Willow's frustration grew as she trudged through the forest, cursing under her breath as she stumbled over a loose root. "Where is that damn thing?" she snarled, her voice laced with irritation. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the surroundings, trying to find what she had been looking for. "I'm sure it was around here" She jumped over a fallen log.
She had spent half an hour learning with James, getting no closer to actually being able to do it before he was called away leaving her with her own thoughts.
Thoughts that had led back to her family and made her realize she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. She had found Tuma in the living room and asked him if he had a phone so she could at least call them and say goodbye but was told he didn't have any. Apparently pets were prohibited from having phones for this very reason.
Despite the thorny bushes and uneven terrain, she pushed forward, pulling her wide-legged romper pants leg free from the grasp of a particularly stubborn thicket. The scratches on her bare legs stung from the thorns, but she paid them little mind. She had all intention of coming back, she made a promise. She would just find a phone in Transylvania, call home and say goodbye and then get right back to the island. No harm no foul.
As she ventured deeper into the forest, her thoughts turned to the meeting that Jack was likely engaged in. She reassured herself that he would be preoccupied enough not to notice her absence. Besides, if he did become concerned, he knew where she would be, had said so himself.
Within the dense forest, the distant howls of what sounded like wolves echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down Willow's spine. She quickened her pace, her heart racing as a sense of unease settled over her. "This was a stupid idea," she muttered, glancing around as she tried to decipher her surroundings. Every direction looked the same, and she realized she had no clear sense of where she was heading.
Willow had spent numerous summers camping with her family in places like the Böhmerwald and various spots across Germany and some in Denmark. Those experiences usually allowed her to navigate with ease, but this was an entirely unfamiliar territory. Lacking a map or any familiarity with the forest, she felt a growing sense of frustration and uncertainty. She knew that the mansion was situated in the center of the island, and that when they had initially journeyed to it, they had walked north. But without any reliable markers, her sense of direction was quickly faltering.
She tilted her head back, catching a glimpse of the sun through the canopy above. It appeared on her right, indicating that she had been heading south, away from her intended destination. Panic began to rise as she realized how late it was becoming, and she was still far from where she needed to be. "I'm gonna need a compass if I'm gonna live on this island." Frustration knotted in her chest as her foot caught on a hidden root beneath the moss, nearly causing her to trip.
"Or you could just not wander around getting lost?" And unexpected voice cut through her thoughts, drawing her gaze upward. Jack was perched casually in a tree, his presence both surprising and irritating. He peered down at her with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. "I'm curious, how did you expect this to go?"
"Honestly? Better than this. Why can't I find that damn pocket watch? I know it's around here somewhere," Willow grumbled in frustration, her annoyance evident, not that surprised he found her with all the ruckus she's making.
"It wouldn't matter if you did, because you wouldn't be able to use it." Jack remarked, leaping down from the tree with a nonchalant grace. He landed near her, his fingers raking through his hair as he appraised her. A wry smile formed on his lips. "And unless you decide to swim to the nearest country, you won't get out. Pets can't leave the island without their reaper, or a reaper to be precise. I didn't see you for a runner, especially from me, I'm so lovable" He crossed his arms and raised a brow.
"I'm not running, but I need to see my family. Say goodbye before they think I'm dead and apparently nobody is allowed to let me borrow a phone." She grunted.
"And I wonder why. Maybe so pets don't do this sort of thing? You're not allowed to get near them or speak with them, that is a part of being a pet. It's not only for your best Willow, but for theirs, to protect them. If someone finds out whom your family is, they will use it against you to get close to me." He scratched his neck and glanced around before fixing his gaze on her. "It's a rule made to protect everyone, so don't let me catch you trying to do this again. I will not hesitate to do what's necessary to keep you on this island." With a gentle but firm touch, he turned her around by her shoulders, nudging her forward before taking the lead himself.
"It may have been easy for you to just forget your life, but it isn't for me. I love my family" She snarled as they walked towards the mansion.
He spun around and snapped.
"You think it was easy? I'm a young reaper Willow, most of my family is still alive, and they also think I'm gone. I have to watch them from the shadows, dreaming about the life I could have had with them if I hadn't died." His voice was harsh but it cracked at the word died. "The older a reaper is, the better a reaper they become because we can better accept the life we had is gone. And it will never be easy, but it will become easier as the years go by,"
She saw the pain in his eyes before it was replaced by calmness as he shook his head softly.
"When will it become easier? When did it for you?"
"I'm still waiting," He chuckled hoarsely, scratching his neck. "I heard rumors it's after a couple hundred, so I have some time I guess."
"I don't think I can wait or have that long. I know I decided to make this deal, but I miss him, I miss my mom." She mumbled fiddling with a lock of hair before placing a hand on his shoulder for a second. " and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed."
Jack held out a hand, helping her over a log.
"I know, but I can tell you that of now they're both okay. I don't see any deaths in the nearest future if they don't take another path than the one they are on now."
She raised a brow confused. What did he mean by path?
"Well at least you're all knowing and can reassure me I guess," She mumbled, giving him a soft smile. "I'm actually curious, how will I die?"
"I don't know." He said shrugging, leading the way through a bush, holding the branches.
"You don't know? aren't you like, all knowing?" She frowned.
"I pretty much am, but not with you or any of the other companions. The future isn't a straight path, it changes, it splits. It's forever changing due to the decisions people make each day. I used to be able to see all the different futures for you leading to your end, when you made a new decision deviating from the path you where on before you became my pet, I would be able to see it. Now? It's gone. It's a thing that happens when you become a pet, so we reapers won't push you away from any path you may take because we know the outcome." He mumbled scratching his neck with a sigh. "And when you are pretty much all knowing you do have a tendency to block stuff out until you need it to be able to function."
He put a hand on her shoulder and teleported her onto the patio before vanishing.
"Well thank you I guess" she mumbled, glancing down at herself, absently removing a small branch that had gotten stuck in her romper. To her surprise, the tiny rifts and scratches from the branches were gone, as if they had never been there.
Out of the blue Willow felt this tingling feeling in the back of her head that resembled hunger. But she wasn't hungry, she had eaten a big lunch before heading out. Shaking her head she then made her way into the living room, where she discovered Aina seated by the TV, accompanied by a woman in her mid-twenties wearing an oversized blue knitted sweater. The woman was engrossed in a book spread open on her lap, seemingly uninterested in the television.
As Willow approached, the woman lifted her gaze from the pages, her dark brown eyes fixing on Willow. With a slight tilt of her head, she regarded Willow curiously.
"You must be Willow," she said, a brief smile gracing her lips. Rising from the armchair, she extended her hand in greeting. Willow noticed that she stood at around her own height of 5'4, but her appearance had an almost delicate quality, amplified by the oversized sweater she wore. "My name is Catalina, I am Fahima's reaper. But you can call me Lina."
"Nice to meet you" Willow smiled nervously. Something about this girl made Willows instincts scream at her to run. Observing the girl with light brown skin and her long, dark hair bundled in a messy bun, Willow's gaze lingered as she took in Lina's refined features, now partially concealed as she settled back into her reading.
"Oh Willow! I have been looking all over for you!" She turned her head towards the door seeing Fahima coming her way. She looked down at Lina before turning to Willow with a smile. "I guess you met Lina. If you ever get problems with Jack just tell her and she will kick his ass." Fahima winked.
"I can kick his ass, but I don't intend to meddle in other reapers business with their companion if it isn't necessary," Lina said not even looking up from her book as she pushed up her glasses. "Yes Willow, I may look smaller in build than Jack, but I was part of the Mapuche in Chile before I died. Meaning his ass would not be the first I kicked."
"I'm sorry! I forgot you guys can read my thoughts." Willow mumbled with red cheeks, hiding behind her hair.
"Lina is one of the stronger reapers on the island right now," Aina shrugged not taking her eyes from the horror movie playing on the television.
"Where were you Willow?" Fahima lifted a brow.
"I took a stroll." Willow lied fiddling with a lock of her hair. She didn't like to lie, but telling them that she had tried to leave the island was maybe not the best idea either.
"You can't leave the island, not without Jack or another reaper" Lina said finally looking up from her book. "And I will highly recommend you don't do it, if a supernatural being get their hands on you, they will use you to get to Jack or simply just kill you and sell your parts on the black markets. It's safer to stay on the island."
"Yeah Jack said the same." She mumbled, though nothing about the black market. She hoped that James would have some luck in helping her learn how to hide her thoughts cause this had stopped being fun a long time ago.
"That's cause Jack is smarter than you," Jack said as he walked into the room, his face gloom as he marched towards Willow. "It's time to pick up the angel. So you can come with me and behave or you can be locked in your room and behave, your choice."
"Jack!" Fahima exclaimed.
"No its okay, I did mess up. He has all the right in the world to be mad," Willow sighed as she reached her hand towards him. "I would like to go with you, if that's okay."
As he reached for her hand Lina said.
"Your eyes are darker Jack, get it done when you're back"
Willow looked at his eyes, seeing Lina was right. His once familiar eyes had darkened, and the tingling sensation at the back of her head intensified as he had entered the room. Ignoring what Lina said, Jack reached out and grasped her hand firmly. In the next instant, they were teleported, arriving at a location that Willow could only deduce was somewhere in the USA, given the presence of a flagpole sticking out of the building they materialized on.
"Didn't you say we needed to reap an angel?" she asked clinging to him, while ignoring the strong scent of peppermint that emanated from him.
"We are, or to be precise a Fallen. Can't let you meet an angel that haven't fallen yet," He mumbled taking a hold of her waist and jumped down on the sidewalk beneath them. None of the humans even looked their way making Willow guess they were in the veil. "First time I meet an angel that hadn't fallen I was starstruck. This was a problem considering I was there to make sure he died. We gonna make sure you don't do the same." His cold fingers slowly let her go, as he looked around before heading down the street, with Willow close behind. It was probably a good idea she thought, cause even she knew that angels should be these divine beautiful creatures.
Who know how she would react?
"Where are we?" she asked looking around. The location seemed far from a bustling city, but she had never been to America before, but the air was dry, and the sun hung high in the sky.
"We are in the state of Arizona. Willow, when we meet him, he will probably try to attack so stay out of the way." He guided her down a narrow street and approached what appeared to be a rustic bar.
As they reached the entrance, he tugged her inside. The bar exuded a classic cowboy vibe, adorned with weathered wooden beams, rough-hewn furniture, and vintage memorabilia on the walls. The bar counter, fashioned from rough planks of wood, stretched along one side of the room, its polished surface gleaming faintly. Guys sat around the round tables but one stood out from the crowd. Her eyes widened, and her heart raced within her chest, causing her to stand rooted to the spot.
He wasn't quite what she had imagined, but there was an unmistakable aura about him. Nestled in the corner, a man with pastel green hair commanded attention. The sight of him sent a surge of emotions coursing through Willow. Sipping casually on a beer, his pastel green eyes lazily surveyed the room.
His long, pearl-white fingers tapped rhythmically on the table's surface, showing a hint of restlessness. Leaning back in his chair, his slender frame seemed both graceful and out of place amidst the rough, bearded faces that surrounded him. Amidst the awe-struck gazes directed his way, his refined features stood in stark contrast, marking him as an unmistakable anomaly within the establishment.
"Holy lord," she breathed in awe, her steps guiding her instinctively towards his round table. But her approach was abruptly halted as Jack intervened, his firm grasp preventing her from going any further.
He was magnificent, no, he was divine.
"Yeah like I said it was good we took a Fallen first," Despite her struggles, he tugged her toward the bar, unmoved by her attempts to break free. He compelled her to face him, his grip unyielding as he sought to break her fixation. "Snap out of it Willow."
"He's gorgeous, you can't kill him, he's too beautiful to be killed." she whispered, her gaze remaining captivated by the heavenly guy in the corner.
Jack's sigh conveyed his understanding.
"Yeah, yeah I know, doesn't mean we not gonna do our job," With a resigned breath, he leaned down, guiding Willow's gaze to meet his own. A soft press of his lips on both her eyelids ensued, a gesture that brought her momentarily back to reality before she pulled away.
"What the hell?" she gasped, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she clung to the counter, caught between Jack and the bar.
"Look at him, go on, look at him and tell me what you see."
Her gaze shifted to the Fallen angel. He looked just as marvelous as before, but now she didn't want to cast herself at his feet, pleading her undying loyalty to him.
"What did you do?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at Jack after witnessing the angel dismiss a man who had approached him.
"I made his angelic charm not work on you. He's intensified its effect so it would somewhat work on certain supernatural beings in the room. There's a reason why wars have been fought in Heaven's name," he said, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he observed the angel's actions before turning his attention back to Willow. "Stay here and wait for Valentina to pick you up, Death want this angel dead so I'm gonna deal with it." Jack instructed firmly, lifting Willow and gently placing her behind the counter.
"Wait can you seriously kill an angel?" She whispered like she was afraid he could hear her.
"Of course, angels may be extremely strong beings, but you're riding with a reaper." he winked at her before heading towards the angel.
With a snap of his fingers, time seemed to freeze, and the fallen angel's gaze fixed on Jack.
"A reaper? Well if this isn't my unlucky day." He smiled emptying his beer before standing up, his muscles tensing underneath his green t-shirt as he tried to look unfazed.
"Times up Micah, Death wants you gone so I'm here to do the dirty work." Jack smiled, putting his hands in his jeans pockets. Out of the two was it the angel that looked tense, as they stood there glaring at one another.
Suddenly, the angel lunged forward with a roar, his movements swift and fluid. Willow's heart pounded in her chest as her scream escaped her lips, her eyes widening in shock. In the angel's hand, she glimpsed something silver glinting, a dagger. The world seemed to slow as he drove the silver weapon into Jack's chest, and Willow's fear intensified as she let out a blood-curling scream.
"Micah, please," Jack sighed, his demeanor surprisingly calm as he nonchalantly pulled the dagger out of his chest. A sizable red stain marred his shirt where the dagger had pierced his skin.
The fallen angel grinned briefly, his gaze darting between Jack and Willow before he shrugged.
"Well, it would've been foolish not to try," he admitted, his arms spreading in a gesture of mock surrender.
Remaining remarkably still, the angel made no attempt to flee as Jack allowed the dagger to disappear into thin air. Instead, he watched as Jack's hand made contact with his chest. This time, however, there was no emergence of a soul. Micah's body simply crumpled to the ground, and a pair of large pastel green wings sprouted from his back. The unexpected sight drew a gasp from Willow as Jack turned his attention to her. In his hand, he held a silver pocket-watch, which he quickly tucked into his pocket before striding over to her.
As Jack neared her, Willow reached out and pulled him closer, her fingers pulling at his shirt as she inspected the area where the dagger would have struck. Her shock was palpable as her fingers glided over the unblemished skin on his chest, the evidence of blood contrasting starkly with the absence of a wound.
"How?" She whispered to herself, her finger gliding gently over his unmarked skin.
"A SÃreph can't hurt me," he said with a soft smile, gently removing her fingers before drawing her closer across the desk. Frowning in confusion, she couldn't help but inquire about what a SÃreph was. "A SÃreph is the weapon of angels, created from their grace. That's why it has that silvery appearance," he explained, guiding her into a bar chair before quickly pulling away. "I'm gonna leave to put the angels in his resting place. You're gonna stay here until Valentina shows up to collect the body, and you." He pointed at her. "Don't force me to chase you, because you won't like it when I catch you." he warned, his tone firm as he began to turn away. However, before he could fully depart, she grasped hold of his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.
Jack looked at her surprised.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to run from the deal, I just wanted to see my family. That doesn't mean it was okay though," She fiddled with a lock of her hair as she pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry."
His gaze lingered on her for what felt like an eternity before he cleared his throat and gave a curt nod, his fingers idly scratching his neck.
"It's okay, I know this isn't easy."
Before she got a chance to say anything he vanished, leaving her alone. Looking around she realized time hadn't started even though he left.
So what now? she thought, tapping her foot against the chair and fiddling with the bandage around her hand, purposefully avoiding looking at the body. How long should she wait here before someone comes to pick her up? As the thought crossed her mind, the girl she had seen before suddenly materialized in the middle of the room.
"Willow?" she spoke softly, her Italian accent rich and noticeable while she pushed a long lock away from her narrow face. Willow raised her hand instinctively before remembering she was blind.
"I'm here," Willow stood and walked toward Valentina, her pale brown eyes fixed on her. "The body is in the corner."
"I know," Valentina smiled gently, extending her hand toward Willow. "Nice to officially meet you. I'm Valentina, Vadim's reaper." She moved toward the body, her gaze still wandering around the room. With a surprised expression, Willow watched as the petite woman with pale skin effortlessly hoisted the body over her shoulder. Valentina then reached out with the hand that wasn't carrying the body. "Ready to go home?" Her eyes seemed to focus on Willow.
Home, such a simple word with so much meaning.
"I'm ready to head back to the island," Willow said, her hand reaching out to take Valentina's. In an instant, time resumed, and they found themselves in a dim, sterile room. The room was sparsely furnished with a autopsy table and a rolling table with scary looking instruments that Willow instinctively avoided looking at. Valentina dumped the body on the table while Willow's eyes darted around, searching for a light switch.
As a bright, buzzing light flickered to life above them, it cast a stark white illumination on the surroundings. Something caught Willow's attention, a white door and curiosity piqued, as she began to approach it, her hand outstretched to reach for the handle.
Valentina's voice cut through the air, a warning that halted Willow in her tracks. "I wouldn't go in there, that leads to the burning room."
Startled, Willow quickly retreated, her gaze fixing on Valentina.
"Is this some sort of morgue?"
"I guess you can call it that, sometimes its best if we don't leave the body of the person we reaped behind so we take them here and the BustyrÃa cleanse the body for the catacombs beneath the island. Especially wings isn't something we just lay laying around." Valentina said nonchalantly opening the door to another room shortly where a horrid stench came from. "That's also where all BustyrÃa and reapers is laid to rest as its sacred and doesn't have any grave robbers." The last word was said with disgust as she headed for another door and walked out. Quickly Willow followed, not wanting to be left alone with the dead body.
Stepping out into the waiting room, Willow noticed that Valentina had already left and swiftly followed suit. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she took in her surroundings. The entrance led her straight onto the main street of a quaint village. The brick buildings that lined the street exuded an old-world charm, each facade marked with history and character. The cobblestone streets beneath her feet added to the ambiance, their worn texture telling stories of countless footsteps that had passed over them throughout the years.
Despite the age of the buildings, the village bustled with life, as people moved about the street engaged in various activities, shopping, conversing, and going about their day. The atmosphere was so welcoming that Willow could see herself one day call this place home.
She hastened her steps to catch up with Valentina, who was already making her way down the street toward the path leading out of the town. It dawned on her that this was the very town Jack had mentioned earlier. As they walked through a charming neighborhood, her gaze swept across the picturesque scene. To the right, a majestic snowy mountain range loomed in the distance, while every cottage they passed boasted a meticulously maintained gardens.
The joyful laughter of children filled the air, and she couldn't help but smile as she observed them playing in the yards. Their faces lit up as they caught sight of Valentina, and they eagerly rushed to the fences, waving with uncontainable excitement at her arrival.
"Hi Valentina!" The children's joyful voices echoed as they tried to capture her attention. Valentina responded with a faint smile and a brief wave before gesturing for Willow to quicken her pace.
As they neared the forested area, the landscape transformed. Farmhouses dotted the surroundings, accompanied by sprawling fields, thriving vegetable gardens, and well-kept horse stables. The workers who tended to the land paused in their tasks to glance in their direction.
Willow realized that they were heading towards the mansion via the path they were following.
Walking alongside Valentina, they continued their journey in silence, traversing a small wooded area that eventually opened up to the beautifully manicured garden. The path seamlessly merged with the forecourt further ahead, and Valentina turned her gaze toward Willow.
"I'm guessing you can find your way back from here?"
With a curt nod, Willow affirmed her understanding, murmuring a quick "yes" before Valentina disappeared from sight.
"It must be a reaper thing to just vanish whenever they feel like it," Willow mumbled moving out of the way for a wagon filled with vegetables. A young boy that sat in the back by the vegetables looked at her shortly before his eyes widened as he jumped off and pointed.
"You're a companion!" He exclaimed with a grin, loud enough for the rest of the people on the wagon to turn to look at her. "Are you Jack's?"
"I guess I am" She smiled not really a fan of being called Jack's anything.
"Do you want a ride? We can give you a ride." he smiled as the wagon stopped. She shook her head and started to walk.
"Thank you for the offer, truly. But I better walk as I had a heavy breakfast" Willow didn't want to be rude but it was clear if she got on board she would be asked tons of questions she wasn't sure how to answer. Eyeing the wagon she she walked right into someone, causing her to let out a startled wail as she stumbled backward. Strong hands reached out to catch her, and a voice with a distinct Australian accent quickly followed.
"I'm sorry! Are you alright?" the voice asked, its owner helping her regain her balance. His skinny face, tanned and framed by tousled dark blonde hair, wore a concerned expression. His choice of attire, a slightly oversized t-shirt featuring a gaming character, hung loosely on his skinny tall frame as he stood there, his grin a mix of awkwardness and genuine concern.
"It's alright, really. I'm new on the island, but I should know better by now than to walk without watching out for you reapers who appear and disappear," she replied with a chuckle, raising her hands in a gesture of self-deprecating amusement. She couldn't help but wonder if this guy was truly a reaper, considering he didn't look much older than her. But neither did Jack.
"Oh yeah I heard of you! You're Willow right? Jack's companion?" he asked, his blue eyes fixed on her as he extended a hand in greeting. She nodded and shook his hand.
"My name is Charlie, I'm Itsuki's reaper."
"Nice to meet you Charlie,"
Charlie, seemed a bit fidgety, his hands nervously fumbling with each other. His gaze momentarily drifted toward the mansion before he finally spoke up. "So nice to meet you, but a tournament I have waited for in like, weeks starts in 5 minutes so I really have to go," he started to bolt towards the mansion waving. "Really nice to meet you!" he yelled over his shoulder before vanishing before hitting the door.
"Alright," Willow breathed trying not to freak out over how weird her life had become as she walked up to the front door.