Page 77 of Veil of Death and Shadow

“You’re what?”

“Tethered to you.” He shrugged. “Like it or not, I’m here until I’m called away. Can’t leave your side for extended periods of time. Consider this the official notice of your life audit. See,” he smirked, “even in my world it holds true—the only things you can count on are death and taxes. I just happen to have one foot in each field at the moment.”

“I’m happy,” I shot back as I made my way behind the corner. With a huff, I started washing the dishes that were already clean, just for want of something to do other than look at him. “Overjoyed, some might say.”

“Clearly,” he said with a sardonic look. Then, after a moment, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the booth. “Okay then, prove it.”

“I—what?”

“Show me what a day in your life looks like. What’s that phrase humans started using a while back?” He narrowed his eyes. “What sparks joy for you, Agony?”

“Definitely not that nickname.”

He let out a low chuckle. “Joy—perhaps not. But it definitely sparks something, and for now, I’ll take what I can get.”

I scrubbed the mug, taking my frustration out on the poor ceramic.

“Claudine and Greta weren’t wrong,” he said, his face two inches from mine as he leaned over the counter, studying me.

I jumped at his sudden proximity and soap suds went flying like splattered paint, all over my shirt.

“Life is wasted on the living.” His shoulders sank slightly, not in a release of tension, but like something was weighing them down. “You don’t even understand what a gift it is. To be alive.”

“What do you want me to do, go back to Incendiary and spend my days getting high on pheromones and mood lighting?”

“No, not that place. Like I said,” he gestured to himself, “I’m off limits to you now that we have a . . . working relationship. You can’t fuck your auditor, and I’m not entirely convinced you’ll have the restraint to resist me once your inhibitions are lowered.”

I bit the inside of my cheeks, a half-assed attempt to hold in my retort.

Truth was, it was possible he was right.

As annoying as I currently found him, he was also just as delectable looking as he’d been last week. And once Incendiary worked its magic, who knew whether I could keep my desire from leaking out all over him.

“Life isn’t supposed to be sunshine and rainbows every day you know?” I said instead. “And this whole guardian angel scheme sounds a lot like that toxic positivity bullshit plaguing the world before The Undoing. Who gets to decide how I’m supposed to live my life? Who told you to come to fix something that isn’t broken?”

He pressed his hands to his chest in mock surprise. “Did you just ask to speak to my manager, Agony?”

I considered him for a moment. “Do you have a manager? Is there, like, a head guardian angel or something? Do you have colleagues? Could I get a different one? Someone less . . . insufferable.”

Read: someone who hasn’t already been inside me or featured heavily in my fantasies this past week.

“Unfortunately, we’re stuck with each other for the foreseeable future.” He shot me a wicked smile that did unfortunate things to the knots in my lower belly. “Like I said, we’re tethered.” He took a deep, dramatic breath, as if he found me just as tiresome as I found him—except for the fact that while I was radiating anger, he appeared deeply amused. “Look, do I seriously look like a harbinger of toxic positivity to you?”

No.

But, as I’d already noted, he didn’t exactly look like an angel either. He was walking sex on a stick, and I’d have way sooner believed him to be the devil.

Then again, according to most lore, Lucifer was an angel too.

“I’m not asking you to smile until your depression disappears. I’ve been dead a long time but, believe it or not, I do remember that life wasn’t all, what did you call it—sunshine and rainbows? I’m simply asking you to show me around a day in your life. It’s so rare that I get to converse with someone on the job. This could be fun, if you let it. At least for me anyway. What makes you tick? What makes you happy? Like I said, considertoday an audit. The faster you appease me, the faster I’m out of your hair.” He leaned in closer, “Assuming that’s what you really want, of course. Not that you’ll get much of a choice either way.”

“Very much,” I said, my tone clipped, though I couldn’t bring myself to meet his stare. Those eyes had an unpredictable effect on my brain.

“Great.” With a clap of his hands, he ushered me from behind the counter. “Let’s take the day off work then, go do something more enjoyable than . . . this.”

“I can’t just leave.”

“Got to say, Agony,” he surveyed the empty restaurant. “Don’t think anyone will miss you anytime soon.”

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