A calmness comes over my thoughts as if I’m channelled into this situation and nothing else matters as everything fades.
The man stands and approaches me. “The angel who loves you. He gave you the power to heal yourself, and you can use it to heal others.”
“What angel?” I glance between him and the motionless body on the floor.
“What do you think a Reaper is, Rose?”
Angel. The word struggles into my blurred mind. “No, that’s not true.”
“It’s just semantics, Rose. Think about the gift you have.” He indicates John on the floor, voice low, cajoling me. “Surely you want to help someone if you can. Go to him.”
“Who are you?”
“Are you going to let him die? Help him,” he urges.
A man lies on the ground dying and I can do something? Should I? I kneel down. “What do I do?”
“All you need to do is touch him, nothing else. Hold his hand and comfort him.”
Finn said he healed me and that I have the power now. If this is true, my existence in the world could be for good. I can help people; I could save this guy’s life. Pushing at my thoughts is something else, a warning I can’t grasp. My head feels stuffed with cotton wool and an uneasy feeling accompanies the attempted thought but is washed away. I can’t focus on anything but the two men.
Carefully, I take hold of the dying man’s broad hand and circle my fingers around his. The kitchen door slams open behind me, but I ignore the newcomers and lean over. What happens? How do I do this?
Arms circle my waist from behind and drag me to my feet. “Rose! Don’t!”
I think I know the man’s voice. He exists on the outside with the warning battling into my head. The chill from the garden is nothing compared with the intense cold shivering through as this man holds me. The raw iciness surges through my body, wiping away all sensation in my limbs. My head aches as the sharp pain stabs behind my eyes and consciousness fades away and I can’t breathe as the fog joins to choke me. Through the oncoming haze, another man yells and the man’s grip on me loosens as I black out.
PART TWO
Chapter 22
ALEK
“Where the fuck did she go? What have you done?” I yell.
The Reaper is sprawled on the floor where I knocked him, when trying to get him to release Rose He pulls himself to sit and stares ahead, blonde hair hanging in his eyes and covering his expression. I turn back to where the Dark, or whatever he is, hovered over the unconscious guy, but he’s gone. Of course. The dying guy’s energy fades and the crowd re-gathers. An ambulance siren sounds in the distance, but they won’t be any use.
“I don’t know where,” Finn says quietly.
“Did you send her to the Void?” I grab his throat, then realise he won’t be able to answer me and loosen my hands. He’s warm to touch, like someone with a fever; but that’s not possible because he’s less human than I am.
“No, I don’t know... I had to stop her.”
Aware people have arrived outside with us, I stand and brush the dirt from my jeans. Finn stands, too, and backs away slightly.
“Stop her what?” I hiss.
His look slides to the people behind then to me, and he raises both eyebrows to indicate I should be quiet.
“Oh, no, we fucking talk about this!” I grab his arm and drag him into the house.
“Get your hands off me,” he growls and tears his arm away.
I bump into the dumb ghostbuster. “What’s going on?” Tom’s breathless but excited by events, which is sick considering someone’s dying outside.
“Some guy’s unconscious out there.” I tip my head to the garden.
“Yeah, I know, but with you two?” His mouth parts making him look stupider than ever. “Where’s Rose?”
I cross my arms and look at Finn. “Yeah, Finn. Where’s Rose?”
“I don’t fucking know!” he yells, and the volume and vehemence shocks me. He grabs his hair and closes his eyes. “I don’t know,” he says more quietly.
I don’t care what Rose says, this guy wants her in the same way I do. He saved her life, of course he feels something for Rose. I bet Finn just made the half-life he gave her a hundred times fucking worse, though.
“I didn’t see her leave,” says Tom.
“I did,” I say in a low voice.
“Where?”
“Forget it.” He’s not getting involved. “Finn, I need to talk to you.”
Finn stares at the wall, breathing rapidly. He’s a pale guy, but I swear he’s paler than usual. “I had to stop her...”
“Stop her doing what? What was she doing?” Tom perks up again and I feel like punching him. We’re not a fucking science experiment.
The door opens and I step to one side as the paramedics arrive; a man and a woman push through in their green uniforms. Finn glances at me and he knows they’re too late, too.
“Whose house is this?” asks one, a bald-headed guy.