"To the road."
She ran to keep up with him."Why?"
"Because it's time."
The wind whipped dust across the street.The sky had changed.The clouds were too bright in some places, too dim in others, like two worlds fighting to break down the dimensional seam.
Kallie, lost in his jacket, slapped at her head trying to get her hair out of her face."Finn, what's happening?"
He grabbed her hand, pulling her close so she wouldn't get knocked off balance."The veil's reacting to you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you have to go.Now."
Her eyes widened, and she grabbed him."No.I'm not leaving."
"You don't have a choice."
She dragged her heels."I'm not going back there.I want to stay with you."
The wind surged, nearly knocking her sideways.Finn tightened his grip, pulling her against him to keep her upright.
"Kallie," he said, voice rough, "if you don't go now, you won't get out.You're not made for this place.You have to leave."
She shook her head, tears streaking down her cheeks."I don't care.I want to stay with you.Please, please, please let me stay."
His breath caught.
He wanted that too.
But the wind roared, swirling around them, tugging at her clothes, her hair, her hold on him.The air shimmered with dust.
"Kallie," he said, louder this time, "you have to go."
"No!"She clung to his waist, trembling."Please, Finn.Don't make me.I don't have anyone there who cares about me.I don't have anything."
He cupped the back of her head, pulling her forehead to his chest."You have a life.A future.I won't let you ruin it by staying here."
"I belong with you."She sobbed.
His eyes squeezed shut.Fuck, that hurt a part of him that had never hurt before.
The wind howled.The clouds covered the sky.The street widened into a dark, pulsing shadow, opening the veil.The only way out.
Finn grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him."Listen to me.If you stay, this place will take you.It'll keep you.And you'll lose everything you could've had."
"I only want you," she cried.
"You don't know what you want yet."He swallowed hard."I'm nobody to you."
She shook her head violently."Finn—"
He didn't let her finish.It was better to deny the pull he experienced whenever she was around, or how many years he waited for her to come back to him.
He turned her toward the shadow and pushed her away from him hard enough that she entered the veil.
She screamed his name, reaching back for him for a split second before the wind tore her away.The hurt in her wild eyes would remain with him forever.
