Afterlife: Oblivion #Wattys2024

07. The Art of War (Against Your Gatekeeper's Patience)

POV Raphael.

Seething, I excuse myself from Jane and Lily with a curt nod, indicating for Orpheus to follow me to the bar. As we step away, I steal a glance back over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing as I watch Jane lean in close to the girl.

Orpheus matches my stride, his movements oozing a feline grace that grates on my nerves. I despise having to play nice with that smug bastard, but he is one of the more influential gatekeepers in Purgatory. Crossing him could prove...unwise.

"So, the infamous Jane Doe," Orpheus purrs as we reach the bar. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting her to be quite so..." He trails off, his lips curving into an insolent smirk.

I fix him with an icy glare as I signal for two drinks. "Difficult? Obstinate? Completely clueless about the game she's playing?" I supply flatly.

Orpheus chuckles, that low, mocking sound that never fails to make my skin crawl. "I was going to say 'intriguing'. But those descriptions work just as well."

I accept the two crystal tumblers from the silent bartender, eyeing the ruby liquid within with distaste. Leave it to the demonic court to favor beverages that look like they're filled with blood and liquid sin.

"Don't play coy with me, Orpheus," I say, fixing him with a hard stare. "We both know you have an...appetite for the difficult cases. The more broken and defiant the soul, the better, isn't that right?"

Orpheus merely smiles, that insufferable, secretive grin of his. "You wound me, Raphael. Here I thought we were colleagues, perhaps even friends." His eyes glitter with dark amusement behind his mask. "But I suppose old habits die hard when it comes to you heavenly types. Always so quick to judge, to condemn."

I feel my temper flare, the glass in my hand protesting with an ominous creak. "Don't try to turn this around on me," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "We both know the kind of games you like to play with your...charges. And if you think for one second that I'll let you sink your claws into Jane--"

"Into Jane?" Orpheus cuts me off with a bark of laughter. "My dear Raphael, you give me far too much credit. I have no interest in your little project beyond simple curiosity." He leans in close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Although, if the rumors about her final hours are true...well, let's just say she may prove too tantalizing a morsel even for you to resist."

A searing tide of fury surges through me at his insinuation, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to smash his face in with the crystal tumbler.

"Make no mistake, Orpheus," I bite out, each word laced with venom. "Jane Doe is under my protection, and I'll ensure she makes it through these trials unscathed. Even if I have to cut out your forked tongue to make it so."

Orpheus holds up his hands in mock surrender, that damnable grin never leaving his face. "Very well, very well. I'll stay away from your little mortal plaything...for now." He reaches out and plucks one of the glasses from my hand, raising it in a mocking toast. "To the game, my friend. May the best soul win."

With that parting shot, he turns on his heel and saunters away, leaving me seething in his wake. I down the contents of the remaining glass in one burning swallow, my jaw clenched so tightly I can feel the tendons straining.

Jane had better be on her game, because if that slippery bastard Orpheus gets his claws into her...well, the consequences don't bear thinking about.

With a muttered curse, I turn and start back towards where I'd left Jane and Lily. Jane is still leaning in close, her expression intense as she murmurs something to the younger girl. For a brief moment, a flicker of concern worms its way through my anger. Jane is nothing if not unpredictable - who knows what nonsense she might be feeding the girl's head?