circumstances. Is that clear?”
Rupert nodded. “Okay. That’s not allowed, anyway.”
“I know, but little miss Four Elements here can be persuasive,” Seeley said, scowling at me. I knew he’d meant it as a reprimand, but I couldn’t stop myself from giggling. I took it as a compliment. “Vesta, I’m serious. Try to stick to the rules for once. I’m hoping to come back with clear proof that you were right all along, and not just in my measly opinion. You wanted me to step up and do something. Well, here I am, stepping up and doing something. So, out of respect for that, can you promise you won’t do anything that gets Rupert in trouble?”
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I thought about a reasonable response. Crossing my arms, I smiled at him. “I promise I won’t do anything that Rupert wouldn’t want to do of his own accord.”
Seeley rolled his eyes so hard, I worried they might fall out, while Rupert watched me with a skeptical pair of pursed lips. “It’s better than nothing. I’ll take it. I might regret it, knowing you, but I’ll take it,” Seeley said. A moment later, he vanished, likely off to check Phoenix’s astral map, looking for a way to Mortis.
Seconds passed in awkward silence, while Rupert and I stared at each other. I was still amused by Seeley’s opinion of me. Yes, he’d gotten to know me quite well over the past few days, and he’d understood my determination to survive this hot mess. He was aware of how manipulative I could be, if given the chance.
“You won’t do anything that I wouldn’t want you to do?” Rupert asked warily.
I grinned. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll see what I mean.”
That wasn’t meant to reassure him in any way, and it most certainly didn’t. But I absolutely enjoyed pushing the buttons of any Reaper, not just Seeley. It helped pass the time, and it kept my mind from sinking into despair while we all waited for Taeral and his crew to get Death to help stop the Hermessi. With Zeriel out and with Rupert being the only one who could see me and talk to me, I figured I might as well try to get him to give my fiancé a message. By the time Zeriel returned, I hoped I’d have convinced Rupert to assist me.
He didn’t seem as hard-headed as Seeley. In fact, I could almost smell the vulnerabilities in his psyche. He nervously bit the inside of his cheek whenever he looked at me—as good a start as any, I thought, already weaving my strategy to get him on my side. The closer I inched to death, the bolder I became.
Taeral
When Kabbah had said to Varga that Death was in a bad mood, he definitely wasn’t kidding. I felt the sour taste on the tip of my tongue. The closer I got to her, the more acute it was. She kept a faint smile on her face, but the emotions she seemed to channel through me were the complete opposite. The air thickened whenever she sought my gaze.
“We didn’t want to have to do this, to be honest,” I said. “But we needed to talk to you. I must apologize for our brazenness.”
Death rolled her eyes at me, and for a moment, I thought this would be the end of the conversation. “Spare me the pleasantries and get on with it. I don’t have all day.”
“I figured Death would never be short on time,” Lumi cut in, still glowing like an evening star. She gave me a sideways glance. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m all shiny. I know…”
“Time is just an imaginary measurement tool. It bears no value to me,” Death replied. “However, I don’t like people chasing their tails around. I appreciate straightforwardness more than anything.”
“We need your help,” I blurted. “The Hermessi are trying to do the ritual again, and all our worlds are in peril. I understand you’ve stopped them before, over four million years ago. We wanted to—”
“Ugh. Can you please tell me something I don’t know?” Death grumbled. She sounded more like an angsty teenager and less like the ageless entity that commanded the death of all living things. It was an eerie sight, and I wasn’t sure whether I should take it seriously or not. She could still end me by simply snapping her fingers.
“We know less than you.” Eira sighed, a blue shimmer glazing her skin. I stilled, since I hadn’t