“Was it in one particular area?” Jude asked. “Maybe you’re starting to hone your gift and you’ll be able to hunt like we do.”
Because Thea didn’t hunt like the rest of us. We went searching for hellbound souls to kill, and we could smell when there was one close by. Thea didn’t seem to actively hunt at all, which further confused us. She’d said that she’d occasionally killed in retribution when someone she cared about was harmed, and she’d put herself in risky situations and killed her attackers, but she didn’t go out with the specific goal of finding some random hellbound mortal to kill.
“I don’t know. I didn’t have the urge to kill someone. Things just felt… weird.” She turned and stared at me then. “Although maybe that’s also because of your crow-loving buddy, although I talked to him after my city visit.”
“Sebbie?” I asked, perking up.
She snorted. “Is there another weirdo out there hanging with the crows? Because two of you is enough. Sebbie totally thinks you’re cute, by the way. He told me we were gonna be besties, and he made me pinkie swear to it.” Her face twisted in some sort of half-smile, half-grimace. “He said we’re going to do each other’s nails and other bestie shit, so in the spirit of middle school girl energy, I feel the need to tell you that he wastotallydistracted by you when we were stuck in that cult’s basement. He thinks you’re a hottie.”
I smiled, pleased that Sebbie had talked about me.
“I amnotpassing notes between you two, though. Gotta draw the line somewhere,” she muttered.
“That’s okay. The crows can do that,” I told her. They had already delivered a stuffed crow to Sebbie. Perhaps it was time to up our courtship game.
She just stared at me for a moment. “Oh my god, Corbin. I was being sarcastic. You’re grown-ass men. You can pass your own fucking notes. Or better yet, just fucking talk to each other.”
“Yeah, Corbin, just talk to him,” Jude chimed in.
Before I could say anything, Thea pointed at him. “You shut up. You can’t talk. You break the law in order to talk to your crush, you lunatic.”
Jude smiled at her like he’d been complimented.
“Do you think he’s ready to talk to me?” I asked, drawing her attention back to me. If both the deckandThea thought it was time for Sebbie and I to move forward, perhaps I ought to listen.
Thea looked thoughtful, picking at her pastry again. She wasn’t like the rest of us, but that was good—she gave us a different perspective.
“I asked him about the day with the cult, and he really doesn’t remember what happened. He thinks I stabbed the woman and the lights went out. Then someone found the light and turnedit on.” Thea paused, looking up at me. “Corbin, how can he not remember anything else that happened?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what the answer to that was. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how he doesn’t know anything at all.”
“Would you have believed us if we told you that you were a hellhound?” Jude cut in.
Thea snorted. “Nope. Ididn’tbelieve Wilder when he first told me.”
“Exactly. All people have a strict idea of what constitutes reality. We may think odd things happen, but we put everything into a context that we can understand,” Jude said. “Corbin over here grew upknowinghe was different. His mom was a witch, so he was taught that you don’t always see everything there is to see about the world. He grew up with a different view of reality. The rest of us…” Jude spread his hands.
“We explain it away,” Thea finished. “We rationalize it. We don’t believe the weird shit.”
“Yup,” Jude agreed.
“So how did Wilder get you to see the truth about yourself?” I asked. “Perhaps that can help with Sebbie.”
“I don’t think that’s gonna work,” she answered. “I never did believe Wilder. I had to turn into a fiery dog to realize that he was right, and even then I still sort of didn’t believe him, so… Yeah. Good luck with Sebbie.”
I wondered if there was some way for Sebbie to take on his true form, just as Thea had turned into hers. Then again, perhaps having a grim reaper walking about on Earth wasn’t the best idea.
Never mind the fact that I wasn’t sure I would survive it if Sebbiedidembrace his true form in my presence. I wasn’t sure anyone with him would. Having never encountered a grim reaper, or a ferryman, for that matter, I had no idea what they actually did in their true forms. Never mind that I still didn’tunderstand how Sebbie could be both those things at once. I wasn’t sure if we had all died in that basement room or not, and I really wasn’t sure how Sebbie had brought us back.
Dating my little reaper was definitely going to prove to be interesting. Hopefully I didn’t accidentally die again in the process.
Chapter 4
Sebbie
I was dreamingof the river again.
I was on my boat heading towards the shore (because I had a boat and totally knew how to drive it in dreamland), and I could already see the throng of people there. My boat was pretty small, but somehow, all the people always fit anyway.
