Page 76 of The Unseen Hour

“I only mean that you do not face the limitations of a real Shade. You, unlike these Shades, can escape. Just as I promised before. If”—she raised a finger—“you do what I ask.”

I nodded.

“Of course. If you’ll help find my father, and we can destroy the Unseen Hour and go home, we’re more than happy to help.”

Even if we weren't, I couldn’t imagine how we were meant to refuse a god. But as long as Death was being generous, I felt no need to point that out.

Death nodded, her silvery mask shimmering with the movement.

“Good, good. Then I will locate your father. You believe him to be here?”

I sighed.

“I thought he was here, but we haven’t been able to find him. We’ve covered the Meadow and the area closest to where Orion lives, but we still need to check the remainder of the Ether’s woods.”

Death tapped a slender finger against her pale chin.

“And Charon’s lands?”

Orion frowned.

“Yes, and those. If we can’t find him elsewhere. That will be our final stop and last resort.”

“Very well. I will look at Emrys, and the other countries. If he is alive, I will locate him. I can also check my own realm. If he is dead …”

I gulped.

“I still want to know. I don’t believe him to be, but if he is, will you know what happened?”

“I will be able to give you insight into his death, yes, if he is in fact deceased.”

Orion kept his arms around me, giving me the strength to swallow down the urge to cry.

“You’ll search for him yourself? Can you do that and still monitor Charon?” I asked.

“That will be of no issue. I’ll monitor the investigation, but I’ll send my Reapers to find your father.”

“Reapers? What are those? How do they work?”

Death smiled again.

“I like you, little human. You don’t shy away from bold questions. I send my translucent horde to collect souls when they depart this life, but unlike the Shades, they do not alter the timing of when someone dies. They merely ferry the souls home when it is their time.”

“To your realm? Or to Day’s?”

Death waved a finger at me.

“Now you’re trying to snoop. Bold is good, but there are some mysteries not everyone is meant to know. My Reapers are gentle shepherds. Charon has his Shades, and I have my Reapers, but they are very different.”

Churches in Emrys held portraits of Day and Death. Day was often depicted in warm, light colors: yellows, pinks or orange. Death was shrouded in blacks and blues. Day was shown sometimes as a tanned, muscular figure with dark hair and eyes. Death was shrouded, a pale face visible within the hood, the body that of a broad-chested man. Eyes that were grey, but dull, unlike Orion’s. And skin just as pale as actual Death’s, but without any of the vibrance. There was no mention of lightning.

Day sometimes carried a sheaf of wheat and a scythe. Death was depicted with a sword or a vial with unknown contents.

“She’s told me a bit about them, but I didn’t think to mention it since it wasn’t relevant to our search. Emrys got many things wrong,” Orion informed me. “Reapers are the ones who carry a scythe. They use it to separate souls from their mortal bodies, but it doesn’t hurt. Unlike the Shades, they don’t use an ability, but a weapon. Without their scythe, they wouldn’t be able to help Death.”

“No abilities? What about moving through the world unseen and transporting souls to Death’s realm?” I questioned.

“Those aren’t the abilities I mean. I’m talking about actually separating the soul from the body. That is something that only Death can do without a weapon. Her Reapers aren’t nearly so skilled. Shades don’t have to carry anything physical to do our jobs. Our song is always with us.”