Prologue

PROLOGUE

Zinnia

Rose looked into the mortar. "Will there be enough?"

"That's just for you." I took the blade from my pack, sliced both palms, and smeared blood all over my naked body.

My sweet cousin's eyes widened. "What will that do?"

I flashed her a grin, refusing to let her see my fear. "Boost the hell out of my power… and make me look badass. I'm coming face-to-face with Death. I plan on making a memorable first impression."

She stared at me in disbelief. "But your soul… you need the oil."

"My soul is going to be just fine. It's going to be okay, Roe, I promise," I lied. This was far from fine, but there was no other choice, not for me, not anymore.

Rose quickly finished covering her body with the oily potion, and I took her hand.

The pile of stones rumbled behind us, and we spun around as the ground shook, the earth rolling beneath our feet as if it were trying to force Rose to let me go. Her hand slipped in my blood-covered one, but we linked fingers, holding tight.

The stones rolled, reforming, revealing skulls, as if the bones had been fossilized in each one, empty eye sockets and jaws hanging wide. When they stopped, we were staring into a gateway—right into Limbo.

It was dark on the other side, shadowed, cold. A thumping sound echoed in the distance, rolling through the portal. It was a slow, steady beat, growing in volume until I felt the thump in my bones.

Death.

Rose trembled.

He was coming for her.

She squeezed my hand. "What should I say?"

The wind became violent, her blonde hair whipping around her lovely face. I squeezed her hand in return. "Let me do the talking," I called over the raging storm.

The rumbling sound was constant now, the icy blast making it hard to draw breath.

Then I saw him.

A shroud of moving shadows. He kept coming until he stood on the other side of the gate, so tall, he towered over us. I watched, unable to breathe as he lifted the twisted wooden staff in his hand, glowing with power, and thumped it one last time against the ground.

The wind stopped in an instant, the world seeming to still around us.

I gasped for breath, and I felt Rose's fear spike higher. I tightened my hand on hers. I'd seen Death once before, when he came to me in a nightmare and turned my world upside down. He had to be close to seven feet tall and was completely concealed, except for a thin, tattooed hand gripping his wooden staff and blue eyes that glowed from beneath his hood.

We waited as that frigid glare moved between us.

"I told you to come alone," he said to Rose.

The deep way his voice resonated, arctic and terrible, washed over me, invoking a multitude of emotions—grief and heartbreak, loneliness and despair, but worse, oh goddess, the pure, raw horror. It took everything in me not to fall to the ground, shaking and sobbing.

I had to be strong, though, for Rose, for my entire family. "I'm afraid you can't have her," I said and hoped like hell he didn't hear the waver in my voice.

Rose moved closer to me, and I held on to her tight.

Death studied me for several long seconds. "And you think you can stop me from taking what I'm owed?"

"If you take Rose's soul, you'll be interfering with a bargain between Lucifer and her sister's mate. Lucifer granted immortality to the Thornheart sisters if they mated. Rose is mated. She can't die."

Rose spun to me, shocked.

Death grew larger before my eyes, his grip on the staff so tight, the wood creaked.

I pushed on, refusing to back down. I couldn't. "If you make an enemy of Lucifer, there'll be a war. You'll disturb the balance between the four realms."

Death made an inhuman sound that sent spikes of terror through me. "She doesn't need to die to enter my world, witch. I can take her as she is. Her soul will still be mine."

"Rose's brother-in-law is Lucifer's alpha hellhound, a male he considers a friend. Do you think Lucifer will let that stand?" I said, trying to sound as strong as I could in the face of his immense power.

"The bargain grants her immortality, not where she'll live out eternity. Lucifer will have no grounds to start a war."

His voice made me want to cover my ears and scream.

"Come here, Rose," he said to my cousin.

She turned to me, shaking, teeth chattering. "It's okay."

Death held out his hand.

I held on to her tighter.

"It's okay," she said again, taking a step forward.

I pulled her back. It was time.

"You did all you could, but you can't stop this. No one can," Rose said.

Gritting my teeth, I turned from her and back to Death, my heart beating fast. I wanted to run the fuck away from here so badly; instead, I stared into his cold gaze. "It's not Rose you want. It's me."

Rose spun to face me. "What?"

Death stilled.

"You've been searching for me for a long time, but I made sure you couldn't find me. I hid, using this." I lifted my arm, showing him the tattoo. "I'm the one you want, the one you've been waiting for." Releasing Rose's hand, I stepped forward. "You came to me in my dreams when I was fifteen years old. You told me who I was, what you wanted from me, and I ran. Do you remember?"

Death said nothing, his tall frame stilling under his cloak.

"I woke up after that first visit from you, and I refused to go back to sleep until I found a way to keep you out of my head. It cost me, but I did it."

Death leaned forward, still in his realm, but right at the edge. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Scooping up my blade from the ground, I pressed it to my forearm and, with a cry, sliced the small tattoo from my arm, removing the mark I'd worn on my skin for the last thirteen years. "Your birthright. I was born to be your consort, Mors," I said, using Death's true name.

He jerked back, then flew forward again, hand outstretched, but unable to reach me.

"Zinnia, no," Rose cried.

I turned to her, holding my cousin's horrified stare. "I've been running from this for a long time. He was drawn to your soul because of me. I need to make this right, to protect our family and our coven."

"Don't do this," she choked.

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself for your coven, Roe. And so am I. It's the only way."

"Come to me, consort," Death said, so deep and menacing, it chilled me to my core.

I straightened my spine and turned to him. "Your consort must enter Limbo willingly, and I will go with you, but I have a condition."

"Name it," he said.

All his focus was on me now, as if Rose no longer existed.

"Zinnia, don't do this. There has to be another way," she said.

"I have a sister who needs me, and I won't abandon her. I'll come with you, but only if I'm free to move between realms."

"No."

"That's my condition."

He was silent for several long moments. "Each time you visit, you must remain with me for at least one lunar month before returning to your realm."

"Then I want a lunar month here as well."

Death made a sound raw and violent. "I will agree, but only until your sister's eighteenth birthday. After that, you will remain here with me."

"Her twenty-first birthday," I countered.

He shook his head, about to argue.

"If you agree, I'll leave with you now," I said.

He was quiet for a moment, then finally inclined his head. "But know this, consort, if you fail to return to me, the bargain is void. I will come for you, and when I have you back, I'll never let you leave."

"Understood," I said. "And if you refuse to let me leave, same deal, the bargain is void. And I promise you, I'll find a way to escape, and you'll never see me again."

"Don't do this," Rose sobbed beside me.

I closed the space between us and pulled her into a tight hug. "I knew this day would come, Roe. I can't hide anymore. It's done." I looked into her eyes. "Take care of Jazzy for me, and Hemlock. It's only four weeks, and then I'll be back."

"Thank you," Rose choked out.

I tucked her hair behind her ear. "I want a party when I get home, okay? Something to look forward to."

"You've got it," she whispered.

"Consort," Death said, making me jolt.

I stepped away from my cousin, grabbed my clothes, shoved them in my pack, and turned to Death. He held out his hand as I strode up to him. "Pass on the hand holding. I'm not a fan of PDA," I said, then turned back to my sweet cousin, blew her a kiss, and walked through the archway and into Limbo.

The gate closed immediately, locking me in.

I was naked and covered in my own blood. A moment ago, I'd felt powerful—not now. Now I felt vulnerable and alone, but there was no way in hell I was showing the god staring down at me that. Death stood tall on the path of skulls, a path that disappeared into the dark forest surrounding us. He was concealed by his cloak that moved around his body like a living shadow.

Dropping my pack, I quickly pulled on my clothes and shoved my feet in my boots, then looked up at him. "Well?" I said, when he said nothing. "I assume we follow the path?"

"Do not veer off it."

At the sound of his voice, my knees almost buckled under me. Somehow, I locked them before I fell to the ground and screamed. "Awesome. Let's get going, then." I strode ahead and immediately wished I hadn't as creatures I couldn't make out darted along beside us, disappearing into the forest. Branches cracked as if something large was moving through the trees close by. Shrieks and strange mournful howls from animals I did not recognize echoed around us. And Death himself, right behind me. Goddess, I felt him there every step of the way.

I didn't think it actually took that long, but with Death looming behind me, it felt like an eternity before we rounded a bend and a huge black stone castle came into view. It jutted up from the ground, imposing and dreadful, and it took everything inside me not to just run . Even though there was nowhere for me to go, the urge to run was almost impossible to resist.

We walked up its wide steps, to the massive arched doors, and they instantly swung open. A horned demon stood there. His skin was leathery and mottled green. His eyes were scarlet, and he had pointed, shiny black horns. I grabbed my knife.

"No," Death rumbled behind me.

My knife was snatched from my hand.

"Egon is my servant. You will not harm him."

Egon backed away, staring at me in an odd way, a look in his eyes that I couldn't read. Death kept coming, still close behind me, directing me to a wide black staircase without a word.

My stomach was in barbed knots when we reached the second floor. I was his wife for all intents and purposes, and I'd made a deal to be with him. Nausea churned in my stomach.

You can survive this. Whatever happens next, you have to survive this. Jasmine needs you.

Wall sconces lit the way, making the stone hall gleam, and macabre shadows danced along the walls. Something scurried in the dark, and I had to bite back my shriek.

Death stepped in front of me, forcing me to stop suddenly. I stared up at him, fear in my throat so thick, it damn near choked me. Those glowing blue eyes watched me from under his hood as he reached out and shoved the door open beside me.

"Your quarters," he said, and with every word, his voice vibrated with a rage that I didn't understand. "This is where you will sleep. You may move freely throughout the castle. If you go outside, always stick to the path." The words he said didn't match the fury in his voice, which rolled off him in heavy waves. "There is no escape and nowhere to hide. Running is pointless. I will always find you." Then he turned and walked away.