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“What does it matter what they think? You will be dead in a few minutes anyway,” I grumble into her hand as I attempt to pry her off of me. She calls me crazy, but it is she who has lost her mind.
To my annoyance, her strength surprises me. Somehow, she manages to keep herself stuck to my face to prevent me from talking. Then again, more likely than not it’s the sticky carbs humans must be addicted to.
I heave another annoyed sigh and glance at the time. I have another appointment early this afternoon. I really must take this human and be on my way, but I cannot simply vanish with so many around. Rule one of a Grim Reaper: do not cause a scene.
For the first time in a millennium, I feel utterly foolish. How did I allow a mere human to drag me around as if the roles were reversed? As if she were the Reaper and it were I who needed reaping.
The ticking of human time sours my mood. I need to get us out of here, finish the job and be on my way.
Gently, but firmly, I manage to pry her off of me, and then, before she has a chance to pull another stunt, I get out of my seat, grab her by the arm, and dragherout of this damn shop. I drag her around back and into the alley sandwiched between the buildings. It is not ideal to reap a soul where it is not meant to be reaped, but time is of the essence.
“I will take you here,” I declare, flashing her a brief glimpse of my real appearance.
Typically, only the souls of the dead can see who I really am, mostly because I do not have to disguise myself in broad daylight, but Morgan is already half-dead, so it is fine.
“W-what are you?!” she stammers, staring at me in shock.
If my eyelids could move like a human’s, I think I would be blinking right now.
“Haven’t we already been over this?” I reply, narrowing my gaze slightly. “Did I not explain that I was here to reap your soul? Twice? I am the Grim Reaper sent to collect you, Morgan.”
Her brow falls, her face twisting in fear. “This has to be a joke. You’re lying.”
“I assure you, it is not a joke, and I am incapable of lying. Your time of death was scheduled thirty-nine minutes ago.”
“Thirty-nine minut—thirty-nine minutes?!” She begins to pace, mumbling to herself while threading her fingers through her hair and rubbing her forehead.
There’s a strange look in her eyes, which is not out of the ordinary for a human who has just found out that they are dying, or rather, past expiration. It’s a lot to take in. “Grim Reaper? Time of death?”
Her mumbling doesn’t stop there and neither does her pacing.
I stand back and allow all of this to sink in.
Finally, she is coming to terms with her fate. I could not be more pleased, andrelieved.Not all souls take such information well, which is why we usually do this after death, but Morgan completely thwarted all my careful planning to reap her safely.
“Are you ready now, human?” I ask softly, reaching my hand out to her. All she must do is come to me willingly. Accept her death and come to me with open arms and she will feel no pain or fear.
She stops pacing directly in front of me and then glances up at me with her brown eyes.
“There is nothing to be afraid of,” I tell her, trying to urge her to hurry up. Rushing a soul is something I avoid at all costs, but the longer she stays in this world, the more chaos will ensue. She must die, and she must die now. “I have reaped thousands upon thousands of souls. You are in good hands, Morgan, of that I can assure you. If there is anything I can do to ease you during this transition, I promise that I will do—”
Her eyes widen.
“Deal.”
“What?”
“I said deal!” She reaches out and quickly shakes my hand, but I cannot dislodge the feeling of dread that has just washed over me. Why do I feel as though I have just made a deal with a demon?
Chapter Three
Morgan
“I am not making a bargain with you, human.”
He tries to pull his cold hand away, but I hang on tightly. I can’t stop looking at his inhuman, skeletal face. Pale flesh is stretched over sharp bones, sunken around the eyes and cheeks, with deep lines around his mouth that I’m sure are going to crack open any second now. His blue eyes are a stark contrast as they gleam with life.
And now that I have seen his true appearance, a mere glimpse of what he really looks like—even though he is concealing that right now—something about his appearance hits me differently this time. Probably because I’m more aware of what his inhuman features mean.
