Page 17 of All Hallows Trick

But they’d tried to fight on the road at Ford’s End and come nowhere close to winning. Because they were vulnerable. Because the subjects made in the tunnels of that cottage in the woods could make them weak.

For the first time, the fact that I was one too didn’t make me want to scream; I straightened my back, reaching my arms upto hug my husbands. Nightmare had made the creatures capable of hurting my death gods, but even though she had kept my blood in that place, she hadn’t planned onmebecoming one of her monsters last night. I could hurt my gods, too, I had that power in my teeth and claws, but maybe I could hurt the other monsters. Maybe Virgil could, too. And if there was even a shred of hope, I’d be damned before I let them hurt my husbands.

I was a hard thing to redirect my thoughts, to turn the sharp edge of loathing and fear into determination and grit, but maybe I’d become this for a reason.

“If you want me to beat the shit out of Madness, just say the word, beautiful,” Tor offered, his lips to my ear. “If he took advantage of you or kissed you without your permission, I’m happy to kick his prick so hard it falls off his body and sails back into the mortal realm—”

“I’m fine,” I interrupted, my voice surprisingly hoarse, like I’d been screaming. I cleared my throat, looking up at him, Miz, and Death. “I’ll be okay. I just got overwhelmed by everything.”

“Because Madde kissed you,” Death clarified, something low and dangerous in his voice. I reached out and squeezed his arm, feeling strength coiled in his bicep, the power a reassurance I’d never take for granted.

“Because Honey went missing last night, and a friend I trusted attacked me, and I found my brother locked in a tunnel cell, and I… I transformed, and you were all hurt. I hurt Tor. And yeah, Madde kissed me, but that’s at the bottom of my list of stressors right now.”

“I’m not sure whether to be relieved or insulted,” Madness muttered, leaning against the doorjamb with his back to us, his profile exceptionally calm as he watched the ghost bob above the front doorstep.

I raked my teeth over my bottom lip, pulling my gaze from him to my husbands. “Are you angry?” I asked quietly, barelymore than a whisper. I might have found new determination, but that didn’t magically unlock bravery where my men were concerned. Old insecurities reared their head, their words ugly and loud.

Warm hands framed my face, Death suddenly in front of me, his grey eyes filling my whole vision. “He kissed you, little one. We’d never be mad.”

“And if… if I kissed him? Not that I’m planning to, but if I did, would that change things?”

Before Death could reply, Tor heaved a put-upon sight. “That would be pretty fucking unfortunate.”

I dropped my gaze to the floor, staring at the tiles under my socked feet. A sick, squirmy feeling made me want to throw up.

“If you kiss him, that probably means you want to keep the bastard, and I won’t be allowed to break his face. I’dreallylike to break his face, beautiful.”

My head snapped up in surprise.

“Just because you’re jealous I’m prettier than you,” Madde muttered, but there was more life to his voice now, and the darkness ebbed and flowed inside me again, almost stroking my soul. A weight fell off my shoulders I wasn’t aware I’d been carrying.

“So you—you’d just accept that I want him?” I asked, looking at Tor because I wasn’t brave enough to meet the stare I felt lingering from Death, or look at whatever expression had darkened Miz’s face. “Just like that?”

“No,” Death disagreed. “Miz, Tor, and I have always been a closed circle. We loved each other and only each other.” He tilted my face up until Ihadto look at him, but I screwed my eyes shut, taking the coward’s path. “Then you happened, and we all loved you. I selfishly hoped you’d only ever love us, but I should have known your heart was too big.”

“I don’t love him,” I whispered. “I barely know him. And what I do know is mostly him encouraging me to murder people.”

“Literally never a bad idea,” Madde remarked.

“That isincrediblyinaccurate,” Misery drawled, pressing closer on my side. “I suppose I’ll try not to kill him if Tor’s not. He’s an ally, after all, even if he’s a smug motherfucker.”

“I’ve never once fucked anyone’s mother,” Madde gasped, affronted, making a laugh snort from me.

It wasn’t as easy as that; Death was right. But knowing they weren’t angry at me, weren’t filing for divorce quite yet, took a weight off my shoulders. I sighed and opened my eyes, finding them all watching me.

“Madde’s right that I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you.”

“Only by a few weeks in Death’s case,” Madde input. “He was there the night you killed that pompous asshole, too. We were both enthralled by you.”

My eyes shot between them, widening. “I… have too much in my head to even begin to think about that. So I’m not going to. My point is, I don’t want to cut him out of my life, even if he’s now a man and not just the darkness that lives inside me.”

“Don’t,” Death growled, lifting a finger in warning. I glanced at Madde to find he’d opened his mouth to speak. He laughed instead.

If you want me inside you, my lioness, that can be arranged.

The voice was low, sinuous, and full of dark promise. I shot him a sharp look to which he returned an unabashed grin and fluttered his lashes. I pretended not to see him adjust his cock in his trousers.

“I don’t cheat,” I blurted. “And I won’t, not even for a kiss. So—it’s purely platonic.”

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