asked.
“You don’t. You lock them up until their body burns off the excess energy.”
“But it won’t work with her,” I said. “Since she’s alive, the vampire half is constantly being fed.” Maggie was fucked.
“That’s why she has so much energy.” Holden leaned against the wall.
“So what do we do?” Maggie asked, bouncing her legs.
Olivia gave her a sympathetic smile and rested her hand over hers. Maggie’s foot stopped thumping against the floor. “So you have too much life. What is the antithesis to life?”
“Death,” I said. “Are you saying we should kill her?”
Maggie blanched, but Olivia laughed. “No, she just needs to feed on a death.”
“Nope. That’s won’t work. He”—she hooked a thumb at Holden—“made me eat a dead guy’s liver. It was disgusting.”
“He had the right idea, just the execution needs work,” Olivia said. “You need something more direct, more pure. Let me think about it.”
Maggie nodded. “I already feel better.”
“Me too,” Olivia echoed.
I did a double-take; they both actually looked better.
I caught Holden’s attention and nodded toward them. His eyebrows pulled together and he shrugged. Seriously, men were so thick. I went to him. “They look better since Olivia touched her. Do you think—I don’t know—that maybe Maggie is feeding off of her?”
Holden looked at them again.
“He’s ready.” Olivia stood up abruptly, swaying slightly.
“Who’s ready?” I asked.
Holden nodded, obviously understanding. “Maggie, can you watch the kid?” He glanced at me. “Find Sybil. I need to talk to her.”
I smiled. I hadn’t liked her from the start. I’d happily hunt her down. “Who’s ready?” I asked again.
“Death,” Olivia said.
I looked between her and Holden for a moment. The voice was back. It tried to help her once before, but that didn’t turn out so great. “Sybil can wait. I’m coming with you guys.”
Holden shook his head—like that would stop me—but Olivia agreed.
“I’ll just wait here,” Corbin said.
Holden scowled at him, but didn’t waste time arguing.
“Be careful,” Maggie said as the three of us left.
****
“Stop me if you heard this one, Death walks into a bar—”
Olivia tapped her fingers on the table in front of me and twisted her hair with the other hand. “No matter what happens to me, the two of you need to walk out of here. Even if he takes me—
” She shook her head. “There isn’t much left to take. Regardless. Finish this. No matter what happens, finish it .”
Holden sat back stony as ever, not saying anything.
“He’ll have to come through me to get to you,” I said.
“That’s not why you’re here,” she said staring at the door, waiting for her death date.
“Yes, it is,” I told her. “That’s exactly why I came.”
She shook her head again. “You’re here to make sure he gets out.”
Holden raised an eyebrow and she looked directly at him, until he softened just a little. “I’m not punishing myself,” she said quietly.
“He’s not taking you,” Holden said.
A fedora plopped down softly in the middle of our table. I looked up at the guy who had come out of nowhere. I hadn’t sensed, seen, heard, or even smelled him coming. In fact, if I didn’t see him standing right in front of me, I wouldn’t believe anyone was there at all. His chin lifted, and light reflected off his balding head. “How would you stop me?” he said in a deep, soft voice that rolled out like water over a rocky riverbed. “Go on. Amuse me.”
His entire presence was unassuming, yet intense and demanding. He seemed to see and categorize every detail of the room, endless curiosity shimmering in his gray eyes. He pulled a chair up to the end of the table, and didn’t remove his thick leather gloves and overcoat.
“You’re the Angel of Death?” I said, breaking the silence.
He looked more like a tired and grumpy lawyer—maybe an auditor. He wore a
“You don’t. You lock them up until their body burns off the excess energy.”
“But it won’t work with her,” I said. “Since she’s alive, the vampire half is constantly being fed.” Maggie was fucked.
“That’s why she has so much energy.” Holden leaned against the wall.
“So what do we do?” Maggie asked, bouncing her legs.
Olivia gave her a sympathetic smile and rested her hand over hers. Maggie’s foot stopped thumping against the floor. “So you have too much life. What is the antithesis to life?”
“Death,” I said. “Are you saying we should kill her?”
Maggie blanched, but Olivia laughed. “No, she just needs to feed on a death.”
“Nope. That’s won’t work. He”—she hooked a thumb at Holden—“made me eat a dead guy’s liver. It was disgusting.”
“He had the right idea, just the execution needs work,” Olivia said. “You need something more direct, more pure. Let me think about it.”
Maggie nodded. “I already feel better.”
“Me too,” Olivia echoed.
I did a double-take; they both actually looked better.
I caught Holden’s attention and nodded toward them. His eyebrows pulled together and he shrugged. Seriously, men were so thick. I went to him. “They look better since Olivia touched her. Do you think—I don’t know—that maybe Maggie is feeding off of her?”
Holden looked at them again.
“He’s ready.” Olivia stood up abruptly, swaying slightly.
“Who’s ready?” I asked.
Holden nodded, obviously understanding. “Maggie, can you watch the kid?” He glanced at me. “Find Sybil. I need to talk to her.”
I smiled. I hadn’t liked her from the start. I’d happily hunt her down. “Who’s ready?” I asked again.
“Death,” Olivia said.
I looked between her and Holden for a moment. The voice was back. It tried to help her once before, but that didn’t turn out so great. “Sybil can wait. I’m coming with you guys.”
Holden shook his head—like that would stop me—but Olivia agreed.
“I’ll just wait here,” Corbin said.
Holden scowled at him, but didn’t waste time arguing.
“Be careful,” Maggie said as the three of us left.
****
“Stop me if you heard this one, Death walks into a bar—”
Olivia tapped her fingers on the table in front of me and twisted her hair with the other hand. “No matter what happens to me, the two of you need to walk out of here. Even if he takes me—
” She shook her head. “There isn’t much left to take. Regardless. Finish this. No matter what happens, finish it .”
Holden sat back stony as ever, not saying anything.
“He’ll have to come through me to get to you,” I said.
“That’s not why you’re here,” she said staring at the door, waiting for her death date.
“Yes, it is,” I told her. “That’s exactly why I came.”
She shook her head again. “You’re here to make sure he gets out.”
Holden raised an eyebrow and she looked directly at him, until he softened just a little. “I’m not punishing myself,” she said quietly.
“He’s not taking you,” Holden said.
A fedora plopped down softly in the middle of our table. I looked up at the guy who had come out of nowhere. I hadn’t sensed, seen, heard, or even smelled him coming. In fact, if I didn’t see him standing right in front of me, I wouldn’t believe anyone was there at all. His chin lifted, and light reflected off his balding head. “How would you stop me?” he said in a deep, soft voice that rolled out like water over a rocky riverbed. “Go on. Amuse me.”
His entire presence was unassuming, yet intense and demanding. He seemed to see and categorize every detail of the room, endless curiosity shimmering in his gray eyes. He pulled a chair up to the end of the table, and didn’t remove his thick leather gloves and overcoat.
“You’re the Angel of Death?” I said, breaking the silence.
He looked more like a tired and grumpy lawyer—maybe an auditor. He wore a
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