Page 15 of All Hallows Trick

“Madness,” I said.

“Yes, dear?” he asked, snapping his head down to give me his full attention, the weight of his electric blue eyes making the back of my neck prickle and my heartbeat quicken. The peanuts fell to the floor with dull little clatters, completely forgotten.

“What were you talking about before I came in the room?”

“Oh.” He glanced at my men. “They probably want to conceal it from you in a misguided attempt to protect you.”

“I figured that out myself, thank you.”

He beamed, like I’d said something that pleased him, and did a happy little shimmy. “You’re so clever, my lioness.”

Death’s chest rumbled with an inaudible growl; I glanced at him in surprise, rubbing my thumb across his chest.

“And areyougoing to keep it from me to protect me?” I asked Madness.

He scoffed. “As if. You’re one of the most powerful beings in any realm; why would I need to protect a lioness? You know they’re the deadliest, don’t you? Lions might seem impressive with their roars and fancy hairdos, but lionesses are fierce.Lethal.Between the two of us, I’m the damsel in need of saving. As if I would ever conceal the truth from you.” He scoffed, tossing his short hair like it was as long at Miz’s. “But Iwouldenjoy ripping off a few heads if it removed threats from your life. Do you want me to murder your enemies, lioness?”

My head spun a little the way it always did when I spoke to Madde. “Uh. Ideally, yes?”

He nodded firmly. “Done. And to answer your question, the domain is decaying around us. Not too far from here a whole street fell into nothingness. It happened again last night.The whole realm is falling apart, my lioness, my sweet little sugarplum, and there’s been a teensy development overnight.”

“What development?”

Madde turned wide eyes on my men. “How exactly do I explain it…?”

“Just tell me,” I sighed.

“It’s difficult,” Death murmured, kissing the top of my head, and all at once anger hit. Like tinder struck with a flame, it ignited. Blood pounded in my ears, my breathing escalating so quickly I couldn’t contain it. Like a switch flipped, I wasfurious.

“Just tell me!” I snapped, panting, my teeth bared and too sharp to be ordinary. “Stop keeping things from me andtell me!”

“Oooh, pretty black eyes again,” Madde said, startling me when he dropped his feet to the floor and leaned across the island for a closer look.

That was all it took to knock the rush of heat into ice, into shock, into panic.

He pouted, watching me with his chin propped on his hand. “Aww, now they’re gone.”

My breathing was ragged, my hands shaking. No claws—I checked. But my eyes had turned black. My beast side was coming through, breaking apart the girl, that fragile shell, until my true nature showed. And I didn’t know what that nature was. I’d barely known what it was for the past three years. A killer. A liar. A fraud. But now?

I jumped when warm hands turned me and caught my face, and suddenly I was looking into Tor’s eyes as Death stroked my back and Miz grasped my hand, squeezing tight.

“It’s easier to show you, beautiful.” Tor’s lips pressed to my forehead, lingering. “Come with me.”

CHAPTER SIX

CAT

Ibraced myself as Tor led me through the vibrant, gothic hallways of Madde’s castle, his hand warm and dry in mine, a comfort I desperately clung to. The others were right behind me, another level of comfort. I might lose control of my volatile jaguar but they were here, and they would bring me back. If I didn’t hurt them again, that was…

Guilt and fear caught between my ribs until it hurt to breathe, but Tor’s hand squeezed around mine, and I looked up just as we reached the foyer where I’d once appeared when I was being chased by a monster. By Virgil. The sight of his eyes, monstrous and threatening and afraid, haunted me. Would I look at the people I loved like that as I hunted them?

“I think our shadow man might be responsible for this,” Madde said seriously, nudging his shoulder into mine. I didn’t know whatthishe was talking about for a moment, then I saw it through the glass on the front doors: a spirit bobbing in place,see-through but solid enough for me to make out the sailor’s hat and uniform he wore.

“A ghost…?” I asked, slowing my pace, unable to explain the sudden uptick in my pulse.

“Not just any ghost,” Madde said with a little more relish as he opened the door.

Death’s hand settled on the small of my back, Miz standing close by my left as Madness opened the door so we could see the ghost fully and— I swallowed. I didn’t want to entertain the idea that this ghost was left by the same man in the long coat and top hat I saw watching us last night.

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