An Isle of Mirrors (A Shade of Vampire #88) - Bella Forrest Page 0,33

the long black handle. I wondered how heavy it was, considering the ease with which she held it in just one hand. Her hair was short and spiky and bright red, shaved on the sides, and fiery galaxies exploded within those almond-shaped eyes. Symbols had been carved into her scythe—some I recognized, others, not so much. But Unending knew them all, and she didn’t look too happy.

“That blade is fully authorized to kill and destroy anything it touches,” Unending murmured. “No additional approval from Death required.”

“And I will use it on you unless you tell me what the hell you’re doing here,” Joy retorted, her expression firm and cold. She was the no-nonsense type who wouldn’t hesitate to strike unless we answered her questions. It wasn’t difficult to understand why Death had chosen her to watch over the soul fae. Heck, she’d been given authority to kill any living creature that dared come near the village—every death that the First Tenners, Seeley, and Sidyan had caused on Visio had been previously and telepathically sanctioned by their maker.

Joy had absolute freedom in this place.

The concept of danger had been more or less abstract to me since Unending and I survived the Spirit Bender twenty years ago. Everything else had been manageable. But as I looked at Joy and acknowledged the lengths to which she was willing to go in order to protect the soul fae, I began to feel the kind of fear I’d hoped I would never experience again. No one was safe with this Reaper, unless Death stopped her in time. Not Unending. Not me.

Thayen

There was no one at the terrace, like Soul and Kelara had said. The entire alley of shops and restaurants had been abandoned. Chairs had been knocked over. Tables were upside down. Glasses and plates had been broken and scattered across the cobblestones. People had been in the middle of their meals and conversations when some kind of hell had broken loose.

The Reapers were right about the flashbang effect of the explosions, as well. There was some physical damage visible, but nothing to level the whole place. Whatever the clones were using, it was some hi-tech weird magic combo that was insanely effective, since it had knocked out a First Tenner and two ghouls. I did wonder what had spurred people to run off and leave Kelara, Stan and Ollie behind. This must’ve been wildly violent.

I needed a moment to take it all in.

The obliterated windows, glass spreading like sugar frosting over the stone. The torn linen curtains were reduced to uneven shreds. Small fires still burned here and there, likely the remnants of a fire fae’s wrath. Blood had been smeared across the outer walls, but I couldn’t see any bodies. Jericho and Dafne did a quick tour of the terrace’s restaurants, then came back shaking their heads.

“No casualties,” the ice dragon said. “Nothing. No one. Zilch.”

“This is weird,” I muttered as we made our way farther down the alley. Every single establishment had been hit in a similar fashion. Property damage, interrupted brunches, blood streaked across the cobblestone, mingling with the dropped food. It made me sick to my stomach, and I began fearing the worst. It felt infinitely more pressing than the black spray the clones had used on Astra and me. This kind of dread was impossible to overcome.

“Deep breaths,” Astra told me, one hand resting on my shoulder.

I’d been panting, and I wasn’t even aware of it.

“What… what is wrong with me?” I managed, breaking into a cold sweat as the horror of it all set in and anchored me into this new reality. I’d been hoping for the best, and that was my biggest mistake.

“I think you’re having a panic attack,” Astra replied.

Soph came closer, eyeing me carefully. “Slow breaths in and out, Thayen. In and out. One second at a time. As long as there are no bodies, it means no one died, okay? Whoever was here, members of our family or otherwise… they’re gone. They fled. They’re alive.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Yeah, but nothing,” she said, cutting me off. “That is the mindset you need. You’re leading this group, Thayen, and we’re following you because we trust your instincts and your decision-making skills. Do not let these bastard clones tell you otherwise. But we need you to stay strong and conscious.”

I nodded once, immediately internalizing her message. I’d given in to the worst side of me. The trauma of what I’d suffered on Visio had come back in an uglier