Page 47 of Haunted Hearts

“I’mfine, Brock. I won’t break.”

No, she won’t break in my arms. But what happens when I release her? And I don’t mean at the present moment. Death’s little test sent shock waves through me. I knew soul welding was a forbidden practice. Now, I understand why.

Reluctantly, I put her on her feet before taking her hand, “Come on.”

For a while we walk in silence. Our feet sink in the sand, leaving evidence of our time together in our wake. The wind shifts, catching the spray of the waves and carrying the salty water further inland. I place myself between the ocean and Willow, so she won’t get wet. Not that it will matter in just a few minutes.

“I don’t know why, but I thought it would be hotter out here with two suns in the sky.”

I steal a glance at her profile to find her head tilted upwards to let the rays of both suns warm her face.

“While they may look close, one of those suns is an extra hundred million miles away. It’s just bigger than the closer one. That’s why it’s not hotter.”

Willow hums before falling silent again. It’s not nearly as long this time. As we near the wall of rocks Willow’s pace slows.

“Um, Brock? The beach is about to end.”

I smile. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“Did you want to sit and stare at some rocks?” She asks as we approach the cluster of boulders that climb upwards, creating a steep cliff that reaches high above us. From this angle you can’t see it, but Death’s house is just out of sight at the very top. “Don’t get me wrong, rocks are super cool and all, but I think we could have found rocks closer to the house.”

“I promise we’re not about to sit here and stare at rocks.” I squeeze her hand as I chuckle. The sound is shaky. Hopefully, Willow doesn’t notice that I’m still wound up over Death’s demonstration.

I pull her towards the water. There we edge around the first large rock. On the other side, there is a narrow path between two massive boulders, heading back towards the cliff. I pull Willow towards it. Due to its narrow space I have to take the lead, but I don’t let go of Willow’s hand. As we head inwards towards the cliff and away from the water, the ground slopes downwards. The sand disperses and turns to rock as we trek ahead. The rough rock beneath our feet keeps us from slipping, despite the water that’s collected from previous tides coming in. Once all sunlight disappears, I pull my scythe out. I thump the handle against the floor, causing my blade to glow softly.

“Ok, that’s really cool. How does it glow like that?” Willow whispers behind me.

I grin even though she can’t see it. “It’s magic.”

A few minutes later Willow says, “You know something? I didn’t think I would be ok with tight spaces, but here I am, totally ok with the walls pressing in on me.”

“Oh?”

There’s a pause. “It’s probably the company that helps.”

My smile returns swiftly at her words.

“How is thatyou’reok in such spaces? Why were you wandering through here anyway?”

“Reapers often find themselves in strange places when retrieving a soul,” The sound of water lapping against stone tells me we’re nearly to our destination. “As for why I was in here…”

I squeeze through the last little bit of the stone passageway before it opens up into a mighty cavern. Tapping the handle of my scythe against the floor again causes the blade to grow brighter. Light expands across the space, giving everything inside an eerie glow. Within the wide-open room is a pool of steaming hot, crystal clear water. Other than the water, the rest of the cave is empty. The walls are weathered down and smooth, probably due to the water that is constantly trickling down them from various small holes. While the space is large, given where it’s located, there is an intimate feel to it.

I step to the side to allow Willow to join me. Turning, I catch sight of the awe spreading across her face as she takes the room in before her face splits into a wide grin.

“Brock, this place is…wow.” She steps forward but her foot slips.

My hand shoots out and I catch her by the elbow to steady her. I pull her into my body, letting go of her elbow to wrap my arm around her waist.

“Careful.” My lips brush against the shell of her ear as I speak. In my arms, I can feel Willow shiver.

“Thanks.” She turns her head to look at me.

Our eyes meet. At that moment, time comes to a standstill. Willow’s lips are so close I would barely have to bend down to capture them with my own. I want this. More than anything, I would love to close that distance between us.

But I don’t.

Willow’s gone through so much. It’s greedy and selfish of me to want anything from her right now. So rather than bring my lips to hers, I guide Willow towards the water. Once we get to the edge, I force my arm to drop away from her body. I spin my scythe upside down, then dip the blade into the water, causing the water to glow. Letting go of my weapon so that it leans against the pool of water, I reach down to slip my shirt off. My pants are next.

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