Chapter 3

I'm in so much trouble 

I watched my grandfather rub his eyes and look down at me in all seriousness.

"Is he your soulmate?" I shrugged and told him my soul was at ease around him and he could see me without the gloves on. He grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, he's your soulmate kiddo, Rai's got to have an inkling because his collection counts will be off. What did you do with the cards?" I told him about stuffing them into Ellis and my mattresses and he cursed. 

"Get the one from your mate's bed, put them both together and tuck them inside the fabric on the inside lid of your reaper box, then the box won't send more collection cards for him," he sighed. I hugged him for helping me. He smiled brightly and wished me luck and vanished. I exited the restroom and headed towards Ellis to see Deagon, Viktor's husband sitting across from him inspecting him. I pulled out my cell and sent him a text message to talk to Viktor. His phone dings and Ellis glances around and sees me. I smiled and hurried towards him. Deagon looked at both of us and sighed before he disappeared. I couldn't understand why my love life was so important to everyone else.

"You okay, you're frowning and conversing with yourself," Ellis said softly with a grin. My cheeks turned pink at him being so astute.

"I'm a re..," I started to say and bit my tongue. Admitting to a mortal what we were was a huge no no.

"I'm a twenty two year old professional college student and I used to be a hard-core druggie you were there when I fucking relapsed. I've been sober for 3 years and my father sends me an invitation to some business party so I can join the real world and become reacquainted with my ex girlfriend he chose for me. Needless to say I lost it and reverted to old habits." I shook my head and told him he should have died as the drugs were laced with fentanyl and he smiled.

"You swapped them, didn't you? With your cool magic," he insinuates correctly. 

"Are you attending this event, I will accompany you as I'm well versed in such gatherings," I mumbled aghast with myself for offering. He grinned slightly and shook his head saying it had already happened and he skipped out on it but maybe next time we could attend together. Our matching meals came and I watched him add ketchup and mayo to his fries and giggled. He looked up asking what.

"You're like a little child," I teased and he smiled happily and chomped a thick ketchup and mayo covered French fry. 

"You should let me paint your portrait on my room wall," he mumbled softly and I looked up at him and thought it would be ideal for me to get the reaper card from his mattress.

"Yes, let's go after we eat," I agreed readily and he was shocked. He mentioned stopping by the liquor store and I rolled my eyes if he thought he could get me intoxicated. We ended up finishing our lunch and talked while waiting for the check. When it came I pulled out a hundred dollar bill and told the waitress to keep the change. Ellis eyed me oddly and blurted, "are you rich?" I eyed him and sighed as I patted his adorable cheek.

"I'm a lot of things, sweetie," I mumbled and brushed past him as I headed towards the exit. 

"Wait up," he shouted and I paused on the sidewalk. He rushed up to me grinning.

"You're stunning, wealthy and have great taste buds, what's your troublesome attributes," he asked teasingly. I eyed him openly and said I'm a reaper. He grinned and shrugged.

"Yeah and I'm Jesus," he laughed and I shook my head saying I was serious and could prove it. His laughter calmed and he smiled.

"It's cool Skye, we can deal. I mean it really doesn't matter to me, I think death is alright," he mumbled happily and I grinned at him. I was wearing gloves and he could tell when he held my hand. I explained all about the gloves and what reapers did. He was surprisingly interested and asked me thoughtful questions about myself, my heart was growing more for the human called Ellis Orion. He headed to the tiny liquor store and purchased a six-pack of beer and a fifth of jack. I liked Macallan scotch whisky more than beer but I'd just have to settle for what he purchased. We both were walking together on the sidewalk towards his dorm when a strong wind started to blow and the sound of wings flapping could be heard. I weaved my hands making a protective spell and put it around Ellis as Rai landed on the ground before me. He looked super pissed and I swallowed uncomfortably as his glowing amber eyes fell on me and the man I had covered in my gold binds for protection.

"No, no, no Skye. That human's soul is supposed to be on its way to its next life," he growled menacingly and I shook my head.

"He's my soulmate Rai. We are mates!" He closed his eyes and I could see him clenching his fists.

"Skye, he's human and has an expiration date and isn't immortal like you," he said sympathetically. I told him I'd turn him and he spouted off the same crap as Viktor had. Didn't any of them understand that I wouldn't care if I was human as long as I was with my soulmate it wouldn't matter. Rai rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Skye but the human must move on. I'll be assigning him to another reaper that will carry through with the soul extraction," he said firmly and my soul shrieked inside of me.

"No don't Rai, you'll destroy my soul," I cried out and he shook his head and told me to follow the rules or face punishment. He shot up into the sky and disappeared leaving me with tears falling down my cheeks. I released Ellis and he asked me what was wrong.

"You're going to die and there's nothing I can do about it," I said softly and he eyed me sadly.

"Personally I'd rather be the one in control of my destiny. Is there anything that can be done to stop me from getting reapered?" I swallowed nervously and nodded.

"If we um, have sex it can turn you to a reaper or me human," I said softly and he frowned.

"I wouldn't risk that. It doesn't seem fair." I smiled at his thoughtfulness. He hoisted up his booze and said we should continue to his room and maybe an idea would come to mind. I nodded, still feeling downtrodden and followed beside him. As we climbed the stairs to his dorm I was certain that my mother and father were now aware of my conundrum and knew exactly where I was. I went to Ellis's bed and pulled out the reaper card. 

"It's a blank piece of cardstock," he mumbled and I laughed telling him his name was clearly written upon it. He told me he would take my word for it and told me to get comfortable while he gathered his painting supplies. I grabbed a cold beer and sipped it as I watched him moving around his room. I recalled what my mother had said.

"Does your father own that entertainment thing?" He stopped and tilted his head at me.

"Why, are you a golddigger?" I laughed out loud and told him my parents were royalty so I thought not. He laughed and said,'' I knew you were loaded, but I could care less. There's more important things in life." I nodded my head in agreement as I drained the rest of my beer. I looked at him and blew a raspberry. I glanced at his fridge and snapped my fingers adding three  more six packs inside his fridge. I reached down for the whiskey and tore off the wrapped top. Ellis brought me two glasses and a 20 ounce coke. I mixed his drink and poured mine straight. He positioned me on a chair he'd dragged out of a connected room and had me sit up and face him. I watched him with a brush in hand  center the starting point on the bare wall. I giggled softly when he wrapped a blue and green feathered boa around my neck.

"It matches your eyes and I love painting feathers," he said sincerely and began sketching. He started with my eyes and I watched him in amazement as he captured the color of my unhuman eye color perfectly. He was surprisingly a fast painter and very skilled. He was finished with the large painting of just my eyes in about an hour. There was a loud knock on his door and I looked up at him questionably. He shrugged casually and opened the door to both my parents standing there looking perplexed at Ellis. I wished to be swallowed into the floor. Ellis was an amazing host. He invited them in and showed him the painting of me he had just finished. Offered them a beverage and told them both that he enjoyed my company and it made me happy. My father asked to speak with Ellis privately and the pair went into the connecting room

My mother sighed and eyed me with disappointment.

"Renee found his reaper card in your mattress when she was changing your bedding. What were you thinking? A human Skye! A human that you're supposed to collect. Rai's going to be so pissed," she sighed and I told her Rai was already there.

"He's my soulmate and I want to get to know him. He's a good hearted person," I said firmly and she shook her head and said,"who should have died from a drug overdose that you prevented." I frowned slightly and shrugged telling her my soul was responsible. Ellis and my father returned and Ellis looked upset. 

"Let's go, the young man has been informed of your betrothal to Chance. My eyes widened and I cursed vehemently.

"I never agreed to wed that pointy eared cocksucker. I refuse to!" My mother shouted,"Skye Evanore Reoch,  you watch that mouth, you're a princess and better start behaving as one." I was shaking and my heart was breaking. I looked up at Ellis and he looked offended by everything. I weaved my hands making a permanent protective spell over his person and let my parents take me away from my human soulmate.