Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 110034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
The sphere spun and spun, though I could barely see it in the dark. Then it started to glow. It wasn’t like the light from a sunmoonstone sphere, rather it was like the glass was becoming visible, illuminated from within.
And in the spinning yellow glass of shimmering rainbows, I saw my father.
Like Bell had warned me, it was only for a few seconds. But those few seconds were enough, for now.
I saw my father’s face. He was talking to someone, but I couldn’t see who. There was green grass in the background, which was confusing because I thought it was winter back in Finland, but who knows how time is behaving now that I’ve been in this world.
My father didn’t look upset. He wasn’t mad. He was in deep conversation and he seemed deeply concerned. That was all I got of him until the sphere stopped spinning. I tried again immediately, got another glimpse of him before the spinning stopped. On my third attempt I couldn’t get an image of him at all.
Still, I fell asleep last night feeling heart-warmed. Not just from seeing my father’s face again, knowing that he’s still alive and well enough, but I thought back to what Death had told me while we laid in the ship’s cabin. He had tossed out the idea of having my father live here with us. Now, I’m not sure if that’s what he meant or not, but if it was…
It nearly made me cry. I never thought Death would consider it. It was never part of our bargain. But the more time I spend with him, the more our lives start to intertwine for good, I’m starting to think—to hope—that the bargain might not matter anymore.
Maybe I’m what’s starting to matter.
Naturally, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I know we’ve gone about everything ass backwards. I was forced to marry a God to fulfil a contract, love was never part of the picture. We didn’t even like each other much. And even though love isn’t in the picture yet, we’ve grown closer. Even this morning when I was lying beside him, I felt something strong in my chest, beating against me like wings, trying to get out. It was immense and hot and scary. It was a feeling I’d never had before, not for him, nor for anyone.
Is that what love is? Is it a bird in your chest, trying to break free?
“You ready, Hanna?” the God of Death calls to me from the stairs. More and more he’s calling me Hanna. He says my name sometimes like it’s a sacred prayer, a spell to be invoked. When we’re in the throes of passion, when he’s deep inside me, he says it like he’s asking me to ascend into the skies to live forever.
“I think so,” I tell him. We finished our dinner twenty minutes ago and the guests are feeling pretty good with all the cardamom liquor that’s been going around. I’ve been standing in the main hall with everyone, talking with Tellervo about her absent brother, the hunter, Nyyrikki. That shocked the hell out of me when Tuoni announced that he’d actually consider him to take over the ferryman duties. Judging by the look on Tuonen’s face, he’d shocked his son too.
Death appears on the stairs, with his Shadow Self behind him, dressed identically.
“Vittu Perkele,” Tapio swears from behind me, staring up at the two Deaths. “What is going on here?”
“Magic,” Death says, and even though he has his mask on I can hear his arrogant smile. He gestures to himself who then gestures right back to him. If I wasn’t so used to seeing them (feeling them) together, it would be a total headfuck. “Everyone, may I introduce you to my Shadow Self. He’ll be accompanying me to the Bone Match tonight.”
Are you sure that’s a good idea? Sarvi asks, anxiously swishing its tail.
“Father,” Tuonen says in a low voice, “the last time you brought him out, things got a little weird. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“When was the last time he brought him out?” I ask Tuonen.
“It’s a long story,” Tuonen says tiredly, giving me a dismissive wave like it’s a “you had to be there” kind of story. Oh, I’ll be getting that one from my husband.
“It’s much better this time around,” Death says to him, coming over to me. “I found out a way to perfect him. Something I didn’t do last time. A magic trick.”
I give him a warning look, like oh my god, please don’t tell your guests that your magic trick was that you had to fuck yourself.
His eyes glitter darkly at me from under the sockets of his mask but he doesn’t say anything. He turns to everyone else. “The journey to the city will be fast when we take the passage. Hanna and I will ride at the front on Sarvi. My Shadow Self will be with the rest of you in the carriage. Tuonen will bring up the rear.”