Surviving Year One (Grim Reaper Academy 1)

“I don’t know what they’ve cooked up for us after we’re done with all this climbing and swinging, but that’s going to be the real test. The one that decides in which Cabal you belong.”

“Cabal? Belong?” I shook my head, trying to get my freshly dyed blue hair out of my eyes. I’d spent the last of my money at the salon. “What’s a Cabal?”

“It’s like a… House? Group? You really don’t know anything about the Academy, do you?”

“I didn’t see any Cabals mentioned on the website!”

“Right, I keep forgetting you’re not caught up with the supernatural world.”

“Caught up? I’ll never be caught up!” This was getting frustrating. And I was still hugging the tree while Klaus was slowly mounting the swing of doom. “Tell me about these Cabals.”

“There are four, and each is tailored to a set of skills, to a certain type of personality, and to the instinctive inclinations of the future Reapers.”

“Great! Is there a Lame Reapers Cabal?”

“No.” Klaus furrowed his silvery brows, which meant the Cabals were no joking matter. He counted on his fingers. “Neutral Death, Righteous Death, Merciful Death, and Violent Death. I’m pretty sure where I’ll end up.” He studied my face. “But for the life of me, I couldn’t guess your Cabal even if I tried.”

I thought about the four Houses for a moment. “Neutral sounds good to me. I could be a neutral Reaper.”

Klaus shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ll see soon enough, so let’s just focus on getting there.”

“Where do you think that asshole Sariel will be?” Something ached in my chest when I thought about him. His name on my lips tasted weird. Like I wanted to say it over and over, let it roll off my tongue until I could decide how I felt about the guy. Anger, obviously. Disgust. He’d been a jerk to me, so why was I even thinking about him? I should have forgotten he existed the minute he’d flown off!

“VDC, for sure.”

“VD-what? Ooh! Violent Death, you mean.”

“Yeah. He and his friends.”

“Lorna?”

“No.”

He was on the swing now, preparing to let go. I moved around my tree carefully, reaching out to grab my own swing. Oh, I was going to regret this!

“Well, I don’t care. As I swing myself into the abyss, I’m going to pray I don’t end up sorted in the VDC.”

“Not a chance. It’s a boys’ club. No girl has ever been a Violent Grim Reaper before. Only guys are sorted into the VDC. Better pray you end up with me, in the Merciful Death Cabal.” He winked at me as he let go. “Your name fits,” he yelled over his shoulder, “So, why not?”

My name fits. Mila. Yes, it means mercy or grace, or something. But Merciful Death? I don’t think I have one merciful bone in me. I closed my eyes, held tightly onto the ropes, and pushed my body forward. The air whooshed around me, a few branches caught on my hair (I should have tied it, damn it), and when I dared to open my eyes, the trees, the leaves, and the sky became a jumbled blur of colors, sounds, and sensations. I yelped when the bottom of my swing hit the next platform hard, making me jump forward and hug yet another tree.

“You made it!” Klaus cheered. “Now, do you think we can move faster? Everyone is ahead of us.”

I nodded and focused on the next hurdle. We climbed another ladder, reached an even higher platform, and from there we had to walk on a thick cable while holding onto the cable above for balance and safety. My heart was beating in my throat, my stomach was churning angrily, but at least my bladder had calmed down and left me be. The next thing I knew, I was facing the last physical challenge: the chasm.

“I’m sorry, boo, but I’m going to float over this one.”

I inhaled sharply.

“I just don’t have the upper arm strength,” Klaus explained.

“You don’t have to apologize. Thank you for sticking with me for so long.”

“Well, see you on the other side.”

Yeah, or see you when they fish my dead, bloated body out of the water. I was definitely going to be the first candidate in the history of the Academy to launch myself over the chasm between the twin cliffs hanging from a wooden bar, hoping my grip was strong enough to get me to the other side.

It took me forever to gather up the courage to jump. Trust your strength. Trust the cable. Trust that you are meant to be here, so why would you just fall and die? Now, that would make for a lame hero’s journey. I gripped the bar tightly, adjusted and readjusted my position, counted to five, then back, and when I realized that if I stayed like that much longer, I wouldn’t jump at all, I did it. I pushed myself forward and put my life into the hands of fate. When my feet hit the platform, tears stung at the back of my eyes. I’d made it! It was done. I was done with this whole jumping from one tree to another. A ladder leading down to the ground was waiting for me. But before that… a box. A plain, rectangular box made of a material that was unknown to me.