" Thank you for going with me," she smiled at Vadim as held the door open to the bakery. She pulled a strawberry cupcake up from the box.
" We where heading down here anyway, it's gaming night" Itsuki chimed in, following Willow out with an excited gleam in his dark eyes. He rummaged through the bag and triumphantly retrieved a cinnamon roll.
"Save some for the game," Vadim grunted as Itsuki went to town on the cinnamon. Willow ate her cupcake, wondering if she could convince Jane to give the other in the brown box to Jack, as she was the only one allowed near him.
As they strolled towards the mansion, they got nods and greetings with the BustyrÃas going about their day while Vadim and Itsuki engaged in a lively discussion about which game to play.
Willow gaze flitted between the different shops and stalls. She considered indulging in a bit of shopping before heading back to the mansion when she heard a familiar voice call her name.
"Eating cupcakes without me? Now I'm hurt," her head snapped towards the owner of the voice with a broad smile. Jack hurried towards her with a wide smile before coming to an abrupt halt, clearing his throat. "Anyway, it's good to see you survived without me. Have been a little concerned you wouldn't." He grinned, as he stopped up in front of them making Willow roll her eyes not caring about the comment as she pulled him in for a hug.
"Yeah yeah, I missed you too." She smiled against his chest, before quickly pulling back. "Though not the taunting. That I could do without."
Vadim, standing nearby with his arms crossed, couldn't resist a snide comment.
"Oh, would you look at that, Ian to the rescue, yet again" he grumbled. "he finally got Darlia to let you out?" his lips curled up in a smirk, making Jack turn his full attention to him with narrowed eyes before Willow tugged on his dark sleeve.
"I got this for you," pulling his attention back to her and the bag. She held up a bag to get his attention, and his eyes darted between Vadim and Willow as she revealed a cupcake. Jack took it from her, and his tense shoulders relaxed.
"So, you finally decided to go against Darlia's room arrest?" Itsuki said, raising a brow.
Jack chuckled between bites of the cupcake.
"Oh no, I'm not that stupid, I think you forget that Darlia is the strongest of our kind. Meaning, stronger than me too." Jack grinned, his attention still on Willow. "My prison time is officially over, I am a free man. Or as free as I can get. But we have a mission," he took a bite before glaring at Vadim out of the corner of his eyes. "Hope it's okay I take Willow, I know Valentina rarely takes you with her, but some of us actually wanna spend time with our pet." He said in a snide way with a smile sharp as a knife as he took another bite, making Vadim take a step forward and Itsuki take a hold of his arm.
"Yeah, we need to go anyway " Itsuki pulled Vadim along, who glared daggers at Jack.
Willow sighed loudly. "Jack-"
"So, we're going to pick up a soul for Heaven. It shouldn't be a problem to take you too anymore. Unless Michael is there," he said wonderingly. "But I guess I will just have to save him from your adoration if it comes to that."
Willow narrows her eyes suspiciously.
"Are you going to get us into trouble again?"
Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "I know you think I can be a bad influence but even I have standards. Plus, I just got out of room arrest, I'm not exactly itching to get it again." He grunted, finishing the cupcake.
"Think you can be?" She raised a brow with a small smile hidden in the corner of her lips.
"Yeah okay, whatever-" he rolled his eyes with a amused chuckle. " -now that we have established that I'm a bad influence, let's go." He reached out his hand.
She let out a soft sigh as a smile grow more evident.
"I missed you."
"Yeah, yeah save your love confession for another time, we have a job." He rolled his eyes, but there was an undeniable fondness in his expression as Willow took his hand.
Willow turned her head to the small house they had appeared in front of, squinting her eyes against the bright sun. The unfamiliar surroundings unfolded before her, revealing a vibrant and bustling street. It was a symphony of colors, where vibrant fabrics and textiles adorned women who moved gracefully through the lively scene. The enticing aroma of spicy food wafted through the air, mingling with the sounds of street vendors calling out their wares.
"Can't believe they let you back on a job so quickly," she mumbled, her gaze wandering over the charming chaos of the street, absorbing every detail of this new place.
"Me too, it took them nineteen years to let me do a job alone," he mumbled, before his eyes became serious. "And most of them, due to how my first went, think it should have been more."
He didn't give her a chance to ask further questions as he walked through the door of a nearby house. Willow hastened to follow him. Stepping inside, she found herself in a small, cozy home.
Jack stood beside a bed where an elderly woman lay, peacefully napping. The woman was dressed in a stunning green saree, and her grey hair was neatly braided. Her peaceful demeanor contrasted with the vibrant chaos of the street outside.
Standing there, as always, was an unusual experience, especially knowing their purpose was to guide the elderly woman to the afterlife. Willow couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, including the unsureness of how she would react to her own death. Fortunately, Fahima had assured her that new companions were rarely assigned to reaping jobs where the departing soul could potentially traumatize them. During the first year or so, reaping assignments tended to be more peaceful and straightforward, a fact for which Willow felt a deep sense of gratitude cause the first job with the man going to Hell had left her glad they hadn't been back there since.
Softly, Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, and in a matter of seconds, the elderly woman stood wide-eyed beside her bed, gazing in astonishment at her own body, now left behind on the bed.
"It is time, Ananya," Jack said with a gentle smile, his voice soothing. He patiently waited for the woman to pull her attention away from her physical form and focus on him, her dark eyes filled with questions. "Are you ready, ma'am?"
Ananya sighed deeply, her fingers briefly fiddling with the braid in her hair as she glanced from Willow, who had come closer to Jack.
"As ready as I can be." She extended her hand toward Jack, pulling him closer and linking their arms. "And please, call me auntie."
Jack gave her a soft nod, then reached out for Willow, who promptly took his hand. "I'm Jack, and this is Willow." Willow nodded warmly at Ananya as Jack nodded towards her. "Please, close your eyes for a second, auntie."
Surrounding them, colors she had never seen before played in the warm, welcoming sunlight that bathed the area. An enchanting field of vibrant flowers stretched out before them, their petals brushing softly against her calves as she took in the breathtaking sight. In the distance, the shimmering sea extended to the horizon, filling the air with the soothing scent of saltwater. Lazy clouds drifted overhead, casting gentle shadows over this serene paradise. The sense of calm and safety she felt was overwhelming, as if every fiber of the place oozes comfort.
Willow had read about the various Wèkwa throughout Heaven, where ZÃkeron angels welcomed new souls. These Wèkwas were specially designed to provide comfort to souls who might be frightened, making their transition smoother with the assistance of the ZÃkeron angels. The golden gate before them began to open, revealing two figures stepping out from the radiant light.
Two magnificent angels emerged, one with large pear-colored wings, and the other with wings resembling the hue of olives, causing Ananya to gasp in awe. Their skin was nearly pearl-white, and their expressions exuded a profound sense of gentleness as they gracefully folded their wings behind them. They were more human than other angels from Heaven she had seen. Willow guessed it was due to working so close to humans ZÃkeron's angels maybe differed from normal angels a little.
"We welcome you, Ananya," the woman, said, her smile radiant as she slowly approached. She gently clasped Ananya's hand, her touch soothing and calming. "My name is Mitra, and this is my brother, Cael. We are here to guide you to your resting place in Heaven. Your husband eagerly awaits your arrival." Her voice flowed like a soft flute, its melodic tones enveloping Ananya in a sense of safety and tranquility. Cael nodded warmly in agreement. Both angels had short, strawberry-blonde hair and strikingly similar faces, reminding Willow of what she had read in the book of Angelology.
ZÃkeron's were angels who worked with memories and forgetfulness, one could take the memory, the other store them. ZÃkeron was created as one but split into two, why they look so similar, like twins. Their job was to welcome souls into Heaven and remove unnecessary memories and store all the human's memories before leading the soul to their own personal piece of Heaven.
Cael turned his attention to Jack and Willow, his pear-colored eyes resting briefly on her with a serene expression.
"We can take it from here," he said as his wing extended towards Ananya, enveloping her in its comforting warmth. Meanwhile, Mitra gently tilted Ananya's head upward to meet her gaze.
Jack offered a brief smile as he extended his hand towards Willow, his attention still on the angels. As she looked at his hand, she wondered when it had started to become this natural as she reached out without hesitation.
With a blink, they found themselves in Jack's room, which appeared messier than usual.
Willow blinked a few times, trying to comprehend she had not only been to Heaven, but seen more angels. By Death, her world has truly expanded in ways her former atheist heart would never have expected.
"I must admit I missed this, being with you on jobs," she confessed, a warm smile on her face as he pulled his hand away. She didn't want to admit that she had simply missed being with him.
"You missed it because you like me," Jack teased, wiggling his eyebrows with a mischievous smirk.
"Please, there's a better chance of me falling for Ian," Willow retorted, crossing her arms and letting her hair partially conceal her face. She wasn't sure why his words seemed to make her heart race.
"As much as that sounds interesting, I don't think I'll risk of dying hanging over me." She turned around, only to be met with the sight of Ian standing in the doorway, wearing a grin. Her cheeks flushed red.
"I-I meant-" Willow stammered, both Jack and Ian raising an eyebrow at her, sharing a knowing smile over her head as Ian walked into the room.
"Damn, and here I thought I would lose you to Daisy," Jack laughed, taking a seat on his bed and grabbing a Capri Sun from his nightstand.
"Jack!" They both turned toward the door upon hearing an angry growl, and there stood Valentina. "What did you say to Vadim?" Her voice was filled with anger as she stormed into the room.
"Oh, so he ratted me out."
"I don't care what stupid things you do with your companion Jack, nor the repercussions of it. Unlike Ian or Darlia I don't see you as some little kid who needs their hand held, and with that being said, I'm not above kicking your ass into the next week if you hurt my companion again." Valentina snarled, getting up in his face. Jack stood up, looming over her.
"Valentina-" Ian started.
"Stay out of it Ian!" She hissed, not backing down as Jack looked down upon her with tense shoulders.
"Oh I am, I'm just gonna say that fights among reapers maybe isn't the best example to the companions." Ian's voice turned low on the word companions as he relaxed looked at them both squaring off. " so knock it off whatever this is about."
"Don't come crawling to me when you need help due to messing up again with Willow." She hissed, turning her back to him to walk away, making Willow wonder what she meant with again.
Jack's eyes narrowed, and he growled softly under his breath. "put your teeth away Valentina, I wouldn't want you to lose one."
Valentina spun around, but out of nowhere, Ian appeared between them, making Willow gasp. His eyes were blood-red, and his voice turned dark as he pushed them both in the chest, forcing them to stagger a few steps back. "Enough! don't make me put you both in timeout!"
"Jack" Willow walked over to Jack and placed a hand on his chest just in case. He looked down at her, and his shoulders relaxed as he took hold of her hand.
" Now you both cool off your head or there's no Marek treats for you both tonight." Ian grunted, lowering his arms.
Both their heads jerked towards Ian.
"Marek has made treats?" They both said in unison.