Page 32 of Haunted Hearts

Both men shake their heads before trying their hardest to smile.

“I hear you want to go outside?” Brock takes a step forward and offers me his hand. “The air helped clear my head, I’m sure it will help you too.”

“Death has a courtyard with a cool fountain we can check out,” Jonah offers quickly.

Kwil squeezes my hand as I let out a sigh and nod, “Some fresh air sounds nice.”

Chapter11

THEODON

Getting a view of the place we’ve been staying at for the past few days puts things in perspective.

Since we arrived, we’ve stayed in the apartment Death deemed ours. A few times I’ve managed to slip out to the library, but that trek is simply from point A to point B with no stops or lingering in between, and only so I can grab a book to read during our downtime. Now, as we walk through the house, I have a moment to look around the magnificent building. Growing up in a palace, you’d think I’d be used to luxury and grandiose structures. But Death’s house is a gothic masterpiece.

One day, I will give the house the proper admiration it deserves. But right now, my attention is on Willow and the reaper. The man hovers close to her. His eyes hardly ever leave her face. The intensity of his attention has me on edge. As much as I would like to remind him that Willow isoursnot his, I’d be wrong. But just because he’s her mate doesn’t mean I have to like it. I think it’s fair to watch the reaper, to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.

Like try to start a rift between us and Willow.

When we get to the courtyard, I stick close to her side. Courtyard. Mentally I snort. It’s too simple a word for what this space really is. It’s more like an expansive garden nestled right in the middle of Death’s house. The raised cement garden beds house some of the most colorful and unusual flowers I have ever seen. The smells that come from them are intoxicating, if not a bit overwhelming.

“Most of these plants come from a realm close to yours. This one is called a Valley Mirror. They’re found at the bottom of canyons, and echo any noises in the area,” Brock explains to Willow as he approaches a particularly bright-colored group of blossoms that has grown tall and wild. His hand lands on her lower back as he urges her closer to give them a smell. And to pull her away from me.

My jaw clenches tight.

An elbow to my side pulls my attention away from the two of them. I glance over to catch Jonah giving me the side eye. It’s a very Willow-esque look. I can almost hear the word he doesn’t say out loud:Relax.

Working hard to do just that, I unclench my jaw and roll my shoulders. I can play nice. I won’t be the one to cause any issues between Willow and her mate.

“How do you know so much about flowers?” she asks him. “Is this a hobby of yours?”

“My parents are practically botanists. They spend all their time learning about different plants that end up here in the Realm of the Dead.”

“Your parents?” Kwil repeats with surprise. He’s given Willow and Brock space, prowling around in front of us, but now he stops and turns around to face the reaper with interest. “How does that work?”

“Clearly the three of them died and came here, Kwil,” Jonah mutters. “It feels rude to ask about that kind of thing.”

“No, actually, I wasbornhere in the Realm of the Dead,” Brock corrects, giving both of them a smile over his shoulders. “Children are born here all the time. If those spirits never get the chance to live in any of the realms within the Realm of the Living, their souls come here.”

It takes us a moment to process this information.

I open and shut my mouth before I can spit out, “Life can becreatedin the Realm of the Dead?”

Brock shoots me a dark look before turning back to Kwil.

“‘Life’ may be the wrong word, since we’re alldead.A soul that never got to exist in the Realm of the Living is brought to the Realm of the Dead to experience an existence, ergo their first ‘life’, if that makes sense.”

My hand shakes as I run it through my hair. Some of us are going to have to be careful from now on. While Viktor, Kwil, and I went through a procedure to make sure we couldn’t sire children, who knows if that changed when Kwil was bitten. And then there is Jonah…

“Don’t get any ideas, Mystery Man.”

Willow’s warning lightens the tension hanging over us. Kwil, Viktor, and Jonah chuckle as Brock leads Willow to another garden bed. With their attention elsewhere, Jonah takes the opportunity to go over to Kwil and whispers over his shoulder, “Let the best monsterbreed.”

My stomach drops as Kwil turns to eye Jonah up.

“Don’t you mean, ‘win’?” Viktor asks, hearing them just fine with our Fae hearing.

Jonah slaps Kwil on the back with his tail before looking over his shoulder at Viktor, “Do I?”

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