I looked down to Ethan’s brown eyes blinking up at me. “Did you just—”
He shook his head, warning me with his eyes not to say anything aloud. “Shh. Don’t trust anyone.”
I met Emma’s confused expression, and then hurriedly thought of something different to say. “—heal her! Ethan, are you all right?” I quickly bent to help him to his feet, and Thoros seemed to sense a change in me, because he distracted the others by helping Duchess stand up.
I didn’t know where to start. If my theory was correct, I knew I couldn’t let Melina go to Hell once we got outside the gates. But her contract was already signed. It was a done deal.
“It was signed by Thoros, not the person that was making the deal with her: you.” Ethan’s voice said through my mind. “Is there an archangel named Alexandra?”
I placed the toe of my boot in the stirrup and pulled the rest of my weight up by the saddle horn. I was trying to avoid any kind of obvious contact with Ethan, so no one would suspect that we had possibly caught on to their plans. I had no idea who Ethan suspected was against us here in our little group, but if he thought that nobody should be trusted, then I wouldn’t trust anybody except for him. Alexandra? Yes, she was the first one to vote in favor of me coming here.
“Yes,” I replied.
“She is the one that turned this magic in me on. She said you are right, and she never would have voted for you to come here if she had known.”
“Known what, Ethan?”
I heard him take a deep breath and had to look back at him. He held my stare for a moment before responding. “That one of them is doing this.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. “One of who?”
“An archangel.”
I gasped, and then immediately played it off like I had caught my finger on something on the saddle. I stuck it in my mouth and frowned around it. “That is impossible, Ethan. You must have misunderstood her—”
“It’s what she said! She also said that you can’t let Melina leave Limbo.”
“How am I supposed to stop her? The contract is signed!”
“By Thoros! Not you!”
I sat there for a moment and contemplated his words. It was true. Thoros had made the deal with Melina. The Council hadn’t given him permission; they had given it to me. Their contract was void. She couldn’t leave, because I hadn’t signed the contract. I looked up at Ethan with weary eyes. “But Thoros made a deal with her…”
Ethan let his head fall, and then he nodded.
“You’re telling me Melina can’t leave, and neither can Thoros?”
“Not unless you want to sign her contract. Alexandra advises against it.”
“Fuck Alexandra! I can’t just leave Thoros here!”
Ethan flinched.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.” I forced calm over myself and breathed in deeply through my nose. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“We’ll figure it out together. We don’t have another choice, because I refuse to give up.”
I forced a smile. “That explains why they chose you and me for the job, then. I don’t give up, either.”
Chapter 45
Josselyn
We were almost back to where the ferry waited to carry us across to the gates. My mind had gone totally blank. I couldn’t come up with a single solution to how I could get all my crew out of here safely and manage to leave Melina behind, too.
This had been a wasted trip, a trip that had cost us a lot more than we had gained. Yes, of course, we had retrieved the missing spirits, but securing them a place in Heaven had cost me a great deal. And from the looks of it, Heaven wasn’t a guarantee anymore.
My chest ached at the realization that I had only minutes left with Thoros; I would never see him again. Yet, I didn’t know what to say to him in the short time we had left. He thought he would be coming with me, that he would get to spend almost a full day with me, but it wouldn’t happen. And I had to be the one to tell him that.
I reached out to Isaiah with my mind and felt him there, on the edges. I could tell he was surprised; I hadn’t even made eye contact with him, much less spoken to him, since I relieved him of his duty as my guardian angel. I hadn’t been fair to him. I had been angry and said things that I now regretted, and I didn’t know how to make things right with him, either.
“I’m sorry, Isaiah. I understand if you never want to speak to me again, but I just wanted to apologize for my actions toward you earlier. I meant to hurt you and I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said—”
“Don’t, Josselyn. I am the one who has been in the wrong. I’ve underestimated you from the very beginning, and that is nobody’s fault except my own. Please, accept my sincere apologies.”
I turned my head to see that Isaiah was riding up beside me on a brown horse. My vision swam as moisture erupted from my tear ducts. I nodded my head as I held out my hand to him. He accepted it, squeezed my fingers gently, and raised them to his lips to brush a light kiss over my knuckles.
“It has been a pleasure knowing you, child. You were the best choice for this mission. Whatever happens after this, know that I will never forget that. I will never forget you.”
I pulled on the reins, stopping Duchess at the dock and dismounted before running to Isaiah and throwing my arms around his neck. He hugged me back fiercely. “We were all wrong,” I whispered by his ear. “It was a trap. I can’t let Melina leave Limbo. Thoros signed her contract. Please tell him that I am so sorry, and our memories will last me an eternity. Please…tell him that I love him.”
He was silent for a moment, and then he whispered through my mind, “You are the strongest person I know, Josselyn.”
I pulled out of the embrace and looked into his grey eyes. “You’ll tell him, won’t you?”
He frowned, and then nodded once before turning so we could walk down the dock together.
I noticed Omega boarded the ferry first, but didn’t give it any further thought other than maybe they needed someone to bring the ferry back across the acid lake. Although I still believed the ferry was alive and had a mind of its own.
Omega offered his hand so I could step down from the dock onto the large platform. I raised an eyebrow. “What, we don’t have to give up a memory or anything?”
He smiled. “Not unless you’re offering—”
“She’s not offering,” Thoros suddenly cut in and stepped between us. He looked down at me and my heart shot up into my throat.
How was I supposed to say good bye to him?
He held out his hand and, after I took it, led me to a seat. I held on to it for dear life, but, instead of giving me a funny look, Thoros met the pressure with a solid grip of his own.
“We’re going to be okay, Josselyn.”
I nodded, even knowing that we wouldn’t be.
Everyone was quiet on the twenty minute journey across the lake, so I took the time to scan the crowd, trying to distract my mind of anything besides telling Thoros goodbye.
I groaned when my stomach tied itself in a knot. It was no use. Our last words, our last look at each other was all I could focus on!
“I look forward to meeting the others,” Omega said as he sat on the bench across from us.
Both Thoros and I turned our heads toward him in interest. “What others?” Thoros said after a moment.
“Well, the others waiting for us back in Las Vegas, the angels and the other half-souled immortals. I’m sure I will fit right in. I’m not sure what title would fit me best, though. I’m not an angel, and I will have a complete soul again before I leave Limbo. Hmmm… I don’t know. What would you call me?”
Thoros’ fingers tightened around my hand and I knew exactly what he was thinking. That he was going to be stuck here in Limbo and Omega would be on Earth… with me. I tried to keep my cool for us both, but I didn’t know how long even I could hold out with this shocking news. Melina must be planning something. Crap!
“A Limbotomist?” Malcolm piped in che
erfully.
I ignored Malcolm’s lame joke and kept my full attention on Omega. “You are not coming with us.”
He chuckled. “Actually, I am. Melina has released me back to Earth to finish my unfinished business, but in order to earn the pass I had to agree to help you first.”
I couldn’t breathe. No! I wouldn’t be out of line if I stated the obvious. “She doesn’t want you to help me; she wants you to kill me,” I said through a clenched jaw, and noticed I was trembling.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I’ve already said that I would never hurt you intentionally. Once we get outside these gates, she won’t be able to control my mind anymore. I really do want to help you beat this, because I have some things to take care of, and I can’t do that if we are all burning in Hell, now, can I?”
I didn’t know what to think, but thankfully I didn’t have time to dwell on it; we had arrived on the other side of the lake.
Omega got up to assist everyone in getting off the ferry, and I turned terrified eyes to Thoros. I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak—
“Y’all didn’t like Limbotomist?” Malcolm said.
Thoros sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin. I turned to look at Malcolm.
“Uh, Malcolm… could you give us a minute, please?”
He stood, clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Sure thing, Jossel,” as he walked away.
I stared at his back as he left the ferry and joined the others. Isaiah was looking at me, knowingly. I took in a deep breath, already feeling like my heart was gone. Fate had sure pulled one over on me.
“Why do I feel like you are about to tell me good bye right now? I have faith that we will have time later, Josselyn. Let’s enjoy the time we have left with each other.”
I blew out the breath I was holding. “There is no time left for us, Thoros.” I held my hand up to silence him when he opened his mouth to object. “We were tricked. Archangel Alexandra activated Ethan’s powers, and she’s been talking to him ever since he healed Duchess. One of the archangels wanted us to come here and offer Melina a pass to Hell so she and Lucifer could be together forever, not just a day. The archangel—and maybe more angels—have caused all of this to happen for Lucifer. I was the only one the Council gave permission to offer her a deal—we never made one; you interrupted us, so it doesn’t count unless I sign her contract.”
His expression beamed with excitement, then immediately fell when my tears began to fall. “Everything is fixed then, right? We don’t need her, and she can’t get out unless you make another deal with her—”
I shook my head. “Your contract is still binding. You signed yourself over to her and now there is nothing I can do to stop her from keeping you.”
His mouth fell open, his expression one of stunned horror. “I did this. I promised you that I would fix it, and now I don’t have any time left. This is my fault—”
“I thought you needed to save Heaven and Earth? Why are we still here, girl?” Melina barked from the bank.
I threw my arms around Thoros’ neck and sobbed. His arms draped lightly around me as if he were in shock and not accepting what I had said as the truth. “I forgive you, Thoros. I asked Isaiah to tell you everything, because I was too big of a coward to tell you myself, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave without telling you good bye. I need you to know that I love you with all my heart. I wanted you to hear me say it, not Isaiah.”
“This is really it, isn’t it?” he whispered. “Our time is over. I will never see you again.”
I pulled away when I opened my tear-filled eyes and saw Isaiah standing beside us.
“It’s time to go, Josselyn,” Isaiah said.
I nodded as I wiped at my wet face.
“Walk her to the gate, Thoros. You need to be the one to make sure she goes through it.”
Thoros stood and took my hand without a word, and then led me off the ferry to join the rest of the group.
I clung to his arm, but he was unresponsive to me or anything else except walking toward the black iron gates that would separate us forever.
I hated this!
I looked up and realized everyone had gone through except for Melina. She was waiting for the stone I had in my pocket that would allow her to leave the gates for a single day. I wouldn’t be giving it to her now—or ever. And she couldn’t take it from me. It wouldn’t work; there was no contract with my signature on it.
I felt Isaiah’s hand at the small of my back, ushering me forward. I must have slowed down. We were only five steps from the gate now, and I didn’t want to go. I had a sudden urge to turn and run back to the ferry and demand that she let me stay here with Thoros. Maybe I could beg her to destroy the contract he had signed.
Only two more steps.
Now one.
I stopped and looked outside the gate at my friends and the spirits I had come here to take back with me. If I didn’t take that last step I would be damning everyone I knew and loved to an eternity of darkness and torture. Lucifer would not go easy on them. He would make it a point to torture the ones I loved more than the rest, because I was the reason he would never see his precious soulmate again.
“It’s too late to turn back now, girl.”
“You’re right. I have to go.”
Melina smiled and held her empty palm out to me. “We had a deal, angel.”
I looked to Isaiah, and then to Thoros. I mouthed the words I love you, and then took the last step over the threshold.
Melina shrieked and tried to grab me, but was instantly thrown back fifteen feet by the force of God’s wrath when she touched the barrier. I watched in horror as she bounced back up and started running for Thoros with rage in her eyes. She was going to hurt him to get me to do what she wanted.
“No!” I screamed, and started to run back through the entrance, but Isaiah spun on his heel and shoved Thoros through the gate. I was in his direct path, and too stunned to react, so we crashed and his weight knocked me to the ground.
I hit hard and couldn’t breathe at first, but the adrenaline rushing through my body kept me from losing consciousness.
I pushed Thoros off me and looked at him with wide eyes. His were just as shocked. “How did you—”
“I don’t know!” he said, stunned.
“Give me the stone!” Melina shrieked.
Both Thoros and I looked back to the gate. Isaiah was standing just behind the barrier, holding a frantic Melina around her waist as she kicked and hit him. He didn’t seem fazed at all by her hissy fit.
“Isaiah?” I said as I got to my feet. “Isaiah, what have you done?”
“What I had to in order for things to be right again. I had a feeling something like this would happen, and I was prepared for it. This was not a careless decision, Josselyn. I know my sister and all she is capable of. When I saw through your mind what Melina offered you, I left my chamber right away, but Thoros had already signed the contract before I could get there to stop him. I knew that Melina had made a mistake in making the deal with Thoros, a man who was not allowed to make such a deal in the first place, and that she wouldn’t be allowed to leave Limbo unless she corrected her action and made the deal with you. My sister is smart, but easily distracted, so I knew I had to offer her something she would want more than a half-souled immortal that would be miserable with her company.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “Isaiah, no… you—you have so much to go back to. You have Heaven—you have Lameria. She will be devastated when she hears of what you’ve done!”
Thoros wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly against his chest. I hadn’t even realized I had been walking toward the barrier until he had grabbed me, and then I noticed Melina had her hand at the ready, waiting for me to cross it just a little, so she could pull me back through to her side.
I had been distracted—confused by Isaiah’s expression. “Lameria, Isaiah, you remember her, right?”
Something flick
ered in his eyes, and then it was just gone. He shook his head. “That’s a pretty name, but I’m not sure I’ve met her.” He laughed lightly. “Well, I’m sure I haven’t. I never forget a name or face; I’m an archangel—was… I was an archangel.” His expression turned somber. “Go finish your mission, Josselyn. Remember what I said before?”
I shook my head and more tears fell from my eyes. My heart was breaking! “I will never forget you, either.”
He nodded once, and then turned and walked away from the gate, leaving Melina there red-faced and seething.
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I would see her again someday.
Isaiah was right; I had to finish this mission. After everything that had been lost or threatened since the Council sent Rhyan to Hell to find his soulmate, I would be a fool to stop now.
I would miss Isaiah, but I knew why he had done what he did, and that only made me love him more. Hopefully there would be time to mourn for the loss of my friend later.
If I had learned anything at all from my guardian angel, it was to only worry about the things I can do something about, and leave the rest up to God. With determination in my eyes, I left thoughts about my past where they were—in my past—and then turned to face my future. God willing, I could do something about it.
Chapter 46
Josselyn
Eyes wide and full of anxiety, Ethan ran up to me in a panic. “We can’t go back to the mansion. Alexandra just told me that it’s been taken over.”
I gritted my teeth in anger. Damn it! “Then that’s exactly where we have to go. We aren’t going to win this by hiding from them. My guess is that they’re waiting for us—or rather—they are waiting for you.”
“I understand that,” Ethan said, and then his eyes briefly glanced at the others, “but do you think it’s necessary that all of us go?”
I knew he was talking about Emma, and possibly Aries, too. I would send the spirits we had come here for to Heaven as soon as we fleeted from Limbo, but the humans didn’t need to be put in the line of fire if I could help it.
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