A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,1
now I know!” I snapped. “You didn’t mention that earlier!”
“I had… suspicions. It wasn’t enough.”
“Screw that! Suspicions could’ve worked, too. I would’ve been better prepared,” I replied, getting up from the rounded rock I’d settled on. I turned to face the ocean, finding a sliver of tranquility in its deep blue ripples. “I spent entire days in chains, at the mercy of those maniacs! They could’ve destroyed me! They could’ve turned me into a ghoul!”
Clouds gathered in the distance, black and gray masses tumbling toward one another. A storm was coming, and the ocean trembled.
“I’m sorry, Seeley… I didn’t know how deep… the poison ran…” Death said.
“What about Nethissis? What do I do with her?” I asked. “She was killed by one of their ghouls. They’re keeping ghouls as pets, for Pete’s sake!”
“Her… body… where is it?”
“Lumi says it’s back at the palace, preserved under a swamp witch spell. The Faulty twins don’t know as much Word magic as the swamp witches, but they were able to keep her body safe,” I said.
“As… long as… body… safe… still a chance.” The connection was breaking.
“Why is Nethissis able to hide from anyone holding a scythe? When Amelia picked up Yamani’s blade, she could see the spirits on Mortis. Even Nethissis, when she was alive and held his scythe, she could see the spirits. What changed here? How come she can do death magic?”
“Protect Nethissis,” Death replied. “She’s…” The words became garbled, fading and bursting back incomplete. “Special. She’s… not a regular… soul.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, frustration pressing hard against my temples.
“Special…” Death’s voice fizzled away.
“Death? No, come back!” My whole being felt suddenly cold and utterly lonely.
There would be no answer. Not for now, anyway. I’d gotten as much as I could out of Death. It wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing. Of course, the idea of Nethissis being special brought all sorts of theories to mind. She could be becoming a Reaper, and the thought made my heart sing, because it meant she wouldn’t have to move on. It meant I wouldn’t lose her. Another theory involved the Word’s influence, given the unnatural circumstances of her death. Maybe it wanted her brought back to life, which would explain why Death wanted her body kept safe. Then again, had it not been for Lumi’s imprisonment on Neraka, the swamp witches would’ve gone extinct on Eritopia during Azazel’s reign. There was no way of knowing for sure, but it beat bumbling through the darkness.
I got up as Sidyan approached me. Behind him, Maya and Rudolph were busy devouring a deer carcass. It hadn’t taken them long to return from their hunt. I assumed they were faster and more efficient together.
“What did she say?” Sidyan asked, his brow furrowed. I understood his concern, given he’d asked me to hold back from speaking to Death. However, he knew there were too many things we didn’t understand, and that she was the only one with the answers.
“If you’re worried about yourself, stop,” I said. “She didn’t sound like she cared. Besides, I bombarded her with questions as soon as I caught a telepathic link. I doubt she had time to fuss over your decision to save me. Hell, I bet she’s pleased.”
“Okay. Good. That’s good to hear.” He sighed, genuine relief lighting his expression.
“I couldn’t get much out of her, though,” I replied. “The connection is terrible. I think we need more seals to come down before we can have a proper conversation this far away from each other.”
Sidyan nodded slowly. “What did she say?”
I motioned for Lumi and Nethissis to join us, making sure Rudolph and Maya stayed out of earshot. They got skittish whenever Death was even mentioned, and I needed them both to be alert and confident, not terrified of their maker—especially Maya.
“What is it?” Nethissis asked. “Did you get ahold of Death?”
It was difficult to concentrate around Nethissis. She’d died in her serpent form, so her spiritual figure was naked. Her long copper hair covered most of her intimate parts, but still… I’d died a man, and the mere sight of her was enough to make my very soul catch fire. It was hard for Nethissis, as well. Self-consciousness followed her everywhere.
“I did. She said that as long as your body is safe, she might be able to do something.” I gave her a soft, encouraging smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get more out of her. The line was… bad.”
“So, she admitted Nethi’s death was unnatural?” Lumi asked.