Belle Adams' Butler

Author's note: From this coming Saturday (29th of Aug), let's SHIFT ALL VOTES for the book 'The Crown's Obsession' and bring it at #1 spot on the site. This way we will have proper visibility for one book than being buried under other books. Ranking helps in visibility for readers to find the book. 

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Belle stared at Rower who had asked her for a coin so that he would start speaking but Belle didn't have it. Convincing the reaper was already hard when it came to taking a ride and he was letting her only because he was curious about her. 

"What do you do with the coins?" asked Belle. It wasn't like there were shops or any other places like the market that the coins could be used. 

Rower, who had started to row the boat again said, "Do you think I collect it for fun?" and Belle wanted to say yes when she heard the Grim reaper say, "There's a city of the dead. It is similar to what you have in the land of the living."

Belle furrowed her brows hearing this, "Are you talking about the abandoned towns and villages that are the reflections of the living?" she asked him. 

The reaper chuckled, even the chuckle coming out as a whisper which wasn't too loud, "The reflections of the living are nothing but a prototype. I don't think you were informed with what more is here in the land of the dead. After the ruins of the towns and the villages, there's an actual city for the dead."

This was news to her. Belle hadn't heard either Lucas or Barron speak about it with her. 

Rower continued to speak, "It is the city where you can exchange the coins for other services. The coins" he paused his words to pull out a couple of coins from his pocket that jingled in his robes and turned around for Belle to take a look at, "These are of high value."

"They don't look like they came from the land of the living," replied Belle when her eyes fell on the large coins that looked like they were made of gold. 

"They belong to the land of the dead."

"May I see it?" asked Belle and she picked up one of the coins, noticing a skull-like design that was marked on one side of it and when she turned the other side of the coin, she saw there was a crow-like marking on it, "Here is your coin for information," she said raising the same coin she had picked up. 

Rower didn't look pleased with this and he stared at her, "That is my coin."

"You don't have any proof of that. You said you wanted a coin from me," said Belle and the Grim Reaper snapped his finger for the coin to disappear from her hand. Her eyes widened and she realised this was no mortal but a reaper who belonged to the Grim of cards and if her memory served right, this person was one of the first few Grims who was brought into the cards along with Edith, Warth and Lucas. 

Rower stopped rowing his boat that placed them in the middle of nowhere, where they were surrounded with water. 

Belle stared at Rower who dropped his staff down that didn't fall on the surface of the boat but disappeared, "You are a trickster," he murmured, not happy that a mortal being had tried to trick him.

What was he expecting?! Asked Belle to herself. She had ended up here out of the blue and he knew she didn't have a coin with her. 

"I thought it was worth a try," Belle said, standing up and moving further towards the end of the boat while being careful enough to not fall into the river, "I was joking," she raised both her hands. 

"Don't try that again. I don't like tricksters," glowered Rower and Belle nodded her head, "If you want coins, you can jump into the river and get some of them from there."

"What?" did she just hear him right?

Rower sat down as if he had decided to relax and she blinked looking at him, hearing him say, "The boat will move only when you bring the coin. If you don't want to get one, we can spend here an eternity. I have spent an eternity but I am not sure you will survive."

Belle wanted to tell him she could drink blood from the reapers but she then realised she could drink from Lucas only because he was in mortal form. With Rower having nothing but bones, she would only end up breaking her fangs while trying to even get a bite. 

She turned her head to look down at the water that splashed continuously, filling up the silence around them, "Why haven't you got the coins yourself?" she asked the reaper. For someone like him who was money-minded and looking to trade, he could easily get the coins himself from here.

"This side of the river is cursed. You are a mortal, not a reaper, so it should be alright." His words didn't sound one bit convincing. She didn't know how deep the river was or how many souls would come to grab her once she would get down into the river. 

"What if I don't come alive?" she asked the reaper. 

"Then I will drop a coin for you...as a memory of goodbye and knowing you for the last few minutes," responded the rower back. Far away from where the boat was, she heard a splash of sound as if something big had either fallen down or surfaced out only go back inside. The reaper wanted a coin from her but if she would die here, he was ready to spend a coin on her. What kind of logic was that?! Asked Belle to herself. 

Belle remembered the strength of the wailing souls who had caught hold of her legs, pulling and trying to drag her into the river. And those were only three. If she were to jump in right now, she didn't know how many would be coming after her.

She would be literally fish food for the souls!

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