Chapter 14

"You two bicker like brother and sister," I said to the other woman once our boss was out of the office. I had watched the man leaving, noting that a strange portal had opened up on the other side of the office door. I wondered if it would still be there when Charon and I decided to leave.

"We are family."

"That's a nice way to think of things."

"He raised me, but he's always been like an older brother to me."

"That's cool."

"Yup. Let's get back to researching information about The Memitim. The more you know about your enemy, the better."

I needed and turned my attention back to my laptop. We worked in silence for a couple of hours before I spoke again. "How does a scythe determine a Reaper's name?"

"The one that calls to you is the one you pick. It either has a name carved into it, or it's blank. The name doesn't reveal itself until the scythe is chosen and has bonded with the Reaper."

"And what if there isn't a name on the scythe?"

"Then, you just keep your name."

"Could someone choose a different scythe if they didn't like the name?"

"No. Once a scythe is chosen, the bond cannot be broken."

"What are the odds of getting one with a name?"

"Rare. The majority of them are blank. I think that since we're born without souls, and the scythes are our souls, getting a name means the soul is ready to reincarnate. I think a blank one means that the soul you're getting has the same name as you."

I remembered learning about this theory during my studies with Thanatos. However, I still found it hard to believe that we were born without souls. "So it's really true? Not just some theory?"

"It's true. Did Thanatos tell you it was a theory?"

"No. But I just assumed that it was when I learned about it in my studies.

Charon nodded and set her laptop on the coffee table. "It is hard to believe and quite a bit to take in."

"Yeah. I don't think I would've been able to believe it before."

* * *

Two hours later, Thanatos returned from his meeting with Hades to find Charon and I chatting and laughing. "Nice to know you two were playing while I was working," he said, taking a seat on the couch beside me.

"We worked too. We were just taking a break," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"What'd Hade say?" Charon asked.

"He didn't remember anything about The Ferrymen being referred to as anything other than Ferrymen. But he did have me talk to Anubis. Anubis remembers a group of Reapers in Israel who thought we should be treated like gods. They came about around the time of the first mentioning of The Memitim in Hebrew texts."

"Did he know the names of any of them by chance?"

"No. But, unless they have scythes, there's no way that Azrael could be one of them."

"What if they do have scythes? Is it hard to believe that you all aren't the only ones that might have them?"

"She's got a point. Plus, Azrael has been mentioned in religious texts."

"I probably should've asked Anubis."

"Who's Anubis?" I asked, giving them a confused look.

"He's a Reaper. A bit scatterbrained. He keeps track of all of the reincarnations and the history of the Reapers," Charon said.

"We could've saved some time if we'd asked him about The Memitim. And I should've asked him about the scythes. I was such an idiot."

"It's okay. You guys are doing your best."

"Obviously, our best isn't' good enough," Thanatos growled.

Charon and I stared at the man in shock. The disappointment and frustration in his tone bordering on anger, an emotion that Reapers weren't supposed to be able to express. We just stared at him in shocked silence for a while, not knowing what to say or do.

"What?" Thanatos' voice finally cut the silence.

"You almost sounded angry there for a moment, boss," Charon said. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm not angry. I can't be angry. I'm frustrated, is all. So many lives lost at their hands because I never thought to ask. Because I didn't reap that Memitim piece of scum back when I had the chance."

"It's not your fault. And killing just one would have done nothing to stop the rest of them from doing what they've been doing," I said, placing a gentle hand on his knee and talking in a voice that I hoped was reassuring.

Thanatos nodded his head. I could tell he didn't believe me, though.