Death was having the worst nightmare of his life. The sky was blood red, screams of tortured souls hammering his eardrums from every direction. Maggots wriggling inside the empty sockets of fresh carcasses, the stench of older decaying skeletons, a skull crushed with each step forward. He saw a kingdom ablaze, dragons flying in the black clouds and ripping peasants in half.

  Was this a nightmare? Of course not. For Death, ‘twas pleasant, he felt at peace with what he knew—then the real scary stuff came, the blood and skulls fell away to show a red carpet scattered with petals, a tune of harps and flute as a sparkling rainbow glimmered above. Doves, bees, the frogs croaking a symphony of their own as they hopped between the benches laden with clear faces all clapping for Death as he walked the aisle. A woman in a white dress, white flowers woven from the finest of silk, dark feathers worn on her arms and neck. He lifted the wedding veil and saw the face of Snow, bearing the red eyes he held himself.

  “What’s wrong, Death, don’t you love me?”

  He tried to speak but his throat sealed shut, an invisible hand choking him. His soul left his body, and he watched a shell of his own self take Snow’s hand. “I do,” he said.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” a voice said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

  Death awoke with a sweat after his unwilling lips pressed gently against Snow in his dream. He took slow breaths through his nose, checking whether he woke his companions—Snow cuddled his arm, sound asleep, whilst Rica was on the furthest edge with deep snores that rattled the mattress.

  How such a tiny woman can make such a ruckus is beyond me, I need to escape this bed, that nightmare has shook me more than I will ever admit aloud. I need something to eat, some water, parched are my lips and hungry is my soul.

  He removed Snow’s arm like it was a slumbering animal, then quietly moved to the kitchen of Finnso’s home. A canteen of water quenched his first, he opened the window and watched the snow. The rubble had settled, no more fires, eerily quiet.

  An entire battle happened here hours ago, now it just looks like a deserted town in the middle of nowhere, Death thought. He leaned on the doorframe to the main room and saw Vera and Beion cuddled together on the couch, looking peaceful. Vera’s clothes and ribbons were strewn across the floor. Stupid fox, all that talk about hating cambions and you fell into degeneracy just from a tiny bit of attention. I need to find the source of the arousal, it has to be unnatural, this path will end with that traitorous succubus.

  He felt his hands shaking from the cold. He was disgusted by his own body reacting to the elements. Damn this body… the confidence I had when I left my tomb has gone, my mind has finally dwindled down to the tragic state of my flesh, I am the most mortal immortal to ever exist.

  A thought that he may still be stuck inside Aleirica’s mind from before his battle with Aleion stabbed him quick, his heartbeat sped up, his fists clenching, eyes burning with rage.

  “Watcha doin’,” Snow sang quietly. She cocooned herself in the bedsheet like a caterpillar, hopping to him and using his shoulder as her new cushion. “Can’t run from me even when I’m asleep, my body knows when my husband leaves me.” She gave a wide yawn and moaned in tiredness. “Come back to bed, I stole the sheet from Aleirica too, it’s so cold even a cambion would wake up.”

  “I didn’t wake you, why are you awake?” Death whispered.

  “Eh… maybe it’s instinct, in Sekoi I was usually up before dawn to steal, would talk to myself like a wacko, no need to do that when I’ve got you, my big scary conqueror, all mine. So, watcha doin’ out here huh? Lonely? Need me to warm you up with my hands and my kisses?”

  “Not at all,” Death said drily, his heart now calmer. “Does it not feel odd that such destruction of a city brought not one scream?”

  “Nope,” Snow said. “They had basements like that in Sekoi, I was in there for days with some creepy guy who kept looking at me like he wanted to beat me with a stick. They’ll have no idea their homes are destroyed—the people in the castle, I’m not so sure about that, the blizzard always claims houses though.”

  “It just annoys me,” Death said. “I should’ve been the one who caused the devastation. Me, Snow, not that cambion, I am supposed to be a conqueror. I came from everything, and now I have nothing.”

  “I had nothing, and I have you, so now I have everything. We will conquer the nations and get you what you want, just be patient, when I learn how to fight with a sword it’s over for everyone, I will be unstoppable, fighting in my husband’s name!”

  Death gave her a stern stare, the word reminding him of the nightmare he’d just escape from.

  “I think it’s really cool how you never get really said over anything,” Snow continued. “You give angry stares a lot and they sting a little, it’s your way of giving me attention! I cry a lot, like, a lot, not recently, you’ve made it a lot easier, I hope that if I wasn’t around, you would give a lot more soul-piercing stares. If I ever felt lonely I would cry into my shoulder and pretend it was a friend’s, my should is yours if you ever need, I don’t know why I get so sad all the time… are you okay? You haven’t spoken a word, are you happy? Do I make you happy? Do you feel stuck with me?”

  That’s a lot of questions to throw at me when I am barely awake myself, Death thought. He didn’t know the answer to any of those questions, Snow saw he didn’t, it made her heart a hurt until he patted her on the head. “If I am to believe my memories, then I am not a good person, Snow,” he said with a smirk. “In your case, you are a kind soul following a dark one, you haven’t abused your link to my soul that much, and your choice to follow me was peculiar, I will admit in the first day I wished to strangle you and leave you for

  that boar.”

  “Oh…” she moaned. “I’m sor—”

  He put his hand over her mouth. “I am glad I did not leave you for the beasts,” Death said with a sigh. “I do not love you, Snow, I don’t believe I am capable of it, but you have proved an interesting companion with devotion to me that while at times is a nuisance, is welcomed in my evil soul… stop going red, don’t let your heart kill you from pounding so fast, I see your arousal.”

  “I’m not aroused,” she whispered. “Sheesh, Death, you really know how to give a girl a compliment, that’s the best one I could’ve gotten out of you… I’m still calling you my husband to anyone who asks, I will never stop loving you, you will love me when you are able, there’s no one you’d love to hate more than me!”

  If I wasn’t so cold I would probably give her a chuckle of pity.

  She gave another yawn, then kissed Death on the cheek. “Now c’mon, I’m really tired, come back to bed and give me—WAH!”

  Snow yelled out in surprised after Aleirica made herself known with a cough. She stood in her normal clothing, upset that the quilt had been stolen. “Don’t do that!” Snow squealed. “You don’t sneak up on people like that!”

  Rica peeked into the main room and saw her brother and Vera were sleeping even through the noise.

  “You sneaky rascal, stealing the covers, did you assume that all from Hell don’t get cold?”

  “I—uh—kind of!”

  “I am cold resistant not cold immune.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s my cover, I tortured the guy who owned this house so by law of… law of… help me out here.”

  “Civilised cities don’t follow laws of savagery,” Death sighed.

  “Oh—well, still! My cover!”

  “You literally murdered both of my brothers, the least you could do is unravel yourself and share it with me.”

  “Fine!”

  The two shared the cover like a curtain. Aleirica was puzzles, squinting out the window. “My new friends, do you see that too, or are my eyes feeding me delusions?”

  Limbless shadows with porcelain masks with cracks like tears, they moved as a group through the fresh ruins of Lakevalor silently, stopping every few homes to gather one or two tiny additions to their ranks from the wrecked homes.

  Death asked what they were. “The Lost,” Snow answered. “I’ve seen them once.”

  “But what are they?” Death said.

  “Grief given a form,” Rica explained. “Catastrophes, mass life lost can bring them into our world, a wandering group that don’t know their way to the afterlife because the gods never anticipated they would be taken so soon.”

  Death had never seen or heard of this. According to Rica, the first documented sighting was eight thousand years ago, seen after a man murdered seventeen children of a village after claiming a god told him to do it. They would fade if you got close, never look at you, and their groups would oft roam for years.

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  “Poor things,” Rica said. “I wish I could help them find where they’re trying to go.”

  “It means there’s an afterlife,” Snow said. “Something beyond Heaven and Hell, I still like to believe the tales that the angels and the devils judge our souls though. The unknown frightens me.”

  Those lives couldn’t have been claimed from my battle with Deilon… I heard no screamed, Vera said all families were sealed in their basements.

  Aleirica could see Death’s question written on his face. “Must be a mystery,” she said. “An unknown reason, human life lost leaves my heart hurting.”

  Death’s stomach rumbled loudly.

  Nearby, Aleirica spotted flour, eggs, and a jar of milk kept fresh by the winter cold. She opened a cupboard with her tail and pulled out an iron pan, lighting the tiny fireplace with a wisp of fire from her finger and bringing the ingredients over to it.

  Snow grabbed a pan too. “I can make an omelette,” she said. “I used to make the best ones when I stole eggs.”

  “I’m not hungry,” Death lied.

  They both raised their eyebrows at him with a judging stare and returned to cooking their meal.

  A few minutes went by of them completely ignoring Death. At the end of it all, he actually felt a smile across his lips. I do not smile, I am a conqueror, he told himself. There is nothing to be happy about.

  Snow served him a golden omelette, a sprinkle of salt. Vera gave him something for after, three fluffy circles stacked on each other with a tiny cube of butter atop it. They had their own plates containing half the portion of Death’s, forcing him to sit on a pillow and eat with them.

  “Are you not going to eat?” Snow said. “We put allll that effort in just for you to stare at it.”

  “What are these things?”

  “Pancakes,” Rica. “We won’t eat if you don’t, it’s rather rude to let a girl starve by choice.”

  “Fine.” Death took a bite of the pancake and loved it, he didn’t let them see, but they both could tell. “It’s acceptable.” He loved it more than he would ever admit it. “You may make these whenever you wish it.”

  Death also loved the omelette. He devoured it one bite and tried to lie about his reasoning for doing so.

  “We know you love it,” Snow teased. “No need to hide it, if you ever want more all you’ve gotta do is ask nicely.”

  He stayed silent and waited for the other two to finish their meal.

  “Well, that was more pleasant than I thought,” Death admitted. “Now that we have bonded over—”

  “Bonded, hm?” Snow whispered. “Is that what you’d call it, my strong conqueror, bonding with your worshippers?” She put a hand on his neck and caressed it. She reached over and grabbed Aleirica’s hand, putting it on Death’s cheek. “I think our new friend worships you too… we are at your service, my husband.”

  Death pushed their hands firmly away.

  “Oh,” Rica moaned. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “He’s just like that,” Snow assured. “You’re welcome to spend time with me and my husband whenever you like, I never knew cambions could be as adorable as you.”

  “I think the same of you!” Rica squeaked. “You’re pretty!”

  Hm, Death thought. Her mind is stronger than most and yet she still falls for arousal just as easily as Snow does.

  “I’d like to know about the ritual you were trying to do,” he said. “I was planning to figure it out on my own, but ‘tis best to skip over that part entirely.”

  Her tail drooped in shame and she stopped looking at his eyes. “The truth is I don’t know who hired me, I got a letter like the one you were given, it included a specific tear of the angel that I’d lost years ago. A beast escaped my death ritual before I could apply a target to its mind, whoever hired me was able to track me through my lingering scent on the tear and knew my destination when I waws outside of Hell.”

  Death wasn’t pleased. “You acted like you knew the person.”

  “I wasn’t sure if I could trust you… but I know I can now, I want to be a person you can rely on, to worship you just as Snow does.”

  “Just remember he’s my husband,” Snow joked.

  “Of course… I am yours if you want me, my goal is still for the cambions to roam free and unjudged. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we explored each other’s minds, you are my best path for the freedom of my people and giving my life a purpose.”

  So many women devoting themselves to my cause and all I ever do is reject them… perhaps I should start showing feigned interest and they would flee.

  “That girl I cut open,” Rica continued, “was there on arrival, a knife already in her stomach and a pentagram painted beneath. The woman was Stroke Valan’s childhood friend, I recognised her from a painting I once saw, I did my duty and followed the instructions of the letter—eating her leg, cutting her throat, a spell of poison fog in her lungs.”

  “That was you,” Snow yelped. “That nearly killed me!”

  “Sorry,” she squeaked. “The instructions only said to name Godwin as a target, but I saw an opportunity for more, I named that bastard Harren too… I was also going to name Stroke, but I knew he could be an ally after what they did to the cambion he tried to bring into the city.”

  That eliminates my theory that it was Stroke trying to remove his two brothers…

  “I think I wish to rest now,” Death said. “I have much to ponder, much to think about.”

  They followed Death to the bed like lost cats. He sighed upon seeing the bed with no sheets.

  “I’m going to try something,” Snow whispered into his ear. “I command you to let us help you relax.”

  “I don’t know what that means but you cannot command me to be aroused.”

  “Not like that,” Snow whispered. She took Aleirica’s hand, a permission to touch Death. “You’re wearing the clothes of century-old dead men, let’s freshen you up with the clothes of man who died only a few hours ago.”

  Snow and Aleirica removed his clothes, fitting him with a black shirt found in Finnso’s drawers. They buttoned it up, massing his arms and shoulders while also fitting him with standard leather pants tightened by a drawstring.

  These clothes do feel comfy, but now I look like a peasant who wishes to be highborn.

  Snow removed her shirt and pants, doing the same to Aleirica who blushed as she did. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Rica asked. “This is all rather sudden and I—”

  Snow shushed Aleirica with a peck. “Shush,” she said low. “I want you to remember he’s my husband, I’m only sharing him with you now because I think you’re cute.”

  “If you think this is helping me relax, you’re mistaken,” Death said. “Naked girls don’t arouse me.”

  “Good thing that’s not my plan,” Snow said. She stood with Rica and held two shirts, one white and one black. “Choose what colour you want us in.”

  “How is that—”

  “I command you to choose,” she whispered. “Take these, give them to us.”

  He sighed, giving Aleirica the white shirt and Snow the black. They put on the shirts, and Snow pushed Death onto the bed. “Now you’re just gonna relax, a girl either side of you.”

  Rica took his left; Snow took his right, they cuddled his arms, rubbing his chest, snuggling their heads against his neck. “We’ll keep you warm while you sleep,” Rica whispered. “Won’t we?”

  “Of course we will,” Snow said, pulling the cover over Death. “We will help you sleep better, just close your eyes and relax, don’t worry about anything… if there’s a battle, we’ll wake you, if you have a nightmare, we’ll be here to soothe it. Close your eyes with us and sleep, enjoy the moment.”

  He closed his eyes, once again unsure if he did so by his own will or by Snow’s command. He felt at peace, even bringing his hands to the waists of both girls which made them come closer.

  Without arousal, I suppose the company of girls is nice—after all, I do like women, I just don’t have dirty desires.

  “See?” Snow whispered. “You like our company.”

  The three sat upright at the sound of two pans clashing. “Hoist the sails and raise the anchor!” Beion yelled. “Rise, fellows, time to depart my pirates! My ears heard a scream past your little nightly snack time, far side of the city, only takes one to wake for the rest to come up from their cellars!”

  Vera leaned on Beion’s shoulder with a yawn. “Oh my shit,” she said, snapping awake. “MISTER DEATH, YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS ON THEIR WAISTS!”

  Death brought his hands to himself and stood from the bed. Vera took a breath of shock. “And he’s dressed like a proper man, gods, what did you two do to him?”

  “We fed him pancakes,” Rica said.

  “Hm, yes, that makes sense, they tend to do that to a man.”

  “No time to discuss,” Beion said in a rush. “I will keep your gold and riches safe in my room in Hell, shall be difficult travelling with such a strange wealth—you have my sworn promise as a demon that I shall take none of it… except this diamond, which I think would look pretty if on a wedding ring.”

  “That’s fair,” Vera said.

  “Last night you didn’t trust cambions and now you’re fine with giving him our new riches to look over?” Snow said.

  “It will be safe,” Beion assured. “I shall listen to your journey while you travel, remember the words ‘fuck the devils’ should you need my sweet sister and I to come to your aid.”

  “You aren’t coming?” Vera said sadly.

  “I can’t,” Beion said, touching her cheek. “I wouldn’t want to see you hanged just for being near me. Go and get the horses to the wagon, the snowfall is thick, I will use my magic as a demon to put a little spell on their hooves, have them melt the snow as they walk, I will put them on the cart wheels too, just long enough until the sun comes out to melt it all.”

  Snow put on her clothes, keeping the black shirt on. Rica stayed in the white shirt, using her tail wrapped around her hips as a belt.

  “Where next for the conqueror?” Beion asked. “A war will come of this, and who knows who will come out on top.”

  Death didn’t know where to go.

  Snow knew where she wanted to go. “We have a cart now; we should give the horses names and go back to Sekoi! I want to find Esroh and give her a big kiss! She must miss her momma!”

  Back to Sekoi after we must have a bounty on us? Death thought. Ah well, I am strong enough to kill all those peasants, I shall use the travel time to theorise about this girl from the ritual.