Page 74 of How to Trust a Hellhound
“Why is he calling him that?” I whispered to Wilder, but he just shook his head at me, staring down at Corbin and holding onto me.
The woman was slowly drawing the blade from her chest, like it was a show she was putting on. She was smiling the whole time, and when it was withdrawn, she looked at her fellow Nephilim, who was staring at her, wide-eyed.
“Your betrayal will not be forgotten,” she said, and then she sliced his face with the dagger.
The man screamed and fell to the floor, writhing about, his hand covering his face. We all watched as his struggles slowed. He was facing away from us and toward Sebbie, and I heard my friend gasp. He didn’t sound shocked, though—he sounded angry.
“Why not, little reaper?” Corbin said again, urgency in his voice.
Sebbie looked over at him, and I saw the anger in his face. Sebbie was never angry, but he was now, and it was odd to see.
“Because death is not an ending,” Sebbie spat out, and it was like I could feel his anger.
Corbin nodded his head. “Give them a new beginning, little reaper,” he whispered.
The woman seemed to understand that something important was happening, because she focused her attention on Sebbie, the blade still in her hand.
I felt like I knew what was going to happen next, like everything was slowing down. Wilder’s hand had a death grip on mine, and Thea looked pissed off and ready to kick some ass. The woman was bringing her hand with the blade in it up, ready to slash at Sebbie, but Corbin’s voice interrupted everyone, that melodic tone making everything stop, like a pause button had been pressed.
“Do what must be done, ferryman,” Corbin said. He smiled, though it looked sad.
With that strange statement, the world went dark around me, all the air rushing out of my lungs. I could feel Wilder’s hand still in mine, but we were falling, and then there was nothing.
It was dark, but I still felt Wilder’s hand in mine. Something heavy was laying across my legs. “Am I dead?” I asked, shifting my feet and trying to dislodge the weight.
“Ow. What the fuck, Josh?” Thea’s voice said.
“Are you dead, too?” I asked, because I couldn’t see anything, butthat was definitely Thea’s voice. The weight moved off my legs, and I heard rustling from that direction.
“Mei Ume,” Wilder’s voice said, and his hand squeezed mine, then I felt his other arm drag me in by the shoulder until we were touching, his hand releasing mine to feel along my body. “Are you hurt?”
“Um, no. I don’t think so. I think we’re all dead, though,” I answered, which made no sense, but also made perfect sense in this fucked up situation.
Thea snorted. “Typical fucking horror movie. Kill off all the heroes,” she muttered. “I did not sign up for this kind of ending.”
“We aren’t dead,” Wilder said, but his voice didn’t sound sure.
“Corbin?” Thea asked, and I heard a moan come from the other side of Wilder, where Corbin had been standing when we were in that room. He sounded hurt, but also alive. Or dead. Or whatever we currently were.
I was with Wilder, and although I couldn’t see him, I could feel him, so I figured it couldn’t be all bad. I could smell him, too—the scent of tree sap and evergreens, along with cold winter air and a match blown out.
It made me think of the first time he’d held me. It seemed so long ago now, although it had only been about a month. I looked back at the Josh who had cried into his shirt, who had found comfort in his smell, and I wanted to tell him that it would be okay. That it would all turn out for the best in the end. I had gone through something terrible, and I had thought parts of me were broken because of it, but that wasn’t true. I had found myself again, and I appreciated things in a way I never had before.
I felt like everything that had happened after that moment in the apartment was like a dream. Maybe Rick had hit me on the head and I’d hallucinated it all. Maybe there were no hellhounds and angel-demon women and creepy cults. Maybe I really was dead.
But I was calm, despite that thought. Because I had Wilder. Hewas with me, and my time with him had been some of the best moments I’d had. He’d shown me what it meant to be cared for, and he let me care for him in return. He appreciated me. Hesawme.
“Even if I’m dead, you’re worth it,” I whispered to Wilder, nuzzling into him.
“Oh, Mei Ume. You are worth more than you could ever imagine to me. I would risk death a million times to save you. But I’m selfish, too, because my heart is at ease that you’re here with me,” he murmured.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s lovely and all, you two,” Thea grumbled, “but wherethe fuckare we?”
I heard Corbin moan again, and then I heard the cawing of a crow.
“So, definitely not in that shitty underground room,” Thea muttered, and I could hear rustling, like she was feeling around.
“Thea!” I said, fear suddenly washing through me. “Stay here!”
