They stayed in New Orleans another couple of days, relaxing and exploring the cemeteries. It was good to be away from the Dark Side wars for a while, but soon they felt in need of the rejuvenating sleep and returned to Dark Side. They slept at the Badlands house until they felt strong again, then went to check with Sandia for news.
“The Demons have been hunting Yunomi since you left. They don’t seem to want a confrontation with you, Reaper, but they want Yunomi real bad.” Sandia reported.
Reaper furrowed his brow in thought. “Why? What reason do they give?”
“They don’t. But they’re really afraid of you, girl. I overheard Huena talking about a prophecy or something, but I couldn’t catch all of it.”

Yunomi shook her head in confusion, but Reaper sank deeper into thought. The prophecy! Yunomi is the one, I know it. I knew it when I found her, I just have to accept it. He looked up to see both women staring at him.
“Are you all right, Lord? You had a very strange look.” Yunomi was concerned.
“I’m fine,” he smiled and touched Yunomi’s cheek, “but you need to be very careful. If they fear you, they’ll be devious, lots of sneak attacks and ambushes.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

Sandia stared at them in astonishment. She had never seen Reaper show affection for anything or anyone, yet he obviously cared very much for Yunomi. Sandia wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.
“Sandia, I don’t want her traveling alone. You must go with her when I can’t. Will you do that?”
“Sure, no problem. We’ll have fun, right, girl?”
“Oh, yeah!” Yunomi grinned.
Reaper frowned. “No hunting. It’s too dangerous right now.” The women both gave him petulant looks. He glared at them, and when they didn’t back down, he gave in, a little. “At least stay in The City. Bob can back you up if you get in a jam.”
‘Okay.” Yunomi agreed. “When are you leaving again?”
“Soon. I want to see for myself what’s going on. This is all very suspicious. Let’s go to el Camino and check in.”

Sandia accompanied them to the bar, and they all sat at Reaper’s table. Bob came over and sat with them, too, watching Reaper and Yunomi closely. He still couldn’t believe what Laura had told him, and wanted to see for himself. Reaper obliged, putting his arm around Yunomi as she leaned on him. She had become more comfortable showing affection for her Lord, at el Camino anyway, and at accepting affection from him in public. “So, Reaper, how was the Human Realm?” Bob asked.
“Same as it ever was.” Reaper replied. “Full of Humans.” He laughed. “What’s the word around here?”
“Demon allies have been asking about your girl, here.” Bob indicated Yunomi. “Have you been bad, Yunomi?” Bob gave her a sly look. He thought he should know her better.
“Yeah, I have. They don’t like me very much.”
“Well, you’ve only killed what? About three dozen of them?”
“Allies or Demons, Bob? I lost count of the Orcs I got.” They all laughed, and Reaper tugged her hair playfully.
“You are a bad girl, Nomi. But I like your work.” Reaper pinched her, causing her to jump and squeak.
“Jerk,” she muttered under her breath, and elbowed him.

Sandia gave Bob an “I told you so” look. Bob shook his head in wonder. He had never known Reaper to show open affection for anyone. “So, uh, Reaper, I, uh, well, you seem very fond of each other,” Bob was unsure of how to approach the subject.
Reaper gave him a thoughtful look. “You want to know what Yunomi is to me.” He looked at Yunomi with tenderness, and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Sandia already knows, so I’ll tell you, Bob. Yunomi and I are companions. We share a certain, um, caring for each other.”
“Well, I gotta tell you, Reaper, I’m surprised. You must be really special, Yunomi, to win this one’s heart. I’d like to know you better.”
Yunomi smiled shyly. “Sure, that would be cool. Reaper speaks highly of you, and you’ve been very tolerant of me.”
“Bob, has she been raising Hell in here? You don’t have to put up with that on my account!” Reaper laughed.
“No, actually she and Sandia behave themselves very well here. Although I’ve heard rumors from other places...” Bob looked at the women meaningfully.
Sandia and Yunomi looked at each other and grinned.
Reaper changed the subject. “So have there been Demons around, or just allies? What are they asking?”
“A couple of Goblins have been hanging around, asking if anyone has seen Yunomi. I haven’t seen any Demons in The City, but I heard there was an Imp over at Reverend’s the other night.”
“An Imp! Nasty little messengers.” Sandia muttered. “The Demons are more open in the Borderlands, they’re searching all over for you.”

Just then, Laura gave the low “heads up” whistle from the bar. Everyone at the table looked up to see the two Goblins wander in. They stopped when they saw Yunomi, and turned to leave. Yunomi rose to go after them, but Reaper put a hand on her arm. “Let them go, they’ll turn up bigger prey for you.” He nodded at Sandia, and she quietly got up and left by the back door. “Sandia will track them. They’re going to report to someone higher up, I’m sure. We’ll pay them a visit then.” Reaper and Yunomi finished their beers, then casually left by the front door. They walked along the street in the general direction the Goblins had gone, knowing they would meet up with Sandia sooner or later.

Reaper ducked into the doorway of an abandoned building, pulling Yunomi after him. “I’m going to find out what’s happening, Nomi. You are in danger and I don’t like it. Stay with me until I leave, you’ll be safer at my place.”

Yunomi was surprised. He had made it sound more like a request than a command. “I’ll be happy to stay with you, Reaper. I like being with you.” She ran her hand up his arm, and he tilted her head up with a hand under her chin. They were involved in a passionate embrace and long kiss when Sandia coughed politely to let them know she was waiting.

“I found them, Reaper. They’re meeting the Imp a couple of blocks away. We need to hurry if we’re to catch them all.” Sandia was smiling slyly. Reaper looked chagrined. His minion had caught him off guard, in a dangerous situation, and she knew it.

“Thank you, Sandia,” he said curtly. They started off towards the Goblin’s meeting place, following Sandia. She led them to another empty building, and they quietly slipped inside. The Imp was obviously angry with the Goblins, and was berating them for having let Yunomi see them. Yunomi and Sandia split up, circling around the trio of Hell minions. They waited out of sight until Reaper disappeared, then moved on the Goblins. Yunomi neatly split one with her katana, while Sandia broke the other one’s neck. She was much stronger than she looked.

Reaper reappeared behind the Imp, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck. “Behold my acolyte and my minion, Imp. They are not to be trifled with. Tell Carnivean to back off. He has already aroused my anger, and unless he wishes to expand our war, he will leave my followers alone. Return to Hell, messenger, and tell your master.” With that, Reaper dropped the Imp, and it disappeared.
“Good work, girls. You make an excellent team. With any luck, we’ll get a little peace out of this.” He smiled almost pleasantly. “I believe some more beer awaits us at el Camino. Shall we go?”

They returned to the bar, and drank late into the night, waiting to see if anything else developed. Reaper became bored, and took a somewhat drunken Yunomi home with him. “Sandia has been a bad influence on you,” he groused, as Yunomi stumbled and laughed.
“No, the Tengu taught me to drink. There’s actually a way of fighting called the Drunken style.” She giggled.
“Some Demons will catch you drunk and kill you.” Reaper worried.
“Maybe, maybe not.” Yunomi laughed again. “But you know what? Some things are really fun when you’ve had a few.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss Reaper, and he hesitated, not sure how to deal with her. She grinned at him seductively, then took off up the stairs. He followed, shaking his head. When he reached the bedroom, she was already undressed, bouncing happily on the edge of the bed. He undressed himself, and joined her there. She threw herself on him, knocking him backwards onto the bed. Pinning his shoulders, she kissed him all over his face and neck, lightly biting his trapezius muscles.

“Yunomi...” he warned, but she only laughed and kissed him more. Giving in at last, he returned her kisses and bites. After a few minutes, he pushed her off of him, and swung his long legs up on the bed. She pounced on him again, this time kissing her way across his chest and stomach. When she reached her goal, Reaper closed his eyes in ecstasy. She is surely a multi-talented woman, he thought, enjoying her work on him. Yunomi got him where she wanted him, then knelt across his hips. He reached a hand between her legs and began to pleasure her. She sighed and stretched, moving forward a little to give him better access. He grasped her breast in his other hand, and she leaned in to kiss him again. Then, giving him a wicked smile, she raised up on her knees and lowered herself back onto him. She rocked slowly back and forth, a look of pure pleasure on her face. Reaper watched her in fascination. After a while, her head rolled back and she uttered a strange cry. He felt her tighten around him, and joined her with a growl. Yunomi collapsed on Reaper’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. They fell asleep that way, and slept late into the next day.

“Hey.” Reaper was poking Yunomi in the ribs, trying to wake her up.
“Umm, what?” she asked sleepily, rolling off of him.
“Wake up, I want to show you something.”
“Okay.” She smiled, snaking a hand across his stomach.
“Not that!” he laughed, but rolled over onto her anyway.

Sometime later, Reaper led Yunomi a few yards behind the house, to the head of a ravine. A small stone building was perched over a narrow stream, the water flowing from under the foundation. He opened the door, and they were inside a bath house, made by damming a hot spring to form a pool. “The Tengu inspired me,” he explained. “I’ve used this spring for years to help heal injuries. It has unusual properties, so I decided to make it a little more comfortable to use.”

Yunomi was delighted. The water was clear and hot, perfect for long soaks. She dropped her kimono and climbed into the steaming pool, sitting on a smooth stone and leaning back against the side of the spring. “Oh, this is wonderful! You built this yourself?”
“Pretty much. I did it after I left you on your own. It gave me time to think.” He stepped out of his jeans and into the pool, sinking down beside Yunomi in the water. “Feels good, doesn’t it? It’s especially good for broken bones. I’ve healed several of my own here.”
“It’s almost like sleeping. I feel stronger already.” Yunomi stretched out in the spring, luxuriating in the hot mineral water. “This is awesome, Reaper. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
“You’re free to use it any time, like everything else here. Just remember that my house is well hidden. There are powerful protective spells here, and you’re the only one I’ve ever opened them for.” He kissed her on the mouth, and that led to another round of lovemaking. They reveled in each other, making the most of every private moment they had together. Dark Side was a dangerous place, and their moments of shared peace were small treasures.
“I’m going to leave you here for a couple of days,” Reaper told her. “You’ll be safe while I find out if our warning to Carnivean is being heeded.” Yunomi spent her time alone studying the books in Reaper’s library. There were many esoteric subjects, and she became more or less familiar with how he kept them arranged. Some were in languages she could not understand, written in strange alphabets that seemed to shift and change as she looked at them. Others were more accessible, and she gleaned knowledge of the Realms from them.

Reaper returned as he had promised. “The Demons are staying on their side for the time being. I’m not sure how safe you are, but they seem to have backed off. I have some business in the Human Realm again, and I’d feel better if you came with me.” Yunomi agreed, and accompanied Reaper to the Human Realm. They wreaked havoc there for a short while, and returned to Dark Side. The Demons had stayed away, apparently abandoning their hunt for Yunomi. Satisfied that things were under control, Reaper left to attend his business elsewhere, and Yunomi returned to her house in the woods. Over the next few months, they spent time together in the Human Realm, and at each others houses. Reaper continued to be secretive, and Yunomi continued to be unquestioningly devoted. When they were apart, she and Sandia hunted, without much success, and partied hard. Yunomi no longer feared not ever seeing her Lord again, she knew he would return to her in his own time.

Yunomi was practicing with her heavy bag, listening to NIN. The music was turned up way loud, and she sang along as she worked out. “Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve...,” punctuating the lyrics with kicks and punches to the bag.

“My, feeling a little vicious this morning, aren’t we?” Reaper’s voice sounded in her head. He leaned in the door to her dojo, watching her work out.
She stopped punching, and turned to her Lord with a smile. “Hold on, let me turn this down,” She went to her room and turned off the stereo. Returning to the front room, she stopped and stared at Reaper. He was dressed in a black long sleeved button shirt, with black jeans and cowboy boots. His hair was loose, and he wore his silver skull chain at his throat. A silver studded belt finished the outfit. “Reaper, you’re looking very formal today. What’s up?” She had never seen him wear long sleeves before.

He glanced down at himself with a grimace. “The Lord of Light, Iuvart, called a meeting this morning. He finds my tattoos offensive, and I’d rather not annoy him right now. He’s offered to help make peace between us and Carnivean. I’m not too clear on his motives, but he’s set up a meeting at the Shining Caves for tomorrow. I returned the Angel’s noose to him, and told him it was captured from a Demon. He didn’t seem surprised, so it must be a trap of some sort.”
“I can become Ninja and accompany you unseen,” Yunomi offered.
“That’s a good idea. An alliance between Iuvart and Carnivean is almost unthinkable, but anything is possible. They both hate me. Iuvart didn’t mention you, so he’s either unaware of our relationship, or disregards it. Either way, you’ll be a big surprise to him.”
“Come in the kitchen and tell me about the meeting. You want coffee or beer?”
“Beer, definitely. The Light Realm is not very much fun.” He followed her into the kitchen and sat at the table while Yunomi got a beer for him. She drank coffee herself, since it was still morning. Reaper took a long drink. “Damn, I hate those Angels! They’re worse than Demons.”
“So what’s the deal with them, anyway? I haven’t encountered any, and Sandia said they never come to Dark Side. And what’s their interest in our war?”
Reaper sighed. “They’re the most irritating, self-righteous pricks you’ll ever find. They hold themselves above the other Realms, but their own society is segregated. They have a caste system, with Light Lords at the top, followed by Seraphim, then Cherubim, then every other Light being. They consider Darksiders to be immoral and shameless. Shame and guilt are big things with them.”
“They sound like Humans.” Yunomi chuckled.
“They’re much more powerful and dangerous.” Reaper continued. “Iuvart is more aggressive than Lords of the past, and he’s wrested control of the Realm from the other Lords. He has some personal problem with me, but that’s all right, I don’t like him either.” He took another long drink.
“So how come there’s a whole caste of Lords in the Light Realm, but only one Lord of Darkness?” Yunomi wondered.
Reaper slowly smiled the most evil grin Yunomi had ever seen. “I guess I just outlived the competition.”
Yunomi shook her head. His smile had sent chills down her spine, but she decided to ask another question. “Why do you have to attend this meeting if you believe it’s a trap?”
“It’s the law. If a Lord requests a conference with another Lord, it must be done. We Lords must maintain some sort of courtesy between ourselves, or all will dissolve into chaos. That’s why Carnivean met with us. Of course, he then proceeded to bend the law by poisoning you.”
“And Iuvart’s interest in our war with Carnivean? What’s it to him?”
“That I don’t know.” Reaper furrowed his brow. “Angels hate everybody. You’d think he would want us to destroy each other.”
Yunomi laughed. “You hate everybody, too, Reaper. Maybe you should get Iuvart and Carnivean to fight.”
“That’s a good idea. If you come up with a plan, let me know.” Reaper was being just a little sarcastic. He took another drink and finished his beer. “So if you’re coming with me tomorrow, be at my house just after dawn. It’s another one of Iuvart’s damned early meetings.”
“If I stayed the night, I would already be there,” Yunomi hinted.
“If you stayed the night, neither of us would get any sleep and you know it. We need to be well rested to deal with this, especially if it’s an ambush.” Seeing the look of disappointment on Yunomi’s face, Reaper smiled a little. “Well, we have been apart for a few days, what are you doing right now?”
“Anything you want.” She got up and moved around behind him, bending over to kiss his ear. They spent the next few hours together, then Reaper left to prepare for the next day. Yunomi was restless. She had a bad feeling about this meeting, but couldn’t pin it down. She had no way of knowing what would be set in motion by it, and that her whole life and relationship with her Lord was about to change.