Page 34 of Endless

She smiles briefly at the memory of the day before her face falls flat. "What happens to souls once they fulfill their purpose and leave here?"

"That I do not fully know. They are taken to a place where I have never been and will never go."

Her body tenses up, and immediately, I am worried all over again. Fuck. All of her emotions are so intense they terrify me. She has me spiraling around, wondering just what she is thinking.

"What is it?"

"I'm dead," she finally says out loud. "I fucking did it. I killed myself, but I still came here and felt completely worthless." Tears fill her eyes, and I pull her into me to comfort her.

"I know it's a lot to take in. Take your time."

"Does that mean they will take me now? You said I fulfilled my purpose, and that's why you were able to show yourself to me again. Will I ever see you again?" Tears spill from her beautiful eyes and her chest heaves.

I can tell she is starting to panic. I try my best to soothe her, but she's become inconsolable. Snot covers my hoodie, so I push back on her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. I hold her in place, staring down at her as two shadowy tendrils extend from me to wipe her tears away.

"You are mine, Lena. Nobody will ever take you from me. Do you understand?" I look at her with nothing but fierce determination. "I would eradicate the entire Cosmos before allowing someone to take you from me. The only way you will ever leave my side is if it is your choice."

That seems to stop her sobs completely. Again, my smoky extensions wipe her face clean from the snot and tears before dissipating back into the air.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"What?"

"The fact that you can morph between a shadow and a human so easily. It's warm and cool at the same time."

"Do you not like it? I can be in whichever form you prefer."

"I want you to be you. It doesn't matter to me what form you are in. Whatever makes you the most comfortable. Besides, both forms have their benefits." She grins devilishly.

"Please tell me you wish to stay with me. I would never force you, but I don't know what I will do if you decide you want to leave."

Her hand reaches out to cup my face in the most tender way. I've never been someone's sole desire, but when I look at her, I can sense that I am. I still need to ask her the questions, though. I never want her to think she doesn't have a choice in any of this. I won't spend eternity with someone who feels trapped.

"I think my soul recognized you. I've always belonged to you, and I'll always be yours, just as you have always belonged to me, and you will always be mine," she tells me, her eyes shimmering with admiration and vulnerability.

"You're right about that, pet." I lean in and kiss her, letting our tongues twist along one another.

She tastes so sweet. I could lose myself in her until the end of time. Another soul calls out to me in the recesses of my mind. They need reaping, but they will have to wait. There is no way I'm leaving my girl right now. I pull her under my arm, and we sit like that for a while in silence, enjoying each other's company. I know she has more questions, and I will answer them all whenever she asks.

Chapter 18

Lena

Ifell in love with Death, both literally and figuratively. It may be completely insane, but I can't help it. He makes me want to be a better person, not only for him but also for myself.

"Kellan, I know you said they won't take me from you, but how is that possible? If everyone else is taken away, why would they leave me?" I ask, terrified of how he is going to respond. My hands tremble slightly, so I tuck them between my thighs.

"When you saw me in my true form and recognized me, it broke one of their rules. Nobody is to see me in my true form unless they are being ushered to my realm after their death. I was forced into a conversation with the representatives The Others sent."

"The angel and demon?" I ask.

"Yes. These were strange circumstances. I am always to remain neutral, yet here I am, in love with a human soul. I was going to tell you everything that night, but you put the pieces together yourself." He smiles at me adoringly, and it pulls at the strings of my heart. "Your brilliant mind. You are the reason they gave us a chance. Technically, I did not break the rules. I did not reveal myself, and you were still unaware that you were asoul in my realm. Because of this, they decided you could have one more opportunity to fulfill your purpose. They were very firm in that I could not intervene this time. It had to be all you, because if I involved myself in any way, they would have taken you from me. It was agony watching you suffer, but I had to give us a chance. I believed wholeheartedly that you would have the strength." He shakes his head as though he is ashamed of himself for leaving me to deal with the brutality of Carson and all of the other students at Thorn Grove.

"Do you know what my purpose was?" I whisper.

This is such a simple question with an immense meaning. The entire time I've been here with Kellan has led up to this one moment, and I desperately want to know what that was.

He seems so secure with his answer. "I believe it was life."

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