Chapter 2

Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern 

The cake my father made was lovely and I hugged him tightly for making it for me. It was covered with frosting flowers and was chocolate, my favorite. I ate with my family and asked to be excused since I had an early collection. More like life to save. I fell into bed, set the alarm on my cell phone and napped. I woke up suddenly in complete worry. I grabbed my phone and saw the time 1:26 am. I curse because my alarm didn't go off. I closed my eyes and transported myself straight into Ellis's room. It was dark and I smelled blood. I flicked my fingers to produce magic light and saw the man leaning against the wall surrounded by a large puddle of red. I gasped loudly and ripped the sheet off his bed and rushed towards him only to slip and fall into the blood. I curse and slowly make my way up his lap. I wrapped up both of his wrists and closed my eyes pushing healing magic to bind his severed flesh. When I opened my eyes he was looking at me strangely.

"Who are you? Why did you save me? Living sucks." I rolled my eyes and mumbled,"life is a beautiful lie and death is a painful truth." Ellis smiled and told me I get it. I told I don't "get" anything and he was a smelly bloody mess. When he cupped my face I looked at him questionably.

"You should be dead," I growled softly and he replied,"I know." I shook my head thinking that perhaps he really was my mate.

"I meant from touching me, it should have killed you outright, all things about you are very confusing." He asked me my name and I told him, Skye.

"You need to stop trying to kill yourself and taking drugs because eventually another reaper will come and it will all be truly finis," I growled angrily. 

"Whoa there pretty lady I didn't ask for an intervention. I'm just sick of my father's expectations and figured offing myself was an easy out," he mumbled softly and I glared at him. I thought there's no way that this weak minded male could be my mate. But I look at him and my insides melt.

"So how did you manage to appear when I really need you to and what do you mean reaper?" I opened my mouth and growled low. I shook my head and he smiled telling me it's cool he understood about being incognito.

"My dad's some big hot shot billionaire and forced me to attend this university to keep me away from him and his trophy wife and kids. He and I do not get along at all. He even put me in a coma once by running me over with his lifted Tahoe," he sighed. I furrowed my brow thinking that was awful. I told him my parents and siblings adored me, but didn't tell him that they'd probably dislike him because he was of the human variety.

"I can't promise you that I won't do anything stupid again, because I certainly will but I really like talking with you. It's easy to open up myself to you and I just don't do that," he said sincerely and looked down at the mess he'd made and at me and my blood soaked clothes. 

"You're welcome to clean yourself up, I have a shower and clothes you can borrow," he offered, sounding groggy. I smirked slightly and snapped my fingers, cleaning myself and changing my clothes to a black t-shirt and skinny jeans. I looked at the bloody floor and waved my hand over it all making it spotless. Ellis was big eyed and his mouth was hanging open.  I realized he had a tongue stud. I stood and told him to go to sleep and try to enjoy his saved life.

"Can I get your number, Skye? Maybe we can hang out sometime, if you want, if not that's fine." I shrugged, keeping it cool and handed him my phone. I watched him enter his digits and call himself. He handed it back and told me thanks. I gave him a head nod, waved and vanished. I gritted my teeth realizing I was still holding his blood soaked reaper card. Normally they disappear once you do the reaping. I hurried to my bed and slid it between the mattresses. I shook my head. I was really making poor choices and somebody has got to be aware of them. I went to my bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked okay. I pulled back my black hair and tucked it behind my ear. My cell phone dinged and I saw a text from Ellis who entered his name as king dysmorphia. I chuckled softly and looked at the attached image of a bloody heart with black crow wings. The text read, I'm an artist and really like mandalas, I did the one on my wall 😎. I wrote back that it was beautiful and he was a man of many talents and hit send. I yawned tiredly. It was already 3:49 in the morning and I needed to sleep. Another ding and a text of good-night/morning and a lol. I shook my head after sending him a simple zzz emoji and fell into my bed. I was sound asleep in just a few seconds. The next day I didn't wake until eleven a.m. Renee, our house keeper, was looking down at me with her hands on her hips. 

"Rough night miss? You were talking in your sleep about someone named Ellis," she grinned and skipped around the room saying,"Skye and Ellis sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G." I tossed my pillows at her and told her to hush. 

"That serious huh, your parents are going to want to meet him," she teased and I shook my head. I felt my reaper box calling me and frowned. I had yet to do my job successfully. I slid out of bed and ran to the black square. Lifting the lid I cringed slightly seeing another card. I cursed colorfully seeing Ellis Orion, 22 years of age, 509 Main Street, 12:05:45 pm, struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk. I rubbed my eyes and Renee looked at the card and squinted, she wasn't a reaper and couldn't see the name. I had an hour to reach main street in the human realm. My mother is really going to start questioning me getting cards daily and will probably call on Rai. I snapped my fingers to clean myself and dress. Then I went to grab my cell. I sent Ellis a text.

Good almost afternoon king dysmorphia, would you please not be on main street today around noon, you're going to be hit by a car. Meet me at the tiki bar and I'll buy us lunch. I tucked the phone in my back pocket and followed Renee into the kitchen. My parents were there and Renee opened her big mouth.

"Skye is going on a lunch date with a boy named Ellis," she said loudly and I glared at her. Of course my parents perked up excitedly asking where I met him and what he did. I shook my head at Renee and smiled at both their cheerful faces.

"I met him during my first collection and we hit it off well. My dad told me to have him over for dinner tonight and I said it was too short of notice and my mother told me nonsense. I calmed my nerves and just told them I'd ask him. They both nodded and I told them I had to leave to meet him

I vanished before they could ask me where and appeared in an alley downtown in the small human city. I ran my fingers through my hair and headed west to the Tiki bar. I entered the establishment that was presently not as busy as the nights and weekends. They served lunch and scanning the tables I saw that several patrons on their lunch break were there in business suits chatting and eating with coworkers. Easing my way further inside I see the back head of blonde hair and head towards my companion. I slid into the booth across from him and he looked up and smiled handsomely.

"Hey Skye, nice meeting you outside of my room,'' he grinned. He slid the menu to me and I told him I already knew what I wanted. When the waitress came to take my order, Ellis had already ordered prior to my arrival and the waitress repeated it to him for clarification. I was shocked that he ordered the same exact thing as me. He was eyeing me oddly in return. 

"You want to tell me about yourself? I'm extremely curious about you since no one I know asks for pepperoni and pizza sauce to be added to their burger. I thought it was just an Ellis thing," he said, staring at me with curiosity. I caught a flash of blonde in my peripherals and cursed seeing my grandfather Viktor looking into the windows. Ellis turned to look and of course nothing was there for him to view. Viktor sees me and grinning, heads to the entrance and walks inside without gloves on. Such an asshole, my mom probably sent him. I tried to ignore him as he walked right up to our booth and was blantonly checking out Ellis. 

"Can you excuse me just a moment, I need to use the lady's room," I mumbled softly and he grinned and nodded. I eyed Viktor to follow me and I started cursing at him in the bathroom.

"Your parents were very excited about you seeing someone. They're not going to like that he's human though," he growled softly.

"Well I guess I'll have to have sex with him and turn him into a reaper!" Viktor shook his head.

"It could turn you human. Well a witchy human," he added. I exhaled deeply and mumbled that the guy I was with was a collection and I couldn't reap him because my heart wouldn't let me. Viktor's eyes grew large and he growled," that makes all this a thousand times worse, child."