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me.”
    Alec pulled out a large set of keys and started applying them to the door.
    Kristoff eyed me from toes to nose. I flushed for the umpteenth time that night and, in order to forestall the obvious comment, said quickly, “You can stop looking at me like I’m a big, fat liar, because I’m not.”
    Kristoff blinked for a moment in surprise; then his face hardened into its familiar suspicious expression.
    For some reason, that just seemed to irritate me more than if he’d come out and accused me of trying to pull his leg. “You can believe what you want, but it’s the absolute truth. The lady . . . what’s her name . . . Kristjana mentioned Mattias and me getting married so he could die in my arms or something like that. So you can just wipe that you’re-so-insane-you’re-barking look right off your face.”
    Behind me, Alec started laughing. Kristoff’s eyes lit from within with anger, and for one horrible second, I thought he was going to hit me. But instead he took two steps forward, backing me into the wall of the shop. “Do you have any idea who I am, woman?”
    â€œI know you don’t like me, and I have to say that the feeling is reciprocated,” I told him, my stomach quivering, but whether it was from fear or anger, I wasn’t quite sure.
    Kristoff wrapped the long fingers of one hand around my throat, tightening them with uncomfortable pressure. “I could kill you right now.”
    Fear won out over the anger, but I wasn’t going to let him see that. I clutched the material of my skirt with both hands to keep from grabbing at his wrist. “If I’m who you say I am, that would defeat your purpose,” I pointed out, ignoring the fact that my voice was quavering. “You’d have to explain my death to the Brotherhood.”
    A slow smile curled the very edges of his mouth, but didn’t do much to warm up his icy gaze. “I believe I would enjoy that.”
    My eyes widened at the threat obvious in his voice, but before I could protest, Alec interrupted.
    â€œStop frightening her, Kris. It serves no purpose.”
    His gaze continued to bore into mine for another few seconds, and I felt swamped by the waves of anger and hostility that all but rolled off him. He snarled something under his breath and released me, turning on his heel and stomping off down the alleyway.
    I collapsed against the wall, my legs feeling like they were made of tofu. Instantly, Alec was at my side, propping me up, peering down at me with a concerned look. “Are you all right, Pia?”
    â€œYeah. Your friend is a bit intense, isn’t he? I’m thinking anger management classes might be in order,” I answered, rubbing my neck as I watched the dark silhouette disappear into the shadows.
    To my surprise, Alec defended his friend. “He has no love for the reapers.”
    â€œReapers?” I pulled my gaze back to him. “That’s what the ghosts kept calling me. Who are they?”
    â€œReapers were once Ilargi. That is, technically they still are, although they were divided into two types, sun and moon reapers. The former were called Ilargi before they were all but destroyed. The latter . . . well, that is a long story.”
    â€œAh. The Brotherhood of the Blessed Light,” I said, nodding.
    Alec eyed me for a few minutes before answering. “You do know of the Brotherhood?”
    â€œNo. Not really. I ran into a couple earlier, but that’s all.”
    I thought he was going to tell me about the organization he and his buddy belonged to, but instead he changed the subject. “Kristoff had a mate. Not a Beloved, you understand, but a woman whom he considered his mate. Angelica and Kristoff were together for many decades. She was killed three years ago. He has not forgotten her death. It haunts him still.”
    â€œOh, how awful,” I said, contrite at acting so rudely to a man who was mourning