Page 53 of Woven Souls

All you’re doing is drawing more attention to yourself! You’ve been careless and flippant about your situation.He startspacing the length of the room. Jonah visibly cringes away when he draws near.

Maybe if my dad wasn’t rightly upset, I’d find the reaction funny. My dad is actually a real fun guy to be around when he isn’t pissed off.

Willie, I told you people would either hate you for what you are or want what you have for their own. Do you understand how dangerous you would be to the world if someone could control you?

“No one is going to be able to control me.” I roll my eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

Dad stops his pacing as the room drops a few more degrees. Frost stretches across the ceiling, and the bulb in the lamp shatters under the chill.

You would be surprised at what people will do to others when motivated. All it takes is to use your weaknesses against you, and you’ll be controllable.

“I don’t have a weakness besides Nutella. Really, Dad, I’ll be—”

You have four men that I’m sure you wouldn’t want dead. Please spare me the childish denial!

“This isn’t Willow’s fault.”

Theo’s voice startles both me and Dad. We both turn to face Theo, who’s walking towards us. To his credit, while Theo pales even further as my dad gives him his full attention, he doesn’t hesitate to walk around him and come to my side.

“Everything that Willow’s been through is because of us,” he clarifies as his hand lands on my shoulder. “I don’t think Willow could have handled this situation any better than she has. She’s been trying to keep a low profile, but with a warlock in your realm sending demons and the Utikyie after her, using her power has been necessary. Last night, everything came crashing down quickly. Without Willow’s quick thinking, we’d probably be dead.”

Dad’s pupils narrow onto Theo’s face. The hand on my shoulder tightens, but that’s the only sign Theo’s intimidated by my father.

Ifthis Fulton character is in the Realm of the Dead, using magic that isn’t his to reach across the realms for my daughter, he is a great concern to all of us, and not just for Willow’s sake. If this warlock gets his hands on her, all the realms that stretch across time and space will be in peril.

I flush as Theo flashes me a surprised look.

“You’re that powerful?”

I give him a one shoulder shrug. “I guess, but I don’t really know the extent of it. Last night was the first time I’d actually tested my abilities.”

My daughter is one of the most powerful individuals to ever exist, Dad states darkly, drawing our attention back to him.Unfortunately, she has weakened herself by giving you a large part of her soul. If she needs access to all of her power to protect herself, all four of you will have to be around to help her.

Dad shakes his head in disgust.

“Can’t you just take this Fulton guy out when you get back to the afterlife?” Kwil asks from the other side of the room. “Then he won’t be a problem to Willow anymore. I’m also pretty sure that if he’s dead, his curse over Willow may lift as well.”

Dad’s jaw ticks once before he sighs and his shoulders sag. I bite back a smile. I think he likes Kwil. When he turns to face Kwil, most signs of his annoyance vanish.

If Fulton is in the Realm of the Dead, he is dead, and there is no way he could gain access to Death Magic. So, if he has figured out how to manipulate demons and the Utikyie, then he is alive and on this side.

“Well, the Utikyie seem to be under his control, and they’re trying to take me to that realm, so he has to be there,” I huff.

Dad looks over his shoulder at me with a frown.We will see. If that is the case, I should be able to detect him quickly.

Suddenly, I remember something. “I know he’s over there, and I think I know someone else who may know where he is, too. There’s a reaper, dad. He’s been helping me for years to pass souls over. Ever since I’ve been cursed, he’s been eliminating demons when I send them back over, and he’s intercepted the Utikyie. Maybe he knows something about Fulton?”

“Wait, there is a real Grim Reaper?” Jonah asks, jumping to his feet. “I thought that wasyourjob, Mr. Death.”

There is not a single reaper. There are many, Dad answers absentmindedly as he stares at me in surprise.A reaper has been present whenever you open the Veil, you say?

I nod. “Yeah, he’s been on the other side of the Veil every time I call for it to open.”

‘He?’ Have you seen his face?

The question throws me for a loop. Why does that matter? “Ah, no, it’s just a feeling. Why?”

Dad shakes his head as his expression smooths out.I was just making sure he wasn’t interacting with the living. It’s against the rules.It is curious that he seems to know where you are to be there each and every time you open the Veil. You know why reapers appear, Willow.

---