Chapter Peter
PETER
TWO YEARS LATER
“We want you to come back,” Gregory said.
Peter hadn’t been back in Purgatory for well over a year.
After joining the Expired Collections Division, he’d been tracking disturbed souls around the world to keep away from Foxford.
Working with the ECD on top of working assignments, he was setting new collection records.
He’d thought he would be left alone, only to receive an official summons he couldn’t refuse.
He had been chilling in a hammock in Honolulu with Scarlett, catching fish, when a Grim Reaper had appeared and informed him that he had twenty-four hours to return to Purgatory.
Since he wanted to remain on the higher-ups’ good side, he’d done as he was told, hoping to get in and out as fast as possible. He didn’t want to leave the beach and sun for the grey offices, but hopefully showing his face would earn him some more free time.
“Come back? Why? I prefer to be out in the field solving cases,” he told Gregory, who was now Chief Reaper.
Opting to transition to worldwide collections, Peter had filled his remaining quota of five thousand souls in two years instead of ten; he had every right to pick his assignments now that his sentence was over.
He’d been through enough heartbreak, and now he liked to focus his attention on souls causing trouble or harm to others. Those who didn’t want to pass over.
“Your results are impressive, but we’re short on senior Reapers, and we want you to train a new rookie,” Gregory said.
Peter ran his hands through his hair, unable to believe what he was hearing.
“I told you a few months ago that I’ve no interest in training anyone.
I work alone, and we agreed that if I kept up with results and I didn’t cause trouble, you would leave me alone to work!
” He didn’t want to be roped back in, and he didn’t want to go back to Foxford.
He missed his family, but he wasn’t ready to go back and didn’t know if he ever would be.
He had failed everyone he loved, and everyone who loved her.
“I was hoping that after so much time had passed—”
“What else do you want from me? I’ve worked on half a dozen cases bringing down poltergeists and cleared over forty hauntings this quarter, including buildings with multiple spirit occupancy.
I even managed to work with the Order’s Hunters to end three possessions.
I’d say I’ve earned some rest and recuperation. ”
“This assignment isn’t a punishment. It’s because we’re impressed with your work that you’re being promoted to mentor. Do one job for me, and if you hate it, then you can go back to roaming the globe, taking down things that go bump in the night.”
“Just bring me their file,” Peter conceded, wanting to get it over with so he could get back to his beach house and Scarlett – before she tore the cupboards apart looking for treats again. “I thought you had to be working far longer before mentorship.”
“You were personally requested. Due to your impressive recent work, and given your wide range of experience, the higher-ups approved you being placed with a rookie. I also have faith in you. You can still go about your role, but you’ll need to bring the trainee with you.
We don’t usually allow them to help with hauntings, possession and more dangerous, stronger spirits, but I’m sure you could help them navigate the deep end,” Gregory said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t want to be responsible for another soul.” Peter didn’t think he would ever be ready to look out for anyone else. There was a special close bond between mentor and mentee, and training wasn’t risk-free.
“Don’t make this difficult for me. I already filled out the paperwork. Give the poor soul a month, and if you can’t stand each other, then fob her off on someone else.”
“Fine, one month – but if she can’t handle the hard cases, I’m shipping her right back,” Peter threatened.
“She’s in the cloakroom getting her robes and credentials. She has already served her time in the mailroom and, like you, we believe she has great potential,” Gregory explained.
“You want me to start now?”
“No time like the present, and she’s eager to meet her mentor.”
“Great.” Peter rose from the chair and started for the door.
Down the hall, passing some other recruits, he stopped suddenly when he noticed his name on a door. Peter Matherson, Junior Mentor. The office was unnecessary, and he planned on using it as little as possible.
Spotting the file in the cubby hole outside the door, he grabbed it and turned straight to the soul’s personality test and performance assessment. She hadn’t been dead long, so she was moving up the ranks quickly. He opened the door to the office, not wanting to waste any time.
“Let’s skip the pleasantries,” he announced, still scanning her results.
“I’m Peter Matherson, and I’ll be your mentor for the foreseeable future.
Follow my rules, and we should get along just fine.
You’ve risen in the ranks quickly, which is impressive, but nothing will prepare you for returning to the outside world.
There are no stupid questions, and I’d rather you ask than get yourself and anyone else in trouble.
We might be dead, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get hurt or hurt those around us.
” It was the same spiel Gregory had given him on his first day.
He tossed her folder on the table and sat down. “Speaking of, do you have any questions for me before we get going?” By now Scarlett was probably deep into his private snack stash.
“After so much time, I was expecting a warmer welcome…”
The voice sent a chill down his spine. Peter looked up from the folder. Faye.
He stilled, clutching the file so tightly that the paper wrinkled in his hand. Gone were her scars, the blood and pain etched into her expression. She was whole again, perfect as she ever had been, wearing a black suit. Her auburn hair fell down her back and was tucked behind her ears.
Words caught in his throat as he stared at her. He was too afraid to blink in case she disappeared. This couldn’t be real. He didn’t sleep, but he was positive he was dreaming.
“How… I don’t…” Peter stammered, suddenly in desperate need of some air. He didn’t realise he was standing until she did the same.
“I made a choice,” she said. Her voice was music to his ears. He’d never thought he would hear it again.
He shook his head and crossed the room, halting a step away from her.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” she asked playfully. “I was at least expecting a smile, a hug – something.”
“I’m afraid if I blink, if I touch you, you’ll disappear,” Peter told her. “My soul will split into a million pieces if I lose you again.”
“Then it’s a good thing that you’re stuck with me.” She reached out and rested her hands on his chest. The electricity running through them felt like it would be enough to restart his heart.
He wrapped his arms around her. She was warm and melted into his embrace.
“Are you real?” He squeezed her tighter. “You can’t be real.” He couldn’t move or breathe. “Why would you choose this life?” As much as he’d wanted to see her, to hold her, the thought of her being at peace had brought him some hope.
“It was easy,” she said, staring up at him. It took all his strength to step back.
Faye drew closer to him. “You said you would be with me in this life and the next. I was only helping you fulfil your promise.”
“You’re real.” He let out a long exhalation as he rested his hands over hers.
“Very much so.” She smiled, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. You weren’t lying when you said how mundane the mailroom was—”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her until he didn’t care if the world crumbled around them.
“Now, that’s the welcome I was expecting.” She broke away from him with a chuckle, cheeks flushed.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry that this is the life or death you had to settle for,” he said, vowing silently never to let her go again. He rested his forehead against hers, so happy he was terrified this moment would end.
“You saved me more than you could ever know,” Faye said, brushing away the tears from his eyes. “I got to live my life the way I wanted, and even if it was for a short time, it was more time than I ever thought I would get.”
“Losing you nearly killed me. I tried to get to you…”
“Gregory told me. I was terrified you were going to get yourself destroyed before I got back to you.” She laughed, resting against his chest.
“I died again that day in your apartment, seeing you—” The memory still cut, even with her right in front of him. “When you said on the recording your story was over—” He couldn’t finish the thought.
“Then let’s start fresh, just the two of us.” She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile so dangerous he wanted to steal her away and never come back.
“A new chapter,” he sighed. He was never going to take another day of their eternity together for granted.
“Our chapter!” Faye agreed.