Page 79 of Dante's Circle Reborn

And from what he could tell, people relied on her.

He didn’t want to ruin that.

“Where are we going?” he asked after staring at her for what was probably an awkwardly long time.

She blinked up at him. That’s when he realized that she had been staring at him, too. “To the human realm.”

He tilted his head, curious. “Humans are going to help us?”

She shook her head. “No, but I know some paranormals who live there. Ones I know happen to know many more things than I do. You’ll like my friend, he’s a dragon.”

Ashen closed his eyes, a pang radiating in his heart as he imagined a dragon.

Why would that thought hurt? He didn’t know if he knew any dragons. He didn’t think he did. Did he? Did he knowthisdragon?

Another pang.

“What’s that look for?” she asked, reaching out and putting her hand on his chest.

He looked down at the bronze skin of her hand on his black robes and sucked in a breath.

Had anyone truly touched him before? Perhaps in his first life, but in this one? He couldn’t remember. Maybe when he had been passed out. He could vaguely remember someone touching his brow. Had it been her? Or had it just been a dream, his imagination conjuring what he wanted?

“What’s wrong?” she asked again, and he swallowed hard.

“Nothing. I’m not sure.”

“It can’t be nothing if you’re looking like that.”

“I don’t know, I just have this weird feeling when I think about that dragon. It’s like I should know who you’re talking about. As if I might know who he is.”

Eva nodded as if that made sense. Did it? “Well, my friend knows a lot of people. Perhaps he knew you in your first life.”

“I don’t like not knowing. The fact that I don’t even know my name or anything about who I was…” He paused. “I remember I was a bear.”

Her eyes widened. “A bear?”

“Yes, a grizzly, I think. I can’t truly tell with the animal prowling inside me. Reaper told me that it would take time for the shifter that I was to show up again.”

“So, you lost both of your halves when you died?”

He nodded. “I don’t like that I died at all, but I can’t go back and change that.”

“You have a second chance at life, though,” she said quickly.

“If thisislife. Am I truly alive? Or am I here just to reap souls.”

“That is a very heavy question that perhaps we can’t answer. Maybe my friend can. Now, let’s get you out of here, just in case the other banshees get any ideas.”

He went on alert, glaring over her head. “Would they hurt you?” he asked, his voice low.

She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “No, they’re not going to hurt me, but they may hurt you. Mostly because they would likely take killing or reaping the soul of one of their own very personally.” She paused, and he looked down at her. “I would take it personally too, so I’m going to thank you again for not reaping right away.”

“I’m not going to reap your soul. You’re my mate.” He frowned. “And you’re not dead. And, apparently, I can only reap those who are.”

“That’s good to know.” She sighed. “However, we do have a problem.”

He froze. “What?”

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