Page 44 of In Between Death and the Devil

“How did you know I’d choose to come if given the option?” I asked.

“Successors are all pulled to the In Between at some point.”

I vividly remembered the strange urge. “Well, I’m sorry you ended up with me.”

“I’m not. I’ve been waiting for you for almost a hundred years,” he said, his gaze soft. “You were well worth the wait.”

My lips parted, and something fluttered in my belly as a comforting warmth began to gather there. It wasn’t power. It was hope. I’d never felt like anything but a burden, something to be borne rather than welcomed. Looking at him, I felt wanted. It wasn’t just physical desire, though the longer we stared at each other, the more heat crept into his gaze. He looked at me like I was the answer to everything that had been missing in his life. This handsome, powerful man wanted me. Needed me in exactly the way I wanted to be needed. Like we were made for each other. The force of it, of how much I wanted it, scared me. It was dangerous, because all of my rational thought melted in the face of it.

I closed my eyes, to attempt to drown out the feelings. To return to the facts at hand. Just because I believed him, didn’t mean I fully trusted him. He was still the Devil, the ultimate tempter and a master at manipulation. I couldn’t afford to fall under his spell.

“You’ve been waiting for me, because I’m Death’s Successor.”

“Yes.”

He wanted me because he wanted something from me. Because I could be useful, not because of who I was.

My disappointment tasted sour, but I was grateful for the reminder. I let it replace my hope and desire, clearing my head. I didn’t need feelings, I needed information. To understand what I was in the middle of. Opening my eyes I found him frowning at me. I took a step back, out of his reach.

His hand fell to his side, the heat in his gaze fading.

I let out a shaky breath and turned around so I wasn’t looking at him. He was far too enticing. It was too easy to get lost in his words and looks. I needed all my faculties to figure out what to do next.

I believed him when he said I was Death’s Successor, but the idea of replacing Death… “What if I can’t do it?” My voice sounded small.

“What makes you think you can’t?”

The fact that I want to. The thought was swift and clear. Everything I’d wanted in life had been a mistake—to be out in the world when all I saw was death. Colt. Coming here thinking I could atone for my family’s death. I couldn’t bring myself to voice those thoughts, so all I said was, “My control is shit. Always has been.”

“Control can be learned. So can the rest of what it means to be Death. You have time.”

“What happened to the bridge today says otherwise.” Maybe if I had more time to come to terms with the idea it wouldn’t seem so overwhelming, but the In Between was too strained.

“Replacing Death won’t happen overnight.” His voice floated closer. “And I won’t lie to you. It won’t be easy. You’ll have to challenge Death to remove her.”

“Like combat?” My eyebrows rose.

“In the end, yes.” He made it sound like the challenge was more than just one thing.

“I don’t know⁠—”

“You don’t have to start the challenge now. All we need to do is keep the In Between from collapsing.”

“How do we do that?”

“We establish a Death Chord between us.” He was only a step or two behind me now, close enough for me to feel his heat at my back. “That will give the In Between an anchor other than the bridge.”

I shivered. “Aren’t we already bonded? What about our deal?” I didn’t mention the hook to the chest I’d felt before I woke up in the In Between, though I was sure it was related.

“A Death Chord is something you have to agree to. It’s a permanent bond based on trust. Our current connection is not. It’s only a shadow of what a Death Chord is.”

“How would it be different?” I asked.

“A Death Chord would allow us to not only feel what the other is feeling but also to share power, which will help you gain control.” There was an intensity to his voice that made me turn around. “It would replace our deal.”

The prospect of no longer having to keep an open mind about whatever he said should have been enticing. It wasn’t. I didn’t see how bonding would lead to controlling my powers, but that wasn’t what worried me most. “What if I don’t want to become Death? What if I can’t?”

“I don’t know.”