Chapter Twenty-Two
Kieran knew he was dying. Not even his father could save him.
It had been an accident. The scythe had never been meant to strike Georgia or him.
The surprise, the horror in his father’s eyes, had been genuine.
He should have known better. The scythe was reserved for the worst of the worst, and even that was done with caution, because every creature had a purpose in the time continuum.
He’d reacted without thought when the blade had sliced through the air toward her.
No doubt his father would have pulled it up short and then plucked her soul from her body to deliver to the afterlife.
He had the ability to remove a human soul with a touch.
Whether Kieran would have ended up exiled or granted a human life was moot now. He’d sealed his fate. Bet the old man hadn’t seen that one coming. It was a good thing reapers didn’t exist in the timeline or it might have been screwed.
He was colder than he’d been in his life. The light was fading. It was strange how he’d craved oblivion for so long, but now that it was upon him, he fought it with all his might.
I have something to lose now.
His solitary life had left him all but empty, with only the faintest glimmer of hope.
Being here with Georgia had opened up an entire new world.
Jaded, cynical, sure he’d seen and done it all, he hadn’t been prepared for her.
She’d changed him on a fundamental level, singlehandedly dragging him out of the dark and into the light.
Love. He’d scoffed at it, believed it no more than a human construct, only to discover it was the most devastating force in existence.
His brothers would most likely gloat about being right.
While he wished things could have ended better with Samael and Alexiares, spending time with them had fed another part of his soul that had long been starved.
He didn’t have many regrets, but the few he did have were great.
He could no longer feel the warmth of her lap beneath his head, nor the touch of her fingers against his skin. He hung on as long as he could, not wanting to leave her to face the unknown alone. His last sight, as his eyes drifted shut for the final time, was her beautiful, tearstained face.
He waited for…something. While his body was no longer functional, his consciousness remained. This wasn’t right. The souls of reapers were destroyed when they died. There was no afterlife.
I’m not a normal reaper.
He and his brothers had always been different. Their father was Death. Their mother or mothers? Well, that was a question to which none of them knew the answer. Was he destined to drift in this limbo for eternity, living only in his own awareness?
Something trickled inside him. It was warm and filled him with hope and love. It was Georgia’s tears. Somehow, some way, she was keeping his soul safe. Wonder grew, even as heat built inside him, expanding and growing, until it could no longer be contained.
The explosion momentarily blinded him. A gasp was dragged out of his chest. The cells of his body began to burn. Gritting his teeth, he fought through the pain, unsure what was happening but trying to ready himself for whatever came next.
One thing was damn sure: his soul hadn’t been destroyed. That meant there was a chance to find Georgia again. Whatever agony he had to endure, whoever he had to fight, he’d do it. As long as there was a chance, he’d never give up or give in.
“Welcome back, my son.”
Kieran bolted upright, and his eyes popped open. A smile played at the corners of his father’s mouth, but it was relief that burned in his eyes. For once, Malaki was silent. “What happened?”
“Kier.” Georgia was sprawled on the floor against the wall as if some giant hand had shoved her. She tried to get to her feet and collapsed.
He scrambled to her side. “Take it easy. I’ve got you.” Putting an arm around her, he hoisted her to her feet.
She ran her hands over his bare stomach and then his shoulder.
“It’s gone. The wounds, the blood, it’s all gone.
” There were no signs of the bloody shirts or towels, no stains on the floor either.
They’d vanished along with his injuries.
And he wasn’t the only one. The damage David had done to Georgia had disappeared, as if it had never happened.
His brothers were picking themselves up from the floor, their faces pictures of astonishment. He understood their shock. No one was more surprised than he was that he was still here.
“I don’t understand.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against him. “You died.” Her grief pierced his heart.
He swallowed the knot in his throat. Gratitude at being alive was tempered by the unknown. “What happened?” he asked his father, the one being qualified to answer. There was no room for happiness, not until he was certain it wouldn’t be snatched away.
The Grim Reaper held his weapon at arm’s length and studied it. “I’m not entirely certain, but I have a theory.”
“Care to fill us in?” With Georgia trembling against him, his patience was nonexistent.
“In due time. First things first.” His father walked over to David’s inert body.
Somehow, he’d managed to remain unconscious through the entire drama.
Bending down, Death pressed his fingers to the man’s head.
David disappeared. “He’ll find himself back in his car, unsure how he got there.
He’ll have no memory of assaulting Georgia.
In an attack of conscience, he’ll decide to tell his father everything and accept the consequences. ”
“You can do that?” she asked.
The old man shrugged. “It will not have any noticeable effect on the timeline. I have seen every possible outcome from now until the end of time.”
The weight of his father’s position had never been more apparent.
He and his brothers dealt with the souls they were called to reap.
Their father might not control the fates of humans, but he had been tasked with the final fate of all.
The fact that it hadn’t crushed him was a remarkable testament to his sheer strength and will.
“I’m sorry.” Both Alex and Sam shot him an odd look, but they held their tongues…
for now. He didn’t expect that to last. He continued to address their father.
“I didn’t set out to complicate your life or make it more difficult than it already is.
One soul against billions—” How many people had lived and how many were yet to be born?
It was immeasurable, yet he had no doubt his father knew exactly when it would all come to an end.
Would it all begin anew, or would he finally be able to rest?
It was too much to wrap his mind around.
“I can’t weigh the value of the life of one person against another, but there will never be another woman for me.
Georgia is unique.” The truth was imprinted on him—mind, body, and soul.
“You and your brothers have complicated my life since the day you came into being.” Kieran flinched inwardly but remained outwardly stoic.
Georgia tightened her hold on him. But his father wasn’t finished.
“You have also brought me untold joy. For better or worse, you changed me, something that should have been impossible. And in case you’re wondering, David wasn’t responsible for the carbon monoxide poisoning. That was a true accident.”
It was left unsaid whether or not that should have been the end of the assignment. Kieran would never ask, but he couldn’t forget the feeling that had come over him out of nowhere, prompting him to check on her.
Turning, his father waved his hand. Darkness gathered and swirled until a portal appeared.
Beyond it, he caught a glimpse of their father’s private dining room in Shadowland.
“I suggest we retire somewhere more private to finish our discussion.” It was the last place he wanted to go, but this wasn’t exactly an invitation. It was an order.
“Kieran?” Georgia’s fingernails dug into him, her fear palpable. He felt her trembling against him.
“I’ll keep you safe.” He prayed he wasn’t lying as he led her toward it. “Just hang on.”
“Believe me, there’s no way I’m letting go.”
His father pointed the head of his scythe toward the portal. “Come, Samael and Alexiares.”
“I’ve got this,” she muttered, and stepped forward into the unknown.
Pride swelled in Kieran’s chest as he led her to a long wooden table with two chairs on one side and four on the other.
At the head stood a massive chair carved from a solid piece of black walnut—the Grim Reaper’s throne.
A huge hearth, large enough for him and his brothers to stand up in, occupied one wall.
A fire crackled merrily, adding light to the dim room.
Wrought iron stands were positioned around the perimeter of the space, each with a thick, tall candle flickering atop it.
“What is this place?” Fear mixed with wonder in her voice.
“Home. We’re home.” This was the room where he and his brothers had eaten every meal, learned their lessons, and played games. Beyond lay a corridor that led to the family bedrooms. Outside was Shadowland, barren and dark, and filled with the homes of the reapers.
The portal snapped shut behind them before their father stepped through, leaving the four of them trapped. Sam began to prowl around the space. “What’s the old man doing?” he demanded.
“I don’t know.” Kieran was as curious.
“He’s gone for Adrianne and Cilla.” Alex gripped the back of one of the chairs until the wood began to crack. “There are enough chairs for six.”
Georgia glanced up at him for reassurance, but Kieran had none to give.
A portal opened, and both women rushed straight to his brothers. They wrapped their arms around them to offer comfort, but there was none to be found. One man held all the power, and they knew it.