"I will await, dear…
a patience of eternity, my crush.
A universe so still,
No rust…
No dust will ever grow on this frame,
One million years, and I will say your name.
I love you more than I can ever scream…

We booked our flight those years ago
you said you loved me as you left me.
Regret's still haunt your saddened head,
But I promised you,
And now I'm home again…"
-The Mortician's Daughter, Black Veil Brides

PREFACE

I immediately sat up when I awoke. I looked next to me, and saw that Death didn't wake. Good. I felt terrible when I woke him unintentionally due to my dreams. I sat up and smiled, taking his mask off. He fell asleep with it on constantly. I leaned over and lightly brushed my lips over his. I stood up, and was ready to leave. Being quiet, making sure not to wake him, I ran my fingers across the Vorpal blade that we had put up on display- not like anyone would see it- then grabbed my bow and arrows and slipped outside.

It became a regular thing where I would go outside for a while. I haven't slept a full night in a long time. It has been about a month since War was taken into prison. We weren't able to speak with him. I've been living with Death, which was amazing. But we were both more than angry about War's imprisonment. He told me that he had a plan, but hasn't told me what it is yet. He said he would when he wakes up today.

As I walked, I would trip and fall a few times. I wasn't used to my new body. Death told me that the Nephillim blood was injected straight into my heart, so it would grow and progress throughout me. But Nephillim was a cold blooded race, so there were lots of side effects, including being freezing cold constantly. And about a week ago all of the human blood was destroyed. I actually almost died at that stage, but Death injected me with his blood. I didn't know how it worked, but it saved my life. And if I don't get a shot of it into my heart every seventy two hours or so, I could die. Or not. It'll be a while before I could go without it, and neither of us knows how long.

Ever since the first injection, I grew about a foot taller in the first month, now making myself only a few inches shorter than Death. My eyes started to glow- just like the other Four Horseman- and he had told me that it was a trait all Nephillim had. Other than that, my skin was paler, my voice got slightly deeper, and my accent got a lot more noticeable. I got better at climbing, so I had a certain tree that I would spend some nights in about thirty feet in the air to think, my back to the house. That way, if Death got up earlier, then he wouldn't see me. I don't know why I did this. I guess I just liked to take some time for myself.

I watched in confusion as Dust flew from his perch on the roof of the house and started towards me. That damned bird would be awake this early, what looked to be about four in the morning. He frantically flew over to me, perching on the top of my boot. He let out an ear piercing scream, loud enough to make me tense. Once he did, he took off. I rolled my eyes and sat for what seemed to be another ten minutes or so.

"I finally found you." Death was on a sturdy branch a few feet above me. I tightened my grip on the tree when I flinched.

"What are you doing here?" I asked softly, smiling because I was glad to see him. I didn't even bother to question how he got up there without me noticing, since he was a Horseman.

"I woke, and you weren't there. I panicked and sent Dust to find you."

"Yes, he burst my eardrums."

Death smiled, his bright orange eyes radiating light in the darkness. "Now can we get down so I can kiss you without feeling like this branch will collapse?"

"Is the Grim Reaper afraid of heights?" He gave me his sarcastic look, which made me laugh. He descended down through the tree, and I followed. Once Death was on the ground, for the first time, one of the branches snapped and I started to fall. He caught me, and I murmured as his gaze met mine, "Well, I feel like an idiot."

"You are an idiot." He replied with a half smile. "But that's why I love you." He leaned down to kiss me, and I tensed slightly. Not enough for him to notice. We started walking back towards his home after he set me down, his arm wrapped around me to keep me from falling.

Once we returned, for the first time I took time to acknowledge Death's home. It was a small house, not like either of us needed much space anyway. I could tell that the wood was cut apart by Harvester. From age, it was almost completely hidden by dead, ash ridden trees. And I would have sworn that in the distance, shaded by the layers and layers of ash in front of it were the outlines of something huge. Every time I walked past the house, I felt guilty because of the five bullets carved into the side if the wall. I forced myself not to look at them.

"Are you still… angered, about the shadow?" Death asked when I wasn't paying attention, so I jumped.

"No, not really." I lied. He looked at me with curiosity in his eyes, which made me smile. "What?"

"I can't tell if you're lying or not."

"That's good."

"So you are lying?"

"What? I never said..." He smirked at my denial, both eyebrows raised. I let myself laugh as we sat back against the wall, watching as the sun rose. We decided that we would start training in about an hour, so we sat and talked.

We decided to train not too much later. Since I've gotten here, we've that's what we've done every morning. I went in to grab my grappling chain, and when I walked back outside, Death pinned me up against the wall and playfully held Harvester to my neck.

"See? You weren't paying attention."

"Well-"

"You always need to be on alert, love."

I bit the inside of my lip, trying not to laugh, but I couldn't hold back a smile. He let me go, still smirking. I started to walk away, and I heard his footsteps come up behind me. Before he could catch me off guard for the second time, I spun around and grabbed the end of the chain, holding up and blocking his attack. I let go of the end and started to swing it. He blocked it each time, and when I pressed him against the wall, I wrapped my fingers back around the chain and held his neck to the wall. He gave me an animated grin, both of his eyebrows raised, which made me laugh. I dropped my arms and retracted the chain.

"You're getting better." Death told me.

"Why thank you, love." I teased.

"But, not good enough."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you that I had a plan."

"What's that?"

"The resurrection of the Third Kingdom."

I widened my eyes. "I beg your pardon...?"

"The Council believes War's guilty. If I erase the crime, then it'll be as if there wasn't a problem in the first place. They'll have to release him."

"How are we going to do that?"

"I'm going to speak with the Crowfather. But you're staying here."

"Why is that?"

"It's dangerous... and I don't want to risk losing you."

"I can protect myself." I assured him.

Death chuckled. "I know you can, Alice." He walked up closer to me and rested his hand on my cheek. "It's not like I won't come back."

"That's true." I agreed. "But I just got back."

He chuckled. "I'll be back soon." He promised his voice muffled with his lips pressed to mine. "Before you'll need another injection, I will be back." He set his mask on his face and clipped the two halves of Harvester to his belt, Despair appearing out of the ground. His hand left mine when he mounted, and once he was far enough away, I did something really stupid.

I followed him.

Chapter 1

I trailed close behind Death; not close enough for him to see, but close enough so Delirium and I could keep up. It started to snow, and I was freezing, but I've grown used to being cold. I dismounted and hid behind a chunk of fallen ice, still watching him. Through the blizzard, snow was already accumulating over the ground, and the walls were already caked in ice. Death dismissed Despair and stood in front of a staircase, looking over the realm in front of him. He started to climb up, and when he walked through the door at the top, I followed. The next time I saw him, he was literally digging his fingers into the ice and maneuvering his way across a gap.

"That's just cheating..." I murmured, trying not to laugh. Once he was on the other side, a door closed behind him. I cursed under my breath and walked to the edge of the gap and swung over after attaching the chain to the ice. I heard Harvester crack against something, which told me that he was in the middle of a fight. I heard a shriek come from whatever he had just killed, followed with the Cheshire cat's voice.

"Hello, Reaper." He said. I looked around to make sure he wasn't talking to me, and he wasn't anywhere.

Damn.

"Cat." Death's voice was distant but clear. "What are the likes of you doing here in this freezing Vale?"

"'Just enjoying the scenery.'" He mimicked one of the first things Death said to me. I chuckled quietly, and heard Death do the same. That was the last thing I heard before the cat sat behind me. "He's out of the room. Go."

I jumped. "Gee, one of the first times you've actually helped me."

He gave me a grin, making me roll my eyes as I slowly pushed the door opened. I walked to the middle and glanced around; making sure the cat wasn't lying. Sure enough, it was empty, only a skeleton way larger than I was lying in the middle. I ran down a long hallway to a different room. There was a lever in it, and I tried to pull it, but it wouldn't budge. I took a few steps back in frustration, but felt arms wrap around my waist and someone's head rest against mine.

As a reflex, I rammed my right elbow back into Death's stomach and punched him in the jaw, this time with enough force to rip the mask from his face. "Damn. Sorry! I didn't know it was-"

His laughter cut me off. "It's alright, love. I should learn not to sneak up on you." He set his forehead lightly against mine, making me smile like an idiot. He put one of his hands up against his jaw where I punched it, and the other around me, pulling me closer to him. "You really can punch hard, can't you?" I chuckled, looking down and picking at the frayed bandage on my right wrist. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. Are you mad?" I asked, gritting my teeth together.

"No." His tone sent a chill through me, despite how cold I already was. "I thought about turning around about a thousand times to come and get you. But I'm concerned. You're still recovering..."

I reached into my bronze colored pocket and pulled out the long metal tube that I kept with me at all times. It was the syringe that I had to inject into my heart. "I'll be fine as long as I have this."

Death nodded, lifting my chin up and forcing me to look at him. "Keep it close."

I smiled as he quickly kissed me before bending down to pick up his mask. He returned it to his face and flipped the lever. The elevator started to move upward, but couldn't reach the top because of the ice blocking its path. It stuck, leaving us to climb the rest of the way up. It was only about ten feet to the top, and a steep staircase to follow. I really couldn't tell what was in the arena in front of us.

"Stay here." Death told me. I guess he knew. I nodded; he adjusted his mask and walked through the door. Still shivering, I rubbed my hand over my right arm and watched him converse with the Crowfather.

"Voices... voices, torment without end..." The old man's airy voice filled my ears. I could hardly see him, but a faint green light indicated where he stood.

"Keeper of Secrets," Death acknowledge, already across the arena. "We... I need your help."

"I helped you once, Horseman. Look at me now. How I curse that day... how I curse you..."

"Careful, Crowfather. I'm not here to put you out of your misery... not yet." I allowed myself a smile at Death's threatening.

"I know why you have come. Your brother, the one they call War. He's been imprisoned by the Charred Council and awaits their judgment. For dooming earth... for Mankind's extinction. Why should I care about your brother's fate?"

"Because you know the truth," Death inquired. "Your secrets can save him."

"The Council will condemn War! Strip him if power; let him rot in oblivion, just to hide the truth. My secrets cannot prove his innocence, Horseman."

I had to get even closer so I could hear Death's quiet voice. "No. But, they can help us to erase the crime."

"Bring Mankind back from almost complete annihilation? Not including the one there who used to be human? Madness."

Death completely ignored the reference to me. "If it's madness, who better to show me the way?"

"Should a way exist..." an amethyst colored portal appeared right where Death was looking."You will find it here."

He looked back towards me and motioned me to come. I didn't even take a full step before the Crowfather closed it. "The Tree of Life... let us pass."

"Not yet! That which you gave me..." He held up the green light. I strained my eyes, seeing that it was an amulet. "You will take it back."

"In exchange for its secrets, you agreed to keep the amulet."

"No... The voices. They curse and threaten without end. They cry to return! You must destroy it!"

I cocked my head slightly to the side, completely lost. But when Death hung his head and murmured, "I can't..." I could hear the regret and guilt cake his voice.

"You annihilated their flesh. Why do you guard their souls?"

It was the Nephillim. And Death got frustrated. He put the two scythes out in front of him and growled, "Open the portal."

"...you will not pass while I live."

"So be it."

He started to walk up to the old man, but somehow was pushed to the middle of the arena. In frustration, he let out a vicious snarl.

"Here your brethren are trapped in eternal torment. Do you wish to join them...? And what of War? Would you kill your brother to save your precious balance?"

"He is innocent!" I saw Death's head snap up.

"Are you so certain?"

I rolled my eyes. I didn't think he would kill the old man out of the blue. But, he was Death, whose temper was unpredictable sometimes. He stood still with his scythes ready, and just in case it came to me, I loaded my bow. The figure that was the Crowfather disappeared. I took another step into the arena, trying to get a better view when Death spun around and looked around in my direction.

I was about to ask him what was wrong, but then noticed he wasn't looking at me. I felt an ice cold gauntlet push me violently to the side. I looked over, and sure enough saw War. I was surprised for a moment, but his face was blacked out, indicating that this version was only a shadow.

Death treated him as such. He immediately started to attack the shade of his younger brother. And just by the sight of it, I could tell that Death has been training a lot more since Wonderland. He's gotten indescribably better at fighting.

And that's when I was forced to my knees. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I refused the urge to grab my chest, and shot the arrow at the shadow of War's head. Just like I hoped, it went through the side if his neck, distracting him enough for Death to finish him. I dropped the bow and took deep breaths, like Death had told me to.

"Open up the portal." Death snarled. I forced myself to look up, and saw that Harvester was inside of the Crowfather's torso. He grabbed the old man's head and slid him off violently, slamming him against the ground. "Your secrets die with you... old fool."

I grabbed the syringe from my pocket, but it was empty. Shaking, I accidentally dropped it, but put it back into my pocket. "Death..." I forced myself to at least whisper. With my luck, he didn't hear me. I started to crawl towards him.

"My secrets... but not yours." Were the Crowfather's last words. The amulet fell from his belt, and it started to crack. Before Death could react, it broke, and the contents ripped into his chest. He let out a grunt in pain, and he fell backwards, passing out.

"Death..." I repeated. I finally reached him, and set my head on his sucked in stomach.

"Hurry up. You don't have much time left." The Cheshire cat sat right next to him. I nodded, and got out the syringe from my pocket. Death taught me how to do it, but when he did I was dying, so I don't remember it much.

I slid the needle into his arm- which took a while because his skin was so tight- and used my teeth to pull on the opposite side. Once it was full, I took a few more deep breaths and shoved it into my heart.

I couldn't help but yell. I pushed the blood into my heart, and immediately felt it course through my body. I felt better, but fell unconscious after pulling it out.