On Death's Honor

Chapter 43: The Undesired Companion

"And why is this my problem?"

"Because my wayguard used you to tear me from her grasp." I paused, unable to look at him as I continued. "Up until now, I . . . I kept her from looking at those around me." Those she could use to get to me.

I waited for him to say something, but it seemed like he was waiting for me to elaborate further.

"It is only a matter of time before she seeks you out, if she hasn't done so already. I wanted to ensure that you are aware of the danger."

Then, not wanting to spend a moment more facing a man I hadn't seen in close to fifteen years, I headed towards the front door when a thought came to me.

"By the way, I saw the boy."

I didn't need to see him to know he went stiffer than a beam.

"The boy?"

He knew damn well who I was speaking about.

"I don't know how you did it, Beamol, and quite frankly, I would rather not know what kind of price you had to pay for it. But if I haven't convinced you to mind yourself about the ravtin - her name is Rhoe - then this should. You do not want her to find out about him. It . . . Ravtins can do awful things to those who share their blood."

I barely had my hand on the doorknob when Beamol released a disgruntled sound.

"So that's it?" He accused. "You come into my home fifteen years after you tortured and killed your own sister and nephew, to warn me of a monster that you created, and now you're going to leave - again? Are you still too much of a coward to fight your own demons?"

I shouldn't have laughed. Really. I should have just walked right out the door. Instead, I found myself marching my dumb ass back to the man who very clearly wouldn't mind seeing it in flames, but for some reason, refused to do it, himself.

Oh, if only you knew.

He even let me get right up next to him, no matter that he stood a couple of heads taller than me.

"You would be pleased with the place I'm about to go to - if you must know, I'm literally going to hell," I remarked, not at all bothering to hold back the snark in my tone. "I'm going to try looking for a way to stop Rhoe before she ascends whatever the fuck comes after a ravtin, but as I'm being hunted by the Nevhian God of the Dead, there is a very, very decent chance I won't be alive long enough to take her down with me. So believe me, Beamol, when I say that I would have rather had left you to believe I was dead all this time for centuries more than to be here, but I am tired of paying a price I've paid a thousand times over. I figured the least I could do was warn you."

"Do you think this will atone you?" He said quietly, as if he spoke any louder, something would break. I smiled.

"I wish people would stop assuming I'm seeking forgiveness. This is your chance to prepare, Beamol. Take it - for the boy's sake, at least."

Don't let whatever you had to give for him to be here be in vain.

I took a step back. Then another. It wasn't until I spun around that Beamol sighed, as if already regretting what he was about to say.

"Wait. I'm coming with you."

So Beamol still had a sense of humor, after all.

"Nice joke," I said, continuing my stride.

"There's conflict in the wayfolds - that is how you intend to enter the underworld, is it not?"

I thought of the strange way the wayfolds had reacted the last time I'd passed through there. Shit, did I tell Frenza or anyone else about that?