My Soul Immortal

by Jen Printy

  Thanatos stands. “We’ll reconvene for Jack’s departure in one hour.”

  “Just enough time,” says Mosi. “Anyone up for a quick game?”

  Otmar glances at me with a touch of chagrin then stands. Stepping to Mosi’s side, he grins down at him in a pose that perfectly depicts the battle of David versus the Philistine. “You’re on, little man,” he says.

  The others file out after them, laughing and joking, except for Kemisi. She stops, turns, and surveys the scene before leaving Artagan alone with me. He stares at the empty space after she disappears, and I slump into a chair.

  “I can leave if you’d like,” Artagan offers. “But may I have a minute to explain what happened with Lydia in my own words?”

  “All right, but first, you must promise to do me a favor.”

  “Whatever you need.”

  “This is Leah’s,” I say, setting my grandmother’s ring on the rough stone table. “See that she gets this.”

  “Done.” He slips the ring into the breast pocket of his blazer then gives his chest two quick taps.

  I nod, studying my fists on the table.

  “It’s Akio who received the assignment of William’s death. I discussed the possibility of holding off on its completion. ‘What difference would a matter of a month make?’ I asked. I could see the consequences of what the death of Lydia’s brother would be. Akio’s response was that I’d become too attached to what happened in your life, and he believed the experience would be good for me.”

  “Why did time difference matter?” I ask.

  He looks at me with a glint in his eye. “Because if I’d gotten Akio to wait, Lydia wouldn’t have died, and you would have been married. Instead, Lydia’s gathering orders came the very night of William’s death. And, of course, the job came to me. I was handpicked by Death himself as a lesson never to interfere again.” He grits his teeth. “I planned to take Lydia in a different way, but I suppose that matters little now. When she ran out into the storm to find you, I had to act quickly. I feared if she’d gotten to you, the sight of her passing would have caused more pain.”

  I snort. “More pain?”

  “If I’d let you witness her death or if you’d found her, wouldn’t that have been more difficult? Am I wrong? You found your father. Wasn’t that painful? Finding Olluna in the way I did haunts me to this day. She returns to my dreams often, begging for my help.” He waits.

  “If you were concerned about my pain, why did you allow me to see Leah smashed by a car?” I cringe at the memory. “Maybe you’re as coldhearted as Vita now.”

  “Maybe.” He purses his lips.

  First Lydia, now Leah. Artagan had a hand in taking all I love from me. “Who took my father? Was that you, too?”

  “No. That was Mosi. You were only seven. I’d never have used you like that. It wasn’t necessary.”

  I square my shoulders. “Used?”

  “The music box your father was buying for your mother. Mosi set the gift idea in your mind. He needed to have your father on that road at that moment.”

  “It wasn’t my fault,” I whisper.

  He shakes his head and then exhales slowly as the wooden door groans open.

  “Go away, Vita,” Artagan says.

  “I was just letting you know the tea is almost done. I’m letting the potion simmer a bit longer to make sure of its potency. We want to make sure it does the job. Don’t we?”

  I find no reason to restrain my words now. My lot has been decided. My gaze locks with her fierce eyes. “Yes, make sure the poison does its job. Because if there’s the slightest chance I live, I’ll make your death my life’s ambition before leaving earth myself.” Because if I’m still alive, I’ll have nothing left to lose.

  Artagan chuckles.

  “He’s been trying to kill me off for centuries,” Vita says, pointing to Artagan. “You can see how successful his attempts have been. He finally gave up. No staying power, from what I’ve heard.”

  Artagan glares but offers no counter.

  Thanatos steps into the room, making Vita jump. “Is the tea ready yet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s get this done,” Thanatos says flatly.

  Vita nods and withdraws from the room.

  Thanatos glances at me. “The others will be here momentarily.”

  Emptiness swells in the pit of my stomach. I rub my hands along my jeans and stare Thanatos straight in eye. “I’m sure my actions make no sense to any of you. You look at my decision as me giving up immortality. This choice is my only reprieve from an eternity without her. It’s quite selfish, really.”

  “I suppose it is,” Thanatos says. “You’re forcing her to live through the same pain you lived through. Some might call it revenge.”

  I sneer, tilting my head away. “They’d be wrong. I wish I’d found another way. I regret her pain. The thought of causing her grief gnaws at me like a cancer, but the bottom line is—Leah has to live. I made a promise to protect her, and I won’t break my word.”

  “Not even for an Ignorant,” says Thanatos, his eyes narrowed into slits.

  “I told you—her title doesn’t matter.”

  Thanatos nods. “You did. I’d like to meet this woman that causes such devotion.”

  “You won’t. That’s our deal.”

  “Yes, you’re correct. I’ll never meet her. None of us will. You have my word.” Thanatos takes his seat at the head of the table. He leans back, staring at the uneven ceiling, his hands folded over his chest while his index fingers tap together.

  Vita returns, carrying an iron kettle. Steam bellows from the spout. Domitilla follows her, bearing a golden chalice in her hands. How very ceremonial.

  The others file in after them, each taking their seats. Otmar and Mosi are the last to arrive, with crimson smeared across both their faces. Otmar has multiple slashes down his right sleeve, but the blood that seeped from the wounds has already dried and begun to crack. Mosi’s lips carry a smug grin.

  “Tiger one, Otmar zero,” Mosi whispers to Akio loudly enough for me to hear.

  Thanatos shoots Mosi a meaningful glare and puts his finger to his lips. Domitilla places the gold cup on the table in front of me then sits. The gold glitters in the torchlight. A relief carving of skeletons encircles the cup’s mouth.

  Vita’s lips form a coy smile, and she pours the tea into the chalice, causing steam to swirl into the air. She leans to my ear. “I’ve never seen an immortal die before. Brennus took the tea, but he drank it in private. It’s all so exciting,” she purrs, giving me a wink.

  Thanatos gestures to the cup. “Drink, please.”

  I lift the chalice first with one, then both hands. The ornamental cup is heavier than I expected. My lips touch the cool metal, and I can’t help but smile. The initial taste is metallic, but then a warm, salty sweetness washes away the tinny flavor. I’m surprised. I imagined the hemlock would be bitter. I gulp the liquid, disregarding the heat that scorches my throat.

  I set the cup on the table and wait, but as the seconds tick by, I feel no difference, other than the fresh bloom of anxiety. I’m just about to complain that the poison isn’t working when my vision blurs. I attempt to rub at my eyes with my palms, but my hands begin to quake uncontrollably.

  “Vita, what have you done?” Kemisi demands.

  Then I’m falling. The left side of my face slams against the rough stone floor, and I roll to my back. My body convulses. A frothy liquid dribbles from my mouth, running in warm paths down my face. I fight through my disorganized thoughts to spend my last moments with Leah, or at least my memory of her. I search for her face in the fog, but I only find her eyes, full of sorrow and worry.

  Don’t be mad, love.

  But, Jack, I said no, she pleads.

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  A screech echoes in my ears, causing my eyes to snap open. Shadowy vapor hovers over me. The mass grows—doubling, then tripling, in size—taking a humanoid form. My heart
races, nearly exploding. I attempt to crawl backward, but I’m frozen in place. I stifle a scream, gulping down breaths to stay quiet.

  A pair of vermilion eyes materializes in front of me. No pupils. No irises. All red. They glower down at me. I’m held fast by an invisible specter. Burning pain slashes through my head while the beast rummages through my mind. Emotional torment accompanies every flip of a memory. Even my eyes can’t escape the silent interrogation; the creature imprisons my gaze with an unbreakable stare.

  Vita’s laugh plays along the walls… or is it Artagan’s? The swelling beat of my heart in my ears swallows every sound, covering voices and muffling sounds like a heavy wool blanket. As quickly as the pain comes, the sensation leaves. The eyes release me and turn to the council. The shadow lets out a primal howl—high pitched and deafening as if the gates of hell have opened to devour us all. I attempt to rise to my knees, but the room spins and sends me crashing to the floor. My limbs have gone numb.

  Through the haze, I watch the shadow sail through the air and slam Vita to the ground. She sits, stunned, before retreating, crawling backward toward the door. Her eyes dart from side to side, desperately looking for an escape. The shadow beast faces her again. Vita screams—a name? Through the cotton in my ears, I concentrate on her muffled yells. “Serevo. I name Serevo,” she says over and over. I can feel my lungs closing in, and my breaths become shallow and rapid. I’m losing my grasp on reality. It would be so easy to let myself fade into darkness, but I keep my eyes open, transfixed on Vita’s horror-stricken face.

  Vita is still calling the name when the Shadow lifts her high. It tosses her repeatedly. Each time, Vita whirls through the air, and each time, the creature catches her as if she’s no more than a rag doll. She retches and fights, but with each throw, the beast tears bits of her physical form away from her wicked soul. Bursts of bloody mist swirl within the creature’s black vaporous form. Pieces of flesh and bone turn to ash before hitting the floor. Soon, all that’s left of Vita are long wisps of connecting fibers—a withered spiderweb. The small mesh writhes in the dark being’s grip, trying to break free. Then those red eyes return to me. This is it. This is the end. Good-bye, my love. I close my eyes and think of Leah, then a final convulsion drags me into nothingness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Consciousness ushers me out of the numbness. My head throbs, and every one of my joints is on fire. Heaven shouldn’t feel this way. Pain isn’t supposed to be part of paradise. I blink, and my vision is blurry. Clarity fights against the jumbled thoughts swirling in my head. I concentrate on the first object that catches my attention—an unfocused orange splotch. Flames, I decide. Hell.

  “Slowly, Jack, move slowly,” says a familiar voice. Somewhere in the befuddled haze, dots connect. Artagan. My fate is worse than hell, a thousand times worse. I’m alive, and I’ve failed again. Leah isn’t safe. She’s going to die, if she hasn’t already. Lydia… now Leah… I couldn’t save either of them.

  Unable to drag a full breath into my lungs, I attempt to sit up, but my muscles revolt and lock me down. Pain shoots throughout my entire body. The room spins like a top.

  “Slow, I said,” Artagan warns, his voice echoing and muffled.

  “Leah.” I choke. My throat is raw, as if I’ve swallowed a vat of acid. With as much effort as I can muster, I thrust myself to my elbows, but hands restrain me. I’m too weak to fight and fall to the cold unforgiving stone.

  Artagan surveys the panic in my eyes and purses his lips before answering. “She’s safe. No one can hurt her anymore. Now stay down!”

  I shake my head feverishly. “The bargain,” I rasp, my voice thin, lacking substance.

  “Listen to me—Leah’s alive. No bargain needed. The debt’s paid—life for a life. Besides, the council’s embarrassed.” He smiles. “They won’t push the matter. Vita broke one of their precious rules. Now stop moving. Let your body purge the poison from your system.”

  “Poison?” I ask.

  “I can’t believe Vita did this. Well, maybe I can,” Kemisi says from across the room.

  My vision is clearing, and I shift my gaze toward the velvet tone. Kemisi sits cross-legged in one of the chairs.

  Artagan looks at her from under his black brows, one hand still holding me down. “I knew she would. I counted on it. To send one of my descendants to Shadow Death was more than she could resist.”

  Kemisi huffs.

  “What’s done is done,” Artagan says with a shrug, and a wide grin spreads across his face.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “Revenge,” Kemisi says with a loud expulsion of air.

  “I’ve tried numerous times to kill her. For the last seventy-five years, I’ve played nice, hoping an opportunity would present itself,” Artagan says, his eyes trained on me.

  “Vita didn’t give you hemlock tea,” says Kemisi.

  “Would someone like to explain to me why I’m still here?” I ask.

  Artagan gives a quick chuckle. “Because despite being a martyr to your regrets, you’re not guilty of any crimes, Jack, at least none in the immortal world.”

  “How did you know the punishment would reverse?” Kemisi asks.

  “The knowledge came in so-called myth. If you haven’t noticed, most myths and fairy tales are based on real-life events. In the cautionary tale, an immortal named Myron tried using a mixture of poisonous plants and his own blood to kill his friend Solon because Myron had a hard-on for Solon’s wife.”

  Kemisi doesn’t seem bothered by Artagan’s choice of words. Maybe she’s accustomed to his vulgarity.

  The grin plastered across Artagan’s face grows. “As expected, the tale didn’t end well for Myron, but the theory sounded plausible.”

  “So, how did you know the poison would kill Vita instead of me? You tested your theory out on me. On Leah!” I grind my teeth, and my hands clench, then unclench, too weak to hold the tension very long.

  Artagan rolls his eyes. “You were no one’s guinea pig. I sought out Solon and his wife, Pelagia. The search took close to a century, but I found them—still together, by the way. They confirmed the story wasn’t a fable and told me the plant Myron used.”

  “And Leah?” I ask.

  “Is untouchable.” A complacent tone clings to Artagan’s rich baritone voice.

  “Explain,” I say, unconvinced.

  “Leah is Vita’s descendant.”

  Kemisi inhales.

  My mind races, and I search his face for an explanation.

  Artagan laughs. “Did you hear me, Jack?”

  “Where’s Vita now?” I ask.

  “She’s in Shadow Death—dead for all practical purposes. Her immortality was stripped from her and given to the next soul immortal in her line, a Miss Leah Winters.”

  He waits while I grapple with his words. When my mind, still slowed by the toxin, begins to make sense of what Artagan is saying, my battered heart gives an enlivened lurch.

  “Leah is immortal now?” I ask.

  Artagan puffs out his chest. “Am I forgiven?”

  Fear sweeps over me. “Oh, dear God, doesn’t that mean she’s on the council? Like you because of Brennus?”

  “No, Vita had a favorite protégé: Serevo. Brennus’s choices were slim—only one, and a soul immortal to boot. Most members of the council have immortal protégés to pass their seat to, along with their particular knowledge. But from what I understand, Brennus’s protégé had passed away by means of an accident shortly before Brennus’s suicide. Convenient. Since then, the punishment for even looking crossed-eyed at another’s protégé is hefty—belladonna. No one wants another mishap like me, if they can help it.” He chuckles darkly. “If Domitilla lets the vendetta die with her sister, she’ll have no problem from me.”

  “Serevo? That’s the name Vita said over and over again.”

  “Yes, her immortal sidekick. She’s been training him for years. He’s ready for the responsibility.”

  “Do you think he�
��ll carry on with Vita’s plan of revenge?”

  “No. I’m fairly certain he won’t.”

  “How do you know?”

  He waves his hand, dismissing my question.

  I look away, letting my gaze wander along the uneven walls of the cavern then back to Artagan. “Seems too good to be true. You’re sure this isn’t a dream?”

  The back of Artagan’s hand collides with my cheek.

  “Artagan!” Kemisi shouts.

  The blow makes my ears ring, and I manage to raise my hand as far as my chin. “Ugh! What was that for?”

  “You’re not dreaming. If you were, that would’ve definitely woken you up. Besides, I owed you one.” He smirks, pointing to his lip, then looks me square in the eye. “I understand why you doubt. You have every reason to, but I know with one hundred percent certainty that Leah is living and immortal.”

  I want to believe Leah is alive and that he’s telling the truth. I wish I had that kind of faith in fate, or in people, but the possibility of happiness has been within my reach before, only to be snatched away.

  Artagan must see the doubt in my eyes because he leans away, tapping his fingers against his lips, and his sigh is laced with frustration. Then a light flashes in his eyes. “Remember, she was mine to take. That craving is gone now. I can only think of two reasons why that would happen. One, she’s dead.”

  I grit my teeth. “And the second?” I hiss.

  “Her body is grounded to earth, like all immortals’.”

  “And her soul?”

  “Free to leave if her body were forced to release it. She’s no longer a soul immortal. She’s like us now. Like you.”

  I observe Artagan for a long time, and I find nothing but sincerity in his eyes. No matter how much I know I should, I can’t doubt his words. An unencumbered smile breaks out across my face, and a sense of hope I’ve never known swells.

  “I have to get to her,” I blurt and attempt to scramble to my feet, falling, then struggling again.

  “Whoa. You can’t go anywhere, not just yet.” Artagan grabs my shoulder, pushing me down.

  “You don’t understand. She’ll think I’m dead. Her brother was supposed to tell her good-bye for me. Grady knows what I was planning, and he’ll tell Leah.”