With All My Soul
Page 41
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The soul hung in the air for just a second, and when I held the dagger up near it, the soul soaked into the hellion-forged steel on its own. To my immense relief.
I was about to blink out of reaper headquarters and into my room to wake Emma up and tell her the good news, when I heard voices headed my way through the door. Very familiar voices...
Any leads? Levi asked, and my heart nearly ruptured my sternum in an attempt to flee my body. If I didnt leave immediately, I would get caught. But before I could go, Tod answered his bosss question.
No, but I still have a few more people to talk to. Have any of the souls turned up yet?
No. Hes either selling them outside our district, or hes holding on to them. Ive alerted the managers of all the closest districts, but no ones seen or heard from him so far.
They were talking about Thane. They had to be. Tod was tracking him. Was that why hed been out of reach so much recently? Why hadnt he told me he was hunting down my mothers murderer? My murderer. I would have helped!
But then, thats probably exactly why he hadnt told me. To keep me from putting myself in danger. Tod never stood in my way, but he didnt go out of his way to show me new risks I could take, either. And I couldnt really blame him for that.
When the footsteps got too close to Levis office, I blinked out reluctantly, wishing I could have heard the rest of the conversation.
In my room, I set the broken dagger on top of my dresser, then turned on my bedside lamp and shook my best friends shoulder.
Em. Wake up.
Mmmm? Her eyes fluttered open, then closed, then opened again. She pushed thin brown hair back from her face and sat up slowly. Whats wrong?
Nothing. I sank onto the edge of my own bed, facing her. Nothing new, anyway. I got it. I couldnt help smiling from ear to ear. I got a soul for Tracis baby.
You did? How? Em was wide-awake now. She tossed back her covers and crossed her legs beneath her on the mattress. Where is it?
I pointed at my dresser. Its in the dagger. I kind of...took it from Levis office. He doesnt know yet. I was hoping he wouldnt figure out the incubus soul was missing for a very long time, and that when he did, I wouldnt be the first suspect to come to mind. Hopefully lots of people were envious of his conversation piece.
Em stared at the dagger, which was thin in profile from across the room. How? Whose soul is it?
Thats the best part. Its Becks. Tracis baby can inherit his fathers soul! No one else has to die so he can live!
But Ems expression fell suddenly, andI knew what she was thinking, because Id had a very similar thought. Until he needs to feed. She suddenly seemed much less sure of what wed agreed to without Tracis emotions there to syphon. How many will die then?
None. I kicked off my shoes and folded my feet beneath me. I cant let that happen. Im hoping Tracis baby will be like Sabine, in a way. In several ways, actually. More ways than I really cared to think about. Hell have to learn to eat without killing, but first hell have to learn to control his charm long enough to find girls who actually, legitimately want to be with him. Maybe if we help Traci raise himteach himhell be able to control his appetite like Sabine does. Maybe even better than Sabine does.
Maybe he wouldnt have to actually touch anyone to feed....
Tod didnt think that was much of a possibility, but he hadnt called it an impossibility, either. And I was personally acquainted with more living, breathing impossibilities than I could count at the moment. My very existence was one of them. As was Tods. And it was worth a shot, if we were willing to make sure the teen incubus didnt accidentally hurt anyone while he was learning his limits.
So...how do we...make it happen? How do we get the soul from your dagger into the baby?
Im not sure, but I dont think we can do that until hes actually born. Very shortly after hes born. And Im really hoping that Tod and I or my dad or Nash or my uncle can just install the soul in him, like we did for you.
Maybe it would be that easy.
Please let it be that easy...
So, can I tell Traci?
No! She doesnt remember any of what we told her, remember? Well have to make another disclosure, without Harmonys forget-me water, later on. Closer to the birth. For now, no one else needs to know about this. But I had to tell you. I couldnt let you worry about your nephews soul for the next six months or so. Especially considering that she was still going to be worrying about her sisters health that whole time.
* * *
Wednesday at school was blissfully uneventfulfor the first time all week, no hellions showed up at Eastlake. Sabine seemed to be playing nice for once, only feeding Sophies and Emmas fears as necessary, careful not to take things too far, at least that I could tell.
Tod showed up early for lunch, so we had some alone time in the quad, visible to no one, while we waited for the rest of the group to show up. And I realized as we ate that it had been nearly twenty-four hours since the Hudson brothers had been intentionally snippy with one another.
I was about to blink out of reaper headquarters and into my room to wake Emma up and tell her the good news, when I heard voices headed my way through the door. Very familiar voices...
Any leads? Levi asked, and my heart nearly ruptured my sternum in an attempt to flee my body. If I didnt leave immediately, I would get caught. But before I could go, Tod answered his bosss question.
No, but I still have a few more people to talk to. Have any of the souls turned up yet?
No. Hes either selling them outside our district, or hes holding on to them. Ive alerted the managers of all the closest districts, but no ones seen or heard from him so far.
They were talking about Thane. They had to be. Tod was tracking him. Was that why hed been out of reach so much recently? Why hadnt he told me he was hunting down my mothers murderer? My murderer. I would have helped!
But then, thats probably exactly why he hadnt told me. To keep me from putting myself in danger. Tod never stood in my way, but he didnt go out of his way to show me new risks I could take, either. And I couldnt really blame him for that.
When the footsteps got too close to Levis office, I blinked out reluctantly, wishing I could have heard the rest of the conversation.
In my room, I set the broken dagger on top of my dresser, then turned on my bedside lamp and shook my best friends shoulder.
Em. Wake up.
Mmmm? Her eyes fluttered open, then closed, then opened again. She pushed thin brown hair back from her face and sat up slowly. Whats wrong?
Nothing. I sank onto the edge of my own bed, facing her. Nothing new, anyway. I got it. I couldnt help smiling from ear to ear. I got a soul for Tracis baby.
You did? How? Em was wide-awake now. She tossed back her covers and crossed her legs beneath her on the mattress. Where is it?
I pointed at my dresser. Its in the dagger. I kind of...took it from Levis office. He doesnt know yet. I was hoping he wouldnt figure out the incubus soul was missing for a very long time, and that when he did, I wouldnt be the first suspect to come to mind. Hopefully lots of people were envious of his conversation piece.
Em stared at the dagger, which was thin in profile from across the room. How? Whose soul is it?
Thats the best part. Its Becks. Tracis baby can inherit his fathers soul! No one else has to die so he can live!
But Ems expression fell suddenly, andI knew what she was thinking, because Id had a very similar thought. Until he needs to feed. She suddenly seemed much less sure of what wed agreed to without Tracis emotions there to syphon. How many will die then?
None. I kicked off my shoes and folded my feet beneath me. I cant let that happen. Im hoping Tracis baby will be like Sabine, in a way. In several ways, actually. More ways than I really cared to think about. Hell have to learn to eat without killing, but first hell have to learn to control his charm long enough to find girls who actually, legitimately want to be with him. Maybe if we help Traci raise himteach himhell be able to control his appetite like Sabine does. Maybe even better than Sabine does.
Maybe he wouldnt have to actually touch anyone to feed....
Tod didnt think that was much of a possibility, but he hadnt called it an impossibility, either. And I was personally acquainted with more living, breathing impossibilities than I could count at the moment. My very existence was one of them. As was Tods. And it was worth a shot, if we were willing to make sure the teen incubus didnt accidentally hurt anyone while he was learning his limits.
So...how do we...make it happen? How do we get the soul from your dagger into the baby?
Im not sure, but I dont think we can do that until hes actually born. Very shortly after hes born. And Im really hoping that Tod and I or my dad or Nash or my uncle can just install the soul in him, like we did for you.
Maybe it would be that easy.
Please let it be that easy...
So, can I tell Traci?
No! She doesnt remember any of what we told her, remember? Well have to make another disclosure, without Harmonys forget-me water, later on. Closer to the birth. For now, no one else needs to know about this. But I had to tell you. I couldnt let you worry about your nephews soul for the next six months or so. Especially considering that she was still going to be worrying about her sisters health that whole time.
* * *
Wednesday at school was blissfully uneventfulfor the first time all week, no hellions showed up at Eastlake. Sabine seemed to be playing nice for once, only feeding Sophies and Emmas fears as necessary, careful not to take things too far, at least that I could tell.
Tod showed up early for lunch, so we had some alone time in the quad, visible to no one, while we waited for the rest of the group to show up. And I realized as we ate that it had been nearly twenty-four hours since the Hudson brothers had been intentionally snippy with one another.
