Page 79 of In Between Death and the Devil

My lungs ached as I gasped for breath. My energy flagged and my feet felt like lead. One of my pursuers was gaining on me. I could hear them panting.

Titus reached through the gap for me.

I was so close. Digging deep, I pushed myself faster.

Fingers brushed against my back as I grabbed Titus’s hands, and he yanked me over the threshold. The line of Tempters filled in, blocking the entrance and causing the Judge right behind me to collide with them. I heard a grunt and when I looked back, the Judge lay in a heap on the floor in front of the line. The rest of my pursuers skidded to a stop.

“Hand… her… over,” one of them gasped out.

“In your dreams,” Titus said, shoving me behind him.

“Death orders… that Maeve be detained.”

“Death has no power here. This is the Devil’s territory.” Titus crossed his arms, his face that of a stern general.

More Tempters were running to the entrance. They stepped around me, filling in the gaps in the line until I could barely see through the wall of bodies.

I placed a hand on my chest and tried to catch my breath.

“Let us through. You can’t keep us out.” The one on the floor stood and tried to force their way through.

“Yes, we can,” Titus said. “You aren’t welcome here.”

Tension thickened until I could feel it in the air, and for a moment I thought a fist fight would break out. Then the wall of Tempters relaxed. The Judges were backing off.

“This isn’t over, Titus,” one of them called as they retreated.

He didn’t dignify the taunt with an answer, instead issuing orders to the group in front of us. “I want seven people at the entrance at all times. No one from Death’s castle gets in and no one from our side leaves.” He took my arm and led me deeper into the castle. “Are you alright?” he asked when I winced.

“I think I bruised something, but I’ll be fine.” I tried to push past him, but I couldn’t walk. Only limp.

“Send a healer to the Devil’s rooms,” Titus told a passing Tempter. Then he picked up my arm to place it over his shoulder.

“I said I’m fine.” I pulled away, not wanting to attract more attention than I already was.

Tempters openly stared at me as they passed us.

“You can barely walk.”

“You’re too tall to lean on.” I hobbled another few steps forward before Titus stepped in front of me.

“He’ll be furious if I let you limp into his rooms like this. You’re injured. Don’t be a martyr, let me carry you. For all our sakes.” This Titus was different to the one I was used to seeing. There was no teasing or joking. His face was more serious than I’d ever seen it.

Still, I hesitated.

“Would you rather Fen fetch you himself?”

I glared at Titus. While a pathetic part of me preened at the idea of Fen sweeping me off my feet, I knew he’d be angry at me for refusing help. And while the same part of me perked up at the idea of Fen punishing me—what in the realms that was about I didn’t know—it would cause even more of a spectacle. Besides, my lower back was killing me, and I could feel my body seizing up. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk all the way there. “Fine, you can help me, but I’m too heavy to⁠—”

Titus hoisted me into his arms like I weighed nothing and strode down the hall.

I clung to his neck, ducking my face so I didn’t have to look at anyone we passed. My neck burned with embarrassment.

He took extra care not to jostle me as we made our way up a set of stairs and down three corridors to Fen’s office. I’d been here once before to deliver a message. It was full of wood and leather, which looked rich and masculine against the shadowed walls. There weren’t any guards, but a healer waited for us outside.

Fen and Marcus pushed to their feet as Titus carried me inside.

“What happened?” Fen’s face was a thundercloud as Titus set me on a leather couch along one wall.