The Deathtaker's Daughter Read online

  The Deathtaker’s Daughter

  (a Paranormal Romance)

  Deathtaker Series – Book Two

  By

  S.L. Baum

  Description:

  Krista and Sam are raising their daughter, Eva, in the quiet town of Cedar Creek… while trying to keep their family secret from her as long as they can. As Eva grows up, she discovers that her quiet small town is never boring, especially after she finally discovers the truth. She comes from a family of Deathtakers, and she’s next in line to receive the power.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright 2015 by S. Baum

  All rights reserved.

  Reading order for this Series:

  Deathtaker Series

  The Deathtaker (book one)

  The Deathtaker’s Daughter (book two)

  The New Deathtaker (book three)

  Table of Contents

  Recording No.1

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Recording No.8

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Recording No.12

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Recording No.35

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Recording No.36

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Recording No.37

  Recording No.52

  Recording No.60

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Recording No.88

  Recording No.1

  My name is Eva Webber Vita, but people also call me Evie. I live in Cedar Creek, in a great big house, with my momma, Kristanta Jessmina Vita, my daddy, Samuel George Webber, and my Great-Great Uncle Abe. Uncle Abe says Cedar Creek is the best town in the world. I’ve only lived here, nowhere else, so I don’t know if it’s the best or not. The creek runs right through our property, so Dad and I get to go fishing all we want. I think that makes it a pretty great place to live. Maybe it is the best… like Uncle Abe says.

  I’m seven years old, almost eight, and I’m gonna start Third Grade real soon. I get to meet my teacher next week; she’s new to Cedar Creek. It’s pretty exciting. My best friend is Trixie, she’s exactly one week younger than me. Her older brother is Trey. He’s gonna be in Sixth Grade this year. He may be older than me, but he is my best boy friend, but not boyfriend – yuck! I think I’m his best girl friend. He’s probably the nicest boy there is. We always play together when their sister Tianna watches all of us. Tianna’s real nice too.

  Umm… What else? I don’t have grandparents. Momma and Daddy said they’ve all passed away. Well not all because my mom does have a mom. Her name is Chai. I’m not supposed to call her Grandma, she gets mad if I try. Her whole face scrunches up like she just smelled something really bad. But she’s kind of a grandma… I suppose. I only see her once a year, on Christmas Eve. She always say’s it’s Daddy’s birthday, but it’s not. Chai says it’s when Daddy was reborn, so it’s his re-birthday. Momma said Daddy’s real birthday is in March, hers is in January, and mine is in next week… August. I don’t know when Chai’s birthday is, she won’t say.

  Momma and me go meet Chai at Addy’s motel on Christmas Eve, and she gives me a present. Momma gives her an envelope. I guess it has a Christmas Card in it or something. She never comes to our house. Uncle Abe says he will always be thankful for what Chai did, but that she can’t ever come to our house. Nobody tells me why.

  So… umm… anyway, this is my first tape recording. Uncle Abe gave me a box with a machine and a whole bunch of cassettes… that’s what he called them. They’re pretty old looking. He showed me how to use everything. He said that it might be fun for me to record my voice, and say all the stuff that I think about. I guess I will… even if I think my voice sounds funny when I rewind the tape and play it back.

  Well… that’s all for now. I guess.

  Chapter One

  “Eva, you better put those shoes on before your momma gets downstairs,” Abe warned his little niece. “She’ll be grumpy with you if you’re late to school again.”

  Eva walked to the shoe basket by the stairs, and as she passed by Abe she poked his arm. He didn’t look up from the newspaper that was parked in front of his face, but he gave a grunt in response.

  “She doesn’t get grumpy when we’re running late. You do,” Eva told him as she lifted the purple shoes with black laces out of the basket and slipped them on her feet. She walked back to where Abe was sitting, her laces dragging along the wood floor, and then she plopped herself down in front of him. “And we’re never late. We always make it in time. Tie, please.” Eva smiled at him as she tapped her feet on the floor to get his attention.

  Abe moved his newspaper to the side and looked down at her. That face, that smile… it got him every time. “You know how to tie your own shoes,” he grumbled at her, as he folded the newspaper and placed it across his lap.

  “But you do it better. They always come undone at recess when I do it. And we might be late, remember. You’re much faster at it than I am.”

  “Evie, Evie,” he sighed.

  “Oh, Uncle Abe,” Eva sighed back and then smiled even wider as she lifted her foot up and rested it on his leg.

  “I swear you’ll still be asking me to tie these things when you’re twelve.” He shook his head as he reached for the laces.

  Eva laughed. “Probably even when I’m older than that.” She looked at the frown on his face and pointed to it. “See. Grumpy. You’re not Uncle Abe. You’re Grumple Abe.”

  “Grumple Abe, huh?” Krista asked with a laugh as she entered the room. She had been listening to their exchange from the top of the stairs. She loved the relationship her daughter had with Abe. The two of them had a connection that was special: it was precious to watch them interact with each other.

  “It fits him, Momma. Don’tcha think?” Eva leaned back, resting her weight on her elbows, and her head tilted toward the ceiling so she could look up at her mother.

  Krista nodded her head. “I think you might be on to something there.”

  “Yup!”

  “Yup,” Krista parroted her daughter.

  Abe patted the tops of Eva’s shoes, she sat up, and then he kissed the top of her head. “You been making tapes like I showed ya how?”

  “Yeah. I’ve recorded my voice a few times now. I think I did it maybe… like… four times, since you gave me the recorder.”

  “That’s it? I gave it to you weeks and weeks ago.”

  “I sound funny,” Eva protested.

  “Everybody says that about their voice. Now get to school.” Abe stood up and placed a kiss on Krista’s forehead. “And you get to work.”

  “Yes, sir. Are you going in today?” Krista asked.

  Abe had relinquished all control of the hardware store to Sam, soon after Sam had expanded the inventory to include items from local craftsmen and built a solid online demand for the new products. He hadn’t been working at the shop on a daily basis for almost three years. Having the time off was nice, but he still liked to go in and interact with the customers. Abe wasn’t able to stay away for more than a couple days. He told everyone that would listen to the sound of his voice that being at the hardware store was necessary for his body and his mind. Kept him sharp.

  “Nah. Today I’m fishing, and making my famous beef stew,” he announced with a proud smile.

  “That sounds like a perfect day. I can’t wait for dinner
.” Krista gave Abe a hug. “See you tonight.”

  “Have a good day, girls,” Abe told them as Krista opened the door.

  Eva grabbed her backpack. “You too, Grumple,” she said with a laugh, as she blew him a kiss and ran out to the truck.

  As she drove toward the elementary school, Krista took a large gulp of water to wash down what had become her morning dose of painkillers. She had a headache, yet again. Krista squinted her eyes closed when she stopped at the corner.

  “How do you rate this one?” Eva asked her mother, knowing what the pills were for.

  “It’s only about a five,” Krista assured her daughter.

  Eva poked Krista’s leg. “Did you ask Doctor Baker about it, like I told you to?”

  “Yes, sweetie,” she lied. “He said it’s not a big deal. I promise. I’m just dehydrated.”

  “Dee-high-drated?”

  “It’s just another way to say that I should drink more water.”

  Eva picked up the water bottle that rested in the truck’s cup holder and handed it to her mother. “Well, drink up.”

  Her little girl didn’t like to see anyone or anything suffer. Eva fretted over the bird she saw by the creek that had a bent leg. She insisted they leave bowls of food and water in front of the hardware store after she saw a cat nearby with two kittens. And she often came home from school saying that she’d given half her sandwich to Kyle Patterson because he complained that he was hungry, even after he’d finished the lunch the school provided for him. She made a mental note to start sending Eva to school with a second sandwich just for Kyle.

  Krista smiled at her precious daughter and took a long drink from the bottle, pointing to it as she swallowed the liquid.

  Eva gave her mother a thumbs-up. “You are going to see Daddy again this morning, before you go to work, right?”

  Krista nodded her head as she pulled into the school parking lot. “Yes, since he forgot this folder at home,” she said as she tapped the blue folder resting on the dashboard.

  “Don’t forget to give him another big hug and kiss; a separate one, just from me,” Eva told her and then hopped out of the truck.

  “I’ll give him lots and lots of kisses,” Krista winked.

  “Yeah. I know. You guys kiss too much.”

  “I don’t think that is possible.”

  Eva grabbed her lunch box. “It is Momma, it really is.”

  “I love you, pumpkin pie.”

  “Love ya.” Eva closed the door and blew kisses to her mother. Krista blew several back. It was their morning, school drop-off, routine.

  When Krista got to the hardware store, she did exactly as instructed. After placing the forgotten folder on the check-out counter, she slinked up behind Samuel and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly to her. When Sam spun around in her arms, Krista gave him a quick kiss. “That was from Eva,” she told him before she brought her mouth to his again. The second time the kiss was slower, deeper, and more delicious. “And that was from me,” she said softly against his lips, not pulling her face away from his.

  Sam smiled, their lips still touching. “I have the best girls.”

  “You do,” Krista agreed, kissing him again. “And I have the best guy.” She rested her forehead against his and breathed in the scent of him, he smelled like home. Sam was the embodiment of comfort and love. When she finally pulled away, she noticed a few bits of dust and what looked like a small piece of torn cardboard on his head. “You were up in the attic again,” she said as she pulled the debris from his hair.

  “I was looking through some of Abe’s old stock. You know how people love anything I can label vintage? There’s a lot of interesting stuff up there.”

  Krista ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing out the stray strands. “Find anything good?”

  “Quite a few things… and these.” Sam pulled a blue lace thong from his back pocket and swung it on his index finger, while a playful smile lit up his face.

  Krista laughed. “Lovely. We lost that weeks ago. Where was it?”

  “Behind some boxes.”

  “Next time, don’t throw them so far after you take them off me.”

  “I was excited,” he said with a grin. “But I’ll try not to be so enthusiastic with my lingerie removal next time. Wanna go back up there with me right now, so I can practice my restraint?” he asked with a wink.

  “I’d love to help you practice your restraint, but I have to get to work. How ‘bout I come back before you close?”

  Sam put on his disappointed face, with an exaggerated frown. “But, spontaneity, now.”

  She grabbed his arms and opened her eyes extra wide. “But, it’s Friday, I’m going to Greenville with Doc, and I’ve got to go,” she said with a laugh. “Rain check. I swear. When I get back, you can show me exactly how restrained you can be.”

  “I’m going to hold you to it. We’ve been missing a little something lately,” Sam whispered in her ear.

  “I know. I’ve been crazy tired for the last few weeks. I’ll get myself back on track soon.” Krista stroked his back and then pushed her hands into his back pockets. “And I’ll reserve all the energy I can so you and I can have our own little private rendezvous later.”

  “Sounds like a plan. You want these back?” he asked, nodding toward the blue lace.

  “Nah. You lost them, you found them, so you’re stuck with them… at least until we get home and you can toss them in the laundry basket.”

  Sam stuffed the material back in his pocket. “I expect to see you right here, as soon as you are back from Greenville, with a twinkle in your eye. Clothing is optional.”

  “I have options?” Krista gave him another kiss. “I promise to be here. Twinkle and all. Have a good day.”

  “You too. I love you.”

  “Love you.”

  Before they left for Greenville, Doc pulled Krista aside in one of the exam rooms. “I can tell that something is off with you. How long has it been?”

  Krista closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Her body was starting to act out with little twitches, sore muscles, and the headaches. It had even begun to affect her concentration; she was having a hard time focusing on completing a single task. Apparently, Doc had noticed; which didn’t surprise her at all.

  “Too long,” she answered. “About two and a half years.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. What’s the hesitation? Why wait so long?”

  “Eva is so dang curious. She asked too many questions the last time,” Krista told him.

  Doc gave a soft laugh. “I think any child would be upset about being separated from a parent for more than two months. But only your little girl would walk straight into my office demanding answers.”

  Krista shook her head. “She ditched her recess at school! She had Trixie cause a diversion and the teachers had no idea where she was. That child is too clever, but I have to give her credit for a clean escape. Thank goodness she only escaped to come here.”

  “Samuel gave her such a talking to when he came to get her. She’d caused a little town-panic that day.”

  “I don’t want to think about how hard it is going to be to lie to her now. And if I’m being honest with myself, being away in Denver all that time was hard on me too.” She reached down and rubbed her aching calf, it had been bothering her all morning. It was time. She had purposefully delayed using her gift for an excessive amount of time. The Deathtaker in her would not be suppressed any longer.

  “Denver…” Doc paused as he pulled at the front of his white beard. “That reminds me… he’s coming to see his aunt in Greenville next week. Spur of the moment trip. He called me last night. You’ll have to skip next Friday’s visit.”

  Krista had last used her talents on Marc White, a resident of Denver, and the nephew of one of the patients at the home Doc co-founded, and where he volunteered his time. Doctor Baker was dedicated to the place, partly to give his older sist
er a safe place to live where she would be well cared for. Krista accompanied Doc to Greenville almost every Friday, so she could help him by sniffing out the ailments Doc could successfully battle with traditional medicine. It was when Marc had flown out to say a final goodbye to his aunt that Krista had sensed his illness. Lucky for him, he’d shown up on a day that Doc made his weekly rounds with Krista along to assist.

  Krista had “The Nose,” as Doc like to say. She could smell illness and accurately diagnose every person within range of her senses: a talent that came along with the gift of being a Deathtaker. When Marc crossed her path that day, she smelled his cancer. It was eating away at his lungs and had invaded his bones as well. He didn’t have long, and saying goodbye to his favorite aunt had become a priority.

  It took little effort to convince him that Krista could make it all go away. Once she and Doc had a talk with the man, detailing his diagnosis in a way that no stranger should have been able to, and after Marlene spent about twenty minutes on the phone with him, Marc was willing to let Krista try whatever she wanted. So Krista accompanied him back to his home in Denver, and she waited for the end to come. Staying in the same house as him, and being near him every day allowed her to make a gradual, natural connection with the death that was growing stronger inside his body.

  Earlier on, in the day that Krista used her power as a Deathtaker, and before Marc closed his eyes for what should have been the last time, he panicked and thought those moments would be his last. He was ready for the end of life. But when he passed out, and then later woke back up beside a sleeping angel, when his body began to function again, and when life surged back into his withered shell, Marc White knew, without a doubt, that there were wonders in the word that he’d never dared to dream of. The Deathtaker was real, and he would be forever grateful for his second chance at life. He’d vowed to start living with the passion he’d been lacking before.