Page 80 of A Soul to Steal

Eh, so what if that meant he’d be left alone in Tenebris? He’d just forget anyway and go to sleep in that creepy canyon of lost and unwanted souls. He wouldn’t even know he’d been left behind.

As if expecting more, she placed two fingers under Gideon’s chin and directed his face back to hers. “Well?”

“You already told me what I want to know,” he calmly stated back, this time unwavering from her haunting eyes. “I only came here because Aleron wanted me to. Other than that, there’s nothing more for me to say.”

“I see.” Her lips tightened before she stood and turned to Aleron. “And what about you? Do you seek life?”

When he tipped his skull to Gideon, he answered Aleron with a nod.Go on, man. She’s your grandmother or whatever. She’ll probably help you.

“Yes,” he answered. “I would like to be returned to my kindred.”

Her brows twitched as she frowned. “Kindred?”

“He is mytwin.” He brought his hand to his chest, his claws digging in. “But–”

“Shhh, shhh,” she hushed. Her eyes bowed with sympathy as she placed her hand over his snout. “I have heard all I need to.”

The Gilded Maiden rose her arms, as if she were about to cast some kind of magic or say something grand. Just as she opened her mouth, a yell had them all turning towards the black crystal prism.

A man with flesh like bright-green scales ran towards them. His Elven-like form, with pointed ears, didn’t match the sharp and hard lines of his flat, nearly humanoid, reptilian face. Even with the small distance between them, his yellow eyes were narrowed, and his short, dark-green hair fluttered.

The Gilded Maiden squealed. Fretting, she grabbed an arm of each of them.

“We have to go!”

Gideon thought she was about to run off with them, but the world flashed, and they were transported away. The environment changed. Instead of being surrounded by swampy trees, they were miles in the air.

Stepping back in surprise, it appeared they stood on some kind of glass sheet, or an invisible floor. Below them, lava swirled throughout mountains, flowing in streams before cracking into rivulets.

What must have once been a peaceful plane of the uttermost serenity, had now become violent. He could even feel the heat from high above, like they’d been brought to some fiery pits of damnation.

“That was a close one,” she eventually exclaimed with a laugh. “The Evergreen Servant can be rather protective, especially when I’ve just awoken from a slumber. He won’t be able to reach us here.”

Evergreen Servant? Well, he was definitely green.He’d almost looked like a snake who ran on two legs, rather than a tail, with claws tipping his fingers and toes.

She tossed her head side to side, forcing her hair back and out of the way. No wind pushed it around, nor his own or Aleron’s feathers.

She gave a singular clap of her hands. “But this works in my favour. I now know what I want to do.”

She’s a delinquent.She’d fled from her caretaker.

“Aleron,” she said, flashing a toothy grin. Gideon didn’t remember either of them telling her their names. “I offer you a choice.”

Great. This couldn’t be any good.I guess she wants to test him or something.Whatever it was, hopefully he could assist.

She walked around them as she gestured to the world.

“Here, in this realm, life and death do not matter. Here, you are just a being, one who is immortal.” She lifted a single finger. “However, falling into one of the rivers below means unending torture, forever drowning in unbearable heat.” She gave them a smirk. “You can imagine why no one comes here unless absolutely necessary.”

Unable to help himself, his feet moving of their own accord, Gideon stood in front of Aleron and threw his arms open. “If you’re asking him to go for a swim, the answer is no.”

His chest was tight with fear, unable to handle the thought of Aleron in pain just for this odd goddess’ entertainment. He’d rather throw himself into the rivers of lava.

She pinched Gideon’s cheek. “I would never do something so cruel. How dare you think of me like this.”

She yanked hard. Although it didn’t particularly hurt, and mainly just stretched his skin to the side, he frowned.

“Please leave my human alone,” Aleron pleaded, as he gently grabbed her wrist to still her. “My tolerance of your touching of him grows shorter each time.”

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