Page 105 of Claim the Twilight
“It’s all right,” Edwin says with a smile. “Skip says it won’t hurt. I’ll simply fall asleep.”
I throw my arms around his neck. “No. No, no, no. There’s got to be another way.” My throat squeezes tight as tears flood my vision. “Please. Please don’t leave me. Not again. I can’t lose you. I can’t?—”
“Enough!” Encantor booms. He strides past us toward the man. “You want a soul?”
“I must have one,” Skip says. “You may keep his mortal shell; I have no need of that.” He reaches out a hand to Edwin. “One touch is all it will take. Come.”
Edwin makes to pull away from me, and my heart plummets. “No!”
“Take me instead,” Encantor says.
Edwin tenses, looking from Encantor to Skip. “What are you doing?”
Encantor keeps his attention on Skip. “Will you accept the trade?”
“Your life instead of his?” Skip asks.
“Yes. Do you accept the deal?”
Skip rubs his chin. “A soul is a soul, after all. The balance will be kept.” He nods. “I accept it. Your life in place of Edwin’s.” He shoots Edwin a smile. “You are free.”
Edwin lets out a shaky exhale, shaking his head as if he can’t believe this is happening, and honestly, neither can I.
My stomach is in knots, conflict raging through me as I search Encantor’s face. “Why are you doing this?”
Encantor shrugs, a half-smile on his lips. “I’m a magnanimous soul.”
“No, seriously?”
He snorts softly, a self-deprecating sound. “Honestly? All my life, my decisions have been made for me. My choices taken from me. I’ve lived an eternity of nothingness. I’m doing this because I can. I’m of no use to anyone while I live, but my death could be of service. This ismychoice.” He drops a nod to Skip. “I’m ready.”
Skip reaches out to touch Encantor, but a bright light bursts from Encantor’s body, momentarily obscuring him from view.
The flash lasts long enough to leave black dots floating in my vision. I blink to clear them, then suck in a breath at the sight of Encantor. He’s taller now, his hair thicker and threaded withstreaks of gold, and his skin shimmers as if embedded with a billion diamonds.
Encantor’s mouth parts, eyes widening in disbelief as he lifts his hand, turning it this way and that so that light reflects off it.
Oh god, he got his power back. But how? The terms of the curse stated that he had to return to Moringa what he’d taken. Return Finian, her lover, even though he hadn’t killed him so…Oh…realization steals over me. Encantor needed to return Moringa’s love to her, and by taking Edwin’s place and being willing to die, he’d returned my love to me…Me, the woman who carried a little of Moringa in her soul.
“You…You tricked me.” Skip’s mouth turns down, his eyes brightening into sharp slits of anger. “I can’t claim the soul of a god. You should have told me what you were.”
Encantor frowns. “I…I wasn’t aware I needed to.”
Skip shakes his head. “I should have sensed it. How did I not sense it?” he mutters to himself.
I know how. Because Encantor hadn’t had his power back when he made the deal but now…Oh god. Now he did…
Skip points a finger at Edwin. “You will come with me!”
I step in front of Edwin. “You can’t have him.”
“She’s right,” Encantor says. “You made a deal that released him. My soul in place of his. It isn’t my fault you’re unable to claim it.” He saunters toward Skip, and the man backs up, his chest heaving. “I’m sure your superiors will understand…” He leans in and stage whispers, “but my advice, best not tell them about this little trip.”
Skip’s gaze drops to the book in Encantor’s hand. “This? We better keep it, don’t you think? If you return it, then there’ll be questions about the soul you failed to retrieve.”
Skip presses his lips together. “Fucking gods!”
He turns away, takes a step, and vanishes into thin air.
