“C’mon,” Gabriel said from behind her.

“Gabe!” she cried, facing him. “He’s here!”

“Who?” Gabriel asked.

“Andre. He’s …” She turned as she spoke to see the figure had vanished. “You didn’t see him?”

“I saw the demon I killed,” Gabriel replied and knelt to retrieve his jacked. He wiped the bloodied dagger on the ground. “You’re seeing dead-dead Immortals?”

“I did. I think. But it’s not possible.”

“Your pupils are dilated. Did you eat one of the plants?”

“Gabe, he was right here.”

“Must be the effects of the underworld on you,” the death-dealer said and rose. “Somewhat-dead mortals aren’t supposed to be here.” He peeled off the necklace he wore around his neck and gazed at it briefly before handing it to her.

Katie took it and eyed it, not sure she could handle wearing the souls of others around her neck.

“They should keep you anchored in time, too, since your world’s time means nothing here.”

“They look like emeralds.”

“You want to know their names?”

She felt nauseous again. As if reading it in her features, he smiled.

“Those are the most precious things in the world to me. If you lose it, I’ll kill you. Quickly, though, because I do kinda like you,” he said with dark humor. “If you talk to them, they’ll talk back.”

“Oh, god!”

“I’m joking about that. Not about the quick death, though.”

“You have the worst timing for your jokes.” Katie swallowed hard and finally put it on, feeling even more nauseous about the idea of wearing souls around her neck. “Gabe, does it ever strike you as odd that Death hasn’t found us? Isn’t this where she lives? Why hasn’t she tracked us down?”

Gabe looked away and started walking again. Katie saw his shoulders hunch. When he didn’t respond, she asked,

“Has she tracked us down?”

“Pretty sure she has,” Gabe answered. “But … something is off. She might be trying to fix it.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t she a god? Goddess, I mean.”

“She’s bound by rules older than she is. She may have interfered somewhere she shouldn’t have. There are Immortal Codes too old for even me to know and some that only the deities know. I think she violated one of those.”




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