Arbiter (The Arbiter Chronicles Book 1) (20 page)

She didn’t even need to answer that question. At once, his face occupied all her thoughts. The Reaper, the thing she saw in her nightmares. As soon as she thought it, she saw Elrithea’s smirk widen, her eyes seeming to shine an even brighter gold. “Then you know what you must fight.”

Rae's eyes widened in fear. “I can’t fight the Reaper!”

“Maybe not…” said Elrithea, shrugging. “But if you are worthy of being Arbiter, then you will win. This is your mind, Rae Miller.” She raised her hand, and Rae saw her becoming transparent, slowly beginning to fade away.

“…It is only as strong as you are.”

Rae stared as Elrithea disappeared. She remained there for a while, staring at the place the High Lord had been standing in, her mind running through Elrithea’s words, over and over again.

April 19.

The day that changed everything.

Rae woke up to the beeping sound of her alarm clock, swinging her hand over the side of the bed and feeling around for the off switch. She opened her eyes as the beeping sound died, staring up at the ceiling. The fan continued to spin above her head, a lazy hypnotic motion. How many times had she lain here before in the past, not wanting to get up and drag herself through another day? How many times had she stared at that fan, content to lie here and not face the world outside.

Listless. Empty. Dead.

It was strange that on the replica of a day where she should have felt all of those things and more, she felt none of those. Instead, she felt an almost frantic energy coursing through her, felt her heart beating underneath her fingertips, the magic flowing in her veins. She had dreamed of Elrithea, and of Cathel, and of Mika. It was one of the first nights in a while that she hadn't dreamed of the Reaper.

She knew what she was going to do today. She had spent most of last night thinking about it. Rae was going to fight him, or at least the copy of him produced by her mind. She would save the dream's version of Nathan, and that would be the trigger that would break Elrithea's spell and restore them all to life.

That was her purpose now, the thing that would drive her through the day. Her eyes were puffy, and they ached somewhat from the tears she had shed the afternoon before, but her heart felt…lighter somehow, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. No. That was wrong. There had been no lifted burdens. The burden of her duty was still as heavy today as it had been yesterday.

But somehow, she felt like it was now possible to bear it.

For the first time, she saw the truth of the blond man's words on the day he had spoken to her between her Realm and the Twilight Realm. She was never meant to do this alone.

Far from feeling dead, she felt more alive than she had ever felt before.

It was strange. An odd feeling.

Was this what it was like to have something to live for?

She took a deep breath. Today, she couldn't lie in bed. The restless energy that drove her refused to allow it, balked at the thought of spending one more minute in motionless silence. She threw the covers off of herself, sliding her feet over the side of the bed and standing up.

As an afterthought, she made her bed.

And then she cleaned her room.

Within the span of an hour, everything in her small college apartment had been put back in place, her textbooks neatened and organized, and her meager belongings spread out in an organized fashion. Rae stood in the center of the room and ran a hand through her hair, feeling inordinately pleased with herself as she looked down at the now visible floor. She knew that this wasn't her real room, that it was only an image that her mind reflected for her, but still, looking at it in this ordered state made her feel better.

Like she had just ordered a small portion of her mind.

She glanced at the clock beside her bed, staring at the numbers on it. It was still too early for her to go downtown. The shooting wouldn't happen until night, after the sun set. And there was no point in her going to class today, since she didn't exist in this world. Was she simply supposed to wait until nightfall?

She looked around the room. Her eyes landed on a cardboard roll that lay propped up against the wall, the same type used to wrap up posters. She had unearthed it from under her bed, and not knowing what to do with it, had propped it up in the corner next to her small trash can. Rae walked over it now, grasping its weight in her hands. She tossed it once, catching it again in her right hand as she held it in front of her.

Cathel's voice filled her mind, gentle and instructive, but firm at the same time as he corrected her grip. She held the roll in her hands like a sword, taking her stance. Rae kept his voice in mind, imagining him standing in the room next to her. The person she imagined was not the false Cathel but the real Cathel, the one that had walked with her, talked with her, ate with her and fought beside her. The one that befriended the Ivali but scorned his master. The mage.

Her friend.

She imagined Mika sitting to the side, watching them with a curious expression on her face. They would be standing beside the road somewhere, in one of Elrithea's endless forests, and Cathel would decide it was time for a lesson. Mika would settle down by the side of the road and watch them, but would never ask to be included. And she would laugh, and clap, and make comments when Rae did poorly, in the same way as Ania had.

She kept those images in her mind—Cathel's contemplative frown and Mika's smiling face, so like her brother's.

They were what she would fight for. If she could do anything in this world, it would be to get them out of this dream, to get them out of their own nightmares.

She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she brought the makeshift sword down. The world faded away, replaced by a set of strikes and blocks, Cathel's voice, and the sound of her movements.

Nightfall came all too soon. Rae found herself walking through the streets of downtown as the sun began to set, dressed in the same simple white dress and black flip flops that she had decided to wear on that day. It was warm, the air feeling exactly the same as it had back then. She remembered it, down to the last detail.

Nathan had offered to walk her home from school on the real April 19, but he hadn't shown up outside of her classroom, so Rae had decided to follow the scenario anyway. It had surprised her, but she knew that things would be a little different in this dream. Elrithea had warned her of something happening today. There was nothing for it but to be at the right place at the right time and hope that something happened.

That in mind, Rae hooked her thumbs underneath the straps of her backpack, pulling it up on her shoulders. She had gone through the motions as if she had attended class today, and was now just waiting, the air filled with the tension of anticipation. It wouldn't be long now. She would enter the alley, two men would approach her and demand that she give them her money, and she would hesitate. Nathan, who was not beside her now but who had been on the real April 19, would appear and step in front of her, demanding instead that the muggers back off. The conflict would escalate into unpredicted violence, the criminals would flee, and then the Reaper would come.

Or perhaps it would be more like the actual scene, where she would call 911, and Nate would be taken to the hospital. He would be treated and placed in a room, where Rae would wait. And then the Reaper would come.

But she doubted it. The fight would be here in the alley.

It was the best place for a boss battle. And in the end, this dream was just a game. Elrithea's game.

That thought in mind, Rae crossed the street, heading towards the block where the incident had occurred.

The sound of a gunshot made her freeze in place, her eyes widening. The cracking sound was followed by the sound of a scream. The voice was feminine. A woman. A woman had screamed.

Had she screamed back then? She didn't remember.

No. This was wrong. She was supposed to be in the alley when it happened.

That was what had happened on the 19th. But there was no mistaking it.

She took off at a run, rounding the corner and staring into the alley in front of her. Rae skidded to a stop, her eyes wide.

Cathel lay on the ground, a pool of blood underneath him. His green eyes were wide open, staring sightlessly at her. Mika sat on the ground in front of him, her face pale. Bright red droplets of blood lay across the side of her cheek, her mouth open as she stared at the figure in front of her.

The Reaper stood on the other side of the alley, a smirk on his face and his hand wrapped around the handle of a gun.

She simply stared. She had been prepared to see Nathan there, but for her to see Cathel, for her to see Mika, and for her to see him…? This was not what was supposed to happen. This was wrong.

Everything was wrong.

But when the Reaper advanced towards Mika and she let out a strangled sob, scooting back and slipping in the pool of blood as she tried to get away from him, suddenly that didn't matter so much anymore.

Rae let out a shout of anger, rushing forward into the alley. She pulled her hands back, summoning the High Lord's power. It rushed towards the Reaper in a wave, a sudden rush of light heading towards him. The Reaper jumped back, his eyes widening as he raised his arm in front of his face to shield his eyes from the light.

It struck him head on, and she heard it crackle as it pushed him back, slamming him into the wall of the alley. At once, the situation seemed to freeze, Mika and Cathel remaining frozen in time as the light cleared, parting around the Reaper. He was holding his scythe in his hands now, a smirk on his face as he stepped towards Rae. As she watched, he shook out his hand, grinning at her as he held his scythe out in front of him.

"Well," he said. "It looks like I made the right choice in sending you to the Twilight Realm after all."

Her heart pounded in her chest. He looked like the real Reaper would look. He sounded like the real Reaper would sound. He said things that the real Reaper would say.

He's not real…
she reminded herself. 
Not real…

He's just a figment of your imagination, a product of your mind…

This is not real…

The Reaper advanced, running towards her. He pulled back his scythe, swinging the wide blade at her. Rae's eyes widened, and she quickly jumped back in an attempt to avoid the strike, raising her arm up in front of herself. The tip of the scythe caught her arm, tearing a gash across it. Searing pain arose in its wake, immediately followed by a cold numbing sensation that spread through her arm. Rae's eyes widened as she clutched at the wound, letting out a gasp.

Wasn't it supposed to be impossible to feel pain in a dream?

Her blood dripped from the end of the Reaper's scythe, landing on the ground of the alley. In this surreal world, it seemed strangely red, standing out in sharp contrast against the gray of the concrete. She stared at it, transfixed.

"Come now, my little ray of light," said the Reaper, smirking at her. "Surely you have more fight than that."

Rae swallowed hard, taking a step back. She pulled back her hand, staring at it. Blood stained her fingers, bright red seeming out of place against her pale skin. She sucked in a breath, shaking her head. She tried to grasp her Source but it shied from her, as if it knew the danger she was in and now refused to come.

A dream…
she tried to remind herself as she reached again for the shifting light of her Source.

Just a dream…

"You don't?" asked the Reaper, "Well, then…how about we make things a little more interesting."

He took a step towards Cathel. Rae's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she yelled, taking a step forward.

"No?" he repeated, resting the tip of his scythe blade against Cathel's back. Rae felt her breath catch in her throat as the Reaper's scythe blade moved, slowly drawing a line down Cathel's back before resting ever so lightly against the skin of his neck. "Are you sure? This one's as good as dead. And if I remember correctly, he doesn't even know your name…"

"Yes he does," said Rae fervently. "He does."

"Does he?" asked the Reaper. His brows rose in mock surprise, his eyes widening in realization. "Oh, he means something to you, doesn't he, Rae? That's interesting. I never would have taken you for the romantic type."

"I'm not—!" she began. The words died in her throat as he raised his scythe, stepping away from Cathel and turning towards her. "Nevertheless. You have no reason to care. This boy was marked for me from the day he came into contact with you."

"You're not real," said Rae, taking a deep breath. "This is just a dream."

"Is it?" asked the Reaper. “Or have you not considered that this dream might be more than that? I can never be apart from you, Rae. I exist in your mind…and you will never be free from me."

Rae shook her head. “No.”

The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "Then how about I show you. It's been so long since I've killed a mage. I've almost forgotten the thrill." He raised his scythe over his head, the tip poised to end Cathel once and for all.

"NO!”

"Look and see what you've done," said the Reaper, his eyes locking with hers as he swung the scythe down.

Light burst into the surrounding area, slamming into the Reaper from all sides. He fell back as the wheel of light surrounded him, grunting in pain as he hit the ground. Rae stared down at her hands, her eyes wide as she watched the light brush them lightly, gathering around them before slowly fading away.

Without realizing it, she had attacked the Reaper.

But now wasn't really the time to worry about how she did that.

"Cathel," she breathed, running over to the fallen mage.

Chains rose up from the ground, grabbing her by the wrists and yanking her down onto the alley floor. Rae let out a grunt of pain as she felt her back strike the ground, the chains holding her in place. She heard the rustle of cloth as the Reaper slowly got up, picking his scythe up off the ground and walking over to her. He loomed over her, blood trickling down from a small cut on his face as he stared down at her, his gray eyes suddenly cold and impassive.