Page 121 of Reaper's Quest

My body burned with exhaustion and pain, and sweat covered my skin. If only I had a hairband to pull my hair up and away from my skin. Or a beautiful shower of cold water falling over me.

At each junction, my torch found Winter’s chalked arrow on the wall, informing me of the correct direction. I thanked the reaper gods he had not only thought to mark the way but had done so efficiently.

I spoke words of encouragement, hoping he could hear me and would rally against the affliction. When the words became too many and they began to feel empty, I switched tostories. Without mentioning what I was or what I was born to do, I imparted stories about family and friends, things I’d done and places I’d been.

I had no idea how much time had passed since we had embarked on our mission to explore the underground, but the journey back took an eternity. No doubt, my exhaustion, the one-way conversation, and Winter’s dead weight played huge roles.

And, of course, my own weakened state.

Just keep your focus on one more small step, followed by another, then another. Don’t stop. Keep going.

By the time I managed to pull Winter into view of the steps leading to the pub’s hidden entry, my back and legs felt more rubber than muscle, my flesh blistered from the heat burning inside of me, and my mouth beyond parched—the skin of water drained forever ago.

“We’re here,” I said to him, my voice a breathless croak as I gently set his upper body upon the ground.

He’d been nothing more than dead weight the entire time. And my words were less to reassure him than they were meant to lift my own spirits, hopefully give me an energy burst.

I’d appreciate any extra energy.

I tore and crumpled a few pages from the notebook, then I used the matches found in the canvas bag to set them on fire. Nothing in the tunnels looked like I could use it as tinder, so I tossed the burning paper balls several feet in either direction, giving Winter a touch of light while I retrieved help.

Leaving him in the dark felt wrong, but the pages wouldn’t burn for long, so I would have to be quick.

“I’ll be right back.” I shoved the notebook into my pocket, weakly patted his chest, pushed to a stand, and dragged my body up the stairs—slower than I would have preferred.

A long while had passed since I’d last eaten, but still, my stomach roiled, threatening to expel what little I had left in my system.

I shoved my electric lantern into my pocket and called out for Aoes before I pushed the sliding shelf free of the hidden entrance. By the time I set foot in the pub’s storage space, Aoes shoved through the door and past supplies to get to me.

“What is it?” He reached out and grabbed my elbow, helped support me upright. “Where’s Winter?”

“He’s at the bottom of the stairs. He’s?—”

My throat closed up. I didn’t want to admit to the fact that Winter had been afflicted…and it was my fault for dragging him down there.

I swallowed hard, attempting to wet my throat and mouth. “He needs help. We’ll need to carry him.”

Aoes’s eyes widened, and his face blanched. “By the gods. What happened?”

In the doorway behind him, Earl shuffled into view, his glossy stare swinging past me to the opening at my back and the stairs descending into the tunnel.

Without acknowledging his presence, I turned to climb back down the stairs.

I grabbed Aoes’s arm, dragging him with me. “Come on. You and I can carry him up to a room.”

We needed to get Winter into a bed and get someone to attend to him. I could rest after he healed. I made thatpromise to myself, even if my body fought the desire to collapse right here on the steps.

Aoes tightened his grip on my arm and hauled me to a stop.

I glowered at him. I needed to go, needed to get to Winter, and yet, in my exhaustion, Aoes’s hold easily delayed me.

He shook his head. “You’re in no shape to help carry anything, much less a man of Winter’s stature. Let us handle the lifting, and you take a breather.” He glanced over his shoulder to Earl. “Get us some discreet muscle, Earl.”

Earl’s head bobbed, and he disappeared into the pub.

“Come on.” With a gentle tug on my elbow, Aoes directed me to sit on one of the barrels shoved against the adjacent shelving.

Even though my inner drive pushed me to keep going for Winter’s sake, my body ached everywhere and wanted to rest, so I allowed him to steer me to a seat.