At Death’s Door

by Kenyon, Sherrilyn

  He’d never concerned himself with developing his own identity or thinking of his needs above someone else’s.

  Be a good son. A good twin.

  Don’t talk back.

  And it’d worked, until he’d been clubbed in the back of his head.

  Instead of knocking him senseless, it’d knocked sense into him.

  He’d spent so much time getting along and going along that he hadn’t thought much about anything else.

  Everything had been fine until he’d met Valynda. Her rebellious spirit and love for life were infectious. Because of her, he’d wanted more than to be dutiful.

  He’d wanted to become the man she saw him as. The hero she needed him to be.

  And today, he intended to step up.

  Nibo held his hand out to her. “Want to come with?”

  Valynda’s eyes widened at the unexpected invitation. “Seriously?”

  He ignored the shocked gasps and stares of the crew that surrounded them, and in particular the scowl on Bane’s face. And the gape on Bane’s sister’s face. “Time you met them.”

  Masaka scoffed indignantly. “What are you thinking, man? Have you lost your rum-loving mind? You can’t take her with us!”

  “Why not?”

  “She doesn’t belong in Vilokan. No one will welcome her. They’ll throw a fit if you bring her there!”

  Nibo ignored her anger. He’d never been more sure of anything. “Vala is welcomed wherever I am. And she belongs at me side.”

  “She’s human!” Masaka sneered the word as if it were the worst sort of insult. Because to them it was.

  Not long ago, he’d have agreed.

  But not now. Nibo pulled Valynda to his side. “She’s me wife.”

  Valynda gasped.

  So did the crew.

  Cursing, Masaka refused to hear it. “Spiritually. And she’s not your only one.”

  The hurt those words wrought on Valynda’s face cut through him and made him want to beat Masaka for her cruelty.

  “I’ll have no disrespect from you.” Nibo turned toward Valynda and pulled the ring he’d given her so long ago from her finger, ready to complete the ceremony that he’d begun that night on the beach. “I should have done this a long time ago.”

  He cupped her chin with his warm fingers and smiled down at her. “Will you have me, Vala? Faults and all? To keep for yourself, knowing what a surly, selfish bastard I am?”

  Valynda was completely stunned by the last thing she expected. “You’re not japing?”

  “Not about this.” He glanced to Bane. “Marry us, Captain?”

  “Aye, I will.”

  Masaka’s eyes turned bloodred. “You re-accept that ring, human, and you’ve no idea what gates will open.”

  Circe had told her that she needed to make a choice in her life. She didn’t want to serve the Malachai and be his general. While the world had never done much for her, she wasn’t up to ending it out of simple spite. There was still plenty of good in it.

  Still …

  She glanced to the captain and the other members of the crew, then down to the mark on her arm. “I’m not a free woman, Xuri.” She owed them her service until she finished earning back her commitment to Thorn. She had to continue this fight against the Mavromino forces. Not just because of her mark.

  Because it was the right thing to do.

  Because the Deadmen were her family and she couldn’t abandon them.

  He inclined his head to her. “We’ll worry about that later.” That was forever his lackadaisical nature. Take the world in stride.

  It had never been hers.

  But …

  Today, she would refuse to look ahead. “Then, aye. I’ll have you for every day I’m allowed.”

  He kissed her, then nipped his own wrist until he drew a bit of blood so that he could coat the silver band in it. Whispering words she couldn’t quite understand, he slid the band onto her finger then licked the blood clean. “We are bound together, my Vala. Forever. With this, you can now not only summon me, but cross through the gates between this world and Vilokan.”

  “Ah, bloody hell!” Masaka threw dirt at both of them, which caused Hinder to give a low whistle and Sancha to suck her breath in sharply. “Have you any idea of what you’ve done?”

  Recalcitrant and unapologetic, he gave her a droll stare that dared her to defy him. “I know.”

  “You’re a fool!”

  “Nay. For the first time, I see clearly.”

  “You see nothing.” Masaka shook her head. “You’ve just sold us all out for your human. I hope you’re happy!”

  “Delirious.”

  Cursing, she vanished.

  Those hate-filled words made Valynda’s throat go dry. “Should I be worried?”

  “Nay, Vala. Remember, she lives on theatrics. If she’s not scaring small children and grown men, she’s not happy.”

  And with that, he carried her through the gate and into the unknown underwater realm of Vilokan.

  Stunned and amazed, Valynda drew up short at the perfect island city that glittered like a jewel nestled on rippling turquoise waves.

  She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it definitely hadn’t been this treasure. People spoke of paradises. Dreamed of such rich, amazing places. This one actually seemed to be such a realm. The weather was perfect. The beach a lovely caramel against the most serene seascape. As incredible as Kalder’s home had been, it had nothing on this one.

  She gaped at Nibo. She didn’t understand him at all. “Why would you ever leave this place?”

  “Because you weren’t here.” He gave her a dry stare. “Besides, as with any place, the company here can get a bit stale.”

  That was sad. Truthfully, she could live forever just watching those perfect waves roll in. In fact, she could imagine the crew of the Sea Witch in the harbor here, making jokes and dancing. Kalder in the water, with Cameron yelling down at him to hurry back to her.

  She couldn’t imagine finding fault with this picture-perfect life.

  “Where do you live?”

  He pointed to a small rise where a white cottage stood stark against the horizon. “There.”

  “’Tis beautiful.”

  “Aye, but it was missing one thing.”

  “That is?”

  He gave her a pointed smirk. “You, mon ange.”

  Those words warmed her, but she didn’t believe them for a moment. “You are ever an epic charmer.”

  “Nibo!” That shout rent the air.

  He let out another elongated sigh. “See now why I told you to call me Xuri? ’Tis the only way to get me attention in this godforsaken place, as they wear the other name out.”

  She stifled a laugh at his put-upon tone.

  He let go of her hand and turned toward Papa Legba and two others she didn’t recognize as they moved toward them with a gait that said exactly what Masaka had predicted—Valynda wasn’t welcome here.

  Dressed in purple and with a glare that went straight through her, Papa Legba seemed even more fierce than normal. “What is the meaning of this?”

  Nibo took it in stride. “You called for me. I assumed that meant don’t dawdle.”

  “Don’t get lippy with me, boy. What is she doing here?”

  Nibo shrugged nonchalantly as he swept her body with a mischievous grin. “Standing.”

  The look on Legba’s face said that Nibo was one answer away from annihilation.

  And Nibo’s expression said that he couldn’t care less. In fact, he was daring them to do something to remove her. Say something against her.

  Valynda held her breath. She’d never seen a standoff quite so impressive. Not even between Kalder and Cameron or the captain and his wife, and those couples had had some extremely impressive ones.

  The kind that should be legendary.

  For that matter, the captain and his sister. As well as Cameron and her brother.

  But even they had nothing on this one.

  �
��We don’t let her kind here, and you know that.”

  Nibo shrugged. “Then you don’t need me if you can’t accept me wife.” He swept his gaze over the other loas who were drawing near to witness the spectacle. “You’ve made plenty of accommodations for others. Including Brigitte and the petro. Vala is mine. If she’s more than you can handle, then perhaps it’s time you assign my duties to another and I find a new pantheon that is more to me tastes. One not so narrow-minded.”

  Legba arched his brow at the threat. “You know what that would do. What it would cost you.”

  “Aye. ’Tis a price I’m willing to pay. But are you?”

  Valynda couldn’t believe what he was doing. For her!

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she suddenly realized there was a lot more going on than she suspected. What was this?

  While she knew that gods could come and go through pantheons, she’d never heard of there being a consequence to it.

  However, it must be extreme given the dire expressions around her.

  “Are you threatening me, Nibo?”

  “I asked a question, Papa. If you no longer wish me to be here, I’ll leave.”

  An elegant, beautiful woman with blond hair and green eyes approached Valynda and hugged her. “Welcome, Vala. I’m Maman Brigitte. It’s good to have a new family member.” She offered her a dark bottle.

  “Brigitte!” That deep, resonate tone echoed around them like thunder.

  Yet it didn’t faze the beautiful loa whose pale skin glowed like iridescent pearl. She merely passed it off with a wave of her hand. “Stop, Samedi. We don’t want to lose Nibo over such a trifling thing. If she makes him happy, what’s the harm?”

  “She has no powers! She doesn’t belong here!”

  Brigitte rolled her eyes. “Is that all that concerns you?”

  Several of the loas grumbled answers.

  She looked over at Nibo. “So, you love her?”

  “Aye, Maman.”

  She met Valynda’s gaze. “And you?”

  “Aye. He’s everything to me.”

  “Remember that. Never let anything or anyone divide you.” There was a note in her voice that said she spoke from experience. But she didn’t elaborate. Rather, she plucked a small chain from her belt. At the end of it was a bowl no bigger than a quarter cup. The loa filled it halfway with her rum, then her blood.

  She held it out to Valynda. “Drink.”

  Ew! Valynda felt her stomach heave over the very thought of it. Honestly, she’d rather have her eyes plucked out. “Um … no, thank you.”

  “Drink.” The loa was extremely insistent.

  Valynda wrinkled her nose. “Really, rather not.”

  “If you want to stay here and have power, drink.”

  Do I have to? She barely bit those words back as she cringed at what had to be the most disgusting act on the planet. Who had thought of this? Ick!

  Nibo winked at her. “Tastes like chicken.”

  The hell he said. “You’re not funny.”

  “But I am cute.”

  Not at the moment. Cringing and revolted, she reached for the concoction she was certain would hit every gag reflex in her entire body. There was no way it would go down and stay. This would be worse than any hangover cure ever invented.

  With three deep breaths, she closed her eyes, braced herself, and knocked it back.

  And aye, she gagged. Yet somehow managed to keep it down. But not without grabbing Nibo’s sleeve and twisting her hand in it.

  “You all right?”

  Most certainly not! Was he kidding? It was even more revolting than she’d imagined.

  Yet she shook her head, then pounded on his arm. “Hate you so much!” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she stuck her tongue out and tried to get rid of the taste.

  Nibo handed her his kimen, which she quickly opened and gulped down without a care. He smirked at Legba. “And you thought she wasn’t one of us. Bah!”

  Legba rolled his eyes. “We have a problem.”

  “Seems we’re having a lot of those lately.”

  Legba wasn’t amused by his sarcasm. Rather, he grabbed Nibo’s arm. “Stay focused. I need you to find your brother.”

  “Why?”

  “Notice what’s missing?”

  Valynda looked around the exquisite town that seemed to have everything imaginable. Gilded buildings. Swans that swam. Singing seagulls. Colorful buildings. No detail appeared missing.

  Yet the humor faded from Nibo’s amber eyes as he turned a bit pale. “The petro.”

  Legba nodded slowly. “They’ve been gone for hours and no one knows where.”

  Nibo broke off into a round of cursing that left Valynda blushing.

  Valynda wanted to ask why that incited such a hostile reaction but figured this probably wasn’t the best time to go into it. Especially since everyone else was staring at them with a curiosity that made her want to run and hide.

  Nibo ground his teeth and sighed. “I’ll find them, and Qeenan.”

  “Good. Then bring your brother back here and I’ll deal with them all.”

  Inclining his head, he stepped away and took her hand.

  As soon as the others had dispersed, she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “What’s going on?”

  He didn’t answer.

  Instead, Valynda felt so peculiar. Odd and off. Like the world around her was tilting …

  She tried to get her bearings, but she felt more like she was at sea in a storm on the main deck. Churning about in the waves as they slammed against her and sent her reeling.

  This made no sense.

  “Xuri?”

  He caught her before she fell.

  Everything seemed to fade around her. While she heard their voices, they were at a distance. Like something in a dream or nightmare. She felt Nibo holding her. Smelled his rich rum scent that was mixed with the salty seawater, but even it grew fainter.

  And the last words she heard were his, and they were tear-filled.

  “She’s dead.”

  Rage darkened Nibo’s vision as he held Valynda’s lifeless body. Of all the low and dirty tricks that had been done to him, this was the worst.

  To poison his Vala …

  He glared at Brigitte as the urge to rush her throat went through him.

  “Calm yourself, Nibo. It’s not what you think.”

  How could it not be? They were treacherous and cold. He’d known better than to trust them. He should never have brought Valynda here. They’d killed her once before.

  How could I have trusted them again?

  This was all his fault!

  Brigitte stepped forward to place her hand on Valynda’s forehead. Before he could stop her, she cupped Valynda’s chin and held her head before placing a kiss to each of her cheeks.

  Nibo curled his lips at her cruelty. He tried to push her away.

  Until Valynda gasped as if awaking from a nightmare.

  Stunned, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She was alive! “Vala?”

  Opening her eyes, she met Nibo’s gaze. “Xuri?”

  Tears choked him, especially when she reached up to wipe at the moisture on his cheeks. “Hey, mon ange.” He pulled her in and kissed her with all the relief coursing through him. “Never die on me again.”

  “Um, I’ll try not to.”

  Shaking with relief, he laughed at her confusion, then kissed her forehead. Sobs hung in his throat. He still couldn’t believe that Brigitte had saved her life.

  Until she pulled away. “I don’t feel good.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  She began to shiver.

  Even more worried, he tightened his arms around her. “Vala?”

  “She’s fine.” Brigitte knelt beside them. “Breathe. Relax. Don’t fight what you feel.”

  Valynda sank her hand into his hair. “What is she talking about?”

  He had no idea.

  “I gave her some of my powers, and it’s her
human body trying to adjust to them. If she’s to live among us, she’ll need them.”

  Stunned, he gaped at Brigitte. “What?”

  She kissed his cheek, then cupped Valynda’s. “I’m a sucker for a happy ending.” She glanced over to Papa Legba and then to her husband. “My life hasn’t always been easy, and I’ve had several men I’ve loved. Children I’ve lost. If I could save you two that pain, I would. Sadly, life has a way of kicking us in the throat when we least expect it. It’s why you need my powers.”

  “Maman—”

  “Shh.” She placed her finger over his lips to silence his words. “You know I think of you as a son. What happened to her before was wrong. I couldn’t stop it then, but I can now. This is my way of making amends.”

  That was why he loved her so. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure. Now go. Kick Malachai ass.”

  Smiling, he looked at Valynda. “You up to it?”

  “Um … not quite sure. I’m a little wobbly on me feet, love.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Are we sure my new powers aren’t projectile vomiting?”

  Laughing, he helped her to her feet. “Pretty sure that one’s not on our list of powers.”

  “Pretty sure it might be added soon. Am thinking I could take out a whole city block.”

  More amused than he wanted to admit, he shook his head. “Fine, let us see about setting this right.” And with that, he took her to the gate that led to the mortal realm. Qeenan better run. He was coming and it was time to finish this.

  Nibo had a lot to lose now, and he had no intention of losing anything ever again.

  On board the Sea Witch, the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron, sat in Captain Bane’s chair, staring blankly at Thorn. “Are you futtocking kidding me?”

  Thorn shook his head. “Why would I?”

  “Because you’re an asshole.”

  He gave him a droll stare, then rolled his eyes and sighed before turning his attention to the other immortal in the room.

  Savitar.

  Dressed in a white tunic and loose linen breeches, Savitar was a hard immortal creature to miss. Mostly because his exposed flesh was covered in tattoos and his eyes were an eerie violet shade that wasn’t always purple. Eyes made more vivid by his dark caramel skin and dark hair and goatee.