I didn’t know what he planned to do with him.
I had a feeling we were barely scratching the surface of the nefariousness in this place. Nevertheless, someone had to. Someone had to cast a light on this darkness and reveal the ugliness it had been hiding.
Maybe I’d get back to my body, too. Maybe Death would decree that my passing was unnatural, much like she’d done with the five million fae. Maybe this wouldn’t end in tears, after all.
Nethissis
After a few minutes of rigorous planning, I finally found the courage to ask Seeley the big question.
“Do you think she’ll bring me back?”
He cocked his head to the side. “Who, Death?” he asked, and I gave him a soft nod. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s up to her, really.”
“Because Taeral still has Thieron, as you know. He could easily—”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there,” Seeley replied, cautious with his words.
I understood then that the decision didn’t belong to him. It made me feel heavy. Even though I’d left my physical form behind, my limbs were leaded, anchoring me firmly to the stone floor. Seeley noticed my reaction, a shadow drawn between his eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, Nethissis. I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s not fair,” he continued, looking away for a moment. “Let’s find a way to get me out of here first. One step at a time, because there are things going on here that are completely wrong.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m perfectly okay with sticking around as a ghost for as long as possible.” I chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. It was the best I could do, not only for myself, but also for Seeley. After all, he was practically helpless—our only true ally among the Reapers, and he was chained to the wall.
“You’re not a bad-looking ghost,” he replied, giving me a faint smirk. Darkness smoldered in his eyes as he shifted his focus back to me, and I suddenly felt like the very center of the universe. I’m still naked. Oh, boy…
“Are you trying to give me a compliment?”
“I’m a little rusty in terms of social skills. I thought you knew that. Your bare form isn’t helping, either. I’m doing my best.”
“Well, I was hoping at least one of us on the Death crew had rubbed off on you during our Hermessi adventure,” I said, trying not to laugh. He was right, though. My nakedness wasn’t of any positive assistance. I had to cut him some slack.
“Forgive me, but none of the champions on our crew made me want to follow their lead where wooing a woman is concerned,” he replied. “I had enough time to watch them all get together, and I was rolling my eyes. Hard.”
Heat burst through me, like an unexpected fever. “You want to woo me?”
Only then did he realize that he’d been talking out loud, for his demeanor changed so quickly that it was nearly impossible to keep up with him. “Okay, so Rudolph should be on Visio already,” he said, switching back to business mode. I pressed my lips into a tight line, wondering if I should pursue the wooing part nonetheless, since there were a lot of logistical issues attached to it—such as, how would we even be together, since I was dead and he was usually tasked with reaping the likes of me?
I decided to let it go for now, because I had yet to figure out where we’d even stood while I was still living. We hadn’t seen each other since the Hermessi debacle, and there had been many thoughts and feelings left unspoken between us. Seeley was right. We had bigger problems to deal with. Freeing him was at the top of my list.
“Where would I find Rudolph?” I asked.
“I told Kelara I’d meet him inside the palace library, since it’s one of the easier places to find,” he said.
“Chances are we won’t be having any ghoul problems, since it’s all the way up there and not in these wretched basements,” I noted.
Seeley shook his head. “Let’s not underestimate Zoltan again. He’s already pulled a fast one on us. Remember, ghouls and Reapers can make themselves unseen and unheard to the living. And Zoltan knows there will be others coming to Visio, looking for me.”
“That’s right, because you’re cut off from them now,” I said, pointing at the collar around his neck. “That thing’s keeping you docile and unable to call for help, huh?”
He exhaled deeply. “It’s also chafing the crap out of