Death's Ledger

Chapter 17 - Human Again

The clouds had gone dark; they stretched as far as I could see. It wasn't long before I started to fold myself gradually into Gabriel, leaning in as he put his arm around me, his hand resting on my arm. I rubbed my hands together briskly. I shut my eyes as he found his place against the trunk of my tree, encouraging my body to nuzzle against his. I was sure I could feel tingles from the contact all the way down to my toes. No matter how alone I felt, nothing could beat the comfort of Gabriel's strong chest against my cheek. So I just stayed there. I needed it. I needed to be held and told that everything was going to be alright. No words, just silence. Comfortable, perfect silence that accompanied his usual emptiness.

I rubbed my forehead and slowly opened my eyes. The sun was rising now, shining a warm yellow as it filtered through the branches, casting light and dark shadows across our bodies.

Looking down at me, Gabriel gently brushed the hair back from my face. "Do you feel better?" he said in a low voice.

I nodded. My fear became liquid, slowly ebbing away from my body. In its place was hurt and sorrow at the thought of Blaire leaving me to my own devices. And the sad realization that I might never see her again. In just a matter of seconds, my best friend was gone.

Our fingers intertwined, our hands coming together, palm to palm. I let out a long slow breath and slowly reached out with my other hand, skimming my fingers down his arm, his elbow, bringing it back up to his shoulder. There was still one little detail that didn't make sense, and I had to ask Gabriel about it. "How do you know Nolan Woods?"

"We were enemies."

I stared at his expression, noting the lines of anxiety at the corners of his eyes. "Were?"

"Nolan's a jerk." He shrugged, his eyes lit up when he flashed his famous grin. "He's not what he seems. We're early collectors, so enmity is natural for us. We tried to eliminate each other for what we both believed was right at the time. But this place is like a prison. There's a bond that holds us all together. No one gets in or out without us knowing."

"Was Nolan one of the early collectors that opposed Death?" I asked.

"He didn't oppose her. He wanted to take her place," he explained. I felt a sudden shift in the room, a new feeling in the air. "And he's bitter that she refused to elevate him to such prestige. Nolan is reckless and irresponsible. He wanted the spotlight, he wanted to be in charge. You know what his biggest issue was? He didn't have humility. He was upset when she made it clear that she wanted someone else to replace her when the time came for her to cross over."

This had me wonder if just maybe that was part of why Nolan was so interested in Gabriel coming back.

"The problem with her transition is that it created mistrust and paranoia. We've been on shaky ground ever since."

I jutted out my chin. "I don't believe that."

"You don't want to believe it," he corrected. "Sage, practically all collectors want to be in charge of the show. We're typically power-hungry creatures."

"No, I don't." Because it seemed wrong to me. Why would I want that kind of responsibility? "You have to admit there are some holes in this story. And it doesn't explain why you've been avoiding this side of town for so long." I raised an eyebrow. "So what happens now? From what I've heard, there's a new Death in town and no one likes him. What are you going to do?"

He looked at me as if those questions had never occurred to him. "Why do I have to do anything?" he finally asked. "I like it here. There's no need to change the way I am. What's important is there are a lot of Shades trying to track you down right now. We can't hide for long. We'll find your lost soul and get your answers. For now, we have to be careful and assume that you're being watched very closely."

Sighing, I raked a hand through my hair. "What about Blaire? If Nolan hates you so much, do you think he'll use her to get to us?"

"He's not cunning enough." Then deciding to change the subject, Gabriel asked, "That reminds me, we never got to finish our conversation from earlier. You were supposed to tell me everything about you."

"Oh?" I said, letting the tension in my shoulders ease. A wave of warmth released down my arms and hands and I flashing him a smile. "You probably never will."

Gabriel studied me with amusement in his dark gaze. "I'll keep that in mind next time you need rescuing."

He had me there. "Ask me something, then," I said, challenging him.

"Why are you always in this tree?" he asked curiously, a warm smile playing about on his lips.

"I died here," I said simply, comfortable in his presence. "I died on this lousy street, so I can't help drifting back here."

Gabriel's expression remained unchanged. As if he'd heard this story before. "Do you remember how?"

"Bits and pieces," I replied quietly, lowering my eyes to the ground below us. "I'm not sure if I want to recount it. It was painful."

I imagined Gabriel could sense that I was uncomfortable with his questions. "Sage, I'm sorry. Collectors are terrible conversationalists. I should let you get some rest."

"Okay," I said weakly, feeling the exhaustion now that all of the adrenaline had fully worn off.

"I'm here now. Rest." I closed my eyes as he pulled me to him, wrapping me tighter in his arms. All the emotion and terror from almost losing him and my escape from Nolan washed over me. I fell into him, pressing my face against his chest. Could he really be here, holding me in his arms, solid, alive, and not a dream that could just disappear?

When I slept, my mind turned into circles, denying me the rest I craved. I whimpered in protest but it was too late. The Horrible Forest beckoned, a shimmering nightmare waiting to suck me in and drag me down.