“Where’s the other one? That feisty little mara?” Thane said. “Is she going to jump out of a closet somewhere and yell ‘boo’?”

“Are you going to deliver whatever threat Avari sent you with, or are we going to have to start guessing?” Tod said. “I gotta warn you, I’m insanely good at charades.”

“There’s no message. I’m jumping ship. But I need your help.”

“Why the hell would we help you?” Nash demanded as I edged around them for a better view.

“Because I know what Avari’s doing, and how he’s doing it.”

“And, what?” I said. “You’ve reached the limit on how many secret evil schemes you can keep a lid on? We’re supposed to trust you because you conveniently show up with answers when we need them most?”

Thane set the chip bag on the counter behind him and shrugged. “You’re going to trust me because I’m all you have. Unless you want Avari to keep picking off your friends and family one by one until he gets what he wants.”

“Start talking,” Nash growled, but Thane shook his head slowly.

“I’m not saying a word until you swear you’ll help me.”

“Help you with what?” I asked, arms crossed over my chest. I wasn’t convinced he wasn’t just playing another of Avari’s games. But I believed that he hated the hellion as much as we did, and that gave us a common goal. Potentially.

“He has my soul. I want you to swear you’ll get it back for me.”

“Why would you trust us to do that?” Nash said.

“I wouldn’t trust the two of you to hit the pot when you piss. I trust her.” He pointed at me, and they both turned to follow his blank-eyed gaze. “If she gives me her word, she won’t break it.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Because you’re trustworthy and you have a hero complex. That’s why Avari wants you—you’re everything he’s not, and he doesn’t understand that. You protect people with lies, and he manipulates people with the truth. You keep saving those who’ve hurt you—” his empty eyes rolled in Nash’s direction briefly “—and he hurts people who’ve done him no harm. Avari wants to dissect you, physically, mentally, emotionally.” Thane shrugged. “I just want to offer you a fair exchange of services. My information for your help getting my soul back.”

“He’s lying, Kay,” Nash said, fists clenched at his sides. “Hellions can’t lie, but we all know reapers can.”

“Careful, pot,” Tod said. “Someone might notice your resemblance to the kettle.”

Tod only shrugged when I tried to scold him with a frown. “He startedit. As for this clown—” he glanced at Thane, then back at me “—I’m with you, whatever you decide.”

I didn’t want to rescue Thane—or his soul—from Avari. There was a large part of me that thought he deserved to be tortured for all of eternity for all the poor souls he’d condemned to that very fate. And for killing my mother when it wasn’t her time. But Thane was our best shot—maybe our only shot—at stopping Avari from going through everyone I knew or loved to get to me.

“Okay,” I said at last, and Nash groaned. “I’ll help get your soul away from Avari. But there are conditions. The first is that you have to help yourself, too. I’m not doing it on my own.”

Thane nodded eagerly. Maybe a little too eagerly.

“Second, you tell us everything you know first. Right now.”

He shook his head and leaned against the end of the short kitchen peninsula. “That’s not how this works. You give a little, I give a little.”

“I can’t give you a little of your soul, and I’m not going after it until I know exactly what’ll be waiting for me. So start talking now, or we’ll take our chances without you.”

Thane’s brows rose. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the grave.”

I shrugged, afraid to admit that I wasn’t sure I’d woken up yet at all—most of the past month felt like a nightmare. “What’s it gonna be?”

“Fine. But I have a couple of conditions of my own.”

“Hell, no. You don’t get to make up the rules,” Nash said.

Thane ignored him. “First of all, keep your assorted collection of authority figures out of it. Levi will kill me the minute he sees me, and I don’t trust Madeline. There’s something in her eyes…”

“I believe that’s integrity and dedication to her job.”

“Yeah. It’s disturbing.”

“What about my dad?”

“I don’t know how much help he’ll be in the Netherworld, but sure, bring him along.” Thane shrugged. “If he gets hurt, that’s all on you.”

I had no plans to take my dad to the Netherworld, but he and my uncle could be helpful on this side of the world barrier. If I could keep them from tattling to Levi and Madeline.

“Second—and you’re gonna want to pay attention here,” Thane said. “If you go back on your word and I’m stuck with that hellion bastard, I will help him torture and kill everyone you’ve ever even said hello to.”

“That’s a big threat,” Tod said. “Someone’s compensating for inadequacies.”

“Do we have a deal?”