by Brindi Quinn
The corner of Pine’s mouth grins. “You’re avoiding the subject.”
“What?” I snap back to reality. “Whoops.”
He leers at me, forcing all of his sex appeal into one great smolder. “Let me take you, Marley.”
Dang. I don’t have the proper weapons to combat something like that. All the same–
“I’m afraid,” my tongue confesses, almost too quietly to be real.
Actually, I’m SUPER afraid. And now that I’ve admitted it out loud, it’s even worse, sneaking up on me with ninja-stealth. All of a sudden, I want to run. I want to flee from the too-hot-to-handle reaper in front of me. And I would, if a certain second reaper weren’t gripping onto me for dear life. “L-let go, Minx!” I squirm in his arms. “I need to get away!”
Wearing a dumb sort of expression, Pine gives a bolt. “It’s happening again, Marley. Your soul is resisting me. It can tell what I am! Calm down. I told you, I won’t take it, unless you offer it to me fully.”
So he says, but it’s no use. Fear, panic, stress – yup, all of those lovely emotions hit me all at once.
Whoa!
Totally WHOA!
“Huh?!” From over my shoulder, comes a dismal gasp. “Again? What do you mean again?” Minx sounds like he’s just eaten something incredibly hard to digest. School chili, perhaps? Even so, he doesn’t remove his death-grip. “This happened before?”
“On our first outing,” Pine admits.
Minx makes a strange strained sound. “You mean her soul released itself in front of you and you didn’t reap it?!”
“I . . .”
“Why not? What’s wrong with you? You’re a captain, aren’t you?” The soothing reaper is quickly becoming worked up. “You could have written it off as extenuating circumstances! No one would have questioned it! Why didn’t you take it then?! I would have! Anyone would have! You’ve tasted her, so you know how thick her mana is! And you could have had her then! You would have won early on!”
“That’s . . . true.”
Minx clings to me tighter then ever before. “So why didn’t you!?”
Pine shrugs. “Because I wanted to spend more time with her.”
Time.
That scared, fleeing feeling goes away as quickly as it set on.
Am I to understand that Pine could have taken my soul that time in the forest, but chose not to so that he could, what, spend more time with me? But I thought the reason he liked me in the first place was because of my soul.
But if that were true, he would have taken it when he had the chance.
Does that mean . . .
He just likes me? Not my soul, but ME?
The way I like him?
Are we in LIKE with each other?!
I think Pine realizes it too. Eyes darting here and there, he looks to be rapidly thinking something over. “No, I don’t want to reap you,” he admits. He chews his lip and furrows his forehead, apparently scrounging for a solution. When he finds one, his thought stops racing over his brow. “But I’m still going to take you away,” he says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
His gaze flicks to mine. “I’m taking you home with me.”
“There?” Minx cries, arms still tightly keeping me in place. “You can’t take her there!”
“I can,” Pine says. He nods as though he’s ironing out the details in his mind. “Although I’ve never done it before, I’ve seen reports of reapers stealing humans. Hell, I’ve been the one to process the bastards. I’m an Usher. It shouldn’t be that different.” Giving one last definitive nod, he takes me by the hand. “Let me usher you to Dhiant, Marley. Let me take you home with me to the underworld. Let me show you my under-garden.”
I don’t know what to say, so I just stare, as dumb as the fish in the aquarium tanks.
“No fair!” Minx whines. “Her angel would never allow it. And there’s no telling what’ll happen to you when you go back. You’ll change. You might not want her anymore.”
“Hardly.” Pine looks over my face with longing. “I’ll always want her. I remembered her even after I returned there the first time.
“It’s against the rules,” Minx says through his teeth.
“Tch. Who taught you the rules?” retorts Pine.
Minx’s grip abruptly softens. “Y . . . you did.”
“Then I have the right to break them.” Pine tightens his grip on my hand and pulls me with enough force to break me out of Minx’s loosening grasp. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and holds me to his side. “Come on, Marley. Your soul doesn’t have to rest, but it doesn’t have to become a ghost either. I don’t know what kind of afterlife you’ll have in Dhiant, but I don’t want to leave you yet. Come with me. Stay by my side.”
Of course that’s what I want.
Without a doubt, most of all, I want Pine.
But is that even possible? Can he really smuggle me, a dead human goober, into the underworld? There’s so much I don’t know. I don’t know anything about anything, honestly.
No, that’s not true.
I know something.
I know that I’m in like with Pine.
And I know that I’m not ready to be done yet.
Just as I think it, a light shines down from the sky. It’s a bright beam, of sorts, perfectly circled around my body.
“Wak!” I cover my head. “Alien abduction to the max!”
Protectively, Pine shoots me behind himself, in an attempt to separate me from the heavenly spotlight, but the light follows, and along with it, a business-ish voice streams down. “You’re looking well, Marley Craw.”
Hands perched on Pine’s shoulders, I stare up at the glow. “Beck?”
“Your judgment is complete,” says the angel in accounting. The sound of paper being flipped through fills the air. “What you desire most isn’t to move on to the world beyond, and it isn’t to be put to rest.” He clears his throat. “Apparently, what you desire most is your reaper, Number 508.”
“Is that even an option?” I ask, tepidly.
“Not usually, but I told you before, didn’t I? Everything isn’t black and white. More accurately, NOTHING is black and white. Not life, not death. Not the universe or the worlds beyond. A common misconception is to assume that the world is therefore painted gray. I assure you it isn’t. It’s painted colorful, and there are far more colors in existence than your limited eyes can see. I propose an experiment. Let’s see if your eyes begin to see them from now on. Let’s see what comes of this unusual pairing, shall we?”
“Really?!” Pine and I blurt at the same time.
The paper shuffling stops. “Mmhmm. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time an otherworldly being grew fond of a human. If you’re ready, Captain, I give you permission to commence her ushering.”
Pine spins to face me. He puts his hands to my face and they’re shaking. Good, at least we’re in agreement that this whole thing is tremble-worthy. From his hands, a blue glow begins to light.
But I’m not ready quite yet.
“Wait!” I call out.
“Hm?” says Beck.
I look to my mother’s grave, where my other reaper sits, knees hugged to his chest, looking depressed as all getup. “What about Minx?” I ask.
“Ah, yes.” Scribbling ensues. “Fortunately, this reaping was a success in the end, so he’s off the hook . . . for now.”
“Seriously?” Pine says, dry.
“Seriously!?” says Minx, elated. He hops to his feet and beams upwards at the light.
Good. I’m glad. I let out a tiny puff of relieved air before facing Pine again. “Okay,” I say. “Let’s do it, Pine.”
His eyes light, brighter than I’ve ever seen them light. Swimming with silver, they peer through me, to my soul. “Marl–”
“Well?” Beck interrupts. “What are you waiting for, Captain? It’s time to reap your pet’s soul.”
I feel my eyebrow twitch in disdain. “Pet?”
Grinning like an
idiot, Pine takes position behind me. “Are you ready?” he breathes into my ear.
I turn for one last look of my grave. Of my mother’s grave. Of the earthly world.
Farewell, Mom. Goodbye, me. Ta-ta, Mallory. Toodle-oo, Carmen. Kisses, Noah. Sayonara, Amy Jo, you old beyotch. Ciao, Howard and Robbie and the rest of you maggots. Smell you later, Milo. Adios, Grandma. . . . Bye, Dad, even, I guess.
“Marley.” Pine gives me a shake. “I asked if you were ready. Are you?”
“No.”
“Too bad.” His hands cover my eyes, and the next thing I know–
Epilogue: This Is Forever
Everything is warm and bright here.
Oh, and it’s upside-down, too.
The buildings are inside-out and outside-in, and the street is painted a color somewhere between green and laughter. I’ve been calling it purpadillo.
At the side of a tall, thin building whose shape is part-circle, part-square, a longhaired, olive-eyed reaper leans with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.
Zae.
As we pass, he calls to us:
“You’re going to share, right, Captain?”
Pine wraps his arm around my waist. “Get your own.”
Beside Zae, a second reaper stands, wearing the collar that is his punishment. What for? Oh, haven’t you heard? He tried to turn his last spirit into a ghost. I don’t blame him, though. There are no hard feelings between us because I, Marley Craw, am an understanding sort. And anyway, he’s cute like that, collared and chained. Now, he looks like even more of a puppy.
I wave to them. “Hey, Minx. Hey, Zae.”
Their eyes light up at my usage of their names. Shoot. I have to remember to quit doing that. But really, it’s hard to live in a world where no one says each other’s name.
Minx pulls uncomfortably at the collar around his neck. “I’ll never stop coming for you, Mar-mar.”
Great.
Something to look forward to.
Pine shows them his teeth before prodding me along, and then says through the side of his mouth, “You’re causing quite an uproar with the other reapers, Marley. Are you sure you still like me best?”
“The very best, Captain. After all, I’m in extreme like with you.”
Pine’s uncovered eye slips to me. He looks at me peculiarly. “Why do you keep saying that, even now?”
“Saying what?”
“That you’re in ‘like’ with me?” he says.
“Hm? Oh! Something Zae said back in the glass room,” I explain, swatting away a passing current of feathers.
Yes, Dhiant is prone to random bursts of feathers passing through.
I don’t know why.
I don’t know much of anything.
“What did the bastard say?” Pine pries.
I put my finger in the air academically. “He said reapers aren’t capable of loving humans, so I’m making it easy for you, Captain.”
“That’s why?” Pine’s mouth flattens. “You’re unusual.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Without even a peep of warning, Pine scoops me to himself. He holds me close. He bites my bottom lip erotically, and then he whispers. “I love you, Marley Craw.”
I want to answer him back. Swear I do. But I can’t, you see, because my mouth is being occupied with the greatest kiss ever in the existence of anything.
I love you back, Pine.
Thank you for reading THE DEATH AND ROMANCING OF MARLEY CRAW!
If you liked this book, please write a review and tell a friend!
If you enjoyed the style of this book, you may also enjoy ZILLOW STONE or SIL IN A DARK WORLD, also by Brindi Quinn!
More Info
About the Author:
The Death and Romancing of Marley Craw was MN author Brindi Quinn’s tenth published work.
Shortly after finishing college in 2010, Brindi began her mad dash into authordom. The Heart of Farellah Trilogy was first to hit shelves in 2011, and she hasn’t stopped since. In addition to her debut trilogy, Brindi’s publications include: Seconds: The Shared Soul Chronicles, a third person sci-fi romance; Sil in a Dark World: A Paranormal Love-Hate Story; The World Remains, a dystopian adventure; Atto’s Tale, the miniseries spinoff to Heart of Farellah; The Eternity Duet, a two-part fantasy romance; and The Ongoing Pursuit of Zillow Stone, a post-apocalyptic series.
Brindi considers herself a nerd, indulging heavily (when she can) in video games, anime, manga, horror flicks and good sci-fi TV. Brindi recently set off on a grand adventure. After spending a time near the northern coast of California, she’s currently tucked away in a cozy hobbit hole near Seattle.
Follow Brindi on Twitter:
@Brindiful
AND connect with her on Facebook:
Facebook.com/Brindiful
About the Artist:
Ben Clemann is an amateur artist from Minnesota; and though his degree is in Youth Developmental Studies rather than Visual Arts, he has still been drawing since before he could pronounce the letter "r". Among his studies in youth culture and pop artistry, he also enjoys other pursuits of many things of academic and artistic nature, including philosophy, psychology, sociology, theology, and a wide array of arts visual, musical, literary, and martial. A true ‘Jack of All Trades’ . . . and master of none.
You can view his other artwork at:
http://www.otakumako.deviantart.com
