A Raven in the Hand
CHAPTER 15
Death Magic, the term is used loosely. The ability to tune into the powers that are associated with the extinction of life and use them for one's own need. Unknown to most of the modern world, when the body dies and the spirit begins to leave the body, it is at its most vulnerable. The soul itself is pure energy, enough to cast the most powerful of spells. That is why there are those that practice the magic, as long as you have the energy to feed it, one can do almost anything.
Death Mongers, Kayla had herd the term before, one who practices the deadly art fluently. The books explained that they would have command on the dead, creating zombies, calling forth spirits and forcing them to do his dirty work, even be able to command someone to die. They were dangerous to everyone, even themselves if they could not control the power. After all, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
"…and that's all I know about them." Kayla had recited the information to him, Mark sat unmoving as she spoke.
He finally smiled at her, "And still, the question of the day is why he's after you."
She flopped back on his soft bed and looked up at the ceiling, "My only guess is that he's after my soul to fuel some big spell…a witch's soul is more powerful than a regular person."
"But you still have no idea as to what the spell could be?" Asked Mark, he couldn't help but look at her with a smile, her red hair had fallen around her head, like a deep red halo, she seemed more beautiful to him each day.
"I think a trip to New Orleans is in order." She popped back up in a sitting position, her hand had accidentally touched his, causing a little invisible spark between them.
She pulled back, as the same moment as he did. They looked at each other, silent in their gazes for a moment. Confused by each other, they had no notion that something was stirring within, a force more powerful than they could ever imagine.
Mark looked away and raised himself from the bed, "Want some help?"
Kay wanted to say yes, just to have him close to her, "I don't think it would be wise to bring a Reaper to a Voodoo Priestess, not right now at least. It would probable freak her out, until I get more info on you."
"So, you're just using me for my information?"
"NO!" She shot back, no idea that he was just joking with her, "I mean…"
"New Orleans is full of Vodus…" He turned the conversation away, "…do you know where to look?"
"Oh yeah, I know of one, Madam Sheer. She comes to the manor a lot, nice ceros woman, great cook too." Her stomach rumbled loudly, her face turned red in embarrassment for her hunger pains.
"I'll go get something for you to eat, I'll be back." He turned to leave the room, Kay raised herself from the bed and just starred in silence at him until the door closed behind him.
Kay grabbed her boots that were on the floor beside the bed and sat back down on the bed's edge putting them on. Her eyes wondered around the room, the dark deco was definitely his style, she didn't know they had a style. She liked it, it was cozy to her…like a tomb? She got back up and looked out one of the grand windows, just to see where she was.
As she looked out, she was shocked to find not a barren wasteland, but a garden! And not just some vegetable garden, no, this looked like a huge courtyard! There was even a pond in the middle, decorated with lilies and orchids and surrounded by a grey stone bench seat at the edge. It was beautiful.
This was definitely something new to her, a reaper taking care of a garden, Death's Garden as she now called it. It was hard to imagine the Undertaker with his hands elbow deep in soil, toiling around. No, there was magic in this because there was no way there would be a garden to this magnitude in the middle of the dessert. But it was still Beautiful.
"Enjoying the view?" She heard him ask from behind her.
She smiled as she turned to him, "It's beautiful, how…"
"There's a natural spring in the ground on this property, I thought this place needed a little life. I could take you for a tour, maybe after all this is over with?"
Kay wanted more than nothing to get that tour right now, but she knew she had to go back to the real world and talk with Madam Sheer.
"I will definitely take you up on that offer sometime, but right now I need to…"
"..eat." Mark finished for her, he handed her a plate, on it was a corned beef sandwich on Pumpernickel with real mayo and mustered, and Havarti cheese of course, her favourite.
She looked back at him in wonder, "How did you know…"
He looked a little guilty, "I confess, I read your mind when the stomach growled. I thought you were craving that. But I can always make you something else."
He didn't have a chance to take it back before half of the sandwich disappeared in Kay's mouth. Reaper had flown onto his mistress' shoulder, in hopes of getting some too!
"This is really good." She said between bites, "The bread is so soft…really good."
Mark was thrilled that she didn't mind his prying into her mind, or was that the sandwich was just too good to care if he did. It didn't matter, the smile on her happy face was enough for him to know everything's ok.
"That really hit the spot…" She grinned as she popped the bit of sandwich in her mouth, poor Reaper was disappointed that he didn't get even a crumb.
"Now that you're physically sated," He grinned, "do you need a lift to your car?"
"Yeah, that would be great, are we in some sort of dimension? Because I never saw this place…"
The Deadman laughed, "The desert is the illusion, this place is real, we are not in another dimension." He handed her cell phone back to her, "I found this beside you, the battery's dead."
Kay's eyes opened wide in shock, "Oh my gods! I was on the phone with Dave when the Vodu attacked me! He must be going out of his mind right now wondering what happened to me!" She grabbed her jacket, then stopped for a moment, turning slowly at him, "You can't tell him I was with you…"
His face showed a seriousness to them, "I already know that, but …he's just as curious as you. He has a way of finding things out for himself."
"I know, that's what scares me. I really don't know how he would react to all this, especially his little sister being a witch."
Mark moved closer to her and took her face in his hand, "If he really loves you, it won't matter if you're a witch or a mortal. If you were my little sister, I wouldn't care what you were."
She smiled at him, hoping that he didn't look at her like a sister, of course, if Reapers had sisters.
"That's the sweetest thing a guy could ever say to me." She grinned.
"Oh, I'm sure a lot of guys give you compliments…" He was loosing himself in her dark eyes again, they were so beautiful, like a doe, "You are such a beautiful woman…"
Kay could feel her heart skip a beat, she didn't know if she would just let him kiss her or should she kiss him? He was leaning forward, bringing his cool lips close to hers. She closed her eyes, ready this second time for his kiss of death…
The cell phone began to beep loudly, breaking the lock the two had on each other. Kayla and Mark looked puzzled at the phone who was still beeping.
"I was sure that the battery was dead…" Mark picked up the phone and opened the flip, sure enough, the battery was full and there were messages waiting for Kay on the voice mail.
"I cast a spell on the battery, its recharges itself when it goes dead, just takes a few minutes." She nervously took the phone from him, whishing that she had not cast the spell, she would have felt that kiss by now…
She looked at the phone, Dave's number was showing up on the caller id at least twenty times, "I have to call him, let him know I'm ok."
"I'll…I'll take you to your car." There was a hint of disappointment in his strong voice.
Kay pulled her jacket on, Reaper had to jump off for her to fit her arm in the sleeve, "Thanks…and thank you for saving me again."
"Anytime…" He hoped there would not be, he didn't know what would happen if the Vodu had killed her, except that the Undertaker would definitely not let the Boogieman rest in peace.
To be continued.