by Brey Willows
“Well, war isn’t your purview anyway, is it? You take out some of the specific assholes, but you tend to leave politics and military alone. Right?” Dani hesitated, not wanting to sound too sure of herself and step on Meg’s toes.
“For the most part, yeah.” Meg slurped up a noodle, and they laughed when she got sauce on her nose. “Like the gods, there are areas we don’t touch. I mean, melting someone’s brain who was following orders in the military doesn’t seem just. But going after the guys at the top who order shit done doesn’t seem entirely just either, because they haven’t pulled the trigger. Too messy.”
Dani enjoyed the feeling of having Meg in her house while they ate silently together.
Finally, Meg said, “Why haven’t I been here before? All of a sudden, I feel like I’ve been some kind of horrifically negligent friend. Like, when you invite someone out but they never accept, so you stop inviting them. Is that what happened?”
Dani shook her head. “Not at all.” She stopped, trying to find the words to express herself. It had been years since she’d had a private conversation like this. “You’re the first non-death person I’ve had here in a very, very long time.”
“Why?” Meg ate without paying attention, her full focus on Dani.
Dani thought about it, glad that Meg seemed content to wait for an answer. “Have you ever tried to explain to a human what you are?”
“Duh. Of course I have. Way before Selene and Kera came into the picture, but they’re the most recent.”
“So you tell them what you do, right? Your job.”
Meg tilted her head and looked thoughtful. “You mean as opposed to who I am as a person?”
“Exactly. Can you differentiate the two?”
Dani waited for Meg to answer. Nice job. She’s in the house for less than an hour, and you’ve skipped small talk and moved into existential philosophy. Jackass. She looked up from her fried rice when Meg started to speak, her voice quiet.
“When you tell someone what you do, there’s an assumption that’s who you are, as well. And to be honest, I haven’t put much thought into who I am for several centuries. I’m a fury. One of three. When I’m not delivering justice, I enjoy the hell out of life.” She shrugged, looking sad. “At the moment, that’s all I can think of.” She motioned at Dani with her fork. “So? Explain your side of it.”
“I’m Death, Meg. You’re Justice. You’re a powerful, terrifyingly beautiful fury. Your purpose is to make the world better. But me? I take. I never give. When I go to people, their time above ground is gone. When gods see me, they think of two things. I take away their followers, potentially causing the gods to weaken, and, even if they only worry about it a little bit, gods fade and die too. I remind them of that.” Dani swallowed against a lump of emotion. “You and your sisters are the only ones willing to be near me, because you don’t have followers, and you technically can’t die. I can’t tell you how grateful I’ve been for that over the years.”
Meg scooted over on the couch and put her hand over Dani’s, making Dani’s skin warm and tingly. She hoped Meg didn’t feel the strange new energy that had begun to surge through her, the one she felt even when Meg wasn’t around.
“I had no idea. You’ve just always been there with us, part of what we do. I didn’t realize it was so hard.”
“That’s why I never invited you guys to my place. The Deadlands are my home, and I love it here. But I never wanted you guys to see me the way other people do. I didn’t want to lose your friendship.”
Meg drew small circles on Dani’s palm as she spoke. “Tis said the other day she didn’t like it here. That’s what you’re talking about, isn’t it?”
Meg’s touch on her palm was driving her crazy, but nothing short of an apocalypse would make her pull away. “That’s the gist of it, yeah. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and if I want things to change, then I have to figure out how to change them. You said the other day that you liked it down here, so I thought maybe I could start with you.”
Meg turned to straddle Dani’s lap, and Dani had no idea where to put her hands, so she left them on the sofa. She knew Meg was a tactile person. She showed her emotions through touch, often reaching out to someone physically to make her point. Although it felt damn good to have her there, she didn’t place any importance on it. Of course, that didn’t mean desire didn’t surge through her like a forest fire during a drought.
“I’m incredibly honored. Thank you for trusting me. And for the record, I really do like it down here. It feels like…well, it feels like you. Safe, solid.”
Dani wasn’t sure how she felt about that particular description, but having Meg on her lap was keeping her from thinking much at all.
Meg slid off her lap and went to the kitchen to grab a drink, and Dani instantly felt the loss of her warmth but also the return of her ability to think once again.
“You know, I don’t remember what it was like before you. I feel like you’ve been around forever, but you haven’t. I seem to remember an old guy who smelled funny and wasn’t nearly as sociable as you.”
Dani finished the last of her rice and piled the dishes on the table, as much to clean up as to give her hands something to do. “This isn’t a forever position. Eventually, you get tired of living separate, and your term comes to an end. There’s always a second, and third, in training to take over the head position when the time comes. I took the position not long before the three of you took up your duties, when old Aeron finally retired. Idona is my right hand, and my friend. She’ll take over when I’m done.”
Meg sat on the arm of the sofa. “Are you thinking of retiring soon? Does Death die? I’ve never even thought about it. Funny how you get wrapped up in your own work and you fail to notice the way other people’s departments run. I hope you don’t think I don’t care.”
She looked so concerned it made Dani’s heart swell to think someone actually wanted to know more. “I’m not going to retire yet, but I do want to change some things, and I think now might be my chance. And no, Death doesn’t die. In a way, we’re a bit like the pre-faders. As soon as we give up the post, we can choose what to do. We can go live among the humans, although they always feel a little weird around us, or we can retire to any one of the religious areas. Or we can stay here in the Deadlands.”
Meg laughed so hard she snorted soda and started to cough. With her eyes watering she said, “Please tell me you’ve got a retirement community of old Deaths somewhere.”
Dani grinned. “Two, actually. One is here in the Deadlands, down by Crater Lake. Nice place, lots of grass and golf. The other is in San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico. Gorgeous place with perfect weather, and the Mexicans have a different relationship with death than a lot of countries, so our retirees can relax there without the humans freaking out much.”
“How long do most people stay in your post? I can’t really remember anyone other than you and Mr. Smelly Grumpy Pants.” Meg cleaned the soda off Dani’s couch.
“It depends on how long you can take it. Most everyone does at least a hundred years, though there have been some who couldn’t hack it and didn’t make it that long. We serve as death crew for hundreds of years before we’re even considered for a promotion, and that gets taken into account too. As far as I know, I’m the longest running Head of Death in history.” Dani tried to keep the pride out of her voice, not wanting to sound vain, but she was proud of her long service record.
“That’s amazing.” Meg grinned. “I mean, we’ve been doing our jobs for thousands of years, but your record is even more impressive.”
Dani laughed and threw a napkin at her. “You get to do lots of fun stuff too. That takes the edge off, doesn’t it?”
Meg sighed. “Yeah, it does. That’s part of why I’m damn determined to enjoy everything. We see enough of the ugly stuff. Alec has always dealt with it well, but I know Tis had a really hard time last year. In fact, she probably felt a lot of what you’ve just described. But since we were kids I knew I didn�
��t want to take life so seriously.” She flopped onto the couch and rested her chin on her fists. “We choose what we want out of life. I want it to be fun. I want sex, good food, friends, laughter, and anything else that makes me feel spectacular.”
Dani watched as emotions Meg didn’t voice flashed through her eyes. What she was saying was one thing, but she was feeling something else. Dani wouldn’t pry, though. It wasn’t her place.
“I guess it’s kind of what you were saying about not being your job. Everything I do outside of work is me. The other stuff is just work. I’ve just never really sat down to differentiate the two.” Meg grinned and raised her eyebrows. “I’m a fun-loving fury who takes out the bad guys as a day job, and then devours everything life has to give when I’m off. Maybe it’s not much to other people, but it’s enough for me.”
Meg’s phone buzzed, and she jumped up to answer it, leaving Dani to ponder what she’d said. There was more to Meg than most people knew, maybe even more than Meg herself knew. If we spend enough time together, maybe I can get her to see how amazing she is.
Meg hung up and grabbed a fortune cookie. “Work calls, Dark and Deadly. I’d better get back.”
Dani grabbed her keys off the table, but Meg held up a hand to stop her. “No need to drive me. Just point me up the right road, and I’ll fly. I’d like to see a bit more of your territory.”
Disappointed in not being able to spend more time with Meg, but not wanting to push it, she set her keys down. “No problem. And if you ever want a personal tour, let me know. I’d love to show you around.”
Dani opened the door and walked to the edge of the driveway with Meg. She waved her hand and a narrow road appeared to their right. “Fly straight up this road, and it’ll take you to the back gate of Afterlife.”
Meg turned and wrapped Dani in a strong hug, even draping her brilliant red wings around her. Stunned, she pulled Meg close and breathed in the spicy scent of her shampoo.
“Thank you for letting me in,” Meg said quietly.
“Thank you for coming in.” Dani reluctantly let her go and watched as Meg flapped her wings and lifted into the air.
“Selene is having a get-together this weekend. Come with me?”
Dani winced. “Are you sure?”
Meg rolled her eyes and flew higher. “If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have asked. I’ll meet you at my place, and we’ll go together.” She did a little flip in the air, making Dani smile. “I’m off to be a worker bee.” She waved and flew off down the road.
Dani shoved her hands in her pockets as she watched Meg fly off, like the most beautiful hummingbird ever created. Did she mean go with her as a date? Am I meeting her at her place so we can go together, together? Or am I reading too much into it? Though Meg’s sexual exploits and adventurous nature were legendary at Afterlife, in three thousand years she’d never made a pass at Dani. Surely that says it all.
Regardless, the thought of their relationship, whatever realm that was in, taking a new direction was breathtakingly exciting. Change is coming. I can feel it.
Chapter Four
Meg circled the little farmstead in Northern California, taking note of the long grapevines and small wine tasting center behind the main house. She loved this area, but the smell of death clouded her senses, and she shifted to her most primal self.
The call from work had been to check out a possible mass death scene. But as with more and more work calls lately, the details had been vague. She scanned the location but didn’t see anything unusual outside. She dropped lower, still circling, and then caught the scent of something other than death. Fear tinged with desperation and confusion underpinned the rest, something she usually felt only in war-torn areas. She hissed and landed outside the main house. She could feel it emanating from inside like a sound wave crashing against her. She opened the front door. Her feathers tingled, and her snakes hissed softly.
The living room was gorgeous, with floor to ceiling windows that let in the sunlight California offered plenty of. Now, however, that light only served to illuminate the fifteen bodies lying in the middle of the room, their bare feet forming a perfect circle and their arms crossed over their chests. Next to each of them sat an empty cup.
Meg searched, but there didn’t seem to be anyone left alive. She lowered her wings, confused. The furies were only called out when there was someone to punish. Mass death scenes like this weren’t all that uncommon in history, but if the leader of the group didn’t chicken out, then there wasn’t anyone to take the blame. There was no reason for her to be here, yet…something definitely wasn’t right. She walked around the bodies, careful not to disturb any, and looked out the big windows at the back.
Instantly, her wings were up and her snakes at attention. Her fangs extended, and she nearly pushed the windowpane from the frame to get outside.
Dis stood in the clearing by the grapevines, staring back at her. Horus, the Egyptian god of war, stood beside her, his bird eyes intense and unblinking. Dis waved and plucked a grape from the vine. She popped it in her mouth and made a show of enjoying it.
Meg opened the back door and flew to within a few feet of them. “What have you done?”
“What I do. Their confusion called to me, and I came and had a chat with them. They were already lost. I just moved them along a little. No point in them hanging around, is there?” She plucked another grape.
“Why was I called?” Meg needed to keep her temper in check, something she’d never been good at. But Dis was the oldest being in form, and there was no telling what kind of powers she had. The last thing Meg wanted was to become space dust. The fact that Horus was looking solid and way too glowy was interesting and something she’d be sure to share with Afterlife.
“Well, I suppose because someone was behind these silly beings’ departure. The fact that it’s me, and there’s nothing you can do about that, makes the situation quite humorous, really.”
“You can’t go around killing humans.” Meg wasn’t sure that was true but felt it should be said.
“Of course not. What would be the fun in that? No, the fun comes from getting them to do it themselves. All I have to do is nudge the fear, heighten the confusion within them, and they’ll do all kinds of things of their own volition. When the gods began to walk among the humans, they sowed the seeds of doubt and the kind of awe humans aren’t equipped to deal with. I water those seeds and see what happens next. Exciting, isn’t it?”
Horus, silent the whole time, held out his hand to Meg. “With a fury beside us, we could change the world. Destroy it and rebuild it as something far greater.”
Meg flapped her wings hard, blowing wind at them. “Not a chance, beakface. Destroying humans isn’t what we’re here to do.”
He shook his head and lowered his outstretched hand. “Not true, vengeful one. You destroy those who hurt others for no reason. In this age, that’s all humans are doing. Hurting one another, from their rulers to their neighbors. They must be taken in hand, controlled. They must be taught respect and fear so that we can restore them to their rightful place beneath the gods. Only then will they function peacefully once more.”
Meg laughed. “Have you forgotten that you need them more than they need you? Haven’t you only just come back?” The lack of expression on his hawk face was disconcerting. She hated not being able to tell what someone was feeling.
“Even more reason to remind them of what we are. Make sure they’ll never forget again. You see what they’ve become without true belief. They’re despicable, spiteful creatures. They created us so they’d have someone to trust in, someone to guide them. And that’s what we’ll do, once we cleanse the earth of those too weak to live.” Horus tilted his head, his beakface expression unreadable.
Dis sighed dramatically and took his hand. “I’m bored now, and I can feel others calling to me. Lovely to see you, as always.”
And just like that, they were gone. No tunnels, no wings. Just gone. They left an invisible void where they
’d been, as though the air itself had been wounded. Meg lowered her wings and relaxed slightly. I really hate that woman. And he creeps me out.
She moved back toward the house, unsure what to do next. Should she head back to the office and report? What should she do with the bodies? Just when she decided she’d head back to headquarters to talk to Zed and Kera, a portal opened a few feet away, and one of the death crew stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.
Meg vaguely remembered seeing this one before, but when their paths crossed with anyone from Dani’s team, everyone was usually embroiled in whatever was going on at the scene, and they rarely had time to talk. It seemed surreal to see one of the crew in a setting so serene. Meg waved and the woman came over.
“Hey there. I’m Idona.” She reached out to shake Meg’s hand.
Dani’s next in line. “Nice to meet you. I’m Meg.” Idona’s laugh was deep and throaty, just the kind that turned Meg on.
“Believe me, everyone knows who the furies are. Nice to meet you in person, though. Dani has told me a lot about you.”
Meg’s stomach flipped slightly at the thought of Dani talking about her. “I’m sure most of it’s true.” She grinned and looked Idona over. She was sexy in that afterlife unreal kind of way. Her pale skin glowed, and her light blue, nearly white eyes were captivating. Like Dani’s. Her long, thick black hair hung to her waist. I wonder if she and Dani have ever—
Idona cleared her throat slightly, and Meg smiled at being caught perusing. The tiny flare of jealousy caught her by surprise, and she quickly squelched it.
“So, what do we have here? The dispatch info didn’t have a lot.”
Meg came back to the moment and grimaced. “It’s not a good one, and I think we’ll find more like it as time goes on. Come on.” They walked into the house.
Idona frowned and walked around the circle of bodies. “No souls.” She stopped and knelt beside a young woman. She held her hand over the girl’s forehead for a long moment, and Meg was fascinated when she saw a faint shimmer beneath Idona’s hand, which got stronger as Idona slowly pulled her hand away. She cupped the light with her other hand and gently pulled it all the way out. She held it carefully and glanced at Meg. “Can you unhook my bag from my shoulder?”
