Probably a few of their friends and family. And some distant relatives.
“Damn you, Nibo!” Valynda pulled out her sword. “Why couldn’t you pick a better fear. Like butterflies?”
Agrios grabbed his sword as well.
With a fierce grimace, Nibo chose his throwing daggers.
“Harm one of them and you’ll never leave this place. And given that you’re all three dead, you might not anyway. But violate the laws here and it will be a certainty that you will become a permanent resident in our merry home.”
They turned in unison to find a shadow speaking to them. One Valynda had seen before but didn’t know. Not much taller than her, he had eyes that were a peculiar shade of grayish blue and hair pulled back into a neat queue that was neither dark nor light. Rather, it was a mixture of the two, like two kinds of straw bundled together to make a unique shade.
Well built and every bit as handsome as Nibo, there was something about him innately powerful. Innately sexual and cold. She would call him a demon, and yet there seemed something more to him than just their cruelty. While she had no doubt he could be as lethal as any and do whatever it was he needed to, something about him said that he wouldn’t relish the vile deed.
Nay, this creature had a conscience.
And it ran as deep as the searing intelligence that burned in those unique eyes.
Most peculiar of all was his overcoat that was made completely of leather, with high brass buttons and a high collar. Unlike the dandies who preferred billowing lace, he wore a plain black tunic that was open at the neck, with tight black breeches and boots.
Aye, he was dangerous. The kind that made the hairs on the nape of one’s neck stand up and sent a chill down the spine. She had no doubt he’d left a trail of bodies in his wake.
Along with an untold number of broken hearts of women who couldn’t claim this one as their own.
“What are you doing here, Shadow? This isn’t your realm.”
His features softened into a teasing, roguish grin. “Au contraire, mon frère.My domain is anywhere the daylight and moonlight don’t reach. That nebulous nothing in between.” He moved to stand beside Valynda, which caused the spiders to back up as if they feared him. “You’re the ones who don’t belong here. Not I.”
Nibo narrowed his gaze on the creatures. “Why are they afraid of you?”
“Not afraid.Respectful.”
Nibo snorted. “What? Did you eat their leader for dinner?”
“Breakfast.” He flashed a debonair and charming grin at Valynda. “Now I’m looking for a tasty morsel for dessert.”
A sword point appeared at Shadow’s throat, forcing him back from her as all humor left Nibo. “Well, you won’t be having none of that, mate.”
With an amused glint in his steely eyes, Shadow tsked at Nibo’s sudden distemper and knocked the blade away with his bare hand. “Duly noted, and you can relax, old man. I was only teasing.” He jerked his chin toward something past their shoulders. “That was the morsel I came here for. And the dessert I was speaking of, anyway.”
Valynda turned to see an incredibly attractive goddess approaching them.
“You’re late,” she chastised Shadow. With ebony spiraling locks and a body made for long hours in a bedroom, the statuesque beauty commanded attention. And without meaning to, the goddess of blessed death made Valynda feel like a Kewpie doll. Not because the goddess was trying to, but because she was just that stunning and physically perfect.
In fact, Valynda had to fight the urge to go hide.
“Sorry, love. Had to stop and help out my friends. Besides, you know I’ve never been one to pay close attention to punctuality.”
Sheathing his sword, Nibo shook his head. “Damn, boy, you do have giant, whopping bullocks. Makaria? Seriously? Have you lost every bit of your sanity?”
Unrepentant, Shadow shrugged as he went past them to approach the goddess who didn’t walk, she glided with grace and beauty. Which made sense given that she was the psychopomp in charge of caring for those who’d lived long, gentle lives and died peacefully in their sleep.
Shadow lifted the goddess’s pinkie. “What’s Hades going to do to me that hasn’t already been done? Besides, Maka has him wrapped around her most beautiful little finger.” He kissed her hand, then her cheek as she preened from his praise.
“Does she now?” Nibo challenged.
Valynda cleared her throat to politely get her favorite psychopomp’s attention off the much more beautiful woman before she completely escaped everyone’s memory. “Might I ask how it is that you seem to know her?” she asked Nibo quite pointedly.
He laughed. “Rest your jealousy,mon ange.She’s a psychopomp. I’m a psychopomp. Our paths have crossed a few times over the centuries as we’ve collected our souls, here and there.”
