Killing Me Softly (Reaper Romance)

Chapter Seven: Eye of the Divine

Micah quietly walked up to the monstrosity of a screen, feeling dwarfed by both its palpable energy and size.

For a moment, he questioned his existence there. Wondering why he felt so compelled to learn more of this mortal who's been more trouble than she's worth. A mortal who's found herself on The Angel of Death's shit list and doesn't seem to care.  It could be nothing, but an aching suspicion within him felt that the secret to why was in her past.

Micah looked up and finally broke the silence. "Life of Briseis Devareaux. Birthdate, January 27th, 1990 A.D."

Suddenly the screen flickered and an image of Briseis popped up on the screen.  It was a clip that first started with an image of a newborn Briseis crying, being swaddled by a nurse and handed to her tired mother.  Then it changed to an older teenage image of a taller Briseis, hitting a softball. Then finally, the clip segued to the current image of her in her EMT uniform. Her long chestnut hair tied in a big bun and her bright rare eyes peering right at him. He knew that behind them lied the reason she felt that necromancy was a gift, not a curse. As Micah continued to stare, he realized her date, Mr. Clueless was right. 

They were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.

He cleared his throat. "Um. Take me to  Azrael's charge. Necromancy, first offense."

The image clip was wiped away and with a flicker, a playback of the event at the church when Briseis was thirteen years old. Micah watched as the children poked and prodded the dead cat, and a distraught Briseis with wavy hair and teary eyes cradle the cat in her arms like an infant.  Her caring hands lightly touched the cat and in looking into Briseis' eyes he saw an overwhelming sense of hope within her. Like she wanted so much for that cat to live, that she triggered the power of necromancy inside her to bring the cat back to life. Micah stood quiet as he focused on the amazement and joy on her face. Such a feeling of elation, Micah for a moment wondered what it was like to feel that empowered.  To want something so much, that a power within makes it happen? It was then, he recognized the brown tabby as her pet, Osiris. The cat who hated his guts. He snapped out of the thought as the incident moved to Briseis' mother, Tara, snatching her up and dragging her home.

Curious, he watched on as Tara warned Briseis not to do such things, and that it was against nature. She revealed that they were witches, natural witches and they needed to remain secret. And bearing almost the same look she had when challenging Micah in the garage, she also had challenging her mother. 

"No! I saved it! I didn't do anything wrong mama. You told me the Lord loves good deeds, and I have a gift to do good deeds! You can't stop me from helping!"

The fiery spirit in her was already there and even then, she strongly believed that because she had the gift, it was her duty to use it.  But her mother was clearly against it. Micah pondered the thought as he remembered that Briseis mother had died. The one person who knew what she was and tried to deter her from necromancy.

Micah talked to the Eye of the Divine. "Take me to Tara Elisa Devareaux's death."

The screen flickered again and the slate on the screen showed they only went in two years later in 2005. The date was August 29th and it hit Micah like a freight train.  He was all too familiar with that date and its significance in New Orleans.  

He watched the screen as it showed horrendous winds and torrential rains as Hurricane Katrina hit land. Briseis and her mother, Tara were staying with an elderly woman named Elisa Papillion.  She was too ill to stand in the lines at the Superdome, where they were all originally were headed, so they decided to stay with Miss Papillion through the night to look after her and planned to try to go back to the Superdome in the morning, or just wait it out. Micah as many other reapers knew that for many, morning will not be waiting for them.