Page 109 of Half Dead

“That bad?” he murmured, stroking my hair.

“There were highlights. I met an old friend.”

“A Melinoe old friend?”

I rested my cheek against his chest. “Lorelei’s. And I saw a phoenix.”

“And the tablet? Is it a fake?”

“No, it’s the real deal, but I have a feeling he’ll be disappointed he wasted a trial on this.”

“Not the kind of power he had in mind, huh?”

“Not exactly.”

“West stopped by earlier to see if you were back yet, but there were no guards.”

“He’s keeping the pack at a distance during the trials.”

“A wise move.”

“How did you and Lucifer pass the time?”

“We didn’t. I changed into my blackbird form and waited in the treetops until I saw you emerge from the crossroads.” Kane tipped my chin up so that I was looking directly into his whisky-colored eyes. “You can tell me the truth. I want to know.”

“I swear it wasn’t bad at all. The worst part was my own reflection.”

“I feel like there’s a therapy session in that statement.”

I planted another kiss on his tempting lips. “Not interested in rehashing the past. I’d much rather focus on the present.”

“Your place or mine?”

“Mine. I don’t want my roommates to worry any longer than necessary.”

“You’re very thoughtful. Might it have anything to dowith the meal that Nana Pratt has undoubtedly cooked for you?”

I patted my stomach. “Food might also be a factor. Treasure hunting is hungry work.”

I sagged against Kane as we walked to his car, grateful for more time with him. How could any god question whether Kane was worth it? You couldn’t measure someone’s value by listing their flaws. We were complex creatures, humans, gods, and demons alike. I wouldn’t want to be judged by my worst actions any more than I’d want to be judged by my best ones. Neither was an accurate representation of who I was at my core. If I had my druthers, I would’ve smashed that mirror with a mallet and tossed the shards off the Bridge of Pain. We were all deserving of more than what a mirror could tell us. It was two-dimensional, a superficial reflection; it told no stories. It was the ‘what,’ not the ‘why.’

And the ‘why’ mattered.

Once in the car, I watched the passing scenery with little interest. “I’m worried about the third trial,” I admitted.

“A reasonable concern.”

“No, I mean I think Lucifer is planning something. The first two were too easy.”

Kane laughed. “Easy? Nothing about what you’ve done sounds easy.”

“Okay, let me put it another way. I think he made things just hard enough to make the trials seem genuine and not to rouse suspicion.”

Kane’s jaw tightened. “And then what? The third trial is a Sisyphean task?”

“An apt comparison.” I turned to look at him. “Think about it. The first trial was emotional torture, but he knew I’d find a way to do it for you.”

“And he truly seemed to want that tablet.”

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