"What are you doing?"
That was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw him.
I stood on my porch, a brown backpack in hand, wearing a pink Bunny sweater, faded blue jeans, dark brown shoes and my hair in a pony tail. It was Friday and after resting at home the last four days, on mom's orders and Mrs Johnson's insistence, I'd managed to assure them I could go to school again.
I'd meant it too.
I'd spent the days reading,(unbelievable, I know), looking up everything I could on Grim reapers, banshees, magic and stuff like that. Without Bans, I couldn't ask for information, and that made me realise that it was time I looked it up myself. Some of the stuff was confusing, ghastly or something else, but I felt assured of my knowledge now and good enough to face the world without outright freaking out.
My confidence didn't last though, because outside , on the road infront of my house was a dark blue car, far more luxurious than anything I've seen except for one time. I lived near uptown but I hadn't seen this type of car expect at school and only one person owned it.
A tall athletic build, platinum blonde hair and grey eyes looked at me patiently before replying.
"I'm here to take you to school." Bradley said and I scowled before storming up to him and he raised a brow.
"Are you blind? I'm not talking about that, I meant what are you doing wearing... that!" I indicated everything on him.
Bradley was wearing a white business shirt, blue work tie, formal black pants and loafers. His hair was combed back and he had a green backpack on his back with a panda sticker, looking like the king of nerds.
"It's functional and appropriate for Highschool, I checked on the internet." Bradley said with a small sigh," The former boy only wore things that would slow me down, hinder my movements and had no aesthetic."
"Oh my glob, stop talking." I looked at him, and groaned multiple times in disgust," You ruined the man of my dreams. Why?"
"Sarah, this body is just so I can interact with you better and so you and I can reach better results. In my old form you'd have been talking to nothing but air in the eyes of others." Bradley said softly," Now, shall we go- where are you going?"
I was racing up back to the house," To get you a magazine of what's appropriate for cool teenagers."
"Sarah, whats-"
"Sorry Mom, I forgot something in my room." I shouted in a breeze as I raced up to my room and shut the door.
"Oh my glob, oh my glob, oh my glob." I hugged myself in excitement," Bradley taking me to school. So cool!!!"
Focus! I told myself, that's not Bradley, just a cold dead bastard using him as a puppet.
Remember that.
"That's harsh." A voice said and I almost screamed.
"So this is your room?" Bradley said as he appeared from the shadows like a nightmare made flesh, a hot one," It's ...decent."
"That's harsh" I replied crossly.
My room had two posters of kittens, a jump rope behind the door, a wardrobe by the right corner, a full length mirror near the bed and a nightstand. It wasn't the stuff of luxury but it was mine and I loves my room.
"It's factual." Bradley looked at me," So, what now?"
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"The last thing Bans asked of me was to help you find your friend and save him from Hell." He said softly," So, my Vessel, what would you like to do to save him?"
"Nope, wait right there. I never consented to being your Vessel, I'm not interested in being your slave. Secondly, I don't have a plan, I just want to save him and lastly, here."
I handed him a magazine of teens fashion and hoped he would value it's contents before he ruined the public image of Bradley Quincy at school.
"Vessels aren't slaves, they're a Warden's partner. The bond is something mortals don't even have a word for but believe me, you're not my slave." He said taking a step toward me and I backed away.
"I'm sorry. I'm still a bit anxious when you come towards me." I said softly and frowned," Wait, why am I apologizing? You killed me and just snuck into my room, get out."
Bradley looked at me and then the magazine," If I wear what lies in here will you come with me today to try and save your friend?"
"I don't bargain with grim reapers, there's always a trick." I said smugly and his eyes narrowed and I felt a chill pass through me.
"Oh, now I see," he continued," You've been reading up on mortal ramblings and imaginings and think you are now an expert on what lies beyond human eyes?"
Bradley raised his hand and a small flame of darkness ate up the magazine and engulfed him before disappearing in a flash. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him, seeing his new attire that had seemingly formed from the black fire itself.
He now wore a white shirt with a loose black tie on an unbuttoned collar, black shorts reaching below the knees and a leather jacket. His hair had become loose and free, putting the edge on his now rugged and dark appearance. His cold grey eyes locked onto mine and he appeared infront of me without taking a step, and looked into my eyes.
"Aren't you going to slap me?" He asked.
"What?" I asked softly.
"You were thinking about it all week, I thought I'd make it easier." He lifted my hand, his skin was ice cold!
"Go on, hit me." he put my palm on his cheek and I felt like a thousand bolts of lightning struck me through the heart.
My heart!?
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
Could he hear it? I wondered feeling shy, scared, excited and nervous all at once.
What was he doing? This wasn't the Iazel I remembered, he wasn't the cold ruthless Reaper who had cut me down without hesitation. A small smile stretched across Bradley's handsome face and he lowered his head and kissed my forehead.
The rush I felt was so huge and powerful I thought I'd explode.
"Sarah," he said softly," We're going to the Underworld."
Under- Wait, WHAAAT!?
I shoved him away as I looked at him in horror," What did you just say?"
"We're going to the Underworld, my home Dead world specifically, Hades." He said simply, his eyes cool grey again.
"Why?" I asked him.
"Because trying to get a soul from Hell whilst in the Fallen Mortal Realm, your world, is difficult, dangerous and down right suicidal. Whilst doing it from my home is slightly less difficult, dangerous and suicidal."
"So, you were buttering me up? That kiss, was it just to make me say yes?" I asked him and he nodded his head.
"I chose this body specifically because it eases your fear. Your emotional attachment towards the boy Bradley, makes it easier for us to work together."
I clenched my fists," Iazel, fudge you." I swore at him and left the room and went downstairs.
The nerve! The selfish and cold hearted bastard!
"Honey, did you find what you needed?" Mom asked me from the kitchen.
"Yep, I got exactly what I needed." I told her with smile.
A reality check, I told myself sourly, and so help me glob, that cold bastard needed one too.
"Sarah, we need to talk." Bradl- no! Iazel said from the car, having seemingly appeared from nowhere again.
I didn't even turn my head, but just kept on walking, going to school.
Was I sacred of him still? A bit.
Did I want to feel Bradley's lips on my forehead? Sure, that was a dream.
Did I enjoy being emotionally manipulated by a dead guy with a sharp stick? Absolutely not.
I wasn't a kinky freak who wanted to be treated like an animal being lured by a carrot and if I was his so called Vessel now, he needed to learn that. To think Bans left me in the care of that cold bastard, I couldn't believe it. Never had I missed Lucas than right then, because he'd have punched that handsome cold face without hesitation.
"You know I can sense those thoughts," Iazel said driving next to me slowly," If I offended you, then an apology would be something you'd want, right?"
I glared at him and turned my head away before going through a small alley too narrow for his car.
The fact he asked me means he didn't think he made a mistake.
I pulled out a cupcake from my lunch and ate it, feeling low and in need of sweetness.
"Sarah, I thought this form would be a good way for us to converse without you running away from me." Iazel said in my head.
I wasn't as creeped out as I would have been, anger numbing anything like suprise.
"You are a cold bastard. You are messing with me even though you swore you'd never hurt me." I said softly.
"I haven't drawn any weapon towards you in the last ten minutes." He replied.
"No, but you still hurt me." As soon as the words left my mouth, a wave of darkness slithered from my shadow and struck something far behind me.
BOOOM!
Oh my glob!
I turned around in horror as a mushroom cloud appeared from the street I'd left, and a wave of hot air that stank of petrol and steel washed over me. Dogs started barking as neighbours and people all rushed to see what happened.
"Bradley." I muttered, too shocked to move and forced to look at the scrap of burning metal that had been his car.
My knees wobbled and I willed myself not to collapse.
"I wonder if the parents will care?"
"Huh?" I turned to my side and gasped, before jumping towards Iazel and hugging him tighter than ever.
"Careful, you might break this body." Iazel said but didn't resist my hug.
"How are you alive? What happened? Why did the car explode?" I asked him rapidly and he pointed at me.
"When you admitted I had hurt you, The Codex took it as a violation of our vow and attempted to punish me as a warning." He said and I frowned in confusion.
"The Death Codex, it's the Supreme power for Wardens, like our deity but more ambiguously objective. When I vowed to never hurt you, using my name, it took notice and should I ever fully hurt you, it will destroy me, mind, spirit and body."
"Why would you make such a crazy vow? That's almost as serious as a super duper pinky promise."
"That's rich," he chuckled softly as he pointed at me," I did it so you would accept me, not flee from me and converse with me. For with Bans gone, you are my Vessel, I am your Warden and we are Companions now."
"But you toyed with my feelings less than a minute ago." I said through gritted teeth.
"Then," he lowered his head," slap me. If I have offended you, tell me, if I have made a mistake, don't leave me. I am a Warden, being mortal is something I never thought I would be and having you as my Vessel is something I never imagined."
"Because I'm a clueless girl?" I said remembering his words back in New York," I'm not Bans. I'm not a smart, deadly woman with fancy powers or anything like that, and because I'm too silly?"
"You're the perfect amount of silly, the perfect amount of you " He said with a deep sigh," I don't know if I can make up for what happened in New York, but if you allow me, I swear, I'll protect you and cherish you. You are mine and I am yours, even if the heavens and hells try to end me."
"End you? What do you mean?" I asked him but he reached over and grabbed my shoulder and in a swirl of darkness, we were under the bleachers at school by the rugby field.
"I'll tell you after school, you don't want to be late, do you?" He asked me.
He actually wants to know, I realised.
"No, I don't. What about you?" I asked him and he pulled out a phone from his pocket.
"I'll tell the driver at my house and he'll bring a car for me to use later." He said texting a message," There. Done."
"This feels so weird." I said looking at people arriving at school," We just teleported five blocks in less than five seconds."
"A trifle thing, barely consumes energy " he said softly," Although I do have to eat afterwards now, something I am still struggling with."
"You didn't eat often before you... actually, no, before we continue anything else." I looked at him hard," What happened to Bradley and how are you inside him?"
Iazel looked at me and I wondered if he would speak.
"See you at lunch." He vanished before his last word and I couldn't believe it.
I looked around, expecting it to be a joke but he didn't reappear. Before the school bell rang I ran, but in my mind I couldn't help but wonder why he had left without answering.
He seemed so eager to talk, so why did he leave?