Careful not to harm him with the glass, Viola rubbed her cheek against his and clutched thirteen pounds of love, beauty and rage to her chest. “I’ve missed you madly,” she told him, her tears flowing freely again.
“You,” the shifter said, lumbering to unsteady feet. “You’re the one who brought the winged creature to the bar.” He evinced worry rather than accusation. “You escaped him. I’m glad.”
“I did escape him, yes.” For a total of two seconds. To Fluffy, she said, “Did my brilliant darling smell my scent, comprehend my plan, and capture the wolf before flashing here? Who is Mommy’s good boy? You are. Yes, yes, you are.”
With a weary sigh, her pet rested his head on her shoulder. He, too, had grown weak. Weaker than before. Had he suffered without her?
She bit the inside of her cheek to silence a whimper. Fluffy required an infusion of immortality, and he needed it now. There was no time to charm the wolf. “I’m Viola, goddess of the Afterlife,” she announced, meeting his gaze head-on. “One of many, but by far the best. I see auras, and yours tells me that you’re going to die. Soon.” Before, the glowing outline around him had contained striations of black. Now, a black aura contained striations of red and gray, the little cracks caused by fury and sadness. The two emotions had worked together, draining his strength as swiftly as Narcissism had drained hers. “Death courts you even now.”
“It does?” To her amazement, he dropped to his knees and smiled. “Finally, I will join my mate.”
Ohhhh. He was one of those. The rarest, sweetest fruit in existence. A fated mate willing himself to die, eager to be with a slain lover again. Although, his lifeforce must be weaker than it appeared. Weak, yes, but viable. At the very least, he would recharge Fluffy’s battery, buying more time. Months, maybe. Besides, such loyalty deserved a reward. Viola could help him and her baby.
“You plan to escort my spirit to the hereafter?” he asked, more eager by the minute. Admiring, maybe. Oh, yes. Admiring definitely.
She jolted, her eyes widening. That admiration hit her with the potency of high-octane fuel. Strength flooded her as if a dam had crumbled. Mmm. Delicious.
This shifter might be the answer to her every problem. “There’ll be no escorting. I plan to…accept the gift of your immortality.” Why not be blunt? “You’ll become human and die faster. All I need is your agreement.”
“Yes. You have it. Agreed. Accepted. Whatever declaration you need to hear.” He shot to his feet and tripped her way, his eagerness palpable, his admiration greater. “Take my immortality. Take it now.”
Wow. Convincing a man to part with his lifeforce had never been easier.
After kissing Fluffy’s precious little snout, she eased him to the floor, where he settled. She straightened and focused on her new best friend, the wolfshifter. “Shall we begin?”
“I’m wondering why we haven’t started already,” he said, stepping closer. “What do you need me to do?”
“Resist the urge to fight me when the pain comes.” With the cuff on her wrist, she couldn’t do this the easy way. Meaning, she couldn’t dematerialize into spirit form to reach inside his body and carefully sever the heart of his immortality from his spirit. She had to go old school.
Viola erased the rest of the distance and planted her hands on his shoulders. He tensed, but he didn’t issue a protest. She drew in a deep breath, her mind whirling. In seconds, she would end his life. Another death stain on my soul. A temporary fix for her troubles, and another action for Narcissism to use against her.
But what other choice did she have?
A long-forgotten part of her whispered, There’s always another way.
Maybe truth, maybe not. Either way, she could see no other road to travel. “Thank you for your sacrifice, wolf.” Viola offered him a half-hearted smile before pressing her mouth against his.
He exhaled a puff of air, his lips parting. Excellent. She inhaled sharply, stealing the breath and forcing the heart of his immortality to ascend from his innermost being.
He grunted an agonized sound, but he didn’t attempt to sever contact. She sucked harder and faster until a small ball of muted light floated from him. The weaker the lifeforce, the duller the glow.
With this, Fluffy might gain a month, but no more. No matter. They had time now. Other donors could be found and brought here as necessary.
Once Viola swallowed the muted light, separating it from the shifter, she released his shoulders. He collapsed, alive but fading fast. Warmth spread through her belly as she knelt by Fluffy and placed her mouth before his. Deep inhale. Slow but formidable exhale. Because the beam wasn’t yet tethered to any part of her, it rose with ease, leaving her to flow into the animal’s open mouth.
As soon as the process completed, Fluffy smiled and jumped to his feet. Happy to be alive and strong again, he raced from one end of the hall to the other, then back. How adorable. He had the zoomies.
Fresh relief inundated Viola. She returned her attention to the shifter, who observed her curiously from his spot on the floor.
“Thank you,” he croaked. The adoration in his dark, puppy-dog eyes had intensified.
She must be amazing. Look at how much she’d helped him.
Tendrils of strength unfurled in her limbs, and they were far stronger than the first. Her tremors ceased. How wondrous! No one had ever thanked her for this act. Most often, she’d received exclamations of regret and demands for a reversal.
“Thank you,” she said, and she meant it. “Your kindness has brought me great joy.” If only she could reward him. Mark him to ensure he remained protected in the spirit realm. The cuff ruined everything. Including her outfit: the white dress she’d washed in the bathroom sink. “One day, I’ll find your spirit. I’ll help you in some way. I vow it.”
She might forget the vow for a few centuries, but she would remember eventually.
With his last breath, the shifter rasped, “You have helped me already, goddess. I go to find my girl.” His gaze deadened, staring at nothing as his head lolled to the side.
Viola blinked away tears of…guilt? Relief? Whatever. Emotions had to wait. “Flash Mommy home,” she said to Fluffy. Something he’d done on more than one occasion.
Her baby leaped into her arms. Seconds passed, but nothing happened. Her pet grew agitated, and she frowned.
“The cuff,” she grated. “It must prevent anyone but Brochan from flashing me.” Well, she needed to deal with her beast, anyway. Now, at least, she had the strength to do so.
Forcing a bright smile for her pet’s peace of mind, she set Fluffy on his feet and stood. “Return the body to the bar, my darling. Then fetch Mommy’s go-bag.” A duffel filled with weapons, weapons and more weapons. Brochan had confiscated her jewelry during one of his visits.
While he was gone, she could change and—gag—clean a room or two. Fluffy deserved to stay in a luxurious palace, not some musty hovel. When Brochan returned, she might offer the beast a final chance to work with her to eradicate the Forsaken who threatened her wellbeing. If he refused a second time… She might do to him what she’d done to the shifter, a poisonous Forsaken or not.
Viola regarded the metal wrist cuff. Desperate measures would be taken.