When I decided I wanted to live, I never expected it to be under these circumstances. Never expected the Grim Reaper to abruptly stop sucking my soul from my lips, and then drag me away to Hunter, Peyton, and a girl I’m pretty sure I’ve never met before.

“Hunter?” I blink up at the gorgeous wizard that I once thought was my best friend.

His eyes, that usually carry such warmth, are void of emotion, chilled with icy stillness.

He sweeps his chin-length, blond hair out of his eyes. “In the flesh.”

I prop up on my elbows and peer around. Peyton is standing beside me, worriedly chewing on her thumbnail, more nervous than I’ve ever seen her. Next to her is the girl I don’t know. She’s around my age with long white hair and silver eyes that are almost as strange-looking as my freaky rainbow eyes. From the bits and pieces I picked up on after the Grim Reaper hauled me here, she’s the Ghost Breather. She knew the Grim Reaper, too, and didn’t seem very pleased about him just showing up on the front steps of what I assume is her house. Then again, would anyone really be happy if Death literally showed up on their doorstep?

I brush strands of hair out of my eyes as I push to my feet and assess Hunter. I know what happened. That he cast a black magic spell to bind my soul to his, and now his soul belongs to the reaper who I can no longer see. But I don’t want to believe it.

“Are you okay?” I tentatively stretch my arm toward Hunter.

As my fingers almost reach his cheek, his hand darts up and his fingers touch my wrist.

“If you’re going to touch me, you better plan on fucking me.” He jerks on my arm, causing me to stumble against him. Then he dips his lips toward my ear. “Come on, Eva; spread those pretty legs for me,” he taunts, “so I can fuck you senseless. Or would you prefer to go fuck that demon? Might be better if you do. After all, you’re a demon and I’m a powerful wizard who’s way too good for you.”

Tears veil my vision as I shove him back. “Knock it off, Hunter. I know this isn’t you.”

He laughs darkly as he retrieves his wand. “But it is. I’ve been pretending the whole time, so get used to it.”

“Hunter, please don’t do this,” I beg. “Please don’t—”

As sparks shoot from the tip of his wand, a cloud of smoke rises from the ground and sweeps him away.

“Crap.” I trot down the steps and quickly stride toward the sidewalk.

“Eva, where are you going?” Peyton shouts, rushing after me.

I quicken my pace to a jog, wobbling in the platform shoes I’m wearing. “To find Hunter before he does something stupid.” I veer up the sidewalk and race in the direction of the bad section of town, figuring that’s the best place to start looking for him. “And don’t try to talk me out of it. I know you’re not a fan of him, but he saved my life, and now I’m going to save his.”

Hunter is only in this mess because of me. He did black magic, something he hates and that is forbidden, to save me. And now he’s a Soulless, the Hunter I cared for completely gone.

No, he’s not! Somehow, I’m going to save him.

“I’m not going to try to talk you out of it!” Peyton snags the back of my dress and pulls me to a stop. “But you can’t just run around like a zombie with her head cut off with no real plan. Plus, you have a shit-ton of demons looking for you.” She turns me to face her. “If you want to find a Soulless, we need to make a plan. One that will help us find Hunter and keep the demons away from you.”

“And some of the Mystic Willow Bay Society,” I add as an afterthought.

Her brow crinkles. “Did you find out something about them while you were dead?”

I nod, my heart clenching at the reminder of what I overheard in my old childhood home. “You were right. Some of the members aren’t trustworthy at all, including Opal and my parents. Or, well, my fake parents.”

Pity fills her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

I shrug. “It’s not your fault.”

She shakes her head, her jaw ticking. “Yeah, but still, I knew those bastards were up to something. They hate any creature that’s not like them.” She shakes her head again. “Let’s go back to Rowan’s. We’ll sit down and figure out what we’re going to do.”

Sucking back the tears, I nod. Then we start back down the sidewalk.

“Who’s Rowan, anyway?” I ask, trying to distract myself from the guilt and pain stinging inside me. “The Ghost Breather?”

Peyton nods, pulling her hair into a high ponytail and securing it with an elastic from her wrist. “It might take some convincing for her to help us, but I think it will be beneficial if we have someone who can chat with the dead on our side.”

“I think you might be right.” I shudder, pulling my jacket tighter around me as the wind picks up and I get the strangest feeling I’m being watched.

Yeah, I definitely think it might be a good idea to have a Ghost Breather on our side. Not because I’m worried we’ll be haunted by a bunch of ghosts, but because of the final haunting words the reaper had whispered to me before I returned to life.

“You and I still have unfinished business, Eva,” he said with a wink. “I’ll see you soon. And tell Rowan the same thing.”

How he knows me or what unfinished business he thinks we have, is beyond me. I’m hoping Rowan knows.

No, what I’m really hoping is that she knows a way to avoid him. The last thing I ever want is for me or anyone I care about to have to look Death in the face again.