"My apologies," Andre whispered. "If it's easier, leave me here."
"Don't be ridiculous," she replied.
He was wheezing, another tip off any death dealer that made it this far wasn't going to miss. Past-Death resisted the urge to shush him. Her side was wet with his blood. He wasn't going to last long as it was.
"Darkyn and Deidre," she said softly. "You don't know where they are?"
"Fighting ogres. Same as Rhyn."
"Whose bright idea was it to let the giants out?"
Andre gave a hoarse chuckle and rested his head back against the wall.
She studied the blood covering his upper body in the dim light from the hall. "Can I help you? Somehow?"
"I don't think so, but thanks," he replied. "I'm fine with this, really. Been dead-dead once. I know it's nothing to fear."
What felt like a bite on her thigh drew a curse from her, and her attention went down to her lap.
The ring was glowing through her jeans. Leaning to the side, past-Death pried it out and stared at it. The light was greater than that of the hallway, the gorgeous shade matching Andre's eyes.
Andre.
"Hey, you ever want to be a god?" she half-joked.
He shifted his head towards her, peering at her through his eyelashes. "Not especially."
"How badly do you not want to be one? Because I think maybe someone chose you for a spot."
Andre lifted his head, quizzical turquoise gaze on her.
"Long story short: I locked someone in the dungeon who then died. Not my intention," she said and then paused, considering. "Well, it might've been. I really can't recall. Anyway, something's been haunting me since I returned."
"A presence. Sometimes there, sometimes not," he guessed. "Accompanied by ... a flash of blue."
"Exactly. You felt it?"
"Yeah."
"I think this is why." She held up the ring for him to see. "I think I'm supposed to give this to you."
Andre's eyes settled on the glowing gem. "No part of me wants to ask, but who or what god is it?" By the reservation in his voice, he had the same opinion of the inconsistent deities that she'd started to understand as a human.
A shout came from too close, a sign the death dealers had discovered the empty cell.
She rose. Leaning against the doorframe, she risked a peak out and bit back a curse.
An unarmed Tymkyn and Karma were able to fend off several attackers, but probably not the ten lingering in the corridor.
Her gaze went back to Andre, who was bleeding out quickly.
He wasn't going to make it long. The others didn't have a chance of surviving, either, if they decided to challenge the dealers. Discovery was imminent, and Gabriel would be all but alone to take the palace.