Page 154 of In Between Death and the Devil

My throat tightened and I blinked back tears. “I made it to the challenge, and now I don’t know if I can win.” Saying it out loud made the tension in my chest loosen a fraction. “But I have to or you’ll fade away, and I’ll never get to yell at you for trying to take care of me. Seriously, who tries to grab a human lighting rod, Titus? What were you thinking?”

With a sniff, I looked down at his hand in mine. “Hold on, okay? If I win and find you’ve faded before I can heal you, I’m going to be so angry.” I wished I had a stronger threat to make, but then I wished a lot of things were different.

Standing, I laid a chaste kiss on his temple and left the room.

The others waited for me in the hallway outside.

“We’re coming with you,” Daphne said, her arm linked with Marcus’s.

My brows rose. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with Titus? Just in case…” I couldn’t bring myself to say “if I lost”, but I thought they’d want to be together.

“He doesn’t know we’re there,” Marcus said. “It won’t make any difference. We’d rather watch you defeat Death.”

Daphne’s chin jutted forward as her jaw set, like she expected me to argue with her.

Part of me didn’t want a bigger audience, but the rest of me was touched by the gesture, so I nodded.

* * *

Fen led us all to a room on the first floor of the castle that I’d never been in before. It looked like a sanctuary—austere and yet beautiful. Black marble floors and shadowed walls inlaid with silver; a sunken fountain in the middle with benches surrounding it like people were meant to wash their feet, except it was empty of water. Silver sconces provided light and warmth. The portal arch was on the far wall, its shape outlined in silver filigree. It looked just like the others I’d seen and different from the walls. Like rippling silk instead of cotton.

They let me go through first.

When I emerged on the other side, my breath caught in my throat. A barren landscape of dark, ashy soil and the skeletons of dead trees stretched out in front of me. On the other side, off in the distance, I spied another portal, this one made of light. A glass dome high above my head encompassed the entire space. At least it looked like glass—clear, smooth, and all one piece. It was like standing in a large, clear ball surrounded by the glimmering, swirling darkness of the In Between.

Another island, I realized, like the one that housed the Pool of Memory.

The others emerged behind me, Bea’s eyes widening as mine had as she took in the landscape.

Wanting an area with plenty of room for the battle, I walked forward, my feet slipping and sinking into the soil like it was sand. After passing through several rows of dead trees, I reached a large open space with a stone altar at the center.

We stopped at what used to be the tree line and was now a collection of large pockmarks of disturbed dirt, but before I could remove the Orb from the bag, Fen grabbed my arm.

There was so much in his eyes and in our bond. Even when the bridge broke and we’d sought solace in each other, there’d been a slight strain between us. There was nothing like that in his expression now as he gripped both my arms. “Tell me the plan.”

“Figure out Death’s fighting style, conserve power while I look for an opening to strike her, and knock her out so I can lay hands on and shred her.” It was the strategy Titus had helped me come up with before the second trial, before I knew what drawing on the full extent of Fen’s power would mean.

“You can draw as much power as you need to.” His jaw worked, and I could feel his trepidation about what would be revealed if I did.

“I will, but I’m going to try not to.” Fighting while his memories ran through my head wasn’t something I was sure I could do.

“If there’s a choice between your life and drawing more⁠—”

“I’ll take it.” If it came down to it, I wouldn’t sacrifice the realms for our personal comfort.

He looked unsatisfied with my answer, but he didn’t argue.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized I might not see him again. Leaving without acknowledging that felt wrong. “Fen⁠—”

“Don’t. This is not goodbye. You’re going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that.” I laid my hands on his chest.

“I do. You have to. Win so you come back to me. Do you hear me? Don’t fucking leave me.” The words were rough and full of command, as if he could will them into being. They made me want to laugh and sob at the same time.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Not good enough.” His grip on me tightened.