Raven's Breath (The Women of Purgatory) (8 page)

15

I assumed Holli would have returned to the castle by now, but after a few wrong turns and a couple accidental interruptions, I gave up and walked out the front door. I stood on the bottom step of the massive structure, looking down the street from side-to-side. My palms started to sweat and the air in my lungs struggled to escape. With Garrett missing, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with myself. I stepped onto the street and began to walk to
Digger's
, simply out of habit.

Suddenly, a noise above me snagged my attention.

Yes!
Holli was landing on a small balcony high up on the far side of the castle.

I shot into the air, calling out her name. "Holli!" I hovered just beyond the
balustrade.

"Hi, Raven. Is there something wrong? Do we have another gathering mission so soon?"

"No, no. I just wanted to see if you'd like to join me for dinner at
Digger's
."

She tilted her head and frowned. "Digger's?"

"Yes, it's a restaurant here in Purgatory." I laughed.

"Really? I didn't realize there were places to eat here. Death always takes me topside for dinner."

Excellent!
This was the type of info I needed. If Garrett had discovered Death's dirty little secret, then so could I, even if I had to come at it from a different angle.

"Well, it's a great place and I'm headed there now if you'd like to join me."

She hesitated, looking back into the small room behind her. "I'm sorry, I would love to go with you, but I'm actually not allowed to leave without Death's permission."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. As I've told you, you're the only person I get to see." She smiled like the fact didn't bother her in the slightest.

"Doesn't that upset you? I mean, being a
kept
woman?"

The blank look on her face was so innocent it caught me off guard.
I could feel my feelings about her shifting, sliding from annoyance to pity.

"Never mind. How about I come in and we can chat in your room instead?" I asked.

"Actually, no. You can't come in."

I jerked my chin, her rebuff smacking me in the face.

"Oh no...it's not because I don't want you to. You literally
can't
come in. Death spelled my room and is the only one who can enter."

Wow
. What a sick bastard Death was turning out to be.

I opened my mouth––planning to offer another alternative––when the door to her room opened behind her. Death's silhouette filled the space, the invading light spilling around him. I could only imagine the look on his face.

I flared my wings to maintain my position, then took off like a bat out of hell. I wasn't going to push my luck with him any further tonight.

I landed outside of
Digger's
and walked in, rushing to my regular booth in the back. I'd begun to devise my next move when a set of broad shoulders––accompanied by a bad attitude––appeared at my table.

"What the hell's wrong with you? Someone ruffle those precious feathers of yours?"

"Fuck off, Krev."

I hadn't seen the bane of my existence since the last time Garrett and I had gone to the bar.

Garrett.

Thinking of him made it hard to breathe.

I sat quietly and stared at Krev while he appeared to contemplate what his next insult should be.

"Where's your boy toy? I figured since you can't defend yourself, you wouldn't go anywhere without him these days."

There it was. Lame, to the point, and at the moment the perfect thing to say to piss me off.

I leapt from the booth and wrapped my hand around Krev's neck.

"How about you get smart for once in your life and leave me alone?" I snarled.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, beautiful. Or were you just looking for a way to get your hands on me?"

"Sure, we'll go with that."

I punched him in the face...repeatedly.

Digger was at my side, grabbing my arm and pulling me back before I could land another hit to Krev's jaw. The feel of my fist against his nose was satisfying but didn't relieve the anger that had built up within me.

"Enough!" Death's voice boomed through the room. All the Reapers, including me, stood silent while Digger handed Krev a napkin for his bloodied face.

"Raven. Come with me."

Whispers filled the air and assumptions about my punishment floated through the room. Everyone's eyes were on me as I followed Death out the door.

"I'm sorry, Krev just..."

Death waved his hand to silence my explanation, grabbed my wrist, and teleported us back to his chamber.

Sweat beaded on my skin when he stalked to his throne and retrieved his scythe.

Oh shit
!

What was I going to do if he
came at me with that damn thing? I wasn't ready for my final death.

I blew out a faint breath when he sat down
and placed it across his lap. His cold stare bore into me and an overwhelming desire to spout all my sins overtook me. My mouth opened, but again, he raised his hand for my silence.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Not about your fight with Krev, or why you accused me of hurting Garrett earlier. What I do want to know is exactly what you said to Holli?"

Damn.
How was I going to play this? Defiance was my first instinct, but the pull in my gut and the look on Death's face told me that that would be a mistake. So, I took a deep breath and confessed.

"I didn't say anything to her, really. I just asked if she'd like to join me for dinner. I wasn't aware you had spelled her room or that she couldn't go out without your permission. I'm sorry. With Garrett missing, I felt lonely and thought she and I could spend some time getting to know each other better. That's all."
There...that was mostly the truth
.

Silence reigned while he processed my answer. I prayed he didn't have a way to tell if I was lying or not. Finally, the grip on his scythe relaxed.

"Thank you for reaching out to Holli. I know she appreciates it and so do I."

Yeah right
, sure you do.
A slow smile crept across my face. I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. "May I ask, why you've decided to keep her separated from the rest of the Reapers?"

"No, you may not."

I nodded and turned to walk away, but Death continued.

"I won't allow Holli to join you for dinner, but I'll modify the spell on her room to grant you access."

"Thank you. I'll visit her tomorrow morning, if that's all right."

"Actually you'll be spending the next two days with her."

My eyes widened.

"I can't have the other Reapers thinking you got off scot-free after your little outburst with Krev. This way you'll get to spend time with Holli
and
I'll get to keep things in order without anyone being the wiser."

"Thank you?" My response came out more like a question than a statement. I didn't know what else to say. On one hand I just got a two-day girl's retreat with the one person who had inside details about Death; on the other, I just got punished with a two-day lockdown with Death's girlfriend.
Yay me!

He rose from his throne, scythe in hand, and gestured for me to follow him. We walked through the main halls of the castle, catching as many eyes as possible. Once we reached the passage that led to the dungeons, the whispers of my punishment had grown wildly, exactly as Death had planned, no doubt. He dismissed the stragglers and waited until we were alone before reaching for my arm.

We reappeared outside a small door in a thin, empty hallway. He motioned for me to stand aside, then placed the tip of his weapon against the wood. His chest rumbled when he began chanting under his breath. The tip of cold metal flared with a sudden burst, revealing hidden sigils that were magically etched all over the entrance to Holli's room. As they faded, Death removed the scythe then turned to me and smiled.

"You're now able to enter the room, but due to your punishment, you can't leave until I release you."

My breath hitched.
This is not good.

16

Holli beamed as we entered her room. In two seconds flat she was in Death's arms, thanking him for allowing me to come visit her. His eyes caught mine over her shoulder and I assumed the serious lift to his brow indicated I was supposed to keep my mouth shut.

"You're welcome, my sweet. I thought the two of you could spend the weekend together."

I cringed, her squeal piercing my eardrums.

Death continued, effectively cutting off any questions Holli was about to pose. "Food, drink, and entertainment will be provided for you here, and there shouldn't be any outbreaks so neither of you will have to worry about leaving."

I practically had to bite my tongue to stop myself from asking
exactly
how he knew that. But again, the stern look he shot in my direction made it clear I needed to keep my mouth shut.

My nostrils flared and I could feel my inner light starting to build. My anger was rising and I was in serious need of a distraction.

I turned to take in the tiny room and quickly wondered how I was going to survive the next two days trapped within these cold stone walls. I was suddenly very grateful for my modern apartment and all the conveniences it provided, because living in a castle like this was something I would never be able to do.

Already stifled, I moved towards the balcony. I looked out over Purgatory and my insides tightened.

Where are you, Garrett?

I was still sure Death had something to do with his disappearance, but was now confused by the fact that he'd just shut me in with the one person I was certain could spill his secrets. Maybe he didn't have anything to hide after all. Nevertheless
, I planned on spending my "punishment" hunting for information.

"Raven, I'll have Drey send over some of your clothes."

I spun around, tilted my head and smirked. "Thank you. That will be great."

Death placed a kiss on the back of Holli's hand before leaving the room. The instant the door was shut she spun around and skipped in my direction. I smiled and shrugged. I wasn't sure what to say or do next, but luckily, Holli wasn't afflicted
with my shyness––she babbled incessantly.

I learned how much she loved being Death's "personal" Reaper, as she put it, along with the fact that despite my disgust, she and Death were involved and apparently
he was a decent lover.
Gag. Was I missing something?
I couldn't understand how someone as beautiful as Holli could be attracted so someone as revolting as Death. We were only three hours into my sentence and I already wanted to scratch out my eyes and rip off my ears.
Heaven save me.
I jumped up from my seated position on the bed and began to pace, desperate to change the subject to something far less personal and disturbing.

"Do you like living here? In Death's castle, I mean?"

"Yes. I absolutely love it."

I involuntarily scrunched up my nose.
How in the hell could she love it here?

Holli must have sense
d my confusion because her knowing smile became almost sympathetic. She didn't say another word but walked towards a section of the wall where a tapestry hung from ceiling to floor. When she pushed it aside, the wall was the same gray stone but appeared to have a lucidity about it.

"I want to show you something," she said.

With a light touch of her fingertips, a portal shimmered and became a doorway. The long hallway I saw beyond the molten wall looked bright and welcoming.

"Let's go." Holli walked through the mercurial substance and merged into the scene beyond.

I stepped through, following her lead.