Rage’s face darkened.
“No. Way,” I growled as fury filled me. “You’re just like Surlama.”
He froze, spinning slowly, and pinned me with a narrow gaze. “How dare you compare me to that outer-ring cheat!”
Was he kidding? “How is what you just did any different than her? You tricked me by manipulating my words against me—and youknowit.”
His eyes darkened until all I could see was black. “Fine. I’ll let you and your mate goifyou’ll kill Surlama. I’d even be willing to oweyoua favor.”
Wow! My hatred of the dark mage paled in comparison to the loathing emanating from the Keeper. I glanced at Rage, and he nodded, so I placed my fist over my left breast. “I will.”
He rubbed his hands together as his expression went from glaring daggers to eager, bright-eyed-grin in a heartbeat. “When?”
I gulped. He wanted a timeline? “Excuse me?”
“We’re making a deal. I want to knowwhenI can expect her soul.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. I had no idea how hard it would be to kill her.
“Give us a week,” Rage demanded.
The Keeper winced. “Your brother has…” He paused a moment, closing his eyes. “Seventy-two hours, thirty-nine minutes, and seventeen seconds before he’s stuck here forever. I suggest something less than that.”
“Fine,” I growled with frustration. “We’ll give you Surlama’s soul within seventy-two hours if you let us see Honor, release us back to the mortal realm,andwhen we call for his soul, you let him come back.Andyou’ll owe me a favor worth a soul stone,” I added quickly.
Lesson one: Ask for a lot.
Lesson two:Obviouslywording was very important.
I waited for him to push back, but he just grinned like a lunatic.
“Deal. I look forward to future negotiations with you, Spirit Walker.” Reaching out, he extended his hand.
I grasped it, and a jolt of electricity zapped me, all the way up to my elbow. “Oww.”
Rubbing my arm, I glared up at him. His smile, which I’d thought couldn’t be any bigger, stretched, and his eyes warmed with humor.
Dude was twisted.
“Honor is by the lake. You may have five minutes with him, and then I’m sending you back to the Magic Lands before your boy-toy”—the Keeper pointed at Rage—“bites the dust.” Then, the Keeper took a deep breath, eyeing me up and down, before finally shaking his head. “Besides, if I keep you any longer, the temptation may be too great—even for me.”
Did I even want to know what he meant bytemptation? Before I could ask, he snapped his fingers, and we … poofed to the edge of the lake.
“This place is weird,” Rage growled, grabbing his stomach.
A spectral lady jogged past us with a wave, and the air shifted with her passing. Her steps made little puffs of dirt fly up as her feet hit the ground.
Huh. Interesting. She appeared so normal—like we were passing in the park and not the Realm of the Dead.
I was about to agree with him when I spotted Honor on a dock at the edge of the lake. The sweetest of the Midnight brothers sat with his feet dangling into the water. An older man was seated next to my friend, and as the older man spoke, Honor shook his head, his chin dropping to his chest.
“Honor!” I shouted like a maniac. Without Rage saying anything, we both took off at a full sprint toward the edge of the lake.
Honor raised his head and turned our way, and the man next to him did as well. Rage skidded to a stop, and I nearly tripped over my feet in my haste to find out what was wrong with my mate. His eyes were wider than I’d ever seen, and his mouth hung open.
One strangled word tumbled from his lips. “Dad?”
My heart followed my feet to a full stop before resuming its normal pace. Holy Mother Mage…
