Page 23 of Touch of Death
If she truly means to try to set us on a course to change the Underworld, I’m almost tempted to side with Death in his wariness. Even if denying her help would mean giving up the small flower of hope that’s blossomed in my chest since her arrival.
“And how do you suggest we go about doing that?” Death asks.
“Well, it will not be easy, and it will take precious time,” Persephone says.
“Timeis one thing we do not have,” Death hisses.
“Perhaps not, but at least I have given you a chance to save youandthe girl before it is too late for her to return. Can you say you have a better plan?”
Death sighs deeply at this, his jaw hardening in thought.
“No,” he says after a moment. “At least, not one that would not end in slaughter and damnation.”
“Good, then we have until her body begins to decay to make this work,” she says. “Otherwise, you know as well as I do that no task, no favor will be powerful enough to return her.”
“Iknow,” Death says, his shoulders tense as he glares down at Persephone. She doesn’t so much as flinch at the chill wafting from him.
“Right, now, is the mortal’s body somewhere … safe?”
“Yes.”
“And it remains unharmed?”
“Yes.”
“Wait,” I say, turning toward Death, “what is she talking about? How much time do we have?”
He says nothing, his eyes trained forward. I glance at Persephone, but all she does is shrug. Frowning, I turn back to search Death’s face.
I realize he’s been careful to avoid telling me that our time here has always been limited, though I suspect that was more for my sake than his. He never told me what he did with my body after my soul left it, either, though I haven’t had the guts to ask him about it either.
“Death,” I say, my voice soft, “where is my body?”
“On my bed,” he says, finally glancing down at me.
“Oh.”
I see the pain in his eyes as I reach for him, wrapping my arms around his body.
“I know it is morbid and that I should return it to your family, but I could not bring myself to part with it just yet. Not when the state of my realm gives us the best chance of saving you. Unlike the mortal realm, decay is not quite so … predictable.”
“How long does that give us?”
“It is hard to say, given the different workings of time and space among the realms. At the very least, ten days from death, though it is possible that your body will not decay at all as long as it remains in between.”
Ten days.
Frustration hits me as I wonder how many days we might already have lost. Of course, nothing can just be simple. I take a second to get a handle on my emotions before forcing a small smile to my lips.
We are still together. There is still hope yet.
“Ten days is better than nothing,” I say, brightening. “We’ll just have to try our best to get back as quickly as possible.”
Death stares at me for a moment before giving me a nod. Slowly, he forces himself to relax, and my smile becomes more genuine.
“Then we best not waste any more time,” he says.
He moves toward the main hall, but Persephone continues to block his path where she stands at the entrance of the crevice.
