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Zinny said she was terrified of him, and I believed her, but she was tough and stubborn, and apparently not even Death himself could make her cower. She would keep to her end of the deal, but that didn’t mean she’d make it easy on him.
“You failed to deliver the souls, which means the boon is mine,” Death said. “Your sister will find them.”
“It’s fine. I was going to keep looking, anyway.” I didn’t want Zinnia dealing with a pissed-off Death because she hadn’t been able to find them.
“Jazzy, I don’t want you putting yourself in danger for him.”
“I won’t.”
“If you want to leave here in a month’s time, consort, then those souls need to be found,” Death rumbled.
She spun on him. “You can’t hold me against my will. You can’t go back on the deal we made.”
“If balance isn’t restored, Limbo will become unstable. Chaos will ensue. Souls roaming where they shouldn’t, barriers falling, gates…not opening.”
Her fingers curled into fists. “You’re Death, for fuck/s sake. Why can’t you see them?”
“That’s not how it works. Now come, do not keep me waiting.”
She ignored him and pulled me in for another tight hug.
Fear had me trembling hard. How the hell was I going to do this? Yes, I’d planned to look, but I hadn’t known the stakes then. What other choice did I have? “I’ll find them,” I said, trying to convince myself as well as Death that I was capable of doing what he asked.
“I know you can do it, Jaz. I know you can,” Zinny said. “But you have to promise me you’ll stay safe. That you won’t do anything risky alone?”
“I promise.”
“I will see you in a month, Jazzy. Even if I have to claw my way out of Limbo. I will come home.”
She meant it. Nothing could stop her if she made up her mind to do something, not even breaking out of Limbo. “I’ll be waiting.”
Then she squared her shoulders and strode through the gate, brushing past Death as if he were of no consequence. She turned and waved, a smile on her face for my benefit, then the gate closed and she was gone, the boulders collapsing, rolling back to their pile at the edge of the clearing.
With my heart heavy and full of fear, I headed back through the forest.
At least Death kept his word.
I made it back to my car in one piece.
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 6
Ren
* * *
I drummed my fingers on the arm of the couch. “So…the party got a little wild the other night.”
Wills sipped her tea, her lips gently curved while she watched me from the end of the couch. “Yep, though, not as wild for me. I couldn’t take one of Magnolia’s potions, not while I’m feeding Violet. Which was fine. I just wanted to dance and be with my sisters and cousins. I just…I wanted to be with Zinny.”
I had planned to talk to Wills about the spirit I’d felt hanging around, how it was lingering longer, becoming more aggressive. I’d woken last night, the air so cold in my room that I could see it. And when it touched me, it’d burned, but seeing the sadness in Willow’s eyes now, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t cause her more worry, not today.
“You doing okay?” Zinnia going back to Limbo always cast a dark shadow over the family.
She nodded, but she was lying. “I’ve been going through our library at home, and Rose has been spending time at the council library. So far we’ve found nothing that’ll get Zinnia out of her bargain with Death. Iris and Mags have been talking to some of the crones in the area. Agatheena told Mags she’d look into it. Hopefully something comes of that.”
The deal Zinnia made with Death was that she’d live in Limbo every other month, but that would change to staying there permanently when Jasmine turned twenty-one. That was in nine months. “How’s Jasmine taking all this?” I cleared my throat. After Edward talked through me, my voice had never been the same, but when I said Jasmine’s name, my already fucked voice went even rougher.
