Page 15 of Reaper’s Ruin (Reaper’s Ruin Trilogy #1)

Selyse paused, and after a moment, she answered, “He’d love that.”

I realized she’d been communicating with him, and blew out an amazed breath before reaching up to gently touch the creature’s soft fur. “We definitely don’t have anything like this back home.”

After a moment of petting the cute little guy, he scurried down my body and back up to land on Selyse’s shoulder .

“Come on. We’re close,” she said, then continued walking until we reached a small, clear pool fed by a stream. The water was impossibly blue, almost glowing in the warm sunlight.

“You can bathe here,” Selyse said. “The water is clean and warm. I’ll keep watch.” She glanced back toward the path we’d followed. “Make sure our Reaper friend didn’t follow along to sneak a peek, unless, of course, you wouldn’t mind.”

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “What? I... of course I wouldn’t want him seeing me...”

“But you wouldn’t mind seeing him take a dip” she said with a knowing smile.

“What? No! Of course not. He’s... he’s a Reaper! Like, literally death!”

“One of my many gifts is sensing energies, and yours warms considerably when you look at him.”

I looked away, embarrassed. Apparently there was no denying it to the woman who could see my feelings as if I had a neon sign announcing my attraction. “Well, I just... I mean, he’s... you know.”

“Terrifying? Dangerous? But also impossibly attractive?” she suggested, her smile widening. “I have eyes too. You’d have to be blind not to appreciate the obvious attractiveness of him, Reaper or not. And you’re definitely not blind.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension breaking.

“Okay, fine. He’s good-looking in a ‘could-snap-me-in-half’ kind of way.

But he’s literally like death. There’s no chance of anything going on there.

And besides, there’s no time for romance of any kind right now, not that I would with a, you know, Reaper. My focus needs to be on—”

“Finding your mother,” she finished for me.

Her mention of my mother sobered me. “I can’t be separated from her for eternity. Or get erased and never see her again. We were best friends, you know? Like Lorelai and Rory close. ”

“Who?”

“Oh, sorry—characters from a TV show back home. A mother and daughter who were super close, more like best friends than parent and child. That was me and my mom.” I smiled warmly, memories flooding back.

“She had me young—only twenty. And my dad was never in the picture, so it was just the two of us against the world.”

“My mother and I were the same,” Selyse said softly, her expression growing distant. “Just the two of us here. I never knew my father either.”

“She taught you everything about being a sorceress?”

Selyse nodded, absently stroking Pip. “She tried. But she died before she could teach me everything I needed to know. I’ve been learning on my own since then, using her notes, her books.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, recognizing the grief in her eyes. It mirrored my own.

“Me too,” she replied simply. “Now, come. Get cleaned up, and then we’ll get you in some proper clothes.”

I waited until she turned away before slipping out of my bloodstained pajamas and stepping into the pool. The water was perfectly warm and silky against my skin. I ducked beneath the surface, letting it wash away the blood and dirt, the physical remnants of my death.

When I stepped out of the water, Selyse respectfully kept her back turned, gesturing to a smooth rock where she’d laid out a soft cloth and a folded bundle of fabric.

“There are clothes for you there,” she said. “I hope they fit.”

I dried myself quickly with the cloth, then examined what she’d left me. The dress was a deep forest green, with intricate embroidery along the edges in silver thread that caught the light as I unfolded it. It looked like something from a fantasy movie—or perhaps a Renaissance Fair back home .

I slipped it over my head, surprised by how light the fabric felt against my skin.

It flowed like water, settling around my body in a way that modern fabrics never did.

The bodice had a series of crisscrossing ties across the front that confused me at first—so different from the simple zippers and buttons I was used to.

After some fumbling, I managed to secure them, pulling the dress snug against my frame.

“Need help?” Selyse asked, still keeping her distance.

“No, I think I’ve got it,” I replied, smoothing my hands over the soft material.

The dress fit surprisingly well, but it was the neckline that really caught me by surprise.

The bodice dipped lower than anything I’d normally wear, showcasing more cleavage than I’d ever displayed back home.

As a nursing student who lived in practical scrubs and comfortable jeans, this kind of feminine attire was completely foreign to me.

Yet somehow, I didn’t feel exposed or uncomfortable. I felt... transformed.

“Wow,” I breathed, turning in a small circle and watching the skirt flutter around my legs. “I feel like I’ve stepped into another world.” I laughed at my own words. “I mean, I literally have, but you know what I mean.”

Selyse turned now, smiling as she assessed the fit. “The color suits you. It looks incredible with the red tones in your hair and your porcelain skin.”

I ran my hands over the fabric again, admiring the way it draped. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never worn anything like this.”

“No?” she asked curiously.

I shook my head. “Where I’m from, clothes are more... practical, I guess. At least mine were. Jeans, t-shirts, scrubs for work.” I gestured to the neckline with a slight blush. “Nothing quite this... revealing. ”

“Do you feel uncomfortable?” she asked, concern crossing her face. “It’s the traditional Faeloran style that will help you blend in, but I can find something else—”

“No,” I said quickly, surprising myself with how much I meant it. “It’s different, but... I like it.”

And I did. There was something freeing about the flowing fabric, the way it emphasized curves I usually kept hidden under loose hospital scrubs. I felt feminine in a way I rarely allowed myself to feel. Beautiful, even.

Maybe it was because I was in a world where no one knew me. Where I didn’t have to be practical, responsible Soraya who always did the sensible thing. Or maybe it was because death had a way of making old insecurities seem trivial.

Whatever the reason, I found myself standing taller, shoulders back, embracing this new version of myself—even if only in borrowed clothes.

Selyse crossed her arms, assessing me fully. “You really look beautiful in that.”

“Thank you. Truly, for everything. The help. The clothes.” I gestured at the dress. “You really are a lifesaver,” I said, genuinely touched by her kindness to a complete stranger. Then I frowned. “Or a deathsaver I guess is more accurate since I’m, you know, not alive anymore.”

She laughed, and so did I, and it felt good to be able to joke about my... condition. The humor, however dark, was somehow healing.

As our laughter faded, I found myself voicing the question that had been circling my mind since I’d realized I was dead.

“Selyse... what do you know about the afterlife?” I asked hesitantly. “About what happens when souls go through their doors?”

Her expression softened. “You’re worried about your mother. ”

“Yes,” I admitted. “Rhyker seems to think I can find her if I get my door. But what if... what if the doors lead to different places? What if she’s in Heaven—that’s what we call it in my world—and I end up somewhere else because I’m now in Faelora?”

Selyse guided me to a fallen log, and we sat together beside the stream. The sound of running water created a peaceful backdrop for a conversation about death.

“No one truly knows what awaits on the other side,” she said gently. “Not even sorceresses. Not even Reapers. But my mother taught me something I’ve always found comforting.”

She plucked a leaf from a nearby plant and let it fall into the stream. We watched as it was carried away by the current.

“All rivers, no matter how different their paths, eventually reach the same sea,” she said. “My mother believed the same is true of souls. There are many religions here in Faelora. Is it the same for the Mortal Realm?”

I nodded. “Yes, there are countless religions, each with their own beliefs, their own Gods. I’ve always wondered if there is one right religion, if they all are valid, or is it possible we’re all going to the same place?”

“I asked my mother this same question when my childhood friend died. She was a Vinelach, a tree people, and they believed something different than what I did. I worried I’d never see her again.

My mother said she truly believes all religions go to the same place.

Each one believes in a good afterlife or a bad, but they worship different Gods, believe different things.

But in reality, whether we call it your Heaven, Solarium, the Great Beyond—these are just different names for the same destination. ”

“You really think so?” I asked, desperate to believe her.

She nodded. “Death transcends realms. It is the one journey we all share, regardless of where we begin. Your mother’s door and your door may look different, may be found in different places, but they lead to the same place.”

“How can you be sure?”

Selyse smiled, a faraway look in her eyes.

“Because love is the strongest magic in any realm. And the love between a mother and daughter? That’s one of the most powerful bonds there is.

” She took my hand. “If the stories are true, souls who loved each other in life find each other in death. Your mother will be waiting for you. I truly believe that.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but they weren’t entirely tears of sadness. There was hope there too—a glimpse of light in the darkness of my situation.