Page 69 of Mortal Desires

I hadn’t been gone that long, maybe a month? I didn’t even know if time worked the same here and down there.

We were the smallest our whole life. I was quiet watching the dead and she was the late bloomer who only developed her powers at age thirteen. We stuck together through thick and thin. I always had Marnie to hold my hand, and after so long without her I missed her terribly.

She gripped my cheeks like she couldn’t believe it was really me. Her dark eyes were full of tears, her pale skin flushed.

“Are you ok? Oh my god Pilar, I was so worried about you guys. Everyone disappeared, I had no idea what to do.”

She started to cry, rivers of tears falling down her cheeks.

“I don’t know why I am crying. I’m being silly. You’re fine.”

She glanced at Grayson but he was crying too. Confused, gathering tears with his fingers like he couldn’t understand how they got there.

“You always cry when you meet death for the first time,” I explained quickly. “What do you mean everyone disappeared?”

“All of you. It’s only Gray and me here.”

I stopped for a long second, my hands shaking while I still held her. I looked over to my shoulder to glance at Vic and he wore the same worried expression I did.

It was way worse than we thought.

I took Marnie’s hand off my cheeks and gulped. “We need to sit down. I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

Marnie nodded and let me go, turning to the kitchen straight away. The kitchen was her palace and where she felt better.

Grayson followed her, and I used the moment alone to reach for Vic, my hands covering his chest.

“You ok?”

He nodded, still looking distant, his eyes scanning the room with distrust.

I placed my hand over his cheek and he leaned to the touch, even though his brows stayed furrowed.

“Let’s figure out what’s happening,” I said gently.

He nodded and followed me to the kitchen where Marnie was filling the kettle with water to make us tea.

I sat on a stool and so did Grayson, but Vic stood there, his horns almost touching the lamp, one step behind me like the most terrifying bodyguard.

“How long has passed since All Hallows’ Eve,” I asked.

“A month.” Marnie made a face, threatening to cry again.

I blew a raspberry. Everything happened at once, but we landed a month later? It didn’t seem fair.

“Where did you go?” Marnie asked as she put the kettle on the stove.

“The underworld. I thought I was following Penny and—”

“Why would you follow a spirit to the underworld, Pilar?” she shot straight away.

“I thought she was in trouble.” I felt the need to justify myself.

“She’s already dead! Oh, for the love of god, Pilar.”

I shook my head. I knew my sisters didn’t get it. They saw Penny as just some spirit wandering the mansion like many others. They didn’t understand our relationship. She was just like one of my sisters, someone I knew would do anything for me.

I’d never let anything happen to her. Now she was safe and happy, so no, I regretted nothing.

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