Descent (Kissed by Death) - Tara Fuller Page 0,9

You don’t do promises.

There was something about the fear in his eyes…it was the kind of fear that could only exist when standing on the brink of eternity. Had someone promised my mother? My sisters? Comforted them when they’d stood on the precipice of death?

I met his glazed-over, terrified gaze. “I promise.”

I reached my hand out to her, already regretting my words, intending to grab her by the arm. Before I could react, she’d reluctantly begun to lace her fingers through mine. That simple contact was enough to set off an explosion of panic and pain inside my skull.

“Don’t.” I jerked away from her touch and grabbed her by the wrist instead. I knew I was being an asshole for denying her the small comfort of another’s palm pressed against hers, but I couldn’t do it. Her shiny brown eyes dropped to my harsh grip on her wrist, and she shuddered. This wasn’t how a Heaven’s reaper would have done things. They would have whispered a reassuring prayer. Given a comforting touch. But I wasn’t a Heaven’s reaper.

A soft gasp behind us caught my attention and I stilled, feeling the presence of another being spread across my skin like static. Scout looked over my shoulder and raised a brow, prompting me to turn around.

The two angels were still across the street, watching us. The tall blonde shook her head, her clear blue eyes full of disdain. But it wasn’t her I couldn’t look away from. It was Red. Her pale fingers touched her parted lips, and a look of despair touched the corners of her eyes as they crinkled in pain.

“I’m so sorry…” she whispered, directing her words to the soul in my grip. It dawned on me then. She was one of their projects. They’d probably been working their happily-ever-after magic on this human when that gas line blew their carefully laid plans to smithereens.

Scout waved at them, and the tall blonde rolled her eyes as she grabbed Red’s arm. Scout said, “I know I said I was throwing in the towel, but I don’t think I can resist. Do you see how the blonde one keeps watching me? She wants me.”

“Not a chance, Casanova.” I grabbed on to his assigned soul, Troy, with my free hand before Scout could lose him again. A lost soul was the last thing I needed right now.

The pull of the other side became too much for me to ignore, and I gripped the side of my head in a futile attempt to calm the screams of the dead. I glanced back to the boy pinned by the wall. I couldn’t wait.

“You’re going to have to take mine,” I said to Scout. “I can’t hold on anymore. I’ll take yours with this one, so we don’t run into any more problems.”

“Why do you treat me like I’m incompetent?”

I raised a brow. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

He jerked his scythe from his holster and waved me off. “Whatever. I’ve got your straggler.”

“Good.” I shook my head hard and waved my hand in the air, focusing to open the one portal that was so resistant to me. It took a few tries, but eventually a blinding light swirled before us. The portal opened, a pulsating glow of every color swallowed us, and a cold dread settled in my gut. That light repelled my very presence, and I was about to plow through like I owned the place. I pinned Scout with a glare and pointed over his shoulder.

“Don’t screw this up.”

Chapter 4

Gwen

“What does he think he’s doing?” Sky stood, awestruck, staring after the remnants of pearl-colored vapor that shimmered where the Hell’s reaper had just stood. “He’s a Hell reaper. He can’t just…I mean he…”

Ignoring her, I walked over to Tyler. Beautiful, dying Tyler, holding on to the last shred of his humanity. I knelt down and sifted my fingers through his dark hair. His eyes glassed over and a ragged breath shuddered out of his lungs.

This was my fault. If I hadn’t interfered, he wouldn’t have been here. He wouldn’t be broken and bleeding. He’d be alive and well. Oh, God… I should have listened to Sky. I should have—

“She’s dead,” he whispered, eyes focusing on my face. My hand froze in his hair, and I frowned. He couldn’t possibly see me. I’d never been seen. Not by one of the living. It was a strange feeling, after two years of invisibility, to have someone finally see you. I glanced over