Can't Fight Fate

Nina's thoughts sparked another, more terrifying idea. She looked up at the gods wearing the skin of her parents. No, they were her parents. That was her mother and that was her father, and separating them into god and parent wouldn't help anybody.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Yin cut her off. "Do you know what you are, Nina? The culmination of thousands of years of work. We could never make more of you."

"Tell me," Nina said softly. "When exactly did you discover that human women couldn't bear a reaper child and live?"             

"We cannot remember," Yin replied with an airy wave. "Somewhere between the tick and the tock."

Their evasions told her everything. Ereshkigal's evasions told her everything. The hundreds of tombs filled with information of the contract, information on the exact words that were spoken between the royals and her parents--even the outfits everyone wore, but not a single hint of the circumstances that led to Yin and Yang being banished--told her everything.

The gods bred human women and let them die. The amount didn't matter. One or a million. Before they started, they knew what would happen. And even if they changed the formula, tried new things time and again, life was still lost.

It was like the surgical experiments J. Marion Sims performed on dozens of slave women. The women suffered horribly, yet Sims was labeled the 'modern father of gynecology' and owed much of his fame to the suffering of others. So many times--Japan's Unit 731, the Tuskegee Study, the Nazi medical experiments--heinous acts were ignored, or downplayed, because the end justified the means. It was the Trolley Problem all over again: would a person kill one to save five?

Yin and Yang made their choice.

Instead of anger or resentment or sadness, Nina felt tired. Exhausted.

"Maybe--Maybe reapers need to die," she said after a long moment. "Maybe their decline is a sign that you both need to let them live and die and make their own--"

Yin exploded from her chair, fire snaking up her body until it covered her and melted every new face she tried to wear. It was like watching a million wax statues melt, one after the other. "You know nothing, child. We create life. Galaxies and solar systems--whole worlds that you can not even begin to fathom. You live in a box of black and white, right and wrong." Her eyes sparked, lit, expanded into the galaxies and solar systems she talked about. "We are beyond that."

In the few seconds it took Yin to say those words, the blooming, fragrant magnolia flowers shriveled and fell, and left the trees barren. The temperature dropped, and everything, except the three of them, froze and frosted. The gleaming porch she sat on aged twenty years, with uneven dips, cracks, and eroded wood. Even the three rocking chairs looked like the tiniest shift in weight would make them collapse and turn to ash.

This was what Nina feared. This overwhelming power that had so thoroughly corrupted her parents that they couldn't even see her as an individual anymore. If they ever had. She was simply one of the many experiments that finally worked. She wondered, if she searched her body hard enough, if she'd find a brand with six or seven or eight digits that labeled her one of millions.

Created. Branded. Bred.

Gods create as easily as they destroy.

Nina shook her head, refusing to believe such creatures could hold positions as all-mighty, all-knowing beings. If they were so infinitely powerful, they would have known Nina would never accept their reasoning. She would never see the bigger picture because the piles of bodies around it would always draw her eyes. They claimed to love her and love their creations. If they did, then Nina doubted they would have come this far or started it to begin with. "You are not gods."

Yang reached over, clutched his wife's hand, and gave Nina a cool smile that challenged as much as it demeaned. "Says who?"

Something inside her snapped, and the cool demeanor that she wore was replaced by a fury so thick and palpable that Nina didn't feel like herself. She felt like them, and that angered her even more. "I am so fucking sick of feeling like I'm blowing in a tornado. So sick of feeling like everything in my life is out of control. I'm so motherfucking sick of supernatural beings thinking everything revolves around them. That their way is the only way there is, and that by that same fucked up logic, they are always right."

Nina's anger blinded her and freed her. Let her do the one thing she never could: lose her ever-loving mind.

She got up from her chair with preternatural speed and hurled a piece of fence at her parents. It stopped an inch from Yin's face and disintegrated into dust. Nina didn't stop her assault until she was breathing heavily, muscles crying out in abuse, with sweat pouring down her face.

"If you're gods, then I'm a god. I'm the most powerful god ever because my parents are two fucked up, murdering, pieces of shit that I'd rather see fed to rabid dogs and used as mulch than three solar systems near me!" Nina screamed loudly, blood filling her mouth as she damaged something inside herself. She felt everything she knew about herself and her parents slip through her fingers like sand, and scatter.

She swayed on her feet and fell to her knees.

Yang moved toward her, concern on his face, but Nina was unsure if it was for herself or for the experiment she was. Her head snapped up, eyes twin flames of seething rage. She dared him to take another step. It would be the last one he ever took.

Taking a deep breath, Nina forced her achy body up. She blew the breath out slowly, evenly, forcing it. The child in her stomach gave a kick, a reminder that he was still with her. Absently, she stroked a hand over her belly, ignoring the tears streaming down her face and the oppressive weight on her chest that made each breath she took burn.

Nina's hand shook as she reached up and touched her forehead, and her voice came out somewhere between a broken sob and a whisper. "I'm tired. I'm so... tired."

After a minute, she dropped her hand. The world was quiet, held on a moment of the past giving way to the future. Nina gave her parents one... last... look. Took a mental snapshot. She would forever remember the hard lines of their mouths, the cool certainty in their eyes, the defensiveness in their stance. They radiated righteousness, a knowledge that what they did was the only thing that could be done.

Nina turned and looked at the destroyed meadow and porch. Flowers and trees had been uprooted, flung around before being scorched and then frozen. A lone edelweiss flower, untouched by the mayhem, lay at her feet. She sniffed as she bent and picked it up. Soft felt flowers caressed her fingertips, and the short stem pressed firmly against her palm, dropping dew.

She crushed it.

Felt the nectar run down the back of her hand and the small needles push into the flesh of her palm. When Nina unfurled her fingers and held her hand flat, the flower was perfect and beautiful and undamaged.

So easy.

She stared at the flower a long moment, an eternity between the tick and the tock, wishing she could be restored as easily. Nina closed her eyes, and with a soft gust of air from between her lips, she let the fantasy go.

"Are you happy with the choice you made?" Ereshkigal asked when Nina opened her eyes.

She was back in the Underworld, in her room, with the Darklore Queen in the exact same place she'd left her. The only difference were the clothes she wore and the lines of stress that marred the corners of her eyes and mouth. That, and the slightly larger belly Nina now sported.

A haunted look penetrated her eyes as she stared at Ereshkigal. "No. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I chose anything different."

Nina went to the Darklore Queen, sat, and placed her head on the woman's lap. Cool fingers brushed Nina's hair and she took a shaky breath in. "How long was I gone?"

"A week and a half."

"What's happened?"

The fingers paused for a split second before continuing. "I'm not sure right now is the--"             

"Tell me."

"An envoy from the Castoff Kingdom came two days ago demanding you," she spoke quietly. "I refused. They offered me two choices: war or surrender."

"Surrender?" Nina asked as she raised her head and looked at Ereshkigal.

"Yes." Her eyes turned to the window and the forest outside.

Nina didn't miss the way the queen stressed the word 'they'.She turned to her friend, the woman that mentored her and allowed Nina to make up her own mind regarding her parents. There was something Ereshkigal wasn't saying, something she feared to say.

"Who is they?"

The look the Darklore Queen gave Nina was filled with so much sadness and remorse, it broke her heart. "The new Castoff King and Queen, Felicia Anvi'ras Castoff and...."

"And?" Nina pressed, heart beginning to race.

"Her husband, Mictlantecuhtli Jallgrim ur Bloodspurn."

People and Places

Bloodspurn Kingdom

First kingdom to be established, it is known to have the fiercest reapers, who reap souls from the Americas, Denmark, and the Queen Elizabeth Isles.

Nina (Undetermined): Main character. Nina Marie Strathmore-Bloodspurn is the daughter of Loukas and Adrienne, also known as Yin and Yang, a goddess-born human. Married to Grim Bloodspurn, Nina is the current queen of the Bloodspurn Kingdom. She is also pregnant with the heir and currently living with the Darklore Queen in the capital of the Darklore Kingdom, Adlirn. She can control the four elements and can provide reapers with the energy they need to survive at a cost to herself.

Grim (Half-life): Main character. Mictlantecuhtli Jallgrim "Grim" ur Bloodspurn is the current reaper king of the Bloodspurn Kingdom. However, he is being held prisoner by the Castoff Queen, Felicia. Grim is married to Nina, who he still thinks is a human, and discovers in Can't Fight Fate that she is pregnant. He is the son of reaper Tuoni Bloodspurn and human Ivona Bloodspurn. His mother is Morrigan, whom he sees murdered.

U riel (un-dead): Uriel "Uri" Aloysius Bloodspurn is the half-brother of Grim; his mother is Morrigan. He is currently taking care of Nina in the Darklore Kingdom. In Can't Fight Time, Uriel and Nina magically contracted for her to be brought to the Underworld. He also took her back to the human world so she could die.

M orrigan (Et Mors): Morrigan Bloodspurn was the second wife of Tuoni Bloodspurn, step-mother to Grim; and birth mother to Uriel. She was crass, with a strong dislike of humans. She was a maid for the human Ivona Bloodspurn, and after she died, married Tuoni. She had a connection with Yin and Yang because of the experiments they performed on Ivona.

T uoni (Et Mors): Tuoni Bloodspurn was reaper king of the Bloodspurn Kingdom, but was killed by Felicia. He was going mad and it was rumored that he willingly died. He was married to a human who he tried to keep alive with Yin and Yang's help, but there was an assassination attempt by the Castoffs. This action created a larger rift between the kingdoms and set off a very specific chain of events.

I vona (Et Mors): Ivona Bloodspurn was the human wife of reaper king, Tuoni. She died in childbirth after an assassination attempt.

S amuel (Et Mors): Samuel Bloodspurn was the first king of the Underworld, and after the kingdoms were established, the first king of the Bloodspurn Kingdom. He was married to Ereshkigal, but they separated and she formed her own kingdom. During his reign as the King of the Underworld, Samuel signs a contract with Yin and Yang to experiment on reapers in his kingdom.

Darklore Kingdom

Only kingdom with a Matriarchy, their queen is the oldest reaper to date, and she, along with her democratic society, control all of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and part of Russia.

E reshkigal (un-dead): Ereshkigal Hypatia Darklore is the current queen of the Darklore Kingdom, though she does not reign over her people as head of state and instead has enacted a monarchy that she monitors periodically. She used to be the wife of Samuel Bloodspurn, but is currently unattached. She is the oldest known reaper in the kingdom. She had one son and one daughter.

Castoff Kingdom

Located on the Northern plain, it is the wealthiest kingdom in the Underworld because residents collect souls from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and part of Russia.

F elicia (un-dead): Felicia Anvi'ras Castoff is the current Castoff Queen. She is known for her child-like clothes and voice, which is an act to put people at ease. Felicia killed her family, took over the Bloodspurn Kingdom, and turned Grim to her side. She has also killed Grim's mother and father, and is after Nina. She has clear motivations to take over the Underworld, but Grim's current role in her new regime is still a mystery.

N egral (Et Mors): Negral Castoff was the first king of the Castoff Kingdom. He was also general to Samuel during his reign of the Underworld. Despite being the king's cousin, Negral betrays Samuel in the pursuit of more power and control. This creates the first rift between the kingdoms.

Reaper Hierarchy

Council of Guardian

The Guardians act as mayors or governors, and also advisors. They watch the provinces and report any problems to the king during meetings with him.

K rithi (un-dead): Krithi Qyrvienne Bish is a council member who is sent to the Darklore Kingdom as a trusted envoy in Can't Fight Time. She is the only female council member. Current whereabouts unknown.

R aeborn (un-dead): Grayson Raeborn, an exiled council member from the Bloodspurn kingdom, has sided with the Castoff Kingdom and is working with Felicia.

Royal Guard

Members of the Bloodspurn court, they pledge their fealty and life to the kingdom and the ruling party.

T ylend (un-dead): He is loyal to the Bloodspurn Kingdom, and pseudo-advisor to Grim. Tylend was sent with Krithi to the Darklore Kingdom. Current whereabouts unknown.

Watcher

Reapers that keep historical record of all events in the underworld including, but not limited to: deaths, taxes, festivals, laws, and so on and so forth. There is no hierarchy within this sect since they also keep records of each other and are able to go anywhere within the kingdom.

D onn (un-dead): Donn Dentrine is the loose leader of a group of reapers comprised of a Messenger, Peacekeeper, and Collector. Little is currently known about him.

Messenger

Messengers sort and distribute souls gathered from Collectors. They also act as envoys between the kingdoms. Messengers are sorted by territory with no hierarchical order.

S eker (un-dead): Seker Keuth, is the Court Messenger for the Seven Bloodspurn Provinces. He is a heavy flirt. Little else is known about him.

I ris (un-dead): Iris Cybele Devonie is Yin and Yang's personal messenger. She is able to go to any Collector and ask for a soul. She is in constant contact with Yin and Yang. She is timid, but has strong faith in Nina. Little else is known about her.

Peacekeeper

Are the equivalent of police in the reaper world. Three levels exist: Inspector (the highest ranking), Ensign (2nd highest), Peacekeeping Officer (lowest ranking; general Peacekeeper).

K ariff (un-dead): Kariff Bridgett is the Inspector of the Peacekeepers of Irkalla. He protects Nina and stands beside her. He is a father and married. His is co-leader with Donn of the group of reapers. Little else is known about him.

Collector

Take souls from the human world and deliver them to Messengers. Similar to Messengers, they are sorted by territory, however they have a hierarchical system like Peacekeepers: Regional Collector, Head Collector (of a specific area), Assistant-head Collector, Gardeners (general collectors).

B ran (un-dead): Bran Rathum-Bynaveer is the Regional Collector of the American East Coast. He is one of Nina's allies, though not at first. Little else is known about him.

The Creators

They created humans and reapers. They do not, however, know how they came to exist. Self-proclaimed gods, and titled mad scientist, the pair experiment on different humans in order to save reapers.

Y in (Undetermined): Yin, also known as Detective Darcy, Adrienne, and a host of other characters, is Nina's mother. She is the feminine version of Yang. Yin fakes her death to force Nina to become the person she wants.

Y ang (Undetermined): The masculine version of Yin. He is Nina's father, Loukas, the medic from Can't Fight Time, Luiz, and a host of other characters. He stabs Nina through the heart with a knife and kills her.

Afterword

I want to thank John D., Raven, and Richard. You all have shown me the most support on this story from reading it to critiquing it, to suggesting feedback and then editing it. I can't thank you all enough, and I know that nothing I say here will ever amount to the help you've given me. But thank you. Truly, honestly, thank you.

Thank you, Mom. I mean, you're my mom. You will always tell me when you hate something and when you love something. I used to think you would just tell me that everything I wrote was good--wrong! And I love you for it. You make me better, push me harder, force me to pursue what I want with everything I am. I would never have gotten this far without you.

Thank you, Max. Goodness knows I never thought I'd have six books published. I was just amazed when the first one was out. Now I'm blown away. I hope we can keep working together, producing even better quality work, and just turn me into a better writer.

Thank you, fans! You guys drive me... and crush me at times. But all in all, you make me want to be better! And that's more than I can ask for. You guys are family to me and if you hate this story, if you love this story, please for the love of Yin and Yang email me and let me know! I can't get better unless someone tells me what I'm doing right (and should keep doing) and what I'm doing wrong (Rosi, stop that!).

Thank you to everyone who I didn't mention because this is already too long. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.