Page 181 of Till Death

His shadows poured over the table in a ripple of power. Trays of food appeared, wine filled the pitchers, and at once, the room sprang to life as everyone dug into dinner. It’d been the same routine for weeks now. Orin drew all the souls to the castle and invited them to live in harmony with us. He’d searched the place high and low for any lost souls or anyone in captivity or being tortured by his father. They’d been given the same options as the others, and slowly, he’d sealed away the darkness left behind. And then they came. A few to dinner at first, but slowly, the room became longer and larger to accommodate as many people that wished to come as possible. He’d hung tapestries of peaceful scenery along the walls when the echoes became too loud. The laughter was deafening. And he’d played. Gods, he’d played the cello for everyone. And some had joined in. Orin created a symphony in Death’s court. His court.

“I see you wore the lace again,” Ava said, sipping on a glass of wine as she winked at me.

“He really is so predictable. And until you ladies take a cellist to your beds and learn what he can really do with those fast fingers, I don’t want to hear a peep from either of you. Any movement on Alexander?”

Nymeria, another of the ladies I’d become friends with, popped a grape into her mouth as she leaned in. “Oh, I believe there was plenty of movement last night. And moaning. That shit’s loud, by the way. I’m going to need Orin to move my room away from hers.”

Hours later, I lay tangled in bed with my husband, staring up at the ceiling of stars he’d created for us to sleep beneath.

“Are you happy here?”

I twisted to make sure he could see the shock on my face. “Of course, I am. Why would you ask me that?”

“Because this is our eternity, and your happiness is important to me. I know you worry about the ones we left behind.”

“I just wish we could be sure she’s safe, that’s all. But I understand our limits. We can only go to Requiem when someone dies and their soul needs guidance. There’s not a lot we can do for her from here.”

“Imagine if Ezra is trying to find her. Would you take that risk? Leave eternity to find me at some unknown cost?”

He smiled, his eyes falling a bit darker when he leaned over and growled into my ear. “I’ve seen our past lives, Nightmare. Our souls have always been bound. Since before the gods ever appeared in Requiem. But I would not simply find you. I would hunt you, as I have always done. That’s not something we will ever have to worry about again. These are our days and our nights. This is forever.”

I brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “Tell me what you did today.”

“I went to a new world,” he said with a smile.

I gasped. “You’ve been holding out on me? Dammit, Fluffy Bottom. We’ve talked about this. I knew I should have gone. Tell me!”

“It’ll cost you.”

“You’re so greedy,” I teased, paying the cost of a kiss. “Now, spill it.”

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Two worlds within a world, divided by a barrier. In the southern world, there was a land made of floating isles over the sea.”

“Are they staying at court, or…?”

“Nope. He was a witch.”

“Shoot.” I laid my head on his chest. “They never want to come.”

“I imagine being severed from their power is tough.”

A giant warm breeze moved across the bed, and Orin groaned, glaring at our dogs. “They could sleep in the hall, you know. Or at the gates, like they’re supposed to.”

“These are my babies. You start talking shit about Fluffy and Ruffles, you can sleep in the hall.”

“Fine. But I’m getting a cat just to spite you, Nightmare.”

“Oooh! A kitty. Can we name her Duck?”

“I think you need to go back to weapons training for your own sanity. You’re losing your edge, Wife.”

“Honestly, you’re probably right.”

Chapter 71

TWENTY YEARS, TWO MORE HELL HOUNDS AND A HELL BEAST (ALSO KNOWN AS KITTY) LATER

The edges of the Aurelian Gate hadn’t worn. Much like us, they were eternal. Our constant path to all the realms. We’d visited Requiem time and time again, but only where Orin was needed. With no sign of Paesha, and no clue where she’d landed, we simply held back and watched and listened as often as we could when that world shone in the gate. And though we mostly went together, as we stood hand in hand, staring at a scene we weren’t prepared for, I wondered what my place would be in this moment.