Reapers veiled as planned. For the next thirty minutes, she paced, stared out the window, and paced some more. She and Talin didn’t speak as each thought over what was to come.
Then her patience ran out. “Searlas! I want to see my parents!”
“Perhaps he didn’t hear you,” Talin said.
She looked at him and frowned. “I can’t wait any longer.”
“You’ll wait as long as we want you to,” Searlas said from behind her.
Neve spun around to see the Dark smirking at her. How she’d love to wipe that sneer off his face. “You told me to find someone to help me negotiate. I’ve done that.”
“Why him?” Searlas asked without looking at Talin.
She raised a brow. “Because he’s the only one willing to come here with me. The other Light are too frightened of the Reapers.”
Searlas laughed loudly. “What if I told you Talin is a Reaper?”
“I’d call you a liar,” she replied easily.
“You think you know him so well, aye?”
She stared into the red eyes of the Dark and said without hesitation, “Yes.”
“He’ll do,” Searlas said angrily.
“Good. Let’s start negotiating. What do you want?”
But Searlas no longer looked at her. His attention was over her right shoulder where Talin stood. “Where are they?”
Talin shrugged as he came to stand beside Neve. “Who?”
“Don’t play dumb, Reaper. Where are the others?” Searlas demanded.
Neve kept her gaze on Searlas, whose bitterness showed in every facet of his face from his pinched lips to his narrowed eyes and frown.
“It’s just me,” Talin said. “I knew you’d want them, so I made sure they wouldn’t know what happened here.”
Searlas barked with laughter. “You think to protect them?”
“It’s what I do.”
Neve’s heart swelled with pride at the man beside her. All he wanted to do was protect those he cared about, and in the end, it had cost him his life. Yet he was protecting once more—her.
“Once Bran has you, Cael will come,” Searlas stated confidently.
Talin lifted one shoulder. “Not if he thinks it’s a trap.”
“We both know that’s a lie. Cael would never leave one of his men behind.”
Neve shifted her feet. “I don’t know who this Cael is or why he matters. I just want my family. I’ve done as you asked and brought Talin. Let me see my parents and brother.”
Searlas’s red gaze moved to her as he grinned. “The rest of the negotiations will conclude with Bran.” He held out his hand. “Come, Light. It’s time to see your family.”
“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Talin declared.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Neve suppressed a shudder as she and Talin walked to Searlas and took his hands.
Chapter Fourteen
Death stood before a window in her tower, looking out over the many shades of flowers surrounding the area but she didn’t see them. Her thoughts were on Talin’s mission.
There was a sound behind her. She waited for Seamus to speak. Though he was still her prisoner, she allowed him to wander a few places throughout the tower.
“You look troubled,” Seamus said as he walked to stand beside her.
“Cael is going after Bran with his men.”
“There’s something else.”
She sighed and turned her head to look at him. “I like my privacy. Perhaps it was a mistake to allow you to roam.”
Seamus threw up his hands and took a step back. “I thought you might want to talk. My mistake.”
When he turned and began to leave, Erith discovered she didn’t want to be alone. How odd, since she’d always been alone. And liked it that way. “I should be with them.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” Seamus said as he faced her. “I still agree with Cael, you should remain here.”
“I don’t hide.”
“No one said you were.”
Erith held out her arms. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I don’t fear Bran.”
Seamus lifted a brow, silently questioning her outburst.
Fine. Maybe she did fear him. A little. But she was Death! She’d never
Then her patience ran out. “Searlas! I want to see my parents!”
“Perhaps he didn’t hear you,” Talin said.
She looked at him and frowned. “I can’t wait any longer.”
“You’ll wait as long as we want you to,” Searlas said from behind her.
Neve spun around to see the Dark smirking at her. How she’d love to wipe that sneer off his face. “You told me to find someone to help me negotiate. I’ve done that.”
“Why him?” Searlas asked without looking at Talin.
She raised a brow. “Because he’s the only one willing to come here with me. The other Light are too frightened of the Reapers.”
Searlas laughed loudly. “What if I told you Talin is a Reaper?”
“I’d call you a liar,” she replied easily.
“You think you know him so well, aye?”
She stared into the red eyes of the Dark and said without hesitation, “Yes.”
“He’ll do,” Searlas said angrily.
“Good. Let’s start negotiating. What do you want?”
But Searlas no longer looked at her. His attention was over her right shoulder where Talin stood. “Where are they?”
Talin shrugged as he came to stand beside Neve. “Who?”
“Don’t play dumb, Reaper. Where are the others?” Searlas demanded.
Neve kept her gaze on Searlas, whose bitterness showed in every facet of his face from his pinched lips to his narrowed eyes and frown.
“It’s just me,” Talin said. “I knew you’d want them, so I made sure they wouldn’t know what happened here.”
Searlas barked with laughter. “You think to protect them?”
“It’s what I do.”
Neve’s heart swelled with pride at the man beside her. All he wanted to do was protect those he cared about, and in the end, it had cost him his life. Yet he was protecting once more—her.
“Once Bran has you, Cael will come,” Searlas stated confidently.
Talin lifted one shoulder. “Not if he thinks it’s a trap.”
“We both know that’s a lie. Cael would never leave one of his men behind.”
Neve shifted her feet. “I don’t know who this Cael is or why he matters. I just want my family. I’ve done as you asked and brought Talin. Let me see my parents and brother.”
Searlas’s red gaze moved to her as he grinned. “The rest of the negotiations will conclude with Bran.” He held out his hand. “Come, Light. It’s time to see your family.”
“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Talin declared.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Neve suppressed a shudder as she and Talin walked to Searlas and took his hands.
Chapter Fourteen
Death stood before a window in her tower, looking out over the many shades of flowers surrounding the area but she didn’t see them. Her thoughts were on Talin’s mission.
There was a sound behind her. She waited for Seamus to speak. Though he was still her prisoner, she allowed him to wander a few places throughout the tower.
“You look troubled,” Seamus said as he walked to stand beside her.
“Cael is going after Bran with his men.”
“There’s something else.”
She sighed and turned her head to look at him. “I like my privacy. Perhaps it was a mistake to allow you to roam.”
Seamus threw up his hands and took a step back. “I thought you might want to talk. My mistake.”
When he turned and began to leave, Erith discovered she didn’t want to be alone. How odd, since she’d always been alone. And liked it that way. “I should be with them.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” Seamus said as he faced her. “I still agree with Cael, you should remain here.”
“I don’t hide.”
“No one said you were.”
Erith held out her arms. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I don’t fear Bran.”
Seamus lifted a brow, silently questioning her outburst.
Fine. Maybe she did fear him. A little. But she was Death! She’d never
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