Page 16 of Touch of Death
“Come,” he says as he reaches to pull me to his side, tucking me against him as he covers me in his cloak, “let us conquer this city together.”
I smile at this, the chill emanating from him a steadying reminder that he isDeath. That despite everything we are up against, despite the fact that we are about to face the gods of the Underworld, I have to believe that his title, his position, is enough to give us a chance at forging a future together.
That this is not our last moment together, and I refuse to allow myself to think otherwise.
7
Death
It has taken every ounce of self-control I have left to my name not to pull her into my arms and kiss her. I am desperate to touch her, to feel the burn of her skin pressed against mine. To worship her completely, body and soul alike.
Desperate to tell her how deeply I have come to love her.
But all that will have to wait.
I cannot let on just how much she means to me here among these cretins that call themselves gods. The very fact I am here with her, for her, is already damning enough without letting on that I love her.
I must think of a reason for my being here. A reason for risking so much for a mortal soul that does not draw attention to my feelings for her.
Struggling to maintain my composure, I pull Hazel closer to my side, hiding her as best I can within the heavy folds of my cloak. I can feel the shiver of her body against mine and cannot help but worry. I hate that I am causing her discomfort, but I do not want to risk the city’s inhabitants seeing her.
Not yet.
As we draw closer to the city, my eyes keep slipping to her. Hazel has only grown even more beautiful in death. Her skin glows softly, like crushed pearls beneath moonlight, the true loveliness of her soul put on display for all to see.
Her warmth and kindness make her burn ever-brighter in this world of darkness, chasing away my own shadows and leaving me in awe of her very presence. I can hardly believe she is once again by my side, and yet, it terrifies me that she is.
In this city of nightmares, her soul is a prize worth risking death for.
I should know.
If the gods see in her what I do, they will be reluctant to let her go from here without leaving them sated.
Especially if they realizewhyI want her soul returned.
They would ruin her, feed upon her soul until she was drained of all that was good and pure in her. Then, they would grow bored of her. She would be cast out to wander aimlessly, a shell of the woman she once was.
I clench my jaw at these thoughts, dismissing them from my mind. I will not allow that to happen.
I will find a way to save her, to save her from all of this and give her the life that she truly deserves. She will never want for love or affection again. For as long as the Fates allow, I will do whatever it takes to make her life wonderful.
The Fates.
I grimace at the thought of them. The gods will be the least of my worries if they find out I am here, let alone for what reason. The Fates are one of the few beings whom even I cannot kill; whereas I can manipulate life and death, they manipulate the course of humanity itself.
I am the only being in existence capable of destroying their plans with a single touch, and they have always hated me for it. If they found out my reason for being here, if they found out about Hazel, I do not doubt that they would try to use her against me.
Fortunately for me, I have always found fate to be a fickle thing, and I have already gone so far against nature that it will take time for the Fates to work out exactly what I have done.
And hopefully, that will not happen until Hazel and I are safely out of their reach.
With a small sigh, I harden my resolve.
No matter what it takes, I will save Hazel from her fate. I cannot depend on anyone but myself, not until I have exhausted every option to save her. But, for now, I must focus on winning over the gods. I have no fear of them; however, I must be careful.
For Hazel’s sake.
The gods’ palaces are dangerous, each one a reflection of the one who inhabits it. If I want to keep Hazel safe, I will have to remain vigilant.
