In the minutes that followed, I dug deep into what I’d read about ghouls. Since its first incursion into Nevertide, GASP had acquired an impressive amount of knowledge about these creatures. Part of my induction as an agent had included reading up on all the supernatural entities that GASP had learned of or had come across. That meant studying across dimensions, too. The Earth’s universe, the Supernatural Dimension, and the In-Between had their own share of strangeness. Out of the three, the Supernatural Dimension’s Nevertide had offered some surprising species.

The sentries were well known and fully integrated into GASP and its civilian societies by now. But they stemmed from the “original ghouls,” the powerful ones that had infected others with their nature—thus the emergence of sentries. A noted difference had been made between the Nevertide ghouls and the ones that Ben, Rose, and the others in their generation had come across before.

Seeley watched me quietly as I remembered the physical differences between the ghouls and the original ghouls. The former were mindless monsters, much like the one Seeley had just turned to ashes. At least I now knew a Reaper’s scythe could kill them instantly. Until now, the only way to eliminate a ghoul was by dismemberment, a method which made me squirm. They had a subtle form, a shapeless ripple, and I’d just seen it. It wasn’t visible to the regular eye. They also had a physical form, the bony monstrosity that I’d also just witnessed. Only, that was normally seen by others, too. Yet, only Seeley and I had spotted it before its demise.

“You’ve got more questions,” Seeley said, his tone dry. It wasn’t an invitation to ask, but I took it as such, anyway.

“I know there are two types of ghouls. One is the monster you just offed,” I replied. “Only, I remembered that while it’s true that they can’t be seen in their subtle form, they can be spotted in physical form.”

Seeley nodded. “That is correct. The physical form is for them to consume flesh.”

“Ew, he was going to eat me!” I shuddered. “Anyway, my point is… Only you and I saw it just now, in both subtle and physical form. How so?” I added, pointing at the people inside the sanctuary, who were undisturbed by what we’d just witnessed.

“Ghouls reveal their physical form if they want to. If they’re not at all worried about the repercussions. In this case, it’s a room full of GASP agents who know how to take a ghoul down in less than a minute,” Seeley explained. A frown pulled his eyebrows closer above the central axis of his sharp nose. “However, something else doesn’t make sense here.”

“What’s that?”

“You were right to identify it as a flesh-eating ghoul, only… it wasn’t here to eat your body. It was more interested in your soul, which puts him closer to the original ghouls you mentioned.”

“I’m confused,” I said, honest in my statement. Something wasn’t clicking, and I felt as though I’d been left on the outside of something much bigger.

“I suppose I should start from the beginning,” Seeley said, then settled on the floor next to my body. I sat next to him, choosing to ignore the real world for a while. It kept reminding me of my state and my impending doom—and I needed to busy my mind with something else in order to stop myself from slipping into despair.

“I’m all ears.”

Seeley stared at the Daughters of Eritopia for a moment—all eight still engaged in conversation with Derek, Sofia, Mona, and Arwen. More fae were being brought in, the other witches tasked with looking after them and placing them in individual crystal casings like mine.

“Reapers tread the fine line between life and death,” he said. “We don’t go where the souls reside after they die. We’re not allowed, under any circumstances, to reveal ourselves to the living. We’re stuck in this neutral plane of existence, connecting the world of the living to that of the dead.”

“What does that have to do with ghouls?” I asked.

“I’m getting there. Be patient. You’re still about twelve chain-links away from dying. You’ve got time,” he said. I checked my chain. He was right. Eight links were black, but I had twelve more before the connection between my body and soul was completely severed. The blackness didn’t advance at a steady speed, so there was no telling how long I had left—how did Seeley know, then? Noticing the questioning look in my eyes, he scoffed. “Don’t ask how long you’ve got left, Vesta. I can’t tell you.”

“Okay. For now,” I replied. “Get to the point about ghouls, then.”

“I believe you are already familiar with the power and energy value of a soul, given your Nerakian origins. I remember the daemons and the Exiled Maras there being wretchedly addicted to them,” he said. That got me even more confused as to where he was going with this, but I nodded. “Souls are pure, unadulterated energy. There is only one swamp witch spell that is able to extract it from the body. It’s what the Nerakians used. It should’ve never come to light, but anyway, ancient business by now. I am relieved to see GASP making sure that no one else gets their hands on it. Saves us a lot of trouble.”

“You’re rambling.”

“I’m not. Shut up. It’s complicated. If I’m going to tell you what I know, if I’m going to make you understand, I have to give you all the information I can. So, back to souls. One can easily become addicted to the incredible rush of a soul. As a Reaper, I can smell yours, for example. I’m more sensitive to it than any daemon or Mara that might’ve had a taste of it. I understand its appeal.”

That came out more awkward than he’d actually intended, judging by his subtle blush, but I nodded once more, just to get him to move along. I had a feeling he was about to drop a bombshell, and I doubted there was anyone else out there who’d gotten a Reaper to spill the beans.

“Reapers aren’t allowed to consume souls. It’s not just prohibited. It’s punishable,” Seeley added. “Despite the risks and the severe consequences, there have been Reapers across the ages, from both the Supernatural Dimension and the In-Between, that have given in to temptation. Instead of reaping souls and shuttling them into the next world, they… well, they ate them.”

“Oh,” I breathed, feeling my eyes pop. “Punishable how?”

“A fall from grace,” Seeley explained. “You see, once selected, a Reaper becomes immortal—to a point. Rare are the instances of Reapers dying. When they do, they join the souls they reaped in the next world. However, when they commit the abominable act of eating a soul, death and the next world feels like a reward, in a way. It’s too good for what they’ve done. So, they’re instantly stripped of their role as Reapers and left to wander between the world of the living and that of the dead, never truly belonging in either.”

He paused, giving me time to take it all in and process all that information carefully.

“Any questions so far?” he asked.

I chuckled. “Plenty, but I’m sure you’re about to give me most of the answers before I even ask.”

“You’re learning,” he replied, smiling. “Now, back to disgraced Reapers. In my opinion, the way they’re handled isn’t the best idea, but I didn’t make the rules, nor do I get a say in changing them. Once they’re relieved of their Reaper duties and are left to wander between worlds, they gradually decay. They lose their minds and whatever shred of integrity they might’ve had left. You see, consuming one soul permanently damages yours. That’s what the daemons and Exiled Maras never knew. Their souls are forever broken beyond repair.”

“What does that mean for their souls after they move on?” I asked.

“I am not sure. I told you, I can neither see nor step into the world of the dead. I’m but a conduit of souls, plucking them from the living and allowing them to move on. That’s it,” he said.

Suddenly, I made the connection between disgraced Reapers and ghouls. It didn’t feel like much of a stretch at all. “Oh, God… Seeley, are you trying to tell me that fallen Reapers become ghouls over time?”

“You’re smarter than I originally assumed,” he replied. Undeterred by my raised eyebrow, he resumed his narrative. “Over the centuries, these permanently damaged souls will continue to look for more souls to eat. Problem is that souls are not easy to find. All they have is the energy they got from the first soul they consumed. They continue to decay and, eventually, spiral into a primal madness. It’s a grueling and self-destructive process, but it yields a strange result. They turn into what you now refer to as ‘original ghouls.’ Walkers between worlds, looking for more souls to feed on.”

“Like the ones who basically created the sentries of Nevertide.”

“Yes. Those who find more souls to consume get to retain the subtle form of original ghouls, you see. They develop abilities, such as those inherited by sentries. You see, the Nevertide ghouls were smart. They didn’t gobble up the souls. They surrounded themselves with people and fed off them gradually, giving them time to replenish. That way, the original ghouls had a steady source of soul food, while they also developed the sentry species for their purposes.”

“Okay. I get that. It makes sense. They found a way to control the hunger, then, by feeding on small soul quantities instead of sucking them dry like, say, the daemons and the Exiled Maras did on Neraka.”

“Exactly. The original ghouls weren’t many in number, since, like I said, ready-to-eat souls aren’t easy to find. Plus, as you’ve seen, a Reaper’s scythe can kill a ghoul in any of its forms,” Seeley continued. “Given their scarce population, scattered across the dimensions, we didn’t bother too much with them. It wasn’t our job. That belonged to someone else, and when she didn’t do anything about it, we didn’t object. It’s common knowledge among Reapers that she knows what she’s doing.”

“She?”

“Anyway, I hope this explains the original ghouls for you in a way that makes sense,” Seeley replied, ignoring my question. I knew it was deliberate, but I didn’t pursue it any further. I’d learned enough about him to know when not to push his buttons.

“Yes, it does. I suppose what they did in Nevertide was too small and insignificant on the grand scale for any of you to worry or care, right?” I asked, slightly annoyed by the thought that Reapers simply didn’t fuss over their own kind having found a way back into the world of the living.

He grinned. “It irks you, doesn’t it?”

“Of course! Reapers eat souls, get stuck between the world of the living and that of the dead, but then descend into some kind of inferior or sick state that allows them to jump back into the world of the living. And you people don’t care!”

“We are tasked with reaping souls, and nothing else. I told you.”

“What about her? Whoever she is?”

“It’s not our job to question her,” Seeley answered, scowling at me. “Careful, Vesta, you’re treading in dark and dangerous territory. I cannot entertain your curiosity there. I’m telling you too much as it is.”

“Okay… fine,” I conceded. I figured this whole ghoul origins thing had cosmic proportions and was well over my pay grade. But I wasn’t done drilling him for information. “What about the other ghouls… these weaker ones, such as our recent visitor? How’d they come to be?”

“They’re the ones who never got to feed on another soul, even while in their original ghoul state,” Seeley said. “The descent, the degradation, continued until they turned into these feral, mindless monsters, able to take on a physical form. They need a physical form to eat flesh, and flesh is the only thing that satisfies them, albeit temporarily.”

“So they don’t eat souls anymore?”

“If given the opportunity, they will. But it won’t do anything to curb their desperation, their hunger. Once the original ghoul breaks down into this two-form ghoul, it’s game over. Nothing can fix it. The damage is done,” Seeley said.

“Wow. And, once more, you’re okay with letting former Reapers run loose like this.”

I crossed my arms in protest. I still couldn’t truly accept this mentality, as much as I’d tried to find some kind of reason in it. It just didn’t feel right. Seeley didn’t seem too happy about it either, despite his arguments.

“Personally, no I am not. But please don’t make me repeat myself by saying it’s not my business,” he said. “Besides, your GASP seniors have a good record of killing ghouls. In the end, the damage they’ve done to the living world is barely noticeable in the bigger picture of existence. Take it as it is, Vesta. When’s the last time you saw a ghoul prior to this one?”

“Never.”

“My point exactly. Let it go. The universe is a well-oiled machine.” Seeley sighed. “Granted, it has its glitches, such as this Hermessi mess, but eventually it all works out one way or another.”

Ah, back to what truly burns me.

“Speaking of which, I get that you know what’s going on here in the world of the living. You’ve made that clear,” I said. “But do you have any idea as to what will happen next? How do you see this ending?”

Seeley laughed wholeheartedly, as if I’d asked the most hilarious question in the history of ever. It was hard not to feel insulted by his reaction, but I kept a straight face. This Reaper had answers and I had a ton more questions.

“Vesta… I’ve been told this isn’t the first time the Hermessi have tried to pull a fast one on the living. But it’s been over four million years since their first attempt. I wasn’t even a thought in anyone’s mind at the time, and I’ve got no idea what happened then—not in detail, anyway. All Reapers are given a brief history of the world before them, but nothing too precise. I do know, much like your people, that the Hermessi’s ritual was interrupted. I also know it coincided with a rather difficult period in the Reapers’ existence, but I am not at liberty to expand on that, I’m afraid.”

“What can you expand on, then?” I asked, feeling myself slip closer to the edge of insanity. It wasn’t long before I’d lose my grip on everything. Knowing I’d die had an effect on me—that much was dreadfully obvious. My psyche was in shambles. “Give me something, Seeley. Anything that can help me make sense of what fate awaits my people.”

Seeley glanced at the Daughters again, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It’s amazing what nature, the very nature that basically wants to kill you all now, is able to create, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Daughters. They are works of art. Magnificent in every way, powerful and resilient, despite their often-difficult nature,” Seeley said. “They were made by a well-meaning Earth Hermessi of Calliope. Fascinating, don’t you think?”

I offered a shrug. “I guess?”

“Thing is, Vesta, if the Daughters are what a good-hearted Hermessi is able to create from the bowels of its planet… what are the lengths that an evil one will go to with his ability to warp nature?”

It didn’t take long for the implication of his question to settle deep in my stomach, uncomfortably enough to make me tremble. “Monsters,” I breathed. “Purebred, unadulterated, freak-of-nature-style monsters, huh?”

Seeley’s nod didn’t comfort me one bit. It just confirmed the worst for me. My friends were in a heap of trouble, for there were truly frightening creatures out there, looking to kill them, to eat them, to stop them in their tracks. Sure, it did mean that they were close to some kind of break against the Hermessi, but it didn’t diminish the deadly danger on their tails.

Taeral and his crew were screwed far worse than I was.