Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
It has to be now.
I grit my teeth and grab the scythe off the ground. It hisses and smokes as it burns my flesh, but I suck down the pain and rush into the kitchen. It’s been destroyed. All my cupboards are cracked and broken, but I don’t care about that right now.
The Reaper is holding Grim by the hair, relishing the pain and anguish he’s causing. He’s beaten up pretty badly and leaking blood from a bunch of cuts and gashes.
“And how the fuck are you going to stop me?”
The pain in my hands is unbearable, but seeing Grim gives me strength.
“I’ll stop you.”
The Reaper turns and his horrifying face drops in shock when he sees me with his weapon.
I swing it as hard as I can and the curved blade slices into his stomach.
His dreadful eyes widen as he looks down at his lacerated cloak and the fresh gash on his gray skin. Before he can let out a scream, his body breaks and cracks in on itself, imploding into a tight ball before disappearing with a boom.
I toss the scythe onto the ground and gasp at my singed hands. They’re burning.
Grim tries to get up, but he stumbles and falls onto the ground, smacking his head on my tiles.
“Grim!” I scream as I rush over to him, ignoring the pain in my hands. I shake him but he doesn’t wake up.
“Don’t leave me, Grim,” I say as his eyes fall closed. His face stills. “Grim! Grim!!”
Oh no. What do I do? Call an ambulance? How the hell are doctors going to fix an undead being? Do Reapers have an ambulance service?
I pull him onto his back, kneel beside him, and cup his face.
“Please don’t go,” I whisper as my tears trickle down onto him. I kiss his lips, hoping this is not our last kiss. I’m not sure if it’s my imagination, but his lips feel like they’re already getting cold.
“Don’t leave me,” I beg. “You can’t… I love you, Grim. I love you.”
Energy crackles through the air.
I gasp as I look down at my kitchen floor. It’s splitting into giant cracks like an earthquake is ripping right through my property.
Orange light shines up from the darkness.
“What is—?”
Before I can finish the thought, Grim and I are sucked down into the light.
CHAPTER TEN
Grim
* * *
Oh fuck. Not here. Not with her.
I struggle to push myself up, but my legs give out and I crumple back down to the familiar rocky ground. Everywhere is pain. Every movement hurts.
I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I have to fight through it for my girl.
I plant my fist onto the ground and push myself up with a grunt.
“Keep her out of this!” I shout into the darkness. I know he’s there. He’s always there.
“Such a beautiful, innocent little soul,” the Soul Collector hisses from the shadows. “And feisty too. She had the chance to escape, but returned and destroyed my Reaper to protect you. I understand now why you covet her so much.”
“Don’t take her away from me,” I say with a crack in my voice. I don’t have a heart, but I can feel it aching just the same.
“We made a deal, Grim,” he says as I hold Anna protectively behind me. I’m holding onto her arm, hoping we can somehow get through this. “You. Human female.”
“Don’t talk to her,” I growl possessively.
He ignores me. “I heard you say the words, but is it true? Do you love this creature? This Reaper of human souls? This Grim?”
“I do,” Anna says from behind me. She puts her hand on my back as she steps forward and proudly stands beside me.
I stare at her in awe. She’s so brave. She’s so incredible. She’s facing down the Soul Collector to proclaim her love for me, looking defiant and brave. I’ve never felt so connected to another person. I’ve never felt so in love. It’s overwhelming. It’s all-consuming. I can feel the light of her love filling me from my head to my toes.
“I do love him,” she says with her chin in the air. “More than anything. I don’t know who or what you are, but he’s done his time. He’s paid his price. Let him go. Stop tormenting him.”
“Of all the creatures who’ve inhabited this planet since its creation,” the Soul Collector hisses, “the human female is by far the most complex. The most confusing. I don’t know how human males figure you out.”
“They don’t,” she says as she smiles sadly at me. “But they try and we love them for it.”
“Whenever I think I have the mind of a human female figured out, something surprises me and I realize I don’t know a thing. A human female falling in love with a Reaper? With my Grim? I didn’t think that was possible and now here we are.”