“This is how I want to go,” I tell him, eyes closed.
“Giving up? Solid plan.” He’s agitated, which makes no sense given his job is to take my soul into the afterlife. Shouldn’t he be ready for me to die?
I crack open one eye to glare at him. “Giving up? I’ve fought for five years. Besides, isn’t your job to take my soul to the afterlife? If I don’t die, you can’t do your job.”
“Doesn’t mean I want you to die.”
“You don’t even know me.”
He shrugs and moves around the bed to plop down beside me. “I get good vibes from you.”
Snorting, I shake my head. “Good vibes, huh?”
“Yep.”
We fall into silence, and even as I don’t want to admit it, the warmth of his body next to me brings me comfort. As if he can sense it, he scoots a bit closer until his side is pressing against mine.
“I promise to keep watch over you—even if I do think you’re being a stubborn ass.”
I smile. “Thank you.” My eyes grow heavy, so I close them and yawn. “Hey, how come no one else can see you?”
“I don’t technically exist in this world,” he tells me. “Therefore, I get to choose who sees me and who is unaware of my presence.”
“Must be nice for bad hair days,” I joke, though it comes out more as a cringe-worthy attempt than humor-inducing.
“Something like that,” he replies. “Nice of your friend to bring you here.”
“Wally? Yeah. He’s a nice man.”
“You said you’ve known him for a while?”
“A year or so?” I reply, my mind drifting in and out of focus. “Something like that. Why?”
“Just trying to figure him out.”
“He’s a good guy.”
He murmurs something I can’t quite hear.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. Get some sleep before that pain medicine wears off. Once it does, you’re going to wish you’d stayed at the hospital. But don’t worry. Your friendly neighborhood reaper is willing to make a drug run for you.”
I know he’s right, that my decline is going to be fast, painful, and make me long for a quick death, so I don’t argue. And as I drift off, I smile and focus all of my attention on Rafferty. His face swims to the front of my memory, and I take a deep, steadying breath.
Rafferty.
* * *
“Are you warm enough?”Rafferty asks, his voice a deep baritone right beside my ear.
Goosebumps appear on my skin, though it has nothing to do with the storm raging just outside the cavern. “I am, thank you.”
His fingers run down my arm. “I want to save you.”
“Save me? From what?”
“From everything that would cause you pain.”