Glamour and Death

I made a split-second decision.


The fuck if I was getting kidnapped or taken for a fourth time this week.


I grabbed the nearest weapon, or what could be used as one, and swung the week-old mac and cheese pan at the intruder.


I squeezed my eyes shut as I bashed and bashed with all my strength, screaming at the top of my lungs. I didn't dare stop, too afraid that I might hear the sound of the flesh and bones getting pulverized by kitchenware.


My hands grew hot and clammy. I tightened my grip on the pan, fearing I would drop the only thing within reach that I could defend myself with.


Too shocked to move or run away, I worked up the courage to open my eyes as I slowly lowered the pan to my side. Confusion swirled in my mind as I stared at the ground with not a single drop of blood on it.


Had I imagined myself swinging? No, I definitely tried to beat the hell out of the intruder.


I lifted my gaze and we instantly locked eyes.


I thought I was going to drop dead from a heart attack as I stood there gaping at the man—arms crossed, without a scratch on him. His alabaster white hair tied back in a loose ponytail was a heavy contrast to his midnight blue suit that molded to his tall but muscular frame.


It was like seeing Death himself reappear right in front of me. All he was missing was a scythe and a black robe—if Death had an otherworldly complexion with pitch-black eyes and pointed ears.


He looked like he was evil incarnated, and he just so happened to be the same man who had my psycho-ex kidnap me. The same man that bound me and then dumped me twenty-something miles outside of city limits—at Hades Cliff no less.


He pinched his face into a scowl like he was ready to snap my neck as he swiped the mac and cheese off his shoulder, seemingly staining his expensive suit.


I whipped my head back to Gren and made wild eyes at him; attempting to tell him that this was a perfectly good time to protect me and claw that bastard's eyes out, but it was like Gren was cast under a spell and didn't flinch.


"Gren?" I said in a whisper, but his only reaction was silently sobbing on the dining room table.


I looked back at the towering man and the corner of his mouth perked up in amusement.


"No one can see or hear you. Humans are fairly easy to manipulate, familiars even more. I can easily twist their sense of reality with the flick of my wrist. So, don't test my patience."


The front door opened and clicked shut. I could hear a muffled conversation as Lucien and Lynne appeared from the hallway and walked over to the loveseat. Lucien ushered her to sit on the chair as he sat in front of her on the coffee table. He flashed her an infectious smile and took hold of her hands. 


They didn't once stop to look into the kitchen. It was as if they couldn't see me at all. I felt like a ghost stuck in limbo, life and death, unable to move on.


It made my heart sink.


"Ah." The man clicked his tongue. "He will never love you back. Pity, isn't it? Although, if we make a deal, I could easily snap her neck—or both if you refuse. The choice is yours… You have until midnight. I'll be waiting at Death's Paradise for an answer."


I blinked and the man was gone, evaporated into thin air, or maybe he messed with my mind and just strolled out the front door.

Nothing was off the table at this point.
As soon as he disappeared, everything snapped back to normal.


"Jesus Christ, you scared me," Lucien said as he threw his hands to his chest. "When did you get here? I thought you were in the bathroom."


"Ha." I honestly couldn't think of what else to say.


I had so much going through my mind. I pulled out my phone and checked the time. It was already 11:00 P.M..


That bastard only gave me an hour?


"Addy? You okay?" Lucien asked.


"Maybe it was foolish to come here," Lynne added in a hushed tone.


I glanced back at him and his face had a similar expression as before—engulfed with worry. But all I could think of was, what did he tell Lynne?


No. That didn't matter. What mattered was getting back to that stupid nightclub and making sure they weren't in immediate danger.


I set the pan back on the stove and tried to shake the anxiety away, but it was futile.

"Change of plans." I smiled, putting my trembling hands behind my back so they couldn't see through my obvious lie. "Let's go party."