Chapter 2
Grim Reaper

Lily and Thanos argued six or seven more times throughout the day, and I had to break it up every single time. I was so aggravated; I was about to choke Lily to death.
One thing I forgot to mention – I have a brother that’s the same age as me. His name’s Blake, and we’re twins. I don’t see him a lot sometimes, but he always goes to school, because I check. He knows I do, so he never skips.
Today he asked me for a ride, and I gladly gave him one. I had gotten the car; he had gotten a laptop. I had a laptop now, too, because I had saved up for it, but that was beside the point.
Blake has hair the same color as mine. On him it almost looks like its fake, because for one thing, he’s a guy and his hair is short. He keeps his hair a little long and messy. His eyes are a dark green instead of hazel like mine. Blake’s also about a half a foot taller than me.
“Hey, Am,” he said, running his fingers through that unrealistic-looking hair. “What’s with the new kid? I know you, and you do not like guys or new kids.”
“It isn’t that I don’t like guys, it’s just that I haven’t found a guy that deserves to be liked. Except the new kid, of course,” I replied.
“How in the hell did he get you to talk to him?”
“He proved he was really smart, and he didn’t drool over Lily. Actually, he told her he wasn’t interested. It was hilarious.”
“Wow, the guy is awesome. I think I’m the only other guy that’s ever turned Lily down. I mean, she isn’t that pretty, she’s just slutty. You’re my sister, and I think you’re better looking than she is.”
“What a thing to say, Blake,” I sighed, shaking my head.
“Well, it’s true.” He paused. “Anything else interesting happen today?”
“Richard Thompson gave himself a concussion.” I smiled at the image it brought to mind.
“I was there,” Blake said. “You should’ve seen it. He tripped and grabbed at one of the tables, and instead he got hold of one of the globes. It flipped off the table and hit him right on the top of his head. He was dizzy because of how hard it hit him, and his head was bleeding. He definitely had a concussion.”
“Really? Now I almost feel bad for him.”
“Yeah. What’s the new guy’s name?”
“Thanos. I didn’t get his last name.”
“Cool name.”
We rode in silence the rest of the way, and I realized I hadn’t told him that dad had hit me.

I threw my stuff down on my bed and pulled Blake into my room. Dad was off today, and he was passed out drunk on the couch.
“What is it, Am?” Blake asked, looking concerned.
“I forgot to tell you something. Do you know why I was locked in my room all weekend?” I asked him.
“No, not really.”
I bit my lip, trying to force out those hard-to-say words. “Dad hit me,” I said finally.
“He what?”
“He hit me.”
“I’m going to kill him! He gets drunk, okay. He still goes to work. But hitting you?! He has a death wish! Goddamn alcoholic asshole!”
“Blake, he’s still our dad.”
“No he isn’t,” Blake spat, gritting his teeth.
“What’re you talking about?”
“Mom told me. The day before she died.”
“Oh my God.”
“And now, that man down there is dead.”
“Blake, no. You can’t.”
Blake shoved past me and ran downstairs. He grabbed a big kitchen knife.
“Blake, no! Stop!” I yelled. The man I thought was my father stirred to semi-consciousness.
Blake raised the knife.
I screamed.

My scream scared me. And Blake, too, apparently. It seemed two toned, like a scream with a screech of nails on a chalkboard underneath. I had never screamed before in my life that I could recall. And I was glad I hadn’t.
The worst part was that I couldn’t stop. It just went on and on.
A black shrouded figure floated into the room and looked between Blake and I. He shook his head and brought his scythe down on my “father’s” chest. My “father’s” body shuddered, and a grayish wisp-like thing floated up from it.
He was dead.
My scream stopped. Death gave me a half-salute, half-waved to Blake, and floated through the door. I collapsed on the ground as blackness over took me.

“Amaya? Are you okay? Am, wake up.”
I rolled over and groaned. My head hurt like hell. “What happened?”
Blake’s face appeared over my head. I was lying on the floor.
“Um, you screamed and…” He jerked his head towards the lifeless body on the couch. I sat up and remembered most of what happened.
“Damnit. We’re going to an orphanage now, you realize that?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “We can be signed over as adults. We are seventeen.”
“And who’s going to sign the papers, Blake? Mom?”
“No, the state.”
“Fine, whatever. Let’s just call 9-1-1. He’s already dead, but whatever.” I was actually pretty heartbroken over the whole situation, but I wasn’t going to let Blake see that. Stupid, overprotective Blake.
“Am? Did we just see Death?”
I nodded. “I think so.”
He shuddered. “That’s freaking creepy.”

The paramedics arrived, but they said that “dad” was dead. I cried, even though I already knew that. Blake had his arm around my shoulders, trying to calm me down.
The police came shortly after and told us that “dad” had poisoned his liver with all the drinking. We were allowed to stay here, and they were going to send a foster parent over until we were eighteen, but only because we were so close to eighteen. We officially belonged to the state now. At the end of the week, a volunteer foster parent would come. She was going to get paid to take care of us. I hoped and prayed that she wasn’t the cliché evil foster mother. Blake mirrored my worries.
The next morning, I got up and thought He’s dead. No more alcohol in the house, no more getting hit, no more screaming fights.
I felt better rather than worse.

Thanos met up with me outside the school and we walked to my locker.
“What’s wrong, Amaya?” he asked.
“The man I thought was my father poisoned his liver and died last night. But hey, no worries – he wasn’t really my dad.”
“That… sucks. Big time.”
“You’re telling me. Now a stupid foster mom is coming to the house and staying until Blake and I are eighteen. We belong to the state.”
“Who’s Blake?”
“My twin brother.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.”
“Hey, Amaya!” Richard called from down the hallway.
“Damnit. Not now,” I muttered. But then I got a brilliant idea. “Thanos, kiss me.”
“What?” he asked, and gave me a WTF face.
“Just do it!” I snapped.
Thanos leaned in and kissed me. He pressed me up against the locker, and you could tell he had wanted to do this. His hands rested on my hips and my arms went around his neck.
I heard Richard go “What the hell?” and I smiled against Thanos’ lips.
Richard stomped away.
I pulled back, taking a deep breath. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
Thanos’ hands were still on my hips. His eyes searched mine, and he kissed me again. I didn’t fight it; I melted into it. He kissed his way down my neck and back up to my lips.
Someone cleared their throat. Yeah, moron, interrupt my first perfect moment ever.
I pulled back a little and looked for the person. It was Blake.
“Um, Am, sorry for interrupting, but I just wanted to let you know. The foster mother is going to be here on Friday. Her name is Lauren Blakemore.” He laughed. “Her last name is Blakemore.”
I laughed. “Nice.”
“Well, I’ll leave you two alone. Sorry for interrupting, Am.” He half-saluted Thanos. “Good luck, dude.”
Thanos smiled. “Thanks, Blake.”
Blake walked back towards his locker, shaking his head.
“Where were we?” Thanos asked, grinning.
I smiled. “I think you were about to kiss me again.”
He leaned in to kiss me. The bell rang.
“Damnit,” I said softly.
Thanos kissed me once more, one quick peck on the lips. He headed for his locker with a grin plastered on his face.
 
Chapter 3
Truth

In homeroom, the only class that Thanos wasn’t in with me (if you could call it a class) besides Spanish, I sat next to Lily. I didn’t see any real use for Spanish, but the class was fun.
“Ohmigosh,” Lily said. “Richard seriously looks pissed at you. What’d you do to him this time?”
“I’m not telling,” I answered, grinning.
“What? Why not?”
“See if you can figure it out in chemistry. You don’t have geometry with me…”
“No, I don’t. Why won’t you just freaking tell me?”
“It’s a surprise.” I giggled in hysterical bliss.
“You are so weird sometimes, girl.”
“I’ve been told.”

Then geometry came along, and Thanos wasn’t there.
I watched the door and the clock the entire time, hoping he would walk in, but nothing. By the end of the period I was about to cry.
I sulked my way out the door when the bell rang.
“What’s wrong, Am?”
I spun around. “Thanos?”
“Yeah, who else?” he asked, grinning.
“Where the hell did you go?”
“I cut class.”
“On your second day? Yeah, right.”
“Don’t believe me? Fine, whatever.”
We walked in silence. I shoved between a bunch of popular girls just to annoy them.
I sat next to him in chemistry, pissed that he hadn’t said anything about ditching class. He also acted like he hadn’t kissed me, which made me even more furious.
“So what made Richard mad?” Lily asked.
“Forget it, Lily,” I muttered. She must’ve realized I was mad, because she didn’t say anything else.

I was walking to my car. Blake was staying at his friend’s house, and I was headed home.
I started the car and was backing out. Thanos ran up and jumped in the passenger seat.
“What the hell?” I yelled. “Get out of my car!”
“I wanted to explain where I was, Am,” he said. He sounded sincere.
“Well, spit it out.”
“Not here.”
“Well, where are we going then?”
“Preferably to your house.”
“And why would I take you to my house?”
“Amaya, this is important. Just drive to the damn house.”
I sighed. “Fine.”
I pulled out of the school parking lot just in time to get ahead of the busses.

I slammed the front door behind Thanos. I stomped up to my room, not bothering to see if he followed.
“Now what was so goddamn important that I had to bring you to my house just so you could tell me?” I snapped, agitated.
“Calm down, Am. This really is important,” he said.
I sat on my bed, arms crossed. “Well, then talk.”
He sighed and sat down next to me. “Have you ever…screamed?”
My anger melted into fear. He knew about my scream? About how “dad” had died?
“N-no,” I stuttered.
“Judging by your reaction, you have. It’s okay. I know, I won’t tell.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell?”
“Well, for two reasons. The first is that I love you,” he replied, grinning. My heart fluttered and his smile faded into a serious face. “And second, you’re a Banshee.”
“I’m a what?”
“A Banshee, Am.”
“Okay, how would you know this in the first place?”
“I’m a Bozaloshtsh. The male version of a Banshee.”
I put my hands over my face, trying to not believe him, but after screaming knowing it was true.
“That’s part of the reason I’m not attracted to Lily,” he said. “But every Banshee and Bozaloshtsh has another supernatural person that they’re supposed to be with. And I think you’re mine.”
I pulled my hands away from my face. “And why would you think that?”
“I fell in love with you the second I saw you.”
“Thanos, I find this all seriously hard to grasp. I’ve only known you for like, a day, so why should I believe you?”
“Because you know it’s true.”
He was right, but the stubbornness in me wouldn’t let me admit it.
“Amaya, you can believe me or not, but when you’re foster mother comes, you won’t be able to get away. If you scream, she’s dead.”
“Why didn’t death get Blake?” I asked.
“Because he’s a Bozaloshtsh. That’s why he wasn’t attracted to Lily, either. We…humans are almost repulsive to us. But he’s your twin brother; did you expect him to be normal if you weren’t?”
“Not really,” I admitted.
“Well, where is Blake?”
“He’s at his friend’s house. He won’t be home until tomorrow.”
“Damn. We need to get out of here.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I’m supposed to get you back to the kingdom. You’re powerful; you’re supposed to come back safely. And ASAP.”
“The kingdom?”
“Yes, Am, the kingdom. You seriously have a lot to learn. Honestly, I don’t think I’m allowed to fall in love with you, because the king has ordered you be brought to the kingdom. What for, I have no clue, but hell, I might as well kiss you while I can,” he said, grinning.
He leaned in to kiss me.
“Thanos!” a voice boomed. He jerked back, stood up. He was at attention, military style.
“My Lord,” he said, and bowed crisply.
A man walked away from my window, which he had climbed through without looking stupid somehow. He was tall, with gold-brown hair and silvery-blue eyes the color of moonlight (don’t ask me how that’s possible). He was freaking hot.
“Leave. Now,” the man ordered. There was power in his voice.
Thanos scurried out of the room, and I heard the front door open and close.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked. Thanos might be scared of this guy, but I sure as hell wasn’t.
His expression softened and he smiled at me. “I am the King. King Kyros.”
“Well, Kyros, please explain why you just chased Thanos away,” I snapped.
“Because I have to talk to you, Amaya. You see, you are crucial to me. You are the last female with a large amount of power. And I’m very sorry for this, but that makes you my mate.”
“Your mate? Are you kidding me? You think you have a right to me or something?”
“No. Well, yes, but I think that in time-“
“In time nothing. This is bullshit.”
“Amaya, you and your brother must come. If not, many people may die due to the fact that if you start screaming, you can’t stop. You’re untrained.”
“Forget it. I’m not leaving.”
“Yes, you are. You don’t really have a choice at this point.”
“Everyone has a choice. You can’t take away my free will. You can’t make me.”
“I can. I am King.” He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were black. “Come along, Amaya. We must be going.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, Kyros, but it isn’t working.”
He blinked, his eyes returning to normal. “You’re more powerful than me,” he said.
“What a wonderful surprise,” I said, smiling maliciously.
“You will come with me, anyway.”
“Or what? You’re gonna tell my mommy on me?”
“I will kill Thanos.”
I recoiled as if he had hit me. He had caught me off guard.
Kyros waved his hand in front of my face. “Well, are you coming, or shall I have Thanos executed?”
“I-I’m coming.”
“Good. This is all your mother’s fault, anyway. She was never supposed to leave the kingdom, but she became pregnant and was afraid I would kill her. She was meant to be my mate, but she had an affair. She ran, and I didn’t find her until she was on her deathbed. There was no point in killing her then. The point is, you can blame her for this,” he said, walking to the door.
“I have to get some stuff first,” I said.
“All your things will be shipped to the castle tomorrow. Leave them.”
“What about Blake?”
“He, too will be brought to the castle tomorrow.”
“Wait, you said castle. Where, exactly, is the kingdom?”
“Ireland.”
I was leaving for Ireland with a freaking asshole Banshee-King. Talk about an unexpected turn.