Page 85 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

I made my way down the hall and toward the sounds of fighting, and with every step, my energy flared a bit brighter. While I would’ve preferred a fast burn, I could settle for a slow burn as long as it eventually got us where we needed to go.

Watch out, Zacharias. I’m coming for you.

A shiver ran down my spine at my poor word choice. I was definitely not going to be doing any of that with him.

Stepping through a hole in the tunnel wall that was roughly the shape and size of the warring reapers, I stared at the scene in front of me.

Saul had Zacharias’ body pinned against the tunnel wall. Zacharias’ clothing was hanging in ripped tatters, while Saul had only a single rip in the sleeve of his black dress shirt.

Zacharias and his skin looked like Saul had replicated every injury that had been inflicted on me, and then some. I’d known Saul would be on the warpath when he saw what Zacharias had done, but this version of Saul was one I hadn’t met. This was Avenging Death. He was judge, jury and executioner.

“I don’t know if I want to kill you now, or if I want to keep you alive so I can make you relive the pain you inflicted on my soulmate over and over,” Death snarled. His shadows writhed around him, like Medusa’s serpents, as they ripped at Zacharias’ clothing, skin, and hair.

“Are you sure you aren’t just angry to realize I was always smarter, and you were too dumb to see what was under your nose?” Zacharias had balls to taunt Death, although with the way the shadows were lashing out, I wasn’t sure how long he’d get to keep them.

“I am not weaker because I allowed myself to trust, grieve, and love. Those are the things that will make me a powerful and respected Basileus. I have my soulmate to thank for teaching me that.” Death spun Zacharias around and pressed his scythe against the weaker reaper’s throat. “My beautiful soulmate who would be uninjured if I’d followed my first impulse and crushed your throat at the club. I showed mercy because of our shared past. Thank you for this final lesson. In the future, I will show no mercy to anyone who even coughs in my queen’s direction.”

“She’s a weakness! Why can’t you see that as long as she can be used against you, it is impossible for you to reach your full power?” Zacharias spat.

“You fool. She isn’t holding me back. She’s making me more powerful than you can even imagine.” Death laughed, the sound a haunting, melancholy sound that lured one’s soul to their demise. “My soulmate is the anchor keeping me grounded. If I lose her, the darkness will be all that’s left. I will torch the Earth—not because I want to punish innocents, but because I will be lost. Right now, I’m in control of the power, but if she dies, I will be helpless to stop it.”

“Philetus and you were the crowning achievements of your family line and the pride of the reaper court. You both threw it away for what?”

“Love.” My voice was sharp enough to cut glass as I continued, “Don’t mention Philetus. You aren’t worthy to say his name.”

“What do you know about Philetus? You didn’t know him!” Zacharias’ eyes burned with hatred as he glared at me.

I met Death’s eyes as I answered. “Philetus held my hand as I died.” My chin wobbled, and I swallowed hard, not wanting to lose control.

“You lying wraith!” Zacharias struggled against Death’s grip, not caring that the scythe cut his skin.

“You don’t deserve the power you have. It’s wasted on you.” I repeated his words back to him. “That’s what you said to Philetus before leaving us both to bleed out in that alley.”

Death might as well have been carved from stone as he struggled to process the nuclear bomb I’d dropped in his lap.

“I couldn’t see your face since I was struggling with my shirt, but I heard Philetus plead for you to spare my life. At the time, I didn’t understand what I was hearing, but now I know that even though he was fatally wounded, he found the strength to protect me the best he could.”

Zacharias shrugged. “He wasted his effort.”

“He apologized that he couldn’t heal me. He was dying and felt bad he couldn’t do more for a human stranger.” A tear slid down my cheek and I looked back toward Death. “He wished he could tell his wife and brother that he loved them just one more time. Until tonight, I didn’t realize it was Philetus who had comforted me while I died. I’m sorry I couldn’t have told you sooner.”

Movement behind me caught my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Rhodes, Evander, and Lochlan standing directly behind me. They held knives and stood ready to provide whatever backup I might have needed.

Zacharias used Death’s distraction to grab something from his pocket and jab it into Death’s chest.

“Saul!” I cried as he pulled the syringe from his chest, then staggered to the side and slid to the floor.

We rushed forward, but stopped when Zacharias held out his hand and his scythe appeared. He curved the blade around my soulmate’s neck.

“The dose of Epolir I gave Philetus kept him too weak to fight or heal. Saul just got triple the dose. One well-placed, deep cut, and you’ll get to watch Death as he dies in front of your eyes.”

The pounding in my skull grew louder, like a drum calling me to war. It stirred that tiny flame of energy inside me until I could feel it doubling, then tripling with each steady drum beat.

I wanted to rush forward, but something held me back.

Patience.

Control.

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