Page 61 of The Heart of Moonlight Falls

Sebastian whipped off his hoodie, then his shirt. With the hoodie back on his body, he ripped his shirt and wrapped a strip around the hand missing its pinky, covering the injury. “Better than nothing.”

“Suppose that’s true.” James got back to digging, starting to worry this would take too long. He wanted to insist Sebastian rest, but he probably needed any help he could get.

Sebastian cast a spell to help soften the earth before picking his shovel back up, but even then, it wasn’t easy digging.

James lost himself in his aching muscles and the sweat breaking out on his back and neck. Sebastian sat back to rest frequently, but neither of them spoke. It was grim work. The only thing keeping it from being too disturbing was probably the fact that they’d both thought self-sacrifice was on the table not long ago. Compared to that, James would take anything.

It felt like a miracle to have Sebastian at his side, the earth no longer trembling, doom pushed back and out of sight. James was relieved and hopeful but still frightened. They weren’t finished yet, and getting there looked like it would scar him for life.

His shovel hit something hard. He scraped the dirt, revealing a dark-colored coffin. A chill traveled down James’s spine as he carefully removed the last of the dirt from around it.

Sebastian frowned at the casket from where he was perched at the edge of the grave. “I don’t think I can be in denial about what we’re doing any longer.”

“I’m sorry.” James squeezed his knee. “None of them deserve to be disrespected like this.”

“No, but I think they’d want us to do this if they knew it would correct the imbalance and end the curse.”

“Of course they would.” James climbed out of the grave. He used his levitation spell to lift the coffin from the earth and place it in the cart. “Two more to go.”

Sebastian followed him to Simon’s grave. “We aren’t opening them up, right?”

James suppressed a shiver. “No. I don’t think I could. We’ll have to return them to the veins in their coffins.”

Sebastian nodded and handed James the hoe.

Digging graves took forever, even with magic. Moving all the soil out of the way with a spell would have been too costly, but by the time they were halfway done with Stephen’s grave, James was considering it, draining himself be damned.

He was sick with exhaustion, his clothes soaked with sweat. He had no idea what time it was. The only positive he could cling to was that the shades had stayed away.

Sebastian let out a choked sob.

James rested a dirty hand on the small of Sebastian’s back. He didn’t ask if Sebastian was okay. Of course he wasn’t, and James didn’t want to imply he should be. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“I’m just so angry,” Sebastian choked out. “And sad. What happened to Stephen—abandoned here except for me visiting—was horrible. He died so young, only fifty-three. It had to be the isolation. He should have had a better life.” Sebastian wiped his eyes and met James’s gaze. “I feel guilty for giving him a hard time growing up and for how mad I was at him when he died and left me here. It wasn’t his fault, but I focused my anger on him. I wish I hadn’t. I wish my final conversation with him had gone differently.”

James wrapped his arms around Sebastian. “I’m sure he understood your reaction to learning about the curse. One final conversation doesn’t erase all the years you had together. You loved him, and he knew that.”

“I hassled him about not leaving the house,” Sebastian admitted in a pained voice.

“He knew you didn’t know better. You’re a kind person, Sebastian. Stephen knew that. I’m sure he was glad to have you in his life.”

Sebastian sniffed. “I just hate this. I hate having to throw him in a creepy supernatural hole after everything.”

James stroked Sebastian’s hair. “At least it can’t hurt him now. And he’d want you to be free. You said it yourself.”

Sebastian pulled away and picked up his shovel. “You’re right. We have to keep going.” He tossed a scoop of dirt to the side, letting out a ragged breath. “Saying all that aloud helped.”

“I’m glad.” James clapped Sebastian on the shoulder and got back to digging.

Tears ran down Sebastian’s cheeks as James levitated Stephen’s coffin out of his grave. James held Sebastian’s hand, hoping it was at least somewhat comforting. He wished Sebastian didn’t have to go through this. If there was a way to save him this anguish, James would have.

At least they were almost there. The end was in sight. Once they got through this, they could relax and process this whole horrible night, and they’d have all the time in the world to heal from it.

James and Sebastian pulled the cart along the forest path. James used more magic to steady the coffins. He didn’t think he’d be able to keep going if one fell and burst open, leaving the occupant well and truly disturbed from their final resting place.

In the clearing, James was relieved to see the hole just as they’d left it. The edges shimmered but it was otherwise still. The earth hadn’t shaken once since Sebastian offered his finger to the veins.

“Who would you like to say goodbye to first?” James asked.

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