Page 87 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

Who knew what else it had done? I was going to have a lot of questions for Saul.

But now I needed to finish this. I pressed my blade to Zacharias’ neck and reminded myself of all the terrible things he had done and why he couldn’t be allowed to escape again.

Zacharias curled his lip in disgust. “You saved the ghosts and you can kill me. But in five minutes, the reapers will be wiped out. You lose.”

“What?” I asked, not understanding.

“Saul thought we were just creating a distraction with a harmless explosion. But I wanted to make all the reapers pay for blocking my efforts to rise to positions of power within the court. But even after my allies accepted bribes to lock the fileabout Philetus’ death, they refused to recommend me for a seat in court.” He spat the words with such venom I wondered how he’d managed to hide his true self for so long.

“Our species has grown too soft, too lax. None are worthy of wielding a scythe. Right now, all the reapers are sitting down to eat the yearly feast, and my parting gift will go off and wipe the embarrassment we have become from the Earth.”

“Where is it?” I moved to push my scythe at his throat, hoping it would encourage him to talk faster, but the scythe vanished.

“Axelle! You don’t put down your weapons in the middle of a battle! Get it back out!” Lochlan and Rhodes ran toward me.

“I don’t know where it is?” It came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

“What do you mean? Where did you put it?”

I threw up my hands. “If I knew, I’d get it back out. Maybe it went to the same place all my hair ties and favorite pens disappeared too.”

“Well, find it!” Lochlan shouted, looking at me expectantly.

“I’m new to this! Cut me some slack!” I shouted back.

“I’d love to! Do you have a blade handy?” Lochlan quipped.

“You can’t even wield your weapon like a proper reaper.” Zacharias’ cackle was cut short when Saul appeared behind him.

“I can though.” With a swift swipe of Saul’s scythe, it was over. “My soulmate doesn’t have to lift a finger if she doesn’t want to,” he muttered, leaning against the wall, still fighting the effects of the drugs.

“I’ll be right back.” My announcement was met with a chorus of angry shouts.

Probably because they knew where I was going, and that I might not come back. But I wasn’t ready to bet against myself. Hex! I was starting to think the bookworm might have been hiding a warrior’s heart.

Still, I was beyond ready to get cozy with my sweatpants and smut—I mean, my research on the effect hormones had on social behavior in forced proximity settings.

#

Ninety seconds after I hopped to the reaper plane, crashed their feast, and figured out how to absorb enough energy to power a theme park for several months, I re-materialized in the exact spot I’d left.

The men were still in their same spots, alternating between arguing over what they could do to help and threatening to cuff me to the bed and keep me there if I was going to keep them stressed out.

Wasabi scampered over to greet me, but it took thirty more seconds for my circle to realize I was back.

They fell silent, their eyes slowly taking in my appearance.

“You guys look like you’ve seen a ghost—oh wait, you have!” I laughed, then hiccupped. “I think I have indigestion.”

“You’re glowing.” Evander stepped forward and brushed his fingers down my glowing skin.

“Odd, right?” I turned my hands, mesmerized by the soft, moon-like glow of my skin. “I’m like a human glow stick, or those weird caterpillar dolls with the human face, and when you squeeze them, they light up from the inside.”

“No wonder you hate scary movies if you slept with toys like that as a kid,” Lochlan muttered.

Rhodes pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “I have no idea what happened here today, but you were awe-inspiring.”

I hiccupped again, then turned away from him to cover my mouth and muffle my burp. “Maybe I should sit down. I’m not feeling so good.”

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