Broken
What feels like hours later, I’m staring out a third-story window, overlooking a beautifully sculpted garden, watching a hummingbird hover over a bush full of vibrant red flowers. The color reminds me of Luke, and a pang of sadness washes over me.
I miss him.
Focusing on the bush, I almost miss the couple walking the path to the far left of the garden. Their backs are to me, but I know immediately that it’s River and Camille.
Her white-blond curls cascade down her back, blanketing the pale pink dress that swishes with every step she takes. She looks every bit a queen from this vantage point.
Polished. Prim. Majestic.
Her head turns toward River and her smile lights up. She’s practically beaming. It’s clear that the feelings River has for her aren’t one-sided.
“Oh, how fun future family events would be if I were forced to marry the man my mother is in love with.” I purse my lips.
A knock sounds on the door.
“Come in,” I call out, before thinking better of it.
I hadn’t considered that it could be someone other than River, even though it’s clearly not, since I’m looking at him across the garden. Although I’m not afraid of reapers, I’m not in a very social mood.
My time in Hell has caught up with me, and I’m exhausted. I half considered curling atop the king-sized bed and taking a nap, but my nerves won’t allow it.
I want to get this big reveal over with, shut down the incorrect assumption that I’m the reaper princess, and make my way back to Luke.
Multiple wars are approaching, from what I gleaned in Hell, and I’m needed on Earth to protect humanity. This little jaunt to Reaperville is merely a short detour.
The door cracks open and I’m semi-relieved to find Leeanna on the other side.
“Are you hungry? Catarine has shown me to a parlor where they have food ready.”
At the mention of food, my stomach growls loudly.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she says, lifting a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “They have pizza.”
She had me at pizza.
“I know it’s your favorite. We used to—”
I raise my hand to stop her. “No need to traipse down memory lane. I remember our past, and if I don’t get to food quickly, I might perish.”
She chuckles. “Glad to see nothing has changed where your eating habits are concerned.” Turning away, she heads down a hall and I follow, too hungry to stand around.
She wasn’t kidding. I enter the room to find a dining table full of fine china and pizzas topped with every combination of toppings one could imagine on a buffet against one wall.
Piling my plate with a stack of plain cheese, I grab the nearest seat and begin shoveling a slice into my mouth, moaning around my first bite. “So good,” I mumble.
“Dear God, help her not to choke. I’m ill-equipped to handle that today.”
I roll my eyes to the ceiling. “I see you’re still as dramatic as always.”
“More so, probably. It’s about the only thing that keeps me entertained these days.”
“I’d think your constant meddling on Earth would keep you more than busy.”
She chews on her cheek. “The creatures on Earth are doing a good job of slaughtering each other. Between the vampires’ and the witches’ internal wars, our services haven’t been required for much more than cleanup.”
I lift my eyes to her, taking another bite of pizza.
“Not exactly exhilarating.”
“You never have cared to get your hands dirty,” I quip.
Leeanna folds her arms on top of the table, leaning forward. “Can we have a serious discussion without the jabs, Victoria? You haven’t always been so juvenile.”
Schooling my features, I try not to react to her insult.
I make a show of wiping at the corner of my mouth with a white napkin, paying too much attention to the embroidered edging so as not to look at her.
When my eyes lift, Leeanna’s hard gaze causes me to squirm under the weight of it.
She’s always managed to set me on edge. Even before. She’s one of Heaven’s toughest warriors. I trained her, but she was obviously innately stronger. I’ve never admitted that, but we both know it to be true.
“What do you want from me, Lee?”
“Forgiveness.” She enunciates every syllable of the word.
It’s simple, yet so much. There was a lot of damage done, and I’ve thought our relationship irreparable due to it.
Peering at her now, I see the truth. She’s remorseful for her part in our fallout.
Perhaps it is time to let bygones be bygones.
She apologized and I said I forgave her. It’s time I walk the walk.
“You have it. I swear it.”
She knows I mean it and acknowledges so with a nod, followed by a genuine smile.
“There you are,” River says, stomping into the parlor like a bull in a china shop. “Ready? The queen has requested I bring you to her chambers.”
“Her chambers? As in, her bedroom?”
Lee and I share an alarmed glance.
He shrugs. “That’s where she wants to meet you. I don’t ask questions, Victoria.”
“Are you going to stay in there with us?”
“Do you want me to?” He seems surprised by my request.
I don’t know what it matters. I don’t require a babysitter, but if I’m being honest with myself, I really don’t want to be alone with the queen. I didn’t even know she existed until recently, and I don’t know a thing about her.
It’s not that I’m scared. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.
It’s mostly due to my lack of understanding about their customs. I still know very little about the reapers in general.
There’s a childish part of me that has some warped need to not mess up.
To not offend the queen in some manner all because I’m naive.
As tough as I am, I can admit that there’s a lot I don’t know.
“I’d like you to stay.”
He nods. “Let’s go. She’s waiting.”
I offer a slight wave to Lee, who widens her eyes in a good luck with that expression. “See you later, Vic,” she says, as River escorts me from the room.
The inside of the castle is just as impressive as the outside. Marble floors, covered only by luxurious rugs to pad our footsteps, run throughout the entire palace. White marble columns act as the only divide from one room to the next outside of the bedrooms, from what I’ve seen.
Beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging from the ornate ceilings sparkle overhead, and I have a hard time pulling my eyes away.
“It’s definitely over the top,” River says, grabbing my shoulders to steer me away from the column I just about ran into headfirst.
“Oh, shit. I was … a bit distracted. This place is incredible.”
“Camille loves shiny things.”
“Will you tell me a little bit about her? Something other than how wonderful, smart, and gorgeous she is?” I smirk at River’s annoyed expression.
“She’s a warrior. You may not realize it by looking at her, but she’s fierce. She was an archangel.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Camille has shared a lot with me over the centuries, but her time in Heaven is something she keeps close. All she’s said is that she broke the rules and was punished by God. He damned her to be the keeper of souls, and from there, the term reapers was born.”
“Punished for sleeping with Michael,” I mumble.
I don’t miss the way River’s back straightens when I mention the queen having slept with the legendary archangel.
“How did you come to be a reaper?” I ask, changing the subject to safer ground.
River shifts, looking uneasy, but he never turns away from me when he says, “I was a human.”
“What?” My head snaps to his. “A human?”
He nods. “I was the first soul that Camille came to collect. She saw something in me and didn’t think I deserved to be damned.”
“You were damned? What did you do?” I whisper the words as though the walls have ears, and who knows? Maybe here they do.
“That’s … a story for another time,” he says, averting my gaze and effectively ending that part of the conversation.
It only makes me want to know more.
“Anyway,” he continues, “she brought me here and made me a reaper.” His eyes dart around. “We built this place together.”
That explains a lot. It’s not surprising that they’d have feelings for each other. If they’ve been together this whole time and built this amazing place, love was sure to factor in at some point. It’s a wonder they’ve never acted on those feelings.
“Who are the others?” I ask, recalling Catarine and Apple.
“Other souls she felt needed redemption. There are even a few fallen angels in the mix,” he says, side-eyeing me.
“Really? Who?”
He chuckles. “You’ll get to meet everyone in due time. Camille will undoubtedly throw a party. It’s the one true love of her life,” he says, a tad more wistfully than I thought possible coming from a man like River. “She loves her people, and they love her.”
I think back on everything that River has just shared about the queen, and all the apprehension melts away. She sounds like a good person.
We reach a large wooden door, likely the way to Queen Camille’s quarters. River’s arm shoots out to push it open, and my hand flies up to stop him.
“Wait,” I say. “I … I think I need to do this alone.”
I’d asked for him to stay, but knowing their shared past and how much he cares for her, I’m not sure my original motives apply. I sought someone to have my back, but that won’t come from him. I know that now.
I’m capable of doing this myself and, in truth, it’s necessary. I don’t need distractions while I try to uncover the facts about my birth.
River nods. “I’ll wait out here. If you need me, call. I wouldn’t desert you, Victoria. Not even for her. I brought you here, and I will protect you as promised.”
I smile, appreciating River’s words more than he could possibly realize.
“Thank you.”
I take a deep breath and push through the door, ready to meet the queen.