I stopped walking when I realized what I was actually feeling.
“Fuck.” My chest hurt even more, as if my body were reacting to the acknowledgment. I rubbed at the pain. A part of me didn’t want it to ease. The pain was a reminder of the love I felt so clearly. But damn it. Love? Already? And why did it have to be so painful?
Something growled off to my left, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I turned in time to see a bird so large it was twice my height. It was pure white, with paws for feet, like a cat. Even its beak and claws were white. Its eyes were blue and piercing.
The creature growled again. The sound was more of a purr. For a moment, I thought it was trying to make friends, but thenit snapped its beak at me. Whether it was a warning or a prelude to eating me, I wasn’t sure.
“Whoa.” I held up my hands in surrender. “Good birdie.”
It snapped its beak again, trying to take off my hand.
I backed away, and of course, it followed me. “Shit.”
My back hit a tree. I suddenly realized I’d trapped myself.
The bird’s beak was all I saw until it opened its mouth and I saw the inside. It was dark and red. I’d be its food in 5.5 seconds. Being eaten by a giant bird was not how I wanted to go out. Also, this whole being the beloved of Grymley Reaper was not supposed to end with me being swallowed by a bird. And again, would I even die? Being immortal meant nothing, except that Donnie Death and his minions could kill me. Right? Unless this bird was a demon, which I doubted, given how undemon-like that thing seemed. Would I live in a bird creature’s belly, bitten to pieces, just parts, still alive but in massive pain?
I closed my eyes, not wanting to find out or see when the bird took its first piece of me.
The bird squawked in a watery way, and then the air displaced right before I heard a thunk.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the bird lying in a heap on the ground and Cael sheathing a bloody sword.
I stiffened. “How did you get here?”
Cael rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to ask you that, do I? I see you and Grym are bonded.”
“You’re an asshole.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Cael smirked. “I just saved your life. You should be more grateful.”
“I’m immortal, so you didn’t save shit.”
“You’d be stuck here. Forever. Considering I can smell Grym’s cologne all over you, I doubt you’d want that.” He was right about that.
I sighed. “If you saved my life, that implies you will not kill me. Am I right?”
“And piss Grym off even more. No, I’ll keep you safe while you’re in this realm.” Cael gestured toward the path. “I assume you’re here to see Aengus.”
I started walking. Cael kept pace beside me. “A demon visited twice. Some guy named Ezul. He may or may not be on our side. I guess the god of death knows about me and is throwing a gigantic tantrum because he’s not getting what he wants. Like the fucking world is a gigantic toy.”
Cael cursed under his breath. “Donn will do anything to prevent change. Even fuck over someone he confesses to love.”
That stopped me. And also, the giant gray brick building beyond the trees was coming into focus. It was kind of exciting and scary at the same time. “So, wait. You never answered my first question.”
“Why am I here?” Cael smiled.
“That would be the one.”
“I’m Aengus’s son.”
I sucked in a breath. “You can walk between realms, too, because you’re a god.”
“Half-god, but it still grants me access, especially to my childhood home.” He gestured toward the trees and the castle ahead.
“Grym doesn’t know?”
