Between the Moon and Her Night (Between Life and Death #3)

Chapter 9

Aurelia

M y tongue felt like I had spent the night licking the bottom of a barrel, but it was the pounding ache in my head that promised I had. Whatever Ezra gave me to drink last night knocked me flat on my royal ass.

I rubbed my eyelids, forcing them open.

A painting of rolling hills peppered with fluffy sheep greeted me, nailed to the wall at the end of the small mattress I was laying on. The lumpy-bumpy bed, probably infested with things I didn’t even want to know existed, was a sure sign that I was back at the Sitting Duck Inn.

I dusted off the cobwebs of my memory, trying to figure out how I’d gotten back here. One sprung free. It was of two wobbling women as they zigzagged drunkenly through the hallway, laughing themselves to tears. Me and Ezra. Once my fumbling fingers had found the right key to get into the room, we burst inside, hushing each other to keep quiet, but doing a poor job of it. The last thing that I remembered was falling on the bed, and then . . . well, that was that.

Grumbling, I propped myself up on my elbow. I smacked my lips, evaluating their insufferable dryness.

Creator above, I needed something to drink.

Glancing over to the dresser, I spotted an unknown bottle of whatever I had brought home with me from last night’s adventures. Shoving the blankets back, I staggered out of bed and snatched the bottle from the dresser. I brought it to my nose and sniffed.

Coughing, I shot my arm forward, jerking it as far away from my face as I could.

Nope. I was not about to tango with whatever that was again. The bottle made a thunk when I sat it back down.

I walked over to the chair which housed my cloak, threw it on, and decided to head downstairs to see if I could find something else to drink—a gallon of water would be preferable. I locked the door behind me, tucked the skeleton key in my pocket beside the tin Ezra had given me, and then headed for the stairwell.

When I reached the main floor, I bristled at what I saw—or rather, who I saw.

Quickly, I stepped back and peeked around the corner.

Two tall males stood in the foyer, at the front counter, talking to the innkeeper. Their voices were heavily accented—one quite charming, the other brash and impatient. I recognized both of them. They had the same proud posture as Aurelius. The same white hair color and handsome good looks. His two brothers—Malachai and Nicholas.

I knew why they were here .

Fuck, I mouthed, not daring to even whisper the word, knowing full well their immortal hearing would pick up on it.

Slowly, I backed up, my mind threshing out a plan. If I light walked out of here, the tinge of magic left in my wake would alert them immediately. Not only that, but Nicholas was able to track light walking trails, which would lead him straight to me wherever I went from here. That meant I couldn’t use my powers to get me out of this situation—I’d have to use my two feet.

I glanced at the doors ahead.

I could do this.

I. Could. Do. This.

I inhaled a quiet breath, trying to calm my rampantly beating heart. When I felt my lungs were set at an even pace, I flipped up my hood and then I moved. On quick, silent feet, I briskly walked towards the door, not daring to look back.

When I was just about to reach the exit, the innkeeper broke off her conversation with them and called after me rather sternly, “Ah, miss, I’m going to need you to pay for your room if you want to keep it any longer. It’s been two days, and I haven’t seen a single coin from you yet.”

Thanks a lot, lady, I snarled internally.

My hair raised on the back of my neck as I felt two sets of immortal eyes bore into me.

Wasting no time, I grabbed the handle of the door, flung it open, and then I ran like Death’s hounds were nipping at my heels. The leather soles of my shoes pounded on the brick-paved road as I raced past an oncoming carriage. The horses nickered in annoyance at me, their coachmen chiming in with a few curse words. Reaching the other side of the road, I glanced behind me as I ran, my heart leaping into my throat when I saw that Aurelius’s brothers were gaining on me.

“Princess!” Malachai shouted in his regal tone. “We do not wish to harm you.”

Malachai might not, but that didn’t mean Nicholas was of the same mind—or Aurelius, for that matter. I had not only left him, but I’d also freed the prisoners he had planned to kill and used his precious gold to do it. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I had allied myself with his enemy, the God of Death. There was no telling what Aurelius would do to me if his brothers took me back.

Something I’d rather not find out.

“Aurelia!” Nicholas yelled angrily. His voice was so much like Aurelius’s, it had me picking up my speed. I darted around an elderly woman, trying my best not to knock her over.

“Princess, please,” Malachai tried again. He had always been the kindest of the trio. Had it just been him, I might have stopped, but the fact that Nicholas was with him? There was no fucking way I was going to do as he asked.

“This is your last warning,” Nicholas snarled from behind. His voice was like a whip against my skin, opening old wounds, causing buried emotions to brim. I shoved them down.

Keep your head, dammit.

I wove around a corner, into a slender back alley.

My heart sank as I realized I had picked a dead end, leading right into another building, which meant I was going to have to light walk through it.

“Nicholas, don’t,” Malachai shouted at the exact same moment I heard the twang of a bowstring let loose, followed by a thwishhhhh coming straight for me. I fumbled for my groggy powers—

Thunk.

“That wasn’t very nice,” purred a deep voice, steeped in ancient, brutal power. That voice, unlike any other, conjured a shiver to skitter across my bones. Heart pounding and lungs heaving, I came to an abrupt stop.

Slowly, I turned around, knowing full well who I would find . . .

Darkness personified stood behind me, his broad-shouldered back facing me. The edge of his cloak broke off into tendrils of shadow. A skull, dipped in silver, sat on his one shoulder—forever keeping watch.

The God of Death.

He stood there, radiating his casual arrogance as he inspected the long, slender arrow. My jaw sprung open—he’d caught it midair, kept it from burrowing into my back. Although it wouldn’t have been enough to take my immortal life, it would have hurt horribly had it found its target. I winced at the thought of it.

“Did a toddler make this?” Death asked, ticking the arrow from side to side, drawing attention to it. “I’m only asking because I’ve never seen such shitty craftsmanship before.” He tossed it over his shoulder, but before it had a chance to hit the ground, his shadows darted around him, devouring it in midair.

“Blood King,” Nicholas snarled as he conjured another arrow, made from a light wood and tipped with silver.

“No, brother,” Malachai growled, placing his hand over Nicholas’s bow, shoving it down. Malachai looked at the Blood King, raising one hand in deference. “We do not wish to fight.” His tone was diplomatic .

Death chuckled darkly. “Then I’d advise you two to tuck your tails between your legs and run back home to your master.”

“You son of a bitch,” Nicholas snarled, his temper flaring.

Malachai cut in quickly, his tone as calm as the glass top of a morning lake. “We have a duty to return the princess to her husband.”

“Oh, well, why didn’t you say so?” Death asked as he stepped to the side, rolling his wrist as he gestured to me like I was some grand prize waiting behind a curtain. I curled my upper lip. “Go on, then. Take her.”

Nicholas and Malachai exchanged confused looks.

“What?” I hissed, taking a protective step back.

Death looked over his shoulder, his lips twisting into a cocky grin. “Your ex-husband’s men have come to take you back to him. Considering you seem to have no interest in keeping your deal with me, I can see no reason why I shouldn’t hand you over to them.”

“Are you serious?” I seethed, disgusted.

“I am.” He turned towards me. “Unless—” starless black eyes met mine, “—you come back to the Spirit Realm with me. Now.”

“She does not belong to you,” Nicholas sneered, taking a step towards us.

Death heeded him little mind as he extended a tattooed hand towards me. “Well, Little Goddess, what will it be? The Spirit Realm or the Immortal Realm?”

“Neither,” I snarled as I conjured a dozen levitating daggers behind me and let them fly.

I didn’t bother to wait and see who they hit as I let my world explode in light.