Extraits

« Lord Haden, prince of the Underrealm, has ceased to exist.

I have ceased to exist. »

« I used my common sense to find you,” Dax says. “Brim came along for the ride. We brought you something.” He fishes in the paper sack.

“If that’s another taco, Hades help me …” Since Simon is gone, Dax has taken over most of our meals, which means I’ve had more Mexican takeout in the last two weeks than I’d ever care to have in a lifetime.

“It’s chamomile tea,” he says, handing me a capped cup, and pulls out a second for himself. It smells sweeter than the coffee I’ve been nursing all evening, like flowers and honey. I’m about to take a tentative sip when he says, “It’ll help you sleep.”

I put the tea in a cup holder. “I don’t need help sleeping.”

“Those dark circles under your eyes tell a different story.”

“What I mean is that I’m not going to sleep. Not when it’s raining.”

“You need sleep. Go home.”

Brim meows as if agreeing with Dax. Furry little traitor.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me: it’s raining. I can’t leave.”

“Yeah, Haden, I can see that,” he says, gesturing out the windshield.