Page 47 of A Single Thread Of Hope

“Uh, no, not quite. You’re not livingat all. Like, you’re dead. We’re on the banks of the River Styx.”

“The banks of the River where?” I shook my head, because his words made no sense. It sounded like he’d said I was dead.

I couldn’t be dead. We were having a conversation.

“The River Styx. You’re dead. I came with you, because we are intrinsically bonded. My soul is yours and always has been,” he said softly, which was a wild thought, but I’d come back to it. Because if Cy was here, did that mean the rest of the guys had died right along with me?

My gaze flicked around, looking for them. Were they down here too? Had they been removed from the weave altogether? “The guys? Where are they? Did my death…” It was too horrifying to suggest.

Pulling me to my feet, Cy shrugged. “I don’t think so. When you died, I kind of just appeared by your side. I’m hoping that if they aren’t here too, they’re still topside with the pups.”

I wanted that too; really, I did. I would wallow happily in eternal damnation, if it meant my babies got to have a long and happy life with all those protectors.

But a selfish part of me was grief-stricken that I would never see them again.

Looking around with fresh—dead—eyes, what I saw was an expanse of blackness, with huge black cities popping up like the boroughs of New York City. On the wind was the howl of thousands of angry souls, the wail of a million mourning hearts. Nothing was growing; there was no sun, no moon, no stars. Just an endless abyss of darkness and the swirling river right at my feet.

The River Styx.

Looking down into the murky depths, I could see pale, screaming faces flowing with the current. I jumped when a hand wrapped around my arm, but it was just Cy, pulling me back against his chest. “Be careful. If they lure you into the river, they get to take your place on Ferryman’s barge. Trust me, you don’t want to be in there.” Tugging me back from the edge, like he didn’t trust me not to take a swan dive into the death pool, he turned me to face him. His eyes ran over my face as if he was trying to read my thoughts. “You seem to be taking this well. More people struggle with the death thing.”

Yeah, I was firmly in the denial stage; it just didn’t feel real. I didn’tfeelany different. I was still me, but in a new location. Maybe if I hadn’t had Cy here, then I’d be more of a mess. But with him, it didn’t seem so scary.

As long as I didn’t think about the babies.

Or the look on Nate’s face as I died.

Or the other guys.

The pain in my chest had nothing to do with a knife wound now. I wasn’t ready for that reality just yet. Back to denial for me.

I shrugged at Cy, like I didn’t give a fuck that I was no longer living. “I might be dead, but at least I have you, right?”

He gathered me up in his arms, pressing me against a chest that was still warm, with a strong heart beating beneath mycheek. “You’ll always have me, Wren. In life and death, this one and the next.”

Someone cleared their throat behind us. “Uh, I don’t mean to interrupt, but do you know why I was summoned here? Do you need a guide?”

We both turned at the soft, sweet voice. The woman behind us was faded around the edges, like a photo taken on your grandma’s smartphone. Just a little smudged and out of focus. She had long blonde hair, and delicate curves. Her pale blue clothes were rough hewn. Whenever she’d died, it had been long before modern times.

Despite her general opacity, she had a soft golden light that told me she was probably a Goddess of some kind, but one that was long forgotten. I was surprised I could see her glow. When I looked at Cy, I realized I could see his too.

I shrugged. “No idea. We just got here.”

She frowned at me. “Just now?”

Nodding, Cy eyed the woman warily. “What’s your name?”

The woman tilted her head. “Fea. You’re a Demigod too? They don’t normally send two soul guides, but I can’t be sure. This is my first time.” She looked around, like she was searching for another soul. Someone else for her to guide. But there was no one here. She smiled brightly, like me being dead was the greatest thing to ever happen to her. “It must be you. You don’t think Arawn thought I was so incompetent that they sent me back-up, do you? Because I might be new to this, but I’ve been here a long time. There’s no way I couldn’t walk you from the River Styx back to Annwn.”

There was a lot to unpack in that little speech. “Uh, no. I’m sure that, uh, this Arawn has a lot of faith in your abilities. Cy is just my…” I struggled to find a word for what he was. Bondmate didn’t sound serious enough for someone who’d followed you to Hell.

Luckily, Cy had no problems filling in the blanks. “Soulmate. Divinely ordained soulmate.”

Fea’s face softened. “That’s so special. I’ve only seen a few of those in my time, and each one was more beautiful than the next.”

A noise behind us had us all turning back to the waters of the Styx. A soul was writhing on the banks, and Fea’s expression turned pitying. She walked over, stroking the soul’s face gently, and I watched its translucent features face go slack with bliss. Then with a giant shove, Fea pushed it back into the river.

I watched the whole thing with awe, and more than a little trepidation. Was Fea good or bad? Her name seemed familiar, but I couldn’t remember if she was a Goddess someone had mentioned, or if I’d read about her in a book.

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