Page 39 of A Shadow in the Reaping
The ticking of Ashen's finger stops.
All the room seems to go quiet without the cadence of passing time. Ember's smile spreads like venom in a wound.
"She risked her soul for you. And now it belongs to the Realm of Light."
Chapter 19
Uhhhhhhh... Hard pass...
No one said anything about agreeing to forfeit one's soul to the Realm of Light when I first heard whispers of an antidote for Angelwing. My infallible vampire memory would have remembered that, surely. Then again, that was a long time ago. I remember the bit about sacrifice. There was something about taking a great risk, yeah I got that too. But I definitely would have remembered that little tidbit about my soul. And I sooooo don't want my soul to end up there.
I'm perfectly happy in the Living Realm. There's food. There's bloffee. Sure, there are werewolves and not all the witches are as awesome as Ediye, but I've been making a go of it for a long time. I'm on a bit of a streak, if you think about it. I'm not keen to leave, and everything about the Realm of Light sounds boring as fuck.
No wars? Boring.
No douchebags to hunt? Boring.
No getting away with sketchy shit? So fucking boring.
Also, most of my friends wouldn't make the cut. Ediye is great and I love her more than anyone, but she's not squeaky clean. Cassian, the vampire I made in Rome? Or Sora? That's legit laughable. The only one that would get a guaranteed free pass is Andy, and the thought of playing Scrabble with him for eternity makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a fork. Even being a visitor in the Shadow Realm is more fun than that, as creepy as it is.
Shit, Andy. I haven't given him a second thought since we arrived. Poor Andy and his peace lily. I haven't even considered that we're supposed to go on a date on Saturday. Fuck, I feel like such a jerk. Especially now, because I really,reallydon't want to go.
I glance at Ashen. His pupils are orbs of flame. He looks at me with both dismay and fury. I feel a rush of heat surge from him and I drain my glass and pour myself another.
"Did you know?" he asks, his voice low and quiet.
I shake my head and then down my full glass. Ashen pulls it from my fingers and gives me a hard and searching look as he fills my glass. I think he's hunting for truth and lies. I shake my head again and mouth the wordno, and the look of rising panic on my face must be enough to convince him that I truly had no idea. Ashen passes my refilled glass back, his fingers grazing mine in a gesture that feels purposeful. He manages to subdue his expression into a stoic mask but I feel something behind it in the depths of his eyes. Sadness, maybe. Worry. It feels like there's a deep ocean hidden beneath what he shows to the world, and it rages with currents and storms.
"What does that mean, if the Realm of Light has a claim on Lu?" Cole asks, breaking us out of a heavy silence.
"If she dies in the Living Realm, they will offer refuge for her soul, just like a human. Not a situation immortals find themselves in very often," Ashen says.
"Or they could come to collect. Who knows, they've been suspiciously quiet for the last thousand years or so," Ember adds, casting a serene smile in my direction. She's fucking loving the squall she's brewed among us. I run my hand across the dagger at my thigh and think about how great it would feel to plunge it into her heart.
"What, you mean they'd comehereto collect?"
"No. She is in our realm, so we can do what we want with her here."
"We are not doing shit with her, Ember. Leave her alone," Ashen says. His eyes are pits of malice as he looks over his glass at Ember.
"I did not say wewould, dear brother. I said wecould. Don't worry, I have no intention of harming your beloved vampire," she replies with staged affection as she reaches across the table to lay a hand on his.
"I'm sure you don't." Ashen pulls his hand away and Ember purses her lips in a pout that I want to punch off her face.
"What is your interest in Lu anyway, brother? Is it really only to keep her from being used to make another hybrid? Is it because she saved your life? Or is it something more?"
"My interests and motivations are none of your fucking business."
"You are my little brother.Everythingyou do is my business."
"I haven't been yourlittle brother in millennia, Ember."
Ember heaves a sad, wistful sigh and twists the stem of her wine glass, spinning the base against the silver cloth. "Forgive me, Ashen. I just find it odd. After sleeping your way through most of the female population of Reapers you can't seem to find one suitable to fulfill your desires. And now here you are escorting a bright soul on your arm. The brightest soul, in fact. But I suppose it makes sense that you want that which you cannot have, a man of the darkness seeking the light."
Ashen smacks his palm to the surface of the table and the glasses jitter as though startled. Smoke cascades from beneath his hand. "Enough, Ember," he says, his voice loud and stern. Cole and I glance at one another with identical expressions of surprise.
"Now now, both of you. I realize that sibling rivalries run deep, but no fighting in my establishment," a smooth voice purrs in warning. A woman materializes from the direction of the bar, her dark skin glowing and vibrant in the dim and flickering light. Dark curls cascade from her head and flow over her bare shoulders. Her neck drips with gold chains that pour into her cleavage. A low cut, black silk dress shimmers across her curves as she saunters toward us. She radiates power and authority.
