Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

It wasn't quite noon as we stepped into the field that was technically their territory. Dirkin had drawn out the map this morning in between rolling his eyes and grunting.

"Don't let anybody who shows up get too close to you. They don't normally kill people, but that doesn't mean they won't or can't under the right circumstances," Kicks said.

Considering meeting this creature had been his idea, he wasn't selling it well. If I wasn't so desperate, I would've called the whole thing off. Unfortunately, I was near reeking of desperation. Sweat and dread was my newest scent lately.

"You don't need to warn me. I don't touch anyone intentionally, remember?" I couldn't imagine how anyone could forget.

He kept his eyes on the horizon but smiled.

"I'm glad you find my killing abilities a source of joy," I said.

"There's always a silver lining." He nodded to the other side of the field. "We've got company."

A man was walking toward us, tall and gangly, with whitish-blond hair.

As he walked closer, I could feel the difference in the creature who approached. I could smell a sweet scent from him, see the way his eyes twitched unnaturally. A year ago, I might've noticed him and thought him slightly odd, but wouldn't have given it much more thought than that. Now, I watched with eyes that felt like they were centuries older than the girl I'd been. Maybe it wasn't life that was making me more attuned but the piece of Death that had taken up residence in me.

As the man grew closer, his eyes seemed more intent on me, and he gave Kicks only a passing glance. He stopped a good distance away, scanning me.

"We're friends of Dirkin," Kicks said. "We don't mean to cause trouble. We've just come to talk."

"Who is she?" the man said.

I sensed he was more interested in what I was more than who I was.

"She's my mate, Piper. I'm Kicks. We're from the Arkansas pack."

"But what is she?" The stranger's gaze remained fixated on me.

"I'm a human that had guide magic passed on to me," I replied.

He hesitated but then nodded. That description was probably enough to confuse him and throw him off the scent of what else was going on. At least, I hoped. I still wasn't sure how we were going to ask for help when we didn't want to tell them what the problem was.

"What do you want?" he said, still not offering a name.

"We're having issues with certain outside energies affecting her," Kicks replied. "Your race lives off energy, so we thought you or one of your people might be able to help us."

"Why would we ever help you after Death Day and what your people have done?"

Nausea welled in my belly, threatening to make me sick. Here was yet another source saying it was at least some of the shifters behind Death Day. Death had never specified exactly who was going to be traumatized and who had stolen some of her powers, but the fingers kept pointing to shifters.

"I lost half of my pack. I had nothing to do with Death Day," Kicks said like a man who was standing on a hill, ready to die.

"Maybe not you, but your people did. My kind needs humans, and your people did this, which jeopardizes our existence. You don't need humans the way we do. Instead of taking here and there from many, we're forced to drain them completely, making the situation even worse as we further deplete our life source. We're starving to death trying to keep from killing more. Another Death Day and there won't be enough left to sustain us, which might be what you all desired."

"We too have heard the stories. We're on the same side," I said, drawing the creature's attention back to me. "I'm still human. I lost many people that day. I would not associate with anyone that had a hand in Death Day."

He continued to stare at me while Kicks visibly bristled beside me. As off as this creature seemed in terms of humanity, he didn't feel threatening. There was a sense that, deep down, he was as lost and desperate as me.

"Can you help? Please?" I asked.

He stood silently for another few seconds. I might've been imagining it, but his stare seemed to be softening.

"You will owe me a debt," he said.

Apparently not softening enough to not take advantage of the situation.

"Fine," Kicks said.

" She will," the man said.

"Fine," I replied.

Kicks was about to protest—I could see it on his face.

"I'm fine with it," I told him.

His jaw grew squarer, but he didn't say anything.

"The one you seek is close to here." The man pointed in the distance to a break in the trees. "Follow that path until you come to a small cottage. Tell her Hakas sent you. That will get her to talk to you, but you'll have to negotiate for anything else."

I was in debt for an introduction? If it worked, it wouldn't be so bad, hopefully. If it didn't, I was going to be really pissed off.

Hakas was gone before we even took a step, and I hadn't seen him leave.

The place wasn't far. Nestled deep in the woods was a small house that looked as if it hadn't had modern amenities even before the end of the world. A pack of dogs came rushing over as we approached. Kicks stepped in front and they suddenly stopped barking, with several of them rolling on their bellies.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Told them I was boss," he said.

"Nice trick."

"I'm occasionally useful."

A woman walked out onto the small stoop, white-blonde hair flowing about her. She had a face that was timeless and smooth, even as I sensed age. I wouldn't have been able to put an age on her if I tried.

"Hakas sent us. He said you might be able to help," Kicks said.

"Help you how?"

"I'm being haunted," I said, going with the closest thing to the truth.

It fit the bill if I downgraded Death to your random old spirit, meaning she just sort of hung around and wasn't using me to kill people. Yeah, "haunted" would have to work.

"I don't know if I can help you, but I can try," the woman finally said. "Come in."

The entire way to the place, I'd expected Death to appear, threatening me or doing something to stop me. At the very least, hovering menacingly. None of that had happened. As we walked closer to this woman, I expected something to stop me, but nothing did.

"I need to test you," she said as we walked in. Her small place was filled with counters and shelves lined with jars. Drying plants hung from the ceiling.

"Okay," I said.

"Test her how?" Kicks asked at the same time.

"I can sense something unusual about her energy, but I don't know what it is or where it stems from. I need to know the origin in order to fix it." She pointed to the center of the room. "Stand here."

She walked over to a bench loaded down with all sorts of jars and vines and began muddling several different items. She reached above to the ceiling, cutting away a clump of a dried plant, and then took the ingredients she'd been muddling and poured them over it. She turned back to me with a lit candle and her bunch of dried herbs, which she also lit.They flamed a strange red color before dying, smoldering with an almost silvery smoke that didn't smell like smoke at all but like a field of flowers. She circled me, waving the smoke in my direction. Every time she tried to wave it closer, it seemed to be repelled .

She made a little noise somewhere between a grunt and a hum as she moved her smoking wad of whatever closer to me. It still didn't seem to want to touch me, though.

"This is unusual."

I remained silent, afraid to glance at Kicks, fearing one look might give away everything. If she had the entire situation laid out for her, she might run me out of her house.

"You say you're being haunted. What exactly are you being bothered with? Is it spirits from your past?"

For the first time, it occurred to me this might not just block Death, but Widow Herbert and Jaysa. Losing Jaysa wasn't worth fretting about, but I wished I'd had a chance to say goodbye to Widow Herbert. Although if I didn't purge myself of Death's presence, I'd never see her again anyway.

"Yes. People from my past who haven't moved on."

She made another humming/grunting sound."I'll mark you with a blocking protection spell. That should do it if that's all that is amiss." She stared at me, waiting for me to give some acknowledgement.

I nodded. That was as good as it was going to get, because if I opened my mouth, she'd hear the lie.

"It'll cost."

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Five years."

"Five years of what?"

"His life," she said, looking atKicks.

"No."

"Done," he said at the same time.

" No ." I stared at Kicks.

"Five years is nothing to me. It's worth it," he said.

"Fine." I turned my gaze back to her. "But with a guarantee of success?"

"Deal," she said. "I have to ink your skin. This won't hurt much other than the feeling of prickling." She lifted her hands and held them hovering over my body until she stopped behind me. "Here. It has to go here," she said, tapping the middle of my back.

"Do it."

She went back to one of the benches lining the room, gathering together her items. I could only imagine a prison tattoo setup would put her bowl and needle to shame. It didn't matter, as I wasn't looking for a piece of art but an act of magic.

"Take your shirt off," she said.

I pulled it off, glad that the few bras I'd been alternating were the pretty ones Evangeline gave me. It was sort of a ridiculous thing to care about.

As Kicks leaned a shoulder against the wall, staring at me like he wanted to ravage me, it didn't feel so stupid.

Our eyes met, and I could feel my body coming alive, barely paying attention to what the woman was doing—until she started making more humming noises.

The prickling feeling on my skin stopped for a moment. The pause didn't last long before it began again, only stopping a few seconds later.

"Is something wrong?" I tried to catch a glimpse of her over my shoulder.

"It won't take," she said, as if it were my fault. "What aren't you telling me?" She put down her needle tool.

"Try again," Kicks said, crossing the room toward us. "I'll pay you double."

I gasped. "No. That's too much," I said.

It didn't matter, as she wasn't having any of it.She was on her feet, pointing at the door. "You lied to me. Get out."

"Try again." Kicks wouldn't budge.

"Can you please try again?" I asked, my hunch telling me pleading was going to go farther with this woman, at least if her glare in Kicks' direction meant anything.

She turned that glare on me. "There is only one thing that would stop me from applying the block, and that is a connection to Death herself."

"Is there something I can do? Have you seen this before?" She knew Death was female, as if she'd also seen her or talked to her. I was ready to get on my knees and beg her for information if that was what it took.

"If Death singles you out, there is nothing that can break that connection," she said. "That is all I know. That is all I was taught. Now please. Go . I do not want that kind of attention in my life." She pointed toward the door again, looking as if she'd try to manhandle us out if needed.

Giving her the slightest nod, I took a step toward the door. I wouldn't damn anyone else to my hell.

I stopped beside Kicks. "She tried. We have to go. She can't fix this."

I should've been more disappointed, but there was one upside. His life wouldn't be cut short for me.

He hesitated for only a second before looking at me. "Okay."

We walked out of the place as a gust of air kicked up, carrying an unusual chill. Death was here. The darkness inside me pulsed at her nearness. The dogs who'd been lying on the ground around the house whimpered and ran off.

Kicks looked at me as if he sensed something amiss as well but couldn't pinpoint the cause.

I shook my head, silently asking him to not press the subject.

Death appeared right beside me. "Did you really think that would work? I'd have killed her before she could do anything, even if she were capable."

I couldn't speak. I didn't want to alert him to her presence, unsure of how that would go, so I stared at her silently.

"You think what is happening is wrong," she said. "You're scared of what you might become, but I know this is the way. You'll be happy once it's done."

The way to what? Damnation? To become something so unholy I feared to be near others? I hadn't lied to Kicks. I'd fight, but it looked like a losing battle. If I was a betting woman, I'd put my money on her.

He stopped the bike a little bit later, after we were a safe distance away. I got off, knowing neither of us had a plan for what we'd do next.

Grabbing my canteen, I headed toward the river. Thirst didn't drive me so much as a craving for a moment alone to get a hold of my thoughts.

"I can see you losing hope. You can't give up," Kicks said, following me.

I could hear the agitation in his voice. I got it. He wanted to fix me. He still thought there was a way. There wasn't. How could he fight the forces at work when he couldn't even see them? No one could, only me, and I was at a loss.

He didn't understand. Letting me walk away was the optimistic end point. Killing me might be a safer bet, but he wouldn't do it. Even if he was willing, she wouldn't let him. She needed me and was going to use me whether I was willing or not, and damn anyone who got in her way.

"She's changing me. It started with Zetti. It wasn't much of anything, just this hint of emptiness in my chest. I thought it was all in my head. Then it grew a little more with the next death. It does something to me in a way I can't explain. It feels like it's eating away at who I am." I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the shift inside me that I couldn't stop. "I don't understand it, but I can feel this different energy growing in me every time she does it. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before I'm no longer me."

"You need to resist her," he said, walking closer until he was in front of me.

"Even if I don't give in, I can't stop her."

"We keep trying," he said, grabbing my arms.

I nodded, giving him what he wanted. I could agree with him every hour of the day, and it wouldn't matter.

"I'm not letting you give up. Buddie and Rastin are supposed to stay in Florida for a couple weeks. We still have some time to figure this out."

He walked away, staring off into the distance. It was what he did when he couldn't figure out an answer he was searching for. He wasn't going to find one. I knew where this ended, and it wasn't anywhere good. Death would kill anyone that could fix me.

"I need to talk to Charlie." If there was no way out for me, I'd at least make sure he landed somewhere safe. If I couldn't get Kicks to leave me, maybe that would be at Maddocks' pack with Buddie and Rastin for now. He couldn't come with me. Not like this.

Kicks nodded, locking eyes with me. "We'll figure this out."

I nodded again. I didn't have the energy to fight him. I had to save what I had left to figure out a plan for Charlie.

Kicks dug out the satellite phone, turning it on. He left it off most of the time, only turning it on to check in with the pack once a day, trying to conserve the battery.

"Hey, we wanted to check in on Charlie." He looked at me as they spoke. "Okay." He hung up and then handed the phone to me. "They're calling right back as soon as they get him."

The phone rang. "Charlie?"

"Hi, Piper!" Charlie's voice was like a beacon of light compared to my current mood.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, trying to match his enthusiasm, despite the disappointment I'd just been dealt.

"Yes! I went on two different roller coasters, and another ride that went over this city at night. They said they'd turn on the boat ride today."

"I'm so glad. Are you being good and listening to Buddie and Rastin?" I clung to the phone, as if it were a piece of him right beside me.

"Yes, I promise! Are you going to come here soon? It's so much fun."

I took in a deep breath, trying to make sure I had control of my voice before I answered. Kicks squeezed my shoulder.

"Piper?" Charlie said.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm sorry. There was a bee. You know how they scare me," I said, trying to fake a laugh to sell my lie.

"Are you going to come?" he asked.

"I told you I can't come this time. Right now Kicks and I are taking care of some issues, but maybe in the future?"

"Okay," he said, his voice a little quieter.

"So you like it there? You're going to have to tell me all about it." Even if I had to leave him, it didn't mean I wouldn't be able to talk to him. Even if Kicks wasn't with me, I'd find a way to get a satellite phone. And eventually this mess would get straightened out, even if it wasn't until Death finished me. I refused to believe I'd never see him again. I just hoped I was still enough of myself to care.

"I love it. Oh! Buddie says the boat is on." He was almost yelling in my ear, and I loved every second of it.

"Okay, go. Don't leave them waiting. I'll talk to you soon," I said, as it felt like my heart was being put into a meat grinder.

Kicks turned to me after I hung up. "I told Dirkin we'd be back tonight. We take a few days or a week to figure it out and decide what's best."

"Okay." I already knew what was best. I'd just have to convince him.