Page 19 of Death is My Ride or Die

The room blurred, spinning, like I was briefly viewing the world from a carousel, until I locked onto two glowing amber eyes rimmed by black charcoal. Black markings scored his neck, and he wore a draped cloak. Death’s cloak. My blood ran cold.

Ahrimad.

Watching us. Watching this disaster from the outer ring of the dance floor. And smiling.He can see through our illusions.

The chandelier flickered above us.

A blast of energy tore us apart, and I was swept away in the disorienting energy of this vicious, evil dance.

A pair of large, powerful hands caught me from behind and steadied me. Something sharp on the pointer finger prodded at my skin.

With my back to my new partner, we rocked to the beat. Practically hyperventilating at this point, I tried to find Ace’s body, but once more, he was nowhere to be seen. I was possessed by the music again. Trapped.

With all my might, I hurled myself out of the rhythm, but my partner seized my body from behind again and pulled me back into the sway. The music shifted in intensity, and so did we. The song decelerated as my partner spun me into a dip.

The music had stopped. A woman released a shrill, hair-raising scream.

The dance floor was upside down as I remained arched back, held in an elegant pose. I felt the heat of my partner’s lips brush the exposed skin of my cleavage, and reality slammed into focus.

“What the fu—!” Jerking into awareness that I’d been held under a trance, I lifted my head to my chest to view my partner and froze. The man with the silver mask. His eyes were down, fixed on my collarbone, and he inhaled. Faded lines of intricate tattoos snaked up his neck and curved up the sides of his face, just like Ahrimad’s. Stubble carved his sharp jaw. Two lip rings pierced his bottom lip.

It can’t be. . .

The hair lifted on the nape of my neck. Slowly, as if frozen in time, I turned my head to the side. Past guests exiting the ballroom in a frenzied panic, I saw Devin Star. He was spread out inelegantly on a wrecked table, as if his entire body had been hurled into it. He released a frightening growl and rolled onto his side, clutching at the torn fabric of his shirt, his red tuxedo stained with black liquid. His blood. Three deep lacerations disfigured the side of his face. Bronze skin stitched itself together and transformed to unnatural reddish gray serpent scales, revealing the devilish creature beneath.

Nearby stood Ace, bracing his hands on another table to keep himself upright. Beads of crimson fell from his nose, while his left arm, violently marred by claw marks as well, dripped blood onto the floor. His expression was vicious and Death-like as his wild gaze tore across the ballroom and locked onto mine. Pure dread ripped across his pale features.

My heart jackhammered. The creature that had me in its clutches released a deep, throaty growl.

I knew that growl all too well.

Death’s corpse.

“Oh, great.”

VII

Being held by the corpse of the Grim Reaper, which was currently controlled by an external force, was certainly not the most relaxing experience of my life.

But hey, at least he wasn’t trying to eat me.

As I struggled to stay still, the corpse’s tongue flicked out to trace my lips. Warmth spread through my body. Christ on a cracker, I was getting turned on by a corpse. But how could I not? What I could see around the silver mask was utter perfection. Michelangelo himself might have carved that angular jaw, shadowed with dark, delicious stubble. His lips were full and kissable.This is not him. This is wrong and sick onsomany levels.

I tore my gaze away, trembling as the corpse straightened to his full height with me tucked in his arms. Around us was utter chaos as guests scrambled to leave the ballroom.

“Stun the humans and dump them in the lobby!” Devin Star ordered seven men in tuxedos. Death’s reapers. Their eyes glowed with power as they were given the command. “Nobodyleaves this building!”

Devin stormed toward me, halting when Death’s corpse grabbed me firmly by the nape of my neck with his taloned hand. The humanlike appearance of the corpse’s face wavered like a hologram as his jaw unhinged, revealing a mouthful of fangs that extended like daggers. Terror paralyzed me, and the corpse unleashed a bestial howl of warning. The monstrous sound echoed around the ballroom like thunder and rattled the massive chandelier overhead.

I was so screwed.

Up close, the corpse’s eyes were too alien and terrifying to be real. The eyes that had haunted my dreams and stained all those canvases I’d painted rapidly dilated as the corpse turned his head down to look at me.

“Hey,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “It’s cupcake. Remember me?” His pupils swelled as I spoke. He inclined his head. “Of course you don’t. It’s notyouyou. But you gotta have some instinct in there that we know each other, right? You don’t want to hurt me. We’re friends. Kinda. Let’s not get into the nitty-gritty . . . ”

The corpse released a low, menacing growl that made me audibly gulp like a cartoon.

“Faith!” Ace’s voice snapped my attention to the violet-eyed warlock, who was still presumably possessed by Death. He stood beside Devin in a wide stance like he was prepared to attack. “I’m going to distract . . . well,myself. Soon as you get the chance, you run like hell.”

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