great job of substituting for Lumi in all GASP-related affairs.
The fact that Seeley and Rudolph’s crew were missing did irk me, though. Knowing that the Darklings had access to death magic and ghouls… it scared me. Eira had repeatedly suggested that I speak to Death about it. A couple of days had passed since Zoltan and the Darklings had been fully revealed as palace basement dwellers, and I finally found the courage to make my way to Aledras for it.
Of course, I did not show myself at first. I stood close by, about a dozen yards away, watching and listening as Time, Dream, and Nightmare worked assiduously to break more of the seals that Spirit had used to bind Death. I hoped I’d hear them talking about Seeley and Rudolph, too. I wanted to see what Death was planning, where the Reapers were concerned.
“How many more?” Death asked as Time managed to break another seal.
“Five hundred,” Time replied.
“This is going incredibly slowly.” She sighed, lounging on her side on the edge of the water hole. A blizzard had recently come through, and most of the frozen lake was covered with a fresh layer of pure white snow. An Aledrasian city glimmered in the distance, as the golden disk of a sun rose above, casting its light across the snow world.
“At least Kelara and the others found Morning,” Dream said, beaming with excitement. “Before you know it, she’ll be back with Night and Unending, too!”
“You know, I have to admit, I’m quite impressed with Kelara,” Nightmare murmured, checking another rune seal on Death’s left forearm. The blade of his scythe lit up when it touched the black ink, reacting to the magic. “Ugh, this one’s a doozy. I’ll need all of us on it.”
Death nodded slowly. “Yes, Kelara has exceeded all of my expectations. Repeatedly.”
“You made her, too.” Dream chuckled. “How is it that she can surprise you? I mean, you know what each of us is capable of.”
“In a sense, yes, I made you all,” Death replied. “But I didn’t get intimately involved in the process, like I did with you, Dream, and the rest of the First Ten. With Kelara and the other Reapers, all I did was have them touched with my power. I merely planted the seeds. And Kelara continues to impress me.”
Time sighed, sitting next to Death with his legs crossed. This was the weirdest kind of family camping I’d ever come across. Then again, this was the universe’s most dysfunctional family.
“We’ve always theorized that it was possible for a Reaper to grow stronger,” he said. “After all, look at Seeley. Where he started, where he is now…”
Nightmare grinned. “He’s on Visio, likely a captive of the Darklings. Not sure you’re making the right point here, brother.”
“Screw you,” Time retorted. “You know what I mean.”
Death almost smiled, staring at the cold water that swallowed her chains. “Seeley has come a long way too, yes. But Kelara… she’s special. I can feel it. She’s barely scratching the surface of what she is capable of. My only hope is that the time she spends with any of you helps her grow.”
“What do you mean by special?” Dream asked. “Do you know something we don’t?”
“Which is a usual occurrence by now,” Nightmare muttered, drawing a glare from his creator—enough to make him put on a most innocent smile. “Sorry. But you know it’s true.”
Death sighed. “There’s power inside Kelara. I think she’s able to draw it from other Reapers around her. When she’s near me, I can feel slivers of my own energy going into her.”
“So what, she… feeds on Reapers?” Time replied, both eyebrows raised in sheer surprise. Death nodded.
“I think so, yes. She’s not even aware of it. In time, however, all the power she’s gradually accumulated will begin to manifest. She might even become worthy of the same level as you, my children.”
“Kelara, a First Tenner?” Nightmare scoffed.
Dream scowled at him. “What would be so bad about that, eh? Spirit’s gone. Technically, we’re not the First Ten anymore. We’re the First Nine, and that sounds incredibly pathetic.”
“So, you wouldn’t mind Kelara joining us, someday,” Time concluded, smiling as he looked at his sister.
Dream shook her head. “Not at all. She’s a sassy bitch. I like her.”
“What do you think, Taeral?” Death asked, suddenly looking my way.
I froze. I didn’t even have time to fully grasp this whole deal about Kelara, when all eyes were suddenly trained on me. How? They couldn’t even see me! I knew