Charmed (Death Escorts #2)(64)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Yeah, moving fast was a lot better in theory. Trying to cram a body, or non-body as it was, through a wall and outside wasn’t exactly easy. It took me four tries to get half my body out of the house and then another three tries to get the rest out.

By the time I made it out and across the open yard and into the trees, I was pissed off and in a very foul mood. It didn’t help that I was staring down at my body—a body that was still kind of shocking to see. I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like to literally be back to my old self again.

“I swear the next time you get your ghost ass in a body, I’m going to give you a black eye.” I threatened Storm. Threatening him made me feel better. And it kept my anger at the surface, giving my body a little bit of weight. If I started flying up here, there would be no ceiling to catch me.

“Promises, promises,” Storm taunted. “Focus on the nose or the ears,” he instructed. “Aim for that and once you’re in, it will be a lot easier because it’ll be like going into a tunnel. There won’t be anywhere for your soul to go but inside.”

My feet (or what would be my feet) were already close to the ears of my body so instead of trying to bend down and go in headfirst, I kicked out my foot, aiming for the ear. As I thought, some red went out and around the head, but some of it made it inside, creating a red trail leading inside and so I kicked again, shoving even more of myself in.

Then something happened.

Something I hadn’t expected.

It was almost like the inside of my body was a vacuum and I was being sucked up through the hose. “Storm,” I whispered, trying not to sound as freaked as I was. “It’s sucking me in.”

“Well, that’s a first,” he said, sounding a little surprised. It didn’t make me feel any better. “Just go with it. You want to get in there. This will just make it easier.”

And so I went (like I had a choice). My body seemed to know exactly what to do with my soul and I began to move faster and faster. The body, which had been lying flat and lifeless on the ground, began to plump up and fill out. It became less like a piece of clothing and more like a living, breathing man.

And then the red was gone.

I was completely inside a body I thought I would never be in again.

I stood up, looking down at my arms and legs, tossing the light-colored hair out of my eyes. I wasn’t really sure how I felt in that moment. I wanted to rush to a mirror, to look in and see if I recognized what I saw. I wanted to stand there in the yard and take stock of every part of me—to know if I felt any different, or if I felt the same…

“Maybe it’s because it’s your body,” Storm was muttering to himself.

“What?”

“I was thinking that maybe the reason your soul went right in was because that was the body it actually belongs in.”

We didn’t have time for theories on bodies and souls.

“Let’s go to Frankie’s,” I said, my eyes darting around to make sure none of G.R.’s staff was lurking. “We can talk there.”

The silence that came from Storm was anything but silent.

“What?” I demanded.

“Well…” he began, drawing out the word. “There’s something about Frankie you should know.”

She didn’t want to see me again. She was pissed I left her, pissed Storm stashed a body at her house, and he didn’t want to tell me back there. “Just tell me.”

“When I was there getting the body,” he said, pausing.

“Spit it out already!” I barked.

“G.R. showed up,” he rushed out.

“What?!” If I hadn’t already been inside a body, I knew all the red that made up my soul would have scattered for miles. The thought of Frankie and G.R. in a room together made my skin crawl.

“He walked in like he owned the place.”

“How did you get him out of there?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Tell me you did not leave her there with him,” I ground out.

“We didn’t want him to find your body!”

Screw him not having a body. I reached out and punched the air where he floated. Then I stuck my other hand inside of him and shook it, scattering him all around.

“What the hell, man!”

“You deserve so much more than that,” I spat. I didn’t even wait for him to reply or come back into some kind of shape. I took off, racing along the edge of the neighbor’s property, drawing in every last ounce of kinetic energy I could and using it to propel me right out of the fancy neighborhood without being seen once.

I was supposed to be lying low, to not let G.R. know I was out, that I had a body.

Screw that.

He was messing with my girl.

Chapter Forty-Two

“I Love Lucy – an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957.”

Frankie

The Grim Reaper was in my house. He just walked in like this was some episode of I Love Lucy and he was Ricardo telling Lucy he was home and ready for his supper.

But this wasn’t a sitcom. This was real life.

And he was the ultimate life stealer.

All three of us were frozen, staring at the closed bedroom door like it was a bomb about to explode. I clutched my stomach so hard it hurt, but I was afraid if I let go I would hurl all over the floor.

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” the Reaper called in a morbid singsong voice.

It was his voice that spurred me into action. “Storm, get that body and get the hell out of here. Do not let him see you.”

“What about you?” he said, sounding unsure.

“I can take care of myself. Charming needs you. Use the fire escape.” I pointed to the window next to the bed.

“Piper, go with him,” I ordered quietly and rushed toward the door.

“You can’t go out there,” Piper insisted. “Come with us.”

If I didn’t go out there, he was going to barge in here and find all three of us sneaking out the window. He’ll see Charming’s body—the one that wasn’t supposed to be here—and he would likely take it and do who knows what with us.

I couldn’t risk them all. I couldn’t risk Charming’s body.

I had to do this.

I mean how bad could the Grim Reaper really be?

I glanced at Piper and shook my head. Her eyes widened, but before she could yell at me and give away the fact I wasn’t in here alone, I opened the door, slipped out, and closed it directly behind me.