Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(10)

Death moved so quickly that I was barely aware of him pushing me into a tree. His teeth were bared and steam smoldered around his eyes. "You want me to do what?"

"Bring Izzy back to life." My voice was smaller now and I couldn't help the quivers that began in my hands.

He leaned his head against mine, his breath warming my face, and I became aware of just how tall he was. He needed to lean forward quite a bit for his forehead to be level with mine. He laughed hysterically and I tried to wiggle past him.

A hoarse growl loosened from him. "Do you have any idea of how decayed her body would be by now? Do you think she can waltz back into her life and mortals won't ask questions? I am Death, not Life. I am not in the business of bringing people back months after their demise."

I was disappointed. It was like losing Izzy all over again. Giving her life would be worth going to Hell, but now ... I wanted to wail, to lose myself in grief, and never turn back. I wanted to run.

Tears descended, falling against Death's fair skin. I shook my head, trying to flick the tears away and deny their assault. A keening tore through my chest. It was like the wolves, but much higher, with an aching sound buried beneath it. It was the voice of my soul tearing in half.

Death moved away suddenly. A look of horror lay frozen on his face; Aria's held only concern. She moved forward and pulled me into a hug. Then her voice rose with mine. It didn't hold the same grief in it, but brought understanding and acceptance. The wolves in the distance joined with us until I quieted. I couldn't look either of them in the face. I was ashamed to show my pain, and confused by the way it had revealed itself.

Death gazed at me, and I thought I caught a glimpse of sorrow and guilt. He looked up to the sky and back at me. "Fine. It's done. I will give Izzy … life."

"I thought – "

He rushed to me and covered my mouth, as though it were important I not ask why he gave in, when he had said he couldn't. The look in his eyes told me to accept the gift and not question it.

"You have twenty-four hours to say your goodbyes. Do not break our deal."

I nodded and he removed his palm from my lips. He began to turn, but I held my hand out to him. He looked at it in bafflement. I wondered if he wasn't used to others initiating touch. His hand grasped mine and lingered. The sigil he’d placed there after Ash died glowed brightly before fading to a black tattoo.

"I won't break it if you don't."

He rewarded me with a genuine smile and my eyes widened at the change.

"Death never goes back on his word. Twenty-four hours; we meet in the place of Divine Energy." He gestured to Aria and they turned to leave. She lingered, her eyes darting to see if I had gained my composure before she followed Death into the vortex.

I gasped for breath and sat against the tree trunk. That had been intense. I wondered, for the millionth time, how I would survive as a Hellhound. Kali and Aria seemed nice enough, Ivy had a caustic personality, and Death ... enough said. How could I be expected to scrub my canvas clean and begin an entirely new painting? When all was said and done, what would my life look like? Would it be dark and bleak, or would I find some trace of color hidden in the depths of the underworld?

I remained in the clearing until the cold seeped through to my bones. I welcomed the chill since I was certain I wouldn't find that where I was going. The forest was unsettling, but facing my friends and family before marching into Death's fortress sounded worse.

My body ached during my walk to Savannah's. I thought back to my meeting with Death and my odd behavior. A wild ferocity had built beneath my surface and I wasn't sure if I liked it.

I neared Savannah's and resigned myself to saying my goodbyes. Izzy and Savannah had become a part of me and I was terrified that I would lose that part to the Hellhound within.

I found Izzy and Savannah downstairs in the basement. Since Maye had shown us the secret passage, Savannah had begun using it to block out the rest of the world. Though there were only two members of the outside world she really wanted to keep out. Unfortunately, she lived with one.

The wall to the passage closed behind me. Savannah sat in a chair in front of the desk, her long, ebony hair dangling in front of her face, stray strands grasping at the paper in front of her. Izzy misted around as she normally did. Her form was transparent, a habit she’d developed for whenever she was anxious.

Savannah was the first to speak. "Hey." Her voice held an antique tone, which she rarely used. I figured it had to do with my pending absence. The circles under her eyes made her seem older than sixteen, but she forced a smile.

Izzy, on the other hand, did not seem to be in the mood to appease me. "Well? Are you leaving?" Her arms were crossed, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, tomorrow night. I'll be able to visit whenever I want to...." The last was said halfheartedly because we all knew that it wasn't the same. They wouldn't be able to run to me when something horrible happened. They wouldn't have any way to contact me. Instead, I would be like a favorite cousin who lived in another state, limited to a long distance friendship filled with short emails and occasional visits. Eventually, those would deteriorate, until I wasn't a part of the trio any longer. Izzy and Savannah would be the duo, and I would be lost to them.

I was barely aware of leaning into the wall or the flood drifting down my cheeks like a monsoon. My fingernails sunk into the wooden floor, clawing at something of substance that would hold me to this place. I drew blood, and didn't notice my physical reaction to the turmoil within, but they did.