by R. L. Perez
Rage blazed in her eyes. “No. But the work comes first. Vince knows this. Or at least . . . he’ll understand it soon enough.”
“Do you honestly think we’re in some kind of relationship?” I scoffed. “I care about him deeply, but that’s it. We live in different realms, Gwen. I know it’s impossible.”
“Do you?” she challenged. “Does he?”
I remained silent. I hadn’t missed the heat that passed between us before he left the room. The feeling of hope and longing. The desire for something more.
“Why?” I asked softly. “What is it with you angels and swearing your lives over to someone else’s whims? Can’t Vince live the life he wants to live? Can’t he do his job and pursue his own interests? It’s all ultimatums with you people.”
Gwen sighed. “The magic we possess is a heavy burden. It requires more sacrifices than other forms of magic.”
Well, I could understand that. But at least as a Bloodcaster, I still had freedoms. Even if it meant I was alone.
I cleared my throat. “Tell me about this attacker.” We’d spent long enough talking about things that didn’t matter.
Gwen leaned forward in her chair and filled me in on the shadow demon who had appeared in their realm, slaughtering Reapers like they were nothing more than dust. This demon had been stealing magic from passing souls before they’d reached the Astral Realm—before the Reapers could safely reap the magic and return it to the atmosphere.
“I have no doubt our thief knew exactly what he was doing,” Gwen said. “The magic we reap helps keep the realm secure. It feeds the air and nourishes the world we live in. The Astral Realm relies on that magic more than the mortal realm does. When this thief stole magic repeatedly, our realm suffered for it. The barrier between realms weakened. He used this opportunity—and Vince tearing through it briefly—to make his move.”
“What do you think he wants?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But the Astral Realm possesses a vast arsenal of magic that could be used offensively if it falls into the wrong hands. If this demon has found a way to cross over to the other realms, it’s possible he’s learned how to take our magic with him. It would destroy our realm and create an unstoppable threat to yours. His magic would be unparalleled. Even Third Tier demons wouldn’t be able to stop him.”
I shuddered. After performing certain blood rituals, demons could Ascend to the Second and Third Tiers of dark magic, giving them more power. Damien had been Second Tier.
“Who could possibly have that much power?” I asked. “Who could do this?” Traveling between realms seemed even far-fetched for me, though I wondered if with the right spell and potion ingredients I’d be able to manage it.
“Someone with Reaper powers. Possibly a Nephilim, but he’d have to be powerful. Our realm is protected against the light magic of Nephilim. They aren’t meant to cross over unless they’ve accepted the call of the Reaper.”
I was stuck on the possibility of this being another Nephilim. Ice hardened in my chest as my gaze met Gwen’s. “Could it be Hector Moses?”
Gwen frowned. “Possibly,” she said slowly. “He is powerful. But the barrier’s wards are firm and unyielding. If any high-ranking Nephilim could cross over, we would’ve seen this problem before.”
A hard lump formed in my throat. “Hector is different. Before Vince joined you, he fought Hector. Vince—he Jumped using Hector as an anchor.”
Gwen’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
As briefly as possible, I explained the process of Vince’s time travel and the usage of anchors to keep him grounded. I glossed over Luke and the Timekeepers, since I wasn’t fully certain who they were, anyway.
“The Timekeepers made it seem like he was some kind of deadly danger to the timeline because of it,” I finished. “That he had the potential to travel just like Vince.”
Gwen’s face had turned ashen. “Merciful Lilith. Why didn’t anybody warn us about this?”
I shrugged. “Luke implied this had never happened before. Anchors were only ever meant to be inanimate objects. Not living things.”
Gwen groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Even if it is Hector, we have no way of finding him. Especially if the Timekeepers have him.”
“What do you know of the Timekeepers?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Not much. They like to keep to themselves.”
“And I’m sure you have no idea what that’s like.”
Gwen shot me a flat look, but the corners of her mouth twitched. I was stunned this woman had any appreciation for humor.
“The Timekeepers and Reapers respect each other,” she went on. “We have sacred vows to keep and protect. They preserve the timeline. We preserve the ebb and flow of magic. We don’t interfere.”
“Until now, it seems.”
Gwen remained silent, her eyes contemplative.
I leaned forward, placing my hands on the desk. “I’ll do some digging in the demon community. See if any rumors have popped up about this guy. If he’s dark, I’ll find him. But if he’s not . . .”
Gwen nodded. “I’ll reach out to my contact and arrange a meeting with the Timekeepers. This is beyond the Reapers now.” She met my gaze. “You were right. I’m sorry I tried to shut you out.”
Again, I was overcome with shock. This woman had completely turned her attitude around. It was unexpected and, dare I say it, admirable. I wasn’t sure I would’ve come around so quickly if the roles had been reversed.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, offering a small smile. “I’m grateful for your cooperation, Gwen. I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to help you solve this.”
She nodded and rose to her feet. “I know you will.” She turned to the door, then paused and glanced over her shoulder at me. “There’s no future for you two,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I hope you know that.”
I stared at her, resisting the urge to snap that I did know. How could I not? If this magic thief succeeded and siphoned magic from another realm, then this mortal realm was doomed. If he didn’t succeed, then things would go back to how they were before, and Vince and I would be worlds apart. The thought made my heart twist and my chest tighten so intensely I couldn’t breathe. Heat stung my eyes, and I hastily blinked away the emotion before it consumed me.
Something like grief tainted Gwen’s expression. When her eyes met mine, it was with solidarity and understanding, not chastisement.
She’d experienced this firsthand. She’d lost someone. I could read it plainly on her face.
So instead of arguing, I nodded stiffly. A more affectionate person might’ve offered condolences or kind words. But Gwen and I were of the same mold. No nonsense. Shove our emotions away and get the work done.
Gwen nodded too, her eyes closing off once more before she left the room.
19
Vince
I got a few hours’ sleep before the intense pressure built up in my chest, making it hard to breathe. To be honest, I was shocked it took this long. When I’d last been here with Cora, it had only taken minutes before the splitting pain struck.
A shrill ringing blared in my head, and I bolted from the bed, clutching at my head. My lungs closed off, and I couldn’t breathe. Dark spots danced in my vision.
As quickly as it had come, it vanished, and I sucked in several deep breaths. But the air still felt thin. Insufficient. I remembered how clear the air had seemed in the Astral Realm when I’d returned.
We wouldn’t last here. At least not for long.
A knock sounded at my door, and my heart lurched in my throat. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted it to be Cora until I found my mom on the other side.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
I sighed and stood back to let her through. I closed the door and turned to face her. Her eyes were tired, and her hair was frizzier than normal.
“Are you all right?” Her gaze roved over me as if expecting to find injuries.
Mom exhaled with relief. “Gwen and I cast the spell to loosen the Astral Realm’s hold on us. Hopefully, it’ll buy us some time.”
I fixed a hard stare at her. “So all this time, you could’ve just magicked away the restrictions keeping us tied to that realm?”
Mom blinked at me. “Vince—”
“It’s just one lie after another, Mom. And I’m tired of it.”
Her head reared back in shock. “What’re you talking about?”
Anger boiled within me. My nostrils flared as I held up fingers, counting each deception of hers. “First, there was the whole forgetting your humanity thing. Then, the magic thief. Then, the fact that you just conveniently didn’t care about me and Dad anymore. Now, you’re telling me the one thing I wanted more than anything—to go home—was within your power the whole time and you couldn’t even bother.”
Mom’s face turned ashen. Her mouth opened and closed weakly. At long last, she managed, “I—I never meant to lie to you, Vince.”
I nodded stiffly, not meeting her gaze. Deep down, I knew it was unfair of me to judge her so harshly. She was out of practice being a mother.
But whose fault was that? All she had to do was cast some spell and she could’ve come back to me and Dad. I guess it just wasn’t important enough. My throat felt hot, and I blinked away tears.
Mom stepped toward me, her gaze pleading. “Vince, you have to understand what happens when Reapers stay in a realm they don’t belong in. The fabric between worlds could tear apart, separating the realms permanently. We might not ever be able to get back.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I snapped.
Mom closed her eyes briefly. “We can’t do our job here. We can’t see souls or their magic in this realm like we can in the Astral Realm. The work has to be done in a neutral space between here and the Underworld. There’s no other way.”
I said nothing and clenched my teeth against the pain still coursing through my chest.
Mom took my hand, and I resisted the urge to shake it from her grasp. “I wanted to see you more than anything. But I also knew that if I did, I—I wouldn’t want to come back. And I couldn’t risk it.” Her voice grew thick, and she swallowed, her eyes shining. “So much more was at stake than what I wanted. Sure, I could’ve been selfish and gone back to you and José. But if I had, the consequences would’ve been devastating. The separation from my realm would’ve torn me apart, killing me slowly. And that’s the best-case scenario.”
I frowned. “What’s the worst case?”
Mom’s eyes turned grim. “The souls would be trapped in limbo. Unable to cross over because the Reapers can’t reach them. Eventually, the Underworld would crumble. The souls of the dead would spill into the mortal realm. It wouldn’t be pretty.”
Though my throat still felt tight, I found myself nodding. The rage within me subsided. When Mom put it that way, it did seem kind of selfish.
And I knew firsthand the agony of being with the one you loved and being unable to stay. If Cora hadn’t pushed me away—if my Mimic hadn’t told her to—I almost certainly would’ve stayed. Even if it killed me.
I exhaled. “I’m sorry.”
Mom made a small, whimpering noise and gathered me in her arms, pressing kisses to the top of my head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I should’ve been up front with you from the beginning.”
I wanted to object to this, knowing that if she had, I would’ve demanded she send me back. But perhaps she was right. Perhaps plain honesty from the get-go would’ve been better.
When we drew away from each other, I cleared my throat and asked, “So, what do we do now?”
“Gwen says Cora’s working on a spell to lure out our magic thief. Draw him back over to this realm. If it works, I’ll go back to the Astral Realm and strengthen our wards to allow us to come back without his interference.”
My stomach knotted. “You’ll . . . go back there?”
Mom offered a soft smile. “I’ll be all right, Vince. This is what I’m good at. The last time something like this happened, I held my own just fine.”
“The last time?” My chest tightened with anxiety.
Mom gestured to the scar on her face, and my blood ran cold. “We’ve had magic thieves before. But none of them have been able to cross over. The last thief was hard to catch, and he tried taking a piece of me with him.”
I shuddered. “How did you catch him?”
“Remember when I told you I’d been to the mortal realm for an emergency before? That was why. We tracked down the closest soul to death and lingered, waiting for the thief to show himself.”
“Why can’t we do that this time?”
Mom’s face sobered. “Because he’s in our realm now. We waited too long. If we’d acted sooner, maybe—” She broke off, her voice catching on the last word.
I took her hands in mine and squeezed. “What can I do?” My body felt restless with pent-up energy. I had to do something.
Mom blinked tears from her eyes and swallowed hard. “You can rest. We’ll need all our Reapers at full strength if Cora’s spell works.”
Something within me deflated. Rest? Yeah, right. I was way too anxious for that.
But as Mom bid me goodnight and left my room, an idea formed in my head. There was one secret weapon of mine that no one else knew about. No one except Cora. And perhaps it would make all the difference.
I had to go find Luke.
“It won’t work,” Benny said flatly.
My eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because I’ve been doing this longer than Luke has. He can’t interfere.”
“Gwen says she’s reaching out to the Timekeepers,” Cora said from behind her desk, rubbing her forehead. Exhaustion tugged at her face. “Maybe they’ll cooperate.”
Benny scoffed. “I doubt it. That’s why I never joined. They don’t play nice with others.”
“Even if the entire universe is at stake?” I challenged.
“Yeah. Even then.”
I rolled my eyes.
Cora slammed her palm on her desk, and I jumped and looked at her. “Benny, take him to see Luke. It can’t hurt. Besides, Vince needs to get out anyway—to see his dad.”
My heart lifted at the words. I’ll get to see Dad. I’d closed myself off from that hope a long time ago, thinking I’d never be able to speak to him again.
Cora met my gaze, her eyes softening as if she knew exactly what I was feeling right now.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
She nodded and stood from her desk. Her eyes flicked to Benny. “Call me if things go south.”
Benny nodded, and Cora made for the door. Before she left, I blurted, “Wait. You aren’t coming?”
Cora paused and glanced at me. Regret shone in her eyes. “I wish I could. But I’ve got too much to do here. I have to find your criminal and mine. Plus run this coven.” She sighed, shaking her head.
I stepped toward her. “Let me help.” When she opened her mouth to argue, I added quickly, “Please, Cora. I can’t just be useless here. I have to do something.”
Cora pressed her lips together and eyed me, her gaze contemplative. “Find Luke first. If he can help us, that’s our priority. If you come back empty-handed, I promise I’ll put you to work.” Her mouth curved in an alluring smile that made my stomach turn to mush. I wanted to lean in and kiss her right there, but I knew this wasn’t the time or the place.
Cora’s eyes stirred with heat, and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing. “You two be safe.”
I really didn’t think I needed Benny’s assistance, especially when he closed his eyes and confirmed that Luke was, in fact, at home. That would’ve been the first place I’d look.
But Benny insisted he should come in case there were any dangers lurking nearby—including the Timekeepers. He would get a heads up if there were.
Plus, Cora trusted him. For some re
ason. I tried not to let that knowledge bother me.
Benny admitted he didn’t have a car and asked if I could Jump us there. Ordinarily, I would’ve told him no, since Mom insisted the Reapers needed to save their strength in case there was a fight coming. But I was so tired of feeling useless that I readily agreed. Besides, it meant we could get back sooner. I didn’t want to be away for too long.
I held out my hand, and Benny grasped it tightly, his eyes uncertain. “Have you ever Jumped with another person before?”
I shrugged. “A few times with Cora. We time traveled ten years into the past.”
Benny’s eyes widened, and his face paled, giving me a small slither of satisfaction. “Uh, any chance that’ll happen to us too?”
I laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I have a lot more control now.” Although, that wasn’t entirely true. I still felt like my Jumping happened by accident.
I closed my eyes, then faltered, my breath hitching.
Benny asked, “What’s wrong?”
My eyes opened. “It’s just . . . normally, when I Jump, I link minds with Luke. He’ll know we’re coming. Is that a problem?”
“Possibly. If he knows ahead of time, it means the Timekeepers will too. It’s best to have the element of surprise, just in case.” His jaw ticked back and forth in contemplation. “You can link minds with me this time.”
I blinked. Discomfort swelled in my stomach. “Uh . . .”
Benny fixed me with a flat look. “Got a problem with that?”
I sighed. “No. It’s fine.” To be fair, I didn’t know Benny that well. Then again, I’d been upset when I found out Luke and I were connected without my consent, so having anyone in my head felt like a violation.
“Relax your mind,” Benny said. “Go to your mental bridge. I’ll intercept you before Luke does.”
I nodded, closing my eyes again. In a flash, I was back on the lacrosse field, stick in hand. I gripped it tightly, glancing around at the faceless figures that surrounded me.
Then Benny appeared, wearing the same T-shirt and jeans. He raised his eyebrows as he gazed up and down the field. “Interesting,” he said with a smirk.