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He didn’t smile; instead, his gaze turned cautious. “I…was half expecting my time here would be a preview of what eternity holds in store for my soul.” His voice dropped low, barely more than a whisper. “Punishment for my…recent sins. But…there are no souls here.”
I shook my head. “No, that is a human misconception.”
“And Heaven?” he asked.
“Well, I’ve not been there,” I joked, “but no—”
“But then…what of my…”
Understanding dawned. “Your wife and children?” I asked gently.
His nod was stiff.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what happens after death.”
He didn’t answer, just stared out over the frozen surface of the lake.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, unsure what else to say.
He didn’t seem to hear me. “Then they’re truly gone,” he whispered. “They were from the start, and I have caused such harm to so many, all for nothing. Perhaps that was my true punishment.” He took a deep, ragged breath. “For meddling in things bigger than myself.”
The snow had stopped falling, the sky beginning to gradually darken above us. “You truly believe there is still a way to fix this?” I asked.
He met my gaze. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I saw something—something I cannot explain. I think there’s a chance, and you will need to be there.”
I didn’t know what he thought we could do that hadn’t already been done, but I reached out to him anyway, offering my hand. What harm could it do?
Plenty of harm, I reminded myself.
Well, then I would just have to be on my best behavior.
He slipped his hand into mine. I took a deep breath, and pulled us between the realms.
