Soulbound'

loved

aper, the ledger in his hands had never once been wrong. Names appeared, clock ticks ran

l to

fee shop, wrapped in a dark trench coat t

against the

cocoa, completely oblivious to the fact that, according to page forty-two of Aida

ked his po

13

ep forward. He waited for the telltale sign-the heavy, cold stillness t

13:

13:

14:

ng ha

of cocoa and laughed a

frow

hinking the hands had stuck, but the sec

14:

, glowing golden ink rushed across the page as if written by an invisi

into the paper: E

whispered, his voice cracking

born, you lived, and when your time was up, you died. The cos

a witch? A demon in disguis

the Council of Reapers would strip him of his title and throw him into the aby

he ledger with

d no choice but to figure out what was keeping

y c

er, trying to figure out his next move,

eling like someone was

A couple whispered across the room, the barista cleaned the counter

ing? She thought,

m being watched? Am I

e same time, it didn't make her panic. Shrugging it off, she decided to

k pen, and flipped to a page titled Bucket List. But just as h

the screen. The call

ne, but she didn't answer right away. She just stared at the g

ld make her look so terrified? He stepped forward, leaning do

Alia suddenly s

d just in time as her head almo

e!" Aidan gasped, ex

rule. If a mortal collided with a reaper, they wouldn't just bump into them-they would f

and pen back into her tote bag, slinging the strap over her left shoulder.

rously close they were, but what shocked him most was her gaze. Alia was looking

, his voice trembling even thou

er path. He let out a long, heavy sigh as he watched her walk away toward the rain o

door of the coffee shop and stepp

walk, desperately looking up and down the dark street for a taxi. She held her phon

opped up: "Come at t

om Ms. Cindy-her

pposed to analyze customer trends and plan product campaigns. But Ms. Cindy had other plans for her. Ever since day one, Cindy had treated Alia

Yet, here she was again, freezing in the storm,

times it happened, she still wasn't used to it. The heavy, familiar weig

empty taxi finally pulled up to the curb. Alia flagged it dow

sliding onto the back seat an

What she didn't know was that just a few feet behind the cab, standing com

nd, the golden letters "+30 Days" s

is dark eyes narrowing as he stepped into the street and v

ed Aura Cosmetics. Rain poured down the tall windows, turnin

r to the twelfth floor. The floor was dark except for t

patted down her damp j

dark hair pulled into a tight bun, tapping

said without looking up "I tho

et a cab" Alia said softly, standing near the doo

he product launch for the new spring line to tomorrow morning. I need the entire

orrow morning? But I thought t

t's why you're my favorite. You always get things done." She gestured toward Alia's small desk just out

oat and walked past her toward the elevators, leav

nk into her chair, and rubbed her tired eyes. She opened her lapt

day, she thou

rinter, leaning against the wall

way her shoulders slouched under the weight of exhaustion, the subtle tremble in h

ook her life,

He scanned her original cause of death: Cardiac arre

n. She was literally working herself into an early grave. And if the ledger h

rest her eyes. A strange, unfamiliar spike of annoyance flared in his chest-no

sharp cramp pinched her muscles. She leaned back in he

e shouldn't interfere, but watching her suffer

letting a faint, controlled cool bree

face. The heavy, warm air in the office instantly cleared, cool

he murmured, looking around t

corner. It wasn't much, but it

itten in his book. Who had given her this extra month? And was thirty days rea

is pocket watch. The h

softly against her crossed arms on the cluttered desk. Her

ight beside her. He leaned in, taking a closer look at her f

looked oddly familiar, like someone he had seen before, though he couldn't re

at voices bounced off the walls, startling him. Instinct took over, and in a split s

hatter right in front of her desk. She r

bright, smiling face g

e. They had lived together in the same small apartm

the desk. "I thought maybe you were out having a romantic night!

d under their ruthless boss. In fact, everyone on

or manager for creative department, and

again?" Frank asked, sha

outh to answer-but a sharp, cold voice cut thro

as putting he

terror. Alia quickly pushed her chair back and stood