Page 106 of Death is My Ride or Die

Death gazed inquisitively down at his tea like a cat watching a goldfish swimming inside a glass bowl. “There’s a bird in this?”

“No, but there is a shot of my best fifty-year-old whiskey in yours.”

“Hell yeah.” Reaching a long arm around me, Death grabbed the ceramic bowl of sugar cubes off the gazebo’s table and dumped the whole lot of them into his drink. Then he tipped the scalding tea back and devoured the whole thing in one gulp, making my jaw fall open.

Death aggressively tugged at the neck of his vest and set down his cup. “I’m trapped in a carnivore’s nightmare right now. Starving and surrounded by endless goddamn shrubbery. You still preserve raw crocotta meat?”

I shook my head at his blatant rudeness.

“I see your beast is rearing its ugly head,” Ace said. “Are you ingesting those soporific herbs that I prescribed you?”

“I don’t want sedatives, I wantmeat.” Twiddling his gloved fingers, Death used one of the prickly ends from the flower he’d battled earlier to pick between his fangs. Ace gave Death a scornful look. “What? Your tomato plant started it.”

“I don’t have raw crocotta meat,” Ace said, “but I do have prime rainbow serpent that I’ve been meaning to thaw. I’ve sent a telepathic message to my chef. Faith, would you like anything?”

“Got any plain ol’ tortilla chips?”

“Yes, I’ll send for some.” Ace leaned his cane against his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Death, I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here. Frankly, my dates with Faith were never intended to be datesper se. I want to help her refine her gift so she’s strong enough to go with you when collect your scythe, but it’s been brought to my attention that you—”

“This is anintervention?” Death hissed. “As we discussed earlier, Faith is not coming with me.”

“My approach is simple,” Ace continued without pause, and I couldfeelDeath’s temper flare. “We must find the trigger that is blocking Faith’s ability. For example, a bottled-up or unreciprocated emotion.”

I choked on my tea. “Oh my God.”

He was couples therapy-ing us.

“Hell’s horns . . . ” Death speared a hand through his hair. “The last thing I need is for you to convolute our situation any further.”

“He’s right, Death,” I said.

Death’s harsh glare landed on the side of my face. The tension in the room was unbearable, but the hot-and-cold relationship between us had without a doubt affected my power.

“I will leave you two to discuss!” Ace said chirpily. “I do suggest a resolution, for the sake of your fates. Not to mention, I’ve locked you two inside, and Death won’t be able to manifest out until I feel you’ve resolved this.” Before either of us could protest, Ace tapped his cane against the gazebo. “Toodle-oo!” Violet magic swirled around him like a tornado, and he vanished.

“Great.” Death lowered his hood and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, lighting up a roll-up. “This blows—”

“What do you get out of it?” I asked.

His eyes snapped up. “What?”

“The whole ordeal with me, Lucifer, and theBook of the Dead,” I said, feeling as though I’d been holding back. “You get something out of all this at the end. I know you do.”

Death slung his arm over the back of the couch again and inhaled from the cherry cigarette. “You’re sharp as a tack.”

I grated my teeth at his sarcasm. “I want to know what it is. You owe me that much information.”

“Did you forget the blood exchange, cupcake?Youanswer tome. Not the other way around.”

I stood up sharply, knocking my chair over. “Let us out, Ace! This isn’t going to go anywhere.” When there was no response, I released a huff. “I’m finding an exit.”

I stormed from the gazebo, only to find Death standing outside, exhaling smoke into my path like a barricade. “Where are you going, mouse?” he purred, that unmarked accent thickening. “We were having a conversation.”

“Wow, you want to haveanotherconversation? Looks like I broke the back of the beast! When we first met, I could barely exchange three words with you without you vanishing inexplicably into black mist.”

I barged past him toward a path through tropical plants and vines, but he grabbed me around the waist and spun me around. A lusty fever dizzied my vision at the sight of his beautiful, poisonous features inches from mine. “There are a thousandotherthings that affect your focus other than us. Like you missing your family, or Marcy, or your home. Or wanting a friend to confide in about all of this.”

“All of which you can’t give me. All of which you used against me—”

---