Page 57 of A Single Thread Of Hope

Donn nodded. “I think she should go and see the Innkeeper and summon a Weighing.”

Fea gasped, and the whole room turned to look at us. I leaned toward Fea and whispered, “What’s a Weighing?”

Fea looked like she was in shock, which seemed terrifying. But Donn hadn’t said it like the Weighing was a battle royale, where I’d have to fight sandworms or anything like that. More like it was a secret that they weren’t meant to talk about. Like Fight Club. The first rule of the Weighing was you didn’t talk about the Weighing.

Shaking herself from her stunned stupor, Fea answered my question. “A Weighing is an assemblage of all the high rulers of the afterlife, and they decide if a mortal should be returned to the living plane as an immortal. It’s only been requested ahandful of times in remembered history, and the request has only been approved twice.” She looked me in the eye, pity in her expression. “No one has ever successfully been returned to the living plane.”

Glancing at Cy, I saw my feelings reflected on his face. It was a long shot, but it was hope. I could return home. I could be immortal and be with them forever. Determination flowed through my veins. I would be the first person.

I would get my happy ending.

Chapter 31

CYDON

Itried to smother the flame of hope that the old Irish God was presenting us, but it flickered in my chest anyway. It was burning bright and strong in Wren’s eyes, and that was enough for both of us.

We took Donn’s offer to stay for the night, and Fea led us upstairs to an empty room. And I meanupstairs.We must have climbed thirty flights before we reached our floor. I hadn’t even thought it was structurally possible, but clearly, this wasn’t a place that had to adhere to the laws of physics. It was more like the TARDIS than Hotel California.

Finally, we stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, which Fea pushed open to reveal a basic room. “Rest, Wren. The walk to the Tar Pits isn’t far, but it is arduous.”

Wren reached out and gripped her hand. “Thank you, Fea. I couldn’t have done any of this without my guide. I appreciate it.”

Smiling back, Fea ushered us into the room. “My honor. Get a good night’s rest. We’ll leave early for the Tar Pits.”

Quietly shutting the door behind us, I joined Wren in looking around at the room. It was basic by modern standards, but I imagined that it would have seemed palatial just a century ortwo earlier. Worn, thick blankets covered a double bed, and it actually had a proper mattress. Given the rest of the place looked like it had been pulled straight from a history book of medieval England, I’d been a little worried that we’d be sleeping on pallets on the floor, or on straw mattresses.

I wouldn’t have cared. In dog form, I’d slept in a lot worse places than a comfortable room in a damn castle. But I wanted only the best for Wren.

“How can I be deadandthis exhausted?” she groaned, flopping down onto the bed.

It was the general effect of this place. I had my theories that it was how they made the non-denominational souls choose, because exhaustion took hold, so anywhere looked like a good place to eternally rest. I didn’t tell her any of that, though. I couldn’t stand that sadness on her face again tonight.

“Is it just me, or does the God of Death have the hots for our guide?”

She rocketed up into a sitting position. “Right?! They are adorable, though I’m not sure either of them realizes the other one is flirting. So sweet. Do you think we should tell her that he’s interested?”

I laughed at her enthusiasm. Who knew playing matchmaker would pull her from her melancholy? “Only if you first tell her that you’re Néit’s partner. When she spoke of him, I wondered if she was holding on for him to pass over.”

Visibly shuddering, she grabbed my hand and dragged me down onto the bed with her. “Hard pass on that conversation. I’m hoping that she’ll drop us off at the Tar Pits and go on her way, so I can avoid that whole thing.”

I didn’t know how soul guides worked, but hopefully, that would be enough to satisfy whatever force or magical pull was compelling Fea to accompany us. We wouldn’t know until we got there, I guess.

I pulled off my shirt, tossing it down beside the bed. Wren was still in the long white gown, like some bride of death, and she hiked it up so she could put her legs over mine, tangling them together.

“Have I said how glad I am that you’re here with me, Cy? Even if it’s the most selfish feeling in the world.”

I shook my head and kissed the top of her hair. “It’s only selfish if there was somewhere else I wanted to be, and there isn’t.” Honestly, being one of the guys topside, mourning over her dead body, seemed worse than a thousand deaths.

“You think I can do it, right? That I can pass whatever this Weighing thing is? That I can go home?”

“Yes. If anyone deserves it, it’s you.” I sucked in a deep breath. “If it doesn’t happen, we’ll regroup then. Figure something out. Find a place to rest.”

She didn’t really understand how big of a deal it was in itself for all the rulers of the afterlife to get together. It would be everyone from Hades to Hel, in a single room. Just the idea of that amount of power made me want to gag. Hades usually tamped it down when he was around us, but he wouldn’t down here, in a place with a bunch of other highly powered Mythics. It was going to be like getting electrified from the inside out.

I wished, for the first time ever, that I could speak to my father. I could ask him what the fuck the Weighing was, what it entailed, and how to prepare. I hated walking into things blind.

“I’m sorry I dragged you along with me, though. You didn’t deserve to die just because you’re tied to me.”

---