Page 70 of Death is My Ride or Die

“Ah, so you’re the birthday boy,” I said to Gunner. “How old are you today?”

Gunner scratched his head with a sheepish smile. “I lost track at year two hundred thirty-two.”

Dang. Two hundred and thirty-two. I glanced around the room at the seven’s young faces. They all appeared to be in their early to mid-twenties, around Death’s age. Guess it made sense that they were a bunch of old souls too.

After we sang “Happy Birthday,” Gunner closed his eyes theatrically for a wish as his sparkler candles flared like the Fourth of July. I got quiet as I remembered my own wish not too long ago.I want to know who I am.

“Birthday boy gets the first piece,” Gunner said, smoke drifting from the extinguished candles as he triple-stacked his paper plate. He cut a third of the giant ice cream cake for himself and licked his fingers as he hauled it protectively to his spot at the other end of the table.

“Geez,” I muttered to Leo. “Guy can eat.”

“I have to make three turkeys on Thanksgiving,” Romeo chimed in, leaning over the chair between us to talk to me. “Your birthday just passed last month, didn’t it, love? The ol’ prophecy and matured-soul situation and all.”

“Yep, my birthday was the twentieth,” I muttered.

“Congratulations! One year closer to death,” Romeo said cheerfully. “Or one day closer tome, if you’re lucky. No soul leaves the Love Machine unsatisfied.”

“Bye,” Leo said, shoving Romeo’s face as he moved to sit between us.

Laughing, I brought my root beer to my lips, then paused. A high-pitched ringing sounded in the distance, growing louder the more I concentrated on it. I cast my gaze around the room to see if anyone else noticed it.

“Do you hear that?” I asked Leo.

He frowned. “Hear what?”

“That ringing.”

Where had I heard it before?

“What ringing?” As Wolf pulled out his phone to check if he had a notification, the ringing seemed to rise, and I rubbed at my ears with a wince.

Leo reached out to touch my arm. “You all right?”

The ringing came to an abrupt halt, leaving me with what could only be described as a claw raking over my brain. I looked down at my forearm, where the ghost of the scar from Malphas’s underling still marred my skin.

“Faith?”

Bile climbed up my throat. “Excuse me, I—”

Shoving my seat back, I hurried into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before I threw up everything I’d eaten. I flicked on the lights, acid burning my throat and my nostrils. I went straight to the sink and splashed water into my mouth. When I looked up at my reflection, I went rigid with terror.

Ahrimad stood in the mirror, amber eyes flaring with rage.

Bring it to me. His pale lips moved in sync with his voice in my head.Bring me the book, Faith.

A scream tore from my throat as I slammed back into the wall behind me and collapsed. The lights flickered violently as the sensation of claws tore into the inside of my skull again. Energy surged down my arms, snapping out my hand as I fired uncontrollably into the toilet, exploding a water pipe.

Leo broke in to the bathroom. His eyes went wide as he took in my crumpled form on the ground and the uncontrollable light gathering in my shaking hands.

“I can’t stop it,” I said with ragged breaths. The energy kept coming, the blue-and-white orb as wild as an unstable star. I rose onto my knees and turned toward the wall to shield it from Leo. The paint on the walls on either side of my hands began to peel back from the heat of my light.

I know you feel me, Chosen.Ahrimad’s voice hissed inside my skull.I know you hear me.

I know you hear me.

I know you hear me.

You can’t hide forever. You can’t outrun destiny . . .

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