CHAPTER 115

"Allow me." Death crossed the room and used bony fingers to try and shove Lily's tongue back into her head.

Distracted by the sight, Beth let out a laugh.

"Ith noth fanny," Lily protested, then tried to bite Death's fingers when they slid past her lips. She was now slapping her hands on Death's bony skull while he scowled at her.

"You should stop being a cunt and hold still," he told her. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, allowing him to successfully shove her tongue back inside.

"Death!" Beth just stared at the Reaper.

"I already knew what that word meant," he explained. "If it's a four-letter word, I've heard it from Tinker Radley."

When the laughter came, Beth couldn't stop. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she doubled over with her hands on her stomach. She leaned back on the desk and did her best to ignore the dirty look Lily was giving her.

"Impothible, both of hue." She stormed out of the office but clipped the frame of the door with her shoulder. "Fack!"

"So impolite," Death muttered. "Of everybody, she should appreciate a good stuffing the most."

"Death!" Surprised to hear Death's sass, Beth moved next to him. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No. No, I am not." He glared at the sitting room, his gaze locked on the window to the front yard. "I find myself in an impossible situation that could determine the fate of not only the world but my friends as well. I have very much come to appreciate all that the mortal world has to offer. Your stories fascinate me, and I find our interactions delightful. My siblings would take all of this away from me, and I see no solution. I cannot leave, and they refuse to."

"I'm sorry." Despite knowing it would feel like smashing her funny bone, she put her hand firmly on his shoulder and felt her entire arm zing. "I wish I could help more."

"It is not your fault, Viceroy Bethany. These are tough times, but the worst is yet to come."

"You mean when we have no plan and they win?" She shivered at the thought, then added, "and I don't like Viceroy."

"No. If they win, it will be awful, but that isn't the worst of it." He walked over to the desk and picked up an empty cup. "I am almost out of tea. By my best estimates, the end of the world will come shortly after I run out. I will be forced to confront the horrors of the future with nary a drop to soothe my being."

Beth groaned and sat in a nearby chair. "Honestly, you're worried about tea? Everything else doesn't bother you?"

"I am the manifestation of an entity with but one purpose," he explained. "Please understand that it may make me one-dimensional at times, but I am growing. I like how it gives me warmth and comfort from within, for these are things I have never experienced on my own. Unlike my siblings, I have learned that there is value in the pursuit of experiences."

She thought about his words for a moment as he pondered the empty mug. "Do you think we could convince them of the same?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I differ from them. You see, they thrive on human misery. You can not have war without misery, or famine without hunger. Pestilence is, at best, neutral in their feelings. I, however, am misunderstood.

"I am a bringer of peace. When I reap, it is to take away the pain and suffering. If I have any regret, it's that I often leave sadness in my wake. Consider my relationship with my siblings. What they create is awful, and I am the one left to take it all away once they're done. I think that some people understand, but it isn't enough. The longer I'm here, the more I realize that I have been lonely."

She nodded, then took her hand off his shoulder. Her entire arm was now numb.

"And do you know what's really weird? I miss my friend. Mike Radley is my best friend. Do you know what he said to me when we met? He invited me, Death, into his home. Gave me tea and maps to enjoy. Treated me with kindness." The molten flames inside of his skull dimmed. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"While I was standing outside watching for my brothers, I got the feeling that he was standing by my side. I know he wasn't, but it felt like I could reach out and touch him. Is that what it feels like for you? When someone is gone, I mean."

She nodded.

"When the feeling faded, I felt alone again. It shouldn't bother me, but it did. I have more feelings for one mortal than I do for my own siblings." Death sighed, a dry sound that was reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. "I have unloaded many burdens on you. Thank you for helping me carry them."

"No problem."

He tapped the side of his cup. "I don't suppose you have any bottled water stashed away, do you? Even if I can't heat it up, I can pretend it's warm. Or maybe Lily can cook it with her magic."

Beth chuckled. "You really are obsessive, aren't you?"

Death nodded. "I prefer the term 'goal-oriented.' It is the one thing I have in common with my siblings. Our desires are so singular that we become blind to other possibilities. I am grateful that I have learned to think laterally, otherwise, I would still be stuck looking at maps."

She smiled. Death's map phase had definitely been her favorite. It had been a way for him to internalize all the places he had been while reaping souls, which was practically everywhere. The natural progression from there had been learning to read. If only she had a way to convince the other horsemen that fun could still be had without the Apocalypse.