“That’s correct,” I said.
“And you, how’ve you been, Widow?” Soul asked. “It’s been a while. I’m not sure how long.”
“I lost track, too,” Widow replied. “You’re looking good, though.”
Soul laughed lightly, lowering his head for a moment, as if succumbing to flattery. “Thanks. I figured I might as well take care of myself while I’m down here. What’s the world like, out there?”
“Oh, you’d love it,” Widow said. “Though I’ve barely seen the equivalent of an inch of it all. It’s beautiful. It’s diverse and filled with wonders. Some of them murderous, but hey, that’s nature, right? Pretty and colorful in some parts, venomous and deadly in others!”
Soul’s shoulders dropped, his expression changing from delight to melancholic sadness. “What a mess we’ve gotten ourselves into, huh?”
“How were we supposed to know we’d be trapped for so long?” Widow muttered.
“Oh, Death knew. It wasn’t like we could do anything about it. She needed our help, we obliged… Personally, I do regret my decision, but it’s too late to turn back now,” Soul said. “How is the old hag, anyway?”
I watched their exchange with sheer astonishment. They hadn’t seen each other in a very long time, and they definitely didn’t care who else was listening. I was basically Death’s eyes and ears in this place, and they both knew it.
“I don’t know, Soul. She won’t talk to me yet. Universal balance and such,” Widow replied, pursing his lips.
Soul feigned disgust. “Ugh, still with that crap?”
“Hey, that crap has kept the world running for eons,” I cut in. “Have a little faith, will you?”
“You try living in this wretched box for as long as I have, Seeley, and then talk to me about faith, okay?” Soul retorted. He quickly changed his demeanor back to a more jovial glow. “Anyway! I look forward to seeing the world, myself! Unfortunately, I can only project myself like this until they pass my puzzles.”
“Since you’re so eager to regain your freedom, why don’t you go easy on the kids, huh?” Widow asked. I was definitely on board with that reasoning, nodding enthusiastically as Soul’s gaze darted between us several times.
“You know I can’t do that,” he finally said. “As much as I’d like to, Death’s spells are annoyingly precise. Universal balance—”
“And all that crap. Jeez,” Widow grumbled.
“I’m not letting them go until they solve the puzzles,” Soul replied. “I can kick ’em out, but what’s the point, right? I’m tired of this stupid, stupid box.”
“It’s not like they can die of old age in there,” Widow said. “The Hermessi are coming for them.”
“I know, honey. That’s why it’s good you’re both here. You can stall those elemental freaks while the kids work their way out of my… masterpieces.” A grin slit Soul’s face. Narcissism at its finest.
“You scare me,” I mumbled, unable to take my eyes off him. “And you can’t bend the rules, even a little, just to let me in? I could help them.”
He laughed a little too hard, as if I’d just said the dumbest joke ever. “Seeley. No. Reapers aren’t allowed to partake in Thieron’s challenges. You know that. Don’t play dumb. It’s insulting.”
“What do we do, then?” Widow asked. “Cover you while you torment them inside that box?”
Soul nodded. “Exactly. Thieron amplifies different abilities in you, me, and Phantom. You got lucky with all the protection mojo, since it allowed you to block out interference from outside forces. I’m gifted in something else entirely.”
“What’s that?” I replied.
He lit up with excitement. Clearly, the Soul Crusher loved talking about himself. “I can play with pockets of time and space. I can manipulate realities, make my own rules, play the part of a god in these little bubbles. It’s how I locked Taeral and his friends in my Zetos box. Unfortunately, that also leaves me more or less defenseless against the Hermessi. Part of the challenge, I guess,” he said, shrugging.
Thunder echoed from above, muted but still loud enough for us to quickly realize that it wasn’t some natural phenomenon. Death had given me an edge for this mission, allowing me to tap into my sentry abilities, which I’d naturally left behind upon entering Reaperhood. She’d thought I’d need everything I could possibly make use of, in order to succeed without upsetting the universal balance. I was now able to look up and use my True Sight. “They’re coming.” I sighed. “The Hermessi.”
“Which ones? Is psycho Brendel among them?” Widow asked.
Soul looked as though he’d chewed on a whole lemon. “Please don’t tell me that wench is here. Ugh, my skin crawls just thinking about her! I can still feel her touch all over me, from when she dismantled Thieron… Ew!”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s with them. We’re in for quite the fight.” Dozens of colorful fireballs shot through the depths of the ocean, headed our way. The Hermessi were made up of raw elemental energy—from their four types, I was most wary of Water here. Fire was weaker, and so was Air. Earth could potentially be a problem, but it all depended on how the Widow Maker and I organized our defensive tasks. “Widow, I’ll focus on Air and Fire. You’re stronger and more experienced than me. I figure you can handle Water and Earth, right?”
“Sure, give me the capable ones.” He grunted. “Chicken.”
“We can switch, if you’d like. I’m just aware of my limitations as a Reaper,” I replied.
Soul giggled. “Seeley’s right.”
Looking up again with my True Sight, I analyzed the enemy as best as I could, judging by the intensity with which they shone. Something caught my eye—a flash of green, coming down from a different direction. It glowed in a peculiar shade of emerald, far brighter than the other Hermessi, except Brendel. Her orange sparkle was almost unaffected by her deep dive. Could that be Fallon and Kabbah?
I would’ve welcomed the assistance.
“Sorry I can’t play with you,” Soul said. “I’m useless on the outside until they release me.”
“Play with us?” I mouthed at Widow, utterly astonished by Soul’s chilling weirdness.
Widow shook his head again. “Don’t ask.”
I could feel the tension rising in the room. The white glowing coral would only protect us for so long. It was up to Widow and me to keep Taeral and the others safe. Death had already allowed me that privilege after the Eirexis episode. She’d been quite specific, actually. She’d said that, no matter what happened, if Taeral and his crew got to pieces of Thieron, I’d have to do everything in my power to keep the Hermessi from stopping them. Thinking back on it now, I realized that Death knew what the challenges were and what they would entail.
Yet she’d never told me about them. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to retrieve Eirexis, Zetos, and Phyla, but I’d had zero clue about the complexity of these tasks. I felt sorry for Taeral, stuck on this quest while his father was held hostage under the Hermessi’s influence, while his whole world was at risk of total annihilation.
I worried about Vesta a lot, and about the Novaks and the rest of the fae in the sanctuary, too. They had it the hardest, barely able to defend themselves against this ritual. At least I was down here, and I was able to do something about it. Unsurprisingly, I had something in common with Widow and Soul—the disdain for this so-called universal balance. More than once I’d considered it antiquated garbage, but I was too insignificant in the greater scheme of things to rebel against it. I feared the potential consequences, though more than once I’d thought about what it would be like to break all the crucial rules of this world…
