three-floor house that only had one family living in it. I thought it was the same one Con tipped us off about, although I couldn’t be sure. It had excellent bones, and I was convinced that it had once been beautiful. The scrolling decorations on the facade, the small private balconies that jutted out above a large, glass-enclosed room on the side, and the unusual pitch of the roof all spoke to a time gone by. I’d never seen anything quite like it on Delon, but I had discovered similar things in the memories of the souls from Earth. Had they been stealing essence even then, when this home was built?
That was obviously the case because where else would they have gotten the ideas that were so far from the norm of Enyre? It made me sick. The blocked planets had been an inheritance of sorts, as though they were simply a thing to be passed on.
Axton changed back first, his desire to speak overriding the demand of being unseen. I backed out of the center of the bush and drew my body forward, shifting from side to side as I tried to get comfortable in my crouched state. Trace came last, his usual Reaper form appearing beside me.
“I think we should enter through the back. I noticed a section that looked large enough for us to squeeze through in our Grim forms. Once we make it in, we can—”
Axton cut off, leaning in with squinted eyes. I turned to see what caught his attention, and my gaze immediately landed on a cloaked Reaper lumbering out of the front door. In his arms, he carried something that blocked his view, which made it difficult for him to continue normally. Even when he floated, he had to pause, crane his head around the side of the strange box, then go forward a bit. Stop, start, stop, look—over and over it went until he reached the road.
“What is he waiting for?” Axton whispered, his gaze scanning the area as he searched for something we’d missed.
“Where is he going with that is the better question,” I whispered back.
“Most importantly, what is that?” Trace asked, still staring at the Reaper and his load.
“I think it’s one of those boxes they kept Shadow in, but larger. It’s for holding souls, so they can’t escape,” I answered solemnly, nausea churning in my gut at the thought.
Trace hissed, thunder darkening his face. Before I could say anything else, a private vehicle zipped down the empty street towards us. Axton gasped. Private vehicles were rare, reserved for only the most privileged of us. They weren’t used within the city itself, but they could be enjoyed during travel between the sectors of Enyre. A much nicer option compared to having to go through the DNB’s portals. It took longer to drive, of course, but it also meant not being logged when one wanted to move about the country. And, I’d heard, the journey was rather enjoyable and relaxing.
To see one here, on this dark, forgotten city street felt oddly disturbing, as if two worlds were being smashed together without care for how they integrated. Everything around us had an air of despondency and abandonment, but the vehicle gleamed. Its sleek, shiny lines looked desperately out of place.
The Reaper with the box took a step forward before the driver—another Reaper in an odd cloak—hopped out and grabbed their arm. The driver guided the unseeing Reaper to the back where, with a touch, a flat slab hissed outwards. We watched as he settled the box onto the plate, and the driver pushed something we couldn’t see. A whirring sound pierced the silence, followed by a click as clamps locked the box in place. Then the driver returned to his seat and waited while the first Reaper jogged inside.
“They’re moving the operation. With one of them seeing us earlier and then Shadow escaping, Corlia isn’t taking any chances. They’re removing all evidence so that even if we were to bring the Guard here, nothing would remain. I’d bet that they already took everything that would point at any specific name, but they’re trying to save as much equipment as possible,” I murmured quietly, monitoring the vehicle.
“I agree. When we go in, I doubt we’ll find more than a few unimportant followers and maybe some boxes they haven’t moved yet. Most everything else will be gone,” Axton said.
“So, do we follow the vehicle, or do we continue inside?” Trace asked, getting to the