Tricking Death

Chapter 28 - The Rough Part of Town

"I thought that would be obvious. Someone has been listening in on our conversation. How much more clear could I possibly get?" 

"How is that possible? Were you followed? Who would even bother following you all the way here?"

"Watch what you say. Accusing me is not a smart move." 

"I know I wasn't followed, so it must have been you getting careless, as usual. I don't get how you've managed to stick around this long with how often you screw up." 

My heartbeat was still racing through my chest and I had my hands clamped over my mouth to stop myself from making any kind of noise. With how angry both of them sounded and what I had already overheard, I was more than a little afraid for what might happen next. I had never done anything like this before, and I had no idea how Death might react to finding me here. I wanted to see what was going on or try and move from my hiding place, but it was impossible to make any kind of movement. I didn't know where they were looking or what they were doing, only the argument they were having. 

"I'll deal with you later for that remark. I'm getting rather tired of you constantly questioning my judgment out of jealousy, Serena." 

"I-Is that you? Did you- Am I not stuck talking to that bastard Thaddeus any more?" 

"Shut up." 

"It is you! I knew it! Please, just-"

"Not another word. As I just said, I will deal with you later. What part of 'this conversation is not private' do you not understand? That means keep quiet." 

"I have kept quiet for so long! I'm-" 

The sound of a slap reverberated through the warehouse, interrupting whatever my great aunt was trying to say, though I didn't hear any other kind of movement. Serena finally fell silent. 

"Maybe now I can finally think," I heard Death mutter, followed by the sound of shoes moving across the dirty floor. I could only assume that it was him moving, and it terrified me that the sound of his footsteps were coming closer to my hiding place with every passing second. 

My body decided to move before I did, moving as quietly and quickly as possible to the next pillar, buying me only a little bit more time.

"You might as well come out now. I know you're there." 

Instead of responding or even listening to his suggestion, I kept moving, trying to work my way back to the entrance of the warehouse. 

"C'mon, Emily. You know this is futile." His voice was soft, cajoling, but there was an edge underneath it. "I'll be less angry with you if you just stop this foolish game right now." 

"You let her follow you here? How the hell-" Serena started to shriek again, but was cut off by the sound of another echoing slap. 

"I told you to be quiet," he hissed at Serena before turning his attention back to me. I had no idea how he had managed to figure out that it was me in the warehouse, unless he had somehow managed to see me without me realizing. "Emily, please, I'm not in the mood to play games right now. Just come out."

Instead of listening to him, I slipped to the next pillar, trying to figure out how much further I had to go until I was back at the entrance. 

"Emily..." The mark on my chest started to flare with heat, and I hissed a little in pain. "I want you to think very carefully about what it is that you're doing right now, and whether it's what you really want."

I slipped behind the next pillar. And the next. Before I knew it, the cold night air was hitting me full-on in the face, and I was running back in the direction that I vaguely remembered coming from in a panic brought on by what I had overheard, and by the anger I knew would inevitably be waiting for me later.