that has no soul at all; rubbery skin of varying colors; considered to be the lowest caste on Delon and typically works as manual labor in unskilled jobs; have very few rights
Fae: Feltic species; have pointed ears, sharp teeth, and affinity towards nature; typically very pretty but can also be vicious when bored or cornered
Humans: Earth species; bipedal forms; have no powers or special uses within the universe
Torlik: Istra species; the male’s cock has three rows of teeth along its snake-like body that moves on its own free will; stands about two feet tall but their cock is twice that length; very thin; varying colors depending on location
Slang:
Soul Fiend: curse word; also means someone who is addicted to the high of death and the energy it produces
Pot Licker: curse word; someone so pathetic they’d lick the soul pot clean just to get another taste
Soul Touched: someone who has been damaged during transport or the process of separating a soul from its shell; also used as a derogatory term
Scratchers: Usually Soulless beings that traded their bodies for credits and drugs; often addicted to the synthetic tabs; named so because of the phrase ‘to scratch an itch’ as well as their tendency to scratch at their skin until sores form
Tabs: synthetic drugs that mimic varying emotions and/or energy transfers
Soul Soup: the contents of the holding tank where souls are reformed/repaired before being sent out into their new host bodies
Son of a Scratcher: equivalent to Earth’s son of a bitch or bastard
Skimming: altering a pass to include more trips or adding locations one is restricted from
Husk: corporeal form aka body
Street Kings: a Soulless gang that ran the black market in Zella’s sector
Buildings:
Office of the Ministry of Soul Retrieval aka DNB: where Zella, Master Akai, Reaper Grouping Mannix and others work; houses the portal used to travel to other planets to retrieve souls
Reaper University: Higher education for Reapers before they must serve a period mandatory military service; located five blocks from the DNB and eight blocks from Zella’s apartment; Chancellor Lanis is the head
Hel: Club Zella slips into in Chap 2, popular with the younger crowd (not students)
LoBys: a run-down bar that catered to the rougher crowd and Soulless; so named due to the missing letters on its sign; originally called Lost Boys
Royal Depository, Enyre, Orusian aka RDEO: home of the Royal Library, the most important books are held at the one located within the palace in Orusian
Animals/Plants:
Quixon: Delon- ‘bull-like’ creatures twice as large as a Reaper; bumbling, vicious beasts that are rather stupid; typically some shade of brown or green depending on their location; carnivore; roams in groups
Brek: Delon- massive, black ‘spider-like’ creature that produces the thread used for embroidery and other clothing; omnivore; ambush hunter that uses its long, spiked forelegs to stab and pin its prey
Fek: Delon- a small parasitic creature that feeds on its host’s energy and fluids; difficult to discern with the naked eye; uses its host as an incubator for eggs
Bearded Peckii: Istra- a flower that has twelve deep-purple petals spotted with blood-red circles; the stalk leaches nutrients from the Panalithana trees located in the mountainous regions of Istra; its fist-sized seeds are pressed for a juice that has a floral, fruity flavor; Zella has it added to her Ethereals at LoBys for the first time
Scunt Trees: Delon- short, bushy trees that produce an edible seed called scuntains. The difficult to crack seeds have a bitter scent but tropical fruit taste. Its blue and yellow flowers are sticky and trap pests. Found in the warmer sectors
Tig: Delon- similar to an oversized house cat, comes in a variety of colors (solid primary colors for males, patterned pastel shades for females), typically lives in trees and has a thin membrane at the junction of their leg and body, used to aid in jumping from tree to tree, ambush hunter that has been known to use lures and traps, carnivorous
Nighwing- Delon- a fist-sized flying animal that is nocturnal and feeds on smaller prey, its sharp beak impales its prey as it swoops down from above, frightened of anything larger than it, disproportional call that is exceptionally loud
Intak: The leaves of the Intak plant are poisonous, inducing a heart attack in those that ingest it, obvious signs of Intak poisoning include black-stained tongue, black tint to the eyes, and frothing of the mouth, there is no known antidote
Listianen: The leaves of the Listianen plant are used for a drink similar to tea, it has a strong flavor with hints of a sweet fruity taste
Tech/Gear:
Cuffs: Black bands that encircle the wrists; inhibits a Reaper’s or Angel’s incorporeal form and limits their powers; typically used for prisoners and wayward children
Cloak: standard issue item of clothing for working Grims; all black, floor-length, and made from varying materials depending on the level of the Grim; Zella’s is made of a mixture of animal hides, plant fibers, and minerals as is her uniform; its hood hides their faces within shadows while the long, floor-length cape portion is resistant to damage; magnetic-like closure system in the front
Ferrule: a square device that allows information to be stored and passed between devices; strictly controlled by the government and only for use within the official buildings, generals at war, and royalty
Code Kit: a small device that could cycle through and trick scanners into believing that it had approved a print; Zella’s was stolen from a dead target on Holmstan
Pass: a code that allows a Reaper to transport; contains their restrictions if applicable; located on their wrist markers
Wrist Markers: a small, rectangular device that is inserted beneath the skin of Delon’s citizens’ wrists at birth; encoded with all of their information; used for purchasing items, location, recall to Delon, work, and more
Misc:
Ethereal: Zella’s favorite drink; strong alcoholic beverage that burns as it goes down
Leisin: a pencil-like instrument made from a soft polymer
Soul Celebration: equivalent to a birthday, except it marks the day the essence was inserted into the husk
Calendar:
Rotations: Equivalent of six Earth months, one quarter of a ‘year’; a half year is referred to as a Half Rotation; the full twenty-four months are a Full Rotation; it consists of 786 ‘days’
Percel: ‘month’, each percel is named for the planets the originals were pulled to first. They consist of the following, in order: Arak’an, Serrelia, U’tan, Tranis, Darun, Zulan, O’lanis, Hakkor, Suvian, Pu’li, Latia, Cilu, Elian, Mard, Helon, R’shar, Lantir, Istran, Sikkar, Glidis, Noulian, Buskar’an, Helia, Weatan
Set: week, consists of eight days. Each month contains four sets and is referred to numerically
Binal: a single day, consists of thirty-six Earth hours. The names of the binals of the Set are based on the originals and are as follows: Alenal, Suneal, Torenal, Zetnal, Dulanal, Cordnal, Misknal, Puxnal
Rise: morning, after their sun rises until it is overhead
High: around midday, when their sun is at its highest point
Fall: evening/night, after their sun has set
About the Author
When not writing, Aster North is running the homestead with her husband. She is the mother of two kids and sometimes an adoptive mom to cows and goats. Naps, cheese dip, and Dr. Peppers seem to keep her alive. She also collects creative curse words, so if you have one you think is unique, feel free to drop her a message. Please consider taking a moment to add your opinion of this story at the place where you bought it.
Writing a book often feels like a very solitary thing, but then we sit down and write out this section. It isn’t solitary at all. There are so many people that this book or even any book of mine wouldn’t be possible without them.
My family, of course, is a huge part of it. They are happy to bounce ideas around, pick up supper when things are flowing well, and just say, “Go, Mom!” They are my whole world in the real world, and I couldn’t do any of it without them.
My author friends are another source of motivation and help. I’ve got a great group of people around me and I’m forever grateful y’all allowed me to hang around.
I wanted to add a special thanks to my cover lady, Nichole. Thanks for being an absolute genius…and for being so nice, too.
Readers, thank you. That you’ve taken the time to read my stories is wild. It is surreal, and I adore you. Feel free to leave a review if you’d like. They really mean a lot.