Sam Walker and the Grim Reaper Services (ONC 2021)

14 - Lady Death

Lady Death gazed around at the library, books and chairs strewn everywhere, unconscious emos lying on the floor, Marcus and Raj groaning from where they lay, barely moving. Sam, Selena, the Grim Reaper, and Cate were the only ones, beside Gabrielle and Sinclair, who were looking at the woman, horror written on the Reaper siblings' faces.

Sam felt horror dawn on him as he looked at her. Her black, slightly wavy hair hung loose about her face, her skin pale and face angular, eyes sharp and dark. Dressed in a black dress and cloak, he could see a resemblance to both the Grim Reaper and Cate in her features. Her smile was Cate's, just without the empathy, and her eyes were the Grim Reaper's, except icier and darker. A knot twisted Sam's stomach.

Is she related to them somehow?

"Thanatos, Hecate, I see you made it," she said with a slight smile. "I'm happy you could be here on my special day." She lifted her arms, as if basking in the glow from the golden glyph, still floating in the center of the room. "Ah, I just love Halloween."

"Keres," the Grim Reaper forced through gritted teeth.

Lady Death looked at Sam, her eyes narrowing analytically as she ignored the Grim Reaper. "The anomaly," she said, taking a step toward him. "I've been dying to meet you."

"My name," Sam said angrily, clenching his fists, "is Sam Walker."

Lady Death quickly crossed toward him, dropping into a crouch and grasping his face in her pale fingers before he could so much as move. "You don't have any name," she hissed. "You can only claim the one I give you. Anomaly. You are an anomaly, created by me." She smiled, her expression cold. "I had hoped my brother and sister would bring you to me. Unintentionally, of course. They thought they were doing what I didn't want."

Lady Death is their sister?

"Who are you?" Sam asked in a low voice.

"I am Keres," she said clearly. "Otherwise known as Lady Death. Serial killers and other sorts of murderers bow reverently to me. They serve me, each in their own way."

"She instigates violent death," the Grim Reaper said in a low voice. "Upsets the natural order."

"Remember what I said about the difference between famous and infamous in our world, Sam?" Cate said softly. "She's infamous."

Keres frowned at her siblings. "I forgot how supportive you two can be. Death is a part of the natural order, Thanatos. I just, ah...speed it up a bit." She turned her gaze back to Sam, still gripping his face in her hand, her nails digging into his skin. "And you, too, shall serve me, anomaly."

"Never," Sam spat.

Keres' grip tightened. "You owe everything to me. I made you what you are today. Who do you think encouraged your CDA to go off and have a proper life of her own?" She glanced at Gabrielle, who looked both guilty and defiant. "Who made you an anomaly, free from the oversight of the GRS?"

I never asked to be an anomaly.

Keres shook his head, her smile vicious. "Trust me, you never would have survived if I hadn't intervened. You should be thanking me."

She opened her mouth to say more, but a burst of Cate's magic knocked her over, sending her tumbling away from Sam. He jackknifed to his feet as the Grim Reaper joined Cate battling against Keres, scythe and sword and magic slashing at their sister. Twin daggers materialized in her hands as she defended herself, her smile turning into a snarl.

"We must defeat her now!" the Grim Reaper shouted. "While she's still weak! Sam, kill Sinclair!"

Sam glanced wildly around. Marcus and Raj had barely stirred; they looked like they were sitting this round out. The emos also posed no threat; they were all unconscious. Selena, however, was on her feet, glaring daggers at her mother.