by Deanna Chase
“And you very much want to save her soul.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, as though she was seeing right inside his heart.
“Yes, I do.”
My breath clogged in my throat. He wanted to save me. They’d both confirmed it. A tiny spark of hope blossomed in my chest—not only for my soul, but for that little abandoned girl I kept locked away. Her small voice spoke to me from the very back of my mind. My father wants me.
“And the council isn’t prepared to sacrifice a piece of your soul to save her.” She drummed her fingers on the podium. “I can’t say I disagree. It’s far too dangerous for all of us.” The angel turned to me. “The last thing I want to do is deny you and Drake help, but you see, the council’s souls are bound. It’s part of a ritual we angels undertake when we commit to the century-long position of councilmen.” She winked, and I almost fell over from surprise at the shift in demeanor. “It’s to keep us honest. When you’re bound to someone, you know what’s in their heart. To give you a piece of Drake’s soul would mean giving you a tiny piece of the souls of everyone on the council.”
I stared at her wide-eyed, angry, frightened, and awed all at the same time.
“This hearing is over,” Chessa commanded and waved a dismissive hand at the dais.
“Wait. What?” I turned to my father. “It can’t be over. My friends are in danger.” I pivoted, pleading my case to Chessa. “Please, my friends are being targeted by a ghost. This isn’t just me we’re talking about here.”
“I’m aware.” She glanced at the council members. “You may go. I’ll handle it from here.”
“Yes, your highness,” a few of them mumbled as they stumbled out.
Your highness? Oh, shit. It was over. The ruler of the angel realm had already said my father giving up a piece of his soul was impossible. Without it, my soul would never fully heal. My shoulders slumped as I prepared myself for the inevitable.
Chessa pointed at Gwen and then Kane. “You two, come with me.”
Gwen and Kane glanced at each other then carefully made their way toward us.
Chessa stared at Drake. Even though they didn’t speak, I got the distinct impression they were communicating. They held each other’s gazes for an intense moment until finally my father gave a short nod and stalked over to Mom, placing a firm hand on her upper arm.
She glanced at him in total irritation and tried to shake him off.
“Drake will wait with you here,” Chessa said to Mom. Then she turned to me, Gwen, and Kane. “You three, come with me to my chambers.”
Chapter 30
Lailah positioned herself next to Mom and sent me a reassuring smile as I followed Chessa out of the room.
Take care of her, I mouthed.
Lailah nodded, and her expression sobered as she glanced up at Drake.
The knot in my chest tightened. Kane’s hand slipped into mine, a reassuring gesture that meant nothing when angels were in charge. Was this it? Were we going to find out my fate? My hand tingled against the weight of his. My fingers curled, digging into his flesh. I’d never let go. I’d fight for me. For Kane. For us and what we had. Soul or not. I wasn’t giving up. With renewed determination, I stepped through the double doors of Chessa’s chambers.
The warm wood tones and volumes of leather-bound books took me by complete surprise. Were we still in the same angel realm? The one that seemed overrun with tile and marble?
“Have a seat.” Chessa nodded to the ornate wing-backed chairs in front of her desk.
Gwen and I sat, but Kane stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders.
Chessa raised one eyebrow at him then shrugged when he didn’t respond. Her bottomless onyx eyes met mine. “I have a solution for you, but there’s a cost.”
Kane’s grip tightened on my shoulders.
“What’s the cost?” I asked, proud my voice didn’t shake. I knew I should be intimidated, but for some reason, the high angel put me at ease. How did she do that?
“Using your parents’ souls to help heal yours is out of the question.”
“But—”
She held up a hand. “If Drake wasn’t a member of the council, we’d consider transferring a portion of his soul. But he is, and his term isn’t up for another eighty-two years. We can’t use your mother’s soul, either. Her soul is too fragile after spending all those years in Purgatory. If we took any from her, she wouldn’t just be susceptible to possessions, she might lose herself altogether.”
My stomach ached. My perfect solution had just flown out the window. I couldn’t care less about the council and their rules. As far as I was concerned, my father was obligated to help me. It was the least he could do after abandoning me. He’d helped create me; he could damn well heal me. He owed me that much. But Mom was another story. I wouldn’t take part of her soul if it put her at risk.
“You know, he really didn’t know you existed,” Chessa said, studying me with concern in her eyes.
I glared at her. “Are you reading my thoughts?”
She smiled. “Not on purpose. But your soul is weak, and you’re Drake’s daughter. Both of those things make your mind more open to me.”
Suspicion settled over me. She had some sort of relationship with my father.
“We’re mates,” she confirmed.
Holy shitballs.
Chessa chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that’s a shock.”
Kane and Gwen stayed silent, and I was grateful. My heart hurt for Mom. This was who he’d left her for.
Chessa sobered, as if my thoughts were making her uncomfortable. “Now, the deal.”
“What is it?” I asked flatly.
She stood and then sat on the corner of her desk. “We can restore your soul by using small pieces of your mate’s.” She gestured at Kane then nodded to Gwen. “And a bit of your aunt’s.”
“And that would actually work?”
“Yes. Your aunt’s takes the place of your mom’s and will give you enough DNA to heal. Your mate’s is special. His will strengthen you due to the bond you already share.”
I glanced at them both. Each nodded their agreement, but I wasn’t so quick to take them up on the offer. “What’s the catch?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“In exchange for our help with the transfer, you’ll be required to work for the council.”
I narrowed my eyes. No point in being diplomatic. She’d already said my mind was open to her. She’d know what I was thinking anyway. “I assume there isn’t room for negotiation.”
Chessa shook her head.
“Because angels are all about that greater good bullshit.”
Her lips curled into an amused smile. “You could put it that way.”
“And Gwen and Kane? How would they be affected?”
Her smile widened. “You’re smart to ask questions. Most don’t when they’re seeking help from the council.”
“I’ve had experience with your brand of help before.”
All pretense of amusement vanished from Chessa’s face. “Yes, you have. That’s precisely why I think you’d be a good fit for this assignment.”
I peered at her, holding her gaze, and waited.
“Your aunt will not be affected after the initial discomfort of the soul transfer. The dreamwalker is different. You’re mates, are you not?”
“Yes,” Kane said at the same time I said, “No.”
I glanced back at him, wincing, and rushed to explain. “Not the way she means.” Turning around, I waved an arm around the room. “Humans don’t have mates the way angels do.”
“I am well aware of that fact, Ms. Calhoun.” Chessa pulled out a thick folder and opened it. “A mate can mean many things, but in this case, we’re talking about a mystical connection. It says here in your file that Mr. Rouquette can sense your energy when he’s around you. Is this correct?”
“Yes,” Kane said. “It was stronger when she was an empath, but even now I can sense her and know when she’s around.”
Che
ssa nodded and gave me a pointed stare. “And he is able to dreamwalk you?”
“He can dreamwalk almost anyone he knows,” I said stubbornly. I wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but I didn’t want her pulling Kane into any crazy angel business.
“That’s true, but he isn’t quite able to control his ability around you.”
“What does that matter?”
“It means that, on some level, you draw him to you, that you are partially responsible for him entering your dreams. Otherwise, he would’ve been able to stop himself when you first met.”
My mouth hung open as I twisted to look at Kane. He had invaded my dreams right after we first met and insisted it wasn’t intentional. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, “I told you so.”
Closing my mouth, I turned back to Chessa. “You’re saying we have some sort of mate connection. Okay, so what?”
She stood. “It means you feed off each other. It also means you’re the perfect partners for the job I have in mind.”
“Partners? No way. Not happening.” Shaking my head, I clutched the arms of the chair. “I don’t want Kane mixed up in any of this.”
He moved from behind me, and I stood, not liking the fact that they were both towering over me. “I’m already involved,” he said to me, softness radiating from his eyes. Damn, he’d do it no matter what I said. He turned to Chessa. “What’s the job?”
“I’d like you both to be shadowwalkers.”
Kane and I shared a confused glance. “Which is?”
“A shadowwalker can walk the lines between dimensions,” Gwen said. “Chessa wants you to help them save souls that have been lost between worlds.”
The angel rose from the desk and retreated to her leather chair. She grinned at Gwen. “Yes, that’s exactly what we would like.”
Kane gripped my hand and my shoulders tensed. “For how long?”
She brought her fingers together, tenting her hands in front of her. “What would you give to save your soul? Your life?”
Son of a bitch! I knew this was going too easily. She was just as bad as the rest of them. “Yes, but not Kane’s.”
“Ah.” She leaned back, looking thoughtful. “But I bet he’d be willing to give his for yours.”
A storm brewed inside me, and the way Kane’s fingers were pressing into my flesh, I knew she was right. He would give his life for me, just as I would for him. But I’d never be able to live with myself if he sacrificed himself for me.
I shifted and met Kane’s rich chocolate eyes.
“Jade.” His voice was soft but full of determination. “I won’t stand by and watch you fade into oblivion.”
There was no point in denying his devotion. Chessa could read it all over both of us, and considering she was an angel, I knew she wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted from us.
This moment, even more so than our wedding day, meant we’d be committing our lives to each other forever. The angel was asking us to form a mated bond, one that would be unbreakable.
“Are you sure? This is more than a lifetime commitment,” I said.
“I’ve already committed my life to you.”
“I know, but this is so much more permanent.”
He chuckled. “Do you really believe I ever thought our marriage would be anything except permanent?”
“You know what I mean. Not only will we be tying ourselves together, but to the angel realm. This isn’t an ‘until death do us part’ thing. This is eternal.” Biting my lip, I nodded toward Chessa. “This is an ongoing payment for my soul. In essence, we’ll belong to them. Forever.” My heart pounded with the realization that if we said yes, I’d be getting everything I ever wanted—someone who couldn’t ever leave me. We’d be bound in life and death. I’d never be abandoned again.
Then a sickness took over. I didn’t want him like that, forced to be with me by a higher power. Shaking off the thought, I focused on the fact that he’d already chosen me.
Kane stared down at me, his expression calm, thoughtful. Then he smiled and faced Chessa. “I want to negotiate terms.”
She frowned. “What terms?”
He motioned for me to sit and took the chair beside me. “Everyone in this room knows I’m going to say yes, but I’m not willing to let the realm have complete control over us. If we were to become slaves to you, our lives would hardly be worth living anyway. So my offer to you is this: the pair of us will accept your condition of becoming shadowwalkers, but we want to be compensated as a low-level angel would. We also want all the benefits and rights that they have under your laws. There will be no exceptions because we are humans.”
Whoa, this was businessman Kane in action. I had no idea he knew so much about angels, but then, he had dated Lailah a while back. It made sense he knew about their world. I couldn’t help but smile. He could be my negotiator any day…or night.
“We will not be at your beck and call, and we will not be expected to run down cases that are suicide missions,” Kane added.
Chessa made a note in the file. “Who do you propose decides the danger level of the missions? The shadowwalkers who work for us report directly to me. Always have.”
“We will.” Kane never broke eye contact with her. “If you disagree, we can bring it up before the council for an inquisition.”
“And the witches council,” I interjected.
Chessa’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. “The witches council has nothing to do with this.”
“No, they don’t,” I agreed. “But I’m certain my coven will end up involved. They would never sit by and let something happen to me if a mission goes wrong. Plus the witches council will act as a balance in case the angel council becomes…how should I put this? Corrupted by their power.”
“Absolutely not,” Chessa said. “Unacceptable. Witches are not welcome in the business of angels.”
“Yet you want to employ me in your search for lost souls.”
Gwen cleared her throat. “May I make a suggestion?”
All three of us turned to stare at my aunt.
“Yes, you are allowed to speak,” Chessa said.
I bit back a snarky reply. Who did Chessa think she was anyway? Just because she was a high-ranking angel…
“Perhaps you could put together an appeal board made up of witches who are familiar with angels and their ways.”
“And who would these witches be?” Chessa asked suspiciously.
“The ones who bore angel children seem the best candidates. They have the most knowledge.”
“No.” Chessa closed the file in front of her. “That’s a deal-breaker.”
“Then I refuse to give Jade part of my soul.” Gwen sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“What?” I asked in a low harsh tone.
She ignored me.
“You’ve seen something,” Chessa said with certainty. Was she reading Gwen’s mind too? Most likely.
Gwen shrugged noncommittally.
“You’d really condemn her?”
“It’s my belief that if there aren’t checks and balances, her life will no longer be her own. That isn’t something I can contribute to, so yes. If you refuse to offer her a way to appeal life-threatening situations, then I refuse to give her a piece of my soul, which I’m certain you need.”
Chessa sucked in air through her nose, and her face flushed.
She’s just as desperate for us to agree as we are to fix my soul. Why? Did it matter why if I came through this alive? The tension eased from my shoulders. She wasn’t going to roll over and let us have our way, but she would bend.
Now was the time. “I agree,” I said. “If the review council of witches is ignored, I’m going to have to refuse this offer.”
Gwen’s lips twitched, and I knew she was hiding a smile.
Chessa studied me. I made no effort to hide my contentment with my decision. She blew out a breath. “Fine. I’ll set one up.”
“With witches who are in no way affiliated w
ith the angel realm except that they have an angel child,” Gwen said.
Chessa leaned forward. “Are you implying I’m dishonorable?”
Gwen mirrored her action. “No. Not at all. I’m just looking out for my niece.”
The angel hit a button on a speaker and demanded her assistant write up the contracts and clipped out the instructions for a witch’s appeal board. There was silence on the other end of the intercom and then finally her assistant cleared her throat. “As you wish, Ms. Ballintine.”
Chessa glared at us. “The contracts will be ready in ten minutes.”
Chapter 31
An hour later, Mom, Lailah, and Philip were dismissed. The contracts were signed, and then Gwen, Kane, and I were strapped into reclining chairs, waiting for our souls to be altered.
Chessa hovered over me. “You’ll be given a few weeks to recover, and then a directive will be sent with your first mission.”
“Fine.” Honestly, I was too nervous for Gwen and Kane to care much about my new job. I knew exactly what it felt like to get part of your soul ripped away. It made my stomach turn just thinking about it. I glanced at the lab technician. “Can you give them painkillers?”
He shook his head. “They need to be alert. Besides, it won’t hurt that much anyway.”
I scoffed. Right.
“We’ll be fine, sweetie. Don’t worry,” Gwen’s voice drifted from my left.
Kane’s hand tightened on mine. We were in separate chairs but close enough our hands could touch. “You lived through it once. We’ll live too.”
“But I was unconscious for days afterward.”
“It won’t be anything like that, Ms. Calhoun,” the kind-eyed technician assured me. “Your soul was ripped in two. This is closer to a medical procedure. Much less messy, much faster healing time. They’ll both be conscious, just a little weak for a few days while they recover.”
A small sense of relief fluttered in me. As long as they were okay, I could get through this. With Kane by my side, I could do anything, and now he’d be by my side forever. I tried not to be too grateful for that fact. Certainly there’d be consequences to walking the shadow world.