt a con-

nection to you the moment you looked at me. Do you think I would

throw it away before I had a chance to experience you?”

Kale smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “I think that’s the nicest thing

I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m glad I’ve pleased you. But we do have one small problem.”

“What is it?” Kale asked.

“Since I let you live, someone else must die to keep the balance.”

Darion paused and willed the rest of the words to leave his mouth.

“And you must choose who that will be,” Darion said.

Chapter Six

Kale stared at Darion as if he’d lost his mind.

“You’ve got to be joking! I’m no murderer.”

“Neither am I,” Darion said, a steel glint in his eyes. “There must

be balance and, since you live, another must take your place.”

“You can’t expect me to—” Kale turned away, his midnight hair

shining in the dark like onyx. “How can I feel so much for you, but be

so afraid at this moment?”

Darion sighed and took Kale into his arms. He wrapped himself

around the man who had quickly become his lover. “There is fear in

everything we do. It lives in all of our emotions, in all of our actions.

We may not see it, but it’s there.”

Kale turned his head to look at Darion. “Do we really have to de-

cide who has to die?”

Darion shook his head. “I don’t. You do. The balance must be pre-

served.”

Reaping Shadows

“But I don’t know!” Kale fought back tears. “How can I kill some-

one I know?”

“You don’t have to. Your Shadow will find the next person to die.”

There was a moment of silence at these words. Finally Kale spoke.

“Am I like you now then? Am I a death?”

Darion looked at Kale and knew that he deserved the truth. He

couldn’t lie to someone who moved him so. “Yes,” he whispered.

“I’ve claimed you as mine and in doing so, passed some of myself into

you. I am not mortal and since you carry something of me inside of

you, now you are no longer mortal either.”

Kale pulled away from Darion and put his hands over his eyes. “I

always wished for a different life. But I never wished for a different

death,” he said. “Every time I had a vision of you or a dream of you,

it would fill me completely, leaving me wondering if I was meant for

more.” He paused now for a moment. “If I was meant for you.”

“You’re not dead, you’ll live forever now,” Darion said. “As I do.”

There was a sadness in his voice that caused Kale to remove his hands

and look at him.

“How long have you been a death?”

“The term is actually Shadow Stalker, or a Reaper of Shadows. We

aren’t death, not really. We just find those that are on death’s door and

help them complete their final journey.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Kale said. “How long?”

“Hundreds of years,” Darion said. “I’ve forgotten how old I am. I

can’t remember when I was born. It’s as if all I’ve ever known is dark-

ness and shadow.”

“And you chose me to end your loneliness?”

Darion shook his head. “My heart chose you.”

At those words, warmth spread through Kale. He took a deep

breath and reached for the pack of cigarettes on the bedside table. He

lit one, passed it to Darion, and lit another one for himself before he

looked at Darion’s dark gaze.

“Tell me what I have to do,” Kale said.

Chapter Seven

They dressed quickly. Darion kissed Kale one final time before

they left his apartment. Kale was momentarily confused. “Where are

we going?”

“The roof of your apartment building,” Darion said. “We need

space so that I can teach you.”

“Teach me?”

“Reaping Shadows isn’t learned in a day. You have to let your

Shadow breathe, give it room to flourish. But I sense something in

you, something that calls to me. I have a feeling that this won’t be dif-

ficult for you, that it’s already in your blood.”

“How can that be when I’m mortal?”

“You are now immortal. Your possibilities are endless.”

He took Kale’s hand as they climbed the stairs to the rooftop and

opened the door to reveal the night sky. Darion allowed himself a

moment to breathe. The night and its stars never failed to awe him, to

bring him a sense of pleasure. Though he was tired of the business of

Reaping Shadows

death, the night reminded him of a dark shroud. It was waiting to be

wrapped around him.

Kale stepped out from behind him, shivering, into the darkness.

There was light, however. The lights of the city shone bright tonight

and, to Darion, they looked like wishes captured on the ground to

complement the ones above them. A cold wind blew, and it whistled

in the air around them. Kale shivered, and Darion pulled him closer.

“Don’t be afraid,” Darion said. “There is nothing to fear.”

“I’m not afraid.” Despite the meekness of his voice, Darion knew

that Kale spoke the truth. “But everything has changed for me now,

hasn’t it?”

Darion pulled away and looked at his lover. “You’re not angry,

are you? That I claimed you, changed you?”

Kale shook his head. “No. I should be, by all rights, yet I’ve often

felt as if my life was leading up to something. I can’t help but wonder

if I was waiting for you.”

He looked away from Darion for a moment to gather his thoughts.

“I often wondered if I even belonged here, if my body was my own.

I didn’t fit in anywhere, I never belonged. But I belong to you.” He

looked back to Darion to see that there were tears streaming down his

face. “Does that sound strange?”

Darion kissed him softly. “No,” he said. “No, it doesn’t sound

strange at all. I am a big believer in Fate and the powers it can wield.

Perhaps it was bringing us together for a reason.”

“I can’t go back to my old life, can I?”

Darion shook his head. “No. It can never be the same; you can’t

see your family again.” More tears slid down Kale’s face. “This sad-

dens you.”

“I’ll miss my mother,” he said. “She was all I had left. I won’t miss

my office job, or my crappy apartment, but I will miss her.”

“We’ll find a way,” Darion said, his heart going out to this man

who was no longer mortal. “We’ll find a way to let her know you

haven’t simply disappeared.”

When Kale looked at him again, the gratitude was almost pal-

pable. “Thank you.”

Darion leaned in to kiss away Kale’s tears and moved down his

face, his tongue seeking entrance. Kale didn’t need any further invita-

tion. He opened his mouth.

Chapter Eight

Darion took Kale’s hand and led him to the center of the roof-

top patio. Darion’s Shadow flickered in the half-light from the street

lamps, full of darkness. Kale noticed its motions.

“Does it have its own thoughts?” Kale asked.

“Indeed it does. It’s part of me and I’m part of it, but it breathes

and lives just as you and I do. Reapers have existed with their Shad-

ows in this way since before time began.”

Darion stood near the edge of the rooftop and let go of Kale’s

hand. “Now, I want you to close your eyes.”

“Is now a good time to tell you that I’m afraid of heights?”

Darion smiled at Kale’s attempt to make humor out of the situa-

tion. “No harm will come to you, I promise you.”

“I believe you.”

“Then close your eyes.”

Kale did so and Darion let the silence spread around them for a

moment as if it were a breeze. When he spoke, his voice was tinged

Jamieson Wolf

with seriousness, though his tone was soft. “Now, I want you to pic-

ture your Shadow. I want you to see it in your mind’s eye. Even now

it stretches from your feet and slinks along the wall. I need you to

detach it from the wall, from the edges of your feet.”

Kale smiled. “You don’t want me to sew it on or make it stick with

soap?” he asked.

Though Kale couldn’t see him, Darion cocked his head to the

right. “What do you mean by that?”

“Haven’t you ever read Peter Pan?” Kale asked.

“No,” Darion said. “I never much liked Disney films. They were

too unrealistic.”

“And this isn’t?”

“You’re changing the subject,” Darion said curtly, though there

was lightness in his tone. “Picture your Shadow,” he said. “Picture it

stretching away from you but always connected. Give your Shadow

life.”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“It already has a life of its own, but needs to be separate from you

in order to sniff out the dying,” Darion said. “This is the way.”

A shiver passed over Kale’s skin. “I’m afraid,” he said.

Darion reached out and took Kale’s hands in his own. “There is

no need to be. I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you, all

right?”

“Okay.” Kale’s response was a breath of air, a release of syllables

between two lips stretched tight. “This is all so new to me. I don’t

want to screw anything up.”

“You can’t. Your Shadow will respond to you, no matter what you

do.” He kissed Kale softly. “Trust me.”

“All right.”

“Relax. Picture your Shadow slipping from its current state and

moving into another. Breathe.” To aid the process and calm Kale, Dar-

ion let a bit of his own magic slip into Kale’s skin. The response was

immediate. A glow began to spread along Kale’s flesh, blue in tone

but changing color as it ran along his skin. First blue, then purple,

then a dark shade of lilac.

The light intensified, bringing an unearthly beauty to Kale’s fea-

tures. As the glow blossomed, the blackness of Kale’s Shadow began

to twist its shape. It pulled away from the wall and seemed to stand

on its own two feet.

Reaping Shadows

Soon, the Shadow began to move away from Kale, as if spinning

itself like a spider’s web, until it stood beside its master. Kale sensed

the change and opened his eyes.

“It’s done,” Darion said.

He leaned in to kiss Kale, wanting to taste the warmth of his lips,

when he heard a noise above his head. It sounded as if the very air

was ripping apart, the skies tearing themselves to shreds.

Kale looked up, alarm clear on his face. “What’s that?”

“We’ve got trouble,” Darion said. He took Kale’s hands more

tightly in his own. “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do,” Kale said.

“Then jump.”

“Over the edge of the building?” Kale’s voice was full of terror.

“Your Shadow will follow, and remember, you are immortal.

Please, you have to trust me; we have to leave here.”

“What is it?” Kale asked, looking skyward. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ve got company,” Darion said.

Chapter Nine

Kale searched the skies for the source of the sound and, when he

found it, a look of panic stretched across his face. “What the fuck is

that?”

Riding toward them on the stars themselves was a black shape

that was cloaked in a dark hood. Soon, two more forms came out of

the darkness. They moved as one, but they were not Shadows. They

were something more, something of substance.

“Now is not the time for questions. Do you trust me?” Darion

asked again.

“Yes.”

“Then jump!” Darion shouted.

They took the leap together, falling through the air, the wind

rushing by their ears. Darion thought he heard Kale saying a quick

prayer. Prayers wouldn’t help them if the Brothers Grimm got a hold

of them. They wanted their soul, and they’d come to collect.

Reaping Shadows

Darion landed on both feet and steadied Kale, who landed rough-

ly. He pulled him up and ran with him, their Shadows following in

quick pursuit. He turned back only once to send a plume of blue light-

ing from his fingers that stopped the Brothers in their tracks. They

stayed frozen in the sky, their faces masks of horror.

“What did you do to them?” Kale asked, his breath rough from

the fall and from running.

“I stopped time, but only briefly. Hurry, we have to find some-

where to hide before they regain motion.”

Kale only nodded as Darion dragged him down alleyways and

through dark streets, never taking a straight path or stopping. Darion

could sense his lover was frightened, but kept on running. There was

strength in him, and Kale would need all his courage to do what lay

ahead.

Finally, Darion came to one of his safe houses. It was a small flat

with two rooms that he’d found years ago. He used it each time he

was in this part of the city and needed rest. He had many safe places

throughout the city. Sometimes it was necessary to stalk his prey be-

fore he took their soul, and that forced him to wait somewhere com-

fortably.

Sometimes, like now, he needed to hide.

He waved his hand and a blue flash of magic answered on the

door. The lock undid itself and the door opened. Slipping inside, he

pulled Kale in after him and slid the door shut. The lock flared blue

again and sealed itself shut. The glow increased, sliding along the

door like water, until the whole of it glowed brightly, the spell that

Darion had cast growing in power.

And then the glow was gone, leaving Darion and Kale in dark-

ness.

Chapter Ten

Darion let a plume of light come to life in his hand and he lifted

it up. The light rose to the ceiling and spread along to the other room

and the tiny bathroom that was off of the bedroom. The living room

they stood in was small but comfortable.

Kale looked at him, his skin dark in the brightness of the light.

“What the fuck is going on?” Kale asked. “Who were those guys?

What the fuck did they want with us?”

“All in good time,” Darion said.

“No, not in good time. You have some questions to answer, and I

want the answers now.”

Internally, Darion smiled. Oh yes, his lover had strength. He got

hard from the steel in Kale’s voice. “What did you want to know?”

“What were those things?”

“The Brothers Grimm?”

“Yes, them. Why were they chasing us? What did they want with

us?”

Reaping Shadows

“I told you once before that I spared your soul and that you must

choose another to die in your place.”

Kale nodded. “I remember.”

“Well, the laws are finite. If we do not take another soul, to bring

balance to the spirit world that sits beyond the veil, then they will

come and take ours.”

Kale swallowed thickly. “They were there to kill us?”

Darion nodded. “A soul must be taken in quick succession. Oth-

erwise, the balance is thrown off and that can affect the world in dif-

ferent ways.”

“What kinds of ways?”

“Well, what happens if someone goes back to the past and chang-

es something in history?”

“That can’t really happen.”

“But the example holds true. If someone changes something in

history, the future changes. If a soul is not taken when it is supposed

to be taken, other souls can be released.”

“Other souls already taken?”

“Correct.” There was a grim look on Darion’s features.

“Wait, you’re talking about the dead, aren’t you?”

Darion nodded. “Unless souls are taken as dictated, the dead can

rise again. This is why Reaping Shadows is such an important and

tricky business. You can only take one soul at a time, but slip up, and

many souls can slip through.”

“So what are we talking about here? The walking dead? Armies of

undead walking the earth?”

Darion nodded. “Something like that.”

Kale paled. “Great. So unless I kill someone using my Shadow,

the Zombie Apocalypse will begin?”

“That’s about the size of it, yes.”

“Well, shit,” Kale said.

Darion laughed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“What do we do now?” Kale asked.

“We wait. The Brothers can only walk around during nightfall. It

is still a few hours until dusk. Once the sun rises, we can set out so that

you can find a soul to reap.”

“What do we do in the meantime then?”

Darion gave Kale a grin and walked toward him. “I can think of a

few things,” he said.

Chapter Eleven

Darion pulled Kale to him and tasted him. The passion that he’d

kept bottled up until this point erupted in the kiss. Kale moaned and

kissed him back just as forcefully. There were no quiet words of long-

ing or need. Once again, want overpowered Darion and he communi-

cated without words.

Kale responded in kind, ripping at Darion’s clothes and running

his hands along his body. Darion had never experienced anything

quite as lovely as Kale’s touch, nothing quite as thrilling. He pulled

off Kale’s shirt and shucked off his pants quickly, needing to feel the

contact of their bodies, skin against skin.

Darion picked up Kale into his arms, brought him to the bedroom,

and laid him down on the small bed that waited there. The light that

he’d created followed them, casting shadows on the walls that made

their own Shadows dance, as if bathed in firelight.

Reaping Shadows

“I want to be gentle,” Darion said. “But I want you too much.

See what you do to me?” Darion’s cock was already rock hard, and it

throbbed each time Kale ran his fingers along Darion’s skin.

“Don’t be gentle,” Kale told him. “Make love to me, I won’t break.”

With a growl low in his throat, Darion kissed him again, this time

with all the passion he could muster. He ran his hands down Kale’s

body and stopped at the hardness of Kale’s dick. Darion removed it

from his underwear, and Kale gasped when Darion took Kale’s cock

in his grasp. “You’re so hard for me,” Darion said. “So hard.”

He knelt down in front of Kale’s body and took his cock into his

mouth, teasing the head with his tongue. He heard Kale breathe out

slowly as he slid his lips down the shaft of his penis, taking the whole

length of it into his mouth and throat. He worked the cock with his

mouth, took Kale’s balls gently in his grip and squeezed them, elicit-

ing a moan from Kale.

“I need you inside me,” Kale breathed. “I thought you said you

couldn’t be gentle.”

“I needed to taste you,” Darion said.

Darion rose and moved Kale closer to him, pulling his legs wider.

With Kale on his back, he positioned his cock at his most private en-

trance. “Do you want me to fuck you?” Darion asked.

Kale looked up at him with hunger in his eyes. “You know I do,”

he said. “You’re all I want; I’ve wanted nothing else since I first laid

eyes on you.”

Darion nodded and, in one fluid motion, slid inside of Kale’s ass-

hole. Kale was already ready for him, and they fit together so well.

Darion took hold of Kale’s legs, pulling him closer so that he could

slide into him. Kale moaned and clutched at his cock, but Darion

pushed his hands away.

“No,” Darion said. “I want to make you come.”

Moving inside of Kale, Darion let their bodies find a natural

rhythm together. Kale moaned with each thrust, widening his legs so

that Darion could plunge even deeper inside of him.

Soon, Darion’s movements were stronger, forceful. All that could

be heard in the small nest of rooms were their wordless sounds and

the noise of skin slapping skin. As Kale moaned once more, Darion

leaned down and kissed him, taking the sound into his mouth, tasting

him.

As his thrusts gained speed, he got closer to the edge. Kale reached

for his cock, but Darion pushed his hands away once more. “No,” he

Jamieson Wolf

said, and began to work Kale’s dick, stroking it in time to each of his

movements. Kale began to cry out loudly underneath him, and Dari-

on knew that he was close.

“Come for me,” Darion said. “I want to see you shoot your load. I

want you to come for me.”

Kale needed no further prodding. He came in jets of cum that

splashed over Darion’s chest and stomach. As Kale came, his asshole

clenched around his dick, Darion came as well, filling his lover with

spurt after spurt of warmth.

Collapsing on top of Kale, Darion breathed in his lover’s scent,

noticing that their two Shadows were also entwined in an embrace.

This happened when two Reapers claimed each other. As they be-

came one, so did their Shadows on occasion.

Darion gently pulled his cock out of Kale’s asshole and lay down

beside him. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.

“Why are you sorry?”

“I keep meaning to take my time with you, to take it slow, but you

stir something up in me and I have to have all of you at once.”

Kale smiled at him, and it was like a light in the darkness. “Don’t

worry,” he said. “We have all the time in the world for that.”

Darion leaned down to kiss Kale again when there was a knock

at the door.

Chapter Twelve

Darion and Kale both turned to the sound at the door. A look of

panic was written on Kale’s face. “Who else knows about this hide-

out?” he asked.

“No one.”

“Then who’s knocking?”

“I don’t know,” Darion whispered.

“Should you answer it?” The fear in Kale’s voice made Darion

want to wrap his arms around his lover protectively. Even their Shad-

ows had moved toward the back of the bedroom in order to be closer

to their masters.

In response to Kale’s question, there was another knock on the

door. “Darion Muerte,” a voice said. “I know you are in there. You

will answer this door.”

Darion shivered at the voice. “Shit,” he said. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“What?” Kale asked. “What is it?”

Darion grimaced. “Nothing good.”

Jamieson Wolf

He stood, still naked, and went to the door. When he pulled it

open there was a bright light that blinded him for a moment. His vi-

sion cleared as it faded and Death stood there, his arms crossed over

his chest.

“Having a little loveplay, are we?” Death asked. He reached out

with one pale finger and ran it through the splatters of Kale’s cum that

glittered along his chest and stomach. Death sucked the cum off of his

finger and grinned. “Mmmm, he tastes delicious. Is he here?”

“This isn’t a good time,” Darion said softly.

Death smiled and walked into the small flat, closing the door be-

hind him. “It’s never a good time with you, but in this case, you’re

especially right. Time is on the rag again.” Death sighed. “She really

needs to get a hobby. Looking at hourglasses all the time could give

anyone the grumps.”

Walking into the bedroom, Death looked at Kale, who still lay na-

ked on the bed. “Oh, but you are a scrumptious one. I’m Death. I can

see why Darion likes you.” Death sniffed the air, much as a dog might

when sussing out a scent. “He’s claimed you.” It was not a question.

“Yes,” Kale said. He wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to

say. The man didn’t look like Death, or not as Kale pictured Death.

Instead, what stood before him was a tall man wearing a pale gray

dress jacket, a white shirt opened at the collar, and a pair of dark blue

jeans capped off with black leather boots. He regarded Kale with dark

eyes and an easy grin. Blond hair that shone like spun gold hung to

his shoulders in loose curls.

Death smiled at him. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t look

like Death, right?”

Kale nodded slowly. “Yes, how did you know?”

“We’re linked now, you and I,” Death said. “I can hear all my

Reapers when I’m close to them.”

Kale paled visibly, and Death let out a loud bark of a laugh. “Oh,

I’m just kidding. I can’t really hear your thoughts, but I do get told I

don’t look like the Grim Reaper all the time. It’s the first thing every-

one tells me.”

“Oh.” Kale relaxed. Though this was Death, The Death, there was

a natural charm to him that put Kale at ease. Darion, on the other

hand, was standing rigidly.

“What do you want?” Darion asked. There was no warmth in his

tone.

Reaping Shadows

Death turned to him. “Really, Darion. Where’s your sense of hu-

mor? Must you always be such a Grumpy Gus all the time?”

“You know why I’m not happy,” Darion said. “I asked you for

some time off, for two measly weeks of vacation.”

Death shook his head. “Balance must always be maintained. Be-

sides, you’re my best Reaper! Where would I be if I didn’t have you?”

He patted the bed next to Kale. “We have bigger issues on our hands

right now, that’s why I’m here.”

Darion sat beside Kale and they both watched as Death waved his

hand in a complicated gesture to make himself a chair out of smoke.

Sitting, he crossed his legs and leaned in closer. “We have a little prob-

lem,” Death said.

“What is it?” Darion asked.

“The Brothers want your soul,” Death said.

Chapter Thirteen

Darion experienced a shock not unlike being punched in the

stomach. “They want my soul?” he whispered.

Death gave him a roguish grin. “Oh, don’t look so worried!”

Death said. “I’m not about to give up the soul of my best Reaper, am

I?” He turned his twinkling gaze on Kale. “Especially so soon after

you’ve found love.”

“Then what do you want?” Darion asked. “What do we have to

do?”

“Well, the Brothers Grimm are pretty upset, but I’ve managed to

strike a bargain with them. If Kale can Reap five souls, they will spare

both of you.”

Darion paled. “But he’s inexperienced. He’s only just become im-

mortal. He has no inkling of how to use his magic!”

Death rose and patted Darion on the shoulder. “Then you’ll have

to teach him quickly, won’t you?” He grinned. “Besides, it wouldn’t

Reaping Shadows

be fun without a little risk. Oh, and speaking of risk,” Death’s grin

widened further. “The Brothers Grimm will still be after you.”

“What?” Fury bloomed on Darion’s face. “I thought you said that

all Kale had to do was claim five souls.”

“Yes, but that’s a little too easy, isn’t it? I mean, he’ll have you to

aid him track the souls and show him how to use his Shadow. Why,

with your help, he would have the souls collected within an hour.

What would be the sport in that?” He walked toward the door of the

small flat and looked back at them. “This is my final offer. Five souls

in three hours, or both your souls are forfeit.”

“Both our souls?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention that little tidbit?” Death put a finger to his

lips. “Oh, I suppose I didn’t. If Kale fails in his task, your soul belongs

to the Brothers Grimm. Kale’s soul, delicious as it is and filled with

light, will belong to me.”

Anger flashed in Darion’s eyes where fury had previously set.

“Don’t count on it,” he said. Darion’s voice was quiet, but the malice

in his words was clear.

Death regarded both of them from the doorway. “Then you both

have your work cut out for you, don’t you?” He put his hand on the

doorknob and paused to turn back one final time.

“I don’t wish to lose you. However, the balance must be held at all

times. You know the laws and rules that govern our people, but I will

not lose you to the darkness. I want you to win,” Death said.

He opened the door, and then there was another blinding flash of

light. “You have three hours.”

When the light was gone, Kale and Darion were left alone in the

darkness of shadows.

Chapter Fourteen

They dressed. Darion could see that Kale was shivering. It wasn’t

easy to meet Death at any time, and now his life was hanging in the

balance. He pulled Kale to him, Kale’s heart beating loudly in his

chest. “Don’t worry,” Darion said. “We can do this.”

“But how?” Kale’s voice was a whisper. “I don’t know how to

reap a Shadow or a soul. How can I kill five people with the Brothers

Grimm after us and Death wanting my soul?”

“Oh, Death wouldn’t kill you.”

“No?”

“No, it’d be much worse. You’d become his, he’d own you and

your soul, and would never let you die.”

Kale shivered. “I don’t want that to happen,” he said.

“It won’t,” Darion said. “I won’t allow it.” He took Kale’s hands.

“Come on, you’ve much to learn in a short time.”

They left the two-room flat. Darion stood in front of the door and

took Kale’s right hand in his left. “The first thing you need to know

Reaping Shadows

is that your Shadow can sense the dying. It can also take you to them

instantly. Close your eyes and listen to the thrum of your Shadow.

When they are open, we will be where we need to be.”

“You mean where there are people who are dying?”

“Precisely.”

“I hope it’s not a hospital,” Kale said. “I hate hospitals.”

“I’ve never taken a soul from a hospital,” Kale said. “Only Angels

can take from places of care and comfort. We take from the streets

where the cold and dark rule.”

“There are Angels?” Kale sounded shocked.

“You’re surprised? You’re now a death and you’re shocked that

there are such things that exist like Angels?”

Kale nodded. “I see your point.”

“Now, close your eyes and try to listen to your Shadow. Let it

guide you the way it needs to go. You have to trust it completely, for

it will never lead you astray.”

Kale shivered again. “I’m so afraid.”

“You don’t have to be afraid when I am with you,” Darion said.

“Ask your Shadow to take you to where there are the most souls to

gather.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Of course you can,” Darion said. “I believe in you.” He shrugged.

“Aside from that, we don’t have a choice.”

Kale nodded and closed his eyes. He let himself flow into his

Shadow, let his Shadow suss out where they needed to go. He expe-

rienced a heady sensation, as if his body were floating apart particle

by particle...

Then there was nothing but blackness.

Chapter Fifteen

When the blackness receded, they were standing in the middle of

a part of town Kale had never been to, but he recognized it instantly.

He drove by it every day on the subway on the way to work.

This was where those who had nothing left to lose came to reside.

Their Shadows moved around them, twisting and turning as if

blown by a quickened breeze. “How do I know whose soul to take?”

Kale asked.

“You have to let your Shadow guide you. They are intuitive and

will lead you to the person whose soul you need to reap.”

“But aren’t we killing people?” Kale asked.

Darion shook his head. “No, we’re gifting those who wish to die

with death. It’s always been this way. An Angel might be able to give

the gift of life, but we gift death instead.”

“How do I let my Shadow choose?”

Reaping Shadows

“Give it a command. I whistle with mine, but you’re inexperi-

enced. Just think what you what your Shadow to do, project your

thoughts, and it will do the rest.”

Kale nodded, his skin covered in perspiration but his eyes bright.

Closing them, he concentrated hard: Take me to one who’s about to

pass on.

There was an answering sound in the wind, and Kale realized

the sound was coming from his Shadow. It was a low and harmoni-

ous song that sent shivers running down Kale’s spine. It was like his

Shadow was singing. “What is that?”

“The death song,” Darion said. Further explanation was not need-

ed. Kale knew without being told that he had to follow the sound and

song of his Shadow, and then he’d find his soul waiting for him.

Darion took hold of Kale’s hand as they chased after Kale’s Shad-

ow. Darion’s own Shadow knew that it couldn’t lend assistance, so it

stayed behind them to bring up the rear.

They followed Kale’s Shadow through alleys and passageways,

finally coming upon the back alley of a warehouse. Kale could feel the

life force of the soul he was to collect as if it pulsed in the air in front

of him. He looked around and saw only debris and garbage. But he

looked again, a sound drawing his gaze. What he’d mistaken to be a

pile of garbage was really a man dressed in clothes so dirty and worn

that they were bleached of all color.

The man looked up at his approach. Though his eyes were milky

white with blindness, he looked directly at Kale. “So,” he said, his

voice gruff from drink and smoke. “You’ve come for me at last.”

Chapter Sixteen

Kale approached the man slowly. “You can see me?”

“Of course I can.”

“How can you when you’re blind?”

“Even blind, I can recognize death when I see it.” The man paused,

his words coming with difficulty. Kale could hear the man’s heartbeat

slow down. “You are him, aren’t you?”

Kale nodded. “Yes,” he said. “Sort of.”

“Well, sort of or not, good,” the man said. “Let’s get this over

with.”

“How can death be good?” Kale asked the man. “You want to

die?”

The older man laughed. “Sonny, I’ve been waiting to die for years.

It’s about time you found me.” He coughed, and Kale saw blood splat-

ter the ground. The man truly didn’t have long to live. “Do it now,” he

said. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Reaping Shadows

Kale nodded again and turned to Darion. “What do I do?” he

asked.

“Breathe him into you, into your Shadow. As well as finding the

souls, the Shadow is the carrier of them.”

“How?” Tears streaked down Kale’s face, but he made no move

to wipe them away.

“Just breathe in, using your Shadow as a filter. It will take hold of

the soul, leaving the body behind.”

Kale nodded and breathed in. As he did so, a glow graced his

skin. Its blue light lit up the alleyway, and the air around them began

to crackle with magic. Kale sensed the man’s soul leaving his body,

could almost taste the lightness of it, and wondered how something

so insubstantial could give so much life to a human body.

The glow increased as Kale pulled with his own soul, with his

breath, and took the old man’s soul into his Shadow. There was a brief,

blinding flash and the older man slumped over against the Dumpster,

his body no longer housing a soul.

Kale could sense the man’s life force within his Shadow, and the

Shadow had taken on more form. “I can feel him there,” Kale said. “Is

it always like this?”

Darion nodded. “Yes. The Shadow will grow stronger and your

magic will prosper as well with each soul you take.”

“But, I can sense him within my Shadow.”

“Yes. In this way, there is balance; the dead will not be forgotten.”

“It’s too bad that you will soon join him,” a voice said from be-

hind them.

They turned and saw three beings step out of the shadows. A

shiver ran down Darion’s spine.

The Brothers Grimm had found them.

Chapter Seventeen

A look of anger flashed in Darion’s eyes. “We have three hours to

collect the five souls,” he said.

“Ah,” said the first Brother. “But Death did warn you that we’d

still be after you, did he not?”

“And did you really expect us to let you succeed?” the second

Brother demanded.

“After all, your soul has burned bright for so very long,” the third

Brother added. “We have thirsted for you for some time, and now

we’ll have our taste of it.”

“You never intended for Kale to succeed at all, did you?” Darion

asked. “You never expected us to win.”

The first Brother smiled, its shadowy form rippled as if in a chuck-

le. “True. We never thought he’d learn to take one soul so quickly.”

“You must know how fruitless it would be to fight us at this stage

of the game,” the second Brother said. “You disturbed the balance,

and now we’ll have both of you.”

Reaping Shadows

“I won’t let you win,” Darion said.

“Oh, I think we already have,” the third Brother said. “Really,

what is there that you can do?” He looked up at the sky above them.

“Besides, all this talk has cost you time. Your three hours is almost up

anyway.”

“We still have two and a half hours,” Darion said.

“Ah, but time is relative in Shadows, in the darkness. Each time

you travel through your Shadow, you bend time. We can bend time to

our will. There is only a matter of minutes left,” the first Brother said.

“You stole time from us?” Darion’s voice was full of shock. “You

can’t do that.”

The second Brother smiled. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“There is no way you can win this,” the first Brother said.

“There is,” Darion barked. He grabbed Kale’s hand and concen-

trated, sending his thoughts directly into Kale’s mind.

Kale? Can you hear me?

Yes. How is this possible?

We are mated, and therefore linked. We can communicate in ways

the others can’t.

What are we going to do?

You have to take their souls.

The Brothers? Are you crazy?

It’s the only way to end this. They’re the ones who want to right the

disturbance; they’ll be the ones to pay the price.

I can’t do this alone.

Don’t worry. I will help you.

But they said you couldn’t help me!

Ah, they said that I couldn’t help you collect other souls. They never

said anything about collecting their own.

Darion squeezed Kale’s hand harder. Are you ready?

Kale nodded. Yes, he thought. Ready when you are.

Chapter Eighteen

With their hands joined tightly, Kale experienced a rush of magic

unlike any he’d experienced previously.

The Brothers Grimm realized something was wrong as Kale and

Darion’s Shadows began to move toward them. Swirling around

them, the Shadows captured the Brothers in a prison of air and smoke.

“What are you doing?” the first Brother said. There was a note of

panic in his voice.

“You can’t do this.” The second Brother could feel the pull of

magic.

“It goes against all rules and regulations for our kind.”

“We’re magic,” Darion said. “There are no rules and regulations,

no laws that we must follow.” His voice was strained with concentra-

tion. “You twisted the rules to suit yourself, now we will do the same.”

Though Darion pulled with all of his might, the Brothers still re-

sisted. He turned to look at his lover. “Kale, you have to pull into your

Shadow.”

Reaping Shadows

“I am,” Kale said, his voice strained with effort.

“Then you have to try harder. You have to reach into yourself and

find the strength that I know you have.” He smiled at his lover. “I

believe in you.”

Kale made no reply except to nod, and he closed his eyes. He kept

his hand clasped with Darion’s, and Darion felt the magic inside of

Kale increase. The blue glow returned to his skin, and Darion watched

as Kale’s Shadow began to move and writhe as if dancing to a beat

only it could hear.

The air around them crackled with electricity, and when Kale

opened his eyes, there was lightning in them. The Brothers cowered

before him. “This isn’t possible,” the first Brother said.

“This cannot happen,” the second uttered.

“It will not happen,” the third Brother moaned.

Kale smiled coldly at them. “It is, it can, and it will,” he said.

Darion watched as Kale seemed to pull magic from inside of him.

He gave it life in the air in the form of the crackling lightning that

lit the alleyway and then pulled it back inside of himself. The Broth-

ers came with it. When he breathed out again, Darion watched as the

darkness of the Brothers joined Kale’s Shadow, strengthened by the

souls of the Brothers Grimm.

When the flashes of light stopped, there was silence. Darion let go

of Kale’s hand. “You did it,” he said. “You really did it.”

“Oh, but he didn’t quite do it, now did he?” a voice said behind

them. They turned to see Death stalk toward them, the shadows from

the alleyway folding over him like a cloak. “The three hours are al-

most up, and you only have four souls.”

“But—” Darion said.

Death shook his head. “Those were the rules. I’ll miss the Brothers

Grimm. This will mean that I will have to pay more attention rather

than let them be my henchmen. You are still one soul short, Kale, and

you only have a few minutes to spare. What are you going to do?”

The words were out of Darion’s mouth before he could stop them.

“Take mine,” he said. “Take my soul.”

Chapter Nineteen

Kale looked at Darion, who had tears streaming down his face.

“What?” he asked, the word a whisper. “What do you mean, take

your soul? I can’t do that.”

“Would you rather be a plaything for Death?” Darion spat. “It’s

the only way.”

“Oh, there are other ways,” Death said. “But he’s right. I tend not

to treat my playthings very nicely.” He shrugged at Kale’s shocked

look. “I am Death, you know, I do have a reputation to uphold.”

“Do it,” Darion said. “Take my soul, and you’ll be free.”

“I can’t,” Kale said. “I can’t do that.”

“You’ll forget about me and find someone else to love you.”

Kale shook his head. “There will be no one else.”

Death made a soft sound. “This is all so touching, but time is tick-

ing away, as it always does. Choose.”

Darion looked into Kale’s eyes. “Do it. Do it, and you will be free.

It’s the only way, Kale.”

Reaping Shadows

Kale nodded, a sob breaking through his lips. He closed his eyes

and pulled with his magic, tugged with his Shadow, reaping a soul

that he had no wish to reap.

There was a soft sighing sound from his Shadow and Kale opened

his eyes, knowing that Darion would no longer be there. Where his

lover had stood, there was only empty air.

Darion was gone.

With a broken heart, Kale looked at Death. Death smiled and

looked at his watch. “You did it on time, so you’re free to go, though

you must still reap souls to maintain the balance.”

Kale nodded.

“You can, of course, take a week off. I am not a monster. I under-

stand the pain of a broken heart.”

“You understand nothing.”

Death shrugged. “Perhaps. But you can still have the week. Then

I will find you to give you your assignment.”

With that, Death walked back into the darkness and disappeared

as if he’d never been there in the first place. Kale’s Shadow let out

a low moan that was echoed only by the emptiness inside of Kale’s

heart.

He made his way home, sticking to the darkness, letting his Shad-

ow guide him.

Epilogue

Kale woke the next morning with no memory of how he got home

in the first place. His Shadow sat on the edge of his bed, rolled into a

ball. Without thinking, Kale reached out and touched it. The Shadow

made a sighing sound that was not unlike the purr of a cat.

How is it that his life could have changed so completely in one

day? That his heart could be given and broken in so little time? The

sun that streamed through his window did little to warm him. Instead,

he closed his eyes and let the tears fall. They fell onto his Shadow, slip-

ping into its darkness.

“I love you, Darion,” Kale said out loud. “I will always love you.”

“I love you too,” a voice said.

Kale knew that voice. Darion’s voice.

Kale opened his eyes and his heart gave a leap when he saw Dar-

ion standing there in front of him, completely whole, completely real.

“How?” Kale whispered. It was all he could utter.

Reaping Shadows

“Tears have remarkable healing powers, did you know that? So

does love. Even inside your Shadow I could feel your love for me.” He

came toward Kale and sat on the edge of the bed.

“But I took your soul,” Kale said. “I know I did, I felt it. Death let

me live. How can you be here?”

“There are no rules to immortality, remember? Besides, not even

Death can stop true love.”

Darion leaned forward and kissed him, and Kale’s heart mended

itself in an instant. Suddenly, the light streaming into his room seemed

brighter, bright enough to chase away even the darkest of shadows...

Biography

Jamieson has been writing since a young age, when he realized

he could be writing instead of paying attention in school. Since then,

he has created many worlds in which to live his fantasies and live out

his dreams.

He is a number one, bestselling author of many works (he likes to

tell people that a lot) and doesn’t mind the shadows (too much).

He currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, with his cat, Mave, who

thinks she’s a person.

Visit Jamieson at www.jamiesonwolf.com.