by CY Jones
“Row,” I cry.
Why isn’t he moving? Patting his body down I press against his blood soaked shirt looking for injuries. This whole time I thought the blood coating him was Hangman’s, and I’m horrified when the truth surges to the forefront of my mind when I tear the front of his shirt open and see the massive hole near his heart. The bullet went straight through Hangman’s flesh, bypassing all his ribs, and major organs, and right into my brother’s chest.
“Row. No,” I wail. "You cannot die. I won’t allow it.”
Pressing my hands to his chest, I try to put pressure over his wound to keep him from losing anymore blood. A groaning noise escapes his lips, and his eyes flutter open taking me in.
“Bean,” he whispers through clenched teeth. “I...I love you.”
“No, Row damn it. Don’t do this to me. We came into this world together. We’re supposed to go out the same way. You promised,” I scream at him. “You promised me eternity. Our story is not suppose to end today.” My tears run a river down my face, each tear splattering on his torn shirt is evidence of my pain.
“I’m so..rry,” he barely gets out.
“Please,” I beg, lowering my head. “Please don’t take my brother,” I plead over and over again to whatever deity is listening as I sob into his chest. When he takes his last breath, and his chest stills, I lose it.
“No,” I wail, as I feel the hands of someone trying to pull me away, but I wasn’t having none of that. No, it’s not too late. Row will not die.
Fighting whoever dares to interfere, I wrap a barrier of wind around us to keep the others at bay. I will not leave my brother. He will live.
“No, you’re not doing this. I’m not letting you do this. You will not leave me,” I shout at Row’s unconscious body. Pushed far past the point of madness I work on pure instinct, and I force my palm harder onto his chest, and push on his sternum. Shadows shoot out my hand and surrounds his body, wrapping around him like a mummy until he’s no longer corporal and his body blends seamlessly with the shadows. Searching for what, I don’t know, my eyes catch hold of a cloud of white smoke hidden in the dark, and I grip the wisp of his fleeting soul before it can get away, and pull it inside me. The warmth of his soul caresses me from the inside. A familiarity that I can never confuse with anyone else comforts me, and I take that feeling and warmth and push it back into his body. His chest rising is the last thing I see before I black out.
Twenty-Nine
Void
Cody
“You need to get this barrier down now,” Hunter shouts over the raging wind in front of us blocking Remy.
“I’m trying to, mate, but she’s a bit stronger than me,” I grumble back at my idiot friend. What the hell does he think I’ve been trying to do? I can feel Remy’s pain, and it’s tearing me apart. More than when Hunter told me he wasn’t able to save her and O’Donnell had her. I’m dying to get to her, but this barriers she’s built is unnatural. Formed from grief and pain. It’s taking all my strength just to stand upright, and looking around I know it’s the same for the others.
As soon as the barrier drops, I don’t waste even a second running to her. She’s lying naked on her brother’s chest unconscious and covered in blood. Gently I move her away, and put my fingers to her pulse on her throat. It’s faint but it’s still there. Moving my hands over her body feeling for any other injuries my hands stop when I get to a hole still gushing blood on her side.
“She’s been shot,” I yell to the others. Moving quickly, I close my eyes and hover them over the wound. Using my healing powers my hands heat up, but the power that shoots out my hand bounces right off Remy and back into me. The bullet must be made from pure silver, and is still inside her body. I won’t be able to heal her until it’s removed.
“I’m going to blink back to the house. I can’t heal her until I remove the bullet,” I tell them as I lift Remy gently into my arms.
“You’re going to have to come back for all of us. Hangman is barely alive, and Rowen is even worse. His pulse is faint, but he’s barely breathing. Remy must have done something to him.”
“She took his soul,” Silas croaks as he continues to look over Rowen’s body.
“What?” We all shout.
“He’s right,” Hatter agrees as he watches us all. “I felt it when he died. Now he feels unnatural. Like one foot is here with the living, and the other with the dead. They both do,” he explains, and I guess he would know the best since he’s the reaper, but what the fuck does that mean? I refuse to let Remy die. I cannot allow her to follow her brother into the underworld. I don’t care if that makes me selfish.
“I don’t have the strength to take all of us, or make multiple trips, and we can’t stay out here in the open, just in case O’Donnell comes back,” I tell them analyzing our situation.
“Oh, I don’t think he’s coming back,” Hatter laughs.
I’m look over at the reaper like he’s as mad as people say, because I don’t see anything funny about this situation.
“And why do you think that?” Hunter asks.
“Because, that’s his hand,” he answers, pointing at the severed hand on the ground.
“Fuck,” I cruse. “Remy must have pulled it off when she bit him,” I muse.
“Let’s just get back in the SUV. Cody, you’re going to have to remove the bullet in the car while we drive. The quicker we get the bullet out of her the better. Once we board the private jet you’ll have more room to look over all of them properly,” Caleb says, taking charge.
“Why the fuck are we taking him? Isn’t he one of the bad guys?” Hunter grumbles as he stares hatefully at Hangman’s prone body.
“Look at where his wound is. It’s lines up with Phantom’s. I think he may have jumped in front of the bullet to save him,” I answer.
“Fuck that shit. One good deed doesn’t absolve him from all the sins he committed. Let’s just leave him to his fate,” Hunter growls.
“No. If he did indeed try to save Remy’s brother, she will never forgive us if we let him die,” Silas says.
“We are not O’Donnell. If he can be saved then we will save him,” Conner agrees.
“Whatever. If this asshole slits your guys' throats in your sleep, I will be right there to tell you I told you so, right after I take care of the problem,” Hunter gripes before bending down to lift Phantom from the ground. I’m surprised he’s the one to carry him when the two are barely cordial with one another. Oreo is going to flip out when he learns of what happened, but that’s a problem for later. Right now I need to save my girl.
Remy
I must be dreaming again. All the children from before are running around a huge field filled with colorful wild blossoms, laughing about and just enjoying being kids. Something I know nothing of from my own childhood. The infant from before is now a couple years older. He looks so much like his father with his golden hair and eyes as he toddles around on shaky legs while his teenage sister watches him attentively.
“Your children are beautiful,” my brother says behind me.
“Row,” I whisper, turning to him.
I take him in, looking for injury. All the blood from before is gone, and his clothes are fresh and bullet hole free. His eyes are no longer clouded over with death, and the most wonderful thing is that his chest is rising and falling with each breath of life he takes. He is alive. He is here.
“Row,” I say again, running into his arms, and he holds me tight.
“Oh, bean, what did you do?”
“I did what I had to, to save you,” I answer. I regret nothing. I will do it again if I had to. Row being here is everything.
“There's consequences to what you’ve done. You have upset the balance of life, and The Fates will demand a payment.”
“I don’t care. You being alive is all I care about,” I murmur against his neck.
“I think you will rethink that when you find out what the price is,” a booming voice says behind us, and we ju
mp apart.
Turning to the man, I immediately fall into a fighting stance. He’s very tall with short spiky dark hair, looking like he belongs to some cult. He has on long black robes that flow to the ground, and beautiful dark wings with an impressive wingspan flared open on his back. His image is cliche, and if I didn’t know what he was before, I definitely do now when I see the scythe gripped tightly in his hand. He’s a reaper, and not just any reaper. He’s Maddie’s father. They share the same orange-red eyes and bone structure, but regardless of who he is, he’s here for my brother, and I will not allow him to take him. I don’t care if I have to face off with death himself.
The scenery around us changes, and we’re abruptly thrown into a room of fire and darkness.
“You cannot have him. I will not let you take my brother,” I say standing in a protective stance in front of Row, blocking him from the reaper’s view.
"You would take this soul from me? Upset the balance, and damn you and your mates to the mercy of The Fates?" He questions, raising his brow.
“I will do whatever I need to, to ensure my brother lives.”
“Remy,” Row says and I stop him.
"It’s true, Row. I can’t lose you. Not again,” I cry out. My voice is filled with so much pain it’s enough to stop him from arguing.
“What if I told you that by taking this soul you will disrupt your future? The path that leads to your children will be no longer, you and your mates will die, and evil will win. Will you still want his soul knowing this? Is he worth that price?"
Would I? Is my brother worth risking everything? I’ve already beaten the odds by saving him, and I can do it again. Only I can decide my future. Not The Fates. I am the master of my own fate, not them.
“Yes, and if you try to take my brother from me again, I will kill you, and take the whole damn world with me,” I growl.
“If you continue down this path you will. The whole world will suffer for one life that you will end up losing anyway. What if I told you that your mother awaits his arrival?” he continues, and I hear Rowen gasp behind me. “Will you deny your brother the chance to finally meet his mother?”
“I will still fight you. His soul doesn’t belong to you, at least not yet.”
“And it doesn’t belong to you either, yet you are the one making all the decisions for it. Grief makes us do terrible things,” he says looking straight in my eyes, and I know he’s thinking about when he chose to leave Maddie in the world alone to follow his mate into the afterlife. "How about this, Liberator? I will make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?” I ask warily.
Your brother’s death is one of the steps toward saving the world, but I cannot simply tell you this. You will have to see it for yourself.”
“I find that hard to believe. Row’s death will only impact me and his mate. You’re a liar, and insane to expect me to believe anything else.”
As if expecting my answer, he gives me a knowing smile. "Death and fate works hand in hand. If I never chose to follow my mate in death then my son would have never met his mate. If Hunter’s family were never killed then he and Cody would have never met their mate. If Silas’ father never would have died crossing over O’Donnell then Silas would have never met his mate. If Hangman never would have risked his life to save your brother then he would have never been able to accept his mate.”
“What?” I shout. Each word he says is like a nail being hammered into my coffin, but nothing makes as much of an impact than his last words. “Now I know you’re a liar, because Hangman isn’t my mate.”
“It wasn’t planned for him to be. He was meant for another,” he explains, looking pointedly at my brother, "but his sacrifice solidified The Fates decision to change the course of his destiny. You will need him as well as your other mates to do what you have to do to fulfill your vow with DelaCorte, and save the future of the supernaturals.”
“So you’ll save Hangman, but not my brother?” I question, not in the least feeling sorry over killing Hangman off. Not if it meant my brother will live.
"Who am I to question The Fates?” he answers.
“Well, where are these Fates? I will question them myself,” I grumble.
You have a lot of courage, Liberator. Willful and stubborn. Qualities that will get you killed one day. Especially your reckless mouth. Not even Death himself will ask to confront The Fates.”
“What of the deal you spoke of? What do you have to offer?” I ask, ignoring his veiled threat.
“Here,” he says, handing over a clear glass globe the size of my fist that he literally pulls out of thin air.
“What is that?” I question as I stare at the globe warily.
“You’re brother’s soul,” he answers, and then he snaps his fingers.
Rowen gasps loudly behind me, and right before my eyes he disappears in a wisp of smoke.
“What did you do?” I scream, ready to rain down the wrath of hell on his arse. I don’t care that he’s Maddie father. He will fucking die tonight if he doesn’t give my brother back.
“I did what I had to. I do not wish to fight you, Liberator, or care to cause any harm to my son’s mate. Your brother’s soul resides within this globe. You will have to see for yourself, the impact you and your brother have on this world and the future ahead. I will leave you with a choice. In three days time, if you still feel your brother should be saved then break the globe. If not, I will come collect it, and carry his soul off to peace in the afterlife with his mother.”
"What if I choose to break it before then?” I ask, because as soon as he leaves I plan on doing just that.
“It won’t break. Not until the time limit I’ve given you is over,” he answers. Well damn, there goes that plan. “Here," he says moving closer, and I take the globe from him, holding my brother’s soul gently in the palm of my hands.
“After the time limit, no matter what I choose you will honor our deal?” I question him still staring as the foggy insides of Row’s soul as it swirls in the globe.
“I swear it,” he replies, and at his words I feel a burning sensation on the back of my neck. “The Fates agree as well,” he murmurs. “Choose wisely, Liberator.”
Thirty
Choose
Remy
I don’t get to answer, nor do I get to ask what his nickname for me means, because just as suddenly as I was thrown into this void, I’m tossed out. I wake on a soft bed. Where I have no clue. The room is bright from the sunlight shining in, and I can hear the sound of the ocean waves in the distance. I also hear heavy breathing. Turning my head, I see a disheveled looking Hunter sitting in the chair beside me. Sensing my gaze his eyes fly open, and he looks straight at me intensely.
“Remy,” he says softly with a sleepy filled voice.
“Where are we?” I ask, turning away from his gaze. I’m still pissed he tried to stop me from going after Rowen. How they all tried to stop me from saving him.
A flash of hurt crosses his face, but he shakes it off and answers. “We’re at the house DelaCourte gave you in LA. With everything going on we thought this would be the best place to hang low.”
“What’s going on? And why aren’t I in my own room?” I question.
“The Senator’s son has teamed up with O’Donnell and declared war against the supernaturals. We’ve been outed, and the whole United States is at war with us now,” Cody answers from the doorway, shocking the shite out of me. Going after O’Donnell and his cronies in one thing, but a whole fucking country is another all together.
“And you’re in this room, because it’s the only one with two beds. We thought you would like to be beside your brother,” Hunter replies, and when I sit up I notice Row’s body lying on another bed identical to the one I’m in, near a huge bay window. Oreo is also in the room, asleep on the bed next to Row holding him tight.
“Why will a whole country team up with a man like O’Donnell?” I groan, holding my side. My whole body hurts, and I have a slight
phantom pain from where I was shot.
“Are you in pain?” Cody asks as he strides into the room, and looks over my body in concern.
“No. Not really, just stiff,” I lie, and he frowns at me, making me turn away.
“What’s that?” Hunter asks staring at the globe clutch in my hand.
For whatever reason I don’t want to answer him. Maybe it’s because I’m still pissed at him, or maybe it’s the fact that as soon as I tell them they will try to force me to let the reaper take Rowen’s soul. I can’t make that decision right now, and I’ll be damned if they force me into making one.
“Are you going to answer my previous question?” I ask, avoiding theirs.
“The Senator is very influential especially with the government. The same with his son. It’s rumored Blake’s being groomed and fast tracked for Congress, and then the Presidency,” Hunter answers grinding his teeth. Clearly he’s not ok with me keeping secrets.
“Not even the Gods can help that country if they allow a man like Blake Sampson to run it,” I spit out. The hate I hold for the man holds no bounds. Especially when I think about the interloper in my stomach because of him, and his misguided love.