Can't Fight Time Ch. 10

"Now come on, I have a carriage waiting for us." Uri announced and held his hand out like a gallant prince.

In a pair of bleach-washed denims and a light gray V-neck sweater, Uri looked like everything but a prince. His half-assed hair style didn't help, the red tresses looking like they'd just been finger-combed.

Grasping Uri's hand, Nina squeaked when he pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms. "Hey!" she said indignantly, but whatever else she was going to say was stolen by the wind as Uri ran—flew?—down the hallways with a speed that a bullet probably couldn't match. They were outside in a courtyard of sorts in about thirty seconds flat.

As soon as they stopped, Nina turned her head and gagged, wondering if she would throw up. She detested flying of any kind, especially the kind that reminded her of theme park rides.

"You okay?" Uri took a big step back from her as she wiped some spittle off her cheek.

Nina shot him a quick glare. "Little warning next time you're going to fly!" Nina tried to scream, but gagged again.

All around her, Nina could hear people moving, and Uri relaying a message for Grim to someone. After a few seconds of deep breathing, Nina was finally able to feel her stomach settle back into place.

Lifting her head, she looked around and her eyes went wide at the horse-drawn carriage a few feet from her. Uri hadn't been kidding. The thing looked like something out of the Brother Grimm stories except the horses were jet black. The carriage was also black, and what looked like a crest with a pendulum with two swords crossed was emblazoned on the side of it.

"Is that the Bloodspurn coat-of-arms?" Nina moved to the coach and ran a hand over the crest.

"Yup." Uri was beside her in a second, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Cool, right?"

Nina turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. She would never ever forget that the two were brothers. Sibling rivalry aside, they both had possessive tendencies that could not be missed.

"Um, why are the horses alive?" Nina moved her eyes to the horses stomping their hooves on the cobbled drive and throwing their heads back in irritation.

"They're not," Uri said. "They are spirits that have taken physical form. Reapers can recycle animals, plants, and anything living. So if you look around, you can see grass and flowers, but it's all just souls."

Nina looked around at the courtyard noticing the calla lilies swaying in a light breeze, the bees buzzing around them. If she didn't know she was in the Underworld, she would have thought she was in the human world. It was almost an exact mirror of—

A skeleton in a dark robe walked out of the castle with a large scythe, paused and looked at Nina, then sped off in a blur of ivory and black.

No. This isn't the human world. Not anything like it. Nina reminded herself as she shook her head, and climbed into the carriage. Settling in the seat, she turned her thoughts away from the Underworld, and indulged in the obvious elegance around her. It was nice, the velvet fabric soft and supple against her fingertips. Nina had never been in a carriage before, but so far she liked it. It sort of reminded her of Cinderella, except she wasn't going to a ball and her life was the farthest thing from a fairytale.

"She's a beaut', ain't she?" Uri hopped in and shut the door behind him. "Cars are impossible because we don't have gas or electricity. Most people either take bikes or carriages to get around."

Nina nodded and felt her knees brush against Uri in the confines of the carriage. With a jerk, the carriage began rolling, and Nina could hear the soft commands of the driver and the disgruntled snorts from the horses. Nina clutched onto the seat and mentally curse every movie that made riding in a carriage look easy.

"Not used to carriages?" Uri asked around a smothered laugh.

Turning to glare at him, Nina squeaked as she bounced up on the seat. "I'm a city girl. The closest I've been to a carriage is in a book."

Nina turned her head and looked out the small window flap to the rolling countryside they were traveling through. There were roaming cows and ancient, gnarly trees that appeared out of nowhere. It all seemed to reinforce how out of her element Nina really was. But as much as she wanted to humanize the place, she couldn't.

Gnawing on her lip, Nina turned back to Uri and prepared herself for the question that had been burning her tongue for the last few days. She'd heard the maids and guards whispering about it. "Uri, why didn't you tell me Grim had a fiancée?"

Uri quirked his head and crossed his legs calmly, drawing out the moment. "Because I'm pretty sure she's soon to be his ex-fiancée."

"Does anyone else know that besides you and Grim?"

Uri shrugged, something Nina thought might be his trademark gesture. "They'll know soon enough."

Sighing as a sudden burst of exhaustion hit her, Nina watched the countryside roll by. She didn't even know why she brought up Grim's fiancée, it only reminded Nina of what she couldn't have.

Turning her mind away from Grim's impending marriage, Nina thought about Nicole again. How long has it been since I've seen her? She wondered somberly. Feels like forever.

Nina was just getting into a good ol' pity party when a shout from the driver and the rearing of the horses interrupted her.

The carriage jerked, and Nina went flying across and right into Uri's arms, forehead bumping his chin. "Ow!" Nina swore under her breath as she rubbed her head and stared daggers at the closed carriage door.

What the hell happened? She wondered as she watched Uri move with preternatural speed to the door, and then outside. Nina was only a few seconds behind him as she stepped down from the carriage to see the commotion.

"Stay here, Nina."

Cocking a brow that clearly said: "Who do you think you are?" Nina strode past Uri and to the source of the problem. A woman was lying with her hand on her calf, surrounded by scattered bay leaves. It took less than a second for Nina to figure out what had happened.

Crouching down near the woman, Nina lent her a hand, the manners her mother had drilled into her came to the surface. "Are you okay, Ma'am?"

The woman looked up at her with large dove-grey eyes, her mouth parted slightly, and her cheeks pinkened. She looked around forty, with wisps of gray hair in her auburn bun.

"Thank you," the woman said in a lightly accented voice that sounded strangely British. Her entire appearance sort of made Nina think of an 18th Century governess, except for the red and gold sash around her hip which contrasted sharply with her navy gown.

Nina mentally rolled her eyes and blamed her thoughts on way too much British television. "We're so sorry," Nina mumbled as the woman took her hand and stood up. "Let us help you with your bags."

Turning, she sent menacing glares to both Uri and the driver, until the pair slunked over and began helping pick up. Nina turned to make sure Uri was actually doing something, and not goofing off, when she saw him pause and look over at the woman. Uri stared at the woman for a long moment, so long that Nina thought he might know her, but then he turned away and began picking up again.

Weird, Nina thought as she looked over her shoulder at the woman, who was rubbing her calf absently while looking over at them. The woman shook her head softly before grimacing and going back to her leg.

They all finished packing the leaves up and set them down in front of the woman. "We're so sorry, Miss..."

The woman's smile was kind, if a little nervous. She executed a perfect curtsy. "Iris, Your Highness."

Nina bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Never had she thought someone would refer to her as "Your Highness." Here she was with a reaper prince, traveling around in a freaking carriage, and some poor woman that they'd nearly killed was referring to her as royalty. It was almost comical.

Shaking her head, Nina addressed the woman. "I'm not royalty by any stretch of the imagination. You want to talk to this guy." Nina pointed her thumb at Uri.

"Prince Uriel Keuthonymos Bloodspurn, at your service." Uri graced the woman with a bow that every prince charming in any book would have taken note of. Sometimes Nina completely forgot Uri was a prince, and other times it was so blaringly obvious it hurt her eyes to watch.

This was one of the latter times.

The woman flushed a delicate rose and looked back at Nina. Her mouth was open, about to pose a question, when her entire face shifted and she took one huge step back. "Human," the woman whispered fearfully, like she was saying the Devil's name.

Nina furrowed her brows and shifted on her feet. It was the castle guards all over again. It seemed the whole Underworld had some kind of hate-on for humans. It made Nina feel a little angry, but most of all very sad. If the history was different, if things could have worked out in the past, if—

Nina mentally shook herself. If-ing solved nothing, and helped no one, she reminded herself, the lesson from her sixth grade English teacher coming back to her.

"Yup, I'm a human," Nina said with more cheer than she felt. "Something wrong with that?"

Iris shook her head quickly, almost fearfully. "Nothing. It's just, we don't have humans here. It's not allowed."

Nina's smile was wry. "I just love breaking the rules." Uri snickered beside her, and Nina cast him a sidelong glance.

"Do you need a ride, Iris?" Uri asked pleasantly.

Nina turned and cocked a brow at him, but the man had turned into Mr. Innocent. Nina rolled her eyes, pretty sure he was only offering so that he didn't have to be trapped in a carriage with her alone again.

"I wouldn't want to impose on—" Iris began softly.

Nina waved aside her concerns as the men began lifting her bag of leaves and placing them into the cart. "You're not imposing. We were just out on a sightseeing trip." She gestured to the carriage. "If you wouldn't mind riding with a human, then we'd love to have your company."

Iris was smiled gently. "I would love to ride in the carriage. Thank you so much."

They all climbed back in the carriage and settled down. Then with a flick of the reins and a click to the horses, they were off.

Nina smoothed her skirt down and turned to smile politely at Iris. "So, um, what do you do?" Nina asked then amended herself. "I mean, in the Underworld."

Iris nodded like she'd already understood, and flicked the sash at her waist. "I'm a Messenger. I deliver specific souls to Yin and Yang."

Nina felt her curiosity peak and she turned slightly to really take inventory of the woman beside her. Iris looked like a strong wind could knock her over, and the sweet demeanor she wore like a second skin was a little disconcerting.

"Can you elaborate on that? I'm not exactly up to date on the whole hierarchy here." Nina was glad she could get her mind off of Grim, her death, the weird engagement thing, and the other dozen or so thought floating in her head.

Iris pursed her lips for a second before releasing them. She looked like she wanted to refuse, but Iris just clasped her hands and began speaking. "Of course, Ms. Nina—"

"Just Nina is fine."

"A-alright." Iris looked at Nina quickly before looking down at her lap, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her skirt nervously. "In the Underworld, there are different positions you can have: a member of the Council of Guardians, Royal Guard, PeaceKeeper, Envoy to the different kingdoms, Watcher, Collector, and finally Messenger. Messengers, however, hold the lowest positions.

"You do know about Yin and Yang?" Iris asked her, with a quick glance up.

Nina turned to Uri and gently nudged him. "I know a little, courtesy of Uri. Mad scientist gods and all that."

Iris nodded and looked at Nina with a bit more respect. "Yes, that's more or less how it is. My job is to deliver specific souls to Yin and Yang. They tell me which souls they want and I go find the reaper that has them and give the soul to them."

Iris paused, and pursed her lips. "There are other Messengers who just recycle the souls. They have more prestige than me, because they can prove they are doing their job. But since the Yin and Yang are forbidden to directly meddle in reaper affairs—due to some events in the past—I cannot prove that I am actually doing my job. It's a bit complicated to explain."

It was all very fascinating to Nina, and made her curious to what other dissimilarities lurked just under the surface of the Underworld. So far, she just found herself in a world that almost directly mirrored her own, with the occasional weirdness that accompanied beings of Death.

Nina paused and for a second forgot she was in a carriage. Thoughts floated through her mind in waves, and again she felt like there was a puzzle being laid out in front of her that she just couldn't see. But then a thought struck.

Perhaps she hadn't finished the puzzle at all.

Nina bit her bottom lip and thought hard. She was still alive by some weird force of nature, still learning and discovering new things. Now, whether any of this could actually help save her life was the real question. But she really doubted any of it could do much more than fascinate and dazzle her until her death.

But there was still a puzzle that was unfinished, still a puzzle that she might not have finished at all. Maybe she'd just begun to collect the million or so pieces that made up the whole picture.

And perhaps you're just going crazy because every second that ticks by brings you closer to death and you're trying to keep your mind occupied with everything but that fact, her internal voice mocked in a scathing tone.

Nina felt blood coat her tongue, and realized she'd bitten through her lip. Damn! She thought as she licked at the blood and looked at the woman beside from her.

As much as it pained her to admit it, the voice was right. Nothing she learned actually helped her. All it did was make it easier for her to digest that there were things she'd never known existed, but that were real. All it really did was open her mind. And while that was great for the long term, it really didn't help with her shortening life.

"Nina?" Iris asked; bring her attention back to the jostling carriage.

Drawing back from her dark thoughts, Nina smiled at Iris and then cast a sidelong gaze at Uri. He was still looking relaxed and completely unfazed. Nina would have killed to have Uri's 'whatever' look; the best she could manage was a 'doing-my-best-not-to-break-down' look. That one had been popping up a lot more lately.

"Yeah, sorry, zoned out for a second there." Nina waved off her wandering mind and crossed her legs. "So basically, you can't prove that you do your job because your employers are forbidden from coming here."

Iris blinked back in surprise and nodded slowly. "Actually, yes. That's exactly how it is."

Her expression pensive, Iris folded her hands and stared at Nina as if she was some kind of new species. "Our world is different from yours. While your world is based more on monetary power, our world is based on spiritual power.

Iris nodded to Uri. "If you touch his Highness and then touch me, you'll see. The power difference is drastic." Iris held out her hand.

Curiously, Nina touched Uri and felt the power thrumming through his veins, faster than even her blood. Turning, she grasped Iris' hand and felt... nothing. It was sort of like touching herself, like touching a human.

Nina gripped tighter and tried to feel the power, and just when she thought there was none, she felt it, so faint it was like a single drop.

"Wow." Nina opened her eyes slowly and let go of Iris' hand. The woman nodded and tucked her hand back into her lap.

"A reaper can achieve power one of three ways: be born into power, work to get power, or take it from another. Reapers can kill each other and take on the other's power. " Uri explained.

Nina mentally snorted. Kind of like the human world. Not exactly, but closer than I thought. "You know, our worlds really aren't so different." Nina cocked an eyebrow and Iris and Uri.

Uri laughed the sound like something out of a wet dream. "You have no clue how different our worlds are, Nina."

Rolling her eyes, Nina turned to share a smile with Iris, when she saw the grim set of the woman's face. Dove-gray eyes met her own, and she saw steel behind them that she'd only ever seen in herself, and only at her lowest moments.

"Our worlds are completely different, Nina." Iris said quietly, and then turned her eyes to Uri. The two shared a bond that Nina knew she would probably never understand. "The only way you would understand our positions is if you became a part of our world. At the moment, you are simply human. "

Turning to look out at the rolling scenery, Nina hoped it wouldn't be too much longer to the town. It hurt to realize the mistake she'd made, thinking that she could humanize the Underworld. They were beings of death, reapers.

In that moment, Nina couldn't have felt farther away from Uri, or from Grim.