Free lily harper 04.5 - the bladesmith by h p mallory Page B

than a silly rodent!”
    “Dude, why you gotta be so mean?” he cried.
    “Because ye need someone tae talk some sense intae ye!” I roared at him. “Ye cannae dae anythin’ aboot yer circoomstances sae ye find the strength within yerself tae survive! Ye learn whit it means tae tough it oot, tae hold yer tears in. Ye can never let them see ye cry!”
    “They can see me cry!” he blasted me back. “I’ll do whatever the hell they ask me to do! I just can’t take anymore! I wish I were dead!” Then he started to sob again, only to fall silent for a few seconds. “Dude, I just don’t freakin’ get it, why isn’t Afterlife Enterprises lookin’ for me or for Lily? They must know we’re missin’, right?”
    I sighed because he did not seem to understand that there was no way out. There was no hero waiting in the sidelines to save him. “Ah’m more than convinced Afterlife Enterprises knows exactly where ye are. Alaire is in cahoots with AE, o’ that Ah’m sure.”
    “You’re prolly right, dude,” the angel responded and then sniffled a few times before his crying stopped altogether. Thank God.
    I did not have the chance to respond before the iron door to the prison cells opened, revealing Persephone and, behind her, Alaire. The first thing I noticed about Persephone was the ire in her eyes as she glared at me. She stormed down the hallway until she reached my cell, not bothering to sashay her hips as she ordinarily did. It was plain to see that she was furious.
    She unlocked my cell door in record time, showing herself inside. Meanwhile, Alaire sauntered in behind her, looking as if he were enjoying a leisurely stroll through the park on a Sunday. The bloody bastard.
    “Did you really think I was so stupid that I would not eventually figure it out?” Persephone demanded as she stood in front of me, her hands on her hips and her eyes spitting fire.
    “Figure whit oot?” I responded with a shrug even though I was well aware my gig was now up.
    “Don’t play coy with me!” she yelled as she bent down and, pulling her hand back, unleashed it and slapped me across the face. I did not recoil; I did not even move.
    “I do have to congratulate you on your ingenuity, old chap,” Alaire started as he walked up beside her and grinned down at me. “Not a bad idea to try to convince your queen that you could offer her immortality by ingesting your blood. Quite creative.”
    “A bad idea? It was a terrible idea!” she seethed at me. “And it was something which was a complete lie!” She adamantly shook her head until she reminded me of a dog with an ear infection.
    I cocked my head to the side and shrugged, figuring there was no use in denying the truth or attempting to defend myself. Now all I could hope for was that the blood Persephone had ingested was enough to replenish Lily. Based on my dream, which I translated to be a vision of sorts, I had to believe it had been enough. Only time would tell now, though …
    “You have nothing to say for yourself?” Persephone demanded.
    “Cannae say that Ah dae,” I responded with a frown.
    “So you must have believed your blood could save Lily?” Alaire asked as he crossed his arms against his chest and eyed me with a blend of amusement and intrigue. “I imagine that was the reason you bothered with such a task in the first place? Certainly, bleeding oneself is not an enjoyable enterprise.”
    I didn’t respond. The less they knew, the better.
    “Nothing will save her,” Persephone responded, not bothering to take her blazing eyes away from mine. “And I will feel nothing but thrilling excitement as her essence fades away into nothing.” She took a deep breath. “And I will experience the same feeling when I watch you fade away into nothing.”
    I felt my eyebrows furrow as I brought my attention from the floor back to her face. “Ah dinnae follow.”
    “I have no further use for you,” Persephone insisted as a malicious smile danced over her