Was the question just my mind’s way of justifying keeping him here? Was it selfish to want to get to know him while I was in the living realm? Would he choose me if he were standing in my kitchen with the rest of us?
Anyone would choose their known existence over the unknown, right?
“His mother died. Her name was Brenda Coyne.” I remembered her well. She’d been worried about her son.
“He can be reckless. He sees it as having fun. But his behavior will get him killed one day,” she'd said.
And I’d made a joke about her son seeing me and how it wouldn’t be that bad of a thing, now would it?
She'd laughed and said I was a pleasant enough person. “I pictured Death as more... skeletal and ugly. You certainly aren’t either of those things.”
She’d made me smile.
Her son would give me hell. I was certain of that.
I grabbed the contract, stuck it in a drawer in the kitchen island, then headed out of the room.
Morgana dogged my heels. “What are you intending to do, Grym?”
“To ask him what he wants.”
“You know you have twenty-four hours to fulfill his contract. If you don’t, the prophecy will begin.”
I grabbed my keys. “Would it be so bad to have immortals among us?”
“They threaten the Bureau’s existence and your job.”
Cael came up behind Morgana. “Elliot Coyne threatens us all. We’ll all need to pick a side, even you, Morgana.”
“No pressure or anything.” Ossy pushed Cael. “Give him a fucking break, man.” His gaze met mine. “I’m with you, no matter what.”
“Me, too,” Ivar yelled from the kitchen.
“And me,” Janus said.
Four other guys backed me too.
“Yeah, whatever. Can you pick up tacos on your way back? Or maybe a pizza? I’m starving, and you have no food,” Zoran said.
Grym sighed and shook his head. “I don’t think getting tacos is in my job description.”
“Considering you’re probably going to screw us all, feeding us is the least you can do.” Cael wasn’t budging. He had an opinion. That much was clear.
But Grym would do whatever Elliot chose. And buy tacos for everyone, of course.
****
I transported to the restaurant. All it took was thinking about it, but the cloak kept me hidden from other humans, except for the soul in need of transport. The cloak itself held a great deal of power.
By the time I arrived, Elliot was still clinging to life, but that would change soon.
The paramedics weren’t exactly panicking, but they were desperate to save Elliot.
They worked to stabilize him enough to move, but they would fail, depending on Elliot’s choice. The longer they worked on him, the more he faded.
When he left his body, he seemed to know what was happening. He focused on the paramedics as they spoke about losing Elliot.
“Holy shit, I’m dead. Right? Maybe?” Elliot shook his head. His back was to me. I knew he hadn’t noticed me. His focus was on himself. “Dude, this isn’t how I wanted to go. You’re a stupid motherfucker, Elliot Coyne.”
