Page 26

CHAPTER 26

AURORA

T hey couldn’t hide from Death even if they wanted to. Thane’s connection to his father was too strong. They appeared in the throne room as Death had commanded. A vast room with no ceiling and a floor made of a smooth, dark stone. Death was perched upon a chair seated in the middle of the room. The souls Thane had collected cowered in the corners.

Thane let go of Aurora’s hand and walked over to the whiskey. “ Father . What a horrible surprise.”

Aurora watched Death . He didn’t look at Thane , just smiled at her, knowing she was trapped between what she wanted and him. His features shifted between beauty and imperfection. Father and son had the same eyes and straight nose. As Death’s features shifted again, it was not imperfections she saw but all she could lose.

Death stood and walked toward her. His presence seemed to suck the air out of the room. Death and her father were not so different. Her father also consumed the air and space around her. There was ugliness in her father too. For he did little to protect mortals from things like pain and suffering. He let them lose loved ones to the god that stood before her.

“Such delicate things you gods of the heavens are.” Death’s voice was soft, and yet it was like nails on glass. “ Your golden light and perfect features are all so breakable.” Death reached out a dark-tipped finger to touch her.

She stepped away from him. It was one thing to say she wanted to see Death but another to look upon him. To feel his touch.

“Don’t touch her.” Thane didn’t move. “ Why are you here?”

Death walked around Aurora like a predator stalking its prey. “ I heard there was a foolish god who wants to make a deal.”

“You heard wrong. You can go.” Thane took a sip of whiskey. “ Tell him, Aurora . Tell him it was a mistake. That you do not want to see him.”

Aurora opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She could feel Death’s presence pressing down on her. She couldn’t die, but she could feel what death was like, and that was an odd sensation. It was like floating at the bottom of a lake. Her body screamed for air even as she inhaled the sweet smell of night jasmine.

“Aurora, tell him.” Thane looked at her.

Aurora ignored Thane’s despair that clawed at her. The way his eyes pled for her not to do this. This was the only way to save him. But she’d have to choose her words carefully. They needed to be exact. Like a wish, or Death could easily twist them. “ I would?—”

“Aurora,” Thane warned.

“Hush, son.” Death flicked his wrist, sending Thane to his knees. “ Now , pet, tell me what you want from me.”

“Don’t do this,” Thane gritted out against the unseen reason for his pain. “ Please . We will figure this out.”

“When will you ever listen?” Death spat, snapping his fingers.

Aurora felt the heat of Death’s anger as it brushed past her and hit Thane . He doubled over as vines wrapped around him, pulling him to the ground. Their sharp thorns tore at his skin. Blood dripped from Thane’s nose and mouth. Little red flowers formed with each drop of blood. Aurora pushed back the sleeve of her gown, expecting to see the vines cutting into her wrist. But there was nothing.

Death watched Thane writhe on the ground. “ I should wish for a son who has ears that worked. Could you grant me that?” Death turned to her.

“Stop this,” Aurora cried, feeling every thorn that cut into Thane’s skin.

“I will when you tell me why you summoned me.” Death smiled as he watched Thane struggle against the vines that cut into his throat. “ What a waste. He has all the power of the underworld, and yet he chooses to frolic with the stars. What a disappointment.” Death’s lip curled in disdain. “ Now , what is it you want?”

Her thoughts wouldn’t organize. Doubt filled the space that fear hadn’t filled. Why had she thought she could do this? Everyone was right. She would fail, and then what? Death would twist her love for Thane into pain and suffering.

“Aurora, listen to me.” Thane struggled to his knees. “ Don’t do this. None of this is real. Trust me.” Thane’s voice was hoarse.

“Not real? Then let me try a little harder.” Death grabbed a handful of Thane’s dark hair and yanked his head back. “ Do you want to see how real this can be?” Death looked at Aurora , a wide smile cut across his face.

Aurora screamed, falling to her knees as she felt Thane’s soul being ripped from him, the last threads snapping. The emptiness that filled her hurt like no physical pain she had ever felt before.

Death knelt next to Thane . “ Did you know she can feel your pain? Your happiness. How much do you think a god not made for this world will last? How long until I break the dawn?” Death laughed as he stood.

Aurora’s skin felt like it was on fire as Thane’s soul slammed back into him and then was ripped away. She rolled over on her side, watching the light flicker in and out of Thane’s eyes each time the threads of his soul were cut and then resewn back together. Each painful time. “ I want to make a deal,” she whispered before closing her eyes.

Everything stopped. The pain. The noise. It was quiet. Aurora opened her eyes to see she was alone with Death in the Nothingness . A place between life and death. A place where pain and misery could not follow. She pushed herself up, ready to face what so many other mortals had in this space.

“I’m listening.” Death was everywhere around her. His voice caressed her skin.

Aurora swallowed the bile that sat at the back of her throat. “ I want to break the curse Fate put on Thane .”

“So you finally figured it out. I bet Fate you never would. Now I will owe that smug bastard a life.” Death formed before her. He was so close he could kiss her. His features twisted into a mortal form. A man with hair as dark as night and eyes as silver as the moon. It hurt how much of Thane she could see in the god standing before her. He didn’t have a mouth made for sin though. Death's smile was sharp and black.

“Just give me the name of the mortal and the cost.” Her voice cracked.

Death moved around the empty space they stood in. “ You are willing to take the life of a mortal? Didn’t your beloved warn you about how hard that can be ?” Death mocked. “ He is always prattling on about how it weighs on him.”

“I didn’t realize a god of your power had the time to listen to such trivial things.” It didn’t come out as strong as she would have liked.

Death laughed. “ I forget how young you are. But if you insist. To break a curse that Fate has put on another is no small feat. The price will be high. I could ask you to remove a limb, take your beauty, or gouge out an eye.”

Aurora tried to play off the fear that was what Death would ask of her. “ Is that what you want?”

“No, that pain would only last for a brief moment. I want this to linger so every time you look at Thane , you will remember the sacrifice you have made. I want a pain that will last a lifetime or more. So do you agree?”

“You haven’t told me what you want.” Aurora could feel the fear twisting in her belly. Hear Thane’s warning ringing in her ear.

“Agree, and I’ll tell you.” Death cocked his head.

“No.” Like curses, deals with Death could be twisted if not stated correctly.

“No?” Death’s features shifted again. A sharper version of Thane . “ I don’t know if I should feel sorry for your father or be happy that he, too, was burdened with a brainless twit.” Death looked Aurora up and down.

“How long are you going to prattle on about nothing?” Aurora shot back.

“Was that supposed to hurt?” Death put his hand to his chest.

“No, but I would like an answer.” Aurora shrugged. Thankfully when Death took mortal form, it was easier to deal with him. To see a weakness. “ Now tell me what you want.”

“Agree.” Death’s features shifted. “ The longer you deny me what I want, the longer Thane suffers. He may think he is immortal, but each time I rip his soul out, I take a part of him. By the time I am done, there will be nothing left of him but your memory. So what will it be?”

“Fine,” Aurora yelled. She had no idea how long she had been in this place. How long Thane had been suffering. “ Now tell me what you want.”

“It’s simple, really. I will give you the names of six souls. Any one of those souls could be the cause of heartbreak. But you will not know until the very last one has been reaped.”

“Fine. Now give me the names.”

“First, the price. There is always a price for making a deal with me.” Death moved around Aurora , his features shifting and changing. His words seemed to bounce off the space they were in.

“Isn’t the six souls enough?” Aurora turned to face him.

“That’s the task. Now the price for failure?—”

“Is the curse not enough payment?” Aurora cut in.

“That is Fate’s price. I have my own.” Death stood before her, his smile a bit too big for his face. “ So ?”

“I possess nothing you could possibly need.” Death was an old god. He had been around much longer. He and her father were the two most powerful gods.

“Oh, but you do.” Death’s smile was wicked and dark. His eyes burned gold like fire. “ I want the secrets of the stars.”

“You know I cannot give you that.” Unlike the secrets of the sea, which could be plucked out with her eyes, the secrets of the stars were written on her bones. They could not be read without… Aurora hung her head. Without breaking her. In turn, breaking Thane . “ Why do you hate him so? He is your son.”

Death scoffed. “ This is not about Thane .” Death stepped closer, examining Aurora . “ I can see your father in you. I can read the plans of Life in the freckles splashed across your face. Hear the sound of hope in your voice. You are your father’s daughter. I shall keep you in a cage. And make your father watch as I yank each secret from your bones. How many do you think I can see before he wants to make a deal?”

Aurora scoffed at Death this time. “ You misjudge my father’s love for me.”

“And you, pet, misjudge your worth to your father.” Death leaned in closer. “ You , like my son, are just a means to an end.”

Aurora could feel the tears, damp on her cheek. This had never been about Thane and her. It was about her father and the stupid war he and Death had been waging since Time was born. Life and Death were always at odds. Always trying to destroy the other.

“Oh, don’t cry about it. It was always meant to end this way. Why do you think I saddled myself with Sorrow and bore Thane ? Fate is very bad at keeping secrets. Especially when Love is involved. But that is a story for another time.” Death stepped away from Aurora . His features shifted again, and his eyes dulled to a soft gold. “ I shall deliver the first three names in three days. You are to collect them alone. Thane is not allowed to come with you or assist in any way. If he does, I shall slowly rip a lifetime away. Good luck, daughter of Life .” Death snapped his fingers.

Aurora sucked in the familiar air of Manere as the Nothingness faded with Death . Her left arm felt as if it were on fire as six thin golden bracelets formed. There were no clasps, no way to slip them off. They made no noise when she moved her arm.

“You’re back.”

Aurora turned to see Cadel sitting next to her. Thane lay in a mess of vines and red flowers. She sat up too quickly, causing the floor to tilt and shift. Aurora gagged, fighting back the urge to vomit.

“Here.” Cadel handed her a mug.

Aurora sipped the cool water. Thane had not moved. Gods might not die like mortals. But they could be stripped of lifetimes. And when there were none left, the god would be empty. “ Is he…?”

“Dead?” Cadel shook his head. “ No , but he’s going to be sore when he wakes. Are you okay?”

Aurora looked down at her wrist. Six souls for one. She blinked back the tears. “ I don’t know. I may have just doomed us all for him.”