Soul-Taker (Monarchs & Monsters #2)

72. Kami

72

Kami

E verything hurts.

I moan as I shift, and someone hushes me and kisses my forehead.

The sense of safety and belonging intrudes, the scent of earth all around me.

Ease your sorrow, young dryad.

I don’t know the voice, but I sense a kindred spirit. Rather, a forest spirit. A grand lord, from the overwhelming power washing over me.

I sigh and let go of my worry, of my memories, and ease into the wealth of loam and nutrient the trees and earth feed me.

I don’t know how much time has passed before I’m blinking up into specs of pollen and fairy dust floating through the sunbeams dappling the ground around me.

My body and mind are at peace, my soul rested.

Not…dead?

“Oh no. You’re dead. But they don’t know that yet.”

I sit up in a hurry and grip my aching head. “Ahza? ”

He’s wearing his djinn lord form with a third eye and smiles at me. “Ah, there you are.”

I rise and go to him for a hug, aware of being enfolded in his large arms that aren’t really his. He manifests the illusion, but he’ll always be just a little bit bigger than me.

“Nope. The arms are mine now. Being dead lets you do a whole lot of cool things.” Ahza beams at me as he pulls back.

We glance at my body currently resting on a bed of thick earth, watched over by Oz and a few tree sprites. And there, watching over us all, is a leshy, a great forest lord, keeping me safe.

He notices my soul with Ahza and smiles then fades back into the forest.

Oz hasn’t seen a thing, but he looks at me with worry as he strokes my hair that’s tangled with flowers and branches weaving through me.

Well now, that’s a new one.

Ahza explains, “The leshy wanted to help you, so he’s tied your body to his forest. But your soul has been healing here in the Veil for this past week. With me.”

I take a look around me, and the clarity of my surroundings blurs and darkens. “We’re in the Veil?” I whisper.

“Yes,” he whispers back. Then he pops me in the forehead. “Duh.”

“Cut it out.” I slap his arm.

He slaps me back, grinning.

I can’t help laughing. “Death, I’ve missed you so much.” I start to recall dreams of him. “Have you been haunting me?”

“In a way that’s not weird or anything.” He glances around and tugs me deeper into the forest. I can tell we’re still near my body, but it’s a lot foggier all around us. I have a feeling we’re no longer in the mortal plane.

“Ahza? ”

He looks at me with worry. “I wish you could really be here, but the choice is yours.”

“What?”

“Kami, what the war god did you to you wasn’t good. He broke you. Hard.” Ahza shows his teeth. “If it was up to me, I’d gut the fuck-nugget.”

“That sounds like you.” I can’t help grinning. Ahza always talked big. Then we’d run away and hide and live to talk big another day.

He grins. “Yeah, I still talk a good game. But I’m serious. He wasn’t kind. There are ways to take power that don’t involve pain. He thrives on misery.”

I shiver, not wanting to remember but recalling the feel of his will slithering over mine, stealing into me, drowning me in war and pain.

“He didn’t get all that he wanted from you, but he got enough. He’s nearly Become.”

“Become what?” I realize what Ahza means. “A god in this realm? Walking among us?”

“And spreading distrust, conflict, war. He’ll be the end to everything good I left behind.” Ahza sighs. “ We left behind. Kami, you’re dead.”

“I am?” I glance back at Oz guarding my body and can’t help wanting to go back to him. “I don’t feel dead.”

“Well, that’s kind of because you’re a necromancer. A soul-taker. You get a choice.” He lowers his voice. “She won’t tell you that. She’ll make it seem like it’s a bargain you’ll have to make. But don’t trust her.”

“Who?” I ask in the same low voice, looking around me.

“You know who. Don’t say her name,” Ahza cautions. “She wants an avatar of her own. But she’s smarter about it than the war god. She uses loopholes to get around. ”

“And it helps that she wants what we all want,” a deep voice adds.

Ahza and I jump and turn to find Sebastian, the Ever, in a dark robe, standing with his arms akimbo, glaring at Ahza.

“Oh, er. Hi, boss.” Ahza shrinks into his smaller djinn form and tries to slink behind me.

Unfortunately, Sebastian isn’t amused. He snaps his fingers, and Ahza appears by his side. “What did I tell you about going off on your own?”

“But she’s dead now.”

“And?”

Ahza squirms. “I just wanted to help. Caethybdue’s cheating.”

“As is Beyrthnel. That’s what gods do. They don’t play by the rules.”

“Hold on. How is Caethybdue cheating?” I watch the byplay, feeling left out. “Her brother killed me. Is it because I’m still here?”

“Because she—” Ahza starts, but the rest of what he says is lost, his voice gone.

Then he follows.

Damn it.

“Can you please bring him back?” I ask the Ever.

“No. And sadly, I can’t bring you back either.” He stares at me.

“What?”

“What part of ‘stop the war god’ did you not understand? Instead, you gave him a boost to hasten his arrival.” Sebastian frowns. “You’re not working with him, are you?”

“Are you kidding me?” Is this guy for real? “That bastard tortured me. He hurt me.” I shiver, remembering how it felt to not be. To be penetrated and dissected and torn apart. I might be dead, but I’m still soul-wounded .

His eyes soften. “Apologies. I might have listened to those I should remain wary of and trusted too much too soon.”

“What?” I feel like a mimic on repeat, still confused, still hurting, still so much less than I’m supposed to be.

“At ease, Kami.” Sebastian reaches out, and all I can see are Beyrthnel’s large hands wrapping around me, stealing into me, taking all that I am and crushing it.

Then I’m sighing and easing down onto a seat while Sebastian sits with me.

“I think, perhaps, it would be best if I told you a story. I need you to hear me.”

The way he says that makes me sit up and take notice. Clarity returns, and everything sounds sharper as the Ever begins to speak.