Flirting With Death: The Hunted Series: A short story

by Ali Winters

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Untitled Document

  Dedication

  Flirting With Death

  About The Author

  Untitled Document

  Ali Winters

  Copyright © 2015, Ali Winters

  All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews or articles.

  www.aliwinters.com

  Professionally edited by Ye Olde Quill & Ink Editing Services

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  ISBN-13:

  978-1518779671

  To Moxxley & Michelle. You two are beyond amazing.

  Flirting With Death

  Evander crouched low on the axle of the Ferris wheel. Lights decorating the spokes blinked in random patterns, casting color on the faces of humans milling about below.

  His mark stood in line next to his human companion. The redhead draped herself on the man's arm. She tugged on his hand and offered him a bite of cotton candy. The mark turned away and pulled his arm out of the girl’s grip.

  "Tony Sonders, your time has come,” Evander muttered under his breath.

  The reaper narrowed his eyes. Visions of how to carry out the mark played through Evander’s mind. This would be more challenging than normal; his mark was unpredictable. Establishing a pattern of behavior was—to say the least— not an easy task with this mortal. Most humans had habits and were easy to track on any given day. But not this one. Tony was difficult. He was a speck on the cloth of humanity. As far as Evander could tell, this Tony character took what he wanted and didn’t contribute a thing.

  Echoes of laughter and screams, blended with the carnival music floating up to Evander. The smell of heated sugar and fried dough was thick in the warm, summer, night air. The clear sky showcased the millions of stars sparkling behind the full moon.

  The wheel spun slowly, letting passengers off and the next round of mortals on. Evander couldn’t wrap his mind around why going in a circle could be considered fun. He was glad to be a reaper. He could transport himself to any spot without fear. Standing on the thin crumbling edge of a mountain with the icy wind blasting against his face was one of the rare, beautiful moments very few would ever be able to experience. And somehow, even that began to tarnish with time, becoming less exhilarating and less beautiful.

  This Ferris wheel was dull and mundane. If he was forced to live like this, he would go mad within weeks. How humans managed to do it was a mystery. It was no wonder they had limited life spans.

  Tony climbed into the gondola after his mate, shoving her posterior. She stumbled and caught herself on the rail on the far side, her cotton candy dropped from her hand to the ground below. With a loud sigh, she plopped down on the seat and crossed her arms. The worker locked the bar, securing them in their seats. The wheel turned, lifting them high above the crowds.

  Evander’s gaze followed their path, his eyes fought to stay locked on his mark, but every time he blinked, they were back on the beautiful red-head. She was far more intriguing. He was torn between wish ing she was his mark so he could study her closer, and being glad she wasn’t, because there is only one end result all of his interactions with mortals ever had.

  “WHOOOOO!” Tony shouted, straightening his legs and standing in the narrow space between the bar and the seat.

  “Ack,” the female cried out. “Tony, please sit down.” Her face paled, as the small metal seat swayed, threatening to introduce her face with the ground.

  “Simmer down, Piper. You need to learn to have fun.”

  “I know how to have fun, Tony,” she snapped. “I just prefer not to fall to my death.”

  “Ugh. I never knew you were so boring.”

  Piper narrowed her eyes and turned away. Evander pushed back his hood and straightened. She wore a tight-lipped smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Her gaze dropped and locked with Evander’s. Her mouth formed a small “o” of surprise.

  “Uh,” she managed to squeak at seeing a man standing on the center of the ride without a harness. “T—Tony?” She reached back.

  “What is it, Pipes?” he asked, unscrewing the cap of a flask he pulled out of his jacket. He took a swig.

  She turned to face him, “Look,” she demanded, pointing down.

  Tony leaned over her, scanned the area, and sat back, rolling his eyes. “It’s a crowd of people, so what? There are people on this side too.” He said, and took another swig before shoving the flask back into his jacket.

  Piper looked back toward the axle, now parallel with her line of sight. Her brows knit together in confusion.

  Evander cursed himself for letting his invisibility slip. In all the times he’d reaped, he’d never once let an unmarked human see him. Though, if he wanted to be honest, he wasn’t sorry. Locking eyes with her had sent a jolt through him. It felt exhilarating to share a moment with someone he wasn’t destined to reap. Only she had seen him, at least that’s what he assumed—other humans would have screamed in panic if they had.

  The gondola containing his mark rounded its way near the top again.

  Tony gave her a devilish grin and said, “Watch this.” He stood with a jerk, one hand on the safety bar, the other waving in the air, and yelled, “WAHOOO!” Swinging an imaginary lasso, he rocked the seat violently.

  Piper gripped the side of the car and the safety bar squealing in terror.

  Evander waved his hand, and Tony’s foot slipped, jerking the mortal forward. Tony cried out.

  “No,” Piper screamed and grabbed him by the pants, pulling him back to the seat.

  Panting hard, Tony looked down. “Way to go, Pipes. My flask fell out.”

  She glared at the side of his head as he looked down, worried about an object. Evander sighed. It wasn’t his intended way to dispose of this mark; he had something else planned. It was risky to the other mortals. He didn’t possess the power to keep them from harm if his mark fell. The one thing this mark was consistent with—the only obsession he had—would be this human’s downfall. The Ferris wheel made one final round, and the two humans stepped off the ride.

  “Where to now, Pipes?” Tony asked, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

  “Nowhere. I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m going home.”

  “What’s your deal, Pipes?” Tony demanded. “We were having fun.”

  “No. You were having fun—I was scared. You could have fallen, Tony.”

  “Come on, Pipes.”

  “Stop calling me that. You know I hate it.”

  “I’ll get you some candy, or do you want me to win you a toy?” He pleaded.

  “No, I just want to go home.” She insisted.

  “Fine. I’ll walk you home.”

  “Thank you.”

  Tony huffed and grabbed her hand, pulling her through the throngs of people.

  Usually, Evander felt a little tug for each of the reapings he performed, but this one just wasn’t inspiring anything—except maybe relief for the entire species. Soon they would be down one obnoxious specimen.

  Evander wrapped his cloak around him and vanished from his perch
on the axle. He appeared on the warped wooden arch that served as the exit. The two humans walked under the sign. Tony draped his arm across the girl’s shoulders as she leaned away, her arms folded across her chest. The mark swayed unsteadily on his feet as he ambled forward.

  Jumping down, Evander followed.

  Grudgingly, Piper dropped her arms and wrapped one around Tony, guiding him through the maze of cars in the parking lot. The woman clearly couldn’t stand the guy, but she helped him walk when she could have left him to fend for himself. Strangely, Evander found himself studying the red-head, rather than completing his mark as quickly as possible and moving on as usual. He felt compelled to take his time.

  He pulled out the pocket watch that counted down the remaining minutes of his mark’s life and checked the time. The clock ticked dangerously close to the appointed time. He needed to make his move soon, before Tony’s life energy depleted itself to a point it could never recover from. But with an energy like that, would it really be a bad thing?

  After navigating their way out of the labyrinth, Piper dropped her hold and picked up her pace.

  “Aww, slow down, Pipes,” Tony whined.

  She turned her head and gave him a death glare. Oh if looks could kill, Evander could sit back, and have this captivating creature do his work for him.

  Tony grumbled as he stumbled forward, following her down the sidewalk. Her heels clicked on the pavement, echoing with each irritated step she took. The background sounds of laughter and music from the fair faded to a soft droning.

  The streets were nearly deserted. The inhabitants were either home or at the fair. On occasional car sped past them as they walked. Shops had closed for the night, lending Evander the perfect set up. His mark would go down, and the only one around is the girl who couldn’t even stand to be around him. It was doubtful if she had the ability to do anything that could put a wrinkle in his plan.

  "Come on baby, I was just having fun." Tony sidled up next to her and leaned his weight across her shoulders.

  "It’s not funny Tony. You would have died if you’d fallen!”

  “What is your deal, Pipes?”

  “I asked you to stop calling me that,” Piper admonished.

  "Whatever." Tony scoffed, and riffled through his pockets. He brandished a small handful of tiny, white tablets and popped several in his mouth. "You want some?" He offered half-heartedly.

  "What the… What are those?" Piper asked, wrinkling her nose.

  "What do you think they are brain-box?” he snorted. “Mints.”

  “Those don’t look like mints, Tony…”

  “Just try one, Pipsss,” he slurred. “heh, Pipsss, pipsqueek.” He laughed loudly, before a large hiccupped escaped him.

  “No.” Piper said firmly and turned her head forward, wrapping her arms around herself.

  As interesting as the human woman was, Evander knew it was time to complete this mark. He waved his hand and started a chemical reaction of all the poisonous substances in the man’s body.

  Tony slumped against the wall of a closed ice-cream shop with a grunt. “Heh—hey, hold up, Pips.” His words had started to blend together.

  “Tony,” She warned, grinding her teeth together, and slowly turned to face him. She stopped short. “Tony,” she yelled, running over to him.

  It was curious that this girl could be so concerned about such a despicable human. Evander flicked his wrist again. Tony gripped his chest and sank to his knees. The toxins in his blood reacted with each other, working their way through his cells, attacking everything they came in contact with.

  “Tony, what’s wrong? Please tell me,” Piper begged, as she struggled to keep him upright.

  “Ugh, Just… go and get… me… water or something. Be useful for once.” Tony gasped between words.

  “I don’t know if I should leave you…”

  “Just… get something.”

  Nodding, she stood up and looked around. The look of concern on her face brought out her beauty. Evander stepped up beside her and without thinking, brushed his knuckle against her cheek. Her skin felt like silk. Piper brought her hand to her cheek, feeling his icy touch. She inhaled and held her breath. The surprise in her eyes was enough to bring him back to reality. Evander shook his head and stepped back. Piper quickly ran down the street in the direction of a store.

  Evander knelt down next to his mark and removed his hood, revealing himself. Tony’s eyes widened in fear. He usually showed himself to humans a bit more gracefully than this. However, the shock factor would only help him do his job. Not that this Tony character deserved a comfortable death.

  “Do you know who I am?” Evander asked, studying the man’s face.

  “Don’t care. Get away, can’t you see I’m busy?” Tony grunted.

  “I know exactly what you’re doing. And I am the last face you will see.”

  “Are you threatening me?” He coughed violently. Blood splattered over his hand.

  “Your systems are breaking down. Just let go so we can get on with this.”

  Tony stared up at him, horrified. “You poisoned me?”

  “No. You did that to yourself.” Evander straightened and stepped back. He reached behind his back and swung his scythe around to the front.

  Tony gaped.

  Evander reached out with his free hand and concentrated. Reaching down, he pulled Tony’s hand, lifting his spirit up, and out of his body. He called forth his mark’s life string, coaxing it out and into the open. The string glowed a dull yellow. Even this life force was marred and dirty. It should have been a bright golden light that almost glittered. How could a human wear it out so quickly? He reached for the pocket watch and opened it. The clock ticked ever closer to the final moment.

  Tony fell to his side and gasped.

  With one swift, smooth motion, Evander sliced his scythe through the air and severed the life string, as Tony let out his final breath. He called the life energy to him. It swirled over his open palm and dove into the open watch. With a click, he closed the cover and placed it back in his pocket.

  Heels clicked against the pavement. Evander glanced up as Piper rounded the corner with a bottle of water. She stopped in her tracks and took in the scene.

  Evander stood over her mate, his scythe in his hand. He knew he looked exactly how humans envisioned death to look. Except for the bones—he appeared human rather than as a skeleton. The human lay unmoving on the ground.

  She dropped the bottle of water and ran to his side. “Tony, are you okay? Tony!” she dropped to her knees and shook him. She pushed and shoved him until he was on his back. “Don’t just stand there,” she demanded. “Help me.”

  She spoke to him. He hadn’t meant to reveal himself to her. Or maybe he did. He didn’t want to admit it could have been more than a mistake. That he wanted to gaze upon her face, as she looked up at him.

  “There is nothing you can do.”

  “You can’t know that. I have to try.” She got Tony to his back, checked for a pulse, tilted his head back, and gave him a deep breath before pumping his chest.

  “Stop. He is gone.” Evander said calmly. Why would she waste so much energy on someone who had no chance.

  “Don’t tell her to stop,” Tony snapped.

  Oh, right. That guy was still here. Where was a spirit counselor when you needed one? And at that moment, she showed up.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t tell me. I’m late, am I right?” She waved a hand in the air dismissively.

  “I should have known it would be you, Cassandra. Please take him.”

  “Don’t boss me around, you fancy assassin. I know how to do my job.” She bit out, then turned to her assignment. “Come on, life loser, this way.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Tony backed up and stepped on his body, trying to slide back in. Evander’s gaze flicked upward, the difficult ones always tried to return to their bodies.

  Without another word, Cassandra marched to him, grabbed his wrist,
and dragged him along behind her. “They always fight me. You’d think I was the one that killed him.” She grumbled to herself disappearing into the afterlife with her newest charge.

  His mark was now complete. It was time to go. He lifted his hood, placing it back on his head. But, he couldn’t drag his eyes away from the intriguing woman pumping away on the dead man’s chest.

  “His spirit is gone. You can’t save him.”

  Piper stilled her movements. Her shoulders hunched. Pushing herself to her feet, she looked at Evander—really looked at him this time. The cloak, the scythe—it finally clicked. Recognition flickered in her eyes. She understood now who, and what, he was. He needed to go. He shouldn’t have revealed himself to her, shouldn’t have stayed.

  He didn’t move.

  "You killed my boyfriend.” Piper stated. Her voice gave away no emotion as serenity settled over her delicate features.

  "I did you a favor." He said and lifted his hand to remove his hood.

  “Those weren’t mints, were they?”

  “You didn’t actually believe that line did you?” Evander asked.

  “I guess not.” She frowned, then looked down at the lifeless body and sighed. "Why don't I feel sad?"

  "Probably, because he was a jerk."

  "Oh." She looked up into his eyes.

  “You let him treat you like dirt.”

  “Well, that’s my problem. Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore. Does it?” Piper snapped a little defensively.

  “No, I suppose it doesn’t.”

  “What’s your name?” She shifted nervously from side-to-side.

  He wasn’t used to humans talking so much. In fact, this was a first. In all his years of reaping, humans have yelled, cried, prayed, and thrown holy water at him. Not once had a human stopped him just to talk. He wasn’t sure what to make of this rather petite human with fiery hair and thick, dark lashes that framed her emerald eyes. She looked up at him expectantly.