Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Hack
That motherfucker.
I’m well aware of my duties and understand that soul seeking is above all else, but that motherfucker is making me leave The Shade to hunt down the pest of a soul that has been skirting every single one of us for years.
Lucky bastard.
The last time I tried to capture him was the day I saw Sage in her store, the day she came back into my life barely a week ago.
I expected a little empathy and understanding, especially knowing that the bonding of souls is primordial to our existence.
Instead, what I got from the self-important prick in a robe—otherwise known as Exudius—was a long-winded explanation on the importance of our roles in the system.
As if I didn’t already know this.
The whole way back to New York City, I curse Exudius in the privacy of my mind for forcing me to forgo a quick pit stop to our building on my way out of The Shade.
The need to punch him in the face was strong but my restraint even stronger.
In my defense, I didn’t want to waste time.
With Sage’s birthday in two months, every second I’m away from her is time I’ll regret if she dies.
Fuck, just the thought of losing her again has ice running inside my veins, like coming face to face with your greatest fear and looking it dead in the eye.
My internal GPS takes me to Staten Island, facing a small house surrounded by trees that can’t be older than fifteen years if their size is any indication.
Outside, there are five children running around, all under the age of twelve.
They’re screaming and laughing and squirting each other with water guns while, who I’m assuming is the mother of these demonlings, is setting up some sort of tents with white sheets.
They seem heavy so I’m guessing they’re wet.
Looking around for the soul, I take my gaze away from the tiny little blonde and focus on the twelve year old playing cards with another kid who seems to be about his age.
I remember this kid from the shop. In fact, I have the distinct recollection that the soul was attached to him somehow. Like a protector, or a friend, even.
Fuck, I hate taking away souls who have bonded with the living. This kid must have some serious empathy in his heart. Or maybe it’s hereditary and his parents also attract the spirits. In any case, the soul I’m supposed to snatch up is sitting right next to the boy and keeping him company.
If it were up to me, I’d leave them be, but I’m just a seeker. On any other day, my job is simple and holds high responsibilities, but today, I’m hating it a little bit knowing that kid is going to feel the loss as if it were his own limb.
By the time I reach the soul, it’s too late for him to do anything, and just as I capture him in the palm of my hand, I hear the small intake of breath from the dark-haired boy. This has happened before and it breaks my heart every time.
Before I can speed away, I hear a single, breathy syllable escape the boy’s mouth.
“Kai.”
I realize then that I’ve altered this kid’s life forever and I fucking hate it.
To his honor, the soul, Kai, tries to fight me, he tries to overtake the power of my hold but it’s no use. For him, it’s time to rest until he’s needed again on another anthros.
When I look down at the bright light in the palm of my hand, my stomach drops and it feels like someone is fisting my heart and twisting it as hard as it’ll go.
It’s a deep-rooted sense of sadness. I recognize it because I’ve felt it so many fucking times throughout the centuries.
The waves of grief are palpable and they’re coming from the soul. From Kai.
I can only imagine what the twelve-year-old bonded child must feel knowing now that his friend is no longer by his side.
By the time I reach The Shade, I’m aching to see Sage and hoping this gloom taking seed inside me will disappear as soon as I place Kai in his resting place.
Cirrus disappears inside me as I walk through the heavy wooden door, greeted by an impatient Exudius. Acknowledging my presence with a simple nod, he turns on his heel and walks away, assuming—correctly—that I’ll follow.
“What’s his story?” I don’t usually ask about the souls but this one feels personal.
“It’s of no concern to you, demon. The private lives of our souls belong only to the nether.” I fight the urge to roll my eyes like a petulant child. Soulkeepers tend to speak in riddles and it’s fucking annoying on a good day. To be clear, I haven’t had one of those in forever.
“Understood.”
We cross over a bridge that leads from one end of the library to the other.
From the outside, the building seems normal, but once inside, the far wall has no end to it, like an infinity pool.
The arched windows give the feeling of gothic nostalgia while the stone walls recall the majestic architecture of the Middle Ages, like the cathedrals and prominent buildings that still exist today in modern Europe.
With every step we take, rows upon rows of souls wait for their next mission as the Moirai keep track of the balance in our combined universe.
“Here we go.” Exudius stops, turns to face a shelf, and with a sharp nod instructs me to place the soul inside the transparent bowl-shaped container.
There are no names, only symbols that explain its place in the hierarchy.
Kai has the crescent moon for intuition, a bullseye for focus, a caduceus for facing adversity, overlapping boxes for connection, an anchor for steadfastness, the sun for clarity, and the floral mask for hidden beauty.
Separate, they mean nothing, but put together, in that order, they spell courage. ???????.
He must have done something right in his lifetime.
“You may go.” And just like that, I’m relieved of my duties. Fucking finally.
Without waiting for further instructions, I make a beeline for the exit facing the marketplace and come to a complete halt when I see a commotion not far from our building.
Call it intuition or primal fear for my soulmate’s fate, but this dread is real so I kick my legs into gear and run like a demon on a mission.
And it is a mission because everything I am and everything I do is fueled by my love for Sage.
My legs power through as I cross the market, pushing kyn aside as I move with one sole objective. Nothing shows that she’s in danger, but every bone in my body is telling me the hostile vibe just feet away is about her.
As I reach our building, I catch movement in the corner of my eye and when I snap my head to the side, I’m just in time to see Pierce lift a puca high enough that his feet are no longer touching the ground.
They may be fast and strong but they’re no match for an angry demon.
And from this angle, Pierce looks fucking furious.
I launch in his direction when I notice the distinguishable black smoke rising and engulfing the surrounding inhabitants. After working and living with Slay for two thousand years, I know when he means business.
The fact that they’re both here for Sage is a true testament to our brotherhood.
And they’re pissed off. One in smoke form like he’s searching for something and the other is using his low, threatening voice against one of the kyn.
“The fuck is going on here?” A group of djinn have gathered around while a pixie tries to get information from the other bystanders. Meanwhile, Pierce is promising broken limbs and ripped out tongues.
“Fuck.” The curse isn’t directed at the puca. Pierce is clearly talking to me. “We thought we had more time.”
My spine goes ramrod straight and my fists tighten hard enough to break fingers.
“More time for what?”
A small, hunched over gremlin tries to steal some kind of steel mechanism at the puca’s feet, but I pick him up by the nape and throw him into the large mass of kyn gathered behind me. The crowd gives a collective ooooh, like my actions are sanctionable.
Fuck them all.
Pierce ignores me and gives his attention back to the puca. “Where. Did. They. Go?”
“Over there, over there. But I don’t want no trouble. No trouble for me. No trouble.” The puca is squirming but Pierce keeps him in check without breaking a sweat, stopping him from shifting into one of his animal forms.
“No trouble, puca. Just tell us where she was taken.”
At Pierce’s words, I see the color of blood wash over my vision.
She.
There's only one she that matters and because she’s not here, I can only assume we’re talking about my chosen.
Stepping up beside my brother, I let my demon form take over, my head surrounded by a malicious pumpkin and my arms entwined with vines that are now aimed at this puca. Wrapping them around his entire body, I stop before my vines squeeze the air right out of his lungs.
“You have two seconds to tell me who took her and where she is.” His “over there” answer is useless, The Shade is a series of row homes, no distinguishing marks or colors on the doors, and the number of rows is endless to the naked eye. It’s not unlike a maze until you get to the central market.
“The tall door, the big door. Ogres are tall, tall, tall.” At his answer, Pierce nods and I turn back to my anthros form, watching with satisfaction as the puca falls to the ground with a tiny thud.
Then we’re off, running at breakneck speeds, searching out a door that’s high enough for an ogre to fit through. Problem is, there are way more ogres in The Shade than what I expected.
“Let’s split up. Take the right, I’ll take the left.” Pierce nods again and smashes through a door at the same time as I kick one down and let my demon come back out so I can hyperspeed through the house. Meanwhile, Slay is keeping the horde of curious kyn at bay.
All I see are rock-shaped masses playing what looks like a game of Twister, except the mat is way bigger and the colored dots are farther apart. With a quick apology, I run back out and make my way to the next tall door.