Chapter Nineteen

I sank to my knees. With my entire body quaking, I whispered, “What… what happened?”

Alex smiled as she lifted the sonic gun. “This is a lovely weapon—quiet and lethal. Its only drawback is its recharge time.” She walked toward me with a cocky stride. “Phoenix, you seem ill.”

My throat tightened. I could barely spit out a word. “He’s… dead?”

Her brow furrowing, she glanced at Colm. “Of course. I’m sure you’ve seen this gun’s efficiency at the executions.”

“But Colm is my… my…”

She bobbed her head in an exaggerated nod. “Oh, I see. You don’t understand why I executed someone from your district.” She slid the gun to her shoulder holster. “It’s complicated, Phoenix, especially for someone in your confused state, but I’m sure you can figure it out. In one stroke I have proven what I am capable of doing without hesitation and at the same time preserved the remaining assets that keep you from shirking your duties. I have also enhanced our demonstration by showing how our energy boost has encouraged all who partake of it to acquiesce to, shall we say, unpleasant necessities. Even a principled Reaper like you did nothing to stop me.”

The words flowed in, but they jumbled in a messy pile. As I pieced them together, her malice became clear. If I didn’t give in to the energy’s influence, she would kill the entire family.

“Shanghai,” Alex said, extending a photo stick toward her, “kindly reap this man’s soul, then return to your station. I think Phoenix is in no shape to do so at the moment.”

“Yes ma’am.” Bowing her head, Shanghai jumped off her pedestal, snatched the stick from Alex, and knelt at Colm’s side.

I blinked. Yes ma’am? What happened to Shanghai? Did she surrender to the influence, or was she just playing along?

While I watched in silence, Shanghai turned Colm onto his back. “Come with me,” she said, her voice like an alluring song as she laid her cloaked hand over his eyes. “Let me take you away from this world of pain and torment to a place where you can lay down your burdens and rest.” After a short pause, she let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I know you’re concerned about your family, but there is nothing you can do for them now. You must release that responsibility and transfer it to Phoenix and me. We will do all we can to protect them from harm. You have been a wonderful husband and father, and your duty has come to an end.” Then she whispered something too quiet to hear.

A shimmer flowed into her cloak and covered her shoulders. A few seconds later, Shanghai lifted her hand and rose to her feet. Colm’s eyes bugged out but not much, and no dark tears stained his face. This was an easy reaping.

Shanghai slid the photo stick into her pants pocket. “Yes, Colm. I will tell Fiona when I see her.”

While Shanghai shuffled to her pedestal, Alex grabbed my wrist and helped me stand, whispering sharply, “Colm is dead because of your earlier antics. If you decide to cooperate from now on, the rest of the family will live. Got it?”

I steeled my body. The urge to break this witch’s neck spiked, making me curl my fingers into a strangling pose. But I had to play it cool, pretend to be under her control, though her Owl eyes seemed able to pierce my thoughts. “I understand, Alex. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”

“Good. I’m glad to see you’re coming to your senses.” Alex backed away and reprised her tour-guide tone. “Since this depot doesn’t directly transfer souls, you don’t need a photo stick at this point. Still, the final Gateway needs the images. You can deliver the stick to Erin at any time before she transports the sphere to the actual Gateway.”

I kept a wary eye on Erin as she studied the tablet screen, her white cloak flowing. Her security clearance had to be super high to be able to deliver souls and images to the Gateway. Since she was chosen for this duty, she must have risen quickly in the Council’s good graces.

“Thank you for your participation,” Alex continued. “After dinner we will have an entertainment event here in the yard, but I’m keeping the details a secret for now. Feel free to use the time before dinner to experiment with your newfound abilities.”

As I detached my clasp from the connector and stepped down from the pedestal, I focused on Shanghai as she dismounted and walked slowly toward me. Her face had changed somehow. Instead of radiating bright-eyed optimism, she now looked morose, downtrodden.

Alex bowed her head toward Melchizedek. “I hope the demonstration met your expectations.”

He clapped his hands. “Very much so. I must say that you proved your theory to the utmost.” He gave Shanghai and me a quick glance before continuing. “I trust that your Cardinals are, shall we say, birds of a feather?”

“They are, Exalted One.” Alex, too, glanced at us. “They realize that your energy is a sublime infusion of peace and joy. As you saw, the execution did nothing to significantly ruffle their feathers.”

“Excellent, because it takes only one dissenter to ruin the nest, if you don’t mind the stretching of the metaphor.”

“I understand completely. You need not be concerned.”

“Very well.” Melchizedek nodded at the glowing sphere still sitting in the center disk’s bowl. “Since you will be collecting so many souls tomorrow, Erin will return in the morning to retrieve this sphere and replace it with a new one.”

“Thank you.” Alex’s tone dripped with nauseating submissiveness. “We all appreciate your participation and generosity.”

With Erin again at his side, Melchizedek extended his hand toward me. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Phoenix.”

I stared at his hand. Could I overcome yet another infusion? I had fought off the other energy spikes, but a third shot might make me lose control.

“Why the hesitation?” He pushed his hand into mine and shook it. “I assume that the newness of this experience has overwhelmed you, so I will not take into account this second breach in decorum.”

Energy surged through my body. I gasped for breath. My knees buckled. Pure pleasure pulsed through ever fiber, though my heart felt as if it were about to explode. Pain joined the pleasure in a crushing duet of bittersweet agony.

Melchizedek let go of my hand and walked with Erin toward the limo. As they conversed, their words warped into unintelligible ramblings.

“Shanghai,” I whispered, “help me.”

She wrapped her arms around my torso and propped me up. “I’ve got you.”

Her touch sent shivers crawling across my skin, pure delight, excitement. “Get me…” Words caught in my throat. “Somewhere I can rest… and fight this thing.”

“I will. Don’t worry.”

Erin and Melchizedek boarded the limo. When the engine purred to life, Shanghai helped me hobble toward Alex. “Phoenix isn’t feeling well. I’m going to take him to his room.”

Alex clasped my arm. “The Gatekeeper blessed you with an extra burst of energy. The effect sent your body into overdrive, but it will soon settle down. Feel free to rest until dinner. You’ll want to be wide awake for our entertainment tonight.”

I managed a nod but nothing more.

She lowered her voice to a whisper again, her grip tightening as her eyes narrowed. “I know that you didn’t really acquiesce to my actions, but don’t worry. More tests are coming.” She released me and walked away.

With help from Shanghai’s supporting shoulder, I shuffled toward the Hilton. Every contact point with her sent warmth blazing into my body. “You know something, Shanghai?”

Still propping me with one hand, she opened the door with the other. “What?”

I pushed my fingers through her dark silky hair, so soft, so perfect, matching her angelic face. “You’re really beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She cast a wary glance behind us. “I hope you still think so when you recover.”

“Recover?”

“Yes. Recover.” She led me inside and closed the door. “That energy has pumped you full of joy juice. You’re so soused, if you were behind a wheel, you’d be DUI, my friend.”

“Right.” Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For calling me beautiful?” She grinned. “Are you taking it back?”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. I was trying to—”

“Phoenix, I was just kidding.” She set a hand on her hip. “Listen, I had a shot of that stuff, too, and it’s a heavenly trip. When I looked at you standing on that pedestal, I was thinking… well, never mind what I was thinking, but you looked better than any movie star. Anyway, you need to come back down to earth, so just remember what Alex did to Colm.” Shanghai pretended to pull a trigger and mimicked the popping sound. “That devil woman killed him in cold blood.”

The memory rattled my brain, again clearing some of the fog. “Yeah. Thanks for the jolt.”

“No problem.”

I drew a step away and looked her over from head to toe, intentionally letting her see my eyes conduct a full body scan. With her cloak shimmering behind her as a sparkling frame, her bright smile bending her lovely Asian features, and her hands on her hips accentuating her toned physique, she really did look amazing. “The effects are wearing off, and I still think you’re beautiful.”

“Well, thank you, sir, but you still look pretty dazed to me.” She hooked her arm through mine and guided me toward the stairway. “Come on, handsome. You need to sleep it off for a while.”

Dizziness returned, forcing me to shift some weight to her. She held me up without a problem. “So you really think I’m handsome? Or are you under the influence?”

“Trust me. Even though I didn’t get two handshakes from the Exalted One, I’m still feeling the high, so give me some time to come up with the right word to describe you.”

“Sure. Fair enough.”

We climbed the stairs in silence and walked along the second-floor hallway. When we reached my door, Shanghai pushed me against the wall and scooted nearly toe to toe. “I’ve had enough time, Phoenix,” she whispered as she slid her hands behind my head, “you’re much more than handsome. You’re a dream come true.”

Her lips drew closer, soft and moist. My cheeks burned. My own lips ached to join hers, but how could I let it happen? My ring. My promise. I had to preserve the lifeline.

Just as her breath warmed my lips, a call pierced the moment.

“Shanghai?” Tori poked her head out through Shanghai’s door. “Is Phoenix all right?”

Shanghai stepped back, brushing my tunic as if smoothing it out. “He just had a dizzy spell, so I helped him walk here.”

“Oh,” Tori said. “I hope he feels better soon.”

“He’ll be fine.”

I exhaled heavily. Sweat dampened my back. I had almost lost control. The infusion of energy had blown my concentration to pieces. I had to redouble my resolve—fight Melchizedek’s power.

“Where’s your room key?” Shanghai asked.

“In my cloak pocket.”

Shanghai dug into the pocket, withdrew the key, and unlocked the door. “Tori, please tell Sing we’re coming into Phoenix’s room.”

“Okay.” Tori’s head disappeared.

After fumbling with the door, Shanghai guided me through, laid me on the bed, and began untying my shoes. “I’ll stay here with you if you want. You know, keep you company while you rest.”

Every move she made sent my heart racing at hyper speed. “Stay,” I whispered, touching her hand. “Fight it with me.”

“Why fight something that feels so good?” She pulled off one of my shoes and tossed it to the floor. “Phoenix, I’ve already made it clear. I want us to get together, so that’s the side I’m fighting for.”

I swallowed through a narrowed throat, unable to say a word.

She punched my pillow, fluffing it up. “Just rest. You’ll be fine soon.”

Led by Tori, Sing staggered in from the bathroom, rubbing her eyes. “Phoenix! What’s wrong?”

Shanghai pulled off the other shoe. “An overdose of energy from the Gatekeeper. He got zapped three times, twice by contact with the Gatekeeper himself.”

Sing sat on the bed at the other side of my socked feet. She, too, looked more beautiful than ever, her skin tones raising images of milk chocolate, almonds, and caramel. “The Gatekeeper was here?”

“In the flesh.” Shanghai pulled off my socks and wiggled one of my toes. “This little piggy needs to rest while I tell you about it.”

“Little piggy?” Sing blinked at her. “Are you sure you didn’t get zapped, too?”

“I did get zapped. Never felt better in my life.”

After Shanghai and Sing helped me take off my cloak and belt, Shanghai related the events of the past hour. I closed my eyes and relived them, especially Colm’s execution. Again and again that horrible pop echoed in my mind, followed by an image of Colm’s fall. And Alex’s callous contempt made me want to tear her tongue from her throat.

As before, the vision of brutal death cleared my thinking. I opened my eyes. Although Sing and Shanghai still looked beautiful, they seemed to transform into weapons, their toned arms and shoulders flexing whenever they moved in response to peaks and valleys in Shanghai’s story.

When Shanghai finished, Sing shifted her gaze to me and back to Shanghai again. “That little demonstration wasn’t just to show you how the portable Gateway works. It was to show them how well their energy works.”

“You mean how it knocked us for a loop?” Shanghai asked.

“Put it all together.” Sing crossed her arms over her chest. “No offense, Phoenix, but I don’t think Alex wanted you for this reaping because of your skills. That was her pretext, how she wooed you. Sure, you’re good at reaping, fantastic even, but there are a couple of dozen Reapers who could do the job, and they’d jump at the chance. Alex wouldn’t have to make roommate or camera concessions to convince them to participate.”

I gave her a questioning look. “Then why did she make concessions?”

“Phoenix, think about it. The reason she sent Colm’s family to the camp was to ensure that you’d come. Would an Owl really care about one little pill? The concessions meant nothing to her. She just wants you here. She has everything under control.”

“I get part of their reasoning,” I said. “They wanted to see if the energy influence was strong enough to keep me in line while I witnessed Colm’s execution. She knows it didn’t really work, though. I was just too dazed to stop her. She said more tests are coming, so she still has a target painted on my back.”

“Am I a target?” Shanghai asked. “Why did Alex choose me to be here?”

Sing shrugged. “A physical attraction? Maybe Alex used you as bait. How many guys can resist a girl like you?”

Shanghai frowned but said nothing.

“Let’s drop it.” I shifted my body higher so I could get a better view of Sing and Shanghai. “We’d better focus on Colm’s family.”

“Do you have a plan?” Shanghai asked.

“Sort of.” I nodded at the computer tablet on my dresser. “Like the schedule says, the entertainment is supposed to take place in the jail yard. The prisoners will be locked in their quarters, and Alex, Peter, the guards, and the searchlights will be focused on whatever the entertainment is. No one will notice Sing working backstage getting Colm’s family out.”

Sing nodded. “I’ll arrange for them to be waiting for me at the door. Once I unlock it, I’ll pull them out and lock it again so the other prisoners don’t rush to join us. It’ll be hard enough getting four people across the compound without anyone seeing us. But two hundred?” She let out a short huff. “Impossible.”

I gave her a nod in return. “Right. You can only do so much.” A pang of guilt gnawed at my heart. My admission felt like a cowardly surrender, but I couldn’t deny reality.

Sing touched her weapons belt. “And when I get the family to a safe place, I can send up a flare to let you know.”

“Then we’ll need our own escape plan,” Shanghai said. “Once everyone sees the flare, we’ll have to fly like bats out of hell.”

Sing reeled out a few inches from her spool. “After I get Colm’s family to safety, I won’t be able to disable the alarm at the Hilton’s back door, so I’ll station myself on the roof. By the time you see the flare, I’ll have dropped a line for you. Just use your smoke capsules and run. Easy escape.”

“Easy?” Shanghai half closed an eye. “Ever tried to climb a line while guards are shooting at you? I don’t want a bullet in my backside.”

“Who would?” Sing grinned. “You’d better use an extra smoke capsule.”

While waiting for dinnertime, Shanghai, Sing, Tori, and I sat and talked once again, mostly about life before becoming Reapers. After nearly an hour, I mentioned the possibility of never seeing my mother and father again. Tori got up abruptly and hurried into the bathroom, saying she wanted to be alone for a while.

“Poor girl,” Shanghai said. “She misses her parents. I wish we could help her.”

“Maybe we can.” I slid off the bed and lifted my legs in turn. No dizziness. The energy’s negative effects had greatly faded. Now would be a good time to test the benefits. I grabbed my cloak from the bed and slung it over my shoulders. “I’ll check on her in ghost mode.”

“Want me to be your lifeline again?” Sing asked.

“Let me test it here and see if I need one.” I fastened my clasp, closed my eyes, and concentrated. I had partially crossed into the realm of ghosts a few times, but now I should be able to imitate a level three. Yet, no one had said exactly how to do it. We had talked to Tori about changing states by wanting it to happen. Maybe that was the trick, to focus on my desire to make the transition. I wanted to be with Tori, to touch her, hold her, comfort her as she grieved. She needed to know that someone cared.

I drew a mental picture of her. In my mind, she sat on the bathroom floor, her legs crossed and her head low as she fiddled with a loose string in her dress’s hem. After a few seconds, the sound of weeping reached my ears. Yet, the girl in my mental picture wasn’t crying. That had to be the real Tori. She was heartbroken.

With my eyes still closed, I lifted my arms and reached out. I had to be with her, dry her tears. Taking care of bodiless souls was my job, but for lost little girls like Tori, it was more than a job; it was life, the very reason I was born, to wrench away tragedy and transform it into joy. I had to help her. I just had to.

I reopened my eyes. Sing and Shanghai still sat on the bed, but now a thin haze covered them, as if fog had settled in the room. I spread out my arms. “Am I a ghost?”

Shanghai laughed. “Phoenix, you’re looking a bit pale. Are you sick?”

I touched my cheeks. They felt physical, though cold. “Are my eyes glowing?”

“Not a bit.” Sing slid across the bed and pushed a hand through my chest. “You’re definitely a level-three ghost.”

“Good.” I patted my torso. It felt as solid as ever. “Shanghai, maybe you could try going to ghost mode while I visit Tori. But you have to concentrate on really wanting it. It’s not that easy, but maybe it gets easier with practice.”

Shanghai nodded. “I’ll see what I can do, but you saw what happened to Peter. He came back off-kilter, like his brain was affected.”

“Another good point. It takes time to recover.” I walked to the bathroom and stopped at the closed door. I had never passed my body through something solid before, so this would be an interesting test.

Keeping my eyes open, I stepped into the dim bathroom, feeling nothing more than a slight drag on my clothes as I crossed the barrier. The partially open door on the other side provided a shaft of light from Shanghai’s room. Even that appeared misty, as if someone were blowing dry-ice vapor through the light.

Tori sat on the sink countertop, her hands covering her face as she rocked in time with spasmodic sobs, her whimpers not as loud as earlier. The steady dripping from the sink faucet added a gentle percussion to her sad song.

“Tori?” I whispered.

She lowered her hands, exposing a tear-streaked face. Her eyes no longer glowed. “Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

She nodded. Then, as new tears sprang forth, she wagged her head. “I’m not all right! I miss my mommy! I miss my daddy! I don’t want to be dead! I don’t want them to be dead! I’ll never see them again.”

“Yes, you will.”

“No, I won’t. You keep saying that, but I’m still here and—”

“Shhh.” I slid my arms around her, lifted her from the counter, and pressed her against my chest.

She gasped. “Phoenix? What’s happening?”

“I’m showing you what it will feel like when you see your parents again.” I held her close and swiveled back and forth. “This is what your daddy will do.”

Tori threw her arms around my neck and kissed me again and again. “Oh, Daddy! I missed you so much!”

Laughing between kisses, I rubbed her back. “And I missed you, too, sweetheart.”

She pressed her cheek against mine and held it there. After mutual sighs, I stood quietly with her in my arms. The sounds and odors seemed so odd. How could Tori’s breaths whistle across my ear? How could the scent of dirt in her dress enter my nostrils? How could we embrace? She had no lungs, no clothes, no physical existence. And neither did I, at least for the moment. This sharing of impossible contact defied explanation.

I pushed my fingers through her tangled hair. “I have to go for now, but soon we’ll be together and never part again.”

“Don’t go! Please, don’t go!” She drew her head back and pressed my face between her hands. “I know you’re not my real daddy, but I can’t stand being alone anymore.” As tears dripped from her chin, her voice altered to a lament. “I’m so lonely, Phoenix. Please stay with me. Just hold me until it’s time to go to the Gateway.”

I set her gently on the counter. “I can do that. You can ride in my cloak.”

She brushed away tears. “Are you going to reap me?”

Her hopeful tone sent a shiver through my body. “Yes. If you’re willing.”

“Oh, please do!”

“It might hurt.” I caressed her cheek. “But it won’t last long.”

She nodded, her brow deeply wrinkled. “I’ll be brave.”

“Very well.” I grasped her hand and pulled it close to my clasp. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

I wrapped my cloak around her and laid it over her shoulders. The fibers latched to her body and adhered like flypaper. As the cloak began absorbing her, she sucked in a breath, her face locked in a grimace, but she stayed quiet. Apparently the new energy was easing the transition process. Otherwise she would be screaming in pain.

My clasp hissed, indicating an energy leak, not unheard of during a ghost collection, but more noticeable than usual. A tingling sensation ran through the valve’s wires to my heart—not bad at all.

Tori flattened out against the inside of my cloak. Whimpering softly, she thinned to a mist and disappeared, her eyes the last to vanish.

My heart pounded furiously. Each beat sent tingling waves through every nerve. A new shimmer penetrated my cloak and spread across the outside. A halting voice emanated from somewhere near my shoulders. “I feel… funny.”

After taking a cleansing breath, I nodded. “That’s normal. Don’t worry.” A twinge lingered, though not as sharp as typical reaping pangs, more like the simmering hunger I felt after shaking hands with the Gatekeeper. It would probably pass soon.

Feeling dizzy again, I turned and walked toward my bedroom. My forehead banged against the door. I backpedaled, regained my balance, and shook my head hard. Somehow I had returned to the real world without knowing it. With wobbly legs and trembling arms, it seemed that I was standing in raging floodwaters.

I sat on the toilet. Maybe the dizziness would go away soon.

Crandyke’s voice broke through my mind fog. “Finally, some company. We can commiserate about how you handle souls like an unwanted litter of puppies. I’m surprised you haven’t tied us in a bag and thrown us into the river.”

I rested my arms on my thighs. “Crandyke, what put you in such a foul mood?”

“When you were hooked up to that Gateway contraption, you could have requested to send me through, but you kept me imprisoned. And when that new kind of energy came in, it carried a foul stench. It shook me out of my usual good humor.”

“A foul stench? That’s interesting. Did you notice it at the other Gateway station?”

“Nothing at all. That stench was the first odor I’ve noticed since I’ve been in here. It’s not like I have a real nose to sniff with, you know.”

I nodded. “I’ll have to think about that one.”

“Well, while you’re thinking, think about getting me out of your cloak. I’m tired of hearing excuses.”

I rose from the toilet seat. “But I didn’t give you an excuse this time.”

“Well, good. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses and… Wait a minute.”

“Talk to you later. Signing off for now.” I unplugged the clasp, opened the door, and staggered into my bedroom. “Whew! That transition is a beast!”

Shanghai lay on the bed, a hand over her eyes. “Tell me about it. I nearly fainted.”

“She did it, though,” Sing said as she finished sewing a stitch in her disguise. “She was a level three for more than a full minute.”

“Good. So was I.” I shook my head to cast off the remaining fog. “I think.”

Sing nodded at my cloak. “It’s fading now, but it looked like it was shimmering brighter when you first walked back in here.”

“I reaped Tori.” I twirled part of my cloak to the front. “I couldn’t stand seeing her cry.”

“I suppose it’s for the best.” Sing tied off the thread, broke it, and slid the needle into her belt. “Tori did a great job guarding the hallway, but we don’t need her there anymore.”

I sat on the bed and touched Sing’s handiwork. “Did you finish?”

“Yep.” She gathered her disguise and headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to try it on.”

While I waited, Shanghai lay motionless, exhaling heavily from time to time. I put my socks and shoes back on and fastened my belt in place. The pressure of the weapons felt better than usual, as if I had put on a superhero costume. I was ready to go to war. Maybe that infusion of energy did some good after all.

A few minutes later, Sing emerged wearing a calf-length beige skirt, navy blue polo shirt, and a gray scarf tied over her head to keep her curls in check. Torn at the hem, stained with grime, and patched with ragged squares, the skirt looked like a hungry dog had gotten hold of it. The short-sleeved shirt bore some of the same flaws, though not as much dirt.

Sing touched the skirt. “I had to slice up my Reaper pants to make some of the patches, so I’m wearing what’s left of them as shorts underneath this skirt.”

Shanghai sat up and whistled. “Girl, you look positively chic, though you’re way too gorgeous for that grungy prison theme. The bruise helps, but you might want to ugly up a little more.”

Smiling, Sing dabbed at her bruise. “Maybe I’ll get into another fight.”

I twirled my finger. “Let’s see the whole outfit.”

Sing spread her arms and rotated slowly. “Do you like it?”

“You look…” As she continued turning, I searched for the right word. In one way she was a lost waif who needed protection. In another way she was a spy on a rescue mission—strong, confident, seductive. Again her medallion had slipped out and dangled in sight, though still not as lustrous as the first time. “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you.” She stopped her spin, tucked the medallion behind her shirt, and picked up her weapons belt. “Tori helped me find a place to hide my old suitcase, so you don’t have to worry about Alex finding that, and I buried the rest of my clothes under Shanghai’s in her dresser.”

“Good thinking.” I helped Shanghai to her feet, and the three of us walked slowly toward the room’s exit door. “Sing, are you going to try to blend in with the other prisoners during dinner?”

“That’s my plan.” She strapped on her belt. “I’ll hide my belt in a place where I can pick it up later. Then I’ll sneak out of this building while you’re eating. If I’m caught, they’ll probably just assume I’m a prisoner and send me to their dining area.”

“And Shanghai and I will go straight to the entertainment function after dinner.” I stopped at the door. “So I might not see you again.”

Sing’s lips drew a thin line. “That’s true.”

I clasped her wrist. “I just want you to know…” My throat tightened, but I managed to keep my voice from squeaking. “I think you’re an amazing Reaper. I know I can count on you.”

She gripped my wrist in return. “Thank you. Your trust means everything to me.”

Shanghai rolled her eyes. “What is this? Act two of Night of the Melodrama Twins?”

“No, Shanghai,” I said. “Get a clue. This could be the end of the line for all of us. We’re allowed a little melodrama.”

“If you plan to die, you will die.” Still standing near the room’s door, she laid an arm around each of us and pulled us close. “Listen. I’m all for hugs and smooches and sappy good-byes, but let’s save them for weddings and funerals. We need to get real. Sing’s about to risk her life by sneaking into death row. You and I are going to try to escape from an Owl, a Cardinal, and guards with guns. We’re kids with toothpicks trying to slay a fire-breathing dragon. If we’re going to survive this thing, we need to walk out there with some swagger, not with our tails tucked between our legs. This is serious business.”

“So what are you saying?” I asked. “No hugs? No kisses?”

She nodded. “Phoenix, when all of this is over, I’m going to plant history’s biggest kiss ever on that gorgeous face of yours, but until then, I’m not going to do anything that’ll make me think we might lose this battle. This isn’t good-bye. This is go-get-’em time. We can’t afford one second of doubt.”

“She’s right.” Sing slid from our huddle and backed away, her eyes wet. “Stay strong, Phoenix.” She kissed her fingers and blew across them. With a quick spin, she opened the door and hurried down the hall.

When the door to the stairwell closed behind her, the click resounded through the corridor.

“Well, Phoenix,” Shanghai said, holding the suite’s door open, “since death is stalking our every move, we’d better stay a step ahead of it.”

As I looked at her, dizziness again crept in, but I forced my body to stand erect. I had to display a confident pose. “What do you want to do now?”

“No use waiting around here.” She hooked my arm with hers and pulled me into the hallway, letting the door close behind us. “We’ve got lives to save.”

As we walked toward the stairwell, Shanghai tightened her grip on my arm. “Just so you know, Phoenix, no matter who you choose, as long as you’re happy, I’ll be happy.”

“No matter who I choose? What are you talking about?”

She slid her hand down to mine and intertwined our fingers. “That’s good, Phoenix. Keep your mind on the battle. We can’t afford to think about anything else.”

I let her cryptic words sink in. Was she talking about choosing between her and Sing? Maybe. But with the new energy still in our system, it might be better to ignore the romantic notions it had ignited, at least until our minds cleared.

As we walked hand in hand, I focused on the energy’s lingering effects. Yes, it had created a spike in emotions that were hard to control, but it had also awakened something deep inside. Was it courage? Compassion? Love? Whatever it was, it burned like an inferno. Not even death itself would douse the flames.

When we reached the stairwell, I let go of Shanghai’s hand. “Maybe we really can do this.”

She blinked. “Do what?”

“The impossible.” I checked the stairwell through the door’s window. No one was around. “You know, climb Sing’s line before anyone can catch us. We’d get demoted, but maybe we can be roamers, you and me together, and we can barter for food and fight bandits. We could make it.”

“Now I know the joy juice is talking. That’s pure romantic pulp. If we pull this escape off, we’ll be on the run every day. We’ll be branded as criminals, and we won’t be allowed to go to the Gateway and recharge. Our energy will leak out, and we’ll die a slow and excruciating death. I’m not exactly keen on a Romeo-and-Juliet ending.”

“We could find a surgeon and get our valves—”

“Death penalty for any doctor who does that before a Reaper’s retirement. No one would dare.”

“A back-alley doctor might be willing—”

“Stop it, Phoenix.” Shanghai’s voice spiked. “Just stop it. It’s an impossible dream.”

I looked into her sparkling eyes. The sadness leeched every ounce of optimism from my heart. The reality of surrender again settled in. I exhaled slowly, as if deflating. “So I guess there isn’t much hope for us. Whether we succeed or not, we’ll die.”

She nodded, a tear in her eye. “If we’re going to die either way, maybe we should chase a different impossible dream, something that’ll help the world.”

“You mean Sing’s impossible dream,” I said. “Going through the Gateway and coming back again.”

She gave a light shrug. “It’s choose your poison. Run away as a roamer or break through the Gateway. We might be Romeo and Juliet after all.”

“Hey.” I laid a hand on her cheek. “Don’t lose your swagger now. Hang on.”

“I know, I know.” A warm tear trickled over my thumb. “I’m trying.”

I brushed the tear away and grasped her fingertips. “Will you make me a promise?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t rope me into that, Phoenix. Spill the promise first.”

“Fair enough.” I interlocked our thumbs. “When we get Colm’s family out, let’s at least think about running away and trying to make it on our own. We’ll have a fighting chance to survive as long as we’re together.”

She nodded slowly. “I have to admit that sounds romantic. Running away with you is like a dream come true, but I have a feeling…” She averted her gaze.

“What?” I angled my head. “What feeling?”

She looked me in the eye. “When the energy wears off, you’ll be singing a different tune. Your principles will come roaring back.”

“Principles? Which principles would make me choose suicide over running away with you?”

She touched my ring. “Do you really think I haven’t guessed what this is all about?”

The metal seemed to sting my skin. The promise had completely slipped my mind. Was the energy influence that strong? How could it make me forget something so important?

“Well…” My throat narrowed. No coherent words came to mind.

“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled, her lips trembling. “Whatever you decide, I’m with you. I think we’re joined at the hip. If we have to die, let’s do it together.”

I pressed my palm against hers and threaded our fingers. “Together sounds good to me.” I teased with a grin. “But let’s not get matching bullet holes in our backsides, okay?”