Page 44 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

44

GIDEON

“ I must say I grow weary of your company,” I uttered into the void. Hands loosely clasped behind my back as I stood surrounded by darkness, lost deep in my thoughts.

Death stood only a few steps behind me.

“You should’ve let her die. Her death would’ve been swift, and I would’ve welcomed her,” she calmly stated, and I let out a cold chuckle, the sound echoing like a ripple in the calm waters.

“On that, I truly must disagree. Besides, you are not the most welcoming host.”

“Sooner or later, she must take her place. There is no way out of it. She must meet her fate,” Death warned.

And I knew her words were true, no matter how much I disliked the sound of them.

“Fate is an odd thing, Death. One might not be able to avoid it, but with just the right amount of knowledge, one can surely delay it.” I turned to face her stark look.

“You have to stop coming here. The longer you linger in the Beyond . . . ”

“I know.”

I knew that each moment here, each time I called on Death, each second that I had spent in the Beyond severed little by little my connection with the living world, taking my immortality as a payment.

And yet it was the only time I could have a glimpse. A single glimpse of Finnleah as my soul crossed between the veils of the living and the undead. A fleeting second. Risk and liability are well worth the reward.

“Have you always known then? About her? About who she is?” I looked at Death.

“Yes. She has been bargained for since her existence.”

“Hmm . . . ” I paused, pinching the bridge of my nose. My thoughts raced, calculating every move, every path. “I believe you owe me one more favor,” I finally uttered. Death gave a slight nod.

This was a terrible idea. One that might cause more harm than good. And yet when I died today, forcing my soul to pass from the In-Between to the Beyond through the veil, I caught a glimpse of her devastating tears. A look I could not endure any longer. So, I found the words spilling from my mouth.

“I need to pass a message.”