by R. L. Perez
“Where?” I asked in a strained voice.
“North side of town. Too far to walk.” Benny raised his eyebrows expectantly.
Oh, Lilith. With a sigh, I turned to Vince. “Can you Jump him?”
Vince blinked. “Of course.” He strode toward Benny, his wings tickling my face as he brushed by me. Benny continued to watch me with that achingly distant expression. I tried to offer an apologetic grimace, but he looked away, turning to face Vince instead.
After Benny told Vince the location, Vince took Benny’s arm, and with a small pop, they were gone.
Leaving me alone with Hector and my unconscious half-sister. I shifted, moving between Hector and Piper in case he got any ideas.
Hector’s eyebrows lifted, and he laughed. “What do you think I’ll do? Dismember her right here?”
“You have a habit of destroying people when they least expect it,” I said.
Hector’s face darkened. “I’m not that person anymore.”
I scoffed. “I find that hard to believe.”
We stared each other down, neither of us giving in.
At long last, he asked quietly, “What do you know of your father?”
“Not much. Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
His eyebrows flicked up as if to say, That’s fair. The gesture was . . . strangely normal.
My jaw ticked back and forth. “Why did you help them find me?”
Hector’s dark eyes remained fixed on me as if he were trying to read the intent behind my question. As if he were trying to read me.
After a moment, he said in a soft murmur, “Because he’s a threat to the laws of time.”
My head reared back. I wasn’t expecting that.
Another pop echoed, and Benny and Vince reappeared, dragging an unconscious figure with them. I hurried forward, inspecting the frail older woman. Her frizzy, graying hair fanned out around her face like a mane. Her expression was slack, and several bruises covered her face and arms.
But she had a pulse, thank Lilith.
“Here,” I said. “Let’s get her—”
Suddenly, Vince collapsed. A trickle of blood oozed from his nose. His face had drained of color.
I sucked in a gasp, dropping to my knees and touching his face. “Vince? Can you hear me?”
His face went slack, his eyes rolling back until they were all white.
“Vince!” I shouted.
His body started seizing. Terror lodged itself in my chest, stabbing through me. Panicked, I glanced up at Benny and Hector, but they both stared in horror at Vince.
Think, Cora, think! I urged myself. I shifted so Vince’s head was in my lap. Then, I placed both hands on his head and whispered a spell.
“Magic above and powers that be,
Heal this man and set him free.
Release him from the pain within,
And free his mind from the prison therein.”
My hands glowed purple, and Vince’s body arched, his chest rising. A strangled scream tore from his throat, ringing in my ears and chilling me to the bone.
Slowly, his body relaxed on the ground with a long exhale. His eyes closed, his head lolling to the side.
He was unconscious. But still breathing. And the seizure had stopped.
I sucked in sharp, ragged breaths as tears pricked my eyes. I impatiently blinked them away and looked up at Hector.
“What’s wrong with him?” I demanded.
Hector gaped at me. “How should I know?”
“You’re really telling me you had nothing to do with this?”
“He’s been killing himself to find you, Cora,” Benny said softly. “He pushed himself too far.” Benny jerked his head toward Piper’s aunt.
My heart dropped like a stone. Of course. Even Jumping with one other person was difficult. But Vince had Jumped with two people—not to mention everything else he’d done to find me.
Warmth and suffocating regret stifled my breathing, and I half gasped, half sobbed. “You idiot,” I moaned, leaning down to press my forehead against Vince’s. “You stupid, beautiful fool.”
It was difficult transporting all three unconscious people back to the motel in Hinport. But Benny communicated mind-to-mind with Luke, who sent for reinforcements. Several Reapers came to our aid, including Vince’s mother and Gwen, both of whom shot me sharp and hostile looks as if Vince’s condition were my fault.
To be honest, it kind of was. And it made my stomach twist with guilt.
Benny put a few wolves by Piper and her aunt’s room in case Quentin decided to return for them.
As soon as we got back to Hinport, a girl assaulted me, demanding to know what had happened to Vince. She spoke so quickly, her face a mess of ginger hair and wide eyes, that for a moment, I didn’t recognize her.
Then, realization hit me. An unpleasant feeling wormed its way into my stomach.
“Relax, Jocelyn,” I said with a sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. My body ached in all kinds of places. “He’s fine. He just exerted himself too much.”
“Because of you, no doubt,” Jocelyn hissed.
I stared at her. I’d never seen such venom in her expression before. She’d always been so calm, poised, and unassuming. “I didn’t do anything to him,” I said, my voice steady and cold. “Vince makes his own choices. If he decides to run into battle, then I can’t stop him.”
Jocelyn’s nostrils flared, her eyes narrowing into slits. But she said nothing as she turned away from me, following the Reapers as they carried Vince to his room.
I wanted to follow, but Gwen made it plain this was a “Reapers-only” affair and I wasn’t welcome. Seething, I plopped down on the carpeted floor of the hallway by Vince’s room, determined to stay put until he woke up.
I wasn’t sure why. He was well cared for, between Jocelyn, Cecile, and the other Reapers. And, as Benny curtly reminded me when he finally tracked me down, I had plenty of coven duties to attend to.
I stubbornly refused to leave my post outside Vince’s room and instead had Benny bring me the stack of papers waiting for me on my desk so I could work on them in the hall. Benny stood there for a long moment. I felt the judgment in his gaze but ignored his stare until he finally stalked off.
Before diving into the paperwork, I cast a quick protection spell on Vince’s door that would alert me if anyone broke in. Then, I tethered it to my magic—so that if a Bloodcaster tried to get through, the entire coven would be alerted.
Better safe than sorry. Even if I accidentally tripped the wards myself.
A few people came and went as I signed paper after paper, reading through contracts and agreements, my eyes itching with sleepiness. Gwen shot me an icy glare when she left Vince’s room. Cecile paused for a long moment, her penetrating gaze spearing right through me. And Jocelyn breezed past me without a second glance.
Hours passed, and Vince still didn’t wake. Cecile and Jocelyn alternated staying in his room so he wouldn’t wake up alone. I had Benny’s men check in with me regularly about Piper and her aunt, both of whom were sleeping.
The longer I sat there, the more my body strained and exhaustion pulled at every muscle. And the more I avoided it, the more it stared me in the face: the truth of why I refused to leave the hall.
Guilt.
Jocelyn was right: this was all my fault. It was my fault my coven was in danger. My fault Vince had gotten hurt. And my fault the realms were being torn apart.
Because Quentin was my father. And it was me he wanted.
If I’d paid closer attention—if I’d actually given a rat’s ass about my parents and who they were—I might have been able to stop this sooner. But no, like everything in my life, I’d run away from my past and whatever family I might’ve had, shoving the problem away to deal with later. And now, everyone else was paying the price for it.
I gritted my teeth through the aches and pains throbbing through my body, relishing in the discomfort because deep down, I knew I deserved it. I deserved
so much worse.
27
Vince
Flashes of purple fire plagued my dreams. Mom screamed. Jocelyn sobbed. And Cora lay dead at my feet.
I woke in a cold sweat, my body shivering, though I was tucked under several blankets.
A small gasp made me sit up quickly, my heart thundering. As my eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness, I made out a figure sitting next to my bed.
It was Jocelyn.
Lilith, I’d forgotten all about her. But perhaps that was a good thing. I shuddered to think what would’ve happened to her if she’d come with us to retrieve Cora.
Cora.
I shifted on the bed, but Jocelyn shoved me back down, her gaze steely. “You’ve done enough.”
Her voice was so cold it froze me in place. I watched her warily. “Joss—”
“Don’t,” she said through clenched teeth.
My mouth felt dry. Why was she angry? What had I done wrong? When she turned on the lamp next to the bed, the light illuminated her stony expression. Worry mingled with anger, transforming the light, angelic features of my friend to someone almost unrecognizable.
“What—what’s wrong?” I asked, fearing the worst. Had Quentin returned to the Astral Realm? Had he attacked the Reapers again?
“You’re so thick-headed, Vince. So blind to what’s right in front of you.”
I shook my head. My utter confusion made my head throb. “I don’t—”
“What is wrong with you?” she cried, lifting her arms and gesturing wildly at me. “You don’t check with anyone before diving in like a complete idiot, almost killing yourself in the process even though Cecile explicitly said we should be resting, preparing for a battle we might have to face.”
“I thought—”
“And not only that, but you manage to piss off the Timekeepers enough to completely butcher any efforts Gwen made to work alongside them.”
My blood ran cold. Oh, no . . . “You mean—”
“Yeah. They sent a nasty message to Gwen just before their meeting, letting her know they didn’t appreciate the Reapers working alongside a rogue Timekeeper they’ve been trying to track down.”
Rogue Timekeeper. That could only mean Hector. Bile climbed up my throat, and my mouth twisted. What had I done? “I—I didn’t realize . . . Joss, Cora was abducted. She could have died.”
“Oh, of course, because Cora’s the only damn thing that matters in this world,” Jocelyn spat.
My head reared back. I had never heard her talk like that. “Joss,” I breathed in disbelief.
Jocelyn sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You’re so clueless, Vince.” Her voice was softer. More exasperated and less hostile. “You don’t understand that what you do affects everyone. Did all those years living in a Nephilim clan teach you nothing?” She dropped her arms, letting her hands fall on her thighs. “The Reapers need you. Your mother needs you. I need you.”
My tongue turned to sandpaper in my mouth. Numbness spread through my entire body as the sincerity of her words struck me hard. “Jocelyn . . .”
She raised a hand, her expression pained. “Don’t,” she whispered. “I know you don’t see me the same way.” She laughed, the sound harsh and grating. “Your actions today proved who you care most about.”
My chest felt hollow. I wanted to deny it, but how could I? Everything she said was true.
I loved Cora. I didn’t love Jocelyn.
And, as awful as it sounded, I cared about Cora more than I cared about the Reapers.
“I’m sorry,” I said weakly. “So sorry, Jocelyn. I never meant to hurt you. And you’re right. My actions today were . . . thoughtless. I should’ve been more considerate. I should’ve come to the Reapers first.”
Jocelyn nodded, her jaw still rigid but her eyes softening.
“But . . . would you have done anything?” I asked quietly. “If I’d come to you and told you Cora’s life was in danger, would you have done anything about it?”
Her gaze hardened again, but her silence answered my question. No, she wouldn’t have done anything. She probably would’ve done everything in her power to keep me from going after Cora.
And I had no doubt Gwen and my mother would’ve agreed with Jocelyn. None of the other Reapers gave a damn about Cora, even though she’d given them refuge. Even though she’d risked her coven by protecting us.
“Lilith, I’m so sick of this,” I groaned, leaning my head back against the wall behind the bed.
“Sick of what?” Jocelyn asked.
“This whole one-sided belief that our magic is the only magic that matters. Why is it a crime to look out for everyone? For all kinds of magic?”
Jocelyn’s lips pressed together, forming a thin line. “We do care about everyone. That’s the job of a Reaper, Vince—to care for the magic of the universe and restore the balance between realms. But . . . our people come first. This is our family.” She cocked her head at me. “Would you have gone after Cora if your dad had been mortally injured?”
I stiffened, and my eyes narrowed. “That isn’t fair.”
“Answer the question.”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t tell you what I would do in a hypothetical situation like that. But Joss, you have to understand—Cora is like family to me. I—I love her.”
Jocelyn went very still, her eyes unreadable as she stared at me. Her mouth slowly opened in silent shock. Her gaze held mine, though my insides squirmed with discomfort, begging her to look away, to stop watching me like that.
Something shifted in the air between us. Something I hadn’t realized was there at all. Whatever kinship Jocelyn and I shared was altered in this moment.
I’d always believed us to be good friends. But now I discovered she’d always wanted more. And perhaps that was all she saw in me: someone to love.
Now that I’d dashed those hopes to pieces, what was left?
Jocelyn’s lower lip trembled, and she fled from the room, slamming the door shut behind her. I flinched as the door frame rattled, my eyes closing in pain.
But perhaps this was for the best. I couldn’t give Jocelyn what she wanted, no matter how hard I tried.
Muffled voices echoed outside my door. I stilled, listening hard, but I couldn’t make out any words. One voice grew louder, practically shouting.
I rose from the bed and cracked open the door just as thunderous footsteps stomped away from my room. Peering down the hall, I made out a figure crouched just outside my door, surrounded by piles of paper.
Cora.
She dropped her face into her hands, her body slumping forward. She looked exhausted.
A hard lump formed in my throat as I glanced at Jocelyn’s retreating figure, then looked back at Cora.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, hey.”
Her head snapped up, and her tired eyes met mine. She swallowed and shifted her weight. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, leaning against the door frame. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
A small smile lit her face. “I’m fine.”
“Me too.”
Silence fell between us. I wasn’t sure why it felt awkward. We’d both sacrificed so much for each other. We knew we loved each other. But something tangible flowed between us, as if proving our love to everyone had changed things for us. Our feelings for each other had never been so . . . open before.
I watched her, my brows knitting together. “Why are you sitting on the floor?”
Cora blew air through her lips and shuffled papers around. “I, uh, wasn’t exactly welcome in your room. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave until I knew you were okay . . .” Her voice trailed off, her cheeks turning pink.
My own face warmed, and something hot slithered in my chest. But then I thought of my mom and Jocelyn. How could they treat Cora so horribly when she’d done so much for us? It didn’t matter what mistakes I’d made—it wasn’t like Cora asked to be abducted.
“Do you want to come in?” I gestured to the open door.
Hesitation lingered in her eyes as she looked between me and the door. “I’m not sure I should.”
“Why not?”
“I’m pretty sure Gwen would skin me alive. If Jocelyn doesn’t get to me first.”
I winced, but Cora laughed.
“Relax,” she said, groaning as she rose to her feet. “I’m used to death threats.” Her eyebrows lifted.
“You shouldn’t have to be,” I said quietly, my gaze locked on hers. For a moment, we stood there, mere inches between us. Heat burned in our gazes.
Cora broke eye contact first, clearing her throat and scrambling to pick up the scattered papers on the floor. I helped her collect them, and we went into my room together. We set the papers on the table by the TV and faced each other, that awkward, tangible thing still pressing in on us. Cora rubbed her arms and dropped her gaze. I licked my lips and crossed my arms.
At long last, Cora looked up at me. “You shouldn’t have come after me.”
“Cora—”
“You almost killed yourself, Vince.” Her voice broke, and something inside me shattered at the sound.
I drew closer to her. “When I found out you’d been taken, I—I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Nothing would’ve stopped me from getting to you, Cora. Nothing.”
Her eyes glistened, and she bit her lip, shaking her head quickly. “You risked too much. Your people—”
“I don’t give a damn about the Reapers,” I said through clenched teeth. “Not after how they treated you. Not after you opened your home to them and they turned their back on you when you needed help.”
“They didn’t turn their back on me. It wasn’t their fight.”
“It is their fight. Quentin is our enemy too. But Jocelyn just confirmed that if I’d come to them first, they would’ve done nothing to help you.”
Cora touched my cheek. “You can’t save everyone.” Her voice was soft and tender.
I closed the distance between us until our chests were touching. “I don’t care about saving everyone. I just want to save you.”
