Page 49 of Living with Death

I slide on my blazer and walk over to my mirror before slipping a tie around my neck. Wearing a sheer gold gown, Priyantha snakes her hands down my shoulders from behind. Her tan skin glittered in the low light.

“I can do that for you.”

I turn around. “Suit yourself.”

Night after night, I share my bed with a different female. There are no feelings––we fuck, and they leave. I sit alone, thinking over the day. The souls I took. How they lived their lives, and what I would have done differently. I watch the ones I know will die soon, seeing how they spend their last moments breathing.

Most have no idea.

They’ll be videoing themselves hanging over a cliff—one slip of the foot and they plummet.

Others are with their family and decide to get ice cream with their dog. A drunk driver then kills the dog and the person. They either follow the light or the demons snatch them, leaving a trail of screams behind.

My brother, Lucifer, quickly gives me a wink before his portal warps and closes. We haven’t spoken in centuries—just the wink.

I nod in return. Out of us four, Lucifer and I are the darkest. Of course, he tops me. I have no say in the job I do.

He chose.

The evil bastard.

The purpose of my creation is to collect souls, nothing else.

I envy Hypnos, my baby brother, the god of sleep. He found Morgan, his mate, for eternity. I’ve been with hundreds, and not one interested me enough to share more than a night.

Priyantha finishes my tie. “You’ll be gone before I return.” I walk through the shadow realm and step into the In-Between. Glitter and mist swirl around me.

I spread my wings, taking to the sky before touching down at a car crash. The driver stands beside bent metal, looking at her body inside the car. I walk over, looking down at her. I touch her hand, and she fades away.

No brother to wink at me, telling me she led a decent life. Time moves differently in the In-Between. The souls I’m to take are all here together. It’s one after the other. A person in a hospital bed is dying of cancer. Her family surrounds her, crying heavily. I bend, looking at her open eyes.

She sees me.

She looks relieved.

Time to go. I touch her arm, and she takes her last breath. Her soul slips from her body, leaving it limp. The machine beside her shows one single line.

Moving on

A mother gives birth to her first baby, but they can’t stop the bleeding. I sit in the chair across the room, watching as panic shows on the doctor’s face. The husband stands in the hall, worried but clueless about what will happen.

I sigh, running my hands through my hair and resting my elbows on my knees. “Why must I continue this way of life?” A light appears, and a magnificent glow surrounds my brother. The oldest of us all. And the one closest to Him. Silver-white hair is tied back, and the sun slicing through the blinds causes his pale skin to appear radiant. The all-white suit he wears nearly blends in with his skin. Michael claims a seat on the edge of the windowsill.

“Are you uninterested, brother?” he asks.

“No. I’m tired.”

He laughs lightly. “And what would you have me do about this?”

I smirk. “Give me a break.”

“A break? The Angel of Death doesn’t take breaks. It would alter the balance.”

I sit up, resting my back against the chair. “I’m aware of the balance. Give me something else then.”

His brows lift. “What?”

“Love.”

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