Page 76 of Beneath Her Skin

My vision starts to blur from the tears, I turn to the bystanders. They’re just staring at us. Vanessa grabs Brad’s arm, pulling him away as he runs his shaking hands through his hair. “Let’s go, Brad! What the fuck have you done!” Vanessa screams, leading Brad out of the party.

Felix is sitting on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. And still, he doesn’t move to help us.

“Someone call 911!” Shane barks, rushing over to Willow’s side. He takes off his tee shirt, shredding it to pieces. “Here, maybe we can hold off the bleeding until help arrives.”

We hurry to apply pressure with the rags of his shirt around the knife and the wound, but her blood continues to seep through the material.

“Hold on, Will. Please stay with me,” I sob.

She’s struggling to keep her eyes open, her breathing more shallow.

“Riley, focus! Apply more pressure,” Shane says, determination lacing his strong features.

But I can’t focus. The only love I’ve ever known is going to die. And it’s all my fault.

Willow gurgles, choking on her blood.

My fingertip brushes over the necklace I placed around her neck earlier as I reach for her face, her skin draining of color.

Time stops around me. Everyone and everything is frozen in place. I turn to Shane, whose brows are furrowed while trying to stop the bleeding, but he’s solid as a statue. I glance around at the crowd, and they’ve all stopped mid-movement too.

I whimper, looking down at my beautiful Willow. Please don’t be gone.

The flames from the bonfire emit a ghastly glow, I shield my eyes from the assault to my vision. Amidst the carnage, the aroma of sulfur fills the air, so thick and potent I can taste it on my tongue.

I blink rapidly, my eyes readjusting from the blinding light. There’s a dark figure moving towards us, and my body tenses in fear.

Has death come for us?

I look back to Willow, grounding myself and focusing on only her. If death is coming for her they’re going to have to take me, too.

Black heels crunch in the grass, coming to a stop next to us. I take a shaking breath, slowly looking up at the woman sucking on a cherry lollipop. Her glacial blue eyes capture me in her icy stare, her dark brown hair is accentuated with red bangs and a white stripe framing her face, like a candy cane. She’s wearing a black, shimmering slit dress that flows in the wind.

She tilts her head, pulls the candy out of her mouth with a wet pop, and giggles. “Hey, sweet thing. I believe you had a date with death tonight.”

“Who are you?” I ask cautiously.

She glances down at Willow with sadness in her eyes. “I felt your pain. It resembled my own at one point in time. It’s so rich and deliciously dark,” she coos, ignoring my question. She kneels next to us, reaching forward and tracing her fingers over the knife.

“Don’t touch that!” I snap.

The mysterious woman snaps her head to face me. “I can save her.” She licks her lollipop again, observing me before continuing. “For a price.”

“How? Who and what are you?”

“I am Death,” she whispers, her fingers trailing over the pendant of my necklace. “And I’m answering your call.”

She snatches the necklace, dangling it in front of her face with a bewildered stare. “No one has been able to summon me before. Your pain was so strong, I sensed you even in Hell.” She snorts a laugh, her eyes spark with mischief.

I remember reading something about this in myDemonology Codexabout the bringers of death. She can’t be… can she?

“When you say you’re death, do you mean…”

Her nostrils flare, a sinister grin lighting up her stunning face. “Some call us death, some call us reapers. But you,” she boops me playfully on the nose. “May call me, Sable.”

My heart lurches in my chest. No way this is actually happening. I’m at a loss for words, sucking in a sharp breath, I gaze at my dying Willow.

“Save her. I don’t care about the price. Just fucking save her,” I growl.

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