Lumiere the Reaper's Daughter

  LUMIERE

  The Reaper’s Daughter

  K.A. Hambly

  THE MORAL RIGHT OF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ASSERTED

  Copyright © K.A.Hambly

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchase.

  Also by K.A.Hambly

  The Town Halloween Forgot, The Curse of Willow Creek

  Follow the author on Twitter: @celtic_nimueh

  A special thank you to Charlotte Kane for the cover design and Alisha. A for the poem she contributed. You can follow Alisha on Twitter: @DubbleAAsWords and Charlotter @charlottelrkane

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Lumiere The Reaper’s Daughter

  Hegira | By A Alisha.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘You must see with eyes unclouded by hate. See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good. Pledge yourself to neither side, but vow instead to preserve the balance that exists between the two.’

  Hayao Miyazaki

  Hegira

  By A Alisha.

  We hid under the kitchen table

  from the denizens of the pit

  I slept on my side to avert the light

  of the setting sun

  In the corner of my eye,

  I saw your luminescent smile

  You pointed to the green canopy

  Outside the window and said:

  We belong there.

  Disillusioned, we set ghosts on fire

  You took my hand and tugged

  as we hastened toward the glow

  We ping-ponged between the trees,

  between heaven and hell

  - God knows we had the abrasions

  to show for it -

  The clearing was vast

  The stars pierced my soul

  You leaned in for a lushious kiss,

  and said:

  I know.

  Solitude cuts deep,

  but we’ll always have

  right here. Right now.

  Chapter One

  It was time. My initiation into the family’s business was about to get its official seal, and I, Lumiere, would be able to roam freely from the land of the dead to the world of the living.

  ‘Lumiere,’ a sprightly voice came from the doorway. ‘Five minutes.’

  I nodded, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

  ‘Sure. Five minutes.’ I seethed, brushing my dark bangs.

  I glanced over at the door as Kochak, one of my father’s personal assistants, closed the door behind him. I turned attentively to my vanity, skilfully applying my red lipstick. Jinx, my faithful black cat jumped on my lap, knocking my hand sideways.

  ‘Aw, Jinx, look what you made me do.’

  Panicking, I grabbed a handful of tissues, trying to remove the red mark, only making the smudge worse.

  ‘I look like I’ve just been bashed in the face.’ I scowled, frightening him away. ‘Right.’ I stood up, took one last look at my reflection, tugged down the hem of my black dress and put on my black velvet initiation gloves. ‘This is it, Jinx.’ His big, blue eyes looked up at me from the window ledge. ‘Wish me luck, eh?’

  He hissed back, and I patted him on the head, blew out the candles and stepped into the hallway.

  Candles lit the way, casting wavering shadows along the red carpet. I sucked in a breath and headed left to the ballroom. Normally this walk would take me less than two minutes, but tonight I was savouring every footstep and moment of freedom I had left. I turned right down another hall and then left again where there were two big black double doors. They had intricate designs of dragons my Father had commissioned from the old artist, Leonardo. There was a cry, and I looked down at my feet.

  ‘Jinx, what are you doing here?’ I whispered as I heard the door unlocking.

  I turned to face the door, hands by my side.

  The doors swung open into a place of opulence. Black marble paved the way illuminated by Gothic chandeliers to a black throne where my father was sitting, waiting for my arrival. Alongside the walls were figures in black, people who worked closely with my family. I hated being the centre of attention, especially as my heels were also tapping against the shiny floor.

  ‘Jinx,’ I whispered, turning back to see my faithful old cat following me.

  ‘May I present to you my daughter, Lumiere.’ My father, a tall man, dressed in black leather trousers and a three-quarter length black velvet coat, held out his arms to me as I approached. It was no fun being the daughter of the Reaper, but I suppose immortality had its advantages.

  ‘Dad, why couldn’t we have made this ceremony… a bit more private?’ I whispered, leaning towards his ear.

  His grey eyes settled on me, and he arched a dark brow.

  ‘Lumiere,’ he whispered back, ‘this is your initiation ceremony into the family business. You don’t think I will take this lightly, do you?’ He smiled.

  He wasn’t the type of man to take anything lightly, so I should’ve known this whole debacle would be on a grand scale. On my sixteenth birthday he took me to Disneyland. The Hell version. I’ll tell you about that another time.

  I stepped up onto the stage, overlooking the sea of faces staring back up at me. My grandmother always told me that if you’re nervous in public places to put on a pair of sunglasses. So that’s what I was about to do, except I had forgotten them. I snapped my fingers, and in the palm of my hand was a new pair of Ray Bans.

  ‘Lumiere, your attention please.’ Father asked.

  I glared at him and slipped the glasses on. He picked up a sword from a small round table beside his throne and walked over to me waiting nervously.

  ‘Eighteen years ago on this very day, darkness was expelled from this place for a few moments when my darling wife gave birth to our precious daughter, Lumiere.’

  Oh please Dad, just get on with it. I rolled my eyes; sure the entire audience’s eyes were on me.

  ‘And now, eighteen years later, she has grown into a smart young lady, who will work alongside me. I now initiate her into the Reaper’s Souls.’

  He lowered the sword across my shoulders to cheers and applause.

  I tried to force a smile, but if I am honest, this was not the career I would’ve chosen for myself. They say life is what you make it, but my life was hell. I mean that literally by the way. I waved at them and this was followed by another rapturous applause.

  At the after-party, I stood awkwardly by a bowl of punch, sipping on my fourth glass when father, or as he was known to people, Mr. Reaper, came by with another man in tow. He was built like a wrestler, with an embarrassing eighties mullet. I hoped he was not going to try to set me up on another date.

  ‘Lumiere, I’d like you to meet, Marshall.’

  Ugh. Trying to stay polite, I held out my hand when he grabbed it and smothered it in his saliva.

  ‘Yeah, nice to meet you too.’ I yanked my hand away but he pulled it back and dragged me onto the dance floor.

  ‘Like dancing, do you?’ I smiled as my feet were barel
y reaching the floor.

  ‘Yes, but only with pretty ladies.’ He said, flashing his rotten teeth.

  I winced and released myself from his grip.

  ‘Ladies room,’ I shrugged, meandering my way through the crowd of people.

  Out in the hallway, I saw my father having a hushed conversation with Strax, the gatekeeper to our underworld. Dad patted him on the shoulder and left, but Strax sensed me and flicked his green eyes towards me. Man, he gave me the shivers. Even my father being what he is, Strax, with his stick frame, and wisp of white hair on his bony head had me wanting to run for cover.

  Not wanting to hang about, I headed straight for my room. There was no way I was going back to that party to be set up with more Neanderthals.

  I unlocked my door when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

  ‘Going somewhere?’ I turned around.

  Strax.

  ‘And what do you want?’ I asked, forgetting how quick he was on his feet.

  ‘Your father asked me to give you this.’

  He held out his hands. In the palm was a small black velvet bag. ‘He wants you to go out tonight to collect a soul.’

  ‘Tonight?’ I gasped. ‘Are you kidding me? This is my initiation ceremony.’

  I thought I’d play on the fact that this was my night, and nothing was meant to spoil it. I did not want to catch souls. My dream was to be, well, just a normal person with a normal job like I had seen on Earth television.

  He looked scornfully at me with his bulging green eyes. It was freaking me out. I guess that was it then. It didn’t look as though I had any say in the matter.

  Chapter Two

  Allow me to tell you something about Hell. I have often heard humans say their lives are Hell and I look at them and think, ‘Human, you have no idea what Hell is until you have been here.’ At the time I didn’t realise it was used to express how crap their lives were, but honestly, Hell is no fun. Not for me, at least. I wanted more than it had to offer.

  When souls are condemned to eternal damnation they are sent to a small box room. It’s like a Hell version of a sauna, except it’s very, very hot. A human would not endure the intensity of the heat. They would just combust before they entered. Luckily, or maybe, not so luckily, depends on your views, when a soul is brought to Hell by a Reaper’s Soul, their earthly bodies are left in the Earth plane, for their relatives to grieve over. You get my drift, right? Well, a soul is much tougher than the body that encased it. Souls are eternal and never, ever die. If you’re good, you’ll go to my Uncle’s place called Heaven, but we call it ‘The Other Room.’ If you’re very, very bad on the Earth plane, we pick you up, and you will sweat out your evil deeds in the Sauna. Or the Poker Room as it’s also known. Anyway, I was soon to be a Reaper’s Soul, but honestly, it’s the most boring job, ever.

  Well, it didn’t seem like I had a choice in the matter just yet. I set my bag down on my dressing table and walked over to my wardrobe. If I was going out tonight, I wanted to look good. Clothes were my passion. If it was black, red or purple, I’d wear it. As I flicked through the pile of black clothes the bedroom door knocked lightly.

  ‘Yeah, what do you want?’ I shouted thinking it was Strax or my father.

  ‘Lumiere, it’s your mother.’

  I glanced over my shoulder. ‘Oh, hi, Mum.’

  Mum was a tall, curvy woman with long wavy, black hair. Her face was as pale as the moonlight, and her eyes, like mine were light blue.

  ‘All prepared?’ she asks.

  Her voice was like silk. When she used to read me stories as a child, it always lulled me to sleep in no time.

  I turned my attention back to the drama of finding a decent outfit.

  ‘Not yet.’ I held up a black and purple corset. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘Hmm, yes, it suits you. But don’t you think you should wear something a little more, practical, maybe?’ She smiled. ‘You could be climbing in windows, or running from snarling dogs…’ She paused, and thoughtfully gazed out of the window. ‘I wouldn’t say the dogs so much, our Hell hounds are far worse, but, you never know, Lumi.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re probably right, as usual. So how about these leather trousers and my 69 Eyes T. Shirt?’

  ‘Perfect.’

  ‘Great.’

  I started to undress, and I still had no idea why Mum had come into my room. She seemed concerned.

  ‘So why does Dad want me to go out tonight? Talk about throwing me in at the deep end.’

  I removed my top, putting on the corset. Mum helped tie it up.

  ‘That’s what your father is like, unfortunately. We got engaged two days after meeting.’

  ‘Seriously?’ I asked, looking at her smiling from the mirror.

  ‘Yes. He’s the type of man that knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go out and get it.’

  I threw on my T. shirt, listening intently to her talking. Until now, I had never heard about my parent’s first meeting.

  ‘We met at a vampire convention in London.’

  ‘The Earth London?’ I asked, intrigued.

  ‘There’s only one true London, Lumi, but yes. I was a mortal at the time working a nine to five day in a clothes shop to keep my head above water.’

  ‘Jeez, Mum, I never realised.’

  ‘No, nobody would think it now looking at me, but it’s true.’

  ‘So tell me about London and the vampires?’

  ‘Since my teens I had been fascinated with vampires, you know, hanging around graveyards and clubs. So when a friend asked if I wanted to go along with them to a vampire convention, I just jumped at the chance. I was twenty-one at the time.’

  ‘Were they real vampires? I know we have a few of those here.’

  She laughed.

  ‘No. Nothing like the ones we have here. These were humans pretending to be vampires, but still, it was fascinating.’

  ‘And Dad? Was he dressed as a vampire?’

  She turned to look at me.

  ‘Your father was with Vlad at the time. They are great friends, you know. I suppose it’s cliché to say, but our eyes met across the room and it was love at first sight.’

  ‘So if you’re human, Mum, how are you immortal now?’

  ‘Ah, that Lumi is a very delicate matter,’ she sighed.

  I sat down on the bed.

  ‘Oh come on, you can’t leave out the rest now.’

  ‘Okay. Scoot up then.’

  She lay down next to me, and we both gazed up at the sky. We didn’t have ceilings, or roofs. From here we could look up at the stars.

  ‘Our first meeting was intense, and it still is. When I saw him, he came over and introduced himself to me as Luc. He sounded French. His dark eyes drew me in, and when he touched my hand and brought it to his lips, I knew it was love and I’d do anything for him.’

  ‘And did you?’

  ‘Of course. I gave him my soul. We arranged for Vlad to make me immortal that evening. I never returned home and my parents never knew what happened to me. I feel sad about that.’

  Now I understood the sadness I’d sometimes see in my mother’s eyes. She’d been a human. . This was truly amazing. I now understood where my feelings came from about the Earth plane. I was one of them.

  ‘Do you ever wished you could go back?’

  ‘What purpose would that serve? I’m happy here, Lumi. Hell is my home.’

  Chapter Three

  After hearing Mum’s revelation, I wasn’t sure I could ever look at her in the same way again. I was buzzing with this new information regarding my heritage. It made my job a little easier tonight knowing that I had a connection to mortals.

  ‘Mum, I best go and find Dad. Was there anything else bothering you?’

  ‘No, Lumi, nothing else. If you want me later, I’ll be in my library.’ She kissed my forehead and held my hands. ‘Be careful tonight, okay. Your father has been sent another threatening letter.’

  ‘Another? Has he any idea who is sending th
em?’ I asked, flabbergasted she didn’t mention this earlier.

  ‘No I don’t think so unless he isn’t telling me something. When you get back, let me know, okay? I know you’re an adult now, but I worry about you.’ She wrapped her arms around me tightly and then cupped my face. ‘Love you, baby doll.’ She said, unable to let her tears fall, and left the room.

  What a night, eh? I was exhausted already and my job hadn’t even begun.

  I grabbed the velvet bag from the vanity and closed the door behind me. I expected father to be waiting at the Shute for me. The Shute is where we get sent to our destination points to collect souls. What my father doesn’t know is I have been using it secretly for years. My only ambition in my immortal life was to live on the Earth plane. I’ve always felt connected to the place and now I know why.

  Walking down yet another corridor to the Shute, I saw Lucinda, my little sister playing with her Skull and Bones board game on the floor.

  ‘Hey, there’s no fun in playing on your own.’ I said.

  She looked up at me with her big blue eyes. ‘But I am not alone.’

  Yeah, that’d be right. My sister had inherited our mother’s gift of seeing the soul long after we’d take it.

  ‘Are you going soul gathering?’ she asks as I knelt down beside her watching the skull move across the board of its own accord.

  ‘Yeah, Dad wants me to collect one tonight. I don’t see what the rush is.’

  Lucinda smirked and went back to her game. I got up and carried on walking down the hall.

  ‘Lumiere, come on girl, what has taken you so long?’ My father huffed, standing outside the door, hands on his hips.

  ‘Dad, calm down.’ I groaned.

  He turned around, pushed the door open, setting off the lights. Yes, we have artificial lights. According to my dad he practically gave Edison the idea. They were at a party together where Dad just happened to be collecting a soul that evening. Over a game of chess the topic of conversation turned into how gloomy it was to live on Earth without means of light except for the use of candles. Dad remarked it was like living in Hell, to which Edison agreed. Dad supposedly laughed at him, saying he had no freaking idea what it was like to live in Hell and would he like to come and see. This had Edison in fits of laughter, and Dad, drunk as usual, told him about his idea to create artificial light. Imagine that, the Lord of Hell and darkness himself, giving mortals the recipe for light. Yes, he was an idiot at times.