Page 12 of My Karmic Destiny

Kurtis gives him an odd glance. And then so does Dante.

I can’t deal with them today.

Shaking off the strangeness, Kurtis says with a bit of a bounce in his seat, “Greta heard we might start our training with Karma today.”

“That’s awesome. Maybe I can sit in on some of the training. Or you can teach me what you learn.”

“I’d love to!” Kurtis grins from ear to ear.

Wow. When did he become so peppy?

Megan appears next to the breakfast table and smacks her gum. Sparkles dance over all of us, reflecting off her bedazzled outfit. “What’s up, dumbasses?”

“Hello to you too, Sparkle Butt,” I poke back.

The guys all snort and cover their mouths when she gives them an evil eye.

“Let’s get out of here before I curse you all,” Megan threatens. We pop away to Death’s dark, dungeon-like library.

It’s the same place Death had me reading yesterday. Once again, my attention wanders around the vast space that looks like it trails off into infinity. I wonder if it does. As mind-boggling as it might be, I sense this library holds a copy of every word ever written. I’m tempted to explore, but it would be easy to get lost in here. Fortunately, we’re at the same reading table I was using before. It’s near the massive doors that are opened to the corridor leading back to the main common area.

“When do I get the teleportation magic?” I pout.

“What?” Megan grins wickedly. “Don’t like me crashing your little sausage party?”

“It’s not a sausage party!” I grouse. “I’m dating Dante. I’ve done nothing with the other two.”

“That’s not the energy they’re giving off.”

“Whatever,” I dismiss her. “What’s on the agenda today?”

A stack of dusty old books appears on the wooden table.

“More reading!” she says with mock enthusiasm.

I glance at Megan, then at the stack, noting the dust. “When was the last time someone actually read these?”

“Hmm. Death doesn’t recruit often. I think the last person was about thirty years ago.”

I laugh, then stop cold when she doesn’t. “Wait, you can’t be over twenty-five.”

“Physically? No.” She twirls a blonde lock of hair. “If I weren’t working for Death, I’d be fifty-five. I’m the youngest here.”

“Hold up!” I blink in disbelief. “Your aging just stops?”

“Yeah. Our gig isn’t like Instant Karma where she drained you of your life force. Death takes care of his reapers. We live as long as we wish, looking like whatever age we like.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yep, exactly.”

I shake my head, thinking about the repercussions.

What about Dante? Would he continue to age? Would I change my appearance to keep up with him? Will Karma give him the option to live for as long as he wants?

I drop into my chair to read and find myself zoning out. All too often wondering what my future really looks like.

6

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