Momma is here, Reapers! (My new DIMBFFLAD Rewritten trailer attached to the first chapter!)

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Kat

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"You will steal something for me," Ahrimad said. "And in return, I will owe you a favor. Perhaps a way out of Death's contract?"

A contract that I haven't even signed yet–

"But you will sign it," Ahrimad cut off my train of thoughts, which I now realized he could read. Now would have been a great time to develop some sort of telepathic wall with my unreliable powers. "You will sign it as soon as possible, actually. Because if you don't, you will drop dead when the clock strikes twelve on Hallows Eve. You value your life more than you fear the repercussions of signing your soul to him." 

"I don't know if you've realized," I began, motioning to a very brain-dead, soulless, yet lethal Death next to me. "But Death isn't exactly in the condition to give me a contract at the moment."

"Ah, but you're so uninformed, little one." Ahrimad flashed me a nasty smirk. "If Death is unable to reach his body then all rights go to Lucifer. He will promptly offer you the contract, and if you don't sign it, then, well..." He slid a finger across his neck. "Think about it, do you really want Lucifer the Almighty to have possession of your soul? Your life is very unfortunate, Faith. Don't make it even more pitiful."

"Wow, I'm feeling really good about myself right now," I replied sarcastically and crossed my trembling arms over my chest. Hopefully I appeared more nonchalant than scared shitless. "What would you want me to steal, anyway? Laundry detergent?"

"The Book of the Dead."

"You want that thing, too?"

"It's not a thing, it's the most powerful and ancient enchanted scripture in the world," he hissed out. "I need it. And a little birdie told me that your aunt has possession of it. I can't just steal it myself, or I would. Lucifer has bonded with the damn human."

"Lucifer bonded with my aunt?" An awful feeling settled in my gut and I shivered. "Oh, come on. Gross. He didn't, like..." I formed a circle with two fingers and poked a single finger through it.

Ahrimad gave me a dry look. "You are wasting my time and yours."

"What happens if I don't agree to this?"

"Then I will get the book the hard way." The Grim Reaper's scythe glowed to life again in Ahrimad's hand. He looked up at the massive mirror on the ceiling of the ballroom. It began to swirl with black, milky liquid. "And I'm afraid, my dear, you will start a war."

The black firewalls around us caved in, as if a force had been thrown into it. Ahrimad's eyes widened slightly, but then he hitched his attention back to me and slipped back into his nonchalant façade. "If you value your life and the people in this room's lives, then agree to my offer." There was another fissure in the wall and he grew more urgent. "Right now."

Another thunderous blast went through the black fiery wall that was so powerful I nearly fell into Death's corpse. Tendrils of purpose electricity tangled around the black flames, creating fissures in the circle. Ahrimad lunged towards me, but magic quickly poured through the fissures and protected me in a cocoon of sorts that singed his skin and knocked him back. Through the remains of the black fiery circle, I could see Ace with his staff outstretched towards the flames. He was breaking down the barrier and protecting me.

Wind was whipping at Ace's colorful hair, shifting tables and chairs. He chanted in an old language and with every word a new flash of magic burst from the staff in his white-knuckled hands. The whites of his eyes showed and his skin was sickly pale. Death wasn't kidding when he'd said his mother had taught him black magic. However, whatever he was doing right now, was rapidly draining him and his ability to possess Ace's body.

"Paws off, Blanket. She's mine!" Ace shouted as the flames, the wind, and the electricity hit a crescendo.

I looked back at Ahrimad, who was now enraged, and by the looks of it, trapped in his own circle. He'd been ready to strike a deal with me in which I knew none of the repercussions of signing it. I didn't know his intentions and I certainly didn't know what he wanted with this Book of the Dead. Maybe he was the better option but in that moment all I could do was side with whom I was familiar with.

Death.

I had to face my fate and Death was it. Suddenly the cocoon around me dissipated section of the wall broke off behind me. I stepped through it, feeling a blast of energy around me, and was tossed out of the circle.

"You don't know what you've started here, Fallen!" Ahrimad let a booming laugh, unfazed by the electricity as it licked at his skin. "I might not have the book, but I have my scythe back, and I can access portals that you've only dreamed of! I've waited nearly two thousand years to get my body back! To think that all it would take for you to screw up would be one girl! You are a fool! To Hell with you all!"

Ahrimad hissed something in a different language at Death's body and then looked up at the mirror ceiling again. I watched with wide eyes as Ahrimad's body disappeared in front of me but remained in the mirror above us. He looked at me from above and then turned his back. And just like that, milky black clouds, and him, both disappeared in the reflective surface. Ahrimad was gone.

Death's corpse's head snapped back, the muscles in his neck constricting. Black markings became prominent beneath the thick makeup on his skin and his pupils expanded over the width of his eyes. His head snapped down and he looked right at me. As if dealing with a rabid animal, I slowly started to backup.

"Now would be a great time to have a plan, guys!"" I shouted at Devin and Death, since nobody else seemed to want to intervene. I didn't blame them. Death's body took a step towards me and gnashed his fangs together as his jaws dislocated. Right before my eyes, he grew, joints popping, bones snapping, and his height and width expanded equally until he was a whopping seven feet of muscle and rage. His skin turned a greyish black and his features became unrecognizable and inhuman. Demonic-looking. As his clothes split and tore, I spotted the tattoos on Death's stomach that I'd seen before and then as I got a peak of his legs, I realized Death's entire body was covered in black markings. Suddenly he arched his back and howled, obsidian feathered wings extending from his spine as the rest of his shirt shredded completely. His wingspan were enormous and broke off apart pieces of the second floor balcony.

It wasn't possible that the thing now in Death's place. This was Death's true form. And somehow, I saw past the fangs, the talons, discolored skin, and hunger for my soul and flesh, and found him...attractive?

I locked eyes with the beast and terror held me motionless. Actually, to hell with terror, something was literally holding me motionless. He must have gained control over me when we made eye contact because I couldn't look away, nor could I move my feet.

"Sigh. I guess I don't get a goodbye kiss from Ahrimad." Ace turned to Devin, his mouth in a thin line. "What the fúck are you waiting for? A role call?  I'm the one getting kicked out of my host. It's your turn to shine, Red Rocket."

Devin's features shifted slightly with rage. "Let's see how clever you are when this is all over, and I tear that white trash eyebrow piercing right from your pretty face."

"KILL," Death's corpse hissed at me in a monstrous voice. "KILL."

"No...let's not do that." I took another careful step back

Ace pressed a hand to his chest. "Did you just say you think I'm pretty, Lucy?"

Devin's nostrils flared and he stepped forward with a thunderous roar, which immediately tore Death's corpse's attention off of me. His skin grew scaly and red. He started to grow as well, ripping through his clothes and I could now see right through the blonde haired beautiful illusion he'd put on for show. His massive horns burst through his forehead and his features became too angular and unnatural to be human. When he was in this form–although I didn't think it was possible, more frightening than Death's true form. As his clothes tore off, Devin arched back and let out a thunderous noise that involved his forked tongue flicking out of his mouth like a snake.

Devin's massive frame disappeared in a blaze of fire and reappeared in front of me. He squared off with Death's corpse.

"Time out," Ace said casually to the monster in Devin's place and formed a T with his hands. "You're not about to be a dîck and throw any fireballs at his–my face, right? Wait. Wait! NONONO, NOT THE FACE–"

Fire exploded from Devin's body, pummeling towards Death's corpse. I wouldn't call it a fireball. It was more like a massive snake-shaped creature that burst from him as he charged towards Death's corpse. Death's jumped and cut through the air, dodging the snake at the last minute, but the serpent only boomeranged back towards him and bit into his side, exploding in an inferno. The smell of burning flesh cued my gag reflexes. The flames should have scorched Death's skin but instead it burned through a section of his tattered shirt at his ribs and melted away a portion of his skin. He let out a pained sound and a chill shot down my spine, followed by a surge of pain at my ribs that was so strong, I was paralyzed. There wasn't a mark on my body, yet my eyes rimmed with tears, and I honed in on that one area of pure agony.

Bursts of hunger pains tore at my abdomen like claws at my stomach and I nearly collapsed. Every inch of me felt drained, sick, and heavy. I felt like I was dying.

And then it was gone and I gasped for air. I couldn't shake it. As Death had cried out in pain I had felt everything he was feeling and more.

Death's corpse let out a snarl that shook me to the bone and slashed the air with his talons. He cut into Devin's arm, a deep and bloody wound. The Angel of Death bent his head forward, barreling at an impossible speed towards Lucifer's chest. Devin was knocked back towards me and there was nothing I could do to get out of the way.

Something snaked out and grabbed me around the waist before I was crushed. It felt like a hot iron had clamped around my body. It tossed me and I expected to hit the ground hard, when two strong arms caught me. Ace.

"Cue girlish swooning," Ace smirked.

"Nice catch. Now get your hand off my ass."

"Get your ass off my hand!" He set me down and pulled me behind a pillar so that we were momentarily hidden. I was breathing hard and my entire body was shaking from what had just occurred. I didn't have the words to try and explain to Ace what I'd just felt

"I have a plan," he said quickly, violet eyes dimmer than before. He looked weak but at least his nose was no longer bleeding. "Bear with me on this one because it's a little–" His attention hitched to my dress and his words fell away. My body must have went in shock like the rest of me because when I looked down at myself, I could barely feel the ugly, inflamed, bloody sections of skin where my dress had been burned off. I could see bone and I thought I heard myself scream. I felt the raw pain of the injury like a branding iron was digging into my flash.

As I stared in horror at the wound, the most miraculous thing happened. My skin began to heal together. I looked up at Ace with wide eyes. "Was that...was that you?"

His eyes were wide, too. "No..."

"Oh, okay. Good. Awesome. Because that would have made me feel better." I looked back down where the burn had once been and felt the room spin and let out a nervous laugh. "Well, good luck getting you body back, Death. I'm going to go pass out now–"

Ace gripped my face with both hands. "None of that! I need you to focus right now. If I can get...me out of Ace's body, then all's well and I'll be back to my evil and enchanting self." He looked back down at the burn on my side. "But I need you to distract him so we can trap him in one spot and he's not tangoing with Devin. I can exorcise myself and get back to my bod if he can just sit still for a few seconds."

"You want me to draw out...?" I stopped myself before I said that thing. "What do you mean a few seconds for him to sit still? You mean when he's sucking out my soul? Have you lost your damn mind? Forget I said that.  Have you looked at your corpse right now? The fangs? The talons? That famished, unrelenting need to tear into flesh apart in its eyes after Ahrimad disappeared?"

"That's just my resting face, cupcake. What's your point?"

"My point is your plan sucks and you're a selfish prîck. I can barely gargle mouthwash for thirty seconds without it burning my tongue off, and you expect me to be your muleta to your matador?"

"Did you just compare yourself to a sharp object? That's not very considerate of you. You know I'm having a lot of separation anxiety because of Scytherella's kidnapping."

I gave him a flat  look.

"Cupcake...you're going to have to trust me," he reiterated. "I'm not trying to let you get killed. That would be such a waste of an advantageous and heavenly meal." He looked down at my cleavage for a fraction of a second. "Your soul would probably be pretty good meal too, of course..."

"Oh, how the tables have turned."

His eyes shot up to my face. "What?"

I let him think about that and peered around the pillar right as Death's corpse slammed Lucifer into the marble floor, trying to slash at his face. Unconscious humans were getting dragged away by men in suits and demons were rushing for the exits. As if sensing my stare, Death's corpse stopped jerked his head up at me. He bared his fangs and leapt off Lucifer, moving towards me. But before he could close the distance between us, Devin grabbed him and threw him into a wall.

My mind wondered to the moment Devin had thrown that flaming snake at Death's corpse. In that moment, when he was in pain, I'd shared some sort of connection with Death's body. How was that possible? When I looked back at Ace, I found myself focusing on the paleness of his skin and how sickly he looked. Suddenly, I got the same chill down my spine as with Death's corpse and gasped. I felt like a soccer ball had been kicked into me. My insides were trying to tear me apart and it was hard to breathe. This must have been what it felt like to be inside Ace's body.

Ace lifted my head up with his hand and my panic dispelled. "What just happened to you?"

"You need me," I grated out, shaking off whatever strange new ability I'd just tapped into. "And you don't have the energy to possess me when Ace takes over. We're at an impasse, Grim Reaper."

His mouth fell open a moment and then it closed and his violet eyes burned with anger. "Au contraire." A muscle twitched in Ace's jaw. Death's true nature slipped through and bye-bye went Friendly Death. "The only impasse that was ever between us was me considering about five seconds ago to toss you in front of my corpse and force a distraction. Another part of me looked at your breasts, creating momentary deadlock between my dîck and my mind. A dîck, might I remind you, that is not even mine!" He pushed me back into the pillar and leaned in closer, his whisper a pure hiss at my ear. "Now you better be a good little loving Catholic girl and do what I tell you, or the first thing I'm going to snack on when I'm back in my body is your mommy and daddy. Got it?"

He pulled back and I glared up at him. It wasn't like I had any other choice other than to help the jerk. It was either deal with him or deal with Lucifer and I only knew the guy according to his legend... according to what Ahrimad had told me and although Devin actually seemed like a better option, I barely knew him. And as I thought about my lack of options, and how angry I was at Death,

"Now here's what you're–" Ace started but I was already moving. "Or you can just run out there and wing it!" he shouted after me.

Devin was taking quite the beating from Death's corpse, but he appeared to healing rapidly with every laceration the beast continued to make into his scaly red skin. Suddenly, as if sensing my stare, Death's corpse whipped his over his shoulder and growled, real low in its throat. He started towards me, but Devin's shear tail curled and snapped in the air, wrapping around his throat. Death's corpse let out another howl as Lucifer burned him with his tail. This time, I didn't feel his pain. But I did realize that Lucifer's must have been what wrapped around my waist before and caused the wound on my side. He started to stalk forward, dragging Devin's massive body with him, fangs gnashing together hungrily.

"What are you doing, Faith!" Devin's voice was altered and sounded like a deep hiss.

Truth was, I had no idea what I was doing. I tightened my jaw. In the span of fifteen minutes, I'd discovered twice that if I was really focused on someone, I could enter their body and feel what they felt. I'd healed myself. And now they all felt connected. I could feel something building inside of me. It was growing, raging, and about to burst at the seams. My fingers began to tingle with warmth. All my emotions, everything I felt in that moment washed away and adrenalin pumped in my veins. This was insane.

At the corner of my eye, I could see Ace snap into action and run at me. He wouldn't get to me fast enough. Devin lost his hold on Death's corpse and the beast was freed, racing at an inhuman speed. It all slowed. Everything slowed and I looked down at my hands. They were hot and tingling and Death was feet away from me and–

"STOP!" I threw my hands out a burst of blindingly white energy poured out of my body and smashed into Death's corpse. As quickly as the power came, it vanished once again. At some point, my eyes had shut. When I opened them, there was a seven-foot monster hovering over me. His claws hung in the hair like frozen knives at my throat, and he was stuck in a bent position. I couldn't bring myself to look up at his face, but Death's corpse was wildly sniffed my hair as if he wanted to tear the flesh from my bones but couldn't move. Neither could I.

In fact, I feared if I had a feeling if I moved my hands, Death's corpse would unfreeze and I'd be dead in a second.

My gaze found Ace's to the left of me. He looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his skull. Neither him, Lucifer–who had yet to shift out of beast-mode, known what to say at the moment.

Ace shook himself and clapped his hands once. "Oh, F me with a butcher knife. This is going to hurt." He tossed Ace's staff to the side and inhaled a large breath, exhaling as he shut his eyes. He held out his hands and chanted under his breath. The massive chandelier in the ballroom began to flicker and my heart practically leapt out of my chest with each beat. Ace's eyes burst open and whites of his eyes showed. At this point, he was screaming at the top of his lungs and the muscles in his neck were tense.

His head snapped to one side, then the other, and he fell to his knees, gasping for air, and then fell to his side and rolled onto his back. His face reddening as he continued to chant and writhe on the floor. Ace laughed manically and then clenched his teeth together, blood pouring from his nose and the corners of his mouth. His arms, fingers, and legs bent as he uncontrollably seizure. His body expunged a dark matter from his mouth and nostrils.

When the matter was gone, Ace's body went slack and the dark matter darted across the room, smashing into right Death's unmoving corpse. His body fell back and hit the ground at a dead weight, his wings spread beneath him. Slowly, his body shifted with harsh crunches, shrinking until there was a naked, too thin as if almost every ounce of fat of his body had been sucked out, and so pale that his skin was the color of snow amongst intricate black markings. There was thick black liquid on his lacerations in his skin that I knew to be his blood. I thought the worse. Had the exorcism failed? Was he...dead-dead?

You know when you have a fever and your entire body shakes? That was me then but times a million. My chest was rattling with every short breath I took and I felt like I'd been dipped in an ice bath.

Death shot upwards and I screamed. He hadn't done it with sharp inhale like I'd seen in movies. In fact, he wasn't breathing at all. He blinked at me. His pupils were still expanded over his eyes and his fangs poked out from under his parted lips. This was the first time I'd looked Death right in the eyes and scanned his face while his soul was actually in tact, and yet... it wasn't him I was looking at. This was a starving monster fixated on its prey.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and the hair prickled at the back of my neck.

"Sleep," Devin Star commanded, and oh boy, did I ever.

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 xoxo,

Gossip Death

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