Page 56 of A Single Thread Of Hope

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

But then Donn threw back his head and boomed out a laugh, loud enough to draw the gaze of all the souls inside the room. “I forgot about you Greeks and how you use food as a trap.” Shaking his head, he waved at the food and large pitchers of drinks. “This is all freely given. Tech Duinn is a passing place for most. Christians would call it purgatory, I guess. The borders of Tech Duinn are free for all souls and creeds to pass through. It’s why we house the Tar Pits on the far edge.”

I’d heard of the Tar Pits, but I couldn’t remember exactly when or why. “We didn’t mean any offense, sir. In my defense, I got knocked up by eating an apple, so I’m wary of accepting food from Gods these days.”

He chuckled again. “Yes, I heard of that. The mother of the new Fates. Rough business. Sorry to see you here so soon.”

I gritted my back teeth so I didn’t cry. “Me too.” Shaking off the melancholy, I gave myself an internal pep talk. I hadn’tgiven up yet. “Ah, if you’ve heard about me, then you’ll know I’m bonded to Fea’s, uh…” I cleared my throat. “I mean, I’m not just bonded; we’re partners. A couple. Married in every way that matters to Néit, Fea’s former husband.”

His gaze was sharp as he scanned the room. “I’ve heard whispers of that, of course. The Morrigan is quite a regular visitor to Annwn, and stops here at Tech Duinn frequently on her way. She keeps me up-to-date on what is happening topside. She never sees Fea, though.” There was disapproval in his tone.

“Why?”

Donn shrugged. “That is a question for the Crow, and not for me to answer. But I believe that the reason for Fea’s ultimate demise was quite gruesome. She was certainly traumatized when she arrived here. I suggest you don’t bring it up with her.” Theor elsewas heavily implied.

That line of questioning was closed as Fea bounced back to the table, four slabs of cake resting on her arms. “It’s a dessert first kind of day, I think.”

The warm cake smelled of treacle, a malty sweetness that was definitely supported by the stickiness on my fingers. Taking a nibble at the edges, I groaned. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t get re-knocked up for an endless supply of these bad boys. “Oh my god,” I mumbled around a mouthful of cake.

Fea giggled. Once again, it was hard to imagine her juxtaposed against the deadliness of Morrigan or the hard edges of Nate.

“Caoimhe was once the cook for the household of the High King of Ireland. Donn managed to convince her to stay on at Tech Duinn, instead of traveling on to the Otherworld.”

Donn grumbled. “She has me by the bollocks, and she knows it. All the riches and boons she could ask for, just to stay and cook for… all this.” He indicated the room.

“So, no one isstuckhere?” It was weird. Purgatory was definitely a place where you got stuck, if my old Sunday school teacher was to be believed, and it wasn’t pleasant.

Donn shook his head. “Only by their own volition. Sometimes they want to wait for their loved ones here. Sometimes they’re confused, or they need to work through some things before starting their next life.” A flick of his eyes at Fea made me wonder if that’s why she was still here. “This castle is not… What’s that human song? Hotel something?”

Cy laughed. “‘Hotel California.’You’ve been keeping up with your pop culture references.”

The God of Death grinned, and it was kind of creepy. “Even Death needs a vacation occasionally. I like the movies of this modern age. And the rock-and-roll music.” After finishing his cake, he piled his plate high with food, and we did the same. “So, as I said, I’ve been expecting you.”

Fea raised both her eyebrows at him. “I just thought that was just a really good line you wanted to use for theatrics.”

Okay, that might have been flirting.

The giant God of Death flushed, his cheekbones going pink. It was both adorable and terrifying. “Unfortunately, no. Besides, when do I do anything for theatrics?”

Fea mimed zipping her lips, smiling smugly around her potatoes.

Was I watching a rom-com right now? The Hellmark Channel?

Shaking his head fondly, Donn turned back to us. “As I was saying, I had a visitor not long before your arrival. From the Greek Mythics. We don’t see many of your kind down this way, present company excluded.” He lifted his chin at Cy. “And he suggested that the unfortunateness of your death was an error in the weave. A grave injustice to the wheel of time. Then he left.” Lifting up a turkey leg, he used it as a scepter of sorts. “I don’tparticularly like being manipulated by other Gods, especially the Greeks.”

My skin was tingling with adrenaline, but I wasn’t sure why yet. It was like something important was right there, sitting on the edge of the moment, waiting for me to grasp it. “I can understand the feeling.”

“But I am fond of Fea, and given you are her first guided soul, I decided to take an interest.”

So the God of Death didn’t have a crush on Fea; he was balls-to-the-wall in love. Good to know.

Fea frowned at Donn. “What are you suggesting exactly?”

“I think that this Mythic was right. It was an injustice for Wren to die so young, under the manipulations of forces she knew nothing about. I think you should take her to the Tar Pits.”

The Tar Pits again. Why did that sound so familiar? It conjured up some scary imagery, but otherwise, I was drawing a blank.

However, Fea’s face said it was something important. “You don’t mean…?”

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