Waking the Dead - Sieders D. B.

A dark encounter with a reaper could cost her everything...

Vivian Bedford is a struggling caregiver who never asked for a life of magic and danger. But when a dying stranger unlocks her empathic connection to the spirit world, she's thrown into a deadly new reality where reapers, guardians, and dark forces rule.

Lazarus Darkmore, a dangerously charming grim reaper, wants to recruit her as a soul broker-someone who can mediate between the living and the dead. But there's a catch: the more she gets entangled with Lazarus, the closer she comes to losing herself to the afterlife.

Ezra, a mysterious guardian spirit, and his rebellious apprentice Zeke offer Vivian an alternative: join their side and help protect the living from the reaper's influence. But these guardians have their own dark motives, and soon Vivian's unsure who she can trust.

Vivian's rare ability to channel life energy-something neither guardian nor reaper can do-makes her a powerful pawn in the war between spirits. When she learns that her disabled sister Mae is a target for both sides, she's forced to make an impossible choice. Can she use her power to save Mae and escape the deadly web of betrayal, or will she become the ultimate bargaining chip in a war that could destroy them all?

In this thrilling urban fantasy packed with supernatural intrigue, magic, and betrayal, Vivian must outwit the most dangerous players in the afterlife-or risk losing everything she holds dear.