Page 77 of To Crave Truly

We could always assimilate.

“Wait. What?”

She huffed in annoyance. Don’t you remember the Shadow Fiend talking about it?

I did but that was when we thought the Sin Reaper was just a demon, not Iveri and a whole other soul. “Yes. But I thought—”

I don’t like being separate.

“Oh.”

I feel incomplete.

“Oh.”

Is that all you’re going to say?

To be honest, I didn’t know what to say. I’d never thought about assimilation since Iveri first arrived with me and I didn’t know how I felt about that now.

“What would happen to you?”

She snorted. Trust that to be the first thing you ask. I’d still be here, just part of you. You’d still be able to feel me, but it would feel more like an emotion or gut instinct.

“Okay. Can we talk about it later?” Jasper was starting to give me funny looks and I felt like this was a conversation to be had in private and not when we were standing over a magical circle about to possibly die.

Yes. I’d like that. Now get your scythe and let’s save Iveri.

I reached into the shadows and pulled out my scythe. It had been a while since I’d used it. And God, how I’d missed it. The weight of it in my hand was comforting, like welcoming back an old friend.

Jasper eyed me hungrily as I reacquainted myself with the lethal blade.

“See something you like?” I asked saucily.

“Yes,” he growled, sparking desire in my veins. “Behave. We have work to do.”

I turned back to the magic circle and focussed my energy on trying to understand it. I called to my shadow magic, hoping that it too could aid me. The dark wisps reached around the runes, testing for weak spots but all I got was a stinging sensation travelling along my skin.

“Maybe it isn’t about destroying the circle,” Jasper mused.

“Huh?”

“If the circle is there to keep Iveri from getting out, what’s to stop us from getting in?”

That was a good question. Ah, fuck it.

I took a step back and leaped into the circle.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lori

Iwas stood beneath an old oak tree, the gentle breeze tugging at my hair. There was something about this place that felt… familiar.

“Hello again.”

I spun around and found an old man sitting on a bench under the tree.

“Do I know you?”

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