by Alicia Rades
Broken.
“Shit,” I growled beneath my breath as I pushed myself to my feet.
Edgar yanked his glove from his hand and thrust his palm out in my direction. Suddenly, excruciating pain assaulted me from all angles. Every muscle in my body seemed to twist at his command, and my skin felt like it was separating from my body. The pain permeated deep into my bones.
It was battle magic like I’d never seen before.
“Gah!” I screamed as blinding pain overtook every nerve ending.
My knees buckled beneath me, and my back arched as I cried out. I tried to move my hands, to force defensive magic out through them, but they stayed curled into fists at my side. My scream echoed through the forest, laced with the chilling overtone of torture.
“You don’t know what you’re doing, Lucas,” Edgar warned. His boney fingers twisted, like he intended to crush me by sheer will. “She’s dead. You can’t bring her back. It’s against the rules.”
“Screw the rules!” I spat. It took all my energy to push past his magic and speak. “Let her stay.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” he insisted. “I need a soul.”
“Then take me instead!” I begged through gritted teeth. “I’ve got a soul. I haven’t been damned yet.”
“And you won’t be,” he stated coolly.
The pain intensified as the realization hit me. “She did this for me. Didn’t she?”
At this point, the reaper’s spell might as well have been a mere tickle across my skin. The excruciating pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak that crushed my very soul in that moment. Nadine gave herself up for me, and that’s something I would eternally blame myself for. I would never forgive myself for being the reason she was damned.
Edgar nodded. “She gave up her life to stop the ritual. She gave her soul in place of yours. She is sentenced to the Abyss. I must take her and leave now.”
Pure fury rocked my body. I’d do anything to save Nadine from damnation. She was the sun my earth moved around, the gravity that kept me grounded, and the force that kept my world from spinning off its axis. She was the air in my lungs and the magic that flowed through me. I loved her like the night sky loved the stars. She was mine, and I was hers. Forever.
“You’re not going anywhere with her,” I growled.
“Only a reaper has control over the life and death of a soul!” he yelled furiously. “If you restore this soul, you accept your reaper magic, and it will bind itself to you once and for all. After that, I can’t take that magic away. If you wish to continue with our agreement from earlier, you must let me take her soul to the Abyss.”
So I either give up my gift, or save her life?
The answer was simple. Her soul was staying.
Magic like I’d never felt before ignited deep within my belly. I gathered it tight within my chest and pushed outward with all my might. Darkness clouded my vision as the magic passed through me. Then…
Boom!
My magic exploded, whipping through me like a tidal wave. By some miracle, my magic overpowered his, counteracting his spell. The pain washed away, and I fell onto my hands and knees, gasping. One hand clutched my broken ribs as I waited for my vision to return.
When it finally did, I looked up to see an empty forest. I immediately whirled around toward the portal to see Edgar hovering over Nadine’s spirit. He bent beside her and touched her.
Not today, motherfucker!
I scrambled to my feet and ran forward. My foot swung outward like I was about to kick the field goal of the century. I kicked as hard as I possibly could, and my foot connected perfectly with his skull.
Edgar’s vertebrae snapped, and his head flew off his skeleton. It went soaring forward straight toward the portal, his scream echoing through the forest. And then…
Silence.
His head was gone, lost to the Abyss. I could hardly believe what I’d done.
But we weren’t finished. Edgar’s body whirled toward me. It was kind of creepy to see a headless guy moving through the forest. His arms raised, and his shoulders heaved as a spell formed in his hands.
On instinct, I threw my hands upward. I had no intention, no clue what I was doing. All I knew in that split second was I had to protect myself.
A battle orb shot out of Edgar’s hands…
But it never reached me. The magic bounced off an invisible shield and ricocheted back at him.
The battle orb slammed into his chest and exploded. His headless body blasted backward. His heel teetered on the edge of the portal, and his arms desperately reached out for something to grab on to—but they found nothing. He went tumbling backward, and the portal swallowed him up.
The reaper was gone.
I gasped, utterly shocked by what just happened. Did I just send the reaper to the Abyss? Had I just used shield magic?
I barely had time to question it before the ground began to shake. The earth rumbled around me, and I could barely stay on my feet.
Oh, fuck.
Lightning crackled out of the portal, and thunder boomed through the forest. My stomach twisted into tight knots. I didn’t know how much more I could handle. For a second, I thought I was going to have to deal with this damn reaper clawing his way out of the depths of Hell.
Then suddenly, the portal slammed closed.
Utter silence settled over the forest, and the image of the trees became clear again. It was as if the portal had never been there in the first place.
Relief washed over me. It was over. I’d defeated the reaper. I’d saved Nadine.
I rushed over to her floating spirit, my heart racing. I reached out and touched the side of her face. My fingers didn’t move through her spirit like I expected them to. They touched solid skin—I guess for the same reason I could see her.
I scooped Nadine in my arms. She was as light as air, but she was warm and solid in my arms. I could feel the life inside of her as I cradled her to my chest.
I pressed my lips to her forehead and wept as I lifted her. “Hang on, Nad. We’re going to get you home.”
Carrying Nadine’s spirit back to the house was like stepping out of a fire a hero. I had a sliced hand, at least two broken ribs, and one hell of a black eye. But most of all, I had Nadine.
I didn’t take my eyes off her as I carried her limp spirit back to the house. I could’ve sworn we moved in slow motion. The relief I felt made my heart sing. Nadine was so perfect it was enough to stop time just looking at her.
I climbed the stairs to Helena’s front door. It was only when I opened it and heard the panicked shouts inside that time seemed to speed up again.
“She’s still not breathing!” Grant cried.
“I’m working as fast as I can!” Helena shouted back.
“How could this happen?” Talia sobbed.
I stepped into the living room, my heart hammering like a bass drum. I hoped I wasn’t too late. Grant knelt over Nadine’s lifeless body, performing CPR, while Helena clutched a mortar and pestle—an ancient herb crusher. She ground herbs into powder that I assumed were meant to heal. Talia was pacing back and forth, stroking Isa’s fur.
I cleared my throat, and all eyes turned toward me. Grant’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, and Talia’s jaw dropped. Helena was so shocked she dropped the mortar and pestle, and the herbs spilled all over the carpet.
It was clear as day—they could see Nadine’s spirit in my arms. It must’ve had something to do with me touching her after I’d touched a reaper.
I felt death in the room. It was like a dark hole that nothing could enter and escape. It was just… nothing. And that feeling centered over Nadine’s heart. Her body wasn’t going to last much longer without her soul in it.
“W-wha… How did you…?” Helena stuttered.
“I’ll explain later,” I said. My knees quaked as I rushed to Nadine’s side.
Grant scurried out of the way.
“What am I seeing?” Talia asked breathlessly.
“I could ask the same thing,” Grant said in astonishment.
“You saved her?” Helena breathed.
I swallowed. “Not yet.”
I pressed my lips to the side of Nadine’s spirit cheek, then positioned her spirit over her body. A single tear ran down my face and dripped onto her chest.
“I love you, Nad,” I whispered. “Now and forever.”
I gently lay her spirit back into her body… and waited…
Chapter 24
Nadine
Lucas Taylor couldn’t see the light within himself, but I could. Though dark cloud after dark cloud had swept into his life to block out the light, it continued to burn bright. The world would be a much better place with him in it. My world had been made better with him in it.
He didn’t deserve an eternity in the Abyss. He deserved to be with his brother and the rest of the coven in Alora, where he would be happy.
I loved him. I loved him more than the grass beneath my feet, more than the stars in the sky, more than the very air I breathed. My heart beat for him, and my world moved with him. I didn’t know how much I truly cared about him until that moment. I was unconditionally and undeniably in love with him.
I turned my gaze from the nearby gravestones to look at Mother Miriam. “I’ll do it.”
The scary part was, giving myself up for Lucas didn’t scare me at all.
A proud smile crossed Mother Miriam’s face. “Then it is time.”
She formed a ball of magic in her hand. It was the whitest, most pure magic I’d ever seen. A mesmerizing rainbow of colors swirled within it. She threw the magic upward, and it exploded into a million tiny little stars above my head that rained down on me like snowflakes. The flakes of magic touched my skin, and my whole body started to glow.
“Wait, this is it?” I asked. “I don’t get to say goodbye?”
“You have one chance,” she reminded me.
Right. Lucas would hear my last thought.
“I did it to save you, Lucas. I will always love you,” I thought.
The glow of my skin brightened, until a blinding white light completely consumed my vision. Even as I squeezed my eyes shut, it was all I could see.
The last thing I heard was Mother Miriam’s soft, calming voice. “Just remember, Nadine. You are not defined by what happens to you. You are defined by how you react to it.”
The light became too bright to bear, and then… nothing.
I saw nothing. I felt nothing. There was no light or dark, no pain or comfort, no sense of time or space. Just… nothing. I could’ve been stuck in this state for eternity and never known it.
Then something happened. A voice called out to me like a beacon in the darkness.
“Nad!”
It took me a few moments to make sense of my name. I couldn’t remember what had happened to me or why I was here. Then it all came rushing back.
The Abyss!
My heart lurched to life in my chest. My eyes shot open, and I sprang upward. A high-pitched scream pierced my ears. It took me a moment to realize it was my own voice.
“Nad, it’s okay!” Lucas’s soothing voice came from beside me.
As my vision focused, I saw his beautiful face in front of me. His left eye was black and swollen, but he was incredibly beautiful nonetheless.
“Lucas, you’re hurt,” I said breathlessly.
He shrugged. “Totally worth it.”
My heart raced, and my whole body quivered. Frantically, I glanced around the room to see I was sitting on the floor in Grammy’s living room. The candles that had surrounded me had been burnt out. Grammy, Grant, and Talia all looked down on me with wide-eyed expressions of disbelief. Isa jumped out of Talia’s arms and purred as she rubbed against my side.
It was all a test, I realized. None of it was real.
I placed my hand to my thumping heart as it started to slow. “Oh my God. I thought I died!”
Lucas’s features fell. “Nad… you did.”
“W-what?” I nearly choked on the word.
Grammy knelt beside me and swept me into her arms. She kissed me on the cheek over and over, and squeezed me so tight I thought she might suffocate me. Tears streamed down her face.
“I’m so relieved that you're okay, Nadine,” she whispered. “I thought I’d lost you.”
As Grammy drew away, Grant and Talia threw themselves at me. They both curled me into a tight group hug.
“We’re not losing you, you hear me?” Grant said pointedly.
Talia swatted me on the shoulder. “Don’t ever do that to us again.”
“Do what?” I asked. “What happened?”
Everyone stared back at me like they didn’t know where to start. The only one who looked remotely understanding was Lucas. I looked to him for an explanation.
Grammy cleared her throat. “We’ll just… give you two a moment.”
Grant and Talia nodded in agreement, and the three of them quietly left the room.
Tears welled in Lucas’s eyes as he stared at me like I was the only girl in the world. He took my face in his hands. They were so warm and comforting.
“You gave up yourself for me,” he reminded me. “I had to fight a reaper to get you back.”
My breath caught in my chest. Lucas had saved my life?
His eyes sparkled in a mix of pain and relief. “Why’d you do it?”
I placed my hand over my mouth to keep the sobs from spilling out. My eyes searched his. After taking a moment to breathe, I dropped my shaking hand.
“Don’t you get it, Lucas?” I asked. “I love you.”
“I know,” he said. “But—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I really, really love you… Enough to go to Hell in your place.”
Tears spilled over Lucas’s lids, and my heart swelled. “I love you, too, Nad.”
Lucas swept me into his arms, and we kissed with a passion like never before. His love poured into me like pure, warm water filling my soul, and mine poured back.
The roller coaster ride we’d been on slowed in that moment, reaching its peak at the highest point of the track. My heart lifted in anticipation of the freefall.
I parted my lips, and Lucas kissed me deeper. I went spiraling downward, my stomach flipping in my abdomen.
But it didn’t feel like we were on a roller coaster anymore. The safety harness had given way, and I’d grown wings. I was safe here with Lucas, because he was my wings, and he would never let me fall.
Lucas drew away from me and pressed his forehead to mine. Desperation filled his tone. “I never want to lose you, Nad.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and a sob broke in my chest. “I never want to lose you, either.”
“I don’t care about the Reaper’s Shadow curse,” Lucas said. “I’ll tip-toe around it for eternity just to be with you every single day for the rest of my life. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you from it.”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I agree. If we can’t be together fully, we’ll take what we can get.”
Lucas’s gaze dropped, and his fingers ran over my arm. His voice trembled when he spoke. “Can I have you?”
My heart pitter-pattered against my rib cage. “For as long as I can have you,” I whispered.
His lips pressed to mine again, and we shared an amazing kiss that made my head spin.
I didn’t know how long we were kissing, but we were interrupted by the sound of Grant clearing his throat. We drew away and glanced toward the entrance to the living room. Grant stood there holding an ice pack.
He smiled. “You two make me want to cry.”
“Spying on us?” Lucas teased.
Grant chuckled. “No. Just wondering when we can come back in to see what Cast Nadine got.”
I gasped. I’d nearly forgotten!
“Yes!” I cried. “Everyone, come in.”
My heart pounded fiercely as I got to my feet. Grant handed Lucas the ice pack, and he pressed it to his swollen eye
. Grammy and Talia entered the room behind him.
“Well, come on,” Grant encouraged, nudging me in the side. “What’s your Cast?”
“I don’t know. Let’s see.”
I stretched my arms out and flipped them over, looking for any signs of a tattoo. Grammy started spinning me around so we could look at all angles. Isa rubbed against my leg, so I took off my shoes and checked my feet, then lifted my pants legs to check my calves.
“Lucas might have to strip you down to check,” Grant teased.
Talia and Grammy both chuckled under their breath, but Lucas looked thoroughly unamused. He’d taken a seat on the couch and clutched his side with one arm, holding the ice pack to his eye with the other. I noticed for the first time he was sweating a little.
“Will you be okay?” I asked him.
“Fine,” he said, waving a hand. “Find your mark.”
I lifted the hem of my shirt to check my stomach, and that’s when I saw it. Just above the inside of my hip lay a black mark.
My whole body gave a start. I gasped and dropped my shirt.
“What is it?” Talia asked, looking intrigued.
“Come on, Nadine. Let us see,” Grammy begged.
Grant eyed me curiously. “Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing Mortana.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. I swallowed and lifted my shirt to show everyone the tattoo. “I got… Curse Breaker.”
I let out a wavered breath. All eyes locked on the crescent-moon tattoo on my hip.
Grammy’s hand shook as she brought it to her mouth. I wasn’t sure if she was terrified or delighted by the news. Talia and Grant shared a confused expression. Lucas had gone totally still. The room was dead silent.
“How is this possible?” I asked. “The Curse Breakers died out.”
Grammy finally found her voice. “Yes, but Mother Miriam can assign you any Cast she sees fit. She must think you’re worthy, Nadine.”
I gaped at her. “Me?”
“What’d she test you on?” Grant asked eagerly.
“I started out tied up in the Main Foyer,” I told them, before diving into an explanation of everything else that happened.