Page 29 of Crazy as Hell

Viktor coughed to cover his laughter. “We can discuss that later, and I will figure out a way to cross those items off the list as well.”

“You are so good to me.”

He smiled. “I try.”

“It’s quite odd,” Killian said. “I can’t sense your magic at all.”

Naomi nodded. “I know. No one seems to be able to.”

“But you clearly have god powers,” Arson pointed out. “Otherwise, Viktor wouldn’t have leveled up. Now that you are mated, his dark angel magic has completely merged with your magic. But I am only sensing it from him, not you. If I didn’t know better, I would think you are just a human.”

“It’s just one of the many mysteries I haven’t figured out yet.”

“Speaking of mysteries, I actually thought of something earlier that might be useful in breaking your curse,” Killian suddenly announced. “Giving someone a second chance at life isn’t something that is easily done. In fact, the only person I know of who has the power to resurrect a soul is Death.”

“Death, as in—?”

“Death of the Four Horsemen,” Viktor finished for her. “Unfortunately, he has been missing for centuries.”

“The Horsemen are real?” Naomi groaned. “Why do I feel I shouldn’t be hearing this?”

“I should probably mention that three of the four are missing, so there won’t be an apocalypse anything soon. At least, not one they cause,” Killian amended. “That is why I figured we could try a different approach. By breaking the curse.”

Naomi gasped. “You know how to break my curse?”

“Not exactly,” Arson admitted. “That would be almost impossible since we don’t know what kind of curse it is. If we guess wrong, it could have dire consequences if we make a mistake.”

“So, we came up with a way we might be able to disrupt the curse without actually breaking it,” Killian explained. “What better way to counter a death curse than by eating a piece of fruit from the Tree of Life?”

“The Tree of Life is real?” Naomi asked. “Why do I keep saying that? I swear, you people are unreal.”

“Says the girl who keeps dying and coming back to life,” Arson shot back.

“You have a point.”

“The tree is real, but it only gives out fruit to those it wants to,” Killian said. “I know where it is located, but there is no guarantee this will work.”

“It’s something I haven’t tried before. What’s the worst that could happen?” Naomi paused before adding, “Actually, if I end up choking and dying on a piece of fruit, I’m totally blaming you.”

Killian nodded. “Fair enough. Just remember…take small bites.”

Chapter Ten

The In Between was a magical island that existed in between the six realms. The island hovered between night and day, outside the normal scope of time and space.

Since the island’s only resident was War, one of the Four Horsemen, they had to be careful not to trespass into his personal domain. Even though he was officially missing, he had numerous safeguards in place to discourage trespassers from sneaking around.

Killian teleported the four of them directly to the secret realm, and they arrived right outside the hidden doorway leading into the mountain where the Tree of Life was located. The secret entrance was concealed by powerful magic, but Killian was able to help them pass through it since he had been there before.

Naomi felt her heart pounding in her chest as they made their way down the dark passageway that led into the heart of the mountain. The tunnel seemed endless, twisting and winding into different paths that seemed to go nowhere. If she had been walking through it on her own, she would have been hopelessly lost.

She quickly realized that was exactly the point.

The passage had been deliberately designed to confuse anyone who managed to breach the mountain’s outer defenses. An intruder might be fortunate enough to discover the hidden entrance, but that didn’t mean they would ever find what they were looking for. Without knowing the correct path to take, they could wander through the maze of tunnels for days before ultimately getting booted out.

As they continued to venture deeper into the mountain, she barely noticed when they passed through the magical wards protecting the hidden chambers. She felt only the faintest ripple of energy each time they crossed another barrier. Without her new god powers, it probably would have felt a whole lot worse. But as it was, she barely felt it.

When they finally reached their destination, she glanced around and forgot how to breathe. It was a vast, mysterious cave that seemed completely untouched by time. High above them was an opening in the ceiling that allowed the brilliant starlight to spill into the darkness below. Pale shafts of silver light streamed downward, illuminating the breathtaking sight at the center of the cavern.