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“You’d be the first in all of existence. In a millennia of millennias, never has a Reaper acted like this.”
There’s never been a love like ours before. I don’t care what the other Reapers are like. I know that this is real. Our love is real. I could tell by the way she was looking at me. She didn’t care what I looked like on the outside. She saw through the black cloak and dark gray skin. She saw me. Therealme.
“You’ve been a faithful and loyal Reaper, Grim,” he says as he studies me with those soulless red eyes. His massive head with those giant curled horns tilts. “I could spare you for a few decades.”
“Spare… me?”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity, Grim. Human souls intrigue me. After all this time, they still manage to surprise me. If that human female can fall in love with a Reaper, it will be the biggest surprise yet.”
She can love me. I know it. It feels too real on my end for it to be fake on hers.
“I’ll make you a deal, Grim.”
My back straightens. My pulse races. A deal? The last time I made a deal with the Soul Collector, I was forced to drag around a scythe and collect souls for him until the end of time.
“I’m listening,” I say slowly.
“I will let you be with this human soul you covet so much,”he hisses.“I will allow you to lay down your scythe and have a second chance at life. You can return to the plane of existence as a human. No powers. No soul collecting. I’ll spawn another Reaper to take your place and fulfill your sacred duties.”
I’m trembling all over. He’ll make me a human? Arealhuman? I can be with Anna. Have a life with her. Areallife, not this monstrosity I’m living.
There’s got to be a catch. There’salwaysa catch.
“Why would you do that for me?”
He grins. Uh oh. Here it comes.
“I will allow all of that to happen,if, you can make her fall in love with you.”
An empty feeling hits the pit of my stomach.
“And if she doesn’t?”
He grins. “Then, you’re both mine. Forever. I’ll take her soul as the star of my collection. And you, Grim… You’ll pick up the scythe, return to your duties, and bring me souls until the plane of existence shatters.”
My love for her runs deep, but her feelings for me? Doubt creeps in and I start to wonder. Could she love a monster like me? Am I fooling myself?
“Do we have a deal, Grim?”
“Yes!” I blurt out without thinking.
“Wonderful,” he says as his eyes glow brighter.“You have twenty-four Earth hours.”
“Twenty-four hours?!” I say with a gasp. “No! I need more time. A human soul takes time to court.”
“And yet, you claim you’re both already in love. Twenty-four hours, Grim. That’s all you get.”
My hand squeezes into a fist as I glare at him. I should never have trusted this demonic fucker.
“I’ll even make it easier on you,”he says as he waves his clawed hand.“I’ll have an old friend take care of your Reaper duties while you’re out wooing this human female. I’m sure you remember Grim.”
Rage flares through me as a familiar Reaper steps out of the shadows. He was the one who started this horrible adventure. He was the one who came for me at the lake.
He peels back his hood and reveals his weathered gray face. I didn’t think it was possible, but this Reaper looks even more horrifying than the last time I saw him. His light gray skin is pulled so tight, I can make out every curve of his skull. Pale gray eyes sunk deep into his eye sockets watch me with amusement as he drags the wooden butt of his new scythe on the rocky ground.
“I’ll see you up there,” he says with a gruesome smile. “You and your pretty little lover.”
“You stay away from her!” I roar as I charge toward him. The cave rumbles like an earthquake as long snaking cracks rip through the ceiling. Bright orange light shines down on us as a forceful grip tightens around my arms.
