Page 53 of Stalked By Pestilence

Damn. It was a crime how adorable this big jerk was when he mumbled and hung his head. It reminded me of a sad puppy.

After checking with Asha and Thanatos to ensure they didn’t want me to get revenge, I turned back to him. “Are you still aiming to take my soul?”

I knew the answer. Asha wouldn’t let him near me if she’d thought he planned to hurt me. Thanatos wouldn’t either, since he was obsessed with making my bestie happy. But I needed to hear it. I needed to confirm I hadn’t been wrong about him. More than that, I needed reassurance I wasn’t making another mistake.

“I love you, Viper.”

My mouth went dry and hung open, giving Asha every reason to laugh. The little bitch. “That’s—excuse you. That’s not an answer—”

He didn’t let me finish. He yanked me into his chest and lifted me into his arms. Our lips met in a heated clash. It wasn’t like before. My body wasn’t a body anymore, and apparently that meant sensations were amplified to a ridiculous degree. I barely caught the moan before it left my mouth.

Yanking back and scampering out of his hold like a frightened animal, I glared at him and then stomped off the castle’s direction.

“I’m assuming this is yours.” I gestured wildly at the castle to hide the blush hitting my cheeks. Because, as my luck would have it, even dead and no longer human, I could still blush like a fucking virgin. What a joke.

Asha wasn’t hiding her shit-eating grin as she fell in step with me, both of us ghosting across the space much faster than we would as humans. “So—”

“Don’t you fucking start. I died and got kidnapped by an asshole. I deserve a pass on taunting for today. Let a girl breathe—or not breathe—m’kay?” I growled at her.

Her smirk was pissing me off. “Maybe I don’t totally hate him anymore. Never thought I’d see this side of you.”

“One more word, Ash, and so help me, I’ll spank you,” I threatened before the chuckles of two men who should go right ahead and bury themselves echoed behind me.

We made it to Dracula’s Castle, and the doors opened in welcome. I whispered a few awed curses at the size of its towers.

“Is this dude of yours compensating for something?” I whisper-shouted at my bestie, and her face lit up with excitement.

“That’s what I said!”

I heard Thanatos sigh, but Zelus was snickering behind a fist as we entered.

Asha showed me around her new afterlife digs. It was a far cry from our apartment. Everything was magic-operated and spectacularly spooky. I’d get lost in a place like this, and I really hoped it didn’t become another Wonderland situation.

“So, is this where you spent your honeymoon?” I asked after wandering down another set of stairs and not being out of breath. Cardio could suck it.

A wistful sigh left her mouth. “Yeah, I guess. It’s weird to have you here, but I’m also glad. I’d been worried one day I’d have to…”

“Take my soul?” I filled in, laughing. “That would’ve been hilarious, though. Not going to lie. Finding out my bestie was Death would’ve softened the blow of the final curtain.”

Zelus and Thanatos congregated near a corner, speaking under their breath. Unfortunately, my new dead powers didn’t come with heightened hearing.

“Can you hear what they’re saying?” I whispered to my friend slash co-conspirator.

Her arm went around me. “Yeah. Let’s go chat.”

We left the boys to their little girl whispering and headed to wherever my friend decided was the best place for all the tea. Couches stretched across several corners of the room and a fire flickered in a hearth on the farthest wall. She led me over to the sofa closest to the fire, and a spread of coffee and cakes was already laid out.

I stared at it in confusion. “I haven’t been hungry at all,” I told her.

She laughed and grabbed a cup before offering it to me. “I know. It’s more for pleasure and out of habit than anything. Thanatos thinks I’m weird for still eating meals, but joke’s on him, they’re all fabulous.”

“Because neither of us cooked them?” I sassed.

Her conspiratorial glance was all Asha. “Exactly. Want to know a secret?”

I leaned in when she did. “Oh, juicy. What?”

“The birds that followed me around are his—uh, our—minions and they can change into humanoid versions of themselves. They cooked everything.”