Sins of the Soul

SILENCE HUNG BETWEEN them as Naphré spun to stare at him, eyes wide. “She was never here.”


“But she was, pet, in all but substance. She is as real as this wall.” Alastor reached out and knocked on it. “And the threat she presents is real, as well. Do not make the mistake of thinking otherwise.” “How did you know she was here…but not here?”

“The smell. Her power is such that she could maintain a visual and auditory representation. She couldn’t divert enough power to maintain the smell. And she never managed to conjure substance.”

He shoved his hand in his pants pocket and fisted it there because what he really wanted to do was grab her, hold her, touch her, and he didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that Naphré wouldn’t welcome that right now. She was wound tight as a top ready to spin.

“She has something you want.”

“She does. Butcher’s darksoul.”

“Butcher’s really making the rounds.” She huffed out a breath through her nose and shook her head. “I thought you had his darksoul.”

“I did.” He offered a humorless smile. “And then I lost it. It seems that whatever you bloody well said and did before I arrived in that graveyard guaranteed Izanami his soul. My harvesting it stepped on some toes. She sent the Shikome to Sutekh’s realm to claim it.”

“And you want it back. Is Sutekh that hard up for souls? Just go…harvest another.”

“I need Butcher’s darksoul, pet.”

She nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been giving me that impression.”

“I believe he witnessed something the night my brother was killed. Given what Marie said, it appears that he did. Whatever he saw, it could be the key. It could help me bring Lokan back.” He struggled to keep his voice even, to hide the depth of his emotion at the thought of reanimating his brother, but he failed. The endless well of darkness, the pain and rage, and even the hint of hope colored every syllable.

She heard it. He could see that in the way she was looking at him, her eyes shimmering with understanding. Then her brows drew down and she visibly steeled herself, the emotional withdrawal evident in the subtle changes to her body. She shifted her shoulders back, tipped her head away, drew her lips taut. She was clearly fighting against feeling either sympathy or empathy, and he couldn’t blame her.

“So, this whole time, the way you said you were keeping tabs on me to protect me…you’re a fucking liar. All along, it was about using me to get what you want.” The words were accusatory, but her tone was flat. She wouldn’t offer him even her rage. “Even what happened…what I let you do to me on my bedroom floor…the whole time, you were manipulating me.”

Expressionless now, utterly controlled, Naphré stared at him. Where was the woman he’d kissed? The woman who had melted beneath his touch? Gone. In her place was a warrior, hard and cold and focused. And damned if he didn’t like her ice as much as he liked the burning heat of her sun.

“Do you want me to make excuses? Make a pretty plea for forgiveness? Not sodding likely, pet. My brother is dead.” He’d lost one family, his human family, centuries ago. He wouldn’t lose another. “If there’s something, anything, I can do to bring him back, I’ll do it.”

“Including sacrificing me.”

Yes. No. Bloody sodding hell. “It started out that way.”

The admission startled them both. Her gaze flashed to his.

“Started out that way. But isn’t that way anymore?”

“No.” He wanted to take her hand. He wanted to draw her to him and kiss her, stroke his palm down her back, peel her black tank top over her head and feel her skin. Show her what he could not tell her. Because he didn’t know what to say. How to explain something to her that he couldn’t even explain to himself. I think you matter to me. I think that on some level, I’ve been waiting for you for centuries.

It sounded like rubbish in his mind. He imagined it would sound even more ridiculous if he set the words free.

“Does she want to kill me? Take my soul?” She fell silent for a few seconds. “Or…she wants you to kill me? Is that it?”

“I can tell you only what I know. You have a free pass to enter Izanami’s realm. I can’t promise that you have a free pass to leave it.”

“Suddenly honesty’s the best policy?”

“Which is why I’m leaving you here,” he continued as though she hadn’t interrupted.

He could make no other decision. He couldn’t risk her life. Couldn’t risk never seeing her again. Because that was the way this would pan out. Sutekh had offered her soul in exchange for Butcher’s. Which meant that if she died in Izanami’s realm, if her soul was trapped there, he’d never see her again. The thought of that sat like acid in his gut.

Her lids dipped, then lifted, and she looked at him as though plumbing his soul. She exhaled in a rush.

“I need to go,” he said.