An Immortal Death Read online

  An Immortal Death

  Billi Bell

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Copyright © 2019 by Billi Bell

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For J, M, and K

  Prologue

  January 18, 1862: Virginia, The Ballard Hotel, Early Morning

  Death opened a portal to the afterlife. The former President, John Tyler, was staunchly refusing to pass on, and her patience was wearing thin. He’d asked for time to spend with his grieving wife, Julia, who had remained at the side of his corpse.

  She didn’t want to, but since Julia was in the still same room with him, the reasonable request had to be granted. She pulled out her golden pocket watch and saw his hour was only halfway over. In thirty minutes, she’d have no choice but to force him inside.

  “Listen, you will pass on whether you like it or not,” she said sternly. Her British accent fiercely annoyed him, “Your last words kind of insinuated you were ready.”

  He turned away from his wife to face Death with an austere look on his face. “You cannot speak to me with any authority with that accent, and especially that skin.”

  That was the final straw. She grabbed him by his collar and shoved him into the portal. “I’m sure Hades will love you.”

  Death was relieved to see he wasn’t rejected by the afterlife, although a part of her wishes there was an orb with his name on it. Eight years prior she rescued an immortal from his plantation. It always pained her to leave the other slaves there, but there were rules she had to abide by. Altering the path of a life caused irreversible ripples. A small ripple could be an avalanche killing a few people, but large ones were typhoons and earthquakes that would kill thousands. It was a lesson she’d learned early.

  Death departed Tyler’s hotel room and headed straight for another. The Great Reaper was tired. She’d finally decided to give in to the temptation of a nearby empty bed. The American Civil War had been underway for nearly a year and showed no sign of being over any time soon. Victor had been doing his job well, but she was still keeping a close eye.

  Years before the war had begun, she knew it was coming and that it would create a shift in mankind’s future. She didn’t know what, but the war itself was one large ripple produced by the universe. She couldn’t stop it if she wanted to; it was fate. Part of why she was created was to ensure these things happened as smoothly as possible.

  She entered the room and laid down gently on the firm mattress. Staring at the ceiling, Death tried desperately to clear her thoughts. The past years were hard on her, and she’d rarely needed to rest as often as now. After Hades’ infiltration of her reapers, she’d instituted mandatory and random blood testing on everyone, including Horsemen. Black blood meant they belonged to her, but red bled from a traitor. It had been nearly twenty years since a positive result, but she’d learned not to put her guard down when it came to Hades.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to picture the few good moments she’d had over the years. She noticed most of them were with Dominic.

  Dominic Fratelli, her God-fearing companion, had opted to stay for a while but eventually left to help other immortals. She hadn’t seen him in nearly a decade, but often received letters via May.

  Death smiled at the thought of May, her immortal longtime housekeeper and friend. She knew a verbal lashing was coming her way whenever she returned home. Death had been gone for over a month, and May was not going to be happy with such a long absence. Closing her eyes, she made a mental note to bring her back a gift.

  As she lay, a tune came into her head, and she began to hum softly, but stopped abruptly.

  “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  A soft knock came at the door and she was rescued from her troubles. Initial annoyance was immediately replaced by confusion. The empty room had no signs it was currently being let to anyone. Her suspicion now heightened, she cloaked herself, stood in a corner, and waited.

  “I know you’re in there, Death,” a man whispered through the door.

  She recognized the London accent right away. “Dominic?”

  The door opened, and he rushed inside. The Confederate soldier uniform he wore, was too big and needed two belts to hold up the trousers. He’d grown his dark hair out and now had a trimmed beard.

  She held back laughter at the sight of his ill-fitting clothes. “How did you find me here and what on Earth are you wearing?”

  He chuckled as she looked him over. “It’s not mine. I stole it to blend in. I got a message through to May, but you weren’t there. Adofo was and kindly escorted me here. Speaking of clothing…”

  Dominic pointed at her dress. The fitted black long sleeve Victorian dress was new. The red and black gems were now embedded into her laced sleeves. “I’m not allowed to change my wardrobe?”

  “Of course, you are!” he laughed but his expression quickly grew solemn. “I need your help, but you can’t tell anyone I asked.”

  Death became immediately concerned about Dominic’s safety. “What’s wrong?”

  Dominic’s eyes shifted down to the floor as he fought to find the words. Death’s worry only worsened at the sight this.

  “Dominic, you’ve been on your own for nearly ten years. You wouldn’t have tracked me down if it wasn’t important.”

  A horrible thought crossed Death’s mind, and a mixture of anger and panic raced through her. “Has Abel returned?”

  “No,” he quickly answered. “I’ve seen the impossible, but I was sworn to secrecy. I’m afraid I shouldn’t have agreed to that.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “Last month, I saw the mutilated body of a dead man lying in a mausoleum,” he said with a distant look in his eyes.

  “Why is this significant?”

  Dominic seated himself on the bed and looked into her eyes. “He was immortal.”

  Chapter 1

  November 5, 1861: Texas

  Dominic had been traveling the southern states for weeks, and he was exhausted. Masquerading as an injured veteran, he’d been in search of an elusive immortal who was rumored to near the Louisiana-Texas border.

  Over the past ten years, he’d been rescuing and introducing immortals to Elysium, a haven world for their kind. He’d become known all over as ‘The Guide.’

  He was surprised he hadn’t come across Death in his travels, although a reaper or two had spotted him and wished him well.

  The search for Gaius had been frustrating. The Ancient Greek had become near impossible to find and hadn’t been seen for months. The last confirmed sighting had been New Orleans, and Dominic had got a lead to search border towns. Gaius knew of Elysium but wanted nothing to do with it.

&nb
sp; Dominic would have let him be, but recently there had been reports that he’d been going mad and could possibly harm mortals. Death could not learn of this, and Dominic had been tasked with finding him. If she discovered an immortal being was capable of murder, Death would have to find a way to kill them.

  Dominic figured Gaius had discovered he was being followed and was on the move. A recent sighting sent him to Houston. After checking into a hotel, he changed his disguise and became a sheriff from Tennessee with a warrant for Gaius’ arrest. He searched every saloon, hotel and even knocked on doors. With the exception of a very friendly and deceitful widow, he’d come up empty.”

  After being out all day, Dominic retired to his room. He was hungry and had not been to see his beloved Elizabeth in days.

  Dominic landed hard on his bed and closed his eyes, then he pictured the land he called a second home. Elysium was a world only accessible to immortals. Although their physical bodies were still on Earth, their consciousness emerged on another plane in identical vessels.

  Permanent residents were ‘rooted,’ meaning they’d entombed their bodies in mausoleums around the world and called Elysium home. The world stretched across an infinite plane made of various types of environments. A scorching hot desert could turn into a lush rainforest after only a few miles.

  When Dominic opened his eyes, he was now standing in front of The Dream Hotel. The hotel provided a home for immortals who lived on the outside world to visit for a short period of time. The rooms were gateways to any life they wanted. Most chose the one they lived before they discovered they’d stopped aging; others chose a life they’d always wanted.

  Dominic was a regular visitor and had been given a permanent room. Every night in ‘Room 303,’ he would manifest Lewsworth. He’d only lived in the village with his only love, Elizabeth, for a few short months.

  On Christmas Eve in the 15th century, the village disappeared along with Elizabeth and the other villagers. He’d searched the world but couldn’t find her or anyone who’d even remembered they existed. Now, every night he would ‘visit’ her, and they’d live as they would’ve long ago. For centuries he would travel back to where Lewsworth once stood hoping it would have magically appeared again.

  He entered the hotel and greeted Riya, the manager. A proud Indian, she was always dressed in a beautiful silk sari. In the forty years since they first met, he’d never seen her wear the same one twice. Today’s ensemble was a vibrant orange color and she wore flecks of gold dotted in her hair.

  “How is your search going?” she asked while handing him his room key. “I hear that Gaius is a slippery one and rude too.”

  He let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the front desk. “I’m beyond frustrated, Riya. It’s like as soon as I get close enough, he gets away somehow. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll get him one day,” she said with a smile. “You know Naija has been asking about you? We haven’t seen you for a few weeks, and she was worried.”

  He smiled bashfully. “I was going her way to say hello. I’ll see you later.”

  Dominic headed for the dining area to his right and opened the door. As usual, only a few diners were inside. He greeted them before taking his usual seat near the window. A reserved sign in the middle of the table brought a smile to his lips.

  “Naija.”

  The wait for service was brief as the restaurant manager, Helena, sauntered from the kitchen. He was slightly disappointed it wasn’t Naija, but Helena was always a joy to see. Her height measured at six-foot-five, and she always wore a green dress with white tropical flowers in her hair. Her red lipstick stretched across the smile on her face as she greeted him.

  He stood and kissed her hand. “Now, if you keep doing that, you’ll have to marry me,” she said. Her Pacific Islander accent filled the dining room and she placed a hand on her hip, pretending to be serious.

  “Tell me when and where,” he said, and they both shared a laugh. “So, how are you, Helena?”

  Helena couldn’t help but notice him glancing back to the kitchen door. Dominic was once curious why this area of the hotel even existed. In the immortal world, you only needed to picture the meal you wanted in your head, and there it was before you. Helena had answered the question like she had a thousand times before: “It tastes more homemade when it’s from ‘scratch,’ and most immortals prefer it to the made-up stuff.”

  Some immortals, including Riya and herself, volunteered to work at the hotel. Money was not needed in Elysium, but it kept them busy in their day to day lives.

  “Naija’s shift ended about an hour ago,” said Helena. She laughed as Dominic feigned innocence. “Oh please, you’re talking to me, but looking for her. So, will you be having the usual?”

  He nodded, and she left to prepare his dinner. A short while later, she was serving his beef stew, bread, and tea. “Enjoy.”

  Dominic was halfway through his meal when the door opened, and Naija entered. She headed for the kitchen, not bothering to look up.

  “Naija!” he yelled loudly. The other diners shot him annoyed looks, and he quietly apologized. She stopped abruptly, and a bright smile appeared on her face when she saw him. He motioned for her to join him at the table.

  “One moment,” she said in her southern accent. “I left my favorite book in the kitchen.”

  He patiently waited and tried to hide his delight when she returned. She took a whiff of the stew as she took the seat in front of him. Dominic had admitted to himself a long time ago that he liked her, a lot, but he felt being with Naija would be a betrayal to Elizabeth’s memory. His years as a chaste priest helped him build up a resistance to the type of urges, he felt when she was around. Lately, he felt it waning the more time they spent together.

  Naija had never said much about herself. From what he’d heard, she was a former slave who’d escaped to freedom in the late 1700s. How she found her way to Elysium, he wasn’t sure. There were more than a few immortals that had Death to thank for their freedom. One thing he’d learned early was to never ask someone about their past, as most were filled with bad memories long forgotten.

  Dominic looked down at the book Naija had placed on the table: Romeo and Juliet. He’d always regretted never seeing the play in the days of Shakespeare, but he was still getting over the loss of Elizabeth, and the story of two ill-fated lovers would have literally sent him over the edge, again. He discovered his mortality after putting a rope around his neck and the break healing instantly.

  “Did you find Gaius?” she asked, knocking him out of his daydream. “I thought you might have since you’ve been gone a while.”

  “No, he’s a slippery old man,” he lamented. “Any ideas?”

  Naija paused and appeared to be thinking carefully about her answer. “Well, most immortals stay in familiar places and move around in a certain pattern. So, find out where he’s been, and see if something looks familiar?”

  He thought for a while before it hit him. He’d followed Gaius to so many places, but they were all major cities in the South. Houston was the very first place he’d picked up Gaius’ scent, and he’d bet New Orleans would be where he was headed next. “Thank you. I feel so stupid I didn’t think of that.”

  “Why, because I’m a girl?” Naija asked. She briefly pretended to be offended before bursting out in laughter. Dominic let out a sigh of relief.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” he started to apologize, but she stopped him.

  “It’s okay, I know what you meant,” she said with a smile. “Um, so when you have some free time, do you –”

  Naija was interrupted by the dining room door being pushed open and slamming against the wall. Council member, Tokimasa, stood in the doorway. His face was expressionless as he quickly shuffled over to Dominic. Riya could be seen just outside the door, crying and shaking.

  Tokimasa belonged to The Council. He and two other immortals decided the fate of others who violated rules both in and out of Elys
ium, to keep their world safe.

  “We must speak in private,” he said, not bothering to lower his voice. The emotion he did attempt to hide voice accentuated his Japanese accent. His hands were shaking as the composure was slowly slipping away.

  Dominic looked to a distraught Naija and placed a gentle hand on hers.

  “It’s okay,” he said before excusing himself from the table.

  Tokimasa quickly shuffled him through the lobby and past a distraught Riya. They walked into a small room behind the front desk and shut the door. Dominic nearly fell to his knees when he saw Neil, a front desk clerk, dead. His throat had been cut, and intestines lay spread out across the floor.

  “What the hell happened here?” Dominic asked after finally catching his breath. “Tell me!”

  “I found him like this,” said Riya as Tokimasa consoled her. “How did this happen?”

  Immortals healed when injured almost instantly, so finding one dead should be impossible. Dominic bent down to examine the wounds. Neil had been stabbed multiple times, and his face was frozen in horror. It was as if he’d need pleading to his murderer. The palm of each hand was marked with numerous cuts. Neil was a small man who most likely hadn’t stood a chance against his attacker.

  “He fought for his life,” thought Dominic.

  One thing Dominic noticed right away was the lack of blood. Not one drop was on the carpeted floor. He doubted Neil’s body had been moved. It would have been near impossible to move the body in the hotel.

  “Was he in here alone?” he asked Riya while he searched the room. It appeared to be a break area. A small table, two chairs, and a full bookcase were the only furnishings inside.

  “Yes,” she answered. “He’d just left to take a break about five minutes before you arrived. I checked you in and kept busy. When he didn’t return on time, I went back to check on him…”

  Riya sobbed and buried her head into Tokimasa’s chest. “He was in here for no more than fifteen minutes!”

  Dominic searched for clues but only found the fainting scent of rotting flesh. An idea suddenly came to him after recalling his conversation with Naija.