“Quite easily, if you had any regard for the rules,” Sidyan answered.

  “Oh, screw this!” Lumi burst out. “Nethi is in there. We have to get her out!”

  Whenever I tried to get close to the house, I could hear Atlas growling. He knew I was out here, and he knew every time I took a single step. He couldn’t see me, but his Bounty Reaper senses were remarkably sharp. He could smell me. He could sense me. And we had absolutely no smart way of getting to Nethissis without Atlas gobbling her up the moment we got there.

  Even using the ghouls as a diversion wasn’t adequate. Petra was cunning enough to see such a move coming, especially since she had her telepathic connection to Atlas, who must’ve picked up the creatures’ scent by now.

  “We need to level the playing field,” I said. “Petra thinks she’s got us in a pinch, and it’s not right. I doubt we’ll lose our shot at finding the Master of Darkness if we just show her we’re not going to be pushed around. The Darklings have had secret dominion over Visio for far too long. They’re not going to simply relinquish it now that we’re here. On the contrary, they’ll fight hard to keep it. So it really doesn’t matter how many of us Petra sees coming.”

  Sidyan stared at me for a while. Next to him, Rudolph and Maya sat quietly, gently nudging each other. I could tell they were afraid, but there wasn’t much I could do to soothe them at this point. Their feelings mattered, but saving Nethissis and screwing the Darklings over was the priority—at least for me.

  “It’s better to regret something we did rather than something we didn’t do,” Lumi added, watching Sidyan with a half-smile.

  “Is that something the Word told you?” Sidyan replied, giving her a sideways glance. “The Word, which, by the way, hasn’t given you a single hint as to how to handle this?”

  “No, that’s something experience has taught me. I’ve had a little over ten thousand years of that one lying around. I figured it was time to use it,” Lumi said. “Listen, as long as we deliver the desired result, I doubt Death will be too miffed about how we got there. Right now, we’ve got a doozy of a situation on our hands. Nethi is in trouble, and Petra is calling the shots. We have to change that.”

  Sidyan let out a deep sigh. It felt like a pained surrender, but it was a surrender nonetheless. “Okay. Okay. It’s done, you’re right. So Kelara and the First Tenners with her know about us and about what we’re trying to do here. We know she’s going to try and convince them to help us. What are the odds they’ll actually do it?”

  Gazing back at the house for a moment, I could see Atlas in the window looking down at Nethissis. Scanning past the walls and the furniture, I also caught a glimpse of Tudyk and Moore. They sat at a table, motionless and looking genuinely scared. Their mother wasn’t around to see them; otherwise, I was certain she would’ve had a word to say about it—not that she’d ever admit she’d dragged them into this way too early. Simmon and Aganon were walking back to the house, talking to each other as they went. They seemed pleased with themselves, but the people they passed were utterly terrified beneath their plastic smiles.

  The Darklings had brought terror to Laramis. They were cocky and arrogant, and they had too much power. The balance was in desperate need of a serious scale-tipping, and we were the only ones around with the ability to actually do something about it. Death’s limits were shortsighted, to say the least. She wasn’t here. She couldn’t see what we were witnessing. I doubted she was even capable of feeling any sympathy for these people. They were all tiny smudges on the wider fabric of life, with which she had very little to do.

  “I don’t know,” I ultimately said. “All I can say is we can hope for the best. Maybe the universe will respond.”

  “Or maybe we’ll respond. There’s no point in a middleman here,” Kelara replied, scaring the living daylights out of all of us.

  I turned around in the blink of an eye, startled to see her standing before us. She was joined by Soul, Phantom, Widow, Night, and Morning. I recognized the last two from their descriptions, since I’d never met them before.

  Rudolph and Maya vanished, the air vaguely shimmering where they’d stood. I felt sorry for them, but I wasn’t exactly worried. Kelara had agreed that ghouls could be useful in these circumstances. The other ghouls were hidden, and it would take a while before we could convince them it was safe to come out. First, however, I had to make sure the First Tenners weren’t going to simply reap them on sight. Kelara had no control over them, after all.

  “Ah, you made it,” I said, my tone clipped as I tried to keep my cool.

  There wasn’t much in this world that could still intimidate me, but the First Tenners were certainly having an impact on my composure. These were titans of our species. The very first of my kind. I was in awe of them, but I also had to seem like I had a handle on things—two states I needed to somehow reconcile.

  “It wasn’t easy.” Kelara chuckled, shaking my hand. “It’s good to see you free.”

  “Yeah, I have Nethissis to thank for that,” I said.

  She frowned slightly. “How is she holding up?”

  “We don’t really know.” I pointed a thumb over my shoulder. “She’s in there, unharmed so far.”

  Kelara shifted her focus to Lumi and Sidyan. “Good to see you two, as well. Sidyan, where’s Maya?”

  “What business do you have with her?” Sidyan retorted, as defensive as I’d expected. It made Kelara laugh.

  “Relax, dude. I just want to meet her!” she said. “I have no business reaping ghouls, especially considering their potential usefulness in what’s about to go down.”

  “And what’s about to go down, exactly?” Lumi asked.

  Soul cleared his throat. “Perhaps some introductions are in order before anything else?”

  Kelara shot him a grin. “You’re right. My manners are atrocious. Seeley, Lumi, Sidyan… some of these bozos you’ve already met and some you haven’t, so to make sure you all know each other, I’ll just go through the whole roster and let you do the handshakes, if you want. Lumi, swamp witch and vessel of the Word. Sidyan, Reaper and owner of a pet ghoul, apparently. Seeley… well, he’s already quite notorious.” She motioned toward the First Tenners. “Meet the Soul Crusher, creator of mind-breaking puzzles and mini-dimensions. The Phantom, creator of alternate realities and gorgeously deceptive dreamscapes. The Widow Maker… well, he doesn’t create much other than terror and violence, but sometimes that’s enough to get the job done.”

  “You flatter me,” Widow muttered. It was hard to tell whether he was serious or joking.

  “The Morning Star, bringer of light and happiness, sometimes too much of it and sometimes cramming it down our throats even when we don’t want it,” Kelara said, prompting Morning to gasp as if she’d just been horribly insulted. “Truth stings, I know. And the Night Bringer, harbinger of darkness, and the missing link between the Aeternae and the vampires, as it turns out.”

  Lumi’s eyes widened. I worried they’d soon pop out like marbles. “You… you’ve got some explaining to do,” she mumbled.

  “Yeah, I didn’t get to the details about how you turned the Aeternae into Elders,” I said to Night. “I’m sure you’ll find time to catch up on that topic.”

  “That aside,” Night replied, looking at Kelara, “you can be quite savage, you know that?”

  “Let’s just say it’s the least I can do for all the agony you and your sister put me through prior to your release,” Kelara shot back. “We’re even now.”

  “Fair enough,” Night said, moving his attention to me. “I understand you have a Darkling problem here.”

  I smiled, a sense of relief bursting through me like the first rays of sunlight in the morning. “You could say that, sure.”

  “And you don’t have any workable options, given your resources,” Widow added, his gaze already fixed on the house. “Oh, wow. I haven’t seen Atlas since he was first made.”

  “You know that ghoul?” Kelara asked.

  Widow nodded once. “A Bounty Reaper of the highest caliber. No wonder he’s been such a handful for you guys, even in ghoul form.”

  We watched Simmon and Aganon as they went inside the house just as Petra returned to the grand salon. Atlas’s posture stiffened in her presence, and the younger sons shot to their feet as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “They’re preparing for something, though I’m not sure what. I can’t get close enough without Atlas making noise,” I said, my nerves stretching taut again. I’d been around Petra and the Darklings long enough to know that things could always be worse with them.

  Kelara put a hand on my shoulder. “It doesn’t really matter what they’re up to. We’re all in this together now. We’ll figure it out, and we’ll kick their asses into oblivion.”

  “Aren’t any of you the least bit worried about what Death might say to all this?” Lumi asked. “Sidyan here is practically pooping his pants over the repercussions.”

  “Oh, you are one mean—” Sidyan tried to reply, narrowing his eyes at her, but Kelara cut him off.

  “Yeah, we’re worried. But we’re even more worried about not doing the right thing.”

  “Besides, we’re ancient. She won’t blast us to bits when this is all over.” Soul chuckled.

  “Says the guy who was most determined to not come here and help,” Kelara replied, almost laughing.

  Phantom snapped her fingers, demanding our attention. Her gesture caused Rudolph, Maya, and the other two dozen ghouls to become visible, each of them shaken up by what had just happened. “That being said, we’re all on the same page whether we like it or not. Even the ghouls,” she said, glancing at the quivering creatures. “You all need to relax. No one’s reaping you anytime soon, ghoulies. We need you.”

  “I take it we have a plan, then?” I asked, surprised by the meekness in my own tone.

  Night gave me a faint nod. “I might have an idea or two.”

  The vagueness of that statement should’ve made me feel uneasy, yet I was anything but. For once, it felt like there was a way out of this—not just for Nethissis, but also for everyone else who risked suffering at the hands of the Darklings. We weren’t alone anymore.

  And despite how Death might react to our association, I was confident we could pull it off. The Darklings had been playing fast and loose with the balance between life and death for too long. It was time to set the record straight. It was time for us Reapers to reassert ourselves.

  I sure as hell had no intention of becoming a Darkling’s bitch ever again.

  Nethissis

  After a quick outing, Petra returned and prepared a few more messages to send to other Darklings across the continent. I wasn’t privy to their contents, but I assumed it had everything to do with what had happened at her mansion. She kept quiet for the most part, not saying much until Timotheus walked through the door—I’d thought they’d been together until earlier, but it seemed as though they’d parted ways at some point, reuniting here at the house. When he came in, she lit up like a Christmas tree.

  “You’re here. Good!” she said.

  “What’s going on?” Simmon asked, clearly out of the loop, much like Aganon, Tudyk, and Moore.

  “I have to go meet with the Master of Darkness. I’ve been granted an audience,” Petra replied. “In my absence, you will all have things to do, worry not.”

  “Whip, I have reinforced security around the house like you asked,” Timotheus said, standing close to the door. “Should the Reaper be foolish enough to try something, we’ll be ready.”

  “I doubt it, considering I have his darling little ghost, but a little preparation never hurt anyone.” Petra scowled at me as if I’d just killed her favorite pet or something—that was ridiculous, since her favorite pet was literally looming and drooling all over me. What a Bounty Reaper Atlas must’ve been before she’d destroyed him and reduced him to this. Whenever I looked at the creature, I felt compelled to whisper, “I’m sorry,” hoping he might understand that I knew what he’d once been. “Either way, I trust Atlas will keep her in our possession.”

  “Why aren’t we coming with you?” Simmon asked, hands nervously clasped behind his back.

  Petra gave him a lazy smile. “Darling, you’re of more use to me here. One of you will go after Kalon once you hear from me. I told you I want him back, his hands cut off and whatnot. The same will go for Ansel. First, however, I must raise the issue of our outing with the Master.”

  “What do we do, then? We can’t just sit around here,” Aganon replied. “I should at least go with you, sister. You could fare better with some protection.”

  Petra laughed, perhaps a little too hard, doubling over in her mirth. Placing a hand on her brother’s shoulder, she took a moment to regain her composure. I had not seen her like this before, but I understood that this was the real Petra. A calculated lunatic.

  “My dearest Aganon… I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself; otherwise, I wouldn’t be a Whip of the Darklings,” she said. A split second later, she slapped him so hard he landed on the floor, blood oozing from his cracked lip. “Perhaps focus more on what you can do, instead of underestimating me. You’re all to stay here and assist Timotheus. This little witch bitch is cunning, and she’ll stop at nothing to get herself out of here.”

  I scoffed, glancing at Atlas. “I guess that means she doesn’t trust you as much as you thought.”

  “See? That’s what I mean. That mouth of hers is quite something,” Petra replied dryly. “I know the four of you, alongside Timotheus and Atlas, will be able to keep the girl here. Should you fail, I will make you all suffer, blood relations notwithstanding. Have I made myself clear?”

  The boys nodded, while Timotheus looked away, stifling a smirk. He seemed to enjoy watching the Visentis men trapped on such tight leashes. Atlas, on the other hand, remained unfazed. He purred softly when Petra put on a long velvet cloak and walked to the door.

  She stopped to look our way. “Don’t worry, dear Atlas. I’ll be back in a jiff. You won’t even know I’m gone.”

  As soon as the door closed behind her, I felt the air clear. It was as if they could all breathe again. Petra was quite the presence, I had to admit, if she was able to inspire such terror in her own sons and brother.

  No one said anything for a while. Timotheus stopped by the bar and produced several glasses, along with a pitcher of fresh blood, which he laid out on the counter.

  “Come on, boys. Let’s have a drink,” he said, annoyingly jovial.

  Simmon, Aganon, Tudyk, and Moore hopped up on the bar stools, and Timotheus served each of them a glass. They sat there in silence, sipping their blood and looking at each other. No one seemed happy about this situation—except, perhaps, for Timotheus. After all, Petra was off to meet with the Master of Darkness and discuss his proposal to bring the Darklings out into the light for the first time since the faction’s establishment. He was getting everything he wanted.

  The boys, on the other hand, were stuck on guard duty. For me. A ghost.

  “You guys really drew the short stick, huh?” I chuckled. Atlas didn’t seem to mind me talking, though he did keep both beady eyes on me, perpetually sending shivers down my ghostly spine.

  “Pay her no mind,” Timotheus muttered. “She’s out of options, so she’s trying to get into your heads.”

  “To what end?” I asked. “Their heads are empty and useless.”

  That earned me their undivided attention. I didn’t have an angle yet, but I knew if I got on their nerves, they’d slip up somehow. I doubted I’d be able to do much with Atlas practically glued to me, but if I got the Visentis boys distracted, maybe they would at least spill some more information. Seeley was still out there. I could almost feel him, though I couldn’t quite see him anymore—Atlas had positioned himself between me and the window, likely on purpose. Maybe he was still planning to get me out of here. If that were to happen, I needed the boys off their game.

  “I mean, out of all of you Visentis fellas, Kalon is the only one who’s actually worth something,” I added, sprinkling salt over their wounded egos.

  It got me a dry chuckle from Simmon. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a traitor to our cause. A stain on our family name.”

  “Were it up to us, he’d be dead by now,” Aganon added.

  “Is that what you think, as well?” I asked, looking at Tudyk and Moore. The boys didn’t answer, but their expressions betrayed them. They weren’t sure, and Simmon noticed.

  “Mother loves all her sons. We have to accept that,” he said firmly. “That doesn’t mean Kalon doesn’t deserve a long and painful death for everything he’s done.”

  “Wow, jealous much?” I giggled. For some reason, Atlas was seriously staring at me—with more attention than ever, I realized. It was as if he was waiting for me to say or do something. To what end, I wasn’t sure… but it was definitely creepy.

  “Jealous of whom?” Simmon replied. “Kalon? For what? I’m a Darkling. I serve the Master of Darkness and the Aeternae. He’s running and hiding like the coward he is. It’s all he’s ever been good at.”

  “Well, that and fighting,” I said. “I hear he’s pretty good at kicking ass, regardless of the species.”

  The shadow of a smile fluttered across Moore’s face. Oh yeah, he knew what I was talking about. Six years old and well ahead of his age, Moore had already fought his brother twice in the Blood Arena. He knew exactly what I was talking about.

  “Wouldn’t you agree, Moore?” I asked, further stirring the pot.

  “He’s not half bad,” the kid murmured.

  Simmon smacked him over the head. “What did Mother tell you?! You’re letting her get into your head!”

  Atlas huffed softly, slumping against the wall. He was almost relaxed, his attention now fully focused on the Visentis siblings and uncle. Timotheus seemed equally enticed by the dialogue. It was as if we were all watching a train wreck that was about to happen, in slow motion. If I kept at it, I could easily get the boys to fight each other. All I had to do was mention Kalon’s greatness enough times to make Simmon snap.