She could only imagine how much worse his past must have been. Pity that life was ever so harsh. For everyone who walked it. She only hoped that Shadow found some sort of solace.
Just as she prayed that Nibo and Circe didn’t betray her. But it was hard to have faith. Hard to believe in others when so many lashed out.
Which made her curious as to another matter.
“What of this soul you plan to send back?”
Nibo hesitated. “Pardon?”
“Whose soul will you send here to replace Agrios’s?”
He turned sheepish as they walked. “Was rather hoping you wouldn’t ask.”
Her stomach drew tight as fear choked her. “Meaning?”
“Don’t get that tone. I’m not going to offer up you. You heard what she said.”
Mayhap not, but some would be worse than her. “One of my friends?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Don’t think so?”
He paused to look at her. “I haven’t quite figured it out yet.”
Failure to think ahead … “Xuri!”
He held his hands up in surrender. “What do you want from me, Vala? A lie?”
At the moment? Sort of. Honestly, she wasn’t sure, but she really didn’t like where this was heading, as it was making her a bit sick to her stomach. “So, what? You just randomly pick a soul and cast it down here?”
“Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
“Fine, I’ll pick an evil one to send in. Would that make you happy?”
She supposed. “Can you do that?”
“I think so.”
“Youthink?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Xuri!”
Again, he looked a bit helpless. “I told you before,mon ange, that I’m on uncharted territory. I’m not Thorn. This isn’t what I do. Bringing souls in should be easy, as that’s what I usually do, but this isn’t my normal route. So I’ll try,n’est-ce pas?”
Hands on hips, she shook her head. “I’m beginning to not like you so much.”
“I’ll let you in on a bit of a secret, Vala. Some days, neither do I.” He winked at her.
Growling low in her throat, she followed after the men as they continued on until they neared the door and found the exit cut off by a band of winged creatures who were hideous in form. With forked, serpentine tongues, they hissed at them and flicked long, braided tails.
Nibo pulled her back. “Beware. They spit venom that can bind you here. Kill your soul.”
His nostrils flared as one of the beasts flew at them. “Hades!” He called out for the ancient being who ruled this domain.
