Page 78 of Death Raiser

I had turned down Hudson’s offer for coffee but ended up going to the café later with Kang. Steve must’ve been practically giddy when I walked through those doors.

“I knew I’d never truly be free of Steve unless I killed him or came here,” Hudson said. “I know you think very little of me, but I could never bring myself to kill Steve, though I know he deserves it. And my plans involved you before I ever met you. You didn’t deserve what I did to you, and you certainly don’t deserve Steve. Nobody does.”

“Your brother just made it to the top of my shit list.”

Hudson flashed me a half-smile.

“You’re still a piece of shit.”

“We do what we can to survive.” He shrugged and turned to Levi. “I came to discuss that passage. I agree with your conclusions but there's something else.”

The Book of the Dead. He had to be referring to the same book I’d helped him loot from a dead witch’s grave. If he couldn’t hold it, did that mean he had to wear gloves to read it? Or had Levi somehow removed the protections from it?

The two men exchanged a glance.

“Are you going to share?” I asked.

Hudson snapped his mouth shut.

“Not this time.” Levi stepped away from the window. “Come. Your room and our meal are still being prepared. Let me show you more of the castle and the surrounding grounds while we wait.” He reached down and held out his hand.

The last thing I wanted to do was leave my toasty cocoon of blankets and pillows, abandon my book, and walk around the veil with the boogeyman from Mom’s bedtime stories and a weak necromancer who betrayed my trust and was involved in countless homicides.

But I also needed information, something, anything, to help me stay safe in this place if I became trapped here.

I placed my hand in Levi’s, and he helped me to my feet.

I would probably regret this.

Chapter Twenty-Four

After Hudson dropped those awful knowledge bombs on me, Levi led me on a tour of stone hallways that all looked the same before bringing me to a dining room. A long stone table ran almost the entire length of the room and the last three seats at the far end had been set. Glowing magical orbs cast the room in a murky orange-tinted haze and flickering candlelight played with the shadows on the walls. Levi sat at the head of the table with me taking the seat to his right and Hudson sitting to his left.

Levi provided a meal of dehydrated and preserved food from the living realm. I’d inhaled my portion, as did Hudson. I finished my last forkful of food and dabbed at my mouth with a napkin. “Thank you for the meal.”

Levi nodded and raised his glass of red wine. At least I hoped it was red wine. He opted to skip a meal of solid food and chose to drink his carbs instead. He’d probably feed off lost souls later, just as the bedtime stories claimed.

“So who exactly does all the housework and maintenance around here?” I highly doubted Levi raised a hand, and I couldn’t picture Hudson running around trying to set the table while his master attempted to seduce me in the library—he’d been genuinely surprised to find me here.

“Souls can be surprisingly helpful.” Levi swirled the whine in his glass. “With the right motivation, at least.”

“So they just do your bidding?”

He dipped his chin.

“All of them?” Was this really what the afterlife had to offer? Dusting, scrubbing toilets and setting tables for the Lord of the Veil? If this was it, maybe I should consider vampirism after all.

Levi set his wine glass down. “How much do you know about the veil, Lark?”

“I know souls come here after they die, and I can retrieve them with my magic.” I mean, I knew a little more than that, but I pretty much nailed the bulk portion of my knowledge.

Levi’s lips twitched. “What do you know about the power dynamics?”

“Admittedly, not much. All I know is to stay away from you and the barghests.”

“Ah…barghests.” He curled his lips up. “Foul creatures. They will rip apart what I would treasure.”

“Souls?”

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