Page 23 of Captivating Magic

“Uh, guys?” she called weakly. “I don’t feel so well.”

As one, they spun toward her. Clutch’s reaction was mild, and his features barely registered a problem. Laszlo’s eyes flared wide, and he rushed in her direction, only to be halted by his friend’s hand on his arm.

“Don’t move, Lo,” he ordered in a low tone. “Not an inch. That’s Death you’re staring down, and she don’t play.”

Ebba froze.

Death?

Like, what the fuck? How was Death an actual entity? Yeah, she’d seenMeet Joe Black, but that was fiction, right?

“McClutchin Adams and Laszlo Thorne.” The name was spoken in a tone as cold as the ice in Ebba’s veins. Or what would be in her veins if she were whole. “You’ve been very naughty boys.Again.”

9

Fuck.

Laszlo wished he could swear aloud, but he took his cue from Clutch and froze.

For now.

But if it came down to a bargain with Death for Ebba’s soul, he’d do it in a heartbeat. He wouldn’t have a choice. There was no way he’d let her go in the prime of her life. Not when none of this was her fault. He met Ebba’s terrified gaze and willed her to remain calm.

Death sauntered forward, capturing his attention and catching him off guard when her black cloak dissolved in a swirling mist. He’d never seen her in the flesh before, but he had a better idea of Clutch’s obsession with her.

The blonde was centerfold material in her red leather catsuit and gold, two-thousand-dollar Rene Caovilla heels. Her proportions were the perfect hourglass, and with every step, her hips tempted the Saints. Neither Clutch nor Lo were saints, so the struggle to not be hypnotized by her movement was real.

Ebba’s eyes narrowed as if she guessed his thoughts, or perhaps it was the sweat beading on his brow that concernedher. Either way, a smidgeon of her fear receded the longer she stared at him.

“You ogled Clutch. All’s fair in love and war, Sweet,” he murmured.

Death’s perfectly coiffed head whipped around to glare at Ebba.

“In the most respectful way possible,” she squeaked, edging closer to Lo and pointing at him. “We’re together.”

Clutch nearly busted a gut laughing. The three who didn’t find it as amusing all stared in shock as he doubled over.

“Start talking, lover, or the lost soul comes with me,” Death warned with her hands on shapely hips.

Sobering, Clutch strode to her and cupped her neck. “Don’t be jealous, girl. You know I don’t cheat.”

“There’s no cheating Death,” she reminded them all. Her comment served to drive home the seriousness of the situation. If they couldn’t talk their way out of this and didn’t find a way to help Ebba, Death would come for her.

Her icy blue eyes lit on Laszlo. “Speak.”

“Ebba was in a car accident some months ago. A Traveler bound her to this plane, hoping to save her. In doing so, it opened her body up, and a warlock hitchhiked a ride when he should’ve crossed over. We recently discovered this and now need to eject his sorry ass. We arrived here less than ten minutes ago, hoping Clutch had a spell we could use.”

She studied him through narrowed eyes, weighing the truth, then shifted her head to Ebba. “What’s your full name?”

“Ebba James.”

A scroll materialized in thin air, and the cylinders holding it worked in unison as the parchment unrolled and rolled faster than imaginable. It was impossible for them to read, but Death scanned every line until the magical scroll stopped moving.Light backlit the name etched into the paper, causing it to glow and pulse.

Ebba James.

The date was written in Roman numerals, making it difficult to decipher or calculate.

“You were supposed to die five months ago, Ebba James. I will take you now and be done with this mess.”

---