Book Four: Chapter 131

“Much like this shitty deal you want me to make,” Mike said, his voice cutting through the stillness of the fog. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, keeping his eyes locked on the shadowy figure before them.

“A deal which I offer one last time,” the shadow intoned, the voice resonating like a hundred whispers layered over each other. “Oh, Mike Radley, you have no idea what you’ve been pulled into. For whatever reason, the threads of fate have converged on you, and there will be many who are hungry to cut them, to see those lines split and unravel. When you—”

“Taikutsu,” Yuki groaned from beside him, rolling her eyes so hard it seemed almost audible. “This bastard really does prattle on and on, doesn’t he?” Her tone carried a mixture of frustration and amusement, a low growl of impatience that hinted at her readiness to act.

“He really does,” Mik