Immortal Consequences(66)
The little girl nodded, wiping her face. “But…will I see my family again?”
“Yes,” Masika lied. “They’ll cross over and find you.”
It wasn’t a certainty. Nothing was. Masika had no way of knowing whether the girl’s parents would cross over as Corrupted Souls or if they’d make it to the Other Side. But Masika knew there was no point in divulging that information to the kid, not unless she wanted to prolong the process for the rest of eternity.
“I’m scared.” The little girl whimpered. “Will it hurt?”
“No,” Masika assured her, lightly placing her hand against her cheek. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
There it was. The familiar glow emanating from the child’s body. The sign that her soul was ready to cross over.
Masika’s magic sparked in recognition—a buzzing in her limbs and a warmth pooling in her chest. The golden sphere of light traveled through her body and down her arms, spreading into each individual finger. And before the little girl could second-guess what was about to happen, Masika lunged forward, shoving her fist through the young girl’s chest, deep into the core of her soul.
For a moment—Masika could see everything. Feel everything. The little girl’s entire life laid out before her, playing in her mind like a broken record. Every painful memory. Every heartbreak. Tears shed, hidden beneath covers. Hopes shattered before they could reach fruition. But glimmers of light floated within the darkness. Moments of happiness. Of unfiltered joy. Her first day of school. Riding in the car with her parents, warm air trickling in through the window and the faint scent of jasmine perfume. Kisses before bedtime and magical stories whispered between bouts of laughter. So much laughter. It echoed against her skull, ringing out for all eternity, consuming every inch of Masika’s mind.
And then it stopped.
The little girl’s form began to fade, her limbs growing translucent, until the only thing left in front of them was a single light, a glowing wisp hovering in the air.
The light flickered—and then she was gone.
Masika collapsed onto her knees seconds after, her head swimming violently and stomach churning.
Irene approached her, squatting down next to her. Her lips curved into a wry smile.
“Ready for the next one?”
28
Emilio
Emilio had the instinctive feeling that he had missed something. That somewhere along the line, a piece of the puzzle had shifted without him knowing, and now he was left scrambling, attempting to play catch-up. It was the only thing that could explain why Augustine Hughes, of all people, had decided to join them in the Ether.
Emilio hadn’t been at all surprised when Olivier had appeared behind him almost immediately after crossing the threshold. He’d silently expected the two of them to partner up, especially given the fact that Olivier knew that reaping wasn’t exactly Emilio’s specialty. But what he hadn’t expected was to find August beside Olivier. It felt unexplainably strange, not to mention wildly out of character. The weirdest part was the way Olivier was acting, as though it were perfectly normal that he was now working alongside August, and that this supposed partnership required no explanation.
They’d spent the first hour crossing through a few different doors, traversing the various landscapes of the Ether. August and Olivier kept whispering to one another. Emilio didn’t want to admit it, but he felt acutely dejected. It was clear they were leaving him out of something, and Emilio couldn’t help but feel as though his presence was just a formality.
Like they’d allowed him to join merely out of pity.
After crossing through a desert landscape riddled with spindly trees and craggy mountains, they came upon a crooked door marked with geometric shapes.
August placed his hand on the door. “This is it. It’s behind this one.” He had, of course, insisted on finding his target soul first. Olivier seemed perfectly content to follow his orders, which infuriated Emilio to no end. Usually, Olivier would find some snarky quip to challenge August with, but this time…nothing.
When they crossed through, they entered a new landscape. It was a dense, lush forest filled with towering redwood trees, eucalyptus and pine overwhelming Emilio’s senses. Fireflies hovered in the air, their tiny bodies emanating a soft yellow glow.
“This way,” commanded August. He trudged forward, swatting a firefly away from his face with comical exaggeration.
Emilio attempted to get Olivier’s attention, desperate to ask him what the hell was going on, but Olivier seemed completely oblivious. Even once they found August’s target soul, an old man trapped within a protective ward made of bramble and thorned vines, Olivier kept his gaze squarely fixed on August.
Despite their having stuck together so far, August insisted on dismantling the protective ward on his own. Something about his technique required total isolation. So, much to Emilio’s relief, he and Olivier were finally awarded a moment to themselves. The two of them retreated farther into the woods, offering August the space he had requested.
Olivier was leaning against the trunk of a tree, his eyes still glued to August and whatever he was doing to the ward. God—had he always been this interested in August?
After a few painful minutes of silence, Emilio finally caved in. He couldn’t help himself.
“You’re staring,” he muttered, tugging at the sleeves of his sweater.