“Okay. I’ll do it,” I said as soon as I closed the door to the library behind us.
Parker adjusted his glasses. “Do what?” he asked, looking utterly confused, disorientated, and adorable.
I took a breath. A faint hit of saltwater teased my senses. Dusty books that probably hadn’t been opened in years lined the shelves all the way to the ceiling, and it was a helluva ceiling. An old-timey ladder was propped in the corner to reach the top shelves. Here goes nothing. “I’ll change you.” The words were like lead in my gut, heavy and metallic. I had agreed to make Parker a reaper, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t scared. This was Parker. What if I screwed it up somehow?
He’d been running a finger along the edge of a book spine and then suddenly whipped around. “Say what?”
I thought he was going to knock over the bookshelf. “If it’s what you really want, I’ll make you a reaper. You’ll be a Blue Sparrow, a reaper whose been made.”
“Are you serious? This isn’t your idea of a joke?” His hand pressed into the side of the shelf.
I shook my head. “Of course not. I wouldn’t joke about something like this. You’re way too important to me, and this isn’t something I take lightly.” I’ve never turned anyone into a reaper before. It seems fitting for my first to be my best friend.
He paused, his eyes bulging behind his lenses. “Pipes, I-I don’t know what to say.”
I wiped my clammy hands on my shorts. “I just need to hear you say it. I need you to tell me this is really, really what you want.”
“It is. What made you change your mind?”
My shoulders lifted. “I don’t want to lose my best friend, and right now, I can use all the help I can get. You’re smart, Parker. The smartest guy I know. I need someone like you on my side.”
“I didn’t think you’d change your mind,” he said honestly.
I crossed my arms. “Well, I was hoping you would change yours. You ready?”
“We’re doing this right here? Right now?” he squeaked, glancing around the room.
A smile tugged at my lips as I readjusted my bun, tucking the stray pieces back in. “What’s wrong with the library?”
“Nothing,” he assured, scratching the side of his temple. “I just thought there’d be a secret lab in the basement or something.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s now or never. If I have time to overthink what I’m about to do, I’ll chicken out, and with the end of the world looming around the corner, this might be our only shot.”
“No second thoughts. I want this, Pipes. I swear it.”
I nodded with a heavy heart. “Okay, let’s bring you over to the dark side.”
Parker grinned. He stepped forward and straightened his shoulders.
“Um, maybe you should lie down,” I suggested.
“Okay, sure.” There was only one chair in the room, an oversized chaise just perfect for curling up on a cold winter day with the book of your choice. It was nestled in the corner, under a large picture window. He lay on the chair as I drew the curtains closed, drowning out the sunlight.
I plopped down on the edge of the chaise, breathing in the scent of leather and old books. The room fell silent, but in the distance, my friend’s voices traveled down the hallway. Declan, my faithful shadow, stood outside the door.
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Parker asked, staring me in the eyes.
I could see his assurance in me, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a bit tense. “What do you think? I haven’t had many willing participants to practice on.”
He gulped.
“Nervous now?” I winked.
“Only that you’re going to turn me into a donkey with glasses.”
I chuckled, losing some of the stiffness in my shoulders. “Close your eyes,” I instructed.
He shifted his head on the cushion, finding a comfortable spot. “Why?”
“Because I can’t concentrate with you staring at me.”
“Why?” he repeated.
Smartass. I pinched him. The why game used to be something we played to annoy each other when we’d been kids. “Just do it.”
He smiled, but promptly shut his eyes.
Deep breaths, Piper. You got this.
Flexing my hands, I lifted them in the air, preparing to work up my mojo. An intense tingle began at the tips of my fingers, just below the skin. I grabbed both his hands and let my lashes drift over my cheeks.
“Wait!” he yelled, eyes popping open.
“Parker!” I breathed, pinning him with an exasperated glare. He’d almost given me a stroke.
“I couldn’t resist.” He chuckled, settling back into the chair. “I swear I’ll behave,” he promised, eyes resuming their closed position.
“You better, or you might turn into that jackass after all,” I muttered.
Other than his lips curving, Parker lay as still as a board. Once again I claimed his hands with mine, letting the power residing inside me swim to the surface. It came quickly, channeling throughout my body. I took souls, absorbing their essence, sometimes without batting an eye. Making Parker into a Reaper, I deduced, would be a reverse process. The plan was to fill his veins with my power, infusing him with enough to alter his soul, but not kill him.
No sweat.
I was surprised how calm I was. Clamping my fingers together with his, glamour poured off me in waves. My head buzzed furiously, and I could taste the glow of energy on my tongue. A ripple went through the air as I sent a stream of my power into his veins. If there was a ritual or words, I didn’t know them, relying only on instinct.
I felt a surge of cold fire. It started with a crackle, a blue light burning behind my eyelids as my core banshee power flooded into Parker’s vessels, offering him a chance at a different life. His lashes twitched and his fingers held mine, but other than that, I couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Pain? Pleasure? Nothing?
I, on the other hand, felt too much. Every nerve in my body came alive, and anticipation I hadn’t expected blazed in me. The whole shebang only took a few minutes. When the last ribbons of electricity returned to me, I sat back, fingers still tingling, but it was done. No more stressing over whether or not I was going to turn the person who knew all my secrets into my biggest secret.
Parker’s eyes fluttered opened and the first words out of his mouth were, “Did it work?”
For the barest of seconds, I wasn’t sure, but then a fleck of cool blue shimmered from the corner of his eyes over his cheek. As I studied him, my banshee recognition registered, sensing Parker as something other than human. “I’m so sorry, Parks.”
He stared at my face, unblinking, although his eyes dimmed with disappointment.
I laughed. “I’m kidding. Welcome to the dark side. You should see your face right now.”
“That seriously wasn’t funny. I should be mad at you, but wow,” he said, turning his hands over again and again. “I feel incredible.”
I folded my fingers in my lap. “It’s weird, huh?”
He pushed himself up in the chair, keeping his legs extended. “I never knew. I mean, I knew you could do things, but I didn’t understand how powerful you were. I felt it inside me.”
“It’s a rush, that’s for sure,” I said, removing my hair from its bun and shaking it out. We cast bemused glances at each other. “I can’t believe I did it,” I said.
A slow grin pulled at Parker’s lips. “That’s it? I’m a reaper?”
“Yep. How do you feel?”
“Cold, actually, but not uncomfortable, just cooler.”
I nodded, standing up. “That’s normal. You’ll get used to it.”
“Anything else I need to get used to?” he asked.
“We don’t have enough time,” I replied, tugging a handful of his Berserk manga shirt and pulling him to his feet. Parker stepped forward and hugged me, pulling me close with desperate relief. I slid my arms around him and squeezed tight. “Friends forever—literally.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My eyes watered, and I brushed aside the tears before they could fall. “I love you.”
“Ditto,” he grinned.
I was happy to have Parker on my side, but the celebration would have to wait until later. I wasn’t feeling so hot, and if I wasn’t so dizzy, I might’ve puked.
Parker’s grabbed me on either side of my shoulder, steadying me. “Hey, you okay?”
I leaned on him, shoulder to shoulder, praying the room would stop whirling. “I will be. I just need a minute. Turns out, making a reaper is exhausting.” It took more out of me than I anticipated.
“Should I get Zane?” he asked, concern lacing in his eyes.
Slowly, I stood straight. “Nah. I can make it back on my own.”
And I did. Together we made our way to the kitchen, all the while, Parker kept a watchful eye on me with Declan guarded my back.
“Everything okay?” Zane inquired, seeing the serious lines on my face.
I weaved my fingers through his, drawing some of his strength. “Yeah, Parker and I had some unfinished business.”
Zane arched a brow.
I laid a hand on his chest. “I’ll be okay,” I murmured.
“Parker?” Zoe’s eyes were zeroed in on him. Then she was flying through the kitchen. “Ohmygod,” she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. “She did it, didn’t she? You’re a reaper.” Zoe must have sensed the change. Just looking at Parker, there was no outward difference, same shaggy hair a tad too long, same cute nerdy quality, same lean build.
“Well, this is an unexpected turn of events,” Crash said. “Any other surprises up your sleeve?”
“Guess you’ll just have to stick around and see.”
Zane snorted, not keen about the idea of having Crash hanging around. “Or not.”
I nudged him in the side. If we were going to restore the veil, he was going to have to learn to play nice, at least until the world was once again in perfect harmony.
Zach put his hand on Parker’s shoulder. “Time to suit up, reaper boy, we got work to do.”
“Do I get a badge for this?” Parker asked.
“If we live past the next twenty-four hours, I’ll get you a goddamn gold medal,” I offered.
“As heartwarming as this moment is, we have a relic to find.” Leave it to Crash to ruin a bit of happiness, but he was right. The honeymoon was over. We had work to do.