Page 30 of Death God

But unlike the dark mages, I wasn’t losing myself to it. I was pushing back the powerful spirits and enforcing boundaries with my newly discovered death power.

The monster in me arose and purred in satisfaction and delight, embracing our birthright more freely and faster than I did.

Had enough, fuckers?! I growled as another wave of my death power lashed out at the spirits.

Yes, Ophelia, they answered in relief and chuckled in dark delight and pain as they rose to their feet one by one. But we aren’t fuckers. We’ll be your allies. Now we know you can finally go up against him. You need a lot of training, and we’re running out of time. You might be Death, but time is not on your side.

I blinked as it dawned on me that the spirits weren’t assaulting me. They were trying to coax out my death magic. Only the powerful dead, like them, could get through to me, and they’d given me the first lesson on lashing out at the dead and commanding them.

Tough love, they told me.

Whatever, I told them. I’m not the same Ophelia.

You’ve changed. They agreed. But you still need us. Please carry us with you, as the old Ophelia promised. Don’t leave us behind in this hell again. Our fates are bound to you. When you defeat the horseman, we’ll be free.

“But how can I carry you?” I asked, spreading my arms. “You’re a legion. You might bend my back and make me look like a seventy-year-old woman. That won’t look good on me.”

You’re much older than a seventy-year-old, a spirit in the form of a Fae warrior murmured bitterly. You’re over a century old.

I narrowed my eyes at her. She’d once been very beautiful and powerful. Her magic was water element.

You’re only jealous that I’m still young and alive, I said.

Lady Ophelia, perhaps we can— A powerful druid opened his mouth.

I knew what he wanted. After I unleashed my death power, I’d never felt more connected to the dead. I understood them now.

“Nope,” I said. “No one possesses me. I can still knock out your teeth virtually and make it hurt even though you’re dead.”

“Sorry that I asked,” he said, retreating behind the other spirits.

An idea came over me as I felt the weight of the cuffs.

“Will you be able to eat away the nasty spells on this pair of cuffs?” I asked the collective spirits.

Of course, a few of them answered, and a few seemed to want to bargain.

“Hide yourselves in the cuffs so I can carry you all. Just make them lightweight,” I said. “The day I shatter these fucking cuffs, reunite with my true mate, and vanquish that motherfucker who wronged us, you all will be set free.”

Half of the male spirits frowned at me. You found a mate? Who is he?

The shouts from outside the door increased. The shifters were shooting at the door now to try to get in, but no bullets could penetrate the ward. Someone screamed in pain and cursed, probably getting hit by a stray bullet.

The noises were going to draw unwanted attention here if I didn’t leave soon.

Hop on, I told the spirits as I lifted my hands to show them their new wagon—the cuffs.

The spirits formed two rows in an instant and filed into my cuffs like two streams of pale blue wind. In a few seconds, they’d all settled. I blinked, amazed at how organized they were.

You’ll talk to me and display your spirit powers only when we’re alone, I said. We can never let the horseman of war find out about this before we can strike him.

We’re not idiots, several spirits sneered.

Who knows. I sighed. They had attitude already, but then I could relate to that. It was only a shame that it’d be hard to get to know all of them since there were hundreds of them. I deal with idiots on a daily basis, but I hope they are few and far between among you.

I trekked back to the door, carrying hundreds of spirits with me on the enemy’s cuffs, the perfect hiding place for them.

The door opened for me, and I stepped out. Then the door closed on its own.

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