He knew. He knew everything I was hiding. I could say the name swimming around in my head, lacerating my mind with memories I wished I could forget, and maybe he would take pity on us and be more inclined to help, or maybe he wouldn’t. I should say something, but I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t bring myself to speak that name.
My heart thudded with force against my ribs. “No. No idea.” I was also terrified that if I said it out loud in front of Lothar, his own memories would be shaken loose, along with a whole lot of awful things that were better left locked away.
Lothar turned to me and frowned. “What’s going on?”
He could sense my distress, of course he could. “Nothing. I’m just frustrated, you know? I want this over with like you do.”
He nodded, but his gaze remained on me for several long seconds, as if he didn’t believe a word I’d said. He always did have good instincts. “Do we have your permission to pass through your realm to Ferine, then return?”
Death inclined his head. “You may pass through, but we won’t be making a habit of this, understand?”
“Completely,” I said, then turned to Lothar. “Let’s get our stuff. Time’s a-wasting.” I wanted him away from Death pronto. We were here because of Zinnia, but Death didn’t owe me shit. He definitely didn’t have to keep my secrets for me.
As soon as I shut myself in my room a few minutes later, I pulled the axe from my pack and inspected it. My blood turned to ice when I caught the worn insignia carved into the side, that I’d missed in the darkness of the forest. I slid my thumb over it, and a shiver rolled through me. No. It couldn’t be. My side burned, a deep ache throbbing beneath my scar.
Quickly taking my phone from my pocket, I snapped a pic of the insignia and sent it to Lucifer, then shoved my phone back in my pocket. There could be several reasons for this weapon being in the wraiths’ possession. There was no need to panic. Not yet.
I packed my things, forcing myself to breathe evenly and not jump to conclusions.
When I walked out a few minutes later, I heard low voices coming from the library. Lothar and Death. I heard my name and walked up as silently as I could.
“What’s Roxy hiding?” Lothar said, his hound in his voice making it nothing but a growl. “She knows something, something she’s not telling me.”
Death was silent several beats. “Whatever Roxana knows or doesn’t know is not for me to say. Only she or Lucifer can give you the answers you want.”
Fuck.
Lothar’s boots pounded on the carpet, and I rushed back to my room, walking out as if I hadn’t been eavesdropping. “Ready?” I said, trying to slow my racing pulse.
Lothar held my gaze for several painfully tense seconds, then dipped his chin and carried on walking. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Chapter
Eleven
Roxy
* * *
In a way, Limbo was like a floating island. The realm was connected to nothing because it was Death’s own creation, which meant you could open a gateway to other realms—if not directly, then pretty freaking close—rather than pass through a whole bunch of other territories to get to the one you wanted, which made things a lot easier and faster. Well, it would be if Death allowed it. We got lucky, thanks to Zinnia. He refused entrance to everyone else, which meant Beelzebub most likely had someone here in Limbo willing to help him. Something I’m sure Death had considered. I could guarantee he’d started hunting down the weak link before we’d even left.
“You didn’t ask for weapons?” I said to break the silence.
“He said knives, claws, and fangs were all we needed in the Savage Realm,” Lothar said, striding beside me. His shoulders were stiff, and he’d been distant, okay, straight-up pissed off, since we’d left the castle.
“I’ve journeyed through Ferine before. We’ll be fine,” I said, trying to get him to stop frowning. He was in his head; I knew that look well. But it wasn’t the talk of weapons making him tense. No, he was still convinced I was keeping things from him, information that would help us find Beelzebub. What I was hiding wouldn’t help our cause, if only I could convince him of that.
“So today you’ve decided to go with the old, upbeat Roxy, huh?” His gaze slid to me. “Why is that?”
I threw up my hands. “You wanted the old Roxy, so that’s what I’m giving you. Now that’s pissing you off as well?” Shut up. Do not goad him. “What the hell do you want from me, Lothar?”
He snorted like an enraged bull. “We’re about to enter a realm that is notoriously dangerous. We need to be on the same fucking page.”
“We are!”
“Bullshit.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “We’re going to need to have each other’s backs in there. Are you saying you don’t trust me to do that?”
