“That’s just it, Russell. You won’t have to live with my ghost either way.”
His brown eyes see right through me. “That’s not what I meant, and anyway, I always liked your ghost. It would be a shame not to see it around once in a while, so I have to finish this with you so I can start over fresh, like you intended.” There is no bitterness in his words, just honesty.
“If all goes well, you won’t have to fight Emil ever again.”
“If all goes well, you get to live, ‘cuz I gotta tell you, Red, I don’t think eternity will be half as interestin’ without my best friend in it. Or him,” Russell tips his glass in Reed’s direction. “I kinda like him and I never thought I’d ever say that.”
“I kind of like him, too.”
“Then figure out a way for us to win this, like I know you can.”
“I don’t know if I can this time.” I feel crushed by the weight of my own words.
Reed moves away from the bar. “Balance,” Reed murmurs when he comes to stand beside me.
“Hmm,” I ask, raising my eyebrow at him.
“Something just occurred to me—about balance.”
“What about it?”
“We have a key that opens Sheol.” Russell leans in closer, listening to our exchange.
I nod and say, “I think we need to use it to close Sheol. I think that’s its purpose.”
“Maybe,” Reed says, noncommittal. “It could also be a way in to Sheol to get to Byzantyne, should he try to hide from us, but that’s not what concerns me at the moment.”
“What worries you, Reed?” I touch his arm; he wraps it around my waist holding me to his side.
“If we have something that opens Sheol, then it stands to reason that Emil has a key that opens Paradise.”
“Why would he have that?” Russell asks, his body tense.
“The Fallen want to get back into Paradise,” Reed answers. “If we needed the key to get into Sheol, they’d only relent if they could have one to Paradise.”
“Why would we need to get into Sheol?” Russell asks.
“I don’t know, but the fact that we have the means is telling. And if I’m right, then Sheol already knows we have this boatswain.”
“What boatswain?” Zephyr asks as he joins us. We have everyone’s full attention now.
“I think we all need to tell our stories of how we got here.” A hush falls over the room. I have everyone’s attention. “I want to tell you a story about Simone and Reed, and I want to tell you about how we will unite our three armies.”
Zephyr’s ice blue killer stare is focused on me. “Yes. I have been patient long enough. I need to know it all, the strategic points, positions, and players in the conflict so that I can force them to submit to me.”
Something about that makes me smile, even as I try hard to hide it. “We can all sit at this table and I’ll fill you in.” Choosing a seat at a round table, I start at the beginning with a girl who loved her soul mate and her Seraph. I tell them the tale of a Power who would save a dying girl, and gradually come to where we are now. Along the way, each member of my family fills me in on things I missed. When we come to the end of our pasts, the only thing left to discuss is our future.
“What is our next move?” Zephyr asks. I lean back in my chair. “When the sun comes up, we meet Brennus, find the magical Faerie weapon, and collect our undead army for war.
The sun rises, shining light through the restaurant window. I didn’t sleep, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not tired. My body is changing, becoming more and more angelic as time goes on. After our discussion last night, everyone found his or her own places to sit and talk. Reed and I gravitated to a corner near the back. We’re sharing the same side of a large booth. His back is to the wall and I’m propped against his chest. He strokes my hair, occasionally wrapping it around his finger.
“We should probably go,” I whisper to Reed. His arm around my waist tightens. Pressing his lips to my hair, he shows no sign of letting me go.
“Just a few more minutes.” The deep resonance of his voice rumbles through me. I relent, easing my head back against his chest. We both know that once we leave here, it’s the end of us. My lips take an ugly shape as I try to come to terms with that fact. I’m not going to cry, though. I don’t want that to be what he remembers about our time here.