Page 19 of Bride of Death

Chapter 5

Morpheus

Serapina’s screamechoes through my mind, the sound one that almost made me mist into her home moments ago.

But Maliki was faster.

He shadowed to her porch within a second of her shrieking and tried to beat her door down with his fist. In his sleepy state, he missed the source of her chaos—the little instigator now floating around in the Netherworld Courtyard.

The errant soul zipped right by Maliki, using the in-between to hide its presence as it escaped.

Either Maliki was too consumed by Serapina to notice the skittering creature, or he didn’t see it. I suspect the latter.

But I saw the troublemaker.

And I want to know what it did to my intended.

Once I’m sure Serapina is safe, I trail after the lost spirit. The soul is still dressed in that strange blue cloak, its movements agitated as the sound of teeth chattering comes from beneath his hood. It’s almost as though the essence is trying to speak.

Odd. I cock my head, intrigued as the hooded creature makes several animated motions with its arms before hanging its head in defeat. The air moves with an audible sigh, one that has me arching a brow.

“Souls don’t typically breathe,” I say as I materialize beside the spirit in the in-between. It’s a chilling space I don’t particularly care for, as it resides between life and death, but as a Mythos Fae, I’m allowed to linger.

At least for a bit.

Blue flame-like eyes flash up to mine from beneath the hood of the thick cloak, then the creature darts backward several paces. Or, well,floatsbackward. Its feet are not exactly touching the ground since the soul is part specter.

Although, its face certainly resembles solid bone.

Not abnormal. Many souls in this kingdom still have some of their corporeal features. However, this one appears to be more solid than most.

“Did you try to touch Serapina?” I ask it, my eyebrow arching. That wouldn’t explain the burning scent I picked up on when Maliki stepped inside, but it would explain her scream.

The soul—who I swear looked intimidated a moment ago—vibrates and chatters white teeth at me while narrowing its eyes. Then the creature holds up a finger and waves it at me in a trademark sign of warning.

I stare at the little soul. “Are you trying to tell me to back off?”

The soul dips its head, nodding at me. Then points in the direction of Serapina’s home.

“You want me to go back to her?” I guess.

Which is apparently the wrong translation because the little soul vibrates aggressively again and sprints to my opposite side to stand between me and where it pointed a second ago. Then the creature lifts its arms, causing the cloak to expand like a proper ghost.

But I don’t think that’s its intention.

Instead, it’s acting like a guard dog—vibrant eyes turning into burning crescents, jaw visibly clenched.

“You’re telling me to back off of Serapina?” I ask slowly.

The little soul relaxes a bit, then nods again.

I huff a laugh. “I see. Hades put you up to this.”

The being visibly shrinks backward, the blue flames inside his hollowed eyes going wide as it starts searching the courtyard, like it expects the God of Death to appear in the flesh.

My brow furrows as the soul begins to shake. It casts a forlorn look back at the village—I assume atSerapina—then continues to scan the courtyard, clearly frightened.

“He scares you?”