Ancient Tales Of The Elves

Trouble Brewing

I was in deep trouble.

My grandfather looked at me with concern, rubbing his eyes as if trying to erase his worry. “Is he your soulmate?” he asked softly but firmly.

I shrugged, trying to act calm. “My soul feels at ease around him, and he can see me without my gloves.”

He grinned, a knowing smile. “Yep, he’s your soulmate. Damon’s probably noticed since his collection counts will be off. What did you do with the cards?”

I admitted I’d hidden them in Seth’s mattress and mine. He swore under his breath. “Get the card from his bed, put both cards inside the fabric on the inside lid of your reaper box. That should stop it from sending more collection cards for him,” he said, clearly worried. I hugged him tightly, grateful for his help. He smiled, wished me luck, and vanished.

I returned to Seth, only to find Aragon, my grandfather’s husband, sitting across from him, scrutinizing him. I texted Aragon, asking him to talk to Callon. As Aragon’s phone dinged, Seth looked up and saw me. I smiled and hurried over to him. Aragon sighed, then disappeared.

“You okay? You were frowning and talking to yourself,” Seth asked, grinning.

My cheeks flushed. “I’m… alright,” I started to say but stopped. Revealing the truth to a mortal was a huge no-no.

“I’m twenty-two, a college student, and a former drug addict. I relapsed after my dad sent me an invitation to a business party where I was supposed to meet my ex-girlfriend. I lost it and turned back to old habits.” He shook his head. “You swapped the drugs, didn’t you? With your cool magic.”

“Are you going to this event? I can help you with it. I’m pretty good at such gatherings,” I offered, surprising myself. He grinned and shook his head, saying it had already happened and he’d skipped it, but maybe next time we could go together.

Our food arrived, and I watched him add ketchup and mayo to his fries. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What?” he asked, looking up.

“You’re like a little kid,” I teased, and he smiled, munching on a ketchup-and-mayo-covered fry.

“You should let me paint your portrait on my wall,” he said softly. That sounded like a good chance to retrieve the reaper card from his mattress.

“Sure, let’s go after we eat,” I agreed eagerly. He mentioned stopping by the liquor store, and I doubted he could get me drunk. We finished lunch, chatted while waiting for the check, and when it came, I paid with a hundred-dollar bill and told the waitress to keep the change. Seth looked at me curiously.

“Are you rich?” he asked.

“I’m a lot of things,” I said, patting his cheek and heading towards the exit.

“Wait up,” he called, catching up with me on the sidewalk. “You’re stunning, wealthy, and have great taste. What’s your problem?”

“I’m a reaper,” I said, watching his reaction. He grinned.

“Yeah, and I’m Jesus,” he laughed. I shook my head, insisting I was serious. He stopped laughing and smiled.

“It’s cool, Leia. We can deal with it. Death doesn’t bother me,” he said. I grinned. I showed him my gloves and explained what reapers do. He was surprisingly interested, asking thoughtful questions about me. My heart grew fonder of Seth Lockwood. He bought a six-pack of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels. I preferred Macallan Scotch Whisky, but I’d make do.

As we walked towards his dorm, a strong wind blew, and I heard the sound of wings flapping. I cast a protective spell around Seth just as Damon landed before us, looking furious.

“No, Leia. That human’s soul is supposed to be moving on,” Damon growled.

“He’s my soulmate, Damon. We’re meant to be together!”

“Leia, he’s human and has an expiration date. He’s not immortal like you,” Damon said sympathetically. I argued that I would turn him into a reaper, but he repeated the same argument Callon had made. Didn’t they understand that I didn’t care if I became human as long as I was with my soulmate?

Damon rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Leia, but the human must move on. I’ll assign him to another reaper who will complete the soul extraction,” he said firmly. My heart ached.

“No, don’t! You’ll destroy my soul,” I cried out. He shook his head, telling me to follow the rules or face punishment. He soared into the sky, leaving me with tears streaming down my face. I let the protective spell around Seth dissipate.

“You’re going to die, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” I said softly.

“Personally, I’d rather control my own fate. Is there anything I can do to avoid being reaped?” he asked. I swallowed nervously and nodded.

“If we have s*x, it could turn you into a reaper or me into a human,” I said softly. He frowned.

“I wouldn’t risk that. It doesn’t seem fair.” I smiled at his thoughtfulness. He raised his drinks and suggested we go to his room, hoping an idea would come to him. I nodded, feeling heartbroken, and followed him.

As we climbed the stairs to his dorm, I was sure my parents now knew about my situation. I went to Seth’s bed and pulled out the reaper card.

“It’s a blank piece of cardstock,” he said. I laughed, telling him his name was clearly written on it. He believed me and told me to get comfortable while he set up his painting supplies. I grabbed a cold beer, sipped it, and watched him move around his room.

“Does your father own that entertainment company?” I asked.

“Why, are you a gold digger?” he laughed. I explained that my parents were royalty, so no. He laughed again. “I knew you were wealthy, but I couldn’t care less. There are more important things in life.” I agreed, finishing my beer. I glanced at his fridge and snapped my fingers, adding three more six-packs inside. I grabbed the whiskey, tore off the top, and Seth brought two glasses and a 20-ounce Coke. I mixed his drink and poured mine straight. He positioned me on a chair and started sketching.

He wrapped a blue and green feathered boa around my neck. “It matches your eyes, and I love painting feathers,” he said sincerely, starting with my eyes. I watched in amazement as he captured the color perfectly. He was a quick and talented painter.

After about an hour, there was a loud knock on the door. Seth shrugged and opened it to find my parents standing there, looking puzzled. I wished I could disappear. Seth was a great host, inviting them in and showing them the painting. He offered them drinks and told them he enjoyed my company, which made me happy. My father asked to speak with Seth privately, and they went into the next room.

My mother sighed, looking at me with disappointment. “Aerin found Seth’s reaper card in your mattress. What were you thinking? A human, Leia! A human you were supposed to collect. Damon’s going to be furious,” she said.

“He’s my soulmate, and I want to get to know him. He’s a good person,” I said firmly.

“Who should have died from a drug overdose that you prevented,” she added. I frowned and shrugged, saying it was my soul’s responsibility.

Seth and my father returned, and Seth looked upset. “Let’s go. The young man has been informed of your betrothal to Dasher.” My eyes widened, and I swore loudly.

“I never agreed to marry that pointy-eared jerk. I refuse!” My mother shouted, “Leia Plath, watch your language! You’re a princess and need to start acting like one.” I was shaking, heartbroken. Seth looked offended. I cast a permanent protective spell around him and let my parents take me away from my soulmate.