Page 67 of Reaper’s Ruin (Reaper’s Ruin Trilogy #1)

She stood and started pacing, her hands twisting together as she shook her head.

“Soulflame is the rarest of magic. The Sylvan scholars call it ‘the breath of the first fire.’ Its light made conscious. It’s what the stars burn with.

” She stopped moving, and Pip jumped from my head onto her shoulder.

She barely acknowledged the furry little creature.

“It’s not just light, its... the essence of life.

And you... you wielded it. It’s... it’s incredible. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

She dropped back down on the log and pressed her hands into her hair. “You are Soulflame, Soraya. Pure, raw, light. It’s inside you.”

Rhyker and I exchanged a glance as I struggled to process her words. “So, I basically blasted them with like, celestial light?”

“That’s exactly what you did,” she said, blowing out a long breath. “Wow. Soulflame. It’s real.”

Pip climbed on top of her head and started picking through her hair. She barely noticed the little guy she seemed so stunned.

But not as stunned as me.

“So, I’m a living soul, a storm fae, a princess, and now I’m, what, a fucking star?”

She came out of her trance-like stare. “What? Oh. I... I don’t know. I need to do some research on this. But if what I know is correct, then this light inside you, this Soulflame, it could change everything. Maybe even... rewrite the laws of death itself.”

I sat there, blinking. “So I’m seriously like a fucking celestial supernova? And how did I tap into it? And how can I use this power again if we need it when the Veil Lords come?”

Selyse didn’t answer right away. She looked out toward the tree line, her voice quieter than before. “I don’t know. It’s something I’ve never seen before. I don’t even think my mother or grandmother had ever encountered it. All I know is myth and mystery. No real truths. But I’ll do some research.”

She finally looked back at me and offered a sad, enigmatic smile.

“But one thing’s for certain. This is a rare and special thing inside of you, and I’m going to help you figure it out.”

I tried to let her words comfort me that there was just one more strange thing about me in my afterlife. Why couldn’t I just have not needed to go John Wick and get revenge and gotten my door? Not ended up in this bizarre existence with more information my brain couldn’t begin to process?

But then I looked at him, and I knew no matter what, no matter how, I was supposed to be here. We were destined to be. Somehow, someway, he was part of my fate, and I couldn’t hate anything that had brought us together.

“Okay, you two really should get moving. As long as you’re gone before they see you, no Reaper or Shadow Watcher can find you.”

“So, what do we do? Just like, live here in Faelora forever in these forms hiding from the Veil Lords? Try to kill Ravenna and get my door?”

“We do whatever we need to do to help you find your peace so you can move on,” Rhyker finally said after a prolonged silence. “You’ll never be safe here. We just have to stick to the plan and figure out what’s trapping you here.”

The moment he said it, we shared a look. An understanding. We both knew exactly what was trapping me here.

Him.

“I’m going to help you as much as I can,” Selyse said, her eyes darting around the peaceful clearing. “But you can’t stay here, though. It’s the first place they’ll look. Your trail will lead them straight to my door.”

“And you’re not in danger?” I asked, suddenly worried we’d brought disaster to the doorstep of the one person who had been so kind to us.

She smiled a crooked, cocky thing. “Reapers? Oh gods no. I’m alive. Reapers can’t touch me. And I’ve got enough tricks up my sleeve to make them hurry off when they inevitably come.”

“But there may be three Reapers coming to you,” Rhyker quickly said. “Our allies. Taelon, Skorn, and Lorien. I told them to meet us here. ”

She repeated their names. “Okay. Got it. If those Reapers arrive, I won’t cause them any trouble.”

“When they do, will you do us one favor?” Rhyker asked, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear there was a sheepish tone in his voice.

“What do you need?” Selyse asked.

“Make them mortal, like us.”

Her eyes bulged and so did mine.

“What?” she spit out.

Rhyker stepped forward. “They sacrificed everything for us and fought to get her safe. The Veil Lords won’t stop until they’ve been obliterated too. They’ll only be safe on this side of the veil while we try to figure out what to do.”

She bit her lip then gave him a nod. “Okay. Fine. But it takes a lot of energy to do this. I’ll try to pull them all through, but no promises.”

“Thank you,” he said quickly. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I owe it to them to try to return the favor and have their backs too.”

“Of course,” she said. “I’ll try to pull them through and then send them after you.”

“Where should we go?” I asked.

“Rhyker knows these lands better than I do,” she replied. “Is there somewhere you could hide, somewhere far from prying eyes?”

He was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought.

“There’s a place,” he said finally. “A cabin in the mountains between the Sylvan and Frost territories. It’s isolated, protected by natural barriers.

Few know of its existence. I... I reaped a soul who lived there not long ago. Should be empty.”

“Good,” Selyse nodded. “You should leave now. Go there. If your friends arrive, I’ll send them there too. ”

“Tell Taelon to look for the mountain that looks like a wolf’s head. The cabin is near the base.”

“I will,” she said.

I stared at her, beautiful, wonderful Selyse, and I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms. “Thank you, Selyse. Thank you so much.”

She squeezed me back, and I held her for a long moment before she whispered, “I knew I sensed something between you two. It’s a true connection. A love one rarely sees in any lifetime. Cherish it. Protect him. Help him find his peace.”

I looked over her shoulder at Rhyker, vowing to myself that someway, somehow, I would help him find his peace so I could find mine. And together, we could walk into the next life to spend an eternity in each other’s arms.

We broke apart and she gave me one last knowing look, then she turned and hurried into her cabin. When she emerged, she had fresh clothes for me, and she pressed a small pouch into my hands. “Healing herbs, some food, and a few coins,” she explained. “It’s not much, but it might help.”

“You’ve already done more than enough,” I said, gratitude welling up inside me. “How can we ever repay you?”

Her smile was tinged with sadness. “Live. Love each other. Find happiness in whatever time you have.” She hesitated, then added, “And if I think of anything—any way to help you find a more permanent solution—I’ll reach out.

I’ve been working on my empathic abilities.

With that cloaking spell, while they can’t find you, I can.

I should be able to contact you, no matter where you are. You’ll hear my voice in your mind.”

“Amazing,” I said, still surprised I could be surprised by anything in this world anymore .

Selyse embraced me at the door, her slender form surprisingly strong. “Be careful,” she whispered. “And never lose hope. Even in the darkest times, there is always a way forward.”

Rhyker clasped her hand, his expression solemn. “Thank you. Someday, I’ll find a way to repay you.”

“Just take care of her, and both of you find your peace. That’s all I want. Now go, before someone finds you here.”

With one last wave at her and Pip, we slipped into the darkness, following a narrow path through the dense forest. Rhyker moved with confident purpose, his hand firmly clasping mine as he led me through the trees.

My new body felt wonderfully solid and real, every sensation heightened after our time as spectral forms.

The farm Rhyker had mentioned was small but well-kept, its inhabitants presumably sleeping as we crept toward the stable. With practiced efficiency, Rhyker selected a sturdy bay mare for me, saddling her quietly while I kept watch.

“I’ll leave payment when we can,” he murmured, seeming to sense my discomfort about stealing a horse as he helped me mount. “But right now, survival takes precedence, and we need to cover some ground. Fast.”

He then took the reins of the storm grey gelding he’d chosen for himself, leading him up beside us.

He swung up on his back, the horse dancing nervously, then we set off at a steady pace, staying off the main roads and following paths that seemed invisible to my eyes, but that Rhyker navigated with unerring certainty.

As we rode through the night, the landscape gradually changed around us. The lush forests of the Sylvan Court gave way to steeper terrain, the trees thinning as we climbed higher into the mountains. The air grew cooler, carrying the crisp scent of pine and stone.

Dawn was breaking when we finally reached our destination—a small stone cabin nestled against the mountainside, partially hidden by a stand of ancient trees. It was simple but solid, its thick walls promising shelter from both weather and prying eyes.

Rhyker dismounted first, then came over to help me down. My legs were stiff from the long ride, and I stumbled slightly as my feet touched the ground. His hands steadied me, lingering at my waist.

“We made it,” I said, looking up at the cabin that would be our sanctuary—perhaps our last.

He nodded, his eyes scanning the surrounding forest before returning to my face.

“For now, we’re safe. The protection spell should hold, and even if it doesn’t, this place is difficult to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

I’ll get the horses settled. There’s a small stream and good grass.

Go rest inside. I’ll be in with firewood and some water soon. ”