Deadly Kisses - By Kerri Cuevas Page 0,8

and let go of my scythe, so I can leave.”

I heated it up another degree, and she fought to keep hold before reluctantly releasing her grip. The scythe landed snug in my hand, and she tried to reach for it again. I gave her a tight-lipped grin, turned, and made my escape.

I stumbled through Bee’s back door then grasped my chest and fought every breath that went into my lungs. It was cold. Frost had begun to coat the ground white. Her warmth still spread through me. I threw the hood of my cloak down. I was feeling for the first time since I had died two years ago, and I hadn’t even fully reaped her.

My lips were still warm and tingled where her lips had touched mine. I put my fingers to them and smiled. It was the most marvelous thing since discovering that cell phones now had Internet access. I fell to my knees and lifted my arms to the night sky. Stars sparkled above without a cloud in sight to block the view. The full moon cast shadows over me, making my body long and thin. I laughed in a hysteric fit.

I felt part of her soul stir deep inside me and my hand flew from my hair to my chest. Bee’s soul floated through my body and I wanted to run. Run without stopping. I felt free but knew I was still dead. Death dampened things.

I stood and kicked a stone. It hit the root of a tree. I still had to reap her, but having only part of her soul made me angry, yet happy at the same time. I took out my phone and looked down to find the book reader app. I tapped the screen and an hourglass picture of the Manual of Death came up.

I needed time to think how this could’ve happened. I jumped over the stone wall and walked through the gate that led into the small, forgotten cemetery. I sat on the cold stairs of the crypt and scrolled through chapters. “Choosing Not to Ascend, Using the Scythe, Picking Your Mode of Transportation, Tracking Souls, The Kiss of Death, Collecting Souls, Time Limits, and Troubleshooting.” This sounded like a troubleshooting thing for sure.

The reading was dull, until I came across something. My eyes popped and I hyperventilated. I closed the app and called Abe.

“I have a big problem.” My voice echoed off the headstones.

“Are you calling to say goodbye, boy?” he replied with his overly sarcastic tone.

“Be serious. I told you I don’t want to ascend. I still want to walk the Earth.” I hit the stone and my metacarpal bone throbbed. “Something happened when I gave Bee the Kiss of Death. She wouldn’t die.”

“Explain, Reaperling.”

Crap. Abe did warn me, but I half listened as he droned on about reaping. “Half her soul is in me and vice versa. But what’s worse is she can see us!”

I pulled the phone away from my ear when his speech turned into a rant about me not listening. “I told you a million times not to be lazy and always yield the scythe. Looks are deceiving, and you never know who has made deals with the Dark Lord.”

“I know this girl. She would never make such a deal! And why would she make a deal that splits her soul? And who would want to look at us? We’re awful looking!” I started to pace back and forth, my cloak trailing like a fish after a worm. “Come on. Talk to me. You know you need me around because I can take a soul in seconds, making it painless. Help me. Abe? Damnit!” I roared. The heat from Hell interfered with the cell phone signal, disconnecting the call.

I wasn’t going to end up one of those skeletons in the River of Lost Souls. I would find a way to untangle our souls and reap her. Failure wasn’t an option.

Five

I tapped the stairs of the crypt at the edge of the town cemetery with my scythe. It opened. My gondola rocked as I sat down, picking up a rag and some wax. My thoughts felt like cutting through fog with a knife.

“Hey. I’ve been waiting for you.” A dark shadow moved toward me. The squeaky voice pierced my ears. “It looks like you could use a good party to lighten up.” Reina pulled down her hood.

“You know I don’t like those sorta things. Not my thing, you know? My day has gone from bad