Til Death Rings Novels & Stories

I sat there alone, the ticket clutched in my shaking hands, staring at the ring still on the metal table. Azrael’s ring. I'd told him not to die and that's exactly what he did.

He held out his hand, and there was a silver ring with a wolf design carved into it. My mother’s breath hitched. “That’s—” “His communication chip.” Sarah’s voice shook. My mother stared at the ring like it might bite her if she dared to touch it. Her entire body was trembling. “He’s dead.” The words came out strangled. “He’s been dead for nineteen years. This doesn’t…” “The chip preserves messages.” Tom stepped forward carefully, holding it out. “He said you’d understand, that you’d know it was really him.”

That wasn’t what I’m expecting him to say. “Fuck, what? Hell no. He died, remember?” I say, glancing at Layla. Now, without whatever Nadia was feeding me, the memory of Quade’s confession is crystal clear. He didn’t kill Tray that day, but he did die. We all saw him. “You talked to him before he died though…” I begin. “I did, and we buried the body, but I took the Sapphire from him. But it wasn’t real. Nikita managed to break it, and I got the pieces-”

There, right beside my husband Brandon in the photo, was my so-called best friend, Melissa. … Snapping out of it, I stared at Melissa's two-faced expression. She must have known about the lottery win by then. They had probably plotted the whole thing, faking his death to pocket the cash. "Noelle, don't take it so hard. You're already unwell. What if Brandon's death makes you worse?" I shrugged off Melissa's hand and asked with eerie calm, "Where's Brandon's body? I want to see him." Melissa blinked, thrown off by my composure. "In the ward," she stammered.

I turned and saw Xavier walking toward me. He found my still body, the framed photo propped up beside me, and a note outlining what to do with my ashes. He was terrified, but no matter how hard he shook me, I did not respond. The next day, just as I had requested, they cremated me in a top-tier crematorium. I watched my body disappear into the flames. My wedding ring melted, glowing like stars scattering in the fire. During the cremation, I thought I heard crying from outside. Eventually, my ashes were placed into the environmentally friendly urn I had chosen.

"You built me up just to tear me down… for revenge?" Eliza's lips curved into a cruel smile. The last flicker of hope in his eyes shattered. He erupted in manic laughter. "Hahaha! Eliza, even if you have your revenge, what difference does it make? Gordon will never come back. He's dead! Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell you. Before he died, he longed to tell you the truth. But fate was cruel. One car crash stole him away. "And where were you then, Eliza? You were in my bed! Hahaha!"

her feminine deep yet smooth voice bounced around the room filling up our attentive ears. "Someone here is the traitor and I'll be giving all of you just 48hours to surrender yourself. If I don't get a response from any of the seven of you then I'll advice you live the remaining hours of lives the way you wish and don't even think of acting smart cause I'll find you. You are all dismissed"

I teased him and he stuck his tongue out at me. "I'm going to go find the doctor and see if I can take you home now, I'll be back, lover boy," he said softly and pecked my forehead before rushing excitedly out of the room. I squeezed my hand and felt something on my finger. I lifted my left hand to see a shiny golden ring. I pulled it off to look closer at it and noticed an engraving inside. My Death, My Life, My Forever Love. My eyes started to water and the tears streamed down my cheeks. That is what I get for falling in love. I chuckled and wiped my tears and blew my nose. I slid the ring back on to my finger and marvelled at the citrine stone surrounded by diamonds that sparkled under th

Gold and Zay's screams were almost louder than the fireworks. "I'm sorry it took this long." She smiled and finally turned to Gold. They screamed so much, Zay and I feared our hearing. "And the final one." She looked at me surprisingly. I took out the rings. They were a matching pair of APM Monaco promise rings. Mine a sleek, polished black band, and hers a delicate silver pavé band. "Cariño, you did not!" "And did." While she was shocked, I was proud and satisfied. "It's meant for one person in a lifetime, and I can only tell myself the truth that you'll be the first and last." I took hers and put it on her left ring finger. This was life and death.

"It'll ask for everything you have. And you, more than anybody alive, will want to give it past that, because you've spent three lives sure that's what you're for. Do that here... pour past the bottom to make certain it's done... and you won't come back up. There'll be nothing left to close the circle around." The ring was very quiet. "So the trick," I said, "is to open all the way, give everything, and stop one step short of the thing every part of me is going to be screaming to do." "Yes." "With Corvus coming through that ring with an army." "Yes." "And if I get it wrong either way... hold too much back and the circle doesn't shut and his claim stays. Pour too much and the circle shuts and