Deadly Kisses (17 page)

I smiled, always wanting to feel like I belonged in a family like that. Watching them was like viewing a happy family on Christmas, opening presents. She looked up and saw me staring through the window with my hand held up to the pane of glass.

She turned white, stood up, and pointed.

Erik the Red, and Leif Ericson’s image were reflected on the window pane.

They grabbed my arm, and dragged me down the stairs of the house.

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.

“I bargained my soul. It was the only way.”

Anger flashed across her pretty features, she stood up and came at me fast. A small fist made contact with the side of my face.

“Damn it. I already have a crooked nose for eternity. I’m not looking for a hole in my face.” I rubbed at the sore spot. It was a good shot.

Jaleb stood, pulling on his shirt. “I so taught her that.”

“What do you mean you bargained with your soul? Are you crazy? What does this bargain with Ivar entail? He’s powerful and scary.” She paced with her arms crossed over her chest, kicking at rocks.

“I gave him a piece of my soul. He can call me at any time to do his dirty work. I’m basically his puppet, along with anyone else who is bonded to me. It was the only way. I couldn’t put your little cousins at risk, and worse, lose you both.”

“We would’ve thought of something, Aiden. Kessler is a Grim Reaper and we have the blood stone. All we have to do is find him.”

“It’s not going to be that easy. I don’t know where he is and our time is running out. He was the one who bargained with the Dark Lord, causing the town to suffer and your family to be stuck living on the old Kells Haven land. And we don’t know how the blood stone works.”

“Sabrina said to use the stone by placing it around Ivar’s neck, so that’s what we’ll do. One problem at a time. At least after tonight your family will be back in balance, and then we’ll find Kessler.”

Jaleb asked, “So we draw a number to see who lives or dies? No way. I choose to go. Remember what you promised me three years ago. You promised and you swore you would never go back on your word.”

“What are you talking about, Jaleb?” Bee asked.

We both turned and said “Nothing” in unison.

I should’ve planned better. I knew they would argue—probably until the Ancients came back and took them both. “I know what I said, Jaleb. Like it was yesterday. Come on, we have a party to get ready for and you need to sort things out to determine who will be reaped.”

“Yea, get out the streamers.” Bee said in her most monotone voice. “Where is this shindig going down?” She rubbed her arms, the cold getting stronger in us both.

“It’s always held at America’s Stonehenge. Who would’ve thought the Grim’s Ball was in our backyard.”

“Where the heck is that?” Jaleb asked.

“Salem,” I said.

“It used to be called Mystery Hill.” Bee playfully punched Jaleb in the arm. “Well, bro, looks like we have hours to live.”

“I have hours, you have a lifetime,” Jaleb corrected. “Hey, Aiden. Are you up for trick-or-treating with us? One last hoorah for old time’s sake before I bite the dust.”

“Sure, but shouldn’t you be freaking out about tonight? I am!” I think Bee seeing Grim Reapers had rubbed off on the rest of the family.

“I’m expecting you guys to come up with a solution before we get there, right?” Jaleb had two sticks, tapping them together.

“I’m going to try.” I was ashamed to say, but I couldn’t see any way out of this mess.

We walked back to their house to check on Bee’s bird, Lucky. It sang and chirped like it had not almost died. I smiled at how wonderful Bee was. It was even more wonderful to spend the whole afternoon like a normal teenager. The only thing missing was Sabrina.

Jaleb went into his room. Bee skimmed through her closet to find the perfect outfit. She finally chose her black jeans, a long plushy green sweater, and her black boots.

“No costume for Halloween this year?”

“Nah, I already played dress-up at the concert and look how that ended.” She changed as if I wasn’t even in the room. I kept my eyes on the bird.

“You’re going trick-or-treating as a super model.” I watched the way she fitted the belt over her hips.

“I wish.” She brushed out her hair in the mirror.

My eyes never left her. If I could spend eternity with her, I just might do anything.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Bee’s mom walked toward her. Her shoes squeaked when she walked across the room. “Aunt Anita called to say the twins are ready. Are you sure you can handle them both on your own? When Hope has a tantrum you know Faith will chime in.” Her mom played with her hair. I was envious of the family they had.

“It’ll be fine because Jaleb’s coming with me. We’re going to use Auntie’s car so we don’t have to move car seats around, and I doubt we’ll last long. Take bets we’ll be back in an hour because they go to the bathroom every two seconds.”

Bee took a gadget that looked like a cross between a clothes iron and pliers. She ran it down the length of her hair.