Page 109 of Haunted Hearts

I snort.

“These guys don’t understand the meaning of ‘privacy’. If you’re home, expect company. It’s incredibly annoying.”

Kwil chuckles as my smile belays the truth.

“Wow, try to tone down the love, Brock.”

The six of us turn to find Caveman stomping up the well beaten trail, grinning like a lunatic. His eyes fasten onto Willow immediately.

“Hey! If it isn’t the goddess of the Realm of the Dead here to grace our presence.” Caveman’s grin grows wider before he comes to a stop and bows dramatically.

Willow huffs. “Don’t bow, I’mnota goddess, Caveman. Just plain Willow.”

“Could have fooled me,” Caveman shrugs, his grin never faltering as he stares at her.

Willow shakes her head but before she can protest any further, I look over at her and wink, “You look like one.”

She sucks her teeth and proceeds to give a dramatic eye roll. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I could have told you that about him,” Caveman teases. “So what brings you guys back around? Here to party with us again? I was just coming by to, uh,borrowyour mead, Brock.”

“Borrow? How does one ‘borrow’ mead?” I glare at my friend who chuckles sheepishly. “You know what, that’s not the point. We’re here because we need your help. Where are the others?”

Caveman waves his hand in the direction of Tootsie’s house across the pond and through the thinner section of trees. “Everyone’s getting ready over there. Why, what’s up?”

Rather than answer him right away, I turn to look at Theo. While Willow may have come up with a general plan to stop the warlock, it was Theo who hammered out the finer details all day yesterday and most of the day today. This part is all his idea. His eyes flicker to me then back to Caveman before he steps up.

“The warlock that captured your friend Remy is at it again. With the spirits and reapers he’s capturing and converting into Death Magic in the Realm of the Living, he’s causing chaos here in the Realm of the Dead. Would you and the others care to help us eliminate him?”

The smile is wiped clean from Caveman’s face. His brows shoot upwards, and his mouth drops open. Huh, looks like he’s missing another tooth. Who’d he fight with recently for that to happen? Before I can ask, his mouth snaps shut and his brows furrow. His meaty hands curl into fists at his sides and he takes a step towards us.

“It’s against protocol for us to harm the living,” he growls through clenched teeth. “But I think we’ll all be happy to make an exception for this bastard.”

I grin.

Even if the warlock hadn’t been using the souls of reapers to level up, I have a feeling Caveman would have agreed to this. To his friends, he's just a big friendly goofball. Piss Caveman off, however, and even demons scatter.

“Willow found a loophole in the rules about what we can and can’t do with the living,” I beam down at her before I look back up at my friend. “You’re going toloveit when you hear what we have in store for this guy.”

Caveman returns my grin. “Well then, it sounds like your woman is filled with all sorts of surprises. Give me five minutes and I’ll be back with the others. Whatever you’re planning, I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help.”

“Ok, just—”

Cavemen doesn’t wait for me to finish. He barrels back down the path he came from, moving faster than I thought the big guy could manage.

Viktor chuckles darkly. “Well, that was probably the easiest recruitment ever.”

Theo hums thoughtfully as Kwil answers,

“I think this warlock messed with the wrong fucking people.”

* * *

Tootsie, Arty, Remy, Caveman, and the others, sit and listen carefully while Theodon talks. In total, there are fourteen of them and the six of us. Twenty is a small army, but given what Willow came up with, I have a feeling it’ll suffice.

It’s weird seeing everyone so sullen. While most people think a grim reaper’s line of work would be…. Well,grim, it’s actually interesting and enjoyable. We arrive as friends to new spirits. We’re not the enemy and once a spirit understands that, they’re much more comfortable. Most of the time we joke and share stories with those we travel with. When we’re together, the atmosphere is lighthearted, and laughter is bountiful.

Today, however, we’re together under different circumstances.

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