My heart pounded inexplicably. “I don’t understand. He’s dead.”
Timothy shook his head, lips thinning. “Not exactly. He was for a time, but woke up, revived and healed.”
Kaboom. Mind blown. I was surprised I wasn’t thrown off my feet, but I managed to stay upright.
“But the blade kills gods, immortals,” I stuttered. “How can he be alive?”
That familiar line formed between Timothy’s eyebrows as he fiddled with his tie. “Xander is a. . . special case. He is very powerful, too powerful.”
That I easily believed. I was shocked to find out my eyebrows and eyelashes hadn’t sizzled right off my face in that basement.
“But Xander requests you return today to do it again,” Timothy said.
That piercing gaze entered my mind’s eye, and I suppressed a shiver.
“Will you do it?” Timothy carefully studied me.
“I don’t know what good it will do if it didn’t work last night,” I said. “And I really don’t want to kill two nights in a row, even if it’s the same person.”
Especially if it’sthatgod. Something in me knew it was best to stay far far away, if not for the burn of his power, but because of the magnetic intensity that seeped into my every pore, urging me toward him.
There was a gentle intensity in Timothy's eyes as he regarded me, his gaze now filled with empathy. “It would be a great service to both Grim and me. You can’t know what a burden it is to serve the transition from life to death for so long and encounter someone who can’t make the same sacred passage. Believe me, you are a benevolent force here.”
Aw damn. He was appealing to my feelings. While I liked that I exuded a hard-shell exterior, it served me well in covering up that I had a gooey center. But I’d been through the ringer in the past with Timothy when it came to immortals and end-of-the-world stakes. This classy sonofabitch knew exactly what a softie I was.
“Low move,” I growled.
He gave me a weak smile. “So you will?” Without waiting for my answer, he went on. “This takes precedence, and Grim and I realize this, so consider this your primary concern. No need to handle security matters. Javier can handle things for a while.”
A spike of panic went through me. While I implicitly trusted my number two, and good friend from the army, I didn’t want to be replaced.
“I still need a job.”
If I refused to kill Xander to keep my job, would they accept that? Instantly, I knew I couldn’t do that. Damn, Grim knew exactly what he was saying when he said I was bound by duty. And I didn’t take that responsibility lightly, being the only one with the power to permanently eradicate any god.
Timothy’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, you misunderstand me. You would, of course, keep your current pay and compensation. But seeing as you are handling immortal matters, we view this as no less important than the service you provide this hotel. Far more so, in fact.”
Oh.
“If it’s all the same, I would like to keep my regular duties,” I said.
Timothy seemed confused, so I shrugged. “It didn’t take long to kill him. But I still don’t understand how he—”
The tablet under Timothy’s arm began to chime with notifications, ending our conversation as he whisked off to take care of the entire world, humans and immortals alike.
But I had more questions. Did Timothy intend for me to take the day off or more? It seemed like this could be a lasting situation. And why did they believe I could have any effect on Xander’s immortality if I didn’t succeed in killing him last night?
I had a feeling the person, or rather the god, who could explain was currently caged and waiting for me to kill him...again. A shudder ran down my spine. I wasn’t sure what caused it—the prospect of facing his out-of-control, searing power, or my uncertainty about how to handle the way he looked at me, or the way he made me feel.
I clipped on my nametag and headed to the security office. Though I didn’t relish the thought of returning, I knew I had to pull myself up by the bootstraps and murder a god tonight.
ChapterSix
THE BEAST
The elevator binged, announcing the arrival of my angel of death. A jolt of feverish anticipation sent spikes of exhilaration through my veins, electrifying the otherwise stagnant air of my cage. I’d been unbearably restless, pacing in the shadows for hours.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” I said from where I hid in the darkness.
