Read Queen of Nothing (Marla Mason Book 9) Online

Authors: T.A. Pratt

Tags: #action, #Fantasy, #urban fantasy

Queen of Nothing (Marla Mason Book 9) (33 page)

BOOK: Queen of Nothing (Marla Mason Book 9)
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“If I created my perfect afterlife, it would likely involve me working with a simulacrum of you, Mrs. Mason, so I am pleased to help the real you, instead. How may I be of assistance?”

Marla smiled. Good old Pelly. “I need a steward to help me rule here. I’ll take a few weeks to show you the ropes, and set everything the New Death screwed up back to rights. Once I make sure it’s all ticking along smoothly, I’ll put day-to-day operations into your hands, but only temporarily. I won’t be gone long. A month, at most, I think.”

“Where are you going?” Bradley said.

“Well...” She leaned back in her throne. “You and Rondeau haven’t quite seen the last of me. Before I settle in here permanently—or however long I last—I have a few pieces of unfinished business to take care of on Earth. I’d really love it if the two of you would help me. Call it one last hurrah.”

“Like the party you throw for your buddy, right before he has to start a prison sentence,” Rondeau said. He sounded glum, but then he perked up. “I
do
like parties.”

“So that’s the party bit taken care of,” Bradley said. “What’s the business part?”

“First of all, I need to unfreeze Nicolette, and try to set that whole mess right.” She sighed. “That’s not a conversation I’m looking forward to. Nicolette’s not gracious at the best of times, and she’s got legitimate grievances this time. I have some other wrongs I need to set right, too. Plus some people I need closure with, some farewells I need to say, some hash to settle, that kind of thing.”

Bradley cocked his head and stared at her.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m being perceptive at you, Marla. What aren’t you telling us? What
else
do you have to do?”

She tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. “Look. It’s just. Here’s the thing. I’m the main god of Death, now. There’s a way things are done here. It’s halfway between tradition and natural law. Basically, if I’m going to rule down here... I need to find a mortal consort to rule beside me.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Rondeau began to cackle. “Oh, man. This is the greatest thing ever. You have
got
to let me write your online dating profiles.”

“I can set you up with some guys I know,” Bradley said. “Or girls maybe too? Or neither, I’ve got some genderfluid friends who’d make good gods, I bet. Just let me know your parameters. I never got a real handle on your sexual orientation, to be totally honest.”

“There are some eligible descendants of royalty,” Pelham said thoughtfully. “It is important to think strategically when considering a marriage. After all, you aren’t
just
Marla Mason any more, you are also a regent. We should wait a respectable interval after the death of your first husband before we plan the wedding, of course....”

“A wedding!” Rondeau howled. “Yes! We have to throw a
big
wedding! I know just the right chapel of love in Vegas, the officiant dresses up like an elf from
The Lord of the Rings
movies, it’ll be great.”

“You can all go straight to Hell,” the queen said.

Acknowledgments

Thanks first and always to my wife Heather Shaw and our son River, who love and support me, and who both in their own ways give me the help I need to keep doing this strange book-writing things. Thanks to my tireless agent Ginger Clark, to my inventive artist Zack Stella, to my splendiforous cover designer Jenn Reese, to my patient copyeditor Elektra Hammond, and to the indomitable John Teehan of Merry Blacksmith Books. My occasional writing buddies Effie Seiberg and Erin Cashier make this less of a lonely business. Finally, and most importantly, my great thanks to the more than 300 people who supported this project on Kickstarter. (The future is a wonderful place.) Say their names: @RhiReading; Aaron McConnell; Adam Caldwell; Aitor; Al Clay; Alexa Gulliford; Amy Kim; Andreas Gustafsson; Andrew and Kate Barton; Andrew Felle; Andrew Hatchell; Andrew J Clark IV; Andrew Lin; Angela Perry; Ann Lemay; Anne Roberti; Anton Nath; Arlene Parker; As Shadow; Audra Johnson; Ava Jarvis; becca; Ben Esacove; Ben Meginnis; Besha Grey, Queen of Bourbon; Beth Bernobich; Beth Rheaume; Beth Wodzinski; Bill Jennings; Brian Jackel; Brittany; Bryan Sims; Bryant Durrell; C.C. Finlay; Caity Zimmerman; Caleb Wilson; Carol J. Guess; Cat Rambo; Cathy Mullican; CE Murphy; Chad Bowden; Chad Lowe; Chad Price; Chelle Parker; Chris Connelly; Chris McLaren; Christian Decomain; Christian Lane; Christian Stegmann; Christin Steinbruch; Christine Chen; Christine Maia-Fleres; Christopher Todd Kjergaard; Christy Corp-Minamiji; Chuck Lawson; Cinnamon Davis; Claire Connelly; Claudius Reich; Cliff Winnig; Colette Reap; Colleen L; Colon Anderson; corey; Corey Klinzing; Craig Hackl; Craig Marquis; Cynthia Anne Cofer; Dan Percival; Dan Walma; Dana Cate; Dani; Dani Danooli Daly; Daniel Ethan Winter; Danielle Benson; Danika Hadgraft; Dave Lawson; Dave Thompson; David Bell; David Bennett; David Burkett; David Green; David Harrison; David Martinez; David Rains; Dean M. Roddick; Deanna Stanley; Deb “Seattlejo” Schumacher; Dena Heilik; Denise Murray; Don, Beth & Meghan Ferris; Donald Mayne; Duck Dodgers; Duncan McNiff; Ed Matuskey; Eduardo; Edward Smola; ejhuff; Elias F. Combarro; Ellen Sandberg; Elliotte Bowerman; Elsa; Emrya; Enrica P; Ergo Ojasoo; Evan Vigil-McClanahan; Evangeline Z; EY; Ferran Selles; Feyrie Southeast; Fred Kiesche; Gann and Constance Bierner; Garret Reece; Gary Singer; Gavran; Glenn Seiler; Glennis LeBlanc; Glyph; Greg Levick; Grumpysteen; Guillaume Actif; Gunnar Hogberg; Haddayr Copley-Woods; Harvey King; Hathway; Heather Pritchett; Heidi Berthiaume; Hugh Berkson; Hynek Schlawack; Ian Mond; Isaac “Will It Work” Dansicker; J Leee; J Quincy; J.R. Murdock; Jacob “Ryoku” Walker; Jade; Jake Mandel; James Burbidge; James H. Murphy Jr.; James M. Yager; Jamie Grove; Jared wynn; Jason Rogers; Jay Garpetti; Jay Turpin; Jaym Gates; Jeff; Jeff Gregory; Jeff Huse; Jeffrey Reed; Jen Sparenberg; Jen Woods; Jenn Snively; Jennifer Berk; Jennifer T; Jeremy Carter; Jeremy Rosehary; Jessi Harding; Jim Crose; Joanna Fuller; Joe McTee; Joe Rosenblum; John Blankenship; John Curley; John Dees; John Devenny; Jon Eichten; Jon Hansen; Jon Lundy; Jonathan Duhrkoop; Jonathan Lupa; Jonathan Pruett; Jordy Jensky; Josh Mathews; Josh S.; Joshua Clark; Julia Shaw; Juliana Rew; Julie Gammad; Justin Morton; Justine Baker; Kaitlin Thorsen; Karen Brigitta Goetz; Kate Dollarhyde; Kathleen T Hanrahan; Keith Teklits; Keith Weinzerl; Kelly Angelina Hong; KendallPB; Kenn Luby; Kerim; Kerry Liu; Kevin Hogan; Khalil L; Konstantin Gorelyy; Kristin Bodreau; Kristin Evenson Hirst; Laura; Laura A. Burns; Lee DeBoer; Lila Taylor; Liran Lotker; Lisa Mia Moore; Lori Gildersleeve; Lori Lum; M. A. Klee; M. Murakami; Marcel van Os; Marius Gedminas; Mark Rowe; Max; Max Kaehn; Maxime G.; Maynard Garrett; Melissa Tabon; Michael “Maikeruu” Pierno; Michael Bernardi; Michael Bowman; Michael D. Blanchard; Michelle Matel; Michelle Ossiander; Mikael Vikström; Mike Bavister; Mike Dawson; Mike Wilson; Mirandia Berthold; MK Carroll; Monster Alice; Mur Lafferty; Myk Pilgrim; Natalie Luhrs; Nathan Bremmer; Nathan Turner; Neil Campbell; Nicole Dutton; Niels Erik Knudsen; none; Patrick Darden; Patti Short; Paul Bulmer; Paul Echeverri; Paul Rubin; Pete Milan; Peter Heller; Phil Adler; Phil Dawson; Phillip Jones; Q Fortier; Raghu T; Ragi Gonçalves; Randall Wald; Reed Lindner; Renee LeBeau; Rhel; Richard Leaver; Richard Naxton; Rick Cambere; Rick F; RKBookman; Rob Hobart; Rob Steinberger; Robert Adam II; Robin Mayer; Rodelle Ladia Jr.; Rodrigo Martin; Roger Silverstein; Roman Pauer; Ron Jarrell; Ron Pearson; Russ Matthews; Russ Wilcox; Ryan Rapp; Ryan Spicher; S. aucuparia; S. K. Suchak; S. Rune Emerson; Sam Conway; Sam Courtney; Samuel Montgomery-Blinn; Sarah Heitz; Scott Drummond; Scott Serafin; Sean; Sean Elliott; Shanna Germain; Sharon Wood; Shef Reynolds; Shelley Cass; Sheryl R. Hayes; SPL; Sraedi Scatterbug; Stephen Ballentine; Stephen Boucher; Steve Feldon; Steven “Sammo” Simmons; Steven Saus; summervillain; Susan Marie Groppi; Tania Clucas; Tara Rowan; Ted Brown; The Bridge Family; Thomas Beauvais; Tim Uruski; Timo D. Zingg; Timothy Callahan; Tobias S. Buckell; Tony James; Tophat3D; Topher Hughes; Travis M. Dunn; Vincent Meijer; Vladimir Duran; Von Welch; Walter Bryan; Warlord Katrina; Yaron Davidson; Yoshio Kobayashi; and Zen Dog.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Three Days Late

Oracular Emperor

A Terrible Tipper

The Limits of Omniscience

A Divine Visitation (or Two)

Going On

A Woman with a Past, Presumably

Lady Luckless

Through the Mirror

Familial Tendencies

Desert Recon

The River Lethe

Death and Chaos

Night's Plutonian Sword

Out on the Edge

Stealing from the Gods

The Sundered Isles

The Scent of Lemons

Reconvened

A Serpent in the Roots of the World

The Dead Boyfriends Club

Last Meal

Hell Is Some Other People

Unearthly Delights

The Palace of Death

The New Death and the Old

Cutting Out the Core

The Dread Queen on Her Throne

Acknowledgments

BOOK: Queen of Nothing (Marla Mason Book 9)
13.67Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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