Zoe groaned in protest at my urging. “Ugh, it’s so early,” she mumbled into her pillow.
I bounced on her bed. “Come on! It’s been so long since we’ve had one, and we won’t be able to once the festival preparations start. I want to feel good today! I want tofeellike a seer while I think on my visions.”
She began to mumble her objections, but the commotion had woken Sophie as well, who yawned from the next bed over.
“It might be nice to do,” Sophie said drowsily. “Keeper’s meant to be back today, isn’t he?”
“You’re right,” I remembered. “All the more reason! Please?”
That was enough to convince Sophie. She joined me in persuasion, and together we managed to wrestle Alex and Zoe out of bed and into the wash with us. There, the chill of the water rinsed away our lingering sleepiness.
Between the four of us, Zoe was the most skilled in the art of makeup, so naturally I begged for her services, citing my need for support after my vision. She agreed to be my partner, leaving Alex and Sophie to pair with each other. Once we were clean and perfumed, we all lined each other’s eyes with brown color and smoothed our faces with powder. Zoe darkened my eyebrows and eyelashes masterfully so that their perfection seemed completely natural. Then we settled into our braiding session, weaving intricate plaits and decorating them with jeweled pins. The familiar motions calmed my nerves as I ruminated on the day ahead.
When we left for our morning meal and rounds, I felt positively radiant, and my sisters seemed more relaxed as well. Our ritual bolstered our confidence in the face of the only blemish that stained our sunny morning: the return of our overseer from a matter of trade with a neighboring city.
Keeper had a name, of course, but we never spoke it aloud—not since the night he’d laid a hand on Sophie. With her testimony quashed by the weight of his influence, this quiet disrespect was our only recourse. Fortunately, he had not dared to strike any of us so boldly in the years since that occurrence. Instead, Keeper preferred to toe the line by filling our afternoonswith contrived tasks, carefully delivered scoldings, and few opportunities for rest.
This morning he traversed the courtyard with a smug look on his face, clearly with good news to deliver to the council. Surely he’d prance up to the high wing to grovel tactfully at their feet, and I didn’t doubt that the elders would reward him. He shot a haughty glare toward our table as he made his way through, an expression I recognized as a promise of toil in the coming days.
Once that rain cloud had passed, though, I spent my day in high spirits. I was eager to meet Death again—an utterly astounding possibility—and ask him as much as he would let me. I probably should be more afraid, I thought. And Iwasafraid, to be sure, but that fear had been shoved deep down inside me, displaced by swells of curiosity and fascination. Who else would ever get this chance?
So when the evening sunlight began to fade, I gathered myself up and let my sisters know I’d be out in the prayer gardens. I hurried through the garden gate and down the clay-brick path that led out into the trees. In my nervous haste, I reached the designated place and sat down on the stone bench with plenty of time to spare.
I smoothed my white chiton obsessively over my knees, tapping my feet with nervous anticipation. When that failed to provide enough comfort, I sprang up again and took to pacing back and forth beneath the nearby oak tree, trying to swallow my fear while side-eyeing the empty space where the god of death had perched last night. I had only done a few laps when I heard the familiar sound of wingbeats behind me.
My skin prickled. I whirled around and found Thanatos sitting casually on the bench, his wings sprawling behind him. He was exactly the same as I remembered, right down to theplayful reflection of the moonlight off his long hair and dark feathers. “Looking for something?” he teased.
My face grew hot. “Hi,” I breathed. I wasn’t sure whether I’d actually expected him to show up. I supposed this answered that question. I tried to ignore my shaking legs as I walked over and sat down on the bench beside him. I leaned back onto one hand and offered a friendly smile. “Uh…how was your day?”
He gave me a quizzical look. “My day?” His voice was soft and deep and almost musical, a disarming sound from such a dreaded god.
“Yeah, I mean…did you meet anyone interesting today? While taking people’s souls?”
“Well, I suppose the best today was the one who did not believe it was me.” He chuckled wryly. “It takes a rare soul to evade terror upon seeing my face. But sometimes you mortals just figure yourselves untouchable, for reasons beyond me.”
“What? How could they not realize?” I pressed. “I mean, just look at you! You brought the scythe, right? That thing is terrifying.”
“Ha. Yes, I did. But he remained convinced he was dreaming, the poor fool. He thought himself favored by someone on Olympus, cared for enough to be protected into old age. But sickness claimed him all the same.”
“What a silly man,” I agreed. “I suppose he’s eating his words in the Underworld now.”
Thanatos flashed me a mischievous smile. “He is not quite there yet. He will not be feeling much of anything right now.” His brows arched slightly, and I guessed that he wanted me to ask what he meant.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, you wanted to know yesterday how I…work. I will tell you, if you still wish it,” he offered cheerfully. “Just answer one question of mine.”
My grip on our bench’s edge tightened, and I fought to ignore an impulse of suspicion. “Alright,” I replied, my voice unwavering. “What would you like to ask?”
Thanatos leaned toward me, and a lock of smooth, pale hair slid over his shoulder. His wings fanned out further behind us in a motion interpretable as either laziness or intimidation. I bit my lip, and my hold on my seat drained the color from my knuckles.
“If I were to make it impossible for you to ever share what I say to you, would you still wish to hear it?”
I blinked. “That’s it? I mean, of course.” I scrunched up my nose. “It’s a fair enough price to pay.”
Thanatos scrutinized me, his eyes narrowing. Anxiety spiked in my chest, but his expression warmed. “I see. Very well, then.”
I released my grip on our bench. “Why was this your question?”
