Page 41 of Haunted Hearts

You’re right, it’s not. Dad nods.Those power-hungry individualsare spirits who will destroy other souls and absorb their energy to use it for themselves. Those spirits want to be gods and, if they destroy enough souls, eat away at the Veil, or absorb it from somewhere else, they could become similar to one and that would lead to a catastrophe. We can’t let that happen. Typically, that would consist of us running around the Realm of the Dead destroying these particular beings before they can destroy anyone else.

“Typically?” Theo’s pupils narrow as he walks up to me, Jonah, and my father. “Why do I hear a ‘but’ coming?”

Fulton managed to open the Veil by absorbing some of Willow’s power. But he didn’t just open it in one place. He opened small sections of the Veil all over the Realm of the Dead. In doing so, some of the more malevolent spirits, and creatures like Purcians, took advantage and crossed over to the Realm of the Living. Their presence is wreaking havoc and creating a devastating imbalance in both realms. Once you have a handle on your power, you’ll have to go after Fulton , and once you’re done with him, you’ll have to go after anything else that escaped the realm of the living while I fix what’s being wrought on this side.

Brock clears his throat, “What about the Purcians here? There have been quite a few sniffing around here.”

Unfortunately, until Willow can keep a firm grasp on her power, her Death Magic will leak out and tempt anything that craves that type of energy. The wards I’ve erected will keep them, and anything else uninvited, off the property, but until she is absolutely ready to be on her own, and we can get protection wards up around wherever she wants to call home, she needs to stick around here.

Brock frowns.

“Let me get this straight,” Jonah starts slowly. “You want our Willow to run around fighting bad guys that have crossed through the Veil, knowing that they’ll want to get their hands on her? When she has no fighting background?” He lets go of my hand to run his fingers through his mass of messy blonde curls. “And all with power that will forever be changing and evolving, so what she can handle one day can change in the next…. Right?”

Sounds about right,Dad nods.

A heavy silence blankets the group. It really does sound crazy when Jonah puts it like that. But… I don’t hate it. Kick bad guy ass while traveling through the different realms in the Realm of the Living? The job could be worse. Imagine the fun all six of us could have and the different things we’ll see? Dad raises an eyebrow at me, expecting a response. I just suck my teeth and roll my eyes.

“Ok, cool.”

Dad smiles as the rest of the room erupts into outrage. Brock gets to his feet as the others stomp over. They all speak at once, all voicing their various degrees of objection. Even Jonah steps between me and Dad, trying to be heard over the ruckus. Dad and I just stand there, smiling at one another.

“Someone tell me this is all a fucking joke,” Kwil demands loudly over everyone else. “Please, for the love of—”

“Kwil,” I place my hands back on my hips as I give him a pointed look. “You were warned I’d have responsibilities when I got here. This is it.”

“You know nothing of fighting!” he objects. “And you’ve lived in only one realm, Willow. You heard Brock say yesterday that there are things in the Realm of the Living that could destroy spirits. You expect us to be ok with you charging into unknown enemy territories facing off against evil beings? If so, you’re very much mistaken. Hell, trouble could be anywhere, and you wouldn’t know it.”

“You know nothing of the things you’ll face,” Theodon points out just as sharply. “None of their weaknesses or fighting styles.”

“Nor do you even know how to use your power properly,” Viktor adds. “Let alone how to wield that scythe.”

Brock’s outrage is twisted with shock. “You aren’t even recovered yet, Willow. We don’t even know your weaknesses, and you want to go charging out into battle? You should be resting!”

Dad’s smile grows wider while I roll my eyes, trying hard not to laugh. The scene they are making is completely uncalled for. Jonah steps straight into my line of sight, the terror in his eyes and the worry on his face sobers me up quickly.

“Willow, how are you so ok with this?” he asks quietly.

My heart swells. He loves me so much.

Before I can answer, Dad says,Because she knows I would never send her out to face any threat whatsoever unless I thought she was ready.

Everyone falls silent quickly. I smirk at the confusion on their faces. Dad turns and walks over to his desk. He collapses into the chair and puts his hands behind his head.

Here’s the thing, gentlemen. I never, not once, ever believed that I could love.I was created from this—” one of Dad’s hand waves behind him at the window —and grew up without guidance, without emotion. When I reaped, I could sympathize, to an extent, when families were separated, but I couldn’t understand why it hurt so bad. They’d see each other again… Maybe. He tilts his head as he shifts through the conditions of that particular situation.But then I met Willow’s mother. Everything changed for me. From the moment I first heard her speak, I knew I would do anything and everything to keep my Old Lady safe. She is, and always will be, the thing that drives me to continue on. She is my heart, my soulmate, myeverything. And when she told me she was pregnant with Willow, I knew I’d go to just as great lengths to keep my child safe too. Willow is one of only two people who matter to me. I’ll be damned if I ever let my daughter run headfirst into danger, knowing she couldn’t handle it.

I roll my eyes as my cheeks burn. “You’re embarrassing me, dad.”

He chuckles.What else are dads for? Still smiling, Dad leans forward, meeting each one of my men’s gazes.I knew my Willie would be special even before she was born. More like me rather than her mother, or any other spirit. The Realm of the Dead is a living entity, and it has birthedus.We are infinite in ways none of you will ever understand. Willie will be able to do the impossible once she has a grasp on her abilities. I made sure she understood that this would be a difficult transition period and that her role would be a serious one once she came home.

He looks at me expectantly and I nod.

“It would have been nice to have known exactly what to expect but yeah, I knew this would be weird for a bit.”

You know I’m bound by the laws of the realm, Dad chides quietly, his smile fading.As are you now. Allof you.You’ll find that, should you cross through the Veil, you simply won’t be able to say certain things to those not dead. Am I right?Dad glances at Brock who nods.

“Yes, Sir.”

None of that ‘Sir’ stuff. Dad waves him off.You can call me Death since you’re my daughter’s mate. You all can.

---