until it landed on the red thread. “What about the thread? I feel like I need to protect it or something.”
“Right now only someone from the Crossroads can see it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t vulnerable. So, yes, you do need to be careful.”
Then Arianne asked the question she’d been afraid to ask. “What happens when it breaks? Do I…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Ben had sacrificed himself so she could live. She didn’t want his sacrifice to become useless by dying.
Tomas shook his head, suddenly even more serious than when they first returned to the room. “Worse.”
“Define worse.”
“Arianne, if the line is cut, you will eventually become a Wraith.”
“Wraith?” The term made her skin cold all of a sudden.
“It’s a creature who lives on the souls of others because it doesn’t have one of its own anymore.”
“So I die.” She spat it out as fast as she could.
“Your body in the human world will slowly die, yes. But you will forever be trapped in the Nethers.”
Another term she didn’t know. “The Nethers.”
“A place you don’t ever want to go,” Balthazar answered from the door. “What’s taking so long? You don’t need makeup where we’re going.”
Arianne took a deep breath. “I’ll be right there. Just need to change.”
Balthazar gave her one of those pointed looks she’d been getting since they met in Death’s office. She started to think Balthazar looked at everyone like that.
He blinked. “Five minutes and then I’m leaving without you.”
“You can’t leave without me. What’s the point?”
He seemed to think about it. “Then I’ll come in here and drag you out with me in whatever state of dress you’re in at that moment.” Then he grinned before exiting the room.
Tomas twisted Arianne around so she looked up at him. “If your line is cut, even if you haven’t found the Redeemer, you have to come back here as soon as you can,” he said urgently. “We can fix it. Promise me.”
“You can fix it?” Arianne repeated dumbly.
He shook her a little. “Promise me.”
“Okay, all right. I promise.”
That seemed to calm Tomas down a little. He let her go and proceeded to walk out of the room. “You better get changed,” he said over his shoulder. “Balthazar was serious when he said he’d drag you out no matter what you have on. Or don’t have on.”
“How long do we have to find the Redeemer and get back?”
Tomas stopped at the door and bowed his head. “Balthazar will know. But hurry.”
Chapter 7
STBY
B ALTHAZAR R AKED A D ISCRIMINATING G AZE over the girl standing before him. Tight leather pants and a jacket over a sweater and a thin shirt replaced the shapeless robe. Who would have thought a girl as tiny as her—well, compared to his bulk and height—had curves that could tempt a man? He shook his head mentally and reminded himself she was human. A teenaged human at that. He’d gag, but he didn’t want to waste precious minutes trying to explain why. The only thing in her whole get-up he approved of were the boots. At least the chit had sense enough to wear flats. Then his eyes landed on the knife strapped to her thigh. He crossed his arms and snorted.
“What are you?” he asked. “A Lara Croft wannabe?”
“Don’t hate,” she answered coolly then flicked her braided hair over her shoulder. “I’m surprised you know who that is. You seem like the shut-in type. You know…the Unabomber type.”
“Just because I’ve spent the better part of a millennium in the Nethers doesn’t mean I can’t keep up with everything that happens outside the Underverse.”
“Underverse?”
He spread his arms wide. “Everything and anything here. The Crossroads and everywhere else that isn’t in the human world is part of the Underverse. I’d say you should know that, but you’re human, so…”
“Don’t look at me like I’m learning impaired, you jerk!”
“Ouch! That the best you can do?”
“No,
“Right now only someone from the Crossroads can see it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t vulnerable. So, yes, you do need to be careful.”
Then Arianne asked the question she’d been afraid to ask. “What happens when it breaks? Do I…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Ben had sacrificed himself so she could live. She didn’t want his sacrifice to become useless by dying.
Tomas shook his head, suddenly even more serious than when they first returned to the room. “Worse.”
“Define worse.”
“Arianne, if the line is cut, you will eventually become a Wraith.”
“Wraith?” The term made her skin cold all of a sudden.
“It’s a creature who lives on the souls of others because it doesn’t have one of its own anymore.”
“So I die.” She spat it out as fast as she could.
“Your body in the human world will slowly die, yes. But you will forever be trapped in the Nethers.”
Another term she didn’t know. “The Nethers.”
“A place you don’t ever want to go,” Balthazar answered from the door. “What’s taking so long? You don’t need makeup where we’re going.”
Arianne took a deep breath. “I’ll be right there. Just need to change.”
Balthazar gave her one of those pointed looks she’d been getting since they met in Death’s office. She started to think Balthazar looked at everyone like that.
He blinked. “Five minutes and then I’m leaving without you.”
“You can’t leave without me. What’s the point?”
He seemed to think about it. “Then I’ll come in here and drag you out with me in whatever state of dress you’re in at that moment.” Then he grinned before exiting the room.
Tomas twisted Arianne around so she looked up at him. “If your line is cut, even if you haven’t found the Redeemer, you have to come back here as soon as you can,” he said urgently. “We can fix it. Promise me.”
“You can fix it?” Arianne repeated dumbly.
He shook her a little. “Promise me.”
“Okay, all right. I promise.”
That seemed to calm Tomas down a little. He let her go and proceeded to walk out of the room. “You better get changed,” he said over his shoulder. “Balthazar was serious when he said he’d drag you out no matter what you have on. Or don’t have on.”
“How long do we have to find the Redeemer and get back?”
Tomas stopped at the door and bowed his head. “Balthazar will know. But hurry.”
Chapter 7
STBY
B ALTHAZAR R AKED A D ISCRIMINATING G AZE over the girl standing before him. Tight leather pants and a jacket over a sweater and a thin shirt replaced the shapeless robe. Who would have thought a girl as tiny as her—well, compared to his bulk and height—had curves that could tempt a man? He shook his head mentally and reminded himself she was human. A teenaged human at that. He’d gag, but he didn’t want to waste precious minutes trying to explain why. The only thing in her whole get-up he approved of were the boots. At least the chit had sense enough to wear flats. Then his eyes landed on the knife strapped to her thigh. He crossed his arms and snorted.
“What are you?” he asked. “A Lara Croft wannabe?”
“Don’t hate,” she answered coolly then flicked her braided hair over her shoulder. “I’m surprised you know who that is. You seem like the shut-in type. You know…the Unabomber type.”
“Just because I’ve spent the better part of a millennium in the Nethers doesn’t mean I can’t keep up with everything that happens outside the Underverse.”
“Underverse?”
He spread his arms wide. “Everything and anything here. The Crossroads and everywhere else that isn’t in the human world is part of the Underverse. I’d say you should know that, but you’re human, so…”
“Don’t look at me like I’m learning impaired, you jerk!”
“Ouch! That the best you can do?”
“No,
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