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I sat on the floor with Julia’s head in my lap. My tears covered her face, tracing silent paths into her hair. A throat cleared behind me and I turned, meeting Ben’s gaze.
“She’s not waking up,” I said.
“It takes time,” he said and crossed, taking a seat on the couch.
“Where’s everyone else?” I asked, looking at the empty entryway.
“They took Leviathan out for a walk.” He glanced at his hands before meeting my gaze.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” I said, wiping my tears away.
He shrugged. “She got bitter and nasty over the years,” he said and glanced at Julia. “She’ll do better than my sister ever could,” he added, nodding toward Julia. “The two of you will make a fine pair.”
I caressed her cheek and nodded. Julia had a wonderful sense of right and wrong. I couldn’t see her ever being a power hungry bitch like Ben’s sister, but I knew the job would be difficult, just like this had been for me. “I hope she forgives me,” I said.
“She will, eventually,” Ben said.
Before I could comment, Julia sucked in air like she had been underwater for too long and just reached the surface. Her entire body arched with the inhale and then she rolled on her side, coughing and sputtering. When she finally caught her breath, she glanced up at me before scanning the room.
“Holy shit,” she whispered when her gaze landed on Ben. She scrambled into my lap, her arms gripped, me and her eyes widened.
I kept forgetting, she’d only saw a reaper in their natural form once but now she was seeing Ben without his glamour and her fear radiated through the room.
“Honey, that’s Ben.”
Her head snapped in my direction, her eyes wild and her breathing bordering on hyperventilating. I didn’t know what to do, so I kissed her again. At first she didn’t respond, and then her arms loosened and her thoughts broadcast through me, jumbled and confused, but my kiss calmed her and when it broke, she stared into my eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked and she let out a soft laugh.
“I’m dead. What do you think?”
“I hope it didn’t hurt,” I said, cupping her cheeks in my hands.
Her gaze dropped and she sighed, ignoring my comment for the moment, but I got enough out of her thoughts to understand it wasn’t exactly pain free. But at least it wasn’t like that first time.
Her gaze jumped back to mine. “The first time?”
I clamped down on the memory. “Why do you think I took the job early?”
Her stormy eyes softened. “Nick, you didn’t,” she whispered.
“I did and if you want me to, I’ll do it again.” I caressed her cheek. “It’s up to you.”
She glanced down at the book in her hand and closed her eyes. “I’m your partner now, right?” she asked and opened her eyes.
“Actually, I think you’re my boss,” I replied and smiled at the shock etched into her features.
Her laughter followed and it carried a mystical quality that lit up the room. “I’m your boss?” She glanced toward Ben and received a nod in reply. “I get to tell you what to do?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said pulling away from her salacious grin. Even her eyes twinkled. “So, I’m guessing you don’t want me to try to reverse this.”
“Oh, hell no,” she answered and climbed to her feet. She glanced at her soiled clothing and wrinkled her nose. “I think I need to get cleaned up.” With that, she headed out of the room, pausing at the door and looking back at me. “You coming?”
“I’ve got a war to fight,” I said but the pull of her words made my feet move in her direction.
“Not without me. This won’t take long,” she said.
I followed, sending a glance at Ben. He didn’t hide his smirk very well and I flipped him the bird before heading upstairs with Julia.
When we stepped into the bathroom, she turned to me. “Can you make the shower work again?” She said and placed the mini-tablet on the counter next to me. The spark in her eyes had tempered and she stripped her jeans and underwear, dumping them in the garbage can.
I understood her need to feel clean. Dying is messy, even if you didn’t have a shotgun hole in your chest and I willed the hot shower into existence. She stepped behind the curtain and I waited, leaning against the counter until she finished.
My gaze dropped to the electronics and I touched the screen. It came to life and names started scrolling. The sheer number made me gulp and I understood why there was a legion of reapers. There was no way the four of us would be able to escort that many souls to wherever they needed to go and I prayed my promise of freedom wouldn’t backfire on me.
The shower shut off and I pulled a plush towel off the rack, handing it to Julia as she stepped from the stall. I had a moment to drink in her form before she wrapped it from view. When our eyes met, she offered a soft smile.
“What happens now?” she asked.
“I go fight the demons and you take Noah back to Florida.”
She reached past me and picked up the tablet, scrolling through the list. “Who collects these souls?” she asked and raised her gaze to mine.
“The reapers do. I’m not sure how the list is sent but maybe we can do, like, an automated text to the next available reaper,” I said and shoved my hands in my pockets. “I don’t know how this works, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out when I get back.”
“You aren’t going alone,” she said and straightened, stepping closer.
“Julia, you can’t go with me. It’s too dangerous.” I didn’t leave any wiggle room for her to negotiate.
“I’m ordering you to take me with you,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“No.” The conviction in my answer was clear, but I had the overwhelming desire to bring her with me. I suppressed it and stared into her fawn eyes. “I love you, and I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of this, but I’m not taking you with me.”
“Nick,” she started.
“Can you do this?” I asked and held my hand out, forming a ball of fire out of thin air.
She stared at my hand and I closed my fist, snuffing out the fire.
“Or this?” I asked, raising a sphere of water in my other hand and then squeezing my fist until it burst.
Her gaze traveled back to mine and she shook her head.
“Or this?” I said and willed her into seductive pink satin dress that flowed like the wind.
She looked down, running her hands over the fabric and then back at me. Her eyes wide with wonder.
“I don’t think I can do any of that,” she said in a small voice. Questions swirled in her mind and I smiled.
“My father didn’t have any of these abilities, and they’ve grown since I stepped into the position. Ben and Danny each have a gift, and they were the ones who taught me to use them during our freshman year. As far as I know, we’re the only three who can manipulate matter like this.” I stopped to let this sink in. “I’ve also told the reapers that if we can stop the demons before Heaven’s angels descend, I’ll set them free.”
That questioning crease appeared between her eyes. “Aren’t they free now?”
“No. They’re bound to serve. A legion of slaves and I don’t want that. I want reapers that choose to follow me. If we win this and they decide they want to move on, I’m not going to stop them.”
“If?”
I realized my slipup and smiled. “Okay, when we win this,” I said and leaned forward, planting a kiss. “I’ve got to go.”
She didn’t stop me when I walked out the door and climbed down the stairs. Ben, Danny, Noah and Leviathan were all waiting in the living room.
“Time to go,” I said.
“Keep him safe.” Julia focused directly on Ben and Danny. “That’s an order,” she added for good measure and I rolled my eyes, sending a shut up expression in her direction.
“We will,” they said in unison and then I willed Ben, Danny, Leviathan, and me back to the sweltering heat of Florida.