Page 31 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

Usually, when joining the shadows, I remained in the same location. But this time was different. Maybe because I longed to be somewhere they couldn’t follow me, or maybe I’d been too emotional.

This time, as the shadows welcomed me, the room flexed and warped. Darkness swirled around me, but just before the last pinprick of light vanished, there was an audible snap and the world came into sharp clarity once again.

Except I wasn’t in the library anymore.

Blinking in confusion, I tried to figure out where I was, but nothing in the opulent purple and gold room was familiar. The wall in front of me was covered with various gleaming weapons, each one adorned with intricate carvings on their blades and polished handles.

When my eyes landed on the large curved blade in the middle of the wall, chills raced down my skin.

Oh crap.

“Well, this is a surprise.”

Spinning around, I came face-to-face with the purple-eyed man from the library.

But he wasn’t a man.

He was a reaper.

Iopened my mouth, but thanks to the terror clogging my throat, not a single sound escaped. My last run-in with reapers hadn’t been friendly, and I’d had backup that time. I seriously doubted I’d survive an encounter on my own.

From the bits of conversation I’d overheard between the guys, they seemed to think reapers were arrogant, but not evil. Personally, I found that hard to believe after the events of the day before.

However, according to Evander, the reaper who attacked us had been the exception, not the rule. Still, the odds seemed really high that this reaper was one of the two we’d met in the tunnel.

It made little sense, though. Because if he was one of the pair who fought us, surely I’d already be dead… well, deader.

The reaper moved toward me with the silent elegance of a jaguar stalking its prey. I stumbled to the side, desperate to put space between us, but he matched my every move. Finally, hereached out and caught both my hands in one of his and twirled me. If anyone had been in the room, they probably would’ve thought I was dancing with him, rather than trying to escape.

Our impromptu dance ended when my back came up against something solid. Taking another step forward, his hard body crushed me against the unforgiving wall.

He kept my hands in his, pinning them above my head. The position forced me to lift myself on tip-toe so I wouldn’t feel like I was dangling, but our height difference meant my head was still only level with the center of his abs.

“Tell me, naughty girl, how did you get here?” Rather than the threat I’d expected, his words were like a reassuring purr.

Despite my fear, my insides quivered in delight. Maybe this was how they lured their prey. It was the only excuse I could find for why I didn’t want to fight against his hold, and why my body was practically melting against him.

What if, just like a mermaid, they had a reaper’s song? That didn’t flow off the tongue the same way a siren’s song did. Reaper’s Rap? Reaper’s Rock? Reaper’s Rhapsody?

The reaper grasped my chin with his free hand, yanking me out of the anxiety-driven chaos of my mind. Ignoring the way heat spread through me from his touch, I narrowed my eyes and waited to see what he would do next.

He slowly turned my face from side to side—almost as though he were inspecting me. His grip on my jaw was rough, but not enough to hurt me. Tilting my head back, he forced me to look up at him.

The reaper wore his straight, black hair loose so that it fell around his face and brushed his shoulders. Each time he moved, the light would glint off the silky strands, revealing hints of violet. It was breathtaking and reminded me of a raven’s iridescent black feathers.

My fingers twitched with the desire to run them through his hair, but it was a desire that quickly faded as he spoke again in that same silken purr.

“Answer me. You don’t want to make me angry.”

I don’t want to see him angry?

“Listen here, Sir Douchington. You really don’t want to see me upset,” I growled, conjuring up every bit of emotional turmoil I’d been trying to lock away. “I’ve had a rollercoaster of a day and I’ve exceeded the limit on what I can handle in a single twenty-four-hour period.”

The reaper arched an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

My irritation rose another notch. “I swear, if you laugh, I’ll poltergeist your arse so hard they’ll think you need an exorcist.”

He carefully schooled his face to hide the signs of amusement. Still, he looked more intrigued than angry. “Is that so? Why don’t you tell me about it? I’m a good listener.”

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