Page 9 of In Between Death and the Devil

“The Tempters are something we’ll have to get used to. And we deserve to celebrate after what we’ve been through.”

I crossed my arms as she turned her attention to the wardrobe with her name on it.

She held up dresses and tunics in various shades of green as she rifled through the options. “What do you think we should wear tonight?”

“I don’t know. Depends on the kind of party, I guess.” Something tightened in my stomach.

“Do you really not want to go?” Bea asked, abandoning her search to sit beside me. She was far too perceptive for my comfort.

“It feels wrong to celebrate when there are souls waiting for judgment. We came here to serve.” It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth. I hoped it would satisfy her.

“We may no longer be human, but the souls here to be judged are. One of the sisters in my convent told me I needed to remember what it means to be human. Otherwise, how can we judge them?” She had a point, but it didn’t make me feel any better. “Celebrating life is never wrong, Maeve.”

Maybe not for her. It was for me.

“Just come for a short time,” she said. “Meet some people, see what the Devil’s castle looks like, get the lay of the land a little, and then if you really want to leave you can. Don’t you want to find out what we’re in for?”

Knowing what came next was appealing. I was sick of surprises. And maybe I’d see the man from my vision. “They are expecting us all to go.”

Bea nodded.

“What are you going to wear?” I asked, standing.

She grinned and ran to her wardrobe where she pulled out a sleeveless, emerald column dress with a high neck, low back, and a slit up to the hip on one side.

“Wow.” My eyebrows rose. “I’m sure you’ll look fantastic in that.”

“What about you?” She asked, tossing the dress on her bed.

I opened my own wardrobe with a resigned sigh. It was well stocked with structured dresses, tunics, and pants. They felt far more sophisticated than the clothing I’d grown up with—tight bodices and loose skirts meant to give every woman a feminine shape. On someone with my curves, they made me look like I’d been stuffed into my clothes. These conformed to my figure without overwhelming me. Still restrictive but also enhancing. And far more ornate than I was comfortable with.

Pulling out the plainest dark green gown that still felt appropriate for a party, I held it up for Bea’s inspection. “Do you think I can get away with this?”

“I think it will look stunning on you,” she said with a smile.

It fit like a glove, sleeveless and showing off just a hint of cleavage. Gold embroidery decorated the waist, almost like a corset. It gleamed as I examined myself in the mirror on the wardrobe door, feeling prettier than I had a right to, given the circumstances.

Bea let out a low whistle. “You look amazing.”

My face grew hot as Bea appeared in the mirror next to me. “So do you.”

“May I?” She gestured to my hair. I nodded and she grabbed some jeweled pins from a nearby dresser. Then she swept it back, out of my face, so it cascaded down my spine.

I had to admit, I looked good. If I had to go to this party, it wasn’t the worst outfit to do it in.

“Now, let’s go see what all the fuss is about.”

I hoped the fuss would be minimal and the information plentiful.

CHAPTER 4

My scalp prickled as Bea and I followed a stream of Judges and trainees over a covered bridge to the Devil’s Castle.

“Do we really need to get to know the Tempters?” I asked an older female Judge.

“It’s important to Death,” she said. “So most of us try to forget what they are on nights like this. They know how to throw a party, and they’re great if you want to blow off steam.”

My nose wrinkled at the suggestive flick of her eyebrows. The Devil’s affinity for temptation was well known, but I’d never be able to forget that Tempters chose to punish souls.