Page 151 of This Monster of Mine

Then something flickered at the edge of her sight.

Black fire flared high in a wall around her, coalescing until it settled into a figure at least twice her height. Her mouth fell open.

The gold patterned cowl and burnished armor were unmistakable, as was the balance hanging from his cloak for the weighing of souls. Swords of every make and metal were sheathed in a hundred scabbards strapped to him. But what transfixed her were his pitiless eyes, dark and red as blood, in an ageless, gray face. Eyes she’d seen once before.

Moments passed in silence before Death raised a pale eyebrow. “Well?”

The word held all the chill of the frozen north, and all the pleading shrieks of every dying soul. She would have fallen to her knees in piety, if not for the fact that they were floating halfway above the Aequitas.

“Lord Death.” Her voice was a rusty creak. “I seek a favor.”

Death drew near, touching her hand with an ice-cold finger. His face held mild interest at the scars, but his eyes were utterly, inhumanly blank.

“I didn’t let you go four years ago for you to arrive here again.” He tilted his head to their surroundings and gave her a speaking look. “You court disaster.”

Her awe shattered at his detachment.

“Disasterfoundme,” she bit out, pointing down to Aelius’s ivory-robed figure. “That man used your names to tyrannize this city, but you didnothingto dissuade him. Does that weigh so little on you?”

Death looked curious. “Why should it? We did not cause those deaths.”

She bit her tongue before she could offend the god whose aid she sought. “Will you grant my favor or not?”

Faint amusement crossed his iron-gray visage. “I haven’t heard it.”

“There’s a man who just … died,” she whispered, tears burning her throat. “I want him back. Whole and hardy and in no less condition.”

Death inclined his head before taking a black book from somewhere within his robes. “Name?” he inquired.

“Drenevan.” Her voice broke. “Drenevan bu Kadra.”

The god flipped through a few pages before his brow formed the faintest crease. “Him?” Death sounded vaguely disgusted. “He who has sent two hundred and fifty-nine people to me over the past four years alone?”

Sarai closed her eyes, torn between pain and horrified laughter.Gods, did he kill someone every week?

“You ask me to unleash a murderer back into the world.” Death’s scarlet eyes were without mercy. “And for the basest of reasons.”

She set her jaw. “All who perform a Summoning are granted a favor by the gods.”

“We do not granteveryfavor,” Death said softly. “Not where doing so could cause harm.”

“Since when has it been the task of Death to preserve life?” she shot back. “I’m not claiming that he’s a good man. But none of those he killed were innocents. They would have caused further tragedy if left unchecked.”

Death was silent. Terror built in her with each passing second. Because if the gods themselves wouldn’t aid her, then he was really, trulygone.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.I can’t even remember the last thing I said to him.

“Then is this the end?” she whispered.

Death’s features were inscrutable. “Twice now, we have crossed paths without consequence,” he noted, the edges of his figure already starting to blur. “Do try to prevent a third meeting.”

“Wait! I beg of you, please at least tell him that I—”

The black flames winked out of sight, leaving Sarai with nothing but the ground as she slowly fell to meet it, and an anguish too deep for words.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

As her heels touched the Aequitas’s stage, the first thing Sarai noticed was that someone had pulled the sword free of Kadra’s chest. It lay on the ground, gleaming scarlet.

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