Between Floors (The City Between, #3)

by W.R. Gingell

I bet they’re gunna try to hurt us.” “How do you know?” “We’re Between. Everything here wants to kill or maim humans. It’s like a cultural thing.”

“Hang on,” I said. “Gotta get me friend.” “Already dead,” said the old bloke. “Can see the bones.” A voice, deep with pain, said, “Not dead, just got a broken arm.”

“I’m a pet,” I said, and champed my teeth at him. “I bite, too, so watch it.”

I mean, JinYeong is an annoying little git, but he’s our annoying little git, and no one should be allowed to bother him except us.

If it only depends on your point of view, what’s actually the truth?

“Pet, if you can’t keep to the same subject for more than ten seconds at a time, I’ll leave you and JinYeong to fight it out between the two of you.

I dunno. Maybe I’ve seen too many bodies in my lifetime. Seeing my parents’ bodies would have been enough, but since the psychos had moved in two months ago, I’d seen more bodies than most gravediggers.

I can face the stuff that comes through Between from Behind, but I can’t handle spiders. I’d rather just set fire to the stuff.

“Don’t call me,” I said. “I’m supposed to be sneaking. I’ll bring ya something nice as a thank you later on.”

“Heck yeah, there’s more,” I muttered to myself, grinning. “Just you wait.”

“I’m hugging you,” I said, with my arms clutched around his neck. “Didn’t your parents ever hug you? Thought one of ’em was human?” “Stop it.” Sometimes I’m not a very obedient pet.

“Nope,” I said. “You’re getting a hug whether you want it or not. It’s good for the soul.”

“You’re too flamin’ pretty,” I said. My voice sounded choked. “Don’t know why someone doesn’t punch you in the face.”

Dying repeatedly wasn’t really an excuse when you woke up alive.

“I would like to point out that not all problems can be solved by tea,” said Athelas. “And yet, at the risk of undermining that, yes, I would.”