Deadly Kisses

Twenty-Eight





I saw the terror in Bee’s eyes and felt her fear as Erik and Leif guided me away. Ivar crept into my body, using me as his puppet. There was nothing I could do. He owned me—for eternity.

Leif opened the creaky gate to the Kells Haven cemetery. Ivar stood, leaning against the same maple tree where Bee had played hide-and-seek with her cousins when I had first seen her.

“Nice of you to join us, Ad.” Ivar crooned. His bony fingers tapped the wooden handle of his scythe.

“I’m here, what do you want? I was in the middle of something.”

Ivar tsked. “Is that any way to talk with your new boss? Abe will be thrilled when I tell him he won’t be the only one giving you your assignments now. It will be nice to see Abe again. This will be a start to a beautiful partnership. The dark is swirling in you already and with one of the Flynts in our ranks, I will get everything I deserve.”

I stormed forward and stuck my finger in his skulled face. “You will not hurt Bee or her brother. Do you hear me?”

“Your first lesson shall be obedience.”

A razor sharp saw sliced pain throughout my body and brought me to my knees. It cut through bone and my decayed organs. I gagged with a rotted taste that seeped into my mouth. When it wouldn’t stop, the pain and taste made me puke on a browned fern.

I wished I would die as the sawing became more intense. My bones felt like they’d be ripped from my body. The pressure in my head made my eyes explode. Just when I braced for more, the pain stopped.

“Stop fighting me unless you want me to continue,” Ivar crooned.

Sweat beaded down my forehead and dripped to the ground. I looked into the eyes of Ivar the Boneless. He was what horror stories were made from. His past bled through our souls. I needed to send him to the Underworld—it’s where he belonged.

He lifted me up by the back of my cloak, but I was taller than him. I forced my feet to steady and stood with my knees bent.

“In order for this partnership to work there needs to be trust. As of right now, you’re on a need to know basis. I rule my ship and everyone on it. You will do what I command with no more back talk, or I will give you a hundred times the pain you just felt. The contract between us is final, so don’t do anything unless you ask me. Everything you do from now on will go by me.”

I felt utter defeat and despair. Maybe Abe was right. I should have ascended. Then I thought of my sweet Bee and how I’d follow her to the ends of the Earth to protect her. “I understand, Ivar.”

Ravens cawed in the nearby clearing, swooping down and up again. Their cawing echoed throughout the forest in a sick melody.

“Good. You wouldn’t dare collect the girl’s soul and underhand me. One of the Flynts will be reaped on All Hallows Eve. Whomever you choose to reap must stay a Grim Reaper. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Ivar.” I said.

Jaleb screamed. The ravens were going after him and Bee, but I couldn’t tell Ivar to stop them. Bee was frantic and my shield had dropped when Ivar was infusing pain into me. She was desperate to help me even if it risked her life. Erik and Leif appeared with Bee and Jaleb in their grips.

Jaleb swatted at the birds. When they swooped upward he tried to brush off the invisible grip that the Ancient had on his arm. He was blind to our plane—as he should be—unlike his sister. He stared at Bee with his mouth gaping open, waiting for her to tell him what was happening.

“Enough!” Ivar said. The crows stopped and flew into the air, but continued to circle over all of us.

“Jaleb, we are surrounded by Grim Reapers. We can’t run.” Bee looked to me and then looked around.

“You need to talk to me. Bee? I can’t see them. Tell me their positions.”

She whispered to Jaleb as the eyes of the Ancients churned with liquid fire. “There’s a big Ancient ugly Grim Reaper right in front of us at twelve o’clock. He’s pointing to you. There’s one at three o’clock and seven o’clock.”

Ivar glided toward Jaleb.

Bee screamed. “It’s walking toward you! Run through nine o’clock. Run Jaleb!”

“I can’t, and the X on my wrist is on fire!” Jaleb was forced to stand up with his arms by his side. His face strained, trying to gain his mobility back.

“Aiden, do something,” Bee pleaded.

“Quiet girl,” Ivar said.

“You don’t want to mess with me. Leave my brother alone or I will find a way to make you wish you went straight to—” Bee stood frozen with fear.

“Ad, I can make you control her. Do me the honor and shut her up before I lose my temper.” Ivar pointed his bony finger at me.

“Please, be quiet, Bee.”

Her jaw clamped closed.

“If Ad didn’t get defensive I wouldn’t have had to get nasty. I only came to hand deliver you tickets to my party on All Hallows Eve. I personally hand out all my tickets.” Ivar tucked them into my cloak pocket. “Be ready to reap one of the Flynts at the party,” he thundered. “It would be no fun if Jaleb couldn’t see us though. I’m going to give him the Sight of Death, so he can see Grim Reapers. Won’t that be fun?” Ivar walked up to Jaleb and a blue electric light rose up circling around the wooden staff through the blade of the scythe.

It struck Jaleb in the forehead. The force of Ivar’s power pushed Jaleb back into the damp earth. He rubbed at his eyes, wiping the tears that streamed out. “That really hurt!”

Ivar had given Jaleb the Sight of Death. He was no longer blind to Grim Reapers. He could see us as clear as he could see Bee.

Jaleb looked around with his new eyesight. His eyes widened to big round saucers as he saw the Ancient Grim Reapers. He looked to me and I waved. Bee ran to him, but Ivar pushed her toward me instead. My skeletal hands clasped together around her waist so she couldn’t move.

“Aiden you’re hurting me,” she whispered.

“Ivar isn’t going to hurt him. He needs Jaleb for later, so if you stay still I’ll loosen my grip. Ivar is forcing me to hold you.” I relaxed my hands. Her body was rigid against mine.

“Fine,” she spat out.

Jaleb tried to scream, but nothing came out. All three Ancient Grim Reapers laughed loud and deep. Jaleb scuttled backward.

“And if you don’t show up, Ad, a bounty will be placed on your head by Grim security.” Ivar glared at me.

The three Ancients walked up the steps to the crypt and materialized, leaving a thick plume of black smoke seeping around the doorway. The crows scattered to the trees. I let Bee go and she fell to the ground, crawling to her brother.

“I’m so sorry about all the times I called you crazy and made fun of you. Can you ever forgive me?” Jaleb told Bee.

“You don’t have to apologize. You can’t appreciate their scariness unless you see it for yourself. I’ve seen Grim Reapers all my life, so for me, it’s normal.”

“I had no idea how awful it must be for you. I don’t want to see them. They’re dreadful.” Jaleb rubbed his eyes and looked at me.

“Aiden, you look like the splintered end of a guitar after we get done smashing it.”

My lip went up, but not into a full smile. “I looked way better when Bee wasn’t stressed and kept her energy flowing through me.”

“I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry.” She smiled, walking to me. “Want to see what I can do, Jaleb? It’s totally freaky deaky. Aiden wasn’t lying when he said I could heal.”

I continued walking backward until Bee had me against an oak tree. Jaleb got up and followed us over. He sat on a moss-covered log.

Bee put my hand to her face. Energy weaved between us.

“I don’t deserve the gift you offer.” I tried to take it away, but her skin was soft.

“Take off your cloak and stop giving me the sad violin lesson. I’m going to heal your mortal wound.” Bee released my hand, tugging at my cloak.

Jaleb gave me a thumbs up.

“Hold this.” I held out my scythe to Bee. “If you tried, you could use it. It’s bonded to you too.”

“I’ll hold it, but I don’t want to use it.” She grabbed it. I knew she could feel its overwhelming power run through her arm into her body, and energizing her like she ate a bowl of sugar. I smiled at her reaction. I slipped off the cloak to reveal the street clothes she had given me.

I unbuttoned the blue plaid shirt. Bee ran her hands up my rib cage. The skin came back, rolling in waves over my bones. The fatal wound filled in faster than before.

“Holy cow!” Jaleb stared. “That is so awesome!”

“I didn’t know sending you away earlier would retract my healing energy from you. I’m sorry.” Bee smoothed her hand over my creamy skin, and I closed my eyes.

I didn’t realize our lips were close until I felt a warm breath touch them.

“Ah, um . . . seriously not cool kissing the dead guy Bee. Kiss of Death . . . Kiss of Death . . . keep repeating that in your stubborn head.” Jaleb threw a pine cone at me.