Chapter 4
Entangled Souls
I Think I Know Who The Reaper Is
Ana stood and wobbed to the bow of the boat to glory in the wind. In a surge of worry ,I forced my hand down from the black ,water.
I was getting seasick ,not from the jarring boat ,but from what was going to happen. Unless Hyun could do a better job than he had with me ,someone would die.
I 'd done that-well ,half of it ,anyway-and waking up in the morgue wasn't fun.
My gaze slid from the skier to Hyun as the red speedboat inched closer ;we were nearing the jump.
His brown hair streamed back from the wind and he was talking to the driver ,his knees spread wide for balance ,looking every bit like the casual eightteen-year-old he was trying to save.
As if feeling my attention,Hyun looked up and our eyes met. Between us ,a black wing dove into the water. Son of a dead puppy. They were gettng bold. It was almost time.
Hey ! Ana shouted ,looking to he the black wing had vanished. Did you see that ? she asked ,eyes wide. It looked like a stingray. I didn't kow they had stingrays in freashwater.
Because they don't in this hemisphere ,I thought ,scanning the horizan. Black wings were everywhere ,keeping pace with the boats above and below the water.
Ana gripped the gunwale with two hands as she stared at the water off the starboard. She clearly wasn't seeing half of what was out there ,but she'd noticed something.
My illusionary pulse quickened. The more anxious I became ,the more my mind relied on memories of being alive. Something was about to happen ,and I didn't know what to do.
What if that beautiful girl at the wheel was the reaper ?
Tense ,I listened to the water hiss as we raced past the ski jump. Our skier took it ,letting out a war whoop at the top of her arc.
She lost her balance on the landing but fell into the water gracefully ,as if she knew what she was doing.
Young ,moments behind her ,shied off at the last second The toe of his ski snagged the ramp. I gasped ,helpless as he pinwheeled.
Reapers loved to work by accident ,adding a deathblow to an already injured person to hide their actions. Hyun had been rigth. The victim ,and hence the reaper ,must be on his boat.
Turn around ! I shouted. Young hit the jump.
Our boat shifted ,and Ana grabbed the rail. Oh my God ! she cried. Is he okay ?
He'd be fine as long as Hyun got to him first.
I glanced at our driver as she turned the boat ,silently urging he to hurry up. Her eyes were now showing over her sunglasses. Blue ,I first noted ,and then fear slid through me.
Even as I watched ,they shifted to silver as she smiled in quiet satisfaction. She was a reaper.
The driver was the dark reaper. Hyun was on the wrong boat. Damn it ,I knew she was too pretty to be alive.
Scared ,I forced my eyes down before she could see that I knew. Edging to the back of the boat ,I clasped my arms about myself ,becoming frantic as we slowed.
Our skier was swimming toward Young ,but Hyun had dived into the water and would get there first. Ana joined me at the side of the boat when Hyun slipped his arm around Young to start pulling him to my boat ,not his.
The fear in me deepened. He right to her ! Damn it ,why had I insisted on doing this when I couldn't even communicate with Hyun !
The two boats were coming together ,the engines softening to a chugging rumble that died when they were both turned off.
Everyone was at the edge ,shouting. I tired to get Hyun's attention without alerting the dark reaper that I knew who she was-all the while not letting her out of my sight.
But Hyun never looked up. Hands went down to Young. He was conscious but bleeding from ahead wound. Coughing ,he weakly extended a shaky hand for help.
I shivered when the shadow of a black wing slid over me and was gone. Beside me ,Ana shuddered as well ,clearly feeling but not seeing the dripping black sheets above us.
Get him up ,I whispered ,thinking they looked like sharks gliding smoothly under the surface. Get him out of the water.
My boat ,though ,wasn't any safer ,and I lurched to get between the dark reaper and Young as he was lugged over the edge and a wash of water soaked the plastic green rug.
The dark reaper had to know someone was here to stop her ,though she probably thought it was Hyun ,since he was the one who'd jumped in.
Is he all right ? Ana said ,letting out a little yelp when our boats gently hit and the driver of the red boat threw a rope to tie us together.
Dropping to her knees in the narrow space before the back bench seat ,Ana yanked a beach towel from her bag.
You're bleeding. Here ,put this on your head ,she said ,and Young blinked vacantly at her. Crouched beside Young ,Hyun wasn't looking at me ,and my heart hammered as I inched closer to a beautiful death in a Hawaiian top and flip-flops ,smelling faintly of feathers and an overly sweet ,cloying pefume.
She won't recognie me. I'm safe ,I tried to convince myself. But when Hyun stood and started to make the jump to the other boat to leave me ,I lost it.
Hyun ! I cried ,then froze as I felt ,more than heard ,the hiss of metal through air. Tension slammed through me ,and I whipped my head around.
The dark reaper stood with her feet planted firmly apart in the narrow space up front ,the light shining gloriously upon her and her sword.
It had a violet stone above the grip that matched the one around her neck. I could see it now. Both stones blazed with a deep intensity.
She wasn't looking at Young. She was looking at Ana. No ! I shouted ,panicked. There was a flash of light against a blade ,and ,unthinking ,I lunged to get between them ,hitting Ana with my shoulder to send her sprawling.
Yelping ,she fell beside Young at the back of the boat.
Ana stood and wobbed to the bow of the boat to glory in the wind. In a surge of worry ,I forced my hand down from the black ,water.
I was getting seasick ,not from the jarring boat ,but from what was going to happen. Unless Hyun could do a better job than he had with me ,someone would die.
I 'd done that-well ,half of it ,anyway-and waking up in the morgue wasn't fun.
My gaze slid from the skier to Hyun as the red speedboat inched closer ;we were nearing the jump.
His brown hair streamed back from the wind and he was talking to the driver ,his knees spread wide for balance ,looking every bit like the casual eightteen-year-old he was trying to save.
As if feeling my attention,Hyun looked up and our eyes met. Between us ,a black wing dove into the water. Son of a dead puppy. They were gettng bold. It was almost time.
Hey ! Ana shouted ,looking to he the black wing had vanished. Did you see that ? she asked ,eyes wide. It looked like a stingray. I didn't kow they had stingrays in freashwater.
Because they don't in this hemisphere ,I thought ,scanning the horizan. Black wings were everywhere ,keeping pace with the boats above and below the water.
Ana gripped the gunwale with two hands as she stared at the water off the starboard. She clearly wasn't seeing half of what was out there ,but she'd noticed something.
My illusionary pulse quickened. The more anxious I became ,the more my mind relied on memories of being alive. Something was about to happen ,and I didn't know what to do.
What if that beautiful girl at the wheel was the reaper ?
Tense ,I listened to the water hiss as we raced past the ski jump. Our skier took it ,letting out a war whoop at the top of her arc.
She lost her balance on the landing but fell into the water gracefully ,as if she knew what she was doing.
Young ,moments behind her ,shied off at the last second The toe of his ski snagged the ramp. I gasped ,helpless as he pinwheeled.
Reapers loved to work by accident ,adding a deathblow to an already injured person to hide their actions. Hyun had been rigth. The victim ,and hence the reaper ,must be on his boat.
Turn around ! I shouted. Young hit the jump.
Our boat shifted ,and Ana grabbed the rail. Oh my God ! she cried. Is he okay ?
He'd be fine as long as Hyun got to him first.
I glanced at our driver as she turned the boat ,silently urging he to hurry up. Her eyes were now showing over her sunglasses. Blue ,I first noted ,and then fear slid through me.
Even as I watched ,they shifted to silver as she smiled in quiet satisfaction. She was a reaper.
The driver was the dark reaper. Hyun was on the wrong boat. Damn it ,I knew she was too pretty to be alive.
Scared ,I forced my eyes down before she could see that I knew. Edging to the back of the boat ,I clasped my arms about myself ,becoming frantic as we slowed.
Our skier was swimming toward Young ,but Hyun had dived into the water and would get there first. Ana joined me at the side of the boat when Hyun slipped his arm around Young to start pulling him to my boat ,not his.
The fear in me deepened. He right to her ! Damn it ,why had I insisted on doing this when I couldn't even communicate with Hyun !
The two boats were coming together ,the engines softening to a chugging rumble that died when they were both turned off.
Everyone was at the edge ,shouting. I tired to get Hyun's attention without alerting the dark reaper that I knew who she was-all the while not letting her out of my sight.
But Hyun never looked up. Hands went down to Young. He was conscious but bleeding from ahead wound. Coughing ,he weakly extended a shaky hand for help.
I shivered when the shadow of a black wing slid over me and was gone. Beside me ,Ana shuddered as well ,clearly feeling but not seeing the dripping black sheets above us.
Get him up ,I whispered ,thinking they looked like sharks gliding smoothly under the surface. Get him out of the water.
My boat ,though ,wasn't any safer ,and I lurched to get between the dark reaper and Young as he was lugged over the edge and a wash of water soaked the plastic green rug.
The dark reaper had to know someone was here to stop her ,though she probably thought it was Hyun ,since he was the one who'd jumped in.
Is he all right ? Ana said ,letting out a little yelp when our boats gently hit and the driver of the red boat threw a rope to tie us together.
Dropping to her knees in the narrow space before the back bench seat ,Ana yanked a beach towel from her bag.
You're bleeding. Here ,put this on your head ,she said ,and Young blinked vacantly at her. Crouched beside Young ,Hyun wasn't looking at me ,and my heart hammered as I inched closer to a beautiful death in a Hawaiian top and flip-flops ,smelling faintly of feathers and an overly sweet ,cloying pefume.
She won't recognie me. I'm safe ,I tried to convince myself. But when Hyun stood and started to make the jump to the other boat to leave me ,I lost it.
Hyun ! I cried ,then froze as I felt ,more than heard ,the hiss of metal through air. Tension slammed through me ,and I whipped my head around.
The dark reaper stood with her feet planted firmly apart in the narrow space up front ,the light shining gloriously upon her and her sword.
It had a violet stone above the grip that matched the one around her neck. I could see it now. Both stones blazed with a deep intensity.
She wasn't looking at Young. She was looking at Ana. No ! I shouted ,panicked. There was a flash of light against a blade ,and ,unthinking ,I lunged to get between them ,hitting Ana with my shoulder to send her sprawling.
Yelping ,she fell beside Young at the back of the boat.
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