Page 135 of In Between Death and the Devil

Relief swelled within me. I wanted to leave everything behind, to find a place I could hide, and this meant I could go almost anywhere. The question was where?

I could hide in one of the castles here or go to the World of the Living. I’d never seen salamanders anywhere but in the convent, so I assumed those fires led to the various Orders of Death around the world. Maybe even the Orders of Shadows. In the unlikely event that someone looked for me, they’d never be able to reach me there. If I didn’t like the location I chose or felt unsafe, I could always come back and try another.

I turned towards the closest blue fire, intent on exploring, but my feet wouldn’t cross the threshold. It wasn’t just the warped energy coming off the flames, which made me worry I might be torn apart if I passed through, that held me back. I didn’t know anything about being a salamander. What I needed to eat, or drink, or the kind of place I needed to live. I vaguely remembered the vivariums in Death’s workshop that housed many of the salamanders, but I hadn’t looked closely enough at them to glean any information that might help me now.

Maybe it would be better to stay in the In Between so I could observe the others. I also remembered Death saying they spoke to her. Did that mean they could communicate with each other? I’d never heard any of them make any noise, not even my friend Star. Maybe they communicated telepathically.

I looked around for a salamander to test my theory on, venturing further into the room, but the ones that passed me acted like I wasn’t there. Even when I moved into their path, they simply walked around me. I paced from one to the next trying to get someone’s attention, my chest tightening with each failure. I was about to start shouting at them in my mind, when I locked eyes with a salamander across the room. They froze, one foot in the air.

My pulse raced as I recognized the yellow star on their snout. Star. There was no way they’d recognize me like this, but I didn’t need them to. They’d seen me, which was more than any of the others had.

Before I could approach them, they dropped my gaze and started walking again, face resolutely turned in the direction they were traveling. I wanted to cry in frustration. I was truly on my own. My heart shrank. Ironic since solitude was all I’d wanted five minutes ago. I watched Star walk past, swallowing hard.

As they drew level with me, their head flicked the tiniest bit away from me as something nudged at my consciousness.

I blinked in confusion. Was that⁠—?

“Follow me in two minutes.”

The words were faint but clear, in a female voice I’d never heard before.

“And wipe the eager look off your face.”

Star’s tail disappeared into a fire on the other side of the room with a flick.

My mouth opened in shock and my forked tongue snaked out on its own. I tasted soot and hot embers before I reeled it back in. It took a moment for me to realize that I could taste the air. It was the oddest sensation.

Two minutes, Star had said. Without any way to tell time, I waited what I hoped was long enough before padding over to the fire she’d disappeared into and followed.

As soon as I passed through the flames, my eyes went wide. The fire led to a hot spring. Water bubbled in shallow pools surrounded by bushes and trees. The air tasted of soil and plants with a hint of sulphur. And most shocking of all was the sun shining in the blue sky overhead. Had we traveled to the World of the Living?

“Where are we?” I thought the words.

“We’re in the Dungeon, in one of the cells.” I startled at the sound of Star’s voice in my head. She sounded so human, it was eerie.

Titus had said the Dungeon cells become whatever the occupants need. Grief knotted in my belly at the thought of him. He’d told me that moments before I’d nearly shredded him.

Star stood on a flat rock above the water, her head cocked, as if she could tell from my silence that something was wrong.

“Clever use of the Dungeon’s magic.” I pushed the sadness away, not ready to deal with it.

“You can come closer. I won’t bite.” There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

I padded over to where she stood. Or squatted. As salamanders, our bodies were close to the ground.

The rock she stood on was heated, and as soon as I approached, Star splayed her limbs out so she was lying on the warm surface. After a moment, I followed suit.

“Nice, isn’t it?” She gave a little contented hum. “You can stay as long as you like. You’ll be safe here.”

“Thank you.” My heart warmed at the offer. Then the meaning of her words hit me. “Safe from what?”

“The others. Death would give anything to have you in her grasp, Maeve. Even in salamander form.”

I froze. “How do you⁠—?”

“I’d know you anywhere. You taste of death.” Her tongue flicked towards me. “And power.” There was a knowing in her voice that made me stiffen.

“Who are you?”