“I’ll stay with you until we can see well enough to cut you free,” she said.
“If you were going somewhere, you can go. I might be dead anyway,” Deidre said with a sigh.
Something within Katie snapped at the despair in Deidre’s voice. It was the type of helpless self-pity she’d felt since entering the Immortal’s world. Katie glared at the jungle around them.
“No. I’m staying here. We’ll cut you free. I’m sick of this shit.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m done playing the victim here. I’ve lost everything because I listened to stupid Immortals who thought they knew more than me,” Katie nearly shouted in frustration. “If Death wants me, she can come get me, but I’m not leaving you here to deal with what I’ve dealt with the past few weeks!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“By morning, we’ll probably be surrounded by shapeshifting demons and assassins out to get us. I’m tired of playing this game. I’m not going to be helpless anymore.” Katie stood and threw her head back. “Fuck you, Death! I’m not afraid of you like everyone else is! I bet you get off on fucking with us little people, don’t you?” Her head felt ready to explode with anger, and adrenaline warmed her from the inside out.
Deidre was quiet for a moment. Then she chuckled. “Rough turn, eh?”
“I don’t know what’s worse: running from the one thing that should help us or facing the guy I know wants to do bad things to us,” Katie snapped. “You can’t trust the good guys, because they’ll use you for science experiments, and the bad guys put you in Hell.”
“I guess we just have to do the best we can,” Deidre said.
“There’s a difference between free will and having the deck stacked against you. Humans need someone to protect them from these reckless Immortals, not to mention the demons.”
“Sounds like a lot of responsibility.”
“Rhyn could do it. He’s my … I guess wasmy mate,” Katie said, melancholy descending over her with the rain. “All he needed was someone to believe in him and make him realize he was worth saving. And, well, probably Gabe and a few allies, instead of the assholes he’s surrounded by.”