Death gets a clue from Michael

The wheezing was slowing down. It was nearly time. Carl Rozario was taking his last breathe and he was making no effort to stay alive. He was happy to go. After all the hard work on earth, it was time to move on. He slowly turned to see the figure lazing on the sofa with a glass of vodka in his hands. Carl Rozario coughed loudly and yet the figure did not stir at all. Carl Rozario coughed again.

Death could feel her next to him. Her sweet pheromones embracing him, blending into one. He could still feel her soft skin on him. Her lips. Gosh, they were killing him. The taste was still on him. It has been days and yet it felt as if he had just kissed her. He muscles tightened when he saw the scene of Inglis disappearing replayed in front of him. It was too much for him to bear. He opened his eyes to jazz.

"Bobby Darin, I guess I'm good for nothing but the blues" coughed a voice.

Death turned to face the figure on the bed. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the poorly lit room. As his vision cleared, he realised that the figure was no ordinary being. " Michael?"

Michael was sitting near Carl Rozario with a glass of vodka on his hand. He turned to face the lifeless body.

"Carl Rozario. Hmm, poor chap was wondering why there were two death angels in his room. Told him that it was none of his business and led him over."

Death was staring straight at Michael.

" Ratel Maya, are you alright dude?"

Death looked at Michael. It has been a while since someone actually called him by his real name. Michael was really worried. He had known Ratel since he started out as a beginning death angel. Ratel had shown him the ropes despite being his boss. He was patient and kind and fierce when he needed to. But what was more important was that he respected everyone and appreciated what they were doing. He was strong and tough but today he was very much troubled.  

"It's her right.... Inglis?"

Death  closed his eyes and threw his head back. It was tearing Michael apart watching him in this state.

"You know, you could get her if you wanted..."

"No... not by force... not in that way" he replied without opening his eyes. The jazz was so soothing and he just wanted to lose himself in the music.

"Well... there is a way..."

Death peered open his right eye and saw Michael walk towards him. Death realised that Michael, though not as experienced as him, looked much older than Him. He looked old enough to be his elder brother, which he once had as a mortal. Michael sat himself opposite Death and his lovely semi-gray eyes stared right into Death's eyes.  A stare that Death knew meant business and also a crazy one.

"Ratel, come on, all you need to do is to select the next Death and you can step down... be a mortal again"

Death took a sip from his vodka glass. "You know that is a huge risk I am taking. You saw the candidates, you honestly think they qualify?"

Michael did not reply. He was staring intensively at Death. Suddenly, his pupils dilated.

"You are afraid of letting go, aren't you?" he grinned.

Death, got up. He did not want Michael to see his face. He did not want him to have the satisfaction that he was right.  Death did not want anyone to see his vulnerability.

Michael continued. " Ratel, you need to let go of your fears. You have lost every single loved one in your five births. I know it hurts terribly. You accepted the job because you have become immune to pain or at least learn to accept it. But today after centuries, you have started falling for this girl. And you know your contract is coming to an end. You can't deprive yourself of such an opportunity."

Death knew he was making sense and yet he could not accept the reality. He turned to face Michael. "Mike tell me, what is so special about this girl? I mean I have had my fun with many girls, demons, name it, look she will go away soon. You want me to risk my current vocation for this girl, who may leave?"

"What if she was no ordinary girl? What if she is the daughter of ...." Michael bit his lips. Gosh, he had given too much information. Michael needed to keep the information confidential before he get his head literally severed by his Big Bosses.

"Daughter of? Michael, who is Inglis???" With one stride, he was standing infront of Michael and grabbed his collar. His eyes pierced into Michael's. Michael could feel his fury burning him. Michael cried in agony. 

"Please Ratel. It hurts" he cried

"Then tell me,who she is?" he bellowed. Death was shaking all over. Something in Him clicked. All this while he has been thinking that Inglis was another special case. Another reincarnate death angel who had to finish her job on earth, or at least that was what he was told by the rest in the council. He was to watch over her. But no matter what, it is impossible for a mere angel to be able to call upon Death and control demons the way she had done over the past few years. There was more to her. And He was desperate to know.  

"Ratel, I can't tell you everything. I will be executed in a horrible manner. But all I have to say is that , she is as powerful as you are. She is no mere small fry in the hierarchy. She is bloody powerful and she is slowly learning it. She is the daughter of a very powerful figure. That is all I can say." Michael was on his knees and tears were streaking down his face. That was all Death needed from Michael to confirm his long grown suspicions which were hidden deep down inside.  

Death had no idea what he was feeling. But all he knew was he needed to find out her real identity. That was his driving force. With that thought, he disappeared in search of Inglis in the mortal world. 

picture from www.goodreads.com

Death's intimate kiss

Death had not seen such a determination in her eyes. “Alright, but it is not going to be a Chris Pine, that I bet you.”

“I don’t care even if you look like the Phantom of the Opera or the Hunchback of Notredame. I want to see your mortal form… or the last mortal form you took.”

“Well, I only had one mortal form despite being born 5 times. I am the- wandering- Jew- type, have you forgotten? Oh well… you sure about it?”

Inglis nodded her head.

Death closed His eyes and a slight breeze blew over. Inglis held her breath. Slowly, under the moonlight, she saw him slowly transform from toe to head.  Inglis gasped. Her eyes opened wide. She could not believe her eyes.

Death’s mortal form was no taller than Chris Pine. He was Caucasian guy with hazel brown hair and a small beard which gave him a roughed look. He opened his eyes and stared at Inglis. He had a good frame and was rather good looking. Inglis moved closer into the moonlight.

“I have seen you before, haven’t I?”

Death did not move his gaze. “Yes, I first met you in London. You went out to get bread and I was going to collect a soul in that district. I was the guy who spoke to you in the streets.”

“That explains why you disappeared suddenly,” she interjected as she moved closer to him. Inglis had no idea why she was doing what she was doing. She moved closer to him and slowly took his hands and put it around her waist. He held her other hand and held her close. She was still looking at him and he at her.

At a distance, the band was playing Linda Ronstadt’s - When I Fall In Love. The moment felt perfect. Inglis didn’t bother about her surrounding except for one thing; she was dancing in the arms of a guy she had met on the streets last year. She felt somewhat safe and warm despite knowing that she was dancing with Death.

Death had never felt so much alive. He was holding the hands of a girl whom he had become fond of. She was no longer a girl. In a second she had transformed into a lady. He was a mortal for once. He liked her touch, but he liked her lips even more. As the music came to a slow stop, Death did something he always wanted to do. His lips descended on her.

His lips came down upon hers, gentle yet demanding. She tasted sweet, really sweet. God, she was killing him. He grabbed her closer and his hands caressed her back. She shivered and slowly opened her mouth wider. His kiss deepened. She moaned. Death was excited, his desire was slowly becoming lust. She kissed him back. She was a good kisser, no wonder men were crazy about kissing her. She grabbed his shoulders and pressed him closer to her. It had been a long while since Inglis had such an intense kiss. Death was becoming a better kisser than the guy who taught her to kiss. The guy she had place in the pinnacle for a long time. Death slided his hands down her back and squeezed her butt. She gasped and drew her head back. Death moved his lips down her throat and she moaned deeper. Death felt his blood rushing rapidly into his groins. She grabbed his head and pulled it back and licked his ears. This time it was Death's turn to groan. He so badly wanted to lay her down and explore every inch of her body.

Suddenly, he could no longer feel her. He, himself was not moving. Nothing was moving. He felt a strong suction against him. A huge warmth. It suddenly struck him. He wanted to yell but all he could do was to watch Inglis slowly vapourise in front of Him.

Inglis was going back to her body.

She was waking up from meditation. 

Inglis' challenge to Death

Death led the last soul into the light when he heard a strange music in the air.

“Jazz?”

The next thing he knew was that he was walking into a club. It was a cozy little club with a live jazz band which was exceptionally good. Death found himself swaying from side to side. The lighting in the club made it look as if he was in Paris in the middle of winter. It was romantically refreshing.

“Table 27 sir”

Death was so taken in with the ambiance that he did not realise the wide-eyed waitress standing infront of him . She was probably not over the age of 20 and she was blushing and lowering  her eyelashes at him.

“Why, thank you!” Death wondered why she was looking at him in that manner. As he walked, trying to locate the table sign 27 on the tables, he caught many women staring and giggling at him. It was odd. He wondered whose appearance he has taken this time. He crossed a wall with a huge mirror and caught his reflection.

“Chris Pine. That explains,”  he licked his finger and smeared it over his eyebrow. “Perfect”.

As he continued walking, he eyes caught a figure near the balcony. It was a figure he seemed to be very aware of. His heart skipped a beat. She was leaning against the railing. Her silhouette was full- figured. The cutting of the night lacy cocktail dress exposed her beautiful Latin legs and her long brown back. Her red hair was glowing in the moonlight.  Death felt blood rush to his loins. Now, that was a feeling he had never felt for a long time. He found himself moving faster towards her.

Inglis could feel the presence of Death approaching. For once she was looking forward to seeing Him. She could not phantom how she managed to land herself in such an amazing place. She knew she was doing her meditation and then the music turned into something Jazzy and now she was here waiting for Death. She wanted to see Death. She just wanted to.

“Nice ambiance!” lnglis turned to face Death. She was surprised to see Chris Pine staring at her. She liked Chris Pine, who wouldn’t anyway?  She had to remind herself  that it was Death. She looked into his eyes.

Death could not take his eyes of her. She was so ravishing. He wished he could touch her. The thought of running his hands down her back, feeling the softness of her skin, knowing each and every aspect of her body, was getting to his head. He gripped the handle to steady himself. He suddenly saw her looking at him intensively. She seemed to be searching for something in His eyes.

Inglis was wondering what Death actually looked like. She was looking for His past in his light blue eyes.

“What are you looking for?” asked Death who could not help smiling, watching her expression change every second.

“Hmm… wondering how you would look. I mean , I am sure you were born as a human once. I wonder how you looked?” 

 Death smiled. “Why are you suddenly so interested in how I look like? I thought you had fun with mortals, like Lesi and Juan.” Death stopped abruptly. He should not have said that. He knew what had happened with Lesi and Inglis (and he was lucky she is still pure) and was very close in granting her wish of killing him. But He knew it was not in his capacity to do so. He had a price to pay and it was not His responsibility. He saw her lower her eyelashes. She was hurt and he knew why. She had seen him with another girl. Though she knew he was sick in his head, she was a girl after all and this was another disappointment for her again. Though she was immune to disappointment, she did feel a bit of pain. 

The house suddenly roared. The live band was playing, ‘flying me to the moon’. Inglis looked up, her eyes were bright. She grabbed His hands. He was stunned.

“Inglis! Don’t you feel anything?” He gasped. She smiled a cheeky smile.

“If I could create this, I must also have the ability to block the memories and its effect from me. I do feel it but it is very mild. It took me a while to control it and meeting you many times did help. No worries. Follow me, “ and she dragged him down a spiral staircase which led them to a garden. It was beautiful open space surrounded with flora and fauna. She stopped where the moon was shining. It was a sight to behold and the band could be heard clearly from where they stood.

“ I am over mortals Death. Sometimes handling my own demons and my own kind is far more suitable for me. Will you dance with me? I feel relieved that my episode with Lesi is over. I just want to dance in this world I have created. So, will you do me the honors?”

Inglis’ eyes were twinkling and he could not help  but give into her request. He moved forward and was about to reach to hold her hands, when she moved back.

“No, not as Chris Pine, but as yourself. A mortal form”

“Inglis, you got to be kidding…” but Inglis was not joking. She folded her hands and waited.