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“It will work if we move quickly. It’s the only option we have, though we’ve never taken body and soul separately,” Liam says in a determined tone. He looks at me one last time and nods firmly, before opening a portal and pulling Thea in after him.
I hurry out, closing the door behind me. I avoid looking at the nurses, tears streaming down my face. We make it to the car without incident. As soon as I hit the front seat, I reach under it for my chain and tap Emmett’s soul with it. I concentrate on opening a portal and pull him through.
I know he’s one of us when we exit the portal andwalk into a stark white room instead of the judgment platform. His body is lying on the bed and Liam ushers him over. Emmett doesn’t hesitate to follow orders and my sweet reaper makes quick work of joining his body and soul back together with my chain.
A thought occurs to me, and I gasp. “The rental car. The hospital staff will have noticed by now that Emmett’s body is gone,” I say and Liam nods, disappearing through the portal quickly.
Thea is still softly crying, clinging to his side again the moment Liam moved away. I’m sure it was terrifying sitting next to him when the heart monitor flatlined and I don’t know what to do to help her. When I walk up and give her a gentle hug, she latches on to me like a koala. We sit like that for a long time before she falls asleep. After a few minutes of her even breaths, I lay her gently next to her best friend.
Still unable to shake my anxiety, I sit on the edge of the bed and look Emmett over. Color is starting to return to his cheeks and his skin goes from pale to a light bronze. His muscles fill out and his face loses the gaunt, sick look. I feel like I’m getting a glimpse of the healthier version of Emmett we never got to see.
Liam pops back in not long after, pulling me to my feet. He covers up both of them with an extra blanket before we slip out of the room.
“Let’s get these ingredients to the others. Then we can discuss what the next course of action is,” he says as he leads me away. I only allow him to pull me away because Thea is there. They have a long night ahead of them and I just hope that Thea finds a way to pull him out of the void.
ChapterTwenty
Luz
“The council just called and said potential reapers are now being targeted. It may be why we haven’t found any in so long. Though it doesn’t explain Luz,” Sam says in a worried tone.
“It does. My death was an unexpected, freak accident. The reapers just got lucky when they came for my soul,” I offered. Sam frowns at me but doesn’t ask any questions.
“We haven’t found any souls to cross in days. We have to find a way to make the rune with the spelled ink, without anyone directly touching it or messing it up,” Mason says as he flips through the pages on the spell book.
“Maybe we can create a stamp of sorts? I know it sounds ridiculous, butsomeone here has to have some artistic ability. Then we don’t have to worry about me smudging it or something so the rune goes on intact. No one will have the time to draw that intricate spellwork perfectly.” Even as I say it out loud I feel stupid. My body tenses as I wait for them to shoot it down.
“I could carve it out of wood. Then we can coat it in something that would allow us to use it as a stamp. Wood won’t be enough. Wax, maybe? I have an old candle in my room,” Sam suggests. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when he just accepts the suggestion.
“We need a small jar that’s wide enough to fit the stamp. Then I can just dip it in before I stamp him. It’s not perfect, but I’m less likely to be permanently stained by the ink,” I suggest with a shrug.
“Mason and Luz can go find one of those and a pair of gloves for Luz. I will stay and carve after Liam draws it out for me. Leave the book with us,” Sam demands and we all nod at our orders.
“I’m checking on Thea and Emmett first,” I say as I walk out. Mason follows me out of the room and grabs my hand.
We walk in and see that they’re both still on the bed, appearing asleep. I suspect they aren’t simply sleeping, but are actually in the void. I love how dedicated Thea is, not letting Emmett do this alone. And I have a sneaking suspicion they’re taking their time on purpose.
Not willing to disturb them yet, I turn and walk out of the room with Mason, closing the door behind us. He pulls me in for a hug. I take a moment to just breathe while wrapped in his arms. His leather and spice is like a balm for my anxiety.
“Why didn’t I get a tattoo this time? I got one with Thea,” I ask, confused. It should have appeared when we re-joined Emmett’s body and soul.
“I have a feeling that Thea and Emmett are a bit different. She probably got his mark, since she was there when he died, right?” Mason says with a smile to reassure me. I can’t argue with that logic; the connection between them is intense.
But now isn’t the time to dwell on them. They’re safe and we need to make sure they stay that way.
“Let’s do this.”
I call open our portal and we step through into a mall. I head for a big craft store, knowing it will be the quickest place to find a good container.
“Can I help you find anything?” the teen girl working behind the counter asks, while she makes doe eyes at my man. I hold back a laugh and pat his arm.
“I’m good for right now,” I say and drag Mason out of her line of sight. He sighs and looks down at me with a small smile.
I find the kid’s section and find a few shallow, shatterproof paint containers. I pick out two different sizes, unsure how big Sam will make it. We head over to the cash register so we can buy it and leave. The girl just stares at Mase the entire time, and I try my best to ignore it.
She’s a teen, Luz. Hurting humans is petty.
“You’re cute when you get jealous,” he teases as we walk out.
