Page 146 of In Between Death and the Devil

She nodded, stroking Titus’s hand. Then she pulled a chair closer to the bed, plopped down and tugged on my arm until I took the chair next to her. “So, where did you go?”

My gaze fell on the fire. There were no salamanders visible, but I didn’t want this conversation overheard. “Douse the flames first.”

They gave me odd looks, but Fen sent a small stream of shadows to smother the fire.

I waited until only thin wisps of smoke remained. Then I told them everything, how I’d transformed myself into a salamander and run into the fire network, how I’d met one I recognized who was actually Sasha, and how Death created the salamanders after draining trainees and Judges of their power to create spies.

“That bitch,” Daphne said, her eyes wide. “Does she know about Bea?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe. Though if she does, I don’t understand why she’s left Bea alone.”

“If you know who the spy is in your midst, you can watch them and control what information they have access to,” Marcus said with a meaningful glance at Fen. “We should probably assume Death knows.”

Fen got up and walked to the fireplace, anger and frustration radiating off of him. He’d been so proud of sneaking Bea into Death’s castle, and it all might have been for nothing.

“We should pull her out of there,” Daphne said. “The next time Bea comes for training, she doesn’t go back.”

“Agreed,” Fen said.

“What about the fires?” she continued. “Should we douse them all?”

“A big change like that is not going to go unnoticed,” Marcus said.

I nodded. The salamanders would definitely report something like that back to Death.

“Maybe we should spread the word to everyone,” she said. “Let them know to be careful about what they talk about⁠—”

“No.” Fen turned, his expression one of stone. “Someone will likely slip up and mention it. If Death realizes we know about her spies, there’s nothing to keep her from hurting ours. We change nothing outwardly. We watch what we talk about in spaces with a lit fire and find a new room without one to talk about sensitive things.”

“If Bea moves, Death will suspect something,” I said.

A knock at the door brought our conversation to a halt until the Tempter who entered gave Fen a note and left.

“It won’t matter once Bea is safe,” Marcus said as Fen opened the message.

I watched his expression morph from angry to shocked as his eyes moved over the page. “What is it?”

“Death demands your return.” Fen crumpled the letter in one hand.

“That isn’t new,” Daphne said. “She sends that message every other day.”

Fen closed his eyes as if seeking strength, and I shivered at the dread that seeped into our bond.

“Fen?” Marcus said.

Fen’s eyes met mine. “Death has stopped judging souls.”

CHAPTER 38

My heart dropped at Fen’s words. Souls that arrived in the In Between stayed in the Well below Death’s castle until they’d been judged. The constant ebb and flow of them coming and going kept it from getting too crowded, but if Death had stopped judging them it would eventually fill up, putting pressure on the realm. “Completely?”

Fen nodded. “She won’t be sending her trainees to us anymore either.”

“So much for getting Bea out easily,” Daphne said with a scowl.

Fen’s eyes met mine and a grim acknowledgment passed between us. Death had effectively lit a fuse. Though neither of us knew how long it would take, if I didn’t pass the third trial and challenge her soon the realm would reach a breaking point.

“I need to visit the Guardian,” I said, standing.