Chapter 30

 

The second pulse, not cast with intention, had a force to it. I went flying through the air and crashed in the grass. Isabelle was yanked out of me again, just as Kalfu dissipated. Alexa, again, out of Mikah. And there Isabelle stood—not in a body at all, but did it matter? I suppose it didn’t. She stood on the crossroads. Her on one side, Mikah on the other.

“Behold,” a voice from the heavens declared, “two new guardians of the crossroads.”

Mikah… and Isabelle? Now together.

They both smiled. They started to run to the middle, but Mikah quickly stopped. “Wait! Bondye? I assume that’s you. I can step off my spot now, right?”

“The contest is ended,” the booming voice replied. “You may.”

How they touched, I don’t know. The divide between body and spirit means little here, I suppose. First they touched, and then they kissed.

This time, I didn’t have to experience the taste of cherry chapstick afterward.

Tears welled up in my eyes—I was happy for them. They were here, together. Could they stay? It seemed they could. Two souls, two soulmates, if you will, guarding the crossroads together… forever. At least, so far as I knew. Forever is a long time, after all.

I looked over at Hailey, still clutching her head.

“The pain… the headache…”

“I know what you’re feeling,” I said. “I’ve been there.”

I helped Hailey to her feet—however we got out of here, I’d promised to help see her through this. I had to. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption—especially from the mistakes of youth. Not to mention, she was still a vampire—and probably the only one I knew who’d been actually soul-fused with anyone. How that worked, I didn’t know. After all, as far as I knew, vampires had lost their souls.

“Isabelle,” I asked. “Is she going to be okay? Can you sense anything?”

Isabelle looked at Hailey. “Her aura is strong.”

“Her what?” I asked. “Vampires don’t have souls.”

“This one does,” Isabelle said. “Seems like she cast some kind of ward over herself before she got bit. She never lost her soul.”

“Well how about that,” I said. “What a brilliant girl.”

At this point, I wasn’t sure if she could hear me. Her eyes were rolled back into her head. The pain was sometimes so bad after letting a familiar take the reins that you’d pass out. It had happened to me many times.

I looked above Hailey. Alexa was floating through the air aimlessly.

“Alexa!” I shouted.

She paused and looked at me.

“What’s next for you?” I asked. “I mean, if you need a body, I’m quite used to sharing mine.”

Alexa laughed. “I appreciate the invitation, Mulledy. Means a lot. But I think I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to see the other side.”

I grinned and nodded. “But would you mind helping us with something first? When we came here, Kalfu unleashed some nasty chimeras. We need to finish this war.”

“You got it!” Alexa shouted.

I looked at Mikah and Isabelle, who stood there looking like a wedding portrait. “I suppose this is goodbye?”

“Are you kidding?” Isabelle asked. “You have Legba’s aspect! You can access us at any time!”

I chuckled. “I guess I do, don’t I?”

“And if you ever need to summon Beli,” Isabelle said. “Well, once a soul has inhabited a body, it always has a home there.”

“So we can still do this?” I said, smiling wide.

“All you have to do is call me up!” Isabelle said. “And once we come back here, now that I’m a guardian of this place, you should be able to drop me off. We won’t be stuck together anymore.”

I laughed. “We were never stuck together, Isabelle. You made my life richer every day for being a part of me.”

“That’s sweet,” Isabelle said. “But be honest…”

I laughed. “Okay, yeah, there were some moments…”

“I could use you once more. After that, I don’t know when I’ll need you next. But you want to go take on these chimeras together, for old times’ sake?”

Isabelle smiled. “Only if I can hold the reins.”