Death and the Lady

Chapter 16 – Helandel’s sacrifice

“What are you doing here, old man?” Stephen snarled as he jerked against Helandel’s grip.

“I am protecting my granddaughter.”

Stephen looked around and saw more Reapers step through the doorways hanging in the air. He took a few steps back and Helandel let go of him.

“Where’s that damned skeleton? You can’t leave that place without him.”

“Death is otherwise engaged at the moment. I came of my own volition.”

Stephen took another few steps back. “You can’t leave that place, you shouldn’t be able to.”

“There is very little a Master Reaper cannot do.”

Stephen looked around at his fallen Clerics and glared at Helandel. “This isn’t over, old man,” he snarled.

Stephen turned and ran towards the edge of the Gardens. Helandel watched him go and narrowed his eyes.

“Not by a long shot, Stephen.”

He hunched down and looked at Lily as she sat and stared at the two bodies on the grass. As she watched she saw Ryo lift Claire and carry her towards one of the hanging doors. The twins were both lifting Haji and slung an arm around each of their shoulders. Even fully upright they still had to drag Haji’s bulk towards the doors.

Kenny emerged from the trees followed by his massive bunny. Held in one of its claws was Nate. He hung limply, also just staring at his older brother’s body as it was carried away.

Helandel put a hand on her shoulder. “Lily, we have to go before the police arrive.”

“Haji...” Lily said softly, “he’s...”

“We have to go now, Lily. Can you stand?”

“I promised... Nate...”

Helandel shook his head and lifted her easily to her feet. He slung an arm around his shoulders and guided her towards one of the doors. Lily moved robotically, as though her mind was somewhere else.

Once through the doorway and in the white corridors of the Domain Lily stumbled over her feet and let go of Helandel.

“I... I have to go...” she muttered, “I have to... I have to see him.”

“Lily, wait,” Helandel said, but she was already headed down the corridor towards the infirmary.

Reapers hurriedly got out of her way as she walked dazedly down the corridors, letting her feet guide the way. Her mind was blank and there was a roaring sound in her ears. No sounds entered the hollow world in which she walked. She didn’t feel connected to her body, like her soul was outside it again. She felt slow and heavy, empty.

When she reached the infirmary she leaned heavily against the doorway and looked up to see Death rising from a chair beside the bed on which Haji’s body lay. He looked around and saw Lily leaning against the doorway.

He walked towards her and placed a bony hand on her shoulder, leaned down and took both swords out of her numb hands. She hadn’t even noticed that she was still holding them.

I have done all I can, he intoned and carefully brushed past her.

Just then Haji groaned and sat up. Lily could hardly believe her eyes. He moved slowly and stiffly, but he was moving. Tears welled up in her eyes and she gave a strangled sob. She ran into the infirmary and threw her arms around Haji, but jumped back when he groaned loudly.

“Careful,” Claire said from the other bed, “you know how much it hurts when you have your soul yanked out of your body.”

Lily gave a strangled cry and hugged her friend, who grimaced and held her arm away. Lily noticed the bandage around it and leapt back.

“Did they hit you?”

Claire shook her head. “The bullet glanced off my blade, but it jarred my arm.”

Lily looked between Claire and Haji. “How?”

“Helandel and I planned it, but I never thought it could work.”

“It would have been nice to get some warning,” Haji growled from his bed and Lily was at his side immediately.

“Don’t ever, ever do that again,” she cried as she hugged him tightly. “I don’t think I’d survive another one.”

Haji put his arms around her and held her tightly. He whispered something in German, again too fast for Lily to catch.

“I don’t know what you’re saying,” she said through her tears, “you’re talking too fast.”

“I’ll talk more slowly then,” Haji whispered and she silenced him with a kiss.

“I don’t care. I love you,” she said and felt him freeze. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

His arms tightened around her. “Ich liebe dich. Ich liebe dich so sehr es schmerzt,” he said and she shook her head.

“I don’t understand,” she said and he smiled.

“I love you,” he said and kissed her again. “I love you so much it hurts.”

“Nope, it’s-”

“-having your soul yanked-”

“-that hurts so much,” the twins said as they came into the infirmary.

“Just shut up,” Claire snapped from her bed.

Kenny trotted into the infirmary followed by his bunny, which was still carrying a docile Nate, who was starting to look annoyed.

“Seriously! Can the huge-ass, fanged and clawed bunny please put me down? I’m twenty-one for heaven’s sake! I can walk!”

The bunny dropped him unceremoniously to the ground and he landed hard on his behind. The bunny shrunk and leapt into Kenny’s arms.

“That has to be one of the weirdest and scariest things I have ever seen in my life, ever,” Nate muttered as he got to his feet.

He walked over to Haji and Lily, glared down at them and then punched Haji hard on the jaw. Everyone in the infirmary gave a startled scream, but Haji just groaned and sat up again.

“Okay, I deserved that.”

“You bet you do! Now can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Nate snapped. “I mean, seriously? People start shooting at us for no apparent reason and apparently you worked for them,” he snapped and pointed towards Haji, “You two,” he gestured to Lily and Claire, “pull these mean-ass looking weapons out of thin air and then you two,” this time he gestured to Claire and Haji, “look like you’re dead and these people start popping out of the air through floating doorways and this huge mean-ass looking bunny picks me up and carries me through this crazy huge as hell black and white mansion and drops me here and you two,” again he gestured to Claire and Haji, “are just fine.”

“I think ‘just fine’ is stretching the term a bit,” Haji managed and Lily scooted up to let the nurse look at the cut over his eyebrow.

She still clung to his hand, unwilling to let go. The nurse gave her an understanding look.

“You look like hell,” she said and Lily gave a strangled laugh.

“I look better than the other times I’ve been sent here.”

“True, but you look wrung out. Take that bed over there and get some rest.”

For a moment Lily looked panicky. “I’m okay right here, thanks.”

The nurse nodded. “I understand.”

“I’m still waiting,” Nate snapped impatiently and Lily sighed inwardly.

Haji squeezed her hand and looked at his brother. “You may want to sit down, this will take a while,” he said and Nate flopped down into the chair where Death had been seated not too long ago. “Lily, will you tell him where he is.”

“You’re in-”

“- Death’s Domain, mate,” the twins said and Nate looked at them.

“And you two are?”

“They’re the ultra, on a completely new level, annoying Ton-twins, Ash and Clay,” Claire said as she gave them a poisonous glare.

“And the guy with the bunny is Kenny,” Lily added.

Nate waved his hands. “Wait, back up. Where are we?”

Lily shook her head. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

Just then Helandel and Death stepped into the infirmary. They walked almost companionably side by side towards the group. The twins and Kenny quickly bowed to Death and Helandel, and Claire inclined her head. Lily got to her feet and threw her arms around her grandfather.

“Thank you,” she said and looked around at the strange sound Nate made.

The young man was staring at Death. “It’s a freaking walking skeleton!” he exclaimed and Death looked at him.

I can speak as well, Jonathan Eisenberg, he said and Nate skittered back against Haji’s bed.

“Why does it know my name?” he squeaked.

“He is the Grim Reaper, mate,” the twins said together.

“He knows everyone’s names,” Kenny said and Nate stared down at the kid.

“Aren’t you scared?”

Kenny shook his head. “Nope, Master is really nice and not scary at all.”

“I’ll take your word for it, kid.”

Lily hugged Death as well and felt him stiffen. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Thank you for saving Haji.”

Slowly Death put his arms lightly around her and hugged her back. You are truly a very strange child.

“We do have a reason for coming here, and it was not to give that young man nightmares,” Helandel said as Lily stepped back.

She frowned at him. “Really?” she asked and Death nodded.

One of the Reapers is going to retire in a few days, the ceremony will take place on the lawns at the Memorial Wall.

“Really-”

“-who?” the twins asked.

“Scarlet from the Canadian Branch.”

“The lady who always wears red?” Claire asked and Helandel nodded. “We’ll try to make it,” she said and Death inclined his head towards them.

Then I bid you a good evening. Come, Helandel, we have much to see too.

With that Death turned and stalked towards the doorway. Helandel nodded to the group and followed Death.

“Reapers?” Nate asked and Lily nodded.

“We’ll start at the beginning.”

After they’d finished explaining Nate sat and stared thoughtfully at the ground. Then he raised his head and glared at Claire.

“Dead-time,” he asked. “That equates to about three weeks to an hour, right? That’s about 8.4 Real-time minutes to an hour of Dead-time.”

Lily frowned. “That’s right.”

He pointed to Claire. “You cheater! I worked my butt of studying and you just trotted over here and studied at your leisure! And you had Death help you with Latin!”

Claire shrugged. “You can’t prove anything. Try explaining all this to the Dean.”

“Really?” Lily asked as she frowned at Nate. “Out of all we’ve told you all your got was Dead-time? Really?”

“And since you can understand any language, why did you even need to ask Death for help with your Latin?”

“We understand all living languages. Latin is a dead language,” Claire said simply.

Lily got up and smacked him on the head. “Be serious,” she snapped and he rubbed at his head.

“But it’s not fair,” he said sulkily.

“We pay a price if we spend too much time here,” Lily snapped and Haji frowned at her.

“What price?”

“The more time you spend here the harder it becomes to adjust to reality. You expect things to have changed in the time you spent here, rather than missing a few months you only miss a few hours.”

“But you’ve spent months here,” Nate pointed out and Lily frowned.

“I’m a bit different.”

“She belongs here more than we do,” Kenny said from his seat on Claire’s bed.

“Since she’s-”

“-a Master Reaper-”

“-and all,” the twins said and Claire glared at them.

“I thought I told you two to shut up.”

Nate looked at Haji. “So you worked for these Clerics and killed Reapers?” he asked and Haji nodded.

“At the time I didn’t think it was such a bad thing. I just did it so that they would leave you alone. I didn’t want you in that world.”

As Nate and Haji started to argue Lily looked around at a sound from the doorway. Helandel stood there, watching them with a smile on his face. She quickly patted Haji’s hand and hurried over to her grandfather.

“It’s gotten livelier since you came here,” he commented and Lily smiled.

“Well, I like entertaining people,” she said and Helandel lifted a hand.

He cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled softly. “I’m glad I got to see your real self at least once,” he said softly and fell forward.

Lily caught him and sagged under his sudden weight. Her eyes widened when she felt his faint heartbeat against her shoulder.

“No,” she said softly as she turned her head to look at his ashen face. “Not you.”

She turned and screamed at the nurse over her shoulder. Several people came hurrying closer and took Helandel from her and carried him to one of the unoccupied beds on the other side of the room. Lily stood back and watched as they started running tests on her grandfather.

She looked down when a tiny hand slipped into hers. Kenny looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

“Is Master Helandel gonna be alright?” he asked and Lily hugged him tightly.

Lily felt tears prickle at her eyes and she bit down hard on her teeth. She’d cried enough for today, for this whole year. Now was the time to start facing up to the reality of her situation. She couldn’t do anything when Haji and Claire got hurt because she’d cried.

She shook her head. “No,” she said, “no, he’s not.”

Because he saved me, she thought privately and bit down on her lip.

Kenny started to cry. “But no one can die here,” he said and Lily looked up at her friends.

They all looked ashen faced and sad, Claire already had tears on her face and Haji was frowning down at her worriedly.

“Helandel is different from everyone else here.”

“Because he’s a Master?” Kenny asked and Lily shook her head.

“Because he retired here. He can’t go into Reality without Death there. He used up the last of his life.”

“But that’s not fair!”

Lily nodded. “It never is.”

Helandel woke up to see Lily sitting next to his bed, reading a book. She looked up and glared at him.

“I thought you’d be with Haji,” he said as he tried to smile.

His old bones ached and he felt so tired, tired to the bone. Lily set her book aside and leaned back in her chair.

“He and Nate are talking. There’s still a lot he doesn’t understand. I’m giving them a chance to catch up.”

“That’s good. Brothers should stand together.”

Lily glared at him for a while longer before getting to her feet and lifting something off the bedside table. She held the glass to his lips.

“The nurse told me to give this to you when you woke up; she said it would help with the pain.”

The liquid was bitter and tasted horrible. Helandel tried not to cough it back up as Lily set the glass aside. Then she stood and glared down at him.

“Lily, I know what…”

“How did you teach Claire to grab a soul?” she asked and he blinked at her.

“Well, if you were in better condition you could do it too. It’s an ability of the Weapons. It took some time to teach her and she doesn’t quite have to capacity to stay here for long periods of time. I honestly didn’t think she would have to use it so soon.”

“What do you mean ‘better condition’? I’m as good as I’m going to get.”

Helandel nodded. “Your soul is tangled and twisted. You’re operating at a fraction of your abilities as a Master Reaper. That’s why you can’t summon your weapons like the others, or why you can’t do everything I can.”

“And how do I fix this?” she asked and Helandel smiled.

“Always trying to fix everything by yourself.” He shook his head. “But there is only one person in this world that can heal the scars on a soul.”

“Death?”

“No,” Helandel said and felt his body growing heavy with fatigue. “Life.”

Lily watched as her grandfather’s eyes drifted closed and he fell asleep. She reached out and stroked his white hair out of his face, looking down at him with a mixture of love and worry.

She turned sharply away and walked back to where Nate and Haji were arguing in hushed voices. She ignored the younger man, crawled onto the bed beside Haji, put her arms around him and lay down with her head on his shoulder.

Haji made room for her almost automatically as he argued with his brother about something the Clerics did. Lily barely heard their words as she lay with her head on Haji’s shoulder and stared blankly into space. The day was wearing on her and her mind felt numb and slow.

Almost losing Haji and Claire and now watching her grandfather fade was making her feel stretched like a piano wire.

“Lily?”

The scene in the park kept playing over and over in her head. She’d been helpless, like a child as her father killed her friends, her loved ones and then pressed his weapon to her head.

“Lily?”

Lily felt the anger start to well up inside her. Anger at her father and at herself. She’d been foolish to think that she could leave him be, that he would not bother her. She needed to find a way to end his onslaught.

“Lily!”

Lily blinked and looked up into Haji’s worried face. He was frowning down at her and looking at her with concern.

“Sorry?” she said and he shook his head.

“Are you alright? I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while now.”

“I’m alright, just a bit tired.”

Haji rolled over and pulled her tightly against him. “You don’t have to worry about this alone,” he whispered and she shook her head.

“Every time people come close to me I put them at risk. You and Claire both nearly died because of me today. I don’t want…”

“I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Claire or Nate. Don’t hide away because you are afraid of what your father will do.” He cupped her cheek in his hand. “We’ll find a way to stop him without killing him.”

“Yeah,” Nate said as he smiled broadly, “you’ve got us now.”

Lily looked sceptically at him. “Somehow that doesn’t make me feel much better.”