Page 42 of Destined to the Reaper

“I am not here to reap you, little human,” he said mockingly.

I released a shuddering breath of relief. But that didn’t alleviate any of my concerns.

“Then why are you here watching me? Where’s Pharos? Who are you?”

He emitted that insufferable chuckle again before grabbing his staff with the other hand, slightly leaning it against his chest as he gave me an assessing once over.

“So many questions… My name is Haroth, and I am here to see both of you.”

“Both of us?! Why? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer right away, his eyes glowing as he studied me. That only freaked me out further.

“You have a beautiful soul, Kali Jenkins. I can see why my brother is so taken by you,” he pensively said at last.

“Your brother?!” I echoed, flabbergasted.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment when I caught myself eyeing him from head to toe. Granted, they were both Reapers and shared some skeletal traits. He didn’t appear to have much skin at all. Or rather, it seemed to be a very thin layer over an even thinner amount of muscle beneath. It wasn’t wrinkled or sunken in like a mummy, but it also wasn’t the normal proportion of a human, unlike Pharos.

His mouth stretched in that odd smile again, having guessed the thoughts coursing through my mind.

“Where is Pharos?” I asked, glancing around the immense and elegant room I had awakened in.

“He went to see his mother. He will return soon.”

“Hismother? Notyours, too?”

He shook his head and casually started walking around the room. I eyed him warily, although relieved that he didn’t try to approach me.

“We only share a father, hence why our appearances differ so much,” he added teasingly, while admiring an adorned vase on the large dresser between two of the tall windows.

“I was wondering about that,” I admitted sheepishly.

He peered at me over his shoulder and gave me that amused smirk again. “I noticed. For the difference isn’t so much thatwe have different mothers, but the fact that I’m a Grim Reaper whereas he’s an Angel of Death.”

“I suspected as much,” I said pensively. “But I’m not quite certain what the difference is between the two.”

He turned back to face me and casually leaned against the dresser. “I can kill at will, even if my target’s thread hasn’t technically reached its end, much like humans can. Obviously, such actions could have unpleasant repercussions for me if done so in a reckless and gratuitous fashion, just like murder is punished among your people. But angels like him are bound by a different covenant. They can only kill someone already doomed out of mercy, near their end of life, or in order to defend themselves or the restricted number of people that can fall under his protection.”

“Like his mate and offspring,” I replied.

He nodded. “It was wise of you to become his mate. But why have you not given him your soul?”

I instantly bristled at that. Crossing my arms over my chest, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did Pharos send you to convince me?”

He snorted and shook his head. “Most certainly not. He doesn’t even know I’m here. But you haven’t answered my question.”

“Because that’s none of your business,” I retorted in a clipped tone. “And what’s with you folks and your obsession with appropriating other people’s souls? No one just hands over the very essence of who they are to some stranger.”

“Pharos is not a stranger,” Haroth replied in a much cooler voice. “Giving him your soul merely creates a unique and unbreakable bond between the two of you. You’ll remain in your body, still go about your life as usual, with your own free will. And on top of that, you will be nearly immortal.”

“But he could still choose to abuse that power. I barely know him. We just met a few days ago!” I exclaimed.

“And yet, he gave you his, did he not?” he countered. “Pharos had a lot more to lose than you do. You felt his power during the short time you hosted him. Had you so wished, you could have simply walked away without transferring him back into his own vessel. There would have been nothing he could have done to stop you.”

“I never would have done that!” I exclaimed, feeling offended. “Anyway, I’m sure he would have fought back.”

“There wouldn’t be much he could have done about it, had you gone that route. Unlike with Cornelius, Pharos willingly gave himself to you. That bond was even greater than the one forced upon him by the necromancer. You would have been more powerful than Cornelius ever was. And I’m sure the thought crossed your mind, did it not?” he challenged.

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