there to crafting a spell that would break one of Spirit’s seals had only been one additional step. I’d let my hand and my scythe do most of the work, focusing on the seal’s structure.
Reaper magic was funny that way, keeping its secrets close until one of us poked it hard enough to make it react. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing. I’d accomplished something incredible today, after months of trying all sorts of previously made death spells, courtesy of Dream and Nightmare, all of which had failed. I’d have thought the Reaper twins would’ve brought some big-league mojo into the game, but nothing they’d conjured had managed to resolve our problem.
We’d finally broken the first seal since Silence, and we had 998 more to go. My only hope was that they wouldn’t all be as iffy as this one. Seeing Seeley back had done a decent job of upping my morale, though. Not that he was very good at being encouraging, but I did get a kick out of impressing one of my peers.
“You must stay with them,” Death said to him, referring to Derek and Sofia. “Go with them to Visio and tell me what you find there.”
“Okay, I’m going to need a little bit more to go on,” Seeley replied.
It didn’t sit well with Death. “Are you questioning me?”
“Uh-oh,” Nightmare mumbled. Dream nudged him in the ribs, hard enough to shut him up.
“No. I simply want to know what it is I’m doing chasing these people around,” Seeley said. “I could be here with you, helping the seal-breaking operation move faster. Or out with Soul and the others, looking for the remaining First Tenners. It feels like I’m missing important information, and I’d very much appreciate it if you could enlighten me. That’s all.”
Death thought about it for a moment. She certainly didn’t like anyone doubting her. However, given her current condition, maybe it was time she put more trust in Reapers like Seeley. He’d served her, flawlessly, for more than a thousand years. I would’ve trusted him with my life and my afterlife.
“Seeley, I wouldn’t send you out with them if it wasn’t important,” Death finally said. “Chances are their trip for this protein will yield more than just the possibility to walk in the sun again. It could very well get us closer to breaking these seals within days, rather than centuries or millennia.”
Dream and Nightmare’s heads twisted so fast, I worried they might’ve snapped their necks as they turned to gawk at her in disbelief. “What in the world are you talking about?!” Nightmare croaked.
“I only have more questions now,” Seeley said, unwilling to let go. Death was definitely holding back. Even I could tell.
”I need you to trust me. I would tell you more, but I’m not sure whether I’m right or wrong on this, which is why you must stay close to them and report back to me as often as you can,” Death explained, sounding rather frustrated. “Please, Seeley. Just trust me. I’m asking you to do this for all of us, not just for me.”
Seeley exhaled, understandably exasperated. “I have never doubted you. Never. And I have always done what you asked of me, without hesitation or opposition. But I’ve gone out on a limb one too many times, and I’m honestly tired of getting myself in trouble without knowing why. Because, let’s face it, we all know this isn’t going to be a tame ride. Nothing that involves GASP or the Shadians is without unexpected twists. That much we’ve learned, just from the Hermessi incident—not to mention their previous expeditions.”
“Like I said, your mission might get us closer to breaking the seals faster,” Death said. “It’s only a hunch. And I will get into the specifics of it all once you tell me what you find there… wherever ‘there’ is.”
“You know, we actually share Seeley’s frustration here,” Dream replied. “It wouldn’t kill you to tell us more.”
“You might find that telling the whole truth for once is actually quite liberating,” Nightmare added.
“I’m not telling you more until I understand what is at the source of that day-walking protein. Period,” Death replied dryly.
Seeley nodded once. “Okay. But I promise you, this is the last time I’m going in blind. I’ll stay close to Derek and Sofia. I’ll investigate and let you know what I find. But when this is all over, if you still keep secrets from me, secrets that might get me or others hurt in the process, I