“If you are gone then I will welcome nonexistence. There will be nothing left for me to live for.”

“Puck, darling.” Leanansidhe gave me a smile thatwas about as welcoming as a viper eyeing a mouse.“Why am I not surprised to see you here? It seems Ijust got rid of you, pet, and here you are again.”“That’s me.” I raised my chin. “The bad penny thatalways pops up. But you didn’t answer my question.What do you want, Lea?”

“But seeing her still made my heart beat crazily, made me long to pull her close and let that light consume me. If it burned until there was nothing left, would that be such a terrible fate?”

“I think ... I should go home soon. Mom and Luke are probably going nuts. What about you?"He shrugged, a casual lift of one shoulder. "You tell me. When I left Nevernever, I didn't have any plans other than being with you. If you want me around, just say the word.”

“Jeb regarded me with n o expression. "Do you believe in God, Allison?""No," I said immediately. "Is this the part where you tell me I'm going to hell?""This is hell," Jebbadiah said, gesturing to the town around us. "This is our punishment, our Tribulation. God has abandoned this world. The faithful have already gone on to their reward, and he has left the rest of us here, at the mercy of the demons and the devils. The sins of our fathers have passed to their children, and their children's children, and it will continue to be so until this world is completely destroyed. So it doesn't matter if you believe in God or not, because He is not here.”

“How could I have been so blind as to want a soul? It was laughable now, to think that a soul could live inside me without being tainted by the centuries of blood and evil and death.The voices agreed, laughing at me, mocking my quest. I didn’t deserve a soul; I didn’t deserve happiness, or peace. Why should I get my happy ending, when I’d left a swath of horror and destruction behind me wherever I went?”

“You should know there is nothing more dangerous than a man who is not afraid to die. i have lost everything, but that frees me.”