Ember X (Death Collectors) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,36

and her mascara is smudged. “I’m not doing anything. Now, go away.”

“You’re not okay.” I reach a hand for her. “What did he do to you?”

“She’s fine,” the sleazebag snarls and slaps my hand away. “Now get the hell out of here.”

“Don’t touch me, asshole,” I warn, breathing through the stench of his death.

Raven wipes her tears away with the collar of her pink shirt. “Ember, just go inside. Please.”

My muscles stiffen under the guy’s powerful glare. “I will, but you’re coming with me.”

“You need to butt out of business that doesn’t concern you.” The guy prowls forward and shoves me backward hard, knocking the breath out of me.

“She’s my friend,” I say firmly, regaining my balance. “So therefore, it is my business.”

He glares at me. “Well, if you want, I could make it directly concern you.” He lunges at me, grabs my arms, and thrusts me back against the brick wall.

His vile death chokes me. He stands in the middle of a field. It’s dark. A gunshot fires and he collapses to the ground.

I blink, stunned. It’s not the same death omen as the other night.

He smiles and chills prick at my skin. “What’s wrong, Ember? Are you scared?” He drops his voice as he leans in, his stale breath hot against my face as he delves his fingers deep into my waist. “Tell me, how was your drive home last night?”

“You tell me.” I knee him between the legs, then dodge to the side of him, and reach for Raven. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Raven shakes her head and skitters away from me. “I can’t, Em. I have to stay here.”

Rage flickers across his face as he lunges for me again and grips my wrists so tight my skin breaks. I groan as the venom of a thousand deaths paralyzes me: self-inflicting, painful, too early, broken heart, old age, help me, help me, help me. There are so many that I can’t sort through all of them. It’s crushing the oxygen from my lungs and strangles my heart; unbearable and ironic because what if death omens are the cause of my infinite death?

“Let her go,” a deep, demanding voice chips away at the blackness and pain.

Sleazebag abandons my arms and I crumple to the ground, clutching the grass, gasping for air. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

A hand appears in my vision, but I shake my head. “Let me help you up.”

“Go away.” I choke. “Please. I swear I’m fine.”

“Ember, take my hand,” Asher says and the resonance of his voice settles me down.

I slip my hand into his and contentment glides through my body, squelching the pain.

He helps me to my feet, his grey eyes searching me as he brushes grass out of my hair, off my shoulder, and the feel of his hands is invigorating. “Are you okay?”

Intoxication hums through my head. “I’m fine…” God, please just take me now.

He traces his fingers down my cheekbone, my neck, my throat, all the way to my chest. “Ember…” He groans and lust fills his eyes.

I repress a moan, my head falling back. “I think I… I think I…”

“A little help here.” Raven’s sobs crash us back to reality.

“I think you’ll be okay.” His eyes focus on the doors of the school as he blinks the glazed look in his eyes away. “But I think you need to take your friend home.”

Raven’s curled up against the door, bawling her eyes out. “Em, help me. Please. I don’t know what’s going on.”

I crouch down in front of her. “Come on, let’s get you home.” When I get her to her feet, focusing past the pollution of her death, I notice both Asher and the sleazebag are gone. “Where’d that guy go? Rav, did you see where he went?”

“Take me home!” she screams with her hands balled. “Now!”

Sighing, I lead her toward the parking lot, picking up my bag along the way. Holding my breath, I exhale through her death omen: blood under her head, pain in her body, rain falling from the sky. I lower Raven into the passenger seat of her car and buckle the seatbelt for her, then climb into the driver’s seat.

“Do you have your keys on you?” I adjust the seat back by flipping the lever.

Tears rain from her eyes as she rummages the keys out of her shirt pocket. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I yelled at you.”

I seal my lips together, battling back the urge to yell at her