by Pamela Labud
"Right."
He’d had a small hope the he somehow survived his ordeal, that he'd been given the chance to go back to Holly and lead a happy life. His heart sank at the thought he might never see her again.
"Maximillian Hyland, Immortal of the First order, we now pronounce your sentence..."
Max sat unmoving, stunned after hearing the High Council's decree. Their words still rang in his ears and for all the hoping and pleading he'd done since this bizarre ordeal began, in the end, it would make no difference in the outcome.
No difference at all.
#
"Max?" She hardly breathed. Was it possible? Had he survived?
Or had something even worse transpired? Was it her turn to descend into Renault's madness?
Had she died and passed into the eternal realm?
Never mind, she scolded herself. Stop trying to figure out the universe.
Max was with her and that was all that mattered.
Suddenly, he was there and pulling her into his arms, wrapping his body around hers. She was suddenly enveloped by a firm, warm wall of man, banishing the chill that had settled in her.
"Ah, woman, you feel so darn good."
She felt his chest move as he exhaled.
She felt his heart beat against her cheek.
She felt his love touch every fiber of her being.
"Max. You're alive." Her tears flowed again, this time out of joy instead of grief. "How is it possible?"
He pulled back and held her at arm’s length.
"Silly woman. I told you I only have one magical power." He grinned, pulling her back into his embrace. "I don't die."
"What?"
He tapped his chest. "Immortal. I guess you're going to be stuck with me."
"I guess I am," Holly said, reaching behind his neck and pulling him down. "It could be worse. Immortals are stubborn, self-centered, foolish beings. But, on the other hand, they are kind, considerate, and capable of great courage."
He smiled. "And I think you're pretty neat, too. Come here."
The next thing she knew, Max was kissing her. And, not one of those friendly, light tap on the lips, grandma kisses, either.
A full mouth, tongue tangling, soon-to-be lovers type of kiss. One where promises were made and souls were surrendered.
A kiss that in one single act, brought two people together and set them on the road to a long, fulfilled life together.
"Um, excuse us," the woman said behind them.
The shock of another's presence wrenched Max from her arms, and for some reason, Holly was caught between the shock of being discovered and anger at being disturbed.
"Yes?" Max said, still gazing into Holly's eyes. "What is it now?"
The woman council member cleared her throat. "Mistress Dent, and Master Hyland, there is the matter of your future that needs to be discussed.
"Future? What is she talking about?" Holly pulled back from Max. "Oh, no. They're taking you, aren't they? The trial is over and you've been sentenced? Already? How long have they given you?"
He cast his eyes downward before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Holly. It's worse than we thought. I've been sentenced to life."
She stepped back, stunned by the news. The shock of him being taken from her once and for all was too much to bear. Her knees went out and the next thing she knew, she was falling to the floor, the room turning gray around her.
"Wait," she heard him call out. "Don't you dare pass out on me."
Somehow, his words gave her strength and the world started to settle around her.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
He laughed, a full throated and joyous sound. "It's not you who should apologize, I'm the one who's sorry."
"That's very noble of you, but you're the one who got life."
"Sweet Holly," he said, kissing her lightly, this time. "The life I was sentenced to was with you. If you'll have me, that is."
Holly's heart thudded wildly in her chest and her throat went suddenly dry. "With me?" she croaked. "They're going to let us stay together?"
"They are, indeed. What luck, eh?"
"I don't understand...?"
The councilwoman stepped forward as Max pulled Holly to her feet once again. "Reaper Dent, our decision has been made in evidence of the supreme sacrifice Master Hyland was willing to make, to put down the threat that Master — that is — late Master Renault sought to perpetrate upon us all. Any judgments pending against Mr. Hyland have been permanently absolved and he is restored to his full status as an Immortal."
Max hugged Holly even tighter. "You see? Great news, huh? It fairly knocked me off my feet when they told me, you know."
"I don't doubt it." She sighed. Then, another thought occurred to her. "Um what about Mr. Hyland's brother? He died when Max was taken."
"Oh." Max sagged against her.
The councilwoman held up her hand. "His life is fully restored as well. He had no involvement in any of this and we certainly don't want to face more legal entanglements"
"A wise choice," Max said, clearly relieved.
"Then, let's go home," Holly said. She was anxious to get back to the funeral home, back to a soft bed, a hot meal, and a cold beer.
"Of course, Mistress Dent," the tall man said. "There is one more thing. Have you thought about what you will do now?"
Holly looked up at Max. "I want nothing more than to be with Max. Which means I'm afraid I'm resigning my position. Sorry to quit without notice, but I don't think I can ever do another Reaping after all that's happened."
"It is understandable that you'd feel that way. But the guild needs your talents. Please take your time and reconsider. We had hopes you would remain, perhaps in a different capacity."
"Different capacity? Of what sort?" Max asked.
"Wait." Holly held up her hand. "I don't think..."
"You should hear her out,” Max told her. “They seem somewhat desperate.”
Holly looked at the Council. "Okay. I'll bite. What job would I be doing?"
"We recently had to remove one of our council members from his service and we have an opening. Please consider serving with us. Your expertise and empathy for your clients are exactly what we need."
"It's true," the first councilman said. "We've become rather stale, without a clear vision. Perhaps what happened was our fault, or at least partly so. We've become so closed off from the living that we'd forgotten what our subjects were experiencing. In all the time that you've been with us, you've never forgotten that the most important part of our job is the soul given to our care. You would be doing us a great service."
Holly didn't know what to think. She looked to Max who shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever makes you happy is fine with me. Really."
"I need some time before I give you an answer."
"Take as long as you need, my dear," the councilwoman said. "After all, nothing around here moves forward overnight. I believe the term 'snail's pace' was first used when speaking about our guild."
To Holly's surprise, the two council members started making a most unpleasant sound, a mixture between chirping and screeching. It took a few moments to realize that they were actually laughing.
"Very well, then. I'll be in contact."
In the next instant, she and Max were sent back to the crumbling manse and the two people who waited there for them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
It had been one heck of a long day. Max put out a bottle of Merlot and prepared them a light meal of exotic cheeses, fresh sliced vegetables, tropical fruit, cold cuts, and freshly-baked baguettes.
"Looks wonderful," Holly yawned as she walked into the living room. "I'm starving."
Max grinned. "It's not the lavish meal I'd hoped to prepare but since Millie has gone for the evening and I didn't feel like another trip to the all-night diner. This was my best solution."
"Wine, meat, cheese, fruit, veggies a
nd fresh bread? A veritable feast."
"Then let's dig in."
"I thought you'd never ask."
Thirty minutes later, the food was consumed, the fire burned warmly in the fireplace, and for the first time in his extensive memory, Max felt complete.
"This is nice," Holly said beside him.
Snuggled together on the overstuffed sofa, they watched the fire slowly die down until it was nothing but glowing embers.
Max leaned forward and emptied the remainder of the wine into their glasses. "Want another bottle?"
"Not right now. Let's just sit and do nothing for a while."
"Deal," he said. "It's so nice, being here with you. I mean, I've been with women before..."
"Oh, gosh, you're not going to tell me all about your dating life, are you? Because, I think that’s conversation we need to put off for another time. Or, never, would be good."
He laughed. "Nothing like that. What I was going to say is that I just realized I've never felt completely comfortable with a woman before."
"Really? Why not?"
He shrugged. "I think it's because I was either trying to please them or trying to disengage from them. But never really trying to know them."
"I think the operative word here is 'trying.'"
Max sat back. "What do you mean?"
"Well, if you feel about me the way I feel about you, there's no trying. It doesn't have a switch you can turn on and off, but rather it just is. This thing exists and it's from both of us."
He thought about it a moment. "What does your friend Artemis think about all that's happened?"
Holly laughed. "Yeah, she was like 'what took you so long?' She's been pulling for you since the beginning, believe it or not." She sipped her wine. "What about your friends and family? Do you think there'll be any objections?"
"I don't think I care one way or the other, to tell the truth. Matty will be his usual annoying self, probably telling you that you can do better. Fiona will be thrilled, of course. And Melody and the rest of the staff have already intimated that they'd be thrilled if we, um, 'got together,' so to speak."
She sighed and settled back into his arms. "I'm glad. After everything we've been through, I'd do it all again it if it meant us being together."
"Me, too." It was his turn to sigh. "You came to Reap me and got way more than you bargained for."
Holly grinned. "In other words, I pursued me until you caught me."
They laughed together and Max knew that the compass he'd been missing had finally appeared and he couldn't wait to start their life together.
It was with that thought that he slid off the sofa to land kneeling on the floor in front of her.
"Holly Elizabeth Dent," he began. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
She sat there, mouth open staring at him, her face frozen in shocked surprise.
For a moment, Max was sure she was going to turn him down. He was just about to pull away from her when she spoke.
"I will marry you and be your wife until my very last breath."
He grinned. "And I will love and cherish you for just as long."
Moving back up to sit beside her, he took Holly in his arms and kissed her long and deep. The beautiful Reaper who'd come to take his soul had given him his life instead. When it came time for him to pass into the ages, he would go a happy man who'd gotten the greatest gift of all.
A woman who loved him.
#
Holly sat on Max's sofa, his arms around her, nestled in his embrace and covered by a thick quilt. The fire had long since died out, and she could see the hint of dawn slowly lighting the early morning sky.
They'd talked well into the night until Max finally gave in to his exhaustion, the food, and the wine. She wasn't far behind him and suspected that they'd spend the day like this, wrapped in each other's arms.
Just then, Artemis glided into the room and made her perch on the fireplace mantle. "I take it you won't be coming upstairs, any time soon?"
"Oh gosh. I forgot to put out your seed," Holly said, suddenly feeling guilty at ignoring her friend. "There's some bits of mango left out in the kitchen, if you don't mind helping yourself."
"Already did. Fortunately, I was able to bump the spigot enough to get water, too. Though, you might want to shut if off."
"I'm sorry you had to fend for yourself."
"You've been through a lot, so you're forgiven. Um, this time, anyway."
"Thank you," Holly yawned.
The bird ruffled her feathers. "Guess I'll head back upstairs and give you some privacy."
"You don't have to go. I'm going to pass out in a few minutes and I have a feeling that Max won't be budging for hours. Please stay."
"Very well." She settled into a large glass candy dish. "Things are good, then?"
Holly grinned. "Oh, better than good. He asked me to marry him tonight."
"You better have accepted." The bird leaned forward.
"Don't worry, I did."
"Good."
A few quiet moments passed between them. Holly envisioned life with Max. Staying up late and rising early. Going on long walks together. Eating at all the amazing restaurants in Nocturne Falls. Telling their families and friends. Maybe one day raising children together...
"Hey, Cinderella,” Artemis said. "One quick question."
"What's that?"
"What's it going to be? Indoor or outdoor?"
Holly blinked. "Indoor or outdoor, what?"
The bird started to cackle. "Wedding, silly. Indoors or outdoors? Under the gazebo at the park, or in a rented hall? Spring wedding or fall commitment ceremony? Come on, girl, have you never even attended a wedding?"
Holly sat back, her stomach tightening and her head swimming with a sudden burst of thoughts, each more dire than the one before it. Jumping to her feet, she began to pace.
Her movements, though not all that loud, were enough to rouse Max.
"Holly? What is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Something wrong? Did the council change its mind?"
Holly shook her head. "No. It's far worse than that, I'm afraid."
"What's wrong?"
She rushed back into his arms, trembling as he held her. But, she didn't flee as was her first inclination. No, best to handle it face on.
"What's wrong is us. We have a wedding to plan, a venue to choose. Dresses. Bridesmaids and groomsmen. Cake for the reception. Oh, gosh, we have to plan a reception..."
He quickly pulled her into his embrace. "Hey, hey, hey. You forget who you're with. A wedding is nothing but a big party. I plan parties all the time."
"You plan funerals."
"Well, they're not always sad. I mean, if their family's not especially fond of them, that is."
That was when Holly's panic bubble burst. "How absurd I am, only hours since we both came close to losing each other for all eternity, to carry on about something so silly."
"Not silly at all," he said but she could tell he wasn't a hundred percent on that. The fact that he was trying to calm her fears made him all the more adorable.
"I guess everything hit me all at once. Please, forgive me."
He pulled her back into his arms. "There's nothing to forgive, Reaper girl. We've faced down life and death. Planning a wedding will be easy peasy. I promise."
"Of course, it will. Besides, we don't have to do this, you know."
He looked down at her. "Get married, you mean?"
It was her turn to laugh. "Oh, no. You’re totally committed to that. We don't have to have a wedding. We can elope."
"But that would be disappointing our friends and families. I don't know about you but facing down a maniacal evil Reaper is a lot less frightening."
"Right." She laughed. "Whatever we do, we're in this together, eh?"
"Yes, we are. Like it or not, you and I are going to be married a very, very long time."
"Forever, right?"
He sealed his promise with another kiss and Holly reveled in the thought that while she'd once been set on Reaping the Immortal, he'd given her so much more. And there was so much more ahead of them.
About Pam:
Since the age of 13, Pamela Labud wanted to be a writer. So much so, that she asked her Mom and Dad for a typewriter for Christmas that year. Now, a multi-published author, who’s first book was a 2006 Double RITA finalist, she has finally realized that dream.
In addition to writing Paranormal, Contemporary, and Historical she also writes Medical romance novels. A Registered Nurse, Pamela worked 34 years in ICU and Cardiac Care. Married, she shares her home with 6 dogs, 3 Cockatiels, 2 Love Birds, 4 Parakeets, and 3 Zebra Finches.
When she’s not writing, Pam enjoys watching TV crime shows, old movies and anime, reading romance fiction, suspense and Manga.
You can check out Pamela’s books at;
www.pamlabud.com.