Page 60 of Woven Souls

“What can we do, Willow?” Viktor bellows as he and Theo spread out and circle the mist.

Her nails dig into the stone as she’s dragged further and further down into the swirling mass of darkness. It’s clear she’s in survival mode. I move quickly, getting as close to the entrance to the Realm of the Dead as possible before turning around and whipping my tail towards her.

“Grab it, Willow!”

She doesn’t hesitate. Her hands wrap around the end of my tail with a death grip. Gritting my teeth, I try to pull her up. Instead, my feet slip, and she pulls me with her. Shit, I didn’t think this through at all. Looks like we’re both going down.

An arm links with mine and pulls me forward.

“I got you,” Kwil grunts in my ear as he attempts to drag me, and Willow, out of trouble.

Willow, I’ve found you yet again…

The familiar, eerie voice drifts up through the darkness. It’s followed by a sinister laugh as she’s yanked harder into the next realm. Willow’s grip on my tail loosens, and for a heart wrenching moment, I think she’s about to get sucked into a whole other world. Her nails find purchase in my tail as she catches herself.

A different arm wraps around my waist.

I look over to find Viktor there. Together the three of us trudge forward, our feet slipping and stumbling each time we try to gain ground. It takes teamwork, but finally we pull Willow out of the Veil.

Theo hurries over and helps Willow to her feet. The five of us stumble away from the Veil just as a voice screeches:

No matter where you hide, I will find you!

Willow turns in Theo’s arms and stomps her foot.

A blast of cold air follows the motion, and we’re all thrown back onto the ground. The air is knocked from my lungs as my back hits the pavement. Sputtering, I sit up, ready to fight whatever Fulton sends for Willow, but I watch as the mist evaporates.

“Get in the house now!” As Theo bellows, he pushes Willow towards the open back door. “He can’t sense her when she’s inside. Come on!”

I’m on my feet at once and running with the others to get inside.

The second all five of us are in, I slam the door shut and lean against it, panting hard. The others don’t linger. Theo pushes Willow in front of him as they take her to the front of the house. I only hesitate a second to catch my breath before following them.

Fuck. Maybe running for our lives will forever be our new normal.

Chapter14

THEODON

When I’m sure the danger has passed for the time being and that everyone is alright, I excuse myself.

I need a moment. Or maybe more than just a moment. The information I’m supposed to accept without question is too much for me to process with everyone around. I escape to my room and slam the door shut behind me.

Willow is the daughter of Death.ThatI can kind of wrap my head around.

That Death came to pay his daughter a visit and could do so at any minute? Well, that I don’t know if I’ll be able to process. How could such an average looking person be the very thing that causes every normal instinct in my body to scream “run” or “hide?” Trying to keep my composure in front of such a powerful, and clearly upset, entity was almost more than I could stomach.

Have I ever been that scared?

Regardless, the fear I felt in his presence was lessened by the news he dropped on us: The Fae have not only crossed realms but destroyed them in their wake. And the Third Realm? The one we were taught crashed into this one and sent monsters into this world… We are the actual cause of the monsters. Hadn’t we just learned last night that by accessing all three realms, you could gain uncharted power? Why would the Fae be involved in that, and how long has this been going on?

How am I just learning about this now?

Wouldn’t my father have known about this? Why wouldn’t this information have been passed down to me? Who else knows the potential truth of how we came to be here? The Brotherhood most likely. Why else create an organization of Fae to cross over and explore this new world, while making sure no one else learns of it? Keeping the Third Realm a secret from the rest of the world would give the Fae an advantage if those in power wanted to reap the energy or magic in the world for themselves. But… that can’t be right, can it?

Did I give up my life simply to help harvest energy and supply magic to power hungry individuals?

I recoil from the idea. The Brotherhood was created for good. Not evil. There could be those with despicable agendas using a few Ghosts here and there to do their bidding, but to think the entire organization could be corrupt… It’s unfathomable.

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