stated.
Her eyes rounded, and her jaw dropped as her cheeks flushed. “What do you—”
“Harvest started the crisis,” said Payne, rubbing his jaw. “Jesus, where the fuck have you been not to know about him?”
“I have nothing to do with the Underworld.”
Prudence’s eyes softened at my admission. She stepped closer and reached for my arm. I held my breath and waited, letting her choose to come to me. At the last minute, she blinked, startled, and retreated. My shoulders drooped. Why did she stop? I hoped for her to say something—anything—to clue me in to her thoughts, but she remained quiet as traces of sympathy echoed through the bond.
“Are you causing problems, Soul Reaper?” Payne crossed his arms over his broad chest.
Why did he keep acting like her boss? My lips twitched as I glowered at Payne. “I haven’t had the pleasure of being around her enough to give her those.” I hated how much Prudence tensed when I stepped closer. “I can keep an eye on her.” Fucking leave, I wanted to say.
“I don’t think so. She snuck off once, and the entire castle was in an uproar because she was with you.”
Prudence’s expression tightened. Finally, she sighed and said, “Payne, it’s fine.”
Not wanting to scare her, I fought the desire to hug her to me. If possible, I would have stolen her irritation away, so I could discover her smile. I’d gladly get rid of the Reaper for her and eat his soul if she asked.
“If any of the Harvesters show up, Shepherd can eat their souls quicker than you or I can kill them,” Prudence said, then raised an eyebrow up at me.
I nodded. “I’m all yours.” My words held a double meaning. Her lips parted, and she averted her gaze. The second I looked at Payne, my tone deepened. “She doesn’t need you here.”
His chest expanded as he scowled.
Prudence rushed between us and placed her hand on my chest. “Relax, both of you.” Looking at Payne, she added, “Shepherd can’t hurt me.”
I would never.
A gentle reminder to Payne that Reapers could cut my kind down in a flash. It would never come to that. Thanks to Prudence, I was determined to be a better demon.
The veins in Payne’s neck pulsed along with his flaring nostrils. Two small black smoke rings wafted out from his nose as he exhaled. Unease prickled down my spine. There was something about that Reaper I didn’t trust. I tucked Prudence behind me. As the smoke floated up, Payne’s face turned ashen. Immediately, he covered his nose. What the fuck was he?
“Are you okay?” Prudence asked him. When she tried to step closer, I gripped her hips. Her dark brows slanted, but I didn’t budge. She sighed and said to Payne, “Did that smoke come from you?”
“Just descend the werewolves’ souls!” He grasped the bridge of his nose and turned around.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Prudence shouted, but she frowned immediately after.
He said, “Come to the castle later.”
“I know,” she responded.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” Looking over his shoulder, our eyes met, and then Payne ported away.
“Something was off about him.” Dirk said the second the Reaper left.
Glancing down, I spotted Dirk alone. That didn’t surprise me. Gremlin were exceptional at disappearing when the need arose. “Where did they go?” I asked him.
“Hiding.” He pointed forward and then crossed his scrawny green arms. I tried to see what Dirk wanted to show me, but all I saw was a bunch of canned food and piled boxes in a corner.
Materializing a scythe, Prudence ignored us and walked a few feet.
“She doesn’t seem to like you.” Dirk said as Prudence retreated, and she paused midstep before continuing. She heard him.
Prudence waved her weapon, and a dark, swirling hole formed. Looking into the abyss made my skin prickle and the hairs on my arm stand on end. Agony. Fury. Pain. Every negative emotion poured out and smacked into me. It must be the passage to Hell. I stood at a distance and observed. I searched the area for the lost souls of the fallen werewolves. Screams filled the cave as they whizzed past me and through the air into individual black orbs. No matter how desperately they tried to avoid the passages, one by one, they were sucked in. I’d never heard the noises demon souls made. Probably because I was too busy eating them.
Prudence dematerialized her scythe and faced me.
“You’ve been busy,” I said.
Flicking her hair off her shoulder, Prudence said, “Payne has been