Book Five: Chapter 132

The laughter stopped as abruptly as if someone had slammed a door shut. War’s grin faltered, then vanished entirely. His mouth hung open for several moments, the echo of his own amusement dying somewhere deep in his chest, before he slowly turned his head to look at Murray. Confusion gave way to disbelief, then anger, his brow knitting as the implications sank in.

“They can’t do that!” War barked, his voice booming across the empty space. His gauntleted hand tightened reflexively around the hilt of his sword, metal creaking under the strain. “You can’t just trap us here because you feel like it!”

“You must come to an agreement.” Murray turned his head toward War, but the rest of his skin remained eerily still. As he moved, Beth caught sight of his skull beneath translucent flesh, empty eye sockets staring through nothing. His jaw worked inside the flesh of his neck, bones clicking softly as