A pause. A hiss. Then—
“Oh, little one.”
The voice grew deeper, fuller—closer.
“You’re already inside my mouth.”
My heart accelerated. Lifting my scythe, I morphed it into a thin blade and ran toward one of the walls. The sword connected. A squishy, squirting sound bubbled up as the blade sank through the wall. Blood oozed out and my eyes widened.
The creature chuckled and with horrifying clarity, I realized the sound came from every direction. “That tickled,” he said.
The ground vibrated beneath my feet. I didn’t know if that was the reason I fell to my knees again or the hunger squeezing the life out of my stomach. Nope.Get up, Kitty. There was no time to let the curse win. I might be in a freaking monster’s mouth.
No, I was, wasn’t I?
With a pained cry, I reached up, grabbed my sword from the wall, and rammed it into the floor next. Blood squirted up, splattering my clothes. I didn’t stop. I kept dragging the blade, ripping through the floor. A puddle of blood formed. My boots slipped once but I righted myself and smiled. “Thanks for letting me know where I’m at. If you’re not going to let me out, I’ll carve a door myself.”
I swung my weapon against the wall repeatedly.
“Kitty.” I froze at the sound of my father’s voice.
Chapter Fifteen
Kitty
Turning to my right, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Grim Reaper stood before me. There were no visible signs of him fading, no dark circles, or weakness.
“You’re not real,” I whispered. Even so, my eyes watered to see him so perfectly whole and healthy.
“I’m sorry I scared you, but everything’s all right now,” he said, taking a step forward.
I shook my head. “Nothing’s all right.”
“Why is that?” he asked, cocking his head, as if he genuinely didn’t know.
I stared at him—really stared.
Everything was too perfect. His cloak didn’t waver. His eyes were too clear. And his voice… It was just a little too smooth. Like a memory, not a man.
“You’re not my father,” I said, straightening despite the ache tearing through my core.
He smiled softly. His smile. “Kitten, I’m right here. You’ve been through something terrible. It’s natural to see the worst. But you’re safe now.”
“No.” I gripped my sword tighter. “I’m inside something’s mouth. I stabbed the damn wall, and it bled. You think I forgot that already?”
The illusion faltered.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
And then his smile flickered.
Not in a way that made sense. Not in a human way. One second it was curved, warm—Dad’s. The next, it jerked slightly higher on one side, like a marionette pulled by the wrong string.
My stomach clenched, but this time, it wasn’t from the curse.
“Because you’re the Devil and his monsters playing tricks on me,” I said slowly, tasting each word like poison.
Dad frowned. “What monster?”
