The Valkyrie looked younger, perhaps a teenager—at least physically. She threw Myst a cool grin. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find my way to you eventually?”
Torrhen was furious, growling as he covered half of his face with one big hand. “You flaming little bitch!”
“Who let you into this realm?” Haldor hissed, equally displeased with her presence.
It didn’t matter. We had two Valkyries now against two Berserkers. I was an absolute mess, but Astra caught my wrist and forced some of her healing power on me. My friends were okay—this mattered the most. On top of that, the shadow hounds weren’t happy about Regine’s arrival. Some of them backed away, visibly frightened by the sharp glow of her sword. Emeralds and yellow diamonds gleamed, encrusted into the hilt.
Regine was a game changer. She was the opportunity we needed to get out and find Isabelle and the others. This battle was not lost after all—it was only just beginning.
Unending
One thing was clear regarding the Ghoul Reapers of Biriane—Death had left them to wither here, doomed to never leave. They had been tasked with further securing and enforcing the magical protections around the World Crusher’s sigil spell, but her wrath had infected them, much like my wrath had caused the Black Fever on Visio.
Except the Ghoul Reapers didn’t fall ill. Their fate was worse: they lost their souls. They couldn’t explain how they were even possible as a “species,” or why they didn’t hunger for souls. They were, as Eneas had put it, an “anomaly.” And anomalies required time and study to gain understanding. Time was not something any of us had handy right now. Besides, the Reaper Ghouls wanted to leave this place. They had other things on their tired, angry minds. Death didn’t know we were here, and even if she had known, I couldn’t turn to her for advice. She would almost certainly cancel the entire operation and order us home, thus keeping the truth beyond my reach. Tristan and I agreed that we couldn’t let that happen.
So we had to figure out another way to appease the Ghoul Reapers. Another way for me to get past them and see the World Crusher’s prison. I needed answers. I needed to understand why she’d been locked away in the first place. Anunit wanted us to release her as part of the third trial, but before we would be willing to do that, two things needed to happen. First, I would have to understand why the World Crusher had been confined here and denied her freedom. Second, I’d have to weigh the arguments for and against her release, and only afterward would I make a decision.
This was where Death and I were nothing alike. I thought of others before myself.
“So, what’s it going to be?” Eneas asked, his shoulders broad and tense. All six Ghoul Reapers had risen from the steps of the Temple of Roses, their half-moon blades thirsting for violence. Their balanced nature had been corrupted by the death of their souls. They were unstable and unpredictable entities, and I had no idea how this encounter would end. I only knew that we’d have to forge a path toward the truth. “Will you break the seals that keep us here?”
“I would need to confer with Death first,” I said.
“That’s silly. You know she won’t allow it. She left us here to rot!” Eneas replied, growing increasingly angrier.
“Perhaps I can convince her otherwise,” I insisted. “Think about it. Think about who I am and what pull I may have with her. You being stuck here is obviously wrong on so many levels, but if I go ahead and free you—provided, of course, that I can figure out the magic that’s binding you to Biriane—Death might punish me. And if there is one thing I’ve had enough of, it’s punishment.”
The Ghoul Reapers exchanged dark glances. They were wary, uncertain in their opinions of me. I needed to steer the conversation in a different direction. I had to find a way to distract them, since they clearly lacked the clarity required for reasonable conversation.
“Tell you what,” I said, as the evening began to settle around us. The sky was turning black and sprinkled with white stars, while the elegant ruins of the city became gray under the faded moonlight. The night made this place seem even lonelier. Empty. Devoid of life. Filled only with simmering rage and bitter resentment. And it was all Death’s doing. “I will discuss this with Death. I owe it to her, and it’s my duty as a Reaper. You haven’t forgotten your own duty, have you?”
Malin was the first to shake his head. “We’ve been nothing but faithful. Devoted to our mission. But we deserve better. If Death couldn’t bring herself to obliterate the World Crusher, why should we have to pay for her soft heart?”
“I completely agree. Nevertheless, protocols must be adhered to. Let me see what Death says to my request on your behalf,” I suggested. “No matter her response, I will make my own decision.”
It took them a long moment to understand what I’d just offered. One by one, their pale faces became illuminated with sly grins, their black eyes reduced to devious slits as they caught on. “You mean to help us either way,” Eneas said quietly.
“I mean to make my own decision,” I repeated myself, steering clear of any promises. “But in the meantime, you should at least grant me access inside. I only wish to see the book where she’s kept. Never have I seen a seal in the form of a book before.”
Deas pointed his scythe at me. “You get nothing for free.”
The longer I stayed here, the worse it felt. The World Crusher’s anger was poisoning me, though it would take much longer—perhaps eons—to kill my soul the way it had done to these poor fiends. Glancing at Tristan, I reached out telepathically. How are you feeling? I asked.
Okay, for now. Though heavier than usual…
It’s the
