Chapter 83

“I still don’t think this is a good use of our time,” I grumble the next morning as Orion brews coffee at his little bar in the corner. All four of us slept here after spending the evening continuing to go through the prophecies, which got blurrier and blurrier as the evening passed. Probably because we got tired, but there was also a great deal of whiskey that went around.

“It’s the perfect use of our time,” Anton says, far too cheerful. I scowl and look over at him curled up on the couch next to me, where he slept. Laila still snoozes on a little cot on the floor that she conjured up, surprising me by being quite a heavy sleeper.

Honestly, despite the convenience in being able to stay up late and explore the prophecies, I was glad we stayed here last night just to avoid the question of whether or not Anton would sleep in my bed with me. He slept on the couch next to me last night as there weren’t many other options, but…

Now that Beatrice has claimed him as her mate, and Orion has it in his head that I’m his destined fiancé, will Anton still want to sleep next to me? Or have his allegiances changed? Honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready for the answer.

“You have ink on your face,” Anton says, studying me as I study him. He laughs lightly, his eyes crinkling in that wonderful way, and I can’t help but smile.

I raise my hand to my cheek with a sigh and nod to the prophecy I fell asleep reading, still resting on the arm of the couch. “I think I slept on that. Is it blasphemous, to fall asleep on a thousand-year-old prophetic scroll?”

“I think just bad archival practice,” he murmurs, reaching out to brush his thumb over my cheek. I close my eyes to lean into the touch – just a little – and I go quite still when I…feel it. Not just the tingle of his starlight touch but…a real finger.

Anton’s eyes go wide.

“Did you…” I whisper.

“Are you drunk?” he whispers back.

I shake my head. “Anton, I felt that –“

“The ink is smudged –“

We just stare at each other in wonder before I break into a big smile. “Do you think…could it happen?”

He just stares at me in shocked silence, shaking his head like he doesn’t even want to begin to hope for it.

“Coffee?” Orion says, coming over to offer me a cup. Anton and I jump a little, both spinning our heads up to him. Orion looks between us with a confused frown but I just grin and take the cup, not wanting to tell him about what just happened.

Wanting…I don’t know. To keep it just for ourselves, for now.

“Hey,” Anton says, apparently coming to the same conclusion. “Why do you bother to brew the coffee if you can just call it up?”

“Some things must be done by hand,” Orion says, putting his hands loftily on his hips. “In order to be done well.”

“Coffee?” Laila croaks, lifting her head, her pretty blue and green hair falling messily into her face. “I love coffee. Gimme.” She reaches out a hand, seeking a cup, her eyes not even open.

Orion laughs and goes to prepare another cup as I bend down to give her mine, sensing she needs it more than me.

“Laila, do you even have coffee in your world?”

“No,” she sighs, sitting up and taking a long sip of her drink. “We all just jump in the cold sea to wake up. This warm magical elixir…is much better. And will be coming back with me, if I ever get the chance to go home.”

My heart sinks at the “if” in those words. We just...don’t know if either of us are ever going to make it home. And I can’t imagine a world – a universe – without Laila’s lovely self in it.

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Anton murmurs, reaching out to pat my knee. I don’t feel it this time – not physically. But still, the comfort is there. I give him a soft smile, putting my faith in his words, willing myself to believe them too.

“All right, let’s get going,” Orion says, coming over with two cups of coffee and handing one to me. “Conjure yourselves into some clothes, we’ve got some ghosts to visit.”

I grimace and sink back into the cushions as Laila laughs.

“Oh, come on, Junie, perk up!” she says, grinning at me. “I want to see if this Blythe character lives up to his reputation. Legend has it that he’s handsome enough to sweep even you off your feet.”

“Which I haven’t been able to do,” Orion murmurs, narrowing his eyes playfully at me and moodily sipping at his drink. “So, he must be seriously good looking.”

I roll my eyes, a bright blush coming to my cheeks.

“Yes, I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of pink cheeks this morning,” Anton says, lounging back on the couch and grinning wickedly at me.

I kick out at him, not liking that he’s right.

“Let’s go!” Orion says, a bit too cheerful and awake for my own liking, his voice booming out in the room as he conjures some day clothes onto his body. “I want to meet my rival! Compare notes, pick up some tips!”

I just scowl, looking down into my drink, my wolf turning an anxious circle in my soul.

Fifteen minutes later we appear in the Deadlands, Laila and Orion holding my hands and Anton standing steadily behind me. I glance back to see that his face is more serious than it’s been all morning, like he’s finally taking this seriously.

My handmaiden gives me a steady nod and I loose a long breath, looking around at the blankness before us.

“Stay close,” Orion murmurs, looking at Laila and I in particular. “I’ve got a barrier up that they won’t cross but…don’t take any chances, okay?”

“Okay,” Laila says, giving him an anxious nod.

I just stay silent, my eyes scanning all of the ghostly faces around us, looking for…him.

Blythe, my fiancé. My wolf howls guiltily in my soul, because I know that…well, that even though I came to the Underworld for him, I haven’t spent nearly enough time thinking about him over the past few weeks. That I have, instead, let myself get distracted, and let Anton and Jesse and everyone else bad-talk him.

God, am I just the world’s worst fiancé?

“Is this it?” I whisper, not seeing Blythe’s face anywhere. “Is this…the Doldrums?” Honestly, it looks precisely like the land surrounding the entrance to the Deadlands – just vague brown space under a beige sky. Dead and dull and empty.

“Yeah,” Orion says, looking down at me and keeping his hand around mine, giving it a squeeze. “It’s not a large space but…we’ll have to go looking for him.”

I exhale a long breath and then step forward, wanting to get this done.

Blythe, god. I can’t believe I’m finally going to find Blythe.

The four of us start forward, not saying a word to each other. I don’t look around at my friends even though Orion and Laila keep my hands in theirs and I can feel Anton’s steady presence at my back. Instead, I keep my eyes focused on each face that comes into view. I take a moment to study each of them – the expressionless features, the vague stare of their eyes.

Each of them is a soul – a person who lived a full life who now is just…blank. And all ages too – old people, young, even little children. And each of them placed here so that they won’t be reincarnated – god, but why?

Why would the Goddess of Life do that? What reason could she have?

I’m still wondering on it, my eyes sweeping past ghost after ghost as we move forward when suddenly –

It’s him.

Just…standing there, at the edge of a hill, staring lifelessly down at his feet. I know it in an instant – the broad sweep of his shoulders, the hair falling lank over his forehead, the square turn of his jaw…

I stop walking, my breath catching in my throat.

My friends stop too, Laila looking anxiously over at me, Orion frowning as he looks forward.

“Holy shit,” Anton whispers, and I glance back for confirmation. Because, of course, he knows Blythe too.

But there’s no mistaking it – even if he’s transparent and colored now in shades of brown and grey, it’s definitely him. Anton gives me a nod and I snap my head forward, a little cry breaking from my throat as I drop Orion and Laila’s hands and stumble towards him – my boyfriend, my fiancé. The only man I’ve ever loved.

“Blythe,” I breathe, dashing for him now. Orion picks up his stride to stay close at my side, to protect me.

Blythe doesn’t react, so I call his name again, jogging forward. When I’m a foot way my hand shoots up, reaching for his face.

Orion grips my wrist before I can touch Blythe and shakes his head once.

“I can’t touch him!?” I look up into Orion’s eyes, devastated.

“Not right now you can’t,” Orion says, looking sorrowfully down at me as Anton appears on my other side and Laila stands just behind Orion, peering around him and up into Blythe’s face.

“Why not!?”

“Because, June,” Orion replies, sorrowful. “You know what he’ll do. He’s a soul – he’s starving for life, and right now? He doesn’t remember you.”

“Well then why are we here!?” I burst out, devastated and livid at once. “We came for answers and now we just…stare at him!?”

“Yeah, I’m working on that,” Orion says, turning his head to Blythe and giving him a steady frown. I look between the two of them, noting that they’re about the same height and build – both powerful Alphas, handsome and commanding, though Orion is dark where Blythe is fair. “I just…wanted to get a look at him first. Prince privileges.”

“First?” Anton asks, staring at Orion like he doesn’t get it at all, an protective hand wrapping around my arm. “First before…what?”

“Before I do this,” Orion says, stepping back from us and turning his face up to the sky. “Hey, auntie!” he calls. “We need you here! Would you mind stopping by!?”

A beat passes.

And then a bright light suddenly blooms before us.