Page 73 of A Kiss From Death
Holding eye contact, I give Ray a soft smile, trying to ease the anxiety I know is rising in both of us. It seems to work, because she relaxes her shoulders and puts on a brave face.
“G Seven,” Cartwell yells, pulling the lever and sending the magical orb flying into this abyss. I close my eyes and cross my fingers, praying this is a hit. My heart can’t take another miss.
“Would you look at that, another miss!”
If I have to hear the she devil say the word ‘miss’ one more time, I might not be able to control my rage.
I turn, glaring at the Empress, rage overtaking my control for once. Big mistake, though, because I lock onto an endless black hole and a pot of melted silver staring me down. I gulp, trying to look away, but it’s like his eyes are a magnet, holding me in place and devouring me whole.
His shaggy wet hair flops over his forehead as I spot tiny beads of water dripping from the ends. His simple cotton tunic clings to his arms and chiseled torso, accentuating every hard line. He’s mouthwateringly handsome, and itpissesme off.
A dimple appears on his left cheek as a smirk takes over his face, clearly noticing the way I’m ogling over the man when I should be focused on not dying. Chastising myself, I pinch my arm to snap me from my trance and discreetly wipe the corners of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t accidently drooling. Spinningforward again, I spot another x appearing on the wall in front of me as a deep chuckle rings out in the distance.
I need to mark him with an x for trouble.
Already knowing what’s coming, I brace as another orb floats over the wall, plopping into the seat directly in front of Ray with a softthunk.Cursing under my breath, I drag my eyes up to peek at Ray, who oddly seems very calm. She better not be throwing the towel in already, or I’ll have Hade use his death magic to haunt her for eternity.
“Marvelous, another hit!” The Empress squeals.
Groaning to myself, I think about sending death threats with my eyes to Cartwell, but when I peek back at him, I notice a thin sheen of sweat coating him from nerves. The poor man has the life of a sweet, innocent woman in his hands, and he’s crumbling under the pressure.
Cartwell yells out, “F Eight,” and another orb blasts off into space, heading towards what I pray is a hit.
“Pity. Miss!” the Empress says in a soft tone, sounding bored.
It’s going to be tragic when my fist accidently connects with her fragile face. Apparently, rage is taking over the fear and anxiety thundering inside me.
Call me a coward, but I can’t even look back at Ray, too scared to acknowledge the very possible near end in her future. Why has life come to this? Playing a game to the death for the mere entertainment of a tyrant Empress and her obedient followers. Why can’t we simply get along?
Life is just one big sick joke that I am clearly missing the punch line to.
The sound of an incoming orb from above aims once again at my pink haired friend. It plops down two seats in front of Ray, marking the fourth seat in her boat.
I hear Cartwell grunt behind me and then shout out, “F Six,” which is the only direction left for him to make, seeing as he hasguessed every other side surrounding his first hit. On cue, I hear a loudthunkfrom the opposite side of the wall.
“Hit!” the Empress shouts to the stars, and for once, I’m not mad at the bitch.
Dread slams into my heart like a sword puncturing my lungs, making it hard to breathe. This is it, the deciding move of the game. There is one space remaining in Ray’s boat, except Jade won’t know if the spot left is in the front of the boat or the rear of the boat. It’s a fifty-fifty chance of her guessing correctly.
If luck has ever been on my side, I pray it’s now. If she guesses wrong, that could leave the game open for Cartwell to secure the win. There’s only one direction he can guess, so his next move will be a sure hit. It just depends if he is shooting at the boat with three seats or five.
A glowing orb crests over the wall, and time moves in slow motion as it dips lower, lower, aiming for Ray. I look away, too scared for the outcome. A loudthunkshatters my heart into a million pieces.
It can’t be; I won’t accept it. But fate is a fickle thing and doesn’t always make sense. It’s tricky and disguised in ways to make you lose salience in its holiness. Fate left me with no parents. Fate took away the man I loved, and now, fate is claiming another innocent life from my grasp. Everything I seem to touch dies right before my eyes, like a sick game on loop, and now, the word fate seems more like a punishment than a destiny.
Slowly, I turn my head to lock eyes with the beautiful ray of sunshine behind me who deserved better, just like Hudson. She gives me a soft watery smile, trying to hide her shaking hands as the Empress screams, “Seize her!”
“Nooooooooo!” I scream at the top of my lungs, ripping my throat to shreds, ready to jump off my boat and swim to her if it comes to it. I can protect her, Iwillprotect her. Giant arms envelopme, holding me in place right as I’m about to launch myself into the water.
“Let me go!” I seethe through a sob as tremors rack my body.
The arms squeeze me tighter, drawing me into their chest as the smell of sandalwood and smoke floods my senses. “Shhh, it’s me, I’m here. I need you to calm down for me, love,” Hade whispers into my hair as I try but fail to fight the restraints holding me back, slowly battering my weak fists against his arms until they fall defeatedly to my sides.
“You have to save her!” I weep on choppy breaths. I don’t care how pathetically weak and desperate I sound. Ineedthis. “Please, Hade. Save her for me,” I whisper defeatedly. This could be the final thing that sends me to the point of no return, the final push off the ledge I’ve been teetering on for far too long, free falling to a fate full of destruction and lost humanity.
He grabs my face, tilting my chin until I’m staring into his soft eyes pleading with me to understand him. “I need you to trust me. Can you do that?” he literallybegsme.
Those are the only words he offers. My body locks up for a second, drawn back to the last time a man told me to calm down and trust them. They pretended to take care of me and show me love, only to turn around and stab me in the back. I look between his perfect, opposite eyes, and my gut tells me I cantrust him and everything will be okay.
