from Visio.
Valaine had taken a great risk telling and showing me all of this. It couldn’t have been easy, and I had to appreciate her determination—or was it, perhaps, desperation? Either way, she needed me, and I couldn’t allow myself to let her down.
Without even thinking, I took Valaine’s hands in mine in a bid to reassure her. “We’ll help you. We’ll do whatever we can. You have my word.”
Relief lightened her expression, her black eyes filled with warmth and flickers of hope. Nobody deserved to go through this. We needed to make this nightmare stop for the Aeternae.
Seeley
The evening set over Visio in deep shades of red and purple that streaked across the sky. I stood on the rooftop of the east wing, just above the guest rooms where Derek’s crew had been lodged. I’d spent most of my time split between shadowing the team and looking in and around the city, searching for some clues as to why there wasn’t a single Reaper working here.
To my disappointment, my search had not yielded any results. All I had was radio silence and zero answers. It angered me, so I’d taken a moment out here, to just collect my thoughts and replenish my energy. Omniscience was tiresome, especially when Derek and his people split up and I had to dart around, making sure I didn’t miss anything.
I’d seen the Black Fever victims, and I’d witnessed the Blood Arena murder, as well as the duel that followed. No other Reaper had shown up for Krassus or Demetrius, so I’d reaped them myself, not wanting to leave any wandering souls around. Visio was anything but perfect—that much was clear. Their intentions seemed good, though their politics were oppressive. Nicely packaged and well remunerated, but oppressive. Like Derek had said, though… it was their business, not mine. My issue was the absence of Reapers, which made no sense, and the confusion coming in from the higher circles only made things worse. I couldn’t move away from the crew to start reaping anyone who died, so my society had to come up with a solution soon. In the meantime, I had to continue my search for answers.
How could three planets—three, not one, because the same thing was happening on Rimia and Nalore, as I had recently learned—slip through the cracks of our system? How could millions of creatures not be carted off to the underworld upon their deaths? This was mind-boggling!
Exhaling sharply, I glanced around the palace. The view was as dreamy as they came, lights flickering through thousands of windows, smoke rising from the tall chimneys, and the sky gradually darkening overhead as the city prepared for slumber. The streetlamps were dim, shadows dancing across the cobblestone, down the alleys and boulevards lined with boxed trees and neat sidewalks. The occasional carriage drawn by Visions clicked and clacked through the neighborhoods. Couples and families and friends retreated to their homes. Tired Rimians and Naloreans moved through the streets, their eyes half closed as they stopped by the baker’s or the market for last-minute groceries, just before the closing bells rang.
This was a peaceful city. Silver guards were all over, watching, listening, doing their best to keep the people safe—and not just the Aeternae. I’d seen Rimians and Naloreans saved from street violence, as well, on the outskirts and in the less pleasant parts of the city. However, I needed more time for a proper assessment, and more Reapers.
The latter were currently being gathered and sent my way, so I wasn’t going to be here on my own for much longer. I knew Tristan and Esme weren’t planning on doing their secret explorations till much later in the night, but I also knew Nethissis was running out of patience. I’d heard her talking to Eva over their Telluris connection. She suspected something foul beneath the pretty-looking surface, but she wasn’t sure what it was that bothered her.
If only I could tell her about what I’d been dealing with. I zapped into her room, to find her standing in front of a tall mirror, wrapped in a dark red silk robe. Her handmaiden had just finished drawing a hot bath, stopping in the doorway with a polite smile.
“Milady, your bath is ready,” the Rimian girl said.
“Thank you, Lory,” Nethissis replied, without looking away from her reflection.
As the handmaiden left the room, Nethissis breathed out, tension gathering around her, the air troubled and supercharged. She wasn’t going to just stand around for much longer, merely observing