Page 83 of Death Bringer

She got the sense that he’d been there a lot. She looked down at her boot and kicked a stone. “Thanks for the sleeping bag. That’s the first decent nap I’ve had since I got here.”

“You are welcome.”

She kicked another stone, which thunked against the log he was sitting on. God, this was awkward. Why the hell was she feeling sorry for him?

“Did you think I’d come to save you?”

She caught a hint of a smile. “No one needs to save me, Ms. Walsh. I’m Death Bringer.”

“So your father said.”

His expression went blank. “Do you want something to eat?”

So he didn’t want to talk about that. What a surprise. “Of course I do.” She held up her hand. “But I know how to do that stuff myself now.” She concentrated on the image of a triple cheeseburger and fries, but nothing happened. “Damn, I had it the other day.”

“It’s not your fault. The wards around this space are extremely powerful.”

“Can’t you get through them, either?”

“Not unless I want to bring my entire family down on us, but I have something better.” He held up her backpack.

“Where did you get that?”

“Adam gave it to me.”

“Why?” She took it from his outstretched hand.

“To mess with my head?”

She sat down beside him and rummaged in the backpack. “I have a couple of juice boxes if you want one, and some protein bars.”

“That would be wonderful.”

He was being terribly polite, which meant that underneath he was as pissed off as she was. When she handed over his share, she risked a joke. “How the mighty have fallen.”

“Needs must, Ms. Walsh.”

“Why are you calling me that?”

He ripped open his protein bar using his teeth. “I thought you’d prefer it.”

“Would you like me to start calling you Death?”

“Not really.”

“Then Ella will do nicely.” She struggled to open the foil packaging of her bar. Vadim reached across and slashed through the foil with one long claw. “Thanks. Since when did swans have talons?”

“In Otherworld I can become anything I choose.”

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Most of them unpleasant, as you’ve no doubt discovered.” He finished his bar and started on his juice. “I noticed you were limping earlier. Is there something wrong with your ankle?”

“I was bitten by a dragon.”

His head snapped round. “What kind?”

“Does it really matter? Aren’t they supposed to be extinct?” He continued to stare at her, and she sighed. “Fine. It was small and black, with red eyes and sharp teeth. Does that help?”

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