“Are you sure you’ll be OK here?” Ever asked.

  He didn’t know if he was addressing the question to Mimi or Nyx, but really, it didn’t matter. Nyx had now made herself at home, sitting with her legs crossed beneath her dress. The material really was like nothing Ever had ever seen before. Not only did it seem to contain endless celestial bodies that played tag across her form, the dress itself seemed alive, lengthening, expanding or shortening seemingly on its own.

  Right now it had pooled out, flowing out all over the round, faded rug, almost completely covering it. Mimi lay on her back right in the space in the middle of Nyx’s crossed legs, little legs in the air, her squishy tummy an open invitation for belly rubs, which Nyx was more than happy to oblige.

  Come on, time to go, Death hissed. He sounded a lot more insistent than usual. Ever paused for a second, pulled out his phone and took a photo of his dog looking up lovingly at the primordial goddess. Then he slipped into reaper mode and was whisked away into the night.

  —--

  Death had taken him up and over the tops of the houses. He mimicked Nyx, crossing his legs with the scythe laying across them. If any ghosts floating in the neighborhood below were to look up now, it would seem like Death’s apprentice were flying overhead on an invisible flying carpet.

  So?

  “Mentor?”

  Death tsked somehow, even without a tongue.

  Why is Nyx here?

  “She’s here because it’s winter.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  That’s… no, that’s not the reason.

  “That’s what she told me.”

  She’s here for something else.

  “Mentor, weren’t you the one who told me that the primordials are the ones that decide whether they want to be in our lives or not?

  The invisible spirit vehicle slowed to a stop, suspending Ever a hundred feet in the air.

  That was Chaos.

  “What difference does it make who it is?”

  To this, Death had no response - or a response he didn’t want to give.

  Ever lay back, lacing his hands behind his head. The gales that had blown him home hours ago were long gone. Up here, the air was still.

  The Primordials are not to be trusted.

  Ever watched a lost cloud float by. Just as he was beginning to wonder how long Death would keep him up here for, he started moving again.

  “Who am I reaping tonight, Mentor?”

  Through his mental link, he could sense Death’s relief that the topic had changed.

  We’re almost there.

  Death sped Ever up, making the apprentice reaper sit up in anticipation. Minutes later, he was slowing down again.

  Let me just… line you up here…

  Ever looked down, where blue rectangles glowed far below.

  OK, now change back into human form.

  Ever frowned. “Up here? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go down then–”

  Do you trust me?

  “Yes.”

  Well change then. I’ll tell you when to change back to reaper form. And if worst comes to worst, you’ll splat and come back to the Underworld.

  Ever didn’t like Death’s logic. Still, he obeyed.

  He turned human - and fell.