Deathless

Chapter 43: Jackson

Thomas says nothing, just stares at me coldly, a glint of something untethered in his eyes. The Death Wardens loom behind him, gripping a struggling Millie, Jeanette and Lucius roughly by the arms. Around us, the walls of the room keep crumbling as the Death realm continues to disintegrate.

"How could you... how could you do this?" Lucius mutters, his eyes wide with horror and betrayal. "What have you done with Ginny, Thomas? Where is she?" Lucius tears himself out of the Death Warden's grip, hurling himself at Thomas. But he's not quick enough and a powerful blow to his already injured head has him collapsing to the floor, his eyes closing as he's knocked by the force.

"Get off him!" I yell, but Thomas just looks at me flatly, flexing his fist.

"We don't have a lot of time, Jackson, so I'm going to keep this simple. Do what I ask, and everything will be just fine."

Millie snorts, pulling against the arms that confine her.

"You can't kill us," she snaps. "Jackson, whatever he wants. Don't do it."

Thomas turns and chuckles at her. His face is flushed, and sweat shimmers on his forehead. His round blue eyes are too wide and too bright.

"She's right. I can't kill her. But you know, there are some really interesting things you learn when you take over... actually... let's call it a mutiny, it sounds way cooler." He laughs to himself as he paces the room. "When you stage a mutiny against something as ancient and powerful as Scythe, you learn a few things."

Thomas's smile turns sour.

"So you're right, I can't kill her, but if you ignore my orders, I can make the next twenty years of her life so unbearable, it will echo through her life even after you've reset time. Maybe she won't remember, but she'll never sleep soundly again. Torture isn't really my thing, but these guys...", he points manically to the Death Wardens. "They actually have training on it? How messed up is that?"

I look at Millie. Her lips part before her face settles into a stony mask.

"Ignore him. Use the Chronica. Bring back Death. Nothing else matters." There's a quiver in her voice, but iron in her eyes. Pressed against my arm, still in my rolled-up sleeve. I can feel the power of it, like electricity quivering against my skin. Thomas laughs, turning to Millie.

"That's a big if, I mean, assuming Jackson could live with knowing that he'd let you be tortured. This plan has been in place for a very long time, just bringing Death back... Do you think that'll be the end of it? You think there aren't contingencies. Plan B's?" The amusement drops from his face, something cold replacing it. "Time. Time and anger make for a very efficient and lethal combination, Jackson."

"It was you, whispering to the board, all you, this whole time," Jeanette mutters, her face lined with exhaustion. Thomas looks up at her, his mouth grim.

"Oh, I did so many more things than that." He turns back to me, smiling wickedly. "You think it was a coincidence that she walked into our club that night? I used the sands of Hypnos to put the idea in her little friend's head. And who do you think captured Death? I was there, every step of the way, leading you right where I needed you to be."

"Why are you doing this? You hated Jackson being the successor that much?"

"What?" I snap, staring at Jeanette. "I'm not the successor."

Her mouth drops, her eyes narrowing in confusion. And Thomas chuckles as he glances between us both.

"Of course he's not, but it doesn't matter because this has nothing to do with power. This is because a wrong was committed, and I'm here to make it right."