Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
THEO
Istill don’t believe what I’m seeing. One moment, I was overcome with relief that Kennedy returned my feelings, and then the next, I was overwhelmed by an all-encompassing warmth spreading over my body.
In my spirit form, I shouldn’t be able to feel physical sensations, but the heat searing between us felt as real as the flames I stoked each night in the fireplace.
It urged me to touch her, so I did. And to my surprise, just as our palms connected, a sparkling powder-blue light began to dance beneath the place where our hands touched.
A string like fine thread appeared, growing outward from the center of my chest and extending toward Kennedy’s heart. As it connected, I felt a tug, and without a doubt in my mind, I knew exactly what it was.
Our soul bond.
Kennedy and I are fated to be together.
“What string?” she asks, slight panic in her tone.
I chuckle wholeheartedly, overcome with emotion. “It’s nothing bad,” I promise her, taking her face in my hand. The palm I had pressed to hers is now pressed to her cheek. She touches the top of my hand, making sure it’s really there.
Tears pool in her eyes. “Is this real?”
“It’s as real as it gets, I’m afraid.”
I kiss her again, lightly caressing her soft lips. “I feel like I was meant to wait one hundred and thirty years just to meet you.”
Her knees buckle, and I wrap my arm tightly around her waist to hold her up. The corners of her eyes crinkle as she smiles with delight. “I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I’m really happy about it.”
We both dissolve into a fit of laughter, clinging to one another for support. I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. There will be time to explain everything, but first, there’s something I need to do.
As I pull back, I study the contours of her beautiful face. I drink her in fully, savoring her expression of longing and committing it to memory.
“I’m happy too,” I tell her. Then, I take her hand and tug her toward the door. “This deserves a celebration.”
“Wait! Where are we going?”
Together, we glide down the stairs, Kennedy not letting go of my hand as she trusts me to guide her.
At the bottom of the staircase, I take her other hand and squeeze them both lightly. “I want you to close your eyes and allow your soul to slip from this plane.”
Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead. “Why?”
“I want to show you how to travel through the void,” I explain, words rushed with excitement.
Now that I’ve done it once, I know I can do it again. And with Kennedy by my side, I have complete faith in myself.
“Theo, wait.” She lets go of my hands and presses them to her cheeks. “Slow down. This is a lot.” Her throat bobs as she tries to gather her bearings. “What did you mean by string? And where are you taking me in the void?”
I realize I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself, so I take a steady breath and try to focus on slowing my mind down and answering each of her questions.
“My magic allows me to see how souls are tied to one another,” I explain, taking my time. “It wasn’t something I could do before, only since I’ve been a ghost. And just now, I saw one form between us.” I gesture to her chest, then mine.
She gnaws at her lip and looks down. “We’re connected? Right now?”
Indeed, the shimmering blue thread waves between us, refracting light from the morning sun.
“Yes. I wish you could see it.”
Her head lifts as she lowers her hands away from her face. Her cheeks are flushed, and with eyes refusing to blink, she peers directly into my soul. “I believe you.”
I didn’t know it, but it’s what I needed to hear.
I can see her drifting into her own head, considering something, but only for a second. Then she schools her expression.
“Where are you taking me?”
I smirk suggestively. “We’re going shopping.”