Chapter One:
The Graveyard Shift
Nicodemus
The chains wrapped around my neck felt like they had become one with my skin. The only sounds that could force themselves from my throat were hollow wheezes and whimpers, accompanied by my thin arms twisting for freedom. Across the courtyard, wood was being tossed into a big pile, and men yelled back and forth to one another in a foreign language. My mother was crying hysterically, begging them to let me free and show mercy. She received a blow to the head that silenced her forever. My son hid behind a post, no more than five years old, and trembled as his wide green eyes took in the state I was in. His mother knew not to say a word, and only hid her face in his hair.
The leader of the group, David Alexander, stepped forward and took hold of the chain around my neck, pulling me up to my knees with a wide smile. He murmured something in the archaic language before turning to the crowd, who were cheering wildly. He called something proudly to them, which they responded with cries of victory for, before dragging me towards the pile of wood. My son cried more violently as David slid me onto my knees to tie my wrists to the pole amongst the logs. I was able to give he and his mother one final, loving look, before a match hit the wood, and flames licked up my body.
The pain was gut wrenching. The screams that came out of me were gargled and crackled, but the pain behind them undeniable. I had never felt a pain this intense, nor did I wish for anyone else to ever suffer the same. My wife screamed in agony and ripped our son away so he didn’t watch me burn, while also stopping herself from jumping into the flames with me. David said a few words I understood, villain, traitor, die, and turned with a smile as he watched the flesh melt off my bones, and heard me take my final breath.
╪
I slowly opened my eyes to the blazing summer sun, which was guarding my body as I slept. The grass underneath my back was thick and scratchy, yet somehow swaddled me gently to keep any possible distress from interrupting my concentration. My hands were folded on my chest, and though this experience was agonizing, they did not clench in the slightest bit. I caught my bearings for a moment before slowly sitting up, taking a deep breath as I turned to the grave to my right. Xavier had been waiting patiently for me to awake, kicking his legs calmly as he sat atop the stone structure. Through his body, I could see that clouds had begun to move in from the southside, which meant a storm was due any moment, and I’d better finish up quickly. “I’m so sorry you had to experience such a horrific death,” I began.
His black eyes softened, and a small smile lifted on the corner of his lips, “As horrific as it was, having someone to share my story with has brought me a relief I thought I’d never feel. Did you… feel, everything?” He hesitantly asked.
“I always do, but I’m used to it. What’s important now is helping you find your family. I suspect they have waited a long time to be with you.” I offered sincerely.
He turned towards the sky and sighed softly, “I didn’t do it, you know. They claimed I murdered the king, but David was the one to slide poison into his cup. I lost everything because of that man, and died so horrifically…”
I stood and laid a hand on his shoulder, which made him flinch slightly, “You cannot hold grudges forever. Your pain has been recognized and felt, and now it is time to rest. David got his due diligence, and you deserve your peace. There is nothing you can do now; he has been dead for hundreds of years, just as you have. The difference, is he will go where he belongs, and you will see your son’s smile again.”
“You swear it? You swear I will?” He croaked.
“I promise on my soul. Everything will be as it should be,” I assured him warmly.
Xavier stiffly stood and touched my cheek before looking back to the sky. “Thank you, for everything. Thank you for being the only person to ever listen to my story. I will cherish this moment for all eternity,” he whispered gratefully.
“I’ll come see you when I can. Tell Mary I said hello,” I teased, which made him chuckle before his soul slowly dissipated. As soon as he was gone the world around me began to dissipate, and before long, was black once again. I sighed painfully at the loss of my sight and began the walk back home, reminiscing about what I had been able to see in that short time frame.
Rain began to pound the sidewalk as I came up the hillside, focusing on the cracks in the road so I wouldn’t fall into the street. I had practiced this route many times over the years, and had perfected it by now, but nothing would stop an accidental slip. I made sure to always keep one headphone loose so I could listen for any other threats, but usually tended to get lost in the music pumping through my left ear. The rain was soothing as it spilled down the hood of my sweatshirt and soaked my back, especially since I had been laying in the sun for so long. I only wished I could enjoy the sky for a few moments longer than Xavier allowed me to.
When my sneakers hit the gravel of our long driveway the pit in my stomach subsided, and the peace offered by being safely home washed over me. We didn’t live on a particularly busy road; we were one of only a few houses for miles, but that didn’t stop cars from rushing around the curving roadway blindly. It was a good five-minute walk down the driveway to our actual house, and feeling the front door underneath my fingertips always felt like a reward.
I didn’t realize how tired I was from helping Xavier cross over until the cooling air conditioning hit my hot face, which automatically made my eyelids droop from the comfort. The house smelled of citrus and cinnamon potpourri, which meant not only was Dad home, but his time away had been incredibly stressful. I kicked my shoes off and placed them beside the door before walking to the kitchen, pulling my wet sweatshirt over my head as I rounded the corner.
Sure enough, Dad was at the table peeling another orange with a paring knife, humming along to some song playing on the radio by the backdoor. He sighed happily when he heard me enter the house, “Find anyone interesting today?” He asked, setting the knife down to stand and put his peels in the pot of boiling cinnamon liquid he had been working on.
“I burned to death during a renaissance trial, so that was fun,” I scoffed as I opened the fridge door, feeling for a can of soda.
“Ooh, not fun. Did you end up helping them cross?” He continued, handing me the drink I was having difficulty pinpointing.
I popped the tab and took a swig, then leaned into his side with a groan, “Yeah, I did. He was your typical vengeful soul, but I convinced him that he was wasting his time searching for someone who had died hundreds of years ago.”
“They usually get the hint pretty quickly,” he ruffled my hair lovingly, “I’ve gone through three oranges waiting for you to get back!”
“For someone who spends all day in the Shadow Realm, you sure get your vitamins,” I laughed, nudging him playfully, “You’re back early? I take it something must be going on?”
He gripped my shoulders tighter, “Yes and no. There’s been some disturbances I have to follow up on that are showing to be more supernatural than I’d like them to be, but I’ve dealt with worse. I should only be gone a few more days; I wanted to check up on you before I left…” His voice fell as he watched for my reaction to his departure.
I flicked the tab on my can a few times, blankly staring forward, “Work comes first, so don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.” I lied to make him feel better.
He saw right through me, but attempted to change the subject. “So, do you think you can take care of a demon for me?” He began with fake enthusiasm.
I shrugged simply, “Sure, sounds easy enough.”
“There’s been a slew of murders in the area not caused by Human hands, and it’s causing huge problems. I don’t really know which one is running around, but I’d like to nip this in the bud before this issue gets more out of hand…” He hesitated briefly, “I’m allowing you to go all out on this one, so long as you don’t hurt yourself…?”
“I know, don’t worry. I’m pretty excited honestly. Besides, like you’ve said tons of times, I need to be exposed to the real stuff eventually. Saving a few lost souls a week is nothing compared to what you do.” I said with a slightly sad tone before shaking my head, “What’s the game plan? I’m assuming you have some guidelines set for me, and hopefully a lead?”
He leaned over to turn the stove off, and stir his potpourri as he spoke, “Well, more or less. I’m sending you to the latest victim’s location to investigate, so this is mostly on you. The Gods are on my ass about getting rid of it, but after extensive observation, it should pose no threat for you to clean up. I have to go back to the Shadow Realm tonight, and your mother’s premature birth mess is close to being taken care of, so this will keep you occupied while we’re gone. I picked something with comparable difficulty based on your skill level and expertise at this stage.”
“I’ll head out there tomorrow morning. I just hope I don’t mess up…”
Dad tilted my chin up, “There is no such thing as messing up, Nicodemus. You are an extremely talented Elemental; your mother and I could not be prouder if we tried.”
I blushed wildly and ducked my head, “You sure you’re not just saying that?”
His tone deepened seriously, “I am telling you this not as your father, but as the Grim Reaper.” He assured sternly before dissipating into the warm summer air.
╪
Another night, another dinner I would eat alone.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
I had become used to this routine throughout the years, and by now was numb to the agonizing silence. I usually filled my time with homework or some other remedial activity, and tonight, I paired Latin Necromancy Spells with a baseball game. Our kitchen was always one of the colder rooms of the house, probably due to the lack of light that the dense trees surrounding us let in. When I entered the room, I flicked on the small space heater on the counter and rubbed my arms twice in front of it. The air conditioning was on an automatic timer, so even if I wanted to turn it off, I would have to mess with the controls in the basement, and Dad preferred I not go into his office without permission, especially since I always broke something.
Being blind was just so fun.
Twenty dollars and a takeout menu were left on the counter for me as a parting gift, but I was tired of Chinese, so I decided to try my hand at a new recipe tonight. Our three black Pomeranians raced back and forth across the tile, jumping on my legs to try and snatch the ingredients I collected from the fridge and cabinets. “What we thinking tonight, guys? Fried dough? Pizza?” I asked them as I pondered the mismatched assortment of perishables.
[You may want me to fry the dough if that’s the case.] Alice whispered, which made me jump violently. The dogs barked obnoxiously while she snorted laughter, appearing on the counter with her tongue sticking out. The dead were always the only thing I was able to see; within the black of my vision, Alice sat on the counter kicking her legs with a happy smile. Her eyes were all black, like other souls, but her vibrant auburn hair sat in a high ponytail. She wore a simple button up, black leggings, and ankle boots, since we were just hanging around at the moment.
“Would you stop doing that!? You get me every time I’m distracted!” I grumbled, smacking her leg, “And not for nothing, I am fully capable of frying a piece of dough.”
[Remember the last time you said that? We almost lost the stove to a chicken breast.]
“You’re lucky you’re dead, or I’d choke you.” I teased, putting the canola oil back in the cabinet to trade it for olive, “Pizza it is, I guess.”
“Jackson, this is my dinner, not yours.” I scolded with an eye roll.
“Again, DEAD!” I yelled, shoving past him as he and Alice chuckled at my glare.
{He sure eats like a fully breathing, fully starving horse.} May scoffed as she peeked over my shoulder to watch me ladle sauce out of a jar. I had to keep feeling for the edges of the dough with my pinky, but did pretty good at not covering myself in sauce. {Can we maybe add mushrooms, too?} May innocently peeped.
“Any other requests!?” I snarled in annoyance.
(I’m already chopping onions.)
“Claude, stop dumping things on my damn pizza!” I giggled as he reached over me to sprinkle an assortment of ingredients on the cheese I had already laid down.
He winked and hip bumped me into Jackson, who threw his arms around me so I couldn’t wiggle free.
“This is mutiny!” I cried from his embrace.
(Can it, shrimp; we work hard for a couple of olives,) Claude teased.
[I’ll burn the crust for you, May-May!] Alice cheered.
“Do I have any say in this!?” I tried, but they all completely ignored me. Alice snapped her fingers to conjure a flame, and when Claude held the tray over her palm, the flame grew exponentially to rapidly bake the now abused and weighed down dough. I grumbled to myself as the cheese popped and bubbled, and all of their additions finished cooking. “I get at least two slices this time!” I cried as I barreled through the crowd to rip the tray out of Claude’s hands.
{No fair, you always take such a big slice!} May argued as she tried to snatch the tray back.
[Alright, alright, let the living one get his share first,] Alice cut the pie into even slices and laid a few on my plate with a loving smile. [Here you go, sweetheart. Run, before Jackson finishes his and attacks!]
“Thank you, Alice!” I sang, kissing her frozen cheek before skipping to the table. Jackson was two slices in when I flicked on the small tv Claude had fixed up and brought back to Earth with him, which was already on the station playing the game. Claude himself stood behind me so he could watch as well, and everyone knew that until the sixth inning there was no way we would be able to break his concentration.
May hopped up on the chair beside me and munched adorably, bobbing her head to a song she was humming to herself. I rolled my eyes at how cute she was, and opened my textbook to pick up where I had left off this morning. (Would it kill them to trade Rodriguez? He hits like a two year old?!) Claude grumbled to himself, smacking his hand on his arm.
“Can you cram it, old man. I’m trying to focus.” I jabbed him with my pencil, which made him dissipate, only to reappear on the chair closest to the tv so he could mumble insults to himself at a tolerable distance.
[Animarum, not anima, sweetheart; you want to pluralize souls when conjuring.] Alice corrected as she watched me work over my shoulder.
“Oh, thanks. I thought that sounded funny.” I crossed out my misspelled word, mumbling the incantation under my breath to practice my pronunciation. The phone rang abruptly, which made me jump slightly, but I reached around May to pull it off the wall. “Crawford residence?” I sighed as I tried to clean sauce off my face.
“I was looking for the most handsome young man in the universe? Is he available?”
“Hi, Mom,” I laughed to her delight, “How are things?”
“That’s what I was calling to ask you, Love Bug. Are you doing ok? Dad said he stopped by to check on you today. Do you need anything?” She asked her questions in rapid succession.
“No, I’m ok. He did say hi earlier this afternoon. I’m finishing my Necromancy Sixteen vocabulary now, so I’m occupied for the time being.” I assured her blandly.
“Good, good. I miss you so much, Love Bug. I can’t wait to come home. It’s rare we have this many mistakes in the birth department, but Gods, it feels like it’ll never end. Just as we finished India, Australia had a huge boom.”
“Sounds like you got your hands full,” I boredly replied.
Her voice fell slightly, “Thank you for being so patient. I know Dad and I have been away for much longer than usual, and I hate that. You take one week off and the world goes up in flames, literally this time. Did he tell you how bad the crime rate has been on Earth lately? He has more souls lined up for Gehenna then he has people to file them. Magnus slept here last night just to get a break from helping Geneva!”
“I’ll keep the doors locked.” I teased to lighten the mood. “Um, Mom? I should probably let you know that Dad asked me to take care of a demon tomorrow.” I cautiously explained.
“He what?” She snapped automatically in disgust.
I was expecting this reaction, “Relax, I can handle it. I know you don’t like me leaving the house when you’re gone, but he said it shouldn’t be a big deal. I didn’t want you having a heart attack if I didn’t answer the phone on first ring.”
“Nicodemus, you know how I feel about this…?” She groaned defiantly.
“Not my fault the universe made me a Death Elemental.” I scoffed with a shrug, “Besides, I’ve killed demons tons of times, haven’t I?”
“With your father, yes, you have, but not alone. Are you sure you can do this?”
“I’ve got the guys with me, so we’ll be fine. You and I know Dad wouldn’t ask unless it was something I could handle. He said there’s tons of weird supernatural murders lately, so he needs to thin the ranks somehow, and this shouldn’t be an issue for me at all according to him.”
“Well, alright, I suppose. I’ll be having a word with him next, but I trust you.” Her tone wasn’t reassuring at all, but I knew she would worry regardless, “Just, please make sure your Shadows are with you every step of the way? I know you like to fight without them sometimes…?”
“Not on something like this. I’ll be extra careful, promise. I’ll make sure to borrow someone’s eyes so I can see perfectly. The last thing I want is to stumble into a demon den blind.”
She sighed deeply, but I could hear a smile in her voice, “Alright. I love you, Love Bug. Please, please call me when you’re home, and before you leave? And if things get rough, go straight home and tell one of us…?”
“Ok, Mom, I know! I love you too.” We hung up shortly after, and as soon as we did, my forehead hit the table with a thud that drew my Shadows attention. “She is such a worry wart.”
[Every good mother is. You should get some shut eye; we’ll need you at your best if we’re going to track this thing tomorrow.] Alice cheerfully sang.
“Do you guys need to go home and refresh…?” I sadly began.
Claude snorted, and turned with a smirk, (We never leave when you’re alone, you know that. We’ll be just fine. Jackson and I will clean this up while you get ready for bed.)
Alice and May whisked upstairs ahead of me, and flashed around the house collecting towels and pajamas for me as I slunk into the bathroom. It was nice to have their company when my parents were out of town like this, and I couldn’t help but smile when Alice kissed my hair and told me to take my time in the shower. I went to open my bedroom door after the shower, but paused mid step. My gaze traveled to where the door on the opposite side of the wall would be, and lingered for a long moment. I dropped my hand from my own door and shuffled into the other room, sighing miserably to myself as I felt for the covers.
The bed was unmade, which usually wouldn’t fly if Mom were home, but Dad was probably so exhausted that he didn’t think about fixing it. He had also dropped off a set of clothes and grabbed a fresh one, and the used ones were piled in their basket, waiting for him to attend to them. I pulled the basket into the hallway to make sure I did them tomorrow morning for him. I lit a few candles that Mom always kept on her vanity, just so they would perfume the room, turned on the television for noise, then crawled onto the big bed to snuggle under the covers.
They always slept with two blankets layered, and I usually hated that, but tonight they felt like a warm hug that I desperately needed. Sandwiched between both sides of their bed, I could distinctly make out who’s side was who’s even without knowing it by heart. Since Mom had been gone longer it was harder to detect her side, since the scent of her fruit perfume was fading with time, but Dad’s cologne was prominent from his nap this afternoon. I smooshed my face into his pillows with a small smirk, and breathed in the scent for a moment or so.
The dogs finally found me in my parent’s bed, and after huffing in annoyance for making them go on their extravagant manhunt, they curled up in various spots around my legs and back. Bodhi always slept under the blanket, Amara hoarded Mom’s pillow, and Asher guarded the pack at the foot of the bed, ready to attack the first intruder that tried to mess with his family. I gave them each a pat and a kiss before falling back into the pillows.
Alice shimmered into view behind me, and delicately pulled the covers over my shoulders before kissing my cheek tenderly. [They’ll be home soon, sweetheart.]
“I miss them so much, Alice.” I whispered, blinking back a few tears into the satin sheets.