Ghost Silk (Ghost Perfume, Book 2) | ✔

3 - Promise me - Part 5

"Hi," I called. "Invader - get off -"

The dog finally moved so I could sit up. I got to my feet, brushing earth and pine needles off my butt and wiping drool off my face.

"Hi," I called again. "I believe we met. In a manner of speaking. My name is Rose."

The mastiffs looked around and their tails slowed and stopped wagging. Their ears pulled back.

Clever as they were, though they couldn't see the dead, they sensed that I was talking to someone.

"This is Ilium, and this is Astor," Jackal said. He turned to them. "What's this, you two? I brought you as you asked, you're just gonna stand there?"

They came closer.

Disdain began to show in Astor's ancient eyes. Ilium was expressionless, his gaze flickering to the death portal and back to me.

I must've looked a mess, and I didn't even want to know what my hair looked like. I cleared my throat, hoping that appearances indeed didn't matter.

"They weren't willing players in that clearing," Jackal said to me. "You should know that, Rose - neither Jackal nor Astor wanted to cooperate with the Inezchet like that. Really, don't let your experience with me color your expectations for all of us. These two are practically pacifists."

I grinned at him. "I know you're special, Jackal."

He smirked back. "They wanted to ask you something."

"I think you lied, Jackal," Astor said.

"Um, excuse me? How?"

Astor tilted his head to the side. "This dirty child is the radiant one from the clearing? This one that gets bullied by a dirty dog?"

It was possible that appearances mattered a tiny bit.

"I suppose you don't recognize the thread or the portal," Jackal gestured, but he shot me a look that said, you fool.

Astor scowled, a movement of his thin lips that cut into his jowly cheeks. His dark eyes glittered dangerously. He merely looked me up and down.

I saw greed, deep in those small glittering eyes, but it was restrained and cautious. He wasn't going on the attack.

Yet.

Jane and Ellie, high-strung and trying to hide it, edged closer to me.

"Well, I am the same person." I made them a short bow. "Here I am ... I guard this death portal. I'm at your service. I would offer to help you go through, but based on our first meeting I figured that's not what you want."

"It isn't," Ilium said.

"Okay, what did you want to ask me then?"

Raider and Invader gave up on the ghost threat. They crowded me, slobbering. They wanted to play.

Ilium spoke, ignoring my question. His voice was melodious and soft. "But I was under the impression you wouldn't be bothered by what we did or didn't want."

"Why?"

"You forced the rest of our family through, didn't you."

Invader picked up a stick with his mouth and pressed it towards my hands. I took it automatically, petting his head.

I couldn't decide whether or not to apologize about sending most of the revenants through the portal.

"I'm sorry I separated you from your family," I decided to say, looking up from the stick and the dogs' big eyes. I met Ilium's pale, dead gaze. A fish gaze in a cute face. "I didn't know who you were and I didn't set out to do that - to separate or hurt your family in any way. In the moment, I just wanted to save Puck and Robin and the others."