“How native?”
“Very.”
“Ah. From this area?”
“From what is now called Salem.”
“I assume you mean the Salem in Oregon.”
“That's the one.” I took a sip of my wine, then said, “And you are from Hell.”
He snorted. “Not exactly.”
“Oh, excuse me. I mean, the Underworld.”
Rune shrugged. “Sort of.”
“Sort of? Go on then. I've heard the Cerberus teams were created by Hades to protect the Underworld and Earth. You retrieve lost souls.”
“Lost and escaped souls. Then there are hauntings and other things.”
“And where are you from, if not the Underworld?”
“Here,” he said.
“Seattle?”
“Well, not here, here. Here as in Earth. I was human once. Like you.”
“I thought Hades made you.” I leaned forward, suddenly even more interested in this man.
“He made this body, but he can't make souls. I was a warrior once. Honorable enough to be chosen to serve.”
I made a scoffing sound.
Rune scowled. “What's wrong with that?”
“Sorry. You make it sound as if you traded your afterlife for eternal servitude.”
“I did, in a way. But it's not a terrible service. We work hard, but we have a lot of free time.” He motioned at the restaurant as if it were proof. “And there are benefits.”
“Like turning into a dog?”
“Hey, don't knock it. Being a hound is fun. Eternal life isn't so bad either, is it?”
“It's wonderful to see humanity evolve,” I agreed. “But I often wonder what I'm missing by remaining here. There must be a reason for the cycle. Life, death, and rebirth. Maybe I'm missing something important.”
He shrugged. “As someone who's seen the Underworld, I can tell you that unless you're one of those rare, pure souls, the afterlife isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'd rather miss out.”
“You don't think there could be a benefit to reincarnation?”
“What benefit? You don't get to remember your past lives. All the Underworld does is balance your soul and give you another shot at becoming pure enough to make it to the Blessed Isles.”
“So, you remember your past life?”
Rune's expression twitched. For a second, it threatened to become grim, but then he revived his mood and turned grim into a grin. “No. I don't remember it. I only know I was a warrior because Hades told us.”
“I see.” I didn't want to get into a conversation about things neither of us could have, so I moved on. “Is it true that you're bound to your brothers?”
