Page 97 of Unhinged Magic
His jaw ticked, palms fisting and splaying wide again.
His agonizing stare speared my conscience, but he didn’t waver. He inhaled a deep breath, pulling the air into his lungs asif buying time. Collecting his thoughts. His grim gaze circled the room, finding each of us.
“I need you to understand what that means if I do this. What I need to do to rebalance…” He fisted the hair at the nape of his neck, pacing over to the window. Staring outside into the dark, he took a moment, silence ensuing. He landed his palms on the sill in quiet resolve. When he turned to face us again, circles of deep violet, so dark they were almost black, rimmed his irises. “It’s fucking with nature.”
The group remained silent, lost in our own thoughts. What that could mean for Reid, the burden we would all carry if he did this. He hadn’t gone into specifics, probably for reasons best left unexplained.
“I need to hear you say it. That if I do this, it stays between us four.”
Fuck. He was asking us to keep this from the rest of the group. Skye even.
No one said a word, our tears absorbing every emotion spiraling inside the walls of the manor. “No one can know,” Reid urged before turning to face us again. Heavy lines creased his forehead, evidence of his conflicting thoughts nestling into his skin like paint would a weathered piece of timber.
The group exchanged a knowing look, the weight laying heavily on his shoulders and spreading to our own.
A beat passed, like a soul’s final moment dragging out its last breath.
Ty and Morgan nodded.
“Wait.” I held out my hands, halting whatever came next. Everyone turned to me, confusion fused on each of their faces.
“The mate bond. We’re effectively one, right?” I offered.
Ty frowned. “Just say what you need to fucking say.” I ignored the comment, taking a steady breath. “If Skye dies, I potentially die,” I said simply, directing my words at Reid. He nodded,remaining quiet. All of us knew the mate bond was so strong that it could kill a soul’s fated mate if one of the two died.
I drew in a quick breath, my fingers never leaving Skye’s wrist. “I’m still here; give me the chance to bring her back without you doing this.”
“What? I don’t get it…” murmured Morgan.
I straightened. “Break my neck. If she’s in this void she has spoken of before, let me at leasttryto bring her back.”
Morgan’s words came out a whisper: “This is insane.”
“I’m not breaking your neck,” said Reid stiffly.
I stared him down. This was a shit idea, but one that would mean he didn’t have to use his gift. If this void was time-driven, if Skye had time to choose if she crossed over or came back to us, I had to try. I had to do something.
The weight of his stone glare crushed me.
Suddenly, Reid’s pupils blew out, staring at something behind me. His hands flew in front of him. “Wait!”
A loudcrack.
Then my world turned black.
***
My stomach clenched tight, and I clutched it, certain it was about to empty involuntarily. Dry retching, I doubled over, but nothing came out.
“Wesley?”
The voice hammering my mind sounded strangely familiar, butnotat the same time. I lifted my attention to it, dizziness throwing another wave of nausea through me as I came face to face the mirror image of myself.
“Landon?”
My twin stood in front of me, utter confusion spread over him as he looked at me, then to his hands as if they weren’t his own. Like he’d never seen them before.
He frowned, the motion drawing his brows together.
