Raven's Breath (The Women of Purgatory) (7 page)

I took off for
Digger's
but got distracted mid-flight. There was a group of Reapers gathered around something lying on the street below me. I blinked twice and practically fell out of the sky.

It was Garrett.

13

I landed so hard the Reapers jumped, the crumbling stone under my feet a replica of what I was feeling inside. I knelt down next to Garrett and ran my hand over his forehead
, trying to rouse him. "Garrett, can you hear me?"

Thankfully my torture didn't last long. His eyelids fluttered and he started to wake.

"Raven?" he whispered.

"Yeah, Gar. I'm here. You okay?"

He sat up slowly, took a shallow breath, and propped himself up on his elbows. "Um...I think so. But how did I get here?"

I looked at the small crowd of Reapers with a questioning gaze. Each of them offered nothing more than a slight shake of their head.

"I was hoping you could tell me that. What's the last thing you remember?"

He
looked around with a furrowed brow. "Um...I remember finishing up early, then opening the night drop." Suddenly his eyes snapped to mine, awareness layering his features. "I was on my way to..."

His lids fell and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Garrett!! Stay with me."

I scooped him into arms and shot into the sky. I landed back in my apartment in under thirty seconds.

I lay the back of my hand across his forehead after easing him onto my bed. This time he was burning up.

I ran into the bathroom and soaked a wash cloth with cool water. Racing back to his side, I placed it on his head, sat next to him and reached for his hand.
How can this be happening?
We were already dead. We couldn't get sick, and technically, we couldn't even really hurt each other. Hence the reason Death punished us for any infighting. What was the point of beating on each other, when only he could truly hurt us.

Oh my G
od!
That was it. Death did this to Garrett.

I pushed off the bed, intent on confronting the son-of-a-bitch, only to be halted by a knock on my door. Seething, I stomped across the living room and ripped it open, practically tearing it from the wooden frame. "What?"

Holli flinched, then lowered her head. "I'm sorry. Did I disappoint you?"

"What?"

"On my mission, I assume you were watching, did I do something to disappoint you?"

What the hell was she talking about...watching?

"I have no way of watching you from here, Holli. I assume you did just fine since you're back in record time and in one piece," I snapped.

I knew I'd touched on something when a perplexed look marred her usually pristine features. "I don't understand. Death always watches me when I'm topside, and since you're my trainer, I thought you would be doing the same."

Hmmm.
This seemed intriguing.

I forced myself to calm down and invited her in, hoping she'd reveal something about Death that could help me. "I'm sorry. Why don't you come in and we can talk about it."

She smiled. "I'd like that very much."

If I was to use this little chat as an interrogation, I needed to appear present and interested. I offered Holli the food and drink that was meant for Garrett, but after watching her take a few delicate bites, my patience had already worn thin. "So exactly how does Death watch you? And is that how you were already trained before arriving here?" I asked.

"Yes and no. Now he watches all my missions through his gazing pool, but as for my training, he actually came topside to conduct my lessons. He visited me every day for months, before and after my death, to teach me how to fight and fly."

H
er words nagged at me, as if this little tidbit was a
major
piece to the puzzle, and probably why Garrett was laying knocked out in my bed.
Thank you, Holli.
I couldn't wait to bring this up to him and see what he had to say on the subject. It felt important.

My excitement made it difficult to continue the conversation on an even keel, but I had to focus. "He taught you how to fly
and
fight? Why would you need to know how to fight, it's not like the souls can hurt us?"

"I'm not sure. Death only said that there may come a time when I would need to be able to protect him and myself. He demanded that I be
well-rounded in my skills."

What
the hell?
This situation was becoming more and more convoluted by the minute. I continued to talk to Holli about her solo mission––which, as suspected, went off without a hitch, then told her "good job" and walked her to the door.

"Thank you
for having faith in me, Raven, and for taking the time to speak with me. Other than Death, you are the only other person I see."

I frowned as I contemplated her words. How, and more importantly, why was he still keeping her under lock and key? I was starting to think it had more to do with her mysterious purpose here than any petty jealousies.
It was obvious Death had big plans for the girl, plans that even she seemed unaware of. "Holli, have you been on any regular retrievals yet?"

"No. Death says my only job here i
s to help you collect the phenoms and protect him."

I couldn't stop the slight shake to my head;
I just wasn't getting this.
I desperately wanted to badger Holli and demand more information, but thought better of it and bid her goodbye. I quickly headed towards my bedroom, eager to check on Garrett.

My heart sank.

The bed was empty and he was gone.

14

Fuck!
Had Holli tricked me? Had she been the distraction Death needed to spirit Garrett away before we could talk?

I dove out my window and flew straight to the main castle. I wanted answers and I wouldn't stop until I got them. I couldn't comprehend why Death would hurt Garrett or steal him away from my care. Unless, of course, he'd actually found out what Death was really up to.

I didn't bother entering through the main door, instead I landed with a resounding thud on the balcony outside Death's chamber.

The room was empty and my boots clicked loudly on the black marble tile. His throne was polished, the skulls gleaming in the candlelight that bathed the room. The ornate wall sconces and gothic furniture portrayed the macabre feel you'd expect in the chamber of Death.

I made my way across the space, vigilant and alert.

I walked past the dais on which his throne sat and entered the back part of his chamber.

Suddenly I found myself on the edge of an oubliette, my toes teetering on the edge.

I looked into the seemingly bottomless pit, fear searing my insides, and prayed Garrett hadn't become a recent resident of the ancient prison. Once my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, however, I realized it wasn't an opening in the floor but instead a pitch black expanse of water that I instantly recognized as Death's gazing pool.

I bent down and placed a fingertip to the calm surface to verify my find.
Yep, this is it
. This was how Death was able to see topside.

I flattened my palm over the surface, running it back and forth. I was mesmerized by the ripple I'd created, so much so that I didn't hear Death creeping up behind me.

"Raven?"

S
hit!
I bolted upright, practically jumping out of my skin.

I realized, too late, that the room hadn't been empty after all. If Death had truly been gone, my initial entrance would've been blocked, and therefore, access to his chamber denied.
Geez. Think, Raven. Think!

We stood, encased in silence, neither one of us willing to break it.
However, the smug look on his face and the thought of Garrett in pain, quickly reignited my anger and loosened my tongue.

"What did you do to Garrett? Where is he?"

Death stared at me for a fraction of a second before answering. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Raven. I haven't seen Garrett since yesterday afternoon."

Bullshit!
I knew he was here somewhere, but I also knew Death wasn't going to just let me wander through his castle looking for my best friend.

"I know you did something to him. Why would you hurt him? Is it because he figured out the secret you're keeping?"

The instant the question left my lips I knew it was a mistake and began to tremble.

Death visibly grew in stature. His shoulders widened
and his skeletal chest inflated. The air around him grew thick, almost to the point of choking me.

I began to inch backwards, edging around the side of the
pool in an attempt to escape the menace now rolling off him.

"And what would you know of my secrets?" his voice boomed.

I clenched my jaw, struggling to contain my unease. Once I made it to the opposite side of the pool, I risked a glance around the chamber. His scythe was resting in its holder across the back of his throne, ready to be unsheathed at a moment's notice.

"If you're so anxious to know more about me, I could show you how good I am in bed." He smirked. "That's a mystery we can solve right now."

Eww!
Was he seriously trying to get out of this by seducing me? I debated playing along just to get information, but I couldn't force myself to do it. The idea of his greasy black hair close to my face, or his bony hands or tight thin lips pressed against my skin made me want to throw up. I shivered at the thought.

"I'll pass, thanks."

His scythe flew from its holder and into his hand. "Then I suggest you rethink confronting me in my private space, or attacking me with false accusations, or soon...I won't be giving you a choice." He slammed the end of his scythe down on the floor, filling the space with a resounding 'boom', and nodded to the door.

I didn't hesitate. I walked past his throne and
rushed to the door, desperate to make my escape while I had the chance. I'd have to find another way to look for Garrett that didn't involve me confronting Death himself, and I knew the perfect person to help me do it.