Page 64 of Haunted By the Shadow of Death

“We’re having issues with certain outside energies affecting her,” Kicks replied. “Your race lives off energy, so we thought you or one of your people might be able to help us.”

“Why would we ever help you after Death Day and what your people have done?”

Nausea welled in my belly, threatening to make me sick. Here was yet another source saying it was at least some of the shifters behind Death Day. Death had never specified exactly who was going to be traumatized and who had stolen some of her powers, but the fingers kept pointing to shifters.

“I lost half of my pack. I had nothing to do with Death Day,” Kicks said like a man who was standing on a hill, ready to die.

“Maybe not you, but your people did. My kind needs humans, and your people did this, which jeopardizes our existence. You don’t need humans the way we do. Instead of taking here and there from many, we’re forced to drain them completely, making the situation even worse as we further deplete our life source. We’re starving to death trying to keep from killing more. Another Death Day and there won’t be enough left to sustain us, which might be what you all desired.”

“We too have heard the stories. We’re on the same side,” I said, drawing the creature’s attention back to me. “I’m still human. I lost many people that day. I would not associate with anyone that had a hand in Death Day.”

He continued to stare at me while Kicks visibly bristled beside me. As off as this creature seemed in terms of humanity, he didn’t feel threatening. There was a sense that, deep down, he was as lost and desperate as me.

“Can you help? Please?” I asked.

He stood silently for another few seconds. I might’ve been imagining it, but his stare seemed to be softening.

“You will owe me a debt,” he said.

Apparently not softening enough to not take advantage of the situation.

“Fine,” Kicks said.

“She will,” the man said.

“Fine,” I replied.

Kicks was about to protest—I could see it on his face.

“I’m fine with it,” I told him.

His jaw grew squarer, but he didn’t say anything.

“The one you seek is close to here.” The man pointed in the distance to a break in the trees. “Follow that path until you come to a small cottage. Tell her Hakas sent you. That will get her to talk to you, but you’ll have to negotiate for anything else.”

I was in debt for an introduction? If it worked, it wouldn’t be so bad, hopefully. If it didn’t, I was going to be really pissed off.

Hakas was gone before we even took a step, and I hadn’t seen him leave.

The place wasn’t far. Nestled deep in the woods was a small house that looked as if it hadn’t had modern amenities even before the end of the world. A pack of dogs came rushing over as we approached. Kicks stepped in front and they suddenly stopped barking, with several of them rolling on their bellies.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Told them I was boss,” he said.

“Nice trick.”

“I’m occasionally useful.”

A woman walked out onto the small stoop, white-blonde hair flowing about her. She had a face that was timeless and smooth, even as I sensed age. I wouldn’t have been able to put an age on her if I tried.

“Hakas sent us. He said you might be able to help,” Kicks said.

“Help you how?”

“I’m being haunted,” I said, going with the closest thing to the truth.

It fit the bill if I downgraded Death to your random old spirit, meaning she just sort of hung around and wasn’t using me to kill people. Yeah, “haunted” would have to work.

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