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All the Thief’s strange, mysterious powers the Otherworld has never seen, they are powers that belonged to the Kingdom of Death.
“Many years ago a fairy hungered for power, and he did many terrible things to keep it,” he begins.
“One day, this fairy discovered his time would indeed end—unless he took measures to ensure it didn’t.” Another press of his fingers. “I was one of those measures. “I slumbered for many years before Galleghar sought me out. But then his darkness touched mine, and I awoke.”
“He gave me life so one day I might return the favor.” The Thief’s eyes have grown distant. “And so I did, and here we are.”
Motherfucking ow.
Lolz
Aww, she said friends, plural. I think we’re officially forming a friend group.
trust you,” I say softly. Des’s gaze is steady, but his eyes, his eyes burn like dying stars. He squeezes my hand. “You are my life, cherub.”
“Awww, did you think you were the only one who made deals with this monster?” My blood goes cold. Des, what have you done?
Oh no
“Surely you know this land sits right on Death’s doorway,”
“I marched my forces in, took the palace by force, and let him do the rest.”
Even here, in the Otherworld, the laws of life and death are fairly rigid. To take the living into the land of...
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And now the Thief of Souls is a king. Not just a puppeteer filling the body of a dead or dying ruler, but one in his own right.
I love you, I want to say. More than worlds can hold or words can convey. You are everything that has ever mattered to me. Have faith and strength. You’ll be all right.
I’m sorry, cherub. My beautiful nightmare. You will have to save us all yourself.
What just happened? Where did Des go? And why can’t I feel him down our bond?
“Your will is mine.” All those years under the yoke of my conscience, I was running from this single sobering truth: I can do more than bend others to my will; I can utterly bind them to it. All this time I hid from my true nature. I’ll hide from it no more.
What is death? Do the dead ever truly die? My breath catches on that last thought. Do they? Is Des still out there?
Yes!
Don’t be frightened of yourself, cherub. You are exactly as you should be. From flame to ashes, dawn to dusk, I am yours always. Till darkness dies. ~Your Bargainer Des knew he was going to die.
Omg 😭
The Prophecy of Galleghar Nyx Mighty Nyx came, Mighty Nyx sought All that he could Of his dark lot. In the deep night, His kingdom rose. Beware, great king, Of that which grows. Easy to conquer, Easy to crown, But even the strongest Can be cut down. Raised in the shadows, Reared in the night, Your child will come And ascend by might. And you, the slain, Shall wait and see What other things A soul can be. A body to curse, A body to blame, A body the earth Will not yet claim. Beware the mortal Beneath your sky. Crush the human Who’ll see you die. Twice you’ll rise, Twice you’ll fall, Lest you
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“I believe, when it comes to discussing the fates of our mates,” Mara says smoothly, “you’d prefer a little discretion.”
an enchanter. Lazaret.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper when I realize that while I’ve been wallowing in my grief, Temper has been carrying her own. “I didn’t even think about how you must be feeling.” I pet her hair back, staring into her face. She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. “You don’t have to apologize about that,” she says hoarsely. “I understand.” After a moment she whispers, “I wasn’t supposed to like him.”
Aww she’s hurting over Malaki too!
“The shadows—” the Thief accuses. “Have betrayed you,” a familiar voice finishes. I jolt, my eyes darting up toward the sound. And there he is. Des.
The Thief is finally dead. Maybe there will always be darkness and shadows and all those things that happen when the sun goes down. Maybe night will always be waiting to swallow up the earth, but today— Darkness died.
“There are many uncertainties in life, but this one thing holds true: I will always come back to you, cherub.”
“I love you, cherub,” Des murmurs. “More than any fairy has a right to love anything.”
“You may not live in the ocean, Callie, but you are every inch the siren.”
“Promise you’ll enjoy it, wife. I’m vividly imagining pressing you up against the side of our pool and licking that glowing water from between your—”
“The shadows are part of that sentience,” Des continues, “and they’re what Euribios derives his power from—as do I. “And that was the Thief’s fatal mistake. The god forgot our power comes from the same source, a source with its own free will. So the shadows and I—we tricked him.”
“I wonder if it’s possible to beat the shit out of spirits…”
Lol
“Temper.” Malaki’s deep voice has my friend sobering. He steps up to her, ignoring me and Des and every other individual swarming the halls of the dungeon. His eyes are fixed on Temper, and his wings—his wings are out.
Ahhh, his wings are out! You know what that means!
That’s what I get for still being a sucker who makes deals with the Bargainer. And the rest of the room is filled with kitschy trinkets—some from this world, some from another. Most are the result of one of Des’s rigged dares—like the enormous sombrero pinned on the wall that he got me to wear for an entire evening. But some, like the Cycladic figurine sitting on our bookshelf, are gifts we’ve given each other. But all of it is a testament to the incredible life we live.
Love that they’re still making deals!
If I took the time to count them all, I’d find 322 of them, the exact number of beads that first bound me to him.
“I have a secret.”
