The Crane Diaries: The Ties That Bind by Apryl Baker

Author:Apryl Baker [Baker, Apryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Published: 2022-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

Traffic’s a beast.

It is rush hour, though. People are getting off work and heading home. Perfect time to catch up.

Cars and heartfelt talks are becoming a thing with me, I guess.

“So…”

Kane looks over at me, his eyes serious. “So?”

“I should have come to see you as soon as I got back.”

Kane shrugs. “You had a lot to deal with.”

“And you didn’t?”

“I was healing.”

The car inches forward.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? You saved my life.”

“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have been put in a position where you were hurt. You helped me instead of focusing on the souls you had to reap.”

“Helping you was the right thing to do. It was my choice to make. I could have said no.”

“But did I really give you a choice?”

“Yes, Emma, you did. You asked, and as I said, I could have said no. I’m not soulless like some of my kind are. They’re so old, they’ve forgotten what it’s like to have emotions. To be human. I still remember. You make me remember.”

“I still feel awful.”

“You put a target on your back to rescue me. I’m grateful for that, even if I’m scared every day for your safety.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You killed the oldest of our kind. He kept the balance. It’s left a big void, and the reapers are floundering without his strength and guidance.”

“He wasn’t going to let me take you. I did warn him to bugger off.”

He smiles slightly. “I remember. I’m surprised he didn’t kill you on sight.”

“He told me I had every right to be there among the other reapers.”

“That’s true. You are part reaper, but I would have thought he’d have tossed you out because of your human half.”

“If you recall, he said I was even less human than he was in that moment. He was right. I don’t think I was human when I came to find you.”

“He was the oldest elder we had, so he would know.”

“I regret having to kill the old coot. His death really caused havoc, though?”

“It did, but you wouldn’t know that.”

“Why not? Shouldn’t I feel something out of balance?”

He cocks his head, thinking. “The reapers function as a hive mind, so to speak. We always know where each other is in the same way we know where every soul ready to be reaped is. You haven’t walked among us long enough to be part of that hive mind, so you couldn’t feel the chaos going on in our home.”

“Silas cut you off from them so they couldn’t find you. How can you still feel them?”

“He cut them off from me, not the other way around. It’s a specific demon curse. It allows for me to know where they are, so I don’t accidentally run upon them.”

“I guess that makes sense.” I sigh and inch the car forward again. Late afternoon traffic is no one’s friend. “What do you mean by chaos?”

“The Elder ruled over all of us, gave us our purpose, and made sure we followed the rules. With

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