“Firm?” I echoed.So, I will live forever.The notion was dizzying.
"Not if I have something to do with it. You cannot be left to do this."
I gaped, my hand flying to my forehead as I felt a signature of magic linger somewhere it had not been seconds before. “I didn’t mean to kill him or save her. It just… happened," I stammered, narrowing my eyes on thethingthat just spoke in my mind.
“Nevertheless, you did so. Our precarious balance has been put off and now I must ensure it's set right. Humans age and die, Astoria. You must, and will—”
“Die?” I interrupted.
“Precisely.”
“You’re angry I stole your glory and killed him?” I argued, dropping all pretenses. Of course, Death would have no propriety, so why should I?
“I do not relish in killing, and you shouldn’t either.”
Taking a step, and another, I stood chest to chest with Death. My anger building as he glared down at my small frame. “Do not berate me on morality," I seethed.
“You areno oneto decide the fate of others. I am not angry. I am displeased. You are fifty-four, yet you stand here not a breath over twenty-two. You are an enigma that must be brought to heel.”
“I could not let her die—”
“You must!” he argued, his temper peeking through his otherwise apathetic resolve. “You must, Astoria. You do not decide the timeline of others. It was her time; it was nothis.”
For the first time since laying eyes on James's dead body, my heart clenched. I was not a monster. I did not wish him dead. At one point we loved each other, and even though my love faded over time, he was still my husband. I began to cry, falling to my knees at the feet of Death.
“I am a mother,” I sobbed, as if it was a fine excuse for what I’d done.
“The heart of a mother is a fierce weapon to behold.” His voice softened, as he crouched before me. “Still, you must refrain fromusing this power. Break your curse. Do not force me to visit you once more.”
Death stood then, brushing his hands down his pants. He pulled a coat out of the air then, the item materializing from nothing as he pulled it on and flicked the collar up.
“Where are you going?” I argued, pulling Bea’s frozen body closer to mine.
“Home," he said, glancing back at me.
“Aren’t you going to help me?” I narrowed my eyes at him, squinting to see him through the misty fog that began to settle deep in the valley. His figure mixed with it as he walked away.
His lips ticked up in a feral grin, eyes creasing with judgment. “Clean up your own mess, Astoria.”
With a loud snap of his fingers, Bea groaned beside me, bringing my attention back as she fell to the dirt. I looked for Death, only to find he was gone. Vanished.
Yet his voice broke through my mind once again,“She is still marked. Balance comes for us all; you cannot delay the inevitable. Make peace with it.”
three
Astoria
October 2018
Iscarcely remembered the last time I showered. Dry shampoo, could only lie for so long before the truth started to show. Eventually, I would have to go home to shower and grab more clothes.
It was day eight since Death’s sudden appearance, and Piper, who only ever had a happy-go-lucky disposition, was beginning to worry about me. But the thought of leaving Ishani’s side was unfathomable, especially when Death lurked close by.
His sinister presence was presented in every slam of a door, in the echoes ringing throughout the cold halls, and in the frequent crows passing by the window. Even the room number carried on his haunt, and every thirteenth dose of meds given toIshani seemed to tear at her body, making her cry out in pain, reminding me that I’d soon have to make a difficult decision.
He’d warned me that her time was drawing near, as if the evidence was not in front of our eyes.
I’d learned years ago that my gift could only be used when someone was already dead, their spirit somewhere in between. Freshly gone from this side of existence, but not quite crossed. I was useless now. There was nothing I could do, not when she still drew breath. Each one labored and dense, the cancer weighing against her small body.
