Death's Daughter

Chapter nine: The real monsters

I storm down the corridor and hear the sound of a door opening behind me.
"Raven come back!" I hear Luke shouting.

"No!" I say stubbornly walking down the stairs. I hear the door slam and the sound of footsteps running after me.

"Raven please!" He grabs my shoulder and turns me so that I'm facing him.
I cross my arms over my chest and glare into his blue eyes.
"Leo will kill me if you run off" he says catching his breath. What did he just say?

"I'm sorry are you only running after me so that Leo doesn't kill you?"

"No I...it's not like that!" He says, stuttering.

"It's not like that, seriously? You could have fooled me!!" I say turning around to walk down the stairs.

"Raven please, there's something about you...and I don't understand what it is but...I want to know more"
I turn around slowly and look into his sorrowful eyes.

"I feel the same way" I mutter looking down. Luke smiles at me.

"Why don't we learn together then?" He asks me hopefully. I nod.

"I suppose so"

"Great, let's head back and finish breakfast" he says, turning around back towards the apartment. Just as I'm about to follow him, I sense an unknown presence nearby, now I shouldn't be able to sense this presence but it's cold which means a ghost is nearby.

"Yeah you go ahead, I'll catch up"
Luke shrugs.

"It's up to you" he says walking back to his apartment. I turn around and scan the corridor behind me. Nothing's there. As I turn back around I come face to face with a ghost that looks exactly like Ally.

"Ally?" I say staring into her blue eyes. The ghost simply shakes her head.

"I am not Ally, my name is Lillian"
I could have sworn that name sounds familiar. Is she the late vampire queen?

"Listen I don't have anything to make you alive again. I take lives not give them" and even now I can't do that..

"I know" she says smiling as she raises her soft palm up with a red orb glowing in her hand.
"These belong to you" she says motioning for me to take them.

"What are they?" I ask.

"Your powers" she says smiling.
I take a step towards them and firmly grab the orb into my hands.
"Smash the orb and your powers will be returned"

"Thank you" I whisper. She nods and disappears before I can say any more.
I never got to ask how she got my powers.

As I raise my hands in the air ready to smash the orb, a pair of strong hands grab onto my arms, not letting me drop the red orb.
"Let me go!" I say through gritted teeth.

"Poor little reaper, you're helpless without your powers."
One of his hands lets go of my arm and takes the orb out of my grasp.
I snicker at the poor attempt of stealing my powers, once a power orb is broken the powers immediately return to their owners.

"You won't be able to keep my powers. Once that orb smashes they will return to me"

"Yes but at the moment you don't have them so it makes kidnapping you a whole lot easier"

Now that I concentrate on his voice, it sounds familiar. His husky Scottish accent, the way he speaks. It sounds like a shape shifter I once crossed paths with.
"Shapeshifter?" I say in disbelief. He chuckles at my remark.

"Smart lass, I'm surprised you remember me" His tone starts to change.
"The names jack" he says in an Scottish accent.

"You're a shape shifter!" I say struggling against his hold.

"Aye lass, that I am and you are going to help me kill someone"
Just as I'm about to retaliate, Jack covers my mouth with a cloth and I stupidly breathe in the fumes and feel my eyes slowly start to close. The last thing I heard was the sound of someone shouting my name. It was Luke.

"Jack are you sure she's a reaper?"

"Do you dare question me?"
I hear voices in front of me but my eyelids feel too heavy to move.

"No sir it's just...reapers can't love"

"Don't you think I know that!" The shapeshifter beamed.

"So why did you bring her lover sir?"
Lover? Does he mean Luke? Luke's here!!

"Shut up Elf!"
So the henchmen is an elf.
"He's not her lover" that ain't a lie.

"But she's a princess"
God I hate being called a princess..

"And I'm assuming this is her body guard or something.."
I'm quite glad shape shifters are this stupid otherwise he'd figure out who Luke is and that's not an option at this point in time. I need to find out how I can get his soul otherwise there is going to be some tough competition heading my way. And as a reaper, I hate losing.
All of a sudden I manage to open my eye lids and there next to me is Luke, laying unconscious. I suddenly get an urge to punch that sly shapeshifter. But why? I don't have feelings for Luke, I can't I'm a reaper...but then again I'm not one now am I?
I look away to find Jack staring right at me.

"Well then your awake lass, mind telling me who your bodyguard here is?"

"He's not my bodyguard, I don't need protecting by anyone!" I spit glaring into his green eyes. He holds his hands up in surrender.

"Alright lassie calm down do you want your powers or not?" He says motioning to the red orb on the shelf behind him. I sheepishly nod.
"Good, then you will kill one person for me" he says smiling sinisterly.

"You're a shapeshifter, why can't you kill him yourself? You're practically the King of deceit!"

"Aye you're right there but this ones an immortal and he's been messing with me for far too long. Only a reaper of high class like you can kill him"

"And how much of a problem is he?"

"You tell me, he's sitting right there!"
At that moment I turn to see where he's pointing and realise it's at Luke.

"But Luke's not immortal!" I say.

"Raven, haven't you already tried taking his soul?" Jack asks me. I'm astonished he knew.

"Well yes but how did you-"

"You were trying to take his soul as a human instead of an immortal which is why it didn't work. He has been cheating death for far too long now. And considering you don't have feelings for him. It should be a win win correct? You get the soul of a nuisance and I get rid of a problem. Have we got a deal?"

I stare deeply into the dark green pools before me. Just moments ago I wanted to punch him for tying Luke up and now he expects me to kill him? I am soon disrupted from my thoughts as a loud smash hits the ground. Red smoke surrounds my body and I can feel my powers coming back. All my feelings for Luke are gone. Instead they are filled with hatred. The hatred of an immortal. The best souls to collect, no wonder I couldn't kill him! Jack smiles as he sees me in my true form. In my black robe and long, obsidian hair. He hands me my ruby scythe and I swing it down.