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Perhaps it was time I listened to my own advice. After all, if the gods saw fit to throw an ex-grim reaper and a phoenix queen together, who was I to say no?
Concentrating once again, Angela’s eyebrows drew together, forming a deep crease. The black wisps snapped off her arms as if slapped before withdrawing and dissipating back into the staff.
She gasped. “I did it!”
I smiled at her innocence. She was like a new grim reaper in training, excited by the slightest hint of magic.
“I can feel it now without having to try.” She cocked her head as if listening to something. “I can hear it.”
“Good, that’s what we want.” Glancing at a group of reapers in training, I found Brandon’s familiar face and called him over. He’d helped in the fight against the dragons and quickly gained favor with Adam.
“Agent Munro,” the reaper said when he joined us, nodding his head in respect.
Brandon had been young when his human life ended, and he’d kept his dark brown beard and hair well-groomed while alive, both of which stayed with him in death. He was a few inches shorter than me but built like a tank.
If he didn’t have such a friendly face, he would intimidate most Community members, even without his reaper abilities.
“Still ex-agent,” I corrected. “I’d like your help with something.”
He stood at ease, hands clasped behind his back. “Sure. What can I do for you?”
I pointed at Angela. “Attack this woman with everything you’ve got.”
Kudos were owed to the newer reaper—he didn’t hesitate for a second. With a click of the device in his hand, his scythe snapped into view.
Angela’s eyes widened, and she squeaked as he attacked. To her credit, she deflected each of his blows, protecting herself well, but it was clear she was losing ground.
I circled around them as they sparred. “Don’t resist its help.”
“I’m trying not to,” she argued between clenched teeth, ducking beneath a swing.
“Exactly. Stop trying. Give in.”
“I’m afraid of giving in! What if I can’t resist it, either?” She winced as a hard blow against her back nearly knocked her off her feet, but she twirled away before falling.
I understood her fear, but this was the perfect place to test it, to see how strong its hold would be. “Brandon, I said everything you’ve got.”
The reaper hesitated for only a moment before blackness bled outward from his pupils, covering the whites of his eyes. He threw his arm forward, and dark shadows hurtled toward Angela. They wrapped around the staff and spiraled around her hands, slithering up her arms toward her chest.
Panic flashed in her eyes as she tried to shake the shadows off, but the shadow magic held tight.
“Give in, Angela,” I said. “Or was Adam wrong about you? Are you really just a weak human?”
Brandon met my gaze, questioning whether he was pushing too hard. I shook my head, and he held. If he pushed too hard for too long, he would not only kill Angela, he would shatter her soul.
We were riding a fine line, but I had to trust she could do it. She had to. If not, we could never face Colin and win.
All of our lives depended on her ability to resist.
As the reaper’s magic crept closer to her heart, Angela backed up as if that would help, but the shadows crept closer.
“Give in,” I urged, my pulse racing as I readied my scythe. If she didn’t, I would sever the connection between them and pray that I did it in time. “If you don’t master this, Kit will die.”
Angela tightened her grip on the staff and screamed—not from pain but sheer frustration. The steel warped and hummed beneath her palms before a midnight-hued wave exploded from Angela’s chest, knocking Brandon and me off our feet.
We flew backward several yards before sliding and tumbling head over heel for a few more feet. Thank God I’d mastered my dragon scales. Immediately, I jumped up with scythe in hand, ready for another attack. Brandon was right beside me, though he was nursing a sprained ankle.
Wide-eyed, Angela fixed her gaze on the staff, her chest heaving as she panted. “I did it.”
