His glanced at me oddly, like he wanted to say something.
“Brim sent you to me? How is he?” He paused for a long moment before looking back at his two guards, who were watching us oddly. “It’s odd that he is allowing you to call him Brim.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Death looked at me and sighed. “I didn’t think he told others his name. He was secretive about it when I met him.”
“You know Brim, he knows everyone’s business,” Ezra chimed in. “He even told us you’d be lurking in the woods of Nightfall Court.”
“Lurking…” Death’s voice was unamused as his gaze moved to Ezra. “I wasn’t lurking. I was soul collecting.”
“Well, actually you didn’t collect any souls. Your lady friend did, which is very interesting because she isn’t a goddess.” Ezra stepped back when Death’s pissed-off gaze stared into him, and his jaw clenched.
“Grim and I have an understanding about soul collecting, and if you breathe a word of what she did, I will find your home and burn it down with you inside. Then I will rip your soul into so many pieces that you can never be reborn.”
Ezra lifted his hands up in the air and grinned. “Brim also said you were grumpy.”
Death stepped toward Ezra.
“For fuck’s sake, man. I am not going to tell anyone that your girlfriend can collect souls even though she is amortal vampire.” Ezra’s eyes bore into Death. “Do you realize how much power is pulsing from her because of all the souls inside of her? It’s intoxicating.”
I realize now why I never felt her power. Ezra was the God of Souls; he could feel them within her. Death stared at Ezra, his expression unreadable.
“You just don’t know when to shut the fuck up, do you? I will not talk about Morrigan with you, anothermalegod.”
“If you are worried that I am interested in your lady, think again,” Ezra scoffed.
“She would never give you a second glance,” he said, staring down Ezra. The guards behind Death stared at the two of them bickering like they would have to hold Death back.
“I have a mate, so turn down your possessiveness.” Ezra gave him a sassy look. “I’m just making sure you know that if I sensed her power, then others will too. You should protect your mate better. A power like that will attract the wrong attention.”
Death’s eyes widened at Ezra’s words, but honestly, I wasn’t sure which ones because Ezra kept digging his own grave.
“Grim?” he said, strained. “She is not my mate.”
“She’s not?” Ezra and I both asked.
“No, Grim is not mine. Not all of us will get mates.”
There was an odd sense of grief coming from him. I felt bad about asking because it was clear he was upset about this. His guards looked at us and motioned for us to shut the hell up. Death sighed heavily as he looked away from Ezra.
“I would like to help you, especially since you have found your mate, and that is a treasure that not all of us will get. But I cannot guarantee that I can get to you right when you need me. I am a prisoner here, and I will have to sneak away and help quickly.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “That is all we ask.”
Death nodded before clenching his jaw tightly. “Can you do me a favor?” he asked.
“Anything.”
“When you see Brim, will you tell him that I said his vision came true, we were too late to stop it, and now there is no way out? Our fates are broken.”
I frowned but agreed to tell Brim.
“I really do have to go before my brother notices I am gone for too long.”
I nodded, but before he left, he stopped and turned to us. He struck out his hand, and I gripped it. A searing pain shot through my arm, and when I looked down, I saw a black butterfly marked into the entirety of the back of my hand.
“Death’s omen. It will connect us through the magic barriers so I can hear you, but you must call for me as the God of Death for me to hear anything. Once you do, I will come as soon as I can.”
