by ERIN BEDFORD
“Then where did they go?” Chess asked as he climbed to his feet. He held a hand out to me, which I took and let myself be drawn to my feet.
“Right before you two woke up, the darkness in your veins,” he directed toward Dorian, “came together to center at your heart. Then all at once it burst out of you and shot into the sky.” The way he described it was exactly what had happened. I was paying too much attention to making sure Chess was all right to really get all the gory details, but I had seen the darkness shoot out of Dorian. At that same time though, Chess had collapsed to the ground, so where they went afterward I didn’t know.
“They didn’t stay here long, probably thought it was best to regroup before trying to attack again. It takes a lot of energy to take a living hosts body and then to be ejected the way they were,” the Reaper paused and shook his head, “they are probably licking their wounds out there somewhere.” The Reaper shrugged and then pointed toward the entrance. Our eyes followed his finger to where the door was wide open but no Shadows were in sight.
“All right then.” I clapped my hands and rubbed them together. “Looks like it’s time to hunt down some Shadows.” I grabbed Chess’ hand in mine with a smile that he returned and started toward the door, but I was stopped by the Reaper’s hand on my shoulder.
“No,” he stated, making me frown.
“No? What do you mean no? They got out, they’re not dead yet so that means they can still come back again.” I felt the anger billow up in me at the prospect of having to fight them off once more so they didn’t kill my friends and family. “We can’t give them a chance to get strong again, or we might never destroy them, and next time they might get out into the human world.”
“You are correct.” The Reaper nodded, but he held his hand up before I could interject as to why the fuck he was holding me back. “But this is not your world. You don’t belong here, and if you go searching for the Shadows, you will find more danger for yourself than just the enemy you seek.”
A bit of fear filled me at his words. I’d already had to make it through the fog that didn’t want me here and the glowing leeches that tried to drown me. Who knew what other baddies waited for me out there?
“Then who’s going to go after them, then?” I gestured violently to the door. “It’s partly my fault they are wreaking havoc on the world. I should be the one to stop them. I did it before.”
The Reaper huffed. “And look where that got you. The spell you were given was a temporary fix. It was only meant to get them back here, not to destroy them.”
It wasn’t? Before I could voice my question, Chess stepped in, “Then why did the Seelie Queen give Kat that spell to begin with?” Chess snarled.
“Things are a bit more complicated then all that, my dear Cheshire,” the Reaper said, guilt spreading across his face briefly before it disappeared, but I had seen it and knew why.
“The Seelie Queen knew who really let the Shadows out, didn’t she?” the look I gave the Reaper was accusatory, daring him to lie to my face. I knew the answer to the question. The culprit had told me who the guilty party was already. “You gave her the spell to get them back here so you could clean up yours and Mab’s mess. Am I wrong?”
The Reaper did not say anything for a moment and then looked to Dorian. I could tell that he wanted to tell him he was his father; I could see it on the tip of his lips. But saying so would also mean admitting that the reason that the Shadows got out was because he and Mab had been seeing each other via the mirror in her bedroom, giving the Shadows the perfect escape route.
“Tell him,” Chess interrupted my thoughts prodding the Reaper. “Tell him what he needs to know. It won’t be any easier later.”
Still the Reaper hesitated, but it didn’t matter because Dorian spoke up, “I know already.”
“You do?” his father’s eyebrows lifted at his words.
Dorian gave a bitter laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I might have been cursed and more recently overtaken by the Shadows, but that has not affected my ability to see what is right in front of my face,” he paused for a moment putting us all on the edge of our seat, “you’re my father.”
“How…did your mother…?” the Reaper stumbled over his words as Dorian gave him a lopsided grin, one I hadn’t seen in years.
“No, you can feel safe in knowing she never betrayed your trust. I was quite in the dark until I woke up just a few moments ago.” He gave his father a small smile, and shrugged his shoulders. “Seeing you was like looking in a mirror. I just knew.”
The Reaper nodded as if he knew exactly what Dorian was talking about. I was glad one of them did, because I sure as hell didn’t. If I had woke up after fighting for my life, the first thing on my mind wouldn’t be ‘Oh, that guy’s my dad.’ No, it would be more like where is the fucking tequila?
Guess that was one reason Dorian and I would never be good for each other. Which would be a problem if I was not already so over the heels in love with the Fae next to me that looked just as confused as I was.
“Good. Great. Congratulations,” I interrupted them before they started getting all mushy and hugging. “Can we get back to the matter at hand? The Shadows are loose. I can’t go after them. What are we going to do?”
The Reaper looked to me, his face a bit startled by my abruptness. What could I say? I was a people pleaser.
“I apologize.” He bowed his head slightly to me. “I got caught up in the moment. Where were we?”
“You were about to tell everyone that the reason the Shadows got out in the first place was because you and D’s mom here fucked up because you couldn’t keep the secret portal you were using to see each other on the down low.”
Everyone’s eyes, and by everyone, I meant Chess and Dorian’s, turned to the Reaper, whose face was turning a molting shade of purple. I clamped my mouth shut realizing I probably shouldn’t be provoking the guy who would be taking my dead ass to the afterlife. Apparently, almost losing the love of my life again had a negative effect on my need to placate the guy in charge.
“Yes, as you so elegantly put it,” he shot me a nasty glare before looking to his son, “the Shadows were able to leave the Shadow Realm because of your mother and mine’s door way that we kept open so that we may visit each other.” He ran a hand through his hair, a very Dorian like gesture and sighed. “I might be stuck here for the term of my life, but I will be damned if I have to spend it alone.”
“I understand,” Dorian graciously replied, his answer way more eloquent than mine would have been.
“And because it is my fault,” his eyes locked onto me as if daring me to say anything else, but I wasn’t biting. My lips were shut tighter than a church girl’s on Sunday. I gave him a small smile causing him to continue, “It is only fair that I be the one that takes them down the rest of the way.”
“Great.” I clapped my hands together and then searched left and right. “Now that that is settled, how do we blow this joint?”
“Blow this joint?” Dorian glanced at me and then to his father, confusion etched on his face.
“It is a human phrase,” the Reaper explained, “one of many that I myself have never understood.” He shook his head and then crossed his arms. “As for getting out of here, you will not be able to go back the way you came.”
“Good,” I jumped in. “I didn’t particularly want to go through that mess again, and Morgana is not exactly my biggest fan.”
“Morgana?” Dorian asked.
“She fancies herself the Queen of the Shadow Realm,” Chess said with a grin.
“She doesn’t fancy herself anything. She is the Queen of the Shadow Realm,” the Reaper said making Chess’ face fall.
“But why does she live out there and you live here?” Chess gestured toward the large area.
The Reaper’s gaze hardened at the question. “That is a story better left for another time. Now,” he twisted around and stared into a darkened area, “if
you are done with your questions, the Shadows are getting further away the longer we stand here talking.”
“Right.” We followed the Reaper until he stopped at a wall. A torch near us lit with a blue flame at our approach.
An metal clinking sounded as the Reaper pulled something out of his pocket. It was a ring of keys. He flipped through them until he stopped on the right one. He held the key out and started to put it into the door.
“Wait.”
The sound of Dorian’s voice caused us to pause and spin around to look at him. “I am not coming with you.”
“You’re not?” I glanced at Chess and then at the Reaper before back to Dorian. “Where else are you going to go? You can’t stay here, and your mother is waiting for you.”
Shaking his head, he trained his eyes on his father’s form. “I can still feel them.” He placed a hand on his chest, and looked down. “Even though they are no longer inside of me it’s like we are still connected. I can feel their anger and their pain.” His eyes turned up, sadness and determination there. “They are hurt but their rage is greater. They won’t stay placated for long. I can help you find them.”
“But wait, you can’t…” I started, but Chess placed a hand on my arm. “You can’t seriously think that it’s a good idea, can you?”
Chess didn’t answer me for a moment as he exchanged a look with the Reaper. It seemed I was missing something, but knowing Chess he would tell me eventually. When he did speak he spoke directly to Dorian.
“I think you should spend some time with your father and chasing the Shadows would be a good opportunity to get to know him and the world he lives in.”
“Thank you for understanding.” Dorian held a hand out to Chess who clasped his hand in his. The look they were exchanging was of mutual respect and some kind of broship that I could never be a part of. What happened while he was in Dorian’s head?
“If you are sure?” the Reaper asked Dorian, an uncertainty in his voice, “then I would glad to have you. They are even harder to deal with in their spirit form; I could use all the help I can get.”
Frowning, I took a step toward Dorian. “I don’t know what to say,” I gave him a weak smile, “I’m sorry that we didn’t end up the way you wanted us to be.”
He gave me a sad smile. “Our time ended a long time ago, you are a different person now, and you ended up with the best man for you.” His eyes flicked to Chess, who puffed his chest out and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“I guess,” I drew out, not exactly sure what was going on. What happened to the arrogant asshole that I’d been dealing with? This new Dorian was freaking me out. Then I met Chess’ eyes, and he nodded at me. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“Do not worry,” Dorian continued, “this is not goodbye. I still have to find my own happy ending. I am just taking a detour for a little while. Be sure to tell my mother?”
“Of course.” I nodded and then suddenly, without provocation I threw myself at him. Hugging him tight around the waist. Tears slid down my face. “I don’t know why I’m crying,” I said wiping the wetness from my cheeks, and I drew myself away from the now stiff prince.
“It is understandable.” Dorian placed his hands on my shoulder. “You might be Kat, but you still have part of Lynne in you. It is she that sheds tears for me, and that means more to me than you can ever know.”
I blinked up at him and realized he was right. While I was me; I was also Lynne. I couldn’t just ignore my past because it was a part of me and where I am today.
Chess placed a hand on my shoulder, and I turned my gaze to him wondering how he felt about my little outburst. “Are you ready to go home?”
My lips curled up. “Yes, let’s go home.”
Chapter 20
Chess
THE REAPER TWISTED the key in the door lock and turned the knob. Throwing the door open, he gestured for us to head inside.
After being in the dark area for so long, the bright white light coming from the doorway hurt my eyes. Squinting into the opening, my mouth dropped open, and then Kat said the exact words I was thinking.
“You have a door to the Between?”
Eugene gave her such a condescending smile that I wanted to jump in and say exactly what he wasn’t telling Dorian about staying there. But thankfully, I thought better of it and kept my lips zipped.
“You didn’t think I was the Reaper for only the Fae, did you? It would take too long to go all the way through the Underground just to gather souls in your world.”
“No, I suppose not,” she drew out. Something lit up in her eyes, and she pointed a finger at him. “Wait a second. The first time I came to the Between I swore I saw a dark figure out in the middle of it all. Was that you?”
His lips turned up in to a smirk. “I had to see what all the fuss was about. It was the first time a human came into the Between in over a hundred years, I was sure that meant things would be changing soon. And you know what?” he gestured around us with a wide knowing grin, “I was right.”
Chuckling, I grabbed Kat’s hand in mine. “You sure were, and I’m thankful every day that she found her way into our world. I don’t know what I’d have done without her.” The blush that blossomed on her face warmed my heart and even more so when her own emotions became so big that they leaked over into me.
All the love she felt for me engulfed me like a glove, and I had the overwhelming urge to kiss her right then and there. But the way that Dorian and his father were already looking at us said they were getting impatient to get going. So, instead, I led Kat by the hand and toward the door.
“Thank you for everything.” I nodded at the Reaper and then looked to Dorian. “And good luck. I hope to see you again.”
“We both do,” Kat added in, wrapping her arm around me and squeezing me tight. “Now let’s get out of here, we have some lost time to make up for.” Before I could say another word she dragged me out of the Reaper’s home and into the Between.
As we stepped into the Between, the Reaper called out to us, “Just keep going forward, the reception will appear in front of you in no time and above all else, don’t get distracted.”
An unsettling feeling filled me at his words, but Kat dragged me by the hand, not letting me linger on them.
My eyes stayed on the back of Kat’s head. She followed the Reaper’s directions to the letter. After a few minutes, the sight of the reception area in the distance broke up the white blankness around us. Kat and I increased our speed, both of us in a hurry to get home and out of this place.
Before we made it to the reception area though, Kat stopped abruptly. She angled her head toward the side and murmured, “Do you hear that?”
I shook my head. I didn’t hear anything. I opened my mouth to tell her as much, but she let go of my hand and took a step to the left, off the path and away from where our exit was at.
“I swear, I hear a child crying.” She circled around me before stopping back in front of me, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you sure you don’t hear anything?”
“No, I’m sorry, love, I don’t hear anything at all. It’s quiet.” I eyed the door to the human world that was just out of our reach and then glanced back at her. “Too quiet for my liking. Let’s just get home then we can worry about it later.” I placed my hand on her arm, trying to steer her toward our way out, but she jerked away.
“No. I can’t just leave them.” Her eyes widened and the panic on her face slipped into me. “What if it’s lost or hurt? We don’t know what is out there.” She shook her head profusely. “No. We have to find it.”
Kat darted toward where I could only assume she heard the child’s cry. I didn’t hear anything, and I was beginning to think it was part of what the Reaper had warned us about. Not to leave the path for any reason. That’s exactly what Kat was doing. I just got her back. I wasn’t losing her again. Not ever, even if she hated me for it later.
Keeping my eye on the recep
tion area, I let my long legs carry me until I caught up to Kat. I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. “Kat, pet, we are leaving. It’s a trick to get you off the path and it’s working.”
“No, it’s not a trick,” she yelled at me and tried to twist out of my grasp, “I can hear them, I can.”
“No,” I grabbed both of her arms and looked her dead in the eye, “you can’t. My hearing is ten times better than yours, and if I can’t hear it that means it’s not really there.”
She looked at me for a moment, her face contemplating what I was saying. I almost thought I had gotten through to her but her head angled just slightly enough to give me a warning before she tried to get away from me again. This time though, I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder.
“Put me down!” Kat screamed at me as she beat me with her arms and legs. “I have to get to them. You are killing them by stopping me.”
It broke my heart to have to do this to her, but there was no other way. We didn’t know what was out there, it could be a child, or for all I knew it could be something that ate children. What I did know was neither of us knew enough about the Between to just run out into it without a care. We’d been through enough; let someone else save the day.
I endured Kat’s assault on my person until we got to the reception area where her fighting promptly stopped. The panic in her that I had felt before had dissipated and all that was left was a calm confusion.
“You can let me down now. I’m fine.”
I hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering her to the ground. “Are you all right?” I brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear with a frown.
“Yes,” she breathed out and then looked out into the void. “The crying stopped, I don’t hear anything now. I don’t know why I freaked out like that.”
“It’s the Between,” I assured her, holding her in my arms in case she decided to bolt again. “The Reaper said it would try to trick us. To make us leave the path.”