Page 61 of A Fate of Ice and Lies (Fated #1)

“Oh, the lies those deceitful dragons yield. I’m not a man either,” he said. “I am Death, and I come for every living creature. It is the consequence of living. Yet you treat it as if it were something special, Theodora, when it is the one thing that does not discriminate. Why is that?”

His question seemed genuine, as if he truly wanted to know my thoughts.

I rubbed the spot that normally hurt when I thought of Mom, but here, in this realm it was nothing more than a phantom pain that didn’t exist.

“It hurts to lose people we love,” I answered simply, honestly.

He stared at me silently, as if waiting for me to continue. His shadows slid across my body, seemed to dance in my hair. It was a strange sensation, that somehow, despite the shadows coming from Death, didn’t feel threatening.

“Death is the hardest goodbye. The circumstances don’t matter because, in the end, you’re never ready for such finality.”

“That is why I am always painted as the villain, yet your mother was eager to meet me,” Death said. “Isn’t there any solace in knowing she’s at peace?”

“Maybe.” It came out hoarse and seemed to not only echo around me but also inside me.

“Given the chance, would you have fought me to get your mother back?”

“No.” That single word lashed back at me. “She was in pain. I knew she was ready to go. It was me who wasn’t ready to let her go.”

Brenton squeezed my hand, the only notion that I wasn’t alone, staring Death down and hoping to come out as some sort of victor.

“I’m ready to go, too,” Brenton said. “I’m at peace with dying.”

“No taunts or jokes?” Death asked, tilting his head to the side.

Brenton shook his head, his lips pulled down in a frown while he kept his eyes leveled with Death.

“Please let Teddy go back to her realm,” Brenton said.

I shook my head, my lips already painted with the word no.

“So quick to leave your friend and cause her pain?” Death asked.

Brenton faced me, hugged me tight against him. It was like hugging nothing and everything at once.

“Live, Teddy,” Brenton begged as he pulled away, one side of his lips going up in a half-smile. “Live, and maybe name your firstborn after me.”

I laughed despite the tears welling behind my eyes. “Come back with me.”

“I can’t,” he whispered. “It’s my time. I’m okay with that.”

“Do you still want him back?” Death asked me.

He drew out a sword as if he already knew my answer. I lifted my sword in reply, mesmerized by the shadows that returned to their master.

“Very well.”

With that, Brenton disappeared, and Death was upon me before I’d had the chance to ready myself.

I jumped back, stumbling and falling on my ass as his sword came down, clashing against the ground inches from where I’d landed.

His sword severed the ground, and a tendril of white smoke drifted from the deep crack.

I pulled myself up quickly, pulling my legs apart and holding my sword the way I’d been taught.

Death grinned, eyes narrowing. When he swung his sword again, I clipped it with my own.

The strength of his swing made my arms tremble.

I stumbled back so that I tripped over my own feet and fell again.

I somehow managed to roll away fast enough to escape his lunge.

Not fast enough to get back on my feet and answer the next swipe of his sword.

The blade stung my shoulder, and after another quick maneuver, he disarmed me.

His smile gleamed down at me, but I held my ground, refusing to answer his taunting smile or let him see how terrified I was at that moment. Although if he were like the fae, he’d be able to scent that fear and hear the way my heart hammered.

He bent at the waist, leaning into me so his face was inches from mine.

His shadows encircled me, and when he lifted his sword for the final blow, I pictured Elias, his beautiful smile and the safety and warmth I always found in his embrace.

Ryenne, Donnie, Nate, and Everly, the friendship and joy we’d found in each other.

Sweet Victoria, Jasmine, Juanita, and Javier—despite all they’d already lost, they still lived their very best life.

All of them. Each of my friends who’d become so much more. Even George.

I hated leaving them. Hated not being a part of the rest of their journey in our world.

Silently, I told them I loved them. Would love them into the afterlife.

I can’t defeat Death with a sword. I’m ? —

With a quick prayer, because I had no idea if this could work, I reached for my holstered gun, raised it, and shot Death in the face. The power sent him scrambling backward. I shot him again. And again.

Slowly, the illusion of nothingness disappeared, and I found Death lying on a floodlight of snow, laughing. While I registered Elias’s glowing figure, I ignored him as I stalked back to Death with my gun heavy in my hand. Ignored the way my heart banged with every step I took.

Towering over his reclined figure, I aimed my gun at his face. If he saw the way my hands shook, he didn’t say. Instead, he lifted his hands in a sign of surrender, and a surprisingly boisterous laugh emanated from him.

“I hadn’t realized you brought a gun with you.”

There was no indication of the wounds he should’ve had from the bullets I put in him. When he reached up a hand, I hesitated before extending mine and his large hand immediately dwarfed mine. I jerked my hand away and peered down when he lifted a brow in question.

Sword gone, he pointed his scythe toward the fae and dragons in my realm. “It seems your mate is quite upset. Brenton, too. ”

My heart stalled as I took in the vibrant colors pulsing around Brenton.

“He’s alive?” I was too afraid to hope.

“He is,” Death answered. “Fully healed although the wound will hurt for some time.” He paused to take me in and searched my face for something.

“I suggest warning your fae friends to arm themselves against your kind. Today was a test to see how quickly the fae reacted and which bullet, each made from different metals, caused the most damage. If anyone was watching, they now know how lethal iron is to fae.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I shook my head. Not wanting to have to face another day like today, where my friends and my mate could die.

“Why would you warn me?” I asked.

He ran his long, slender fingers over his chin. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I . . .” I wasn’t sure.

“Death isn’t meant to be a punishment, Theodora.” His tone was gentle. “To many, the afterlife is a gift.”

He said it with such kindness, such patience. It made me wonder if, like he’d said, we were the ones who’d painted Death as the villain, when he was anything but.

“This, them.” I pointed toward the fae and thought of my human friends back home. “They’re a gift.” I put a hand to my chest and lowered my head. “Thank you.”

I looked back at him, wondering what else he knew. What else he saw from this realm. He’d already told me about the humans testing different metals, so I wondered what else he’d be willing to share.

Death raised his brow at me. “It seems you want more from me. ”

I chewed on my lower lip. “I have questions if you’re willing to answer them.”

Death bowed at the waist. “It is my pleasure to be at your disposal, but first, allow me to fix your shoulder.”

“Why?” I asked again, curious as to why he’d take the time to answer me.

“Maybe I’m bored,” he answered. “I do get bored watching life happen from this realm. Or maybe I’ve come to like you. You’re different, Theodora, from every creature in any other realm.”

“Different, how?”

“You came here unprepared and willing to die for your friend and for your mate.” He paused to take a step closer to me and inspected my shoulder. “You fear the absoluteness of death, yet today, you pushed that fear aside.”

I watched in awe as the deep slice he’d made on my shoulder mended, only to be replaced by black ink. It stretched over my shoulder blade to my back, an intricate tattoo I couldn’t see.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Me.” He grinned. “I think I’ll add. . .” He inked two more spots right above my shoulder blade, these markings smaller than the other. “You do love to look at the stars, don’t you? Now you’ll have them with you always. You may use these markings as a portal to visit me should you wish.”

“How?” But more importantly, why would I want to visit Death again?

“It works similarly to how Elias bends space,” he answered. “You think of coming here and” —he snapped his fingers—“and you step into the astral realm. Only you can answer why you’d want to visit me. ”

I swallowed, not sure what to say. He smiled, his gleaming white teeth on display.

“Right, so this whole soul mate thing—” I started, but he interrupted me with a hand in the air as he pulled out his sword.

He pointed that sword toward me. “Not so fast, Theodora. Had this been a real battle, you’d be dead, so we’re going to work on your perception and footwork.

I will answer your questions, but you need more than just a history lesson.

You need to know how to connect to your destined strength. Your power.”

My destined strength? I looked back at my friends, glistening in this realm but very real in another.

“Time moves differently here,” he said patiently. “We can take as long as you need, and I’ll return you to your realm before the fae try to kill the dragon.”

By the way my fae friends wrapped their magic around Adela, I knew he wasn’t joking. They meant to kill her.

“She only wanted to help,” I protested.