Page 74 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
Chapter 28
Death
NexsweptKat’scurlsoff her forehead and replaced them with his lips. On the rare occasion clothes were worn to bed, she wore his. Currently, she was bundled up in a black shirt, the sleeves so long that only the tips of her fingers were visible.
Katherine was the only living being who could make him subconsciously smile, even when she was asleep.
He ran his fingers over her cheeks and secured the blankets around her. She stirred, curling up and clinging to the comforter. He might’ve smiled again if not for the slight frown on her sleeping face and the puffiness of her closed eyes.
Whether he was impressed or concerned at how easily she put on a fake smile and got through the play as if nothing was wrong, he wasn’t sure. Her performance went so well, she was approached afterward by several people complimenting her. While in front of others she appeared excited, it didn’t cheer her up. Flying her home didn’t make it better either. It lifted her spirits, but he’d spent enough time around her to know she was trying hard to act like her cheerful self, though she wasn’t.
He wanted to understand and help, which was why his gaze lingered on her for only a moment. On his way out of the bedroom, he picked up the bracelet from her dresser. He held it in a tight fist, passed through the house walls, and emerged on the back porch.
Lucian had tracked down Death, and she wasn’t far. She never was. Death was everywhere.
Nex made himself invisible to mortals, released his wings, and flew to the city. He found Death near the food bank, in an abandoned building with cracked windows and an unpleasant stench. Inside, three people lay on the ground. Overdosed. The walls were stained, torn blankets and pillows littered a corner, and needles scattered the floor. Even without winter, the room was cold.
Although he could feel Death’s presence, he didn’t see her right away. Not until she spoke.
“Isn’t it funny that we both deal in death, yet this is the first time I’m meeting you? You always leave before I arrive. Were you avoiding me?”
Nex turned and found her standing behind him, donned in a long, black dress that flowed around her ankles. Her movements were surreal and light, airy. Despite the black heeled boots, every step across the cement tiles was soundless. She walked with a grace that couldn’t be matched by anyone, human or otherwise.
No scars blemished her smooth umber skin. Her hair was short, the pale gray of storm clouds after they’d calmed. Her eyes were somewhere between white and black, a milky gray whose tone changed with her actions.
“You can’t avoid me. You and I,” she gestured between them, “the angels and the other demons need each other. You occasionally take care of the physical form, and I get the soul where it needs to go. Then you demons and the angels take care of those essences once they’re home and wait for me to send you more. The system would collapse without our balance, Nex. It never goes well when a soul doesn’t get taken care of properly.” She walked toward him slowly, tilting her head to the side. “You know,” she crouched next to one of the bodies, “you are the only demon that has not asked me.”
Part of the reason Nex avoided her was because of this. He decided a long time ago that he didn’t want to know what he’d done in his past life that led to him becoming a demon. He didn’t want to know how bad he must’ve been to earn the title. An unpopular opinion. Most demons got curious enough to ask, and everyone assumed Nex would be the same if he gave it a while longer.
Time didn’t matter. Whatever person he was in that life would remain unknown.
“Is that why you’re here?” Death’s hand glided over the body but never touched it. A ball of white light emerged from the chest and floated to her palm. She hummed and nodded, closing her eyes, her hands covering the glow. “Do you want to know?” She opened her fingers, the light gone.
“I’m not here for me.”
Death moved to the next body, repeating the process.
“There’s something else I need.”
“What’s that?” Death closed her hands around the next light with a melancholic frown, muttering “Poor soul” under her breath as she sent it to its resting place.
“Do you remember every soul?”
“I do. Although it is not in the way you think.” She moved to the next body. “My memories are different than yours. It may not be fresh in my mind, but it is never fully gone. If it wasn’t in the last few weeks, I need a reminder.”
Nex’s hands tightened on Katherine’s mother’s bracelet, and he waited for the last soul to be sent off. Death turned to him, her gaze landing on the chain dangling in his hands.
“I see.” She bowed her head in respect for the grief lingering on the chain. “You want someone else’s memory.”
“You can do that, can’t you?”
She nodded. “I can. Though I rarely do. It’s not fair to other souls to have their memories repeated.”
“I have a reason.” Nex held out the bracelet. “She wants me to know. She just needs help.”
“Show me.” Death extended her hand but didn’t take the bracelet. Nex stiffened, and she released a breathy laugh. “Give me your hand, Nex. I can sort out your intentions without much effort. I mean you no harm. You would know I never mean harm if you had not hidden from me. I carry an unfortunate reputation. You know what that’s like, do you not?”
Nex hesitated, then set his hand in hers. He felt nothing, but her eyes shut, and a smile spread over her face.
