Chapter 22 Carla
CARLA
Alexis starts shutting down her computer and turning off the lights after a long day of causing more bullshit and chaos to Medina Corp and Wintermoon. I’ve been paying close attention to her because I’m pissed off and I know she’s the reason for so much pain.
I think about the vision I received of Alexis. A faceless man with brown skin approaching her in Amari’s office at Medina Shadow Coven, holding Alexis’s head by her hair. He places it on my desk. I grin and look up at the man.
“Thank you. I’ve been waiting for you to deliver this to me.”
I can’t hear his response in the vision, but I stand and pick up the head. Alexis’s eyes are open, mouth frozen in a silent scream. Blood drips from the severed neck onto my desk.
“I’m going to have so much fun with you in limbo,” I tell the head with a wicked smile.
I toss it back to the man. “Burn it for all I care. It’s the soul I want.”
I come out of my flashback vision to see Alexis heading out of her office, walking through the empty cubicles toward the elevator.
She pauses, gasping when I suddenly appear in front of her. My eyes glow pink, a confident smirk on my face.
Alexis takes a step back, her hand flying to her chest. “What the fuck?”
I give her a dark laugh. “Oh, I’m not going to kill you. I’m forbidden to do that anyway. I can’t use my magic for my own personal gain.”
I grin wider, enjoying the fear bleeding into her expression. “But I’ve found a way around it. There’s always a loophole.”
“What the fuck do you want?” she spits out, trying to sound brave.
I point at her. “You. I want your soul, but I’m getting your head too.
I’ve seen your death and it’s not pretty.
It’s horrendous, actually. I don’t know who you pissed off, but I’m thankful that you did.
And you don’t get to live a long, prosperous life terrorizing Wintermoon.
It’s coming soon. Much sooner than you think.
A few years, tops. I look forward to your head landing on my desk. ”
Alexis’s face pales. “Just take the power if you want it so bad.”
“I saw that too.” I start to pace around her, wanting to grab her by the throat but knowing I can’t. The rules of my ascension bind me. “It’s not my place to take the magic. I’m forbidden from interfering with the affairs of this realm because I’ve ascended.”
“Ascended to what?” She tries to sound dismissive, but her voice shakes.
I point at a small spider on the wall behind her. “I can see you everywhere now. No matter where you go, I’m always watching.” I lean closer, lowering my voice. “And I’m waiting. Because you aren’t just going to die in this realm. You’re dying in limbo.”
I give another wicked laugh.
“Thanks for the tip,” Alexis says, visibly afraid despite her attempt at bravado. “I’ll make a special note to have the building fumigated.”
“Brookstone and Blackburn is ending. No more havoc. No more torturing innocent children.”
Alexis spits back, “Those supernaturals are far from innocent.”
“The best thing about this is I get to watch you self-implode.” I circle her one more time. “I don’t need to interfere with anything you’ve got going on. I just get to watch and enjoy, like watching you lose the game.”
I step back, preparing to leave. “Sleep tight. Don’t let the spiders bite.”
I laugh again as I disappear, returning to limbo.
I look around the empty, quiet void, walking up to my throne. I smile at Verto, who’s resting in his massive web above me, and sit down. The throne is cold beneath me, but it’s mine. My domain. My responsibility.
I close my eyes and watch through my connection to every spider in existence. I find Amari in the web bed in the forest, anxiously waiting for me. His body is tense, his eyes scanning the darkness like he’s searching for something he can’t see.
I appear on the side of the web bed, staring at him. He can’t see me, can’t feel my presence, but he can hear me. I can’t reveal my form to him. I’ve saw him nearly break at the sound of my voice, I can’t handle him doing it again.
“Sorry it took me so long.”
Amari’s face breaks into a genuine smile, the kind that reaches his eyes. “I’m just happy to hear you.”
“Tell me about your day,” I say, settling into the one-sided visibility of our connection.
“The same as always. Doing things to pass the time. Hating that I will have to sleep tomorrow.” He puts a hand to his chest. “But I can’t speak to you in my slumber.”
I scoot closer, putting a hand over where he lies, though I know he can’t feel it. I can’t feel him either. The barrier between our realms is absolute in that way. “I wish I could feel you.”
“Oh, when you get out and officially come home, I’m fucking you like a bear.” His voice drops to that growl I love. “I mean I’m breaking you through the mattress, goddess or not.”
I laugh. “I hope you do. I’ll be able to handle it this time. You won’t hear ‘lemonade’ ever again.”
Amari laughs at that, the sound warm and rich.
“You’d be proud of me,” he says.
“Oh, I’m listening.”
“Tofi has balanced out bonding with me and her mate Noki, and they’re getting along well.”
“You’re right. I am proud of you.”
“I know you can’t stay long.” He shifts in the web bed, getting comfortable. “But can I just tell you that I’m proud of you?”
“Not again. You do this every night.”
“You need to hear it every night. The sound of your voice eases the ache, but the fact that you find a way to come here for me...”
“It’s for me too,” I interrupt gently.
“It means everything to me. I don’t care how long this takes. You have my undying loyalty. I will do anything, everything, to be with you. I love you. Our love is eternal, everlasting, forever. Me, you, and our children. And I’d be willing to go into the void of limbo for that eternity.”
“Stop. You’re going to make me cry.”
Amari chuckles. “Alright, alright.”
He just keeps looking into the sky, staring at the stars above the forest canopy.
“Tell me how you mind-fucked Alexis tonight,” he says with a grin.
I giggle. “Gladly.”
I tell him everything. About materializing in front of her. About the vision of her death. About the look of terror on her face when she realized I could see her everywhere, always. About how satisfying it was to watch her try to maintain her composure while fear ate at her from the inside.
“That’s my woman,” Amari says with pride. “Terrifying corporate executives from another realm.”
“Someone’s got to keep them in check. I wish I could have seen her face.” I tell him.
“I miss you,” he says simply. “Every second of every day.”
“I miss you too. I miss your touch. Your smell. The way you adjust your suit when you’re nervous. The way you look at me like I’m the only person in the world.”
“You are the only person in my world, Carla. You and our children.”
We fall into comfortable silence. I watch him stare at the stars, his chest rising and falling with unnecessary breaths.
“I should go,” I finally say. “You need rest.”
“Five more minutes.”
“Amari...”
“Please, baby. Just five more minutes of your voice.”
I smile, even though he can’t see it. “Fine. Five more minutes.”
I tell him about limbo. About how Verto keeps bringing me souls to judge.
About how Nathaniel is running, hiding, terrified Verto.
About how I’ve been organizing the chaos, bringing order to the void.
About how I think of him constantly, about how the separation is the hardest thing I’ve ever endured.
And he listens to every word like it’s the most important thing he’s ever heard.
Because to him, it probably is.
“Time’s up,” I whisper.
“I know.” His voice is heavy with resignation. “Tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow night. Same time. I’ll be here.”
“I love you, Carla Blackwood.”
“I love you too, Amari Al-Baqar. Forever.”
I fade from his side, returning fully to my throne in limbo. Verto shifts in his web above me.
I close my eyes and let the loneliness of limbo wash over me. But it’s more bearable now. Because I have something to hold onto. Someone waiting for me. A love that transcends realms and time itself.
And that’s enough to keep me going.