read the damned thing before you signed it, I’m guessing.”
“Wait, isn’t sixteen too young to sign a contract without your mom’s permission?” I asked, hoping I’d just discovered a brilliant legal loophole.
Tod’s blue-eyed gaze seemed to darken. “The Netherworld considers humans adult once they hit puberty.”
I frowned. “That’s messed up.”
He shrugged. “It’s the Netherworld. And she had no idea she was entitled to a copy of her contract, and hellions aren’t known for explaining your rights up front.” He deliberately shifted his focus to me. “Anyway, I asked around a little bit today…”
The sick look on his face told me I didn’t want to know who he’d spoken to, or what he’d had to do for the information.
“…and if Addy’s contract reads like all the rest of them do—and I’m sure it does—her out-clause requires an exchange.”
“What?” I blinked, hoping I’d heard him wrong, or was misunderstanding something. “An exchange like my mom made? A life for a life?” The horror crawling through me had no equal. I rubbed my arms, trying to keep goose bumps at bay, but they rose, anyway.
“A soul for a soul,” Tod corrected, staring at the floor for a second before meeting my gaze again. “But basically, yes. Addy can only get her soul back by trading it for another one.”
“Wait…” Nash rubbed his forehead, like that might help the new information sink in. “Souls can’t be stolen. They can only be taken when someone dies, or given up freely by their owner.”
I searched Addison’s face, struggling with my own mounting nausea. “So, all those people you mentioned? They all had to kill someone to get their souls back?”
“Or recruit someone,” Tod said, twisting the tab on his can, as if unbothered by the new development.
“And you call that a little complication?”
Tod shrugged and glanced at Nash as if he wanted a second opinion. “I know we’re short on time, and I’d suggest steering clear of murder just to keep things simple, but I’m sure Addy knows someone looking for a quick career boost—”
“No!” she and I shouted in unison, shooting twin looks of horror at the reaper. “I can’t take the out-clause, Tod,” Addison continued. “Even if I were willing to throw my family to the wolves, I can’t put someone else in my position.”
“Would you rather die without your soul?” He looked irritated with her for the first time that I’d seen. Was he really ready to damn someone else to the Netherworld to save Addison?
Yes. I could see that in his eyes, in how they lit up every time she spoke. In the way his gaze never left her for long. He’d literally do anything for her, and that knowledge scared me almost as badly as the thought of traveling to the Netherworld.
“No,” she answered finally, spinning her can slowly on the coffee table. “That’s why I need your help. I need to get my soul back without using the out-clause.”
“Damn it!” Nash slammed his empty can down on the coffee table, his irises flashing with a confusion of angry colors.
“She’s right,” I said softly. Then I pinned Tod with my gaze. “I won’t help you lead another lamb to the slaughter. If we do this, we do it without the exchange.”
Tod scowled, and again his willingness to take the easy route chilled me. But then he glanced at the raw desperation on Addison’s face and nodded.
“Nash?” I took his hand and folded my fingers around his. “I understand if you want to back out.”
He exhaled heavily. “Like I can let you do this alone. I’m in.”
My relief was a bitter mercy. I didn’t want to do this any more than he did. But I wanted to do it without him even less.
“So…how do we start?” Addison glanced from me to Nash, then to Tod. “What can I do?”
I took a deep breath, then gulped from my can. “First, weneed to know who this hellion is. It is a he, right?” I asked, as it occurred to me that I’d been
“Wait, isn’t sixteen too young to sign a contract without your mom’s permission?” I asked, hoping I’d just discovered a brilliant legal loophole.
Tod’s blue-eyed gaze seemed to darken. “The Netherworld considers humans adult once they hit puberty.”
I frowned. “That’s messed up.”
He shrugged. “It’s the Netherworld. And she had no idea she was entitled to a copy of her contract, and hellions aren’t known for explaining your rights up front.” He deliberately shifted his focus to me. “Anyway, I asked around a little bit today…”
The sick look on his face told me I didn’t want to know who he’d spoken to, or what he’d had to do for the information.
“…and if Addy’s contract reads like all the rest of them do—and I’m sure it does—her out-clause requires an exchange.”
“What?” I blinked, hoping I’d heard him wrong, or was misunderstanding something. “An exchange like my mom made? A life for a life?” The horror crawling through me had no equal. I rubbed my arms, trying to keep goose bumps at bay, but they rose, anyway.
“A soul for a soul,” Tod corrected, staring at the floor for a second before meeting my gaze again. “But basically, yes. Addy can only get her soul back by trading it for another one.”
“Wait…” Nash rubbed his forehead, like that might help the new information sink in. “Souls can’t be stolen. They can only be taken when someone dies, or given up freely by their owner.”
I searched Addison’s face, struggling with my own mounting nausea. “So, all those people you mentioned? They all had to kill someone to get their souls back?”
“Or recruit someone,” Tod said, twisting the tab on his can, as if unbothered by the new development.
“And you call that a little complication?”
Tod shrugged and glanced at Nash as if he wanted a second opinion. “I know we’re short on time, and I’d suggest steering clear of murder just to keep things simple, but I’m sure Addy knows someone looking for a quick career boost—”
“No!” she and I shouted in unison, shooting twin looks of horror at the reaper. “I can’t take the out-clause, Tod,” Addison continued. “Even if I were willing to throw my family to the wolves, I can’t put someone else in my position.”
“Would you rather die without your soul?” He looked irritated with her for the first time that I’d seen. Was he really ready to damn someone else to the Netherworld to save Addison?
Yes. I could see that in his eyes, in how they lit up every time she spoke. In the way his gaze never left her for long. He’d literally do anything for her, and that knowledge scared me almost as badly as the thought of traveling to the Netherworld.
“No,” she answered finally, spinning her can slowly on the coffee table. “That’s why I need your help. I need to get my soul back without using the out-clause.”
“Damn it!” Nash slammed his empty can down on the coffee table, his irises flashing with a confusion of angry colors.
“She’s right,” I said softly. Then I pinned Tod with my gaze. “I won’t help you lead another lamb to the slaughter. If we do this, we do it without the exchange.”
Tod scowled, and again his willingness to take the easy route chilled me. But then he glanced at the raw desperation on Addison’s face and nodded.
“Nash?” I took his hand and folded my fingers around his. “I understand if you want to back out.”
He exhaled heavily. “Like I can let you do this alone. I’m in.”
My relief was a bitter mercy. I didn’t want to do this any more than he did. But I wanted to do it without him even less.
“So…how do we start?” Addison glanced from me to Nash, then to Tod. “What can I do?”
I took a deep breath, then gulped from my can. “First, weneed to know who this hellion is. It is a he, right?” I asked, as it occurred to me that I’d been
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