Page 2 of Reaper

“M-mommy?” he whimpers.

I glance into the driver’s seat, fearing the worst. It’s empty.

Returning my attention to the child, I reach to unbuckle his seatbelt. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Ace,” he sniffles, his tiny hand gripping the teddy bear tighter.

“All right, Ace. I’m Reaper. I’m going to get you out of here.”

I lift him gently and carry him away from the wreckage. I lay him down on a patch of grass away from the debris, scanning the area for any sign of his mom. That’s when I see her, a woman’s body flung disturbingly far from the car, lying too still against the unforgiving ground. She’s covered in blood.

“Stay right there, Ace. I’ll be back.” My spine stiffens as I move toward her.

“Mommy!” he cries out, terror lacing his voice as I kneel beside the woman.

“Ma’am? My name’s Reaper. I’m here to help. Can you move?”

She doesn’t stir. Long, black hair covers half her face. Her skin is ashen, and her pale pink lips are slightly parted. She’s out cold—or worse.

My hands shake as I check for a pulse, pressing two fingers to her neck where the blood is warm and slick.

Nothing.

No rhythmic thump against my fingertips, just the stark, icy silence of death.

“Dammit,” I whisper.

For a split second, I’m frozen. I stare at the woman who shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be like this. If it weren’t for that asshole in the SUV, she’d still be alive. What the fuck is wrong with people? What’s wrong with this world? Who would run a woman and her child off the roadlike that?

Ace’s cries jolt me. I glance back at the boy. His tear-filled eyes lock with mine. In them, I see a reflection of everything that’s been ripped away from him. His little frame shudders as he sobs. The sight of him clutching that teddy bear, looking so innocent and terrified, guts me. He’s too young to understand the permanence of death, too young to navigate the cold foster system that’ll chew him up and spit him out like it did with me. I’ve been there. I was a scared kid, lost in the shuffle and tossed into a cycle of neglect and loneliness that nearly destroyed me. I won’t let him spiral into that same place.

A surge of something fierce and protective wells up inside me. I’ve got to save this kid’s mom. She may be the only family he’s got.

“Mommy’s going to be okay,” I tell him.

Turning away from him, I crouch beside the woman. My hands hover above her as I summon electromagnetic energy from the earth. My fingers tremble with a power I keep buried deep, a wild thing I’ve learned to tame over the years. I close my eyes, focusing on that simmering energy coiled within, ready to spring forth at my command.

“Come on, girl,” I coax, trying to pierce the veil between the living and the dead. “Ace needs you.”

The moment I feel even a hint of connection, I unleash the power within me. Theforce rips through me like a thunderbolt, seeking out the woman’s fragile thread of life. It’s a reckless thing to do, meddling with the natural order, but I’m beyond caring. Rules don’t apply when a kid’s future hangs in the balance.

The air crackles with unseen energy as I pour everything I’ve got into the woman lying broken before me. If there’s a chance I can save her, any chance at all, I’m willing to risk my life to save hers. This isn’t about me or my powers. I’m doing it for Ace and the unspoken vows I’ve made to protect those who can’t fend for themselves.

Electricity hums in my veins. A live wire of blue-green energy connects me to the woman who lies motionless on the ground. Her chest remains still, but I’m not giving up.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Ace’s voice is barely audible over the sound of the energetic current flowing through my ears.

I glance over my shoulder to look at his small, tear-streaked face. He clutches his teddy bear tighter, his young eyes wide and uncomprehending as his gaze jumps from his mom to me. Both hope and confusion shine in his eyes. He’s counting on me to save her life. I can’t let this kid down.

“Shh,” I murmur, not taking my eyes off his mom. “Just watch.”

A final surge of energy courses through me and then—there it is—a gasp, a stuttering breathas life fights its way back into her body. Her eyelids flutter open, revealing the most stunning hazel eyes I’ve ever seen. Eyes I know. Eyes I haven’t stared into in years.

“Lexi?” I whisper.

Using my remaining strength, I slowly release the energetic thread between us. As soon as the connection’s severed, I drop to my knees. I throw out my hands to keep from falling face-first into the dirt. My life force flickers as the weight of what I just did hits me. Bringing someone back from the dead has taken me to the precipice before, but I can’t let death claim me too.

Light fades as my vision falters. I struggle against the growing darkness.

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