Page 74 of Tethered to the World
When her eyes opened, he nearly gasped at their glow. Instead of her normal nearly black eyes, the color looked like silver crystals piercing the darkness. They were so beautiful he couldn’t look away. The hesitation on her face when she looked at him tore at his heart. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Tears glistened for a few moments, then she smiled at him so brightly his heart hiccupped. Chittering sounded from the living room. He watched as a ferret loped out of the darkness and across the ground, then leaped toward her, shimmying up her body to curl around her neck. A pang of jealousy shot through him—he would give anything to be allowed to touch her so freely without worry of consequences. The little shit then glanced at him, and he’d swear the fucker was smirking, while he curled his tail around her neck possessively.
Then the truth kicked him in the gut.
Her beasts weren’t from earth.
Hell, he very much doubted they were even ferrets.
Logan and Xander were scanning the shadows, crowding closer to Annora. Camden narrowed his eyes, wondering if her stalker watching them even now, his beast pressing against his skin to get out as the need to get her to safety roared through him. “Take us home.”
* * *
Annora flinched at Camden’s hard tone, the warmth in her chest turning to ash. The shadows peeled away from the room, the light from outside almost burning her eyes as they returned from the afterworld.
Xander lazily stretched back in his chair, the calmest of the bunch. His gaze dropped toward the ferret around her neck, then flicked to the cupboard behind her, where the other three were trying to shove the feeder off the countertop, but were unable to pry the suction cups off the surface.
Seeing more than he should.
The ferret still around her neck lovingly patted her cheek, then raced off to join the others.
Camden scowled, crossing his arms, aggravation oozing from his pores. “You will not travel to the afterworld without one of us to accompany you.”
Annora resisted the urge to sigh—but at least they were no longer trying to ban her from using her gift completely. While she was still worried about the guys, thanks to her practice session with them, she learned they had a certain immunity to the afterworld.
The other guys were already nodding, as if the issue was decided, when she shook her head. “No.”
When they looked ready to erupt, she lifted her hand. “I can try, but I can’t take you with me unless you’re within touching distance. When I get into a tight situation, I can’t always control my reaction, and I blink into the other world without thought. Ican’tpromise you something I have no control over.”
Camden stared at her for a few beats, then nodded. “Agreed…as long as you take one of us if you can.”
Mason stared at her, his food completely forgotten. “Whatareyou?”
She expected to see fear or disgust on their faces, but they appeared more fascinated than afraid, and she shook her head at their folly. “I’m a phantom.”
Logan opened his mouth, then shut it, looking completely at a loss. “What?”
“Have you ever seen a grim reaper?” The guys went perfectly still again, and laughter threatened to bubble up in her chest when they swallowed hard. “I mean, you’ve heard of them, right?”
“Sure,” Xander regained his composure first and nodded. Camden seemed too intent on watching the ferrets behind her chomping on their meal to add anything. Mason and Logan just waited patiently.
“I believe I’m an offshoot of them.” She chewed on her lower lip, trying to think of the words to explain. “Grim reapers are invisible except to their intended targets. They reap the souls of the dead and dying.”
Xander’s attention sharpened on her, his beast stirring in curiosity. “What does a phantom do?”
“I think we’re cousins or something.” She waved her hand, positive she was fucking up the explanation. “I can bring souls to the afterworld, where the otherworldly creatures feed on them. My arrival is like a dinner bell. If the souls are left there long enough, they will be completely consumed. Their human body usually dies on earth a few hours later. As I become stronger, I’m even able to take people across with me.”
Xander only reaction was to blink. “But that’s not your only power. It’s not why your uncle hunts you.”
“No. You’re right.” She pursed her lips, cursing his teal eyes for being a little too perceptive. But they were going to find out eventually. She’d rather they hear it from her. “When I visit the afterworld, I can see into people’s souls—if they’re good or rotted from the inside out. I can also see if they’re sick or dying. I can see the beasts feeding off them.”
She glanced down at her fingers, pressing her fingernails against the meaty part of her thumb one at a time, the comforting sting distracting her from worrying about their reaction. “I can scare the beasts away…or I can call them to feed. If the person has an injury, they will heal. If the person is terminally ill, I can give them a few months or years more to live until the disease returns.”
Silence rang throughout the room, until her nerves were stretched thin and she felt compelled to fill the quiet. “Phantoms are loners, elite killers, and incredibly valuable. Based on my limited research, they want nothing to do with any other paranormals, and take extreme precautions to keep themselves hidden. My mother warned me to never let my father find me.” She licked her lips, forcing herself to finish the story and get everything out.
“Unfortunately, my uncle discovered the truth from my mother. She had cancer when I was younger, and I healed her for years, but the pain became too much. She begged me and him and anyone else who would listen to just let her go. She never expected for her own brother to become such a monster. I’ve never told another soul…until you. It was the hardest lesson I’ve ever learned.”
One of the ferrets reached out, tugging on a strand of her hair, and she turned to pat their heads. “The ferrets are from the afterworld. I’m not sure what they are, but they’ve come to my rescue with my uncle more than once, often dying horribly because of their interference. Whatever they are, their loyalty has earned my trust. They were my only friends growing up. I don’t remember a life without them in it…though I’ve only ever seen one or two of them at a time.”
