Page 59 of Crossing Between
"And the ones who didn't make it?" I dreaded the answer.
Varon's expression darkened. "Twenty-three casualties. Twelve civilians, eleven officers."
My heart sank. Twenty-three people dead because of a demon that was apparently after me. The weight of that responsibility pressed down on my shoulders like a physicalburden.
"It's not your fault," Elias poked me in the cheek, as if reading my thoughts. "None of this is."
"Isn't it, though?" I wrapped my arms around myself. "If I wasn't a Soulbinder..."
"Then the Essencefeaster would still be killing people," Varon cut me off. "But we wouldn't have anyone who could stop it."
His words were meant to comfort, but they only highlighted the enormity of what I was facing. I was supposed to stop an ancient demon that had once caused the Black Plague? Me, who until a few weeks ago thought I was just a necromancer trying to keep a low profile?
"What if I can't?" The question slipped out, small and afraid.
"You can," Kenji returned from the kitchen. "And you won't be doing it alone."
He held up a deck of cards, his signature grin back in place. "Now, who's up for a game? I think we could all use a distraction."
"What did you have in mind?" Elias's one eyebrow raised skeptically.
"Go Fish," Kenji declared with complete seriousness.
I couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped me. "Go Fish? Seriously? That's a kids' game."
"Exactly," Kenji winked. "Simple, fun, and impossible to overthink. Perfect for taking our minds off demonic possession and apocalyptic plagues."
When he put it that way, how could I argue?
"I'm in," I was feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders.
"Fine," Varon sighed, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. "But if anyone mentions this at the station, I'll deny itever happened."
For the next hour, we played cards like we didn't have a care in the world. Kenji told outrageous stories from his centuries of life, making me laugh until my sides hurt. Elias, surprisingly competitive, accused Kenji of cheating at least a dozen times. And Varon, despite his initial reluctance, got so into the game that he actually shouted in triumph when he completed a set.
I watched them, these three powerful supernatural beings, playing a children's card game in my living room, and felt a surge of affection so strong it nearly took my breath away.
I caught Elias using his tentacles to peek at Kenji's cards and called him out immediately.
"Elias!" I gasped in mock outrage. "Are you cheating?"
He had the grace to look sheepish, his tentacles quickly retracting. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Liar," Kenji laughed, swatting at him playfully. "I knew something fishy was going on!"
"Technically, krakens aren't fish," Elias pointed out with a smirk.
"Technically, you're a cheater," I countered, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably.
Varon shook his head, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide. "Children. I'm surrounded by children."
As the night wore on, the game gradually wound down. Elias yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "I should probably head out. Early shift tomorrow." He headed toward the door after kissing my cheek and I could feel them flush.
Varon paused, turned to me. "Zoey, could I speak with you for a moment? Alone?"
Curious, I followed him onto the porch, the cool night air raising goosebumps on my arms. Varon closed the door behind us, ensuring our privacy.
"What's up?" I wrapped my arms around myself against thechill.
