Chapter 35 #3
“They’ll turn up. Don’t worry too much.” The male voice was muffled by the door.
“I’m sure you’re right. See you later.” Bea sounded upbeat, but as soon as she closed the door, she collapsed against it, dropping her head into her hands.
She stayed that way for a minute before taking a deep breath, straightening, and striding over to her bed to put her bag down.
There were purple smudges underneath her eyes, and her forehead creased in worry.
My heart squeezed at the sight of her, and a wave of fierce longing swept over me.
The strength of it took me by surprise. Maybe it was seeing her in our old room, but all I could think about was what it would have been like if things had turned out differently.
If we’d been roommates and friends instead of Death’s Successor and the Devil’s spy.
If our biggest worry had been what we’d been learning instead of how to keep the realms from falling apart.
Bea made a fist and brought her hand up to her chin. I saw the glint of black stone in the ring Fen had given her to communicate with him on her middle finger. She brushed a finger over the stone and it glowed silver for a moment.
“Three more people have gone missing from Death’s castle since last night,” she said in a low voice, looking at the ring as she spoke. “Two trainees and a servant.”
I felt a pang of alarm.
“Is there any sign of Maeve yet? Please don’t keep me in the dark.
I can handle whatever news you have, but I—” My chest ached as her voice broke.
“I need to know. Please.” She looked at the ring for a moment as if deciding if she had more to say.
Then she brushed her finger over the surface of it again.
It glowed red this time, a sign of a message sent perhaps, because she let her arm drop to her side.
With a sigh, she crossed to her desk, dropped into her chair, and pulled a stack of books towards her.
I lingered a few minutes longer, not wanting to leave her alone, but she never looked up. Just buried herself in her reading, scribbling notes every so often.
As I crossed back into the fire network, my mind spun.
Another three people missing since last night.
That made ten—that I knew of—in the recent past. Who knew how many others had gone missing while I’d left.
I hadn’t noticed any new salamanders, but that wasn’t a surprise.
There were so many of them, and they all looked the same to me, despite their distinctive markings.
I’d have to ask Sasha about it, figure out what to do.
I stopped moving. It wasn’t my problem anymore. I was no longer Death’s Successor. Despite Sasha’s doubts, I couldn’t be. I didn’t have access to my magic. There wasn’t anything I could do. That was what I’d wanted when I transformed myself and gave it all up. To be free of it.
Still, the news of Death draining more people didn’t sit well. I tried to shake it off and continue exploring, but it sat like lead in my stomach. After a while, I gave up and returned to our hot springs.
“See anything interesting today?” Sasha asked me later.
“No. Nothing.” I heard myself say. “What about you?”
* * *
I was restless the next few days, moving quickly from fire to fire, barely staying for more than a few moments in each place. It didn’t occur to me until the third day that I was looking for something specific. Not until I poked my head through and found myself looking at Death’s dining room.
A man I didn’t recognize was clearing plates from the table.
Talia got up to retrieve the stack of ledgers from a side table while Death twirled her glass.
“Still nothing?” Talia asked in a low voice when the man disappeared with the last of the plates.
“Not a whisper.” The frustration in Death’s voice was clear. “It’s getting ridiculous.”
“How is the realm?”
“Stretched.” The word was clipped, but I could hear her worry in it.
I pulled myself to the very back of the fire, so only my snout was visible in the flames.
“What happens if she doesn’t—”
“Stop worrying,” Death snapped.
Talia fell silent.
Death sighed and reached out a hand to her. “I’m sorry, love, but worrying is pointless. Maeve will resurface from wherever she’s hiding, she’ll challenge me, and I will win. I’ve been preparing.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that Death knew about our plan, or that I had left, or how confident she sounded about beating me, but I was. Hearing her say it all out loud was chilling.
Talia took Death’s hand and squeezed it. “At least Fen’s secret is out.” Her snicker made me bristle.
“It would have been better if it hadn’t been revealed.” Death’s annoyance wiped the smile off Talia’s face. “This delay could have been avoided.”
“Of course.” She dropped Death’s hand and looked away, a mulish look on her face. She’d wanted me to find out, I realized, to hurt Fen. That was what she’d tried to tell me on the bridge. It was the only time I’d seen her not fall in line with Death’s priorities.
“How many soul cases do we have?” Death asked.
I slipped out before I could hear Talia’s answer.