“Days, you only have days left.”
She blinked several times, tears streaking her face. “They … they just showed me. Days, at best. I’m sorry. Maybe less.”
His heart wanted to stutter, but he held it together. “Thank you.”
With a quick turn of the handle, he pushed through the veil and into the burning inferno that was the castle, shutting the door behind him. He stumbled over something at his feet. “Shit, Pamela!” He scooped her up and she let out a mumble.
Alex grabbed at her legs. “Pamie, Pamie, wakey up!”
Her eyes rolled, fluttered, and then opened. “Hurry, Liam. I can’t hold out much longer.”
He didn’t ask what she meant, only picked her up and started to run. Twisting and turning through the castle, it was if the flames around them were chasing them. Alex yelped several times, and as they skidded into the main courtyard he let out a shriek as a piece of his tail caught on fire.
“Fucking ouchie!”
“Hurry, Liam,” Pamela groaned. There was no waiting; he bolted for the main gate, aiming for the slim opening in it. They burst through and into a steady downpour of rain that soothed his skin. He fell to his knees as he gulped in the fresh, cool air.
Alex poked his nose into Pamela’s face. “Pamie, you okay?”
Her breathing was steady and even, and Liam could tell it was just exhaustion. She waited inside that burning castle for him and Alex. He touched her face gently. “Kid, you did good. Real good. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t amazing.”
He knew in his heart it was a little like him saying goodbye, saying the things he should have said a long time ago. The time had come for his goodbyes, and he wouldn’t shirk them. As hard as they would be, he would say his peace before it was his time so those important to him would know he loved them.
Going on a hunch, I had Frank open the veil a half mile from Jack’s house. Just to be safe. And as close as we were, Frank was able to open the veil for that short jump despite his exhaustion and inexperience, completely avoiding the giant who stood on guard at the castle watching the fire rage.
We stumbled through the veil as fast as we could, every one of us worn out.
I Tracked the unicorns first; they were in the forest around the mini mansion and they watched us closely. I lifted a hand to them. They were safe and that was enough. Eve, Marco, and a whole damn clutch of harpies were on the rooftops and I could see now why the unicorns were in the forest. Sure, there might have been a truce between the two species, but that didn’t mean they had to like it.
Coyote was doing well, and he proved it by alternately pissing off Erik and then making him laugh. Frank and Kyle were discussing computer programs, but it was India who held my attention. She was in her own little world, and when I Tracked her to get a bead on her feelings, there was a lot of sorrow coursing through her. The spot where Frank had dropped us would give us a bit of a walk; I hoped that would give me enough time to talk to her.
“India, you know about your parents?”
Her eyes flicked to mine and then away. “Yes, they’re with me.”
Damn, being a spirit seeker had its pitfalls. I put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about that. I wish we could have saved them too.”
She gave a slight shrug. “It was their time. That’s the way it works, you know.”
Unfortunately, I did know. Even if I didn’t like it.
“I can sometimes tell when someone’s spirit is close to crossing the veil.” Again, her eyes flicked to mine and away. Like she was embarrassed.
A part of me didn’t want to know. The other part knew it was important. “Someone in our group?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want to tell me, do you?”
She shook her head. “I’m not allowed. But it makes me sad. It will change everything. But they won’t really be gone. You need to know that.”
“What do you mean?”
“They are always with you, the ones you love. They never leave you. They fight for you even after they’re gone.”
Such wise words from one so young. “You mean like Giselle?”
A smile broke across her face. “Yes, like Giselle. And others too, there is a man named Jack who wants to say something to you, but he’s saying very bad words.” She blushed and I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out of me.
“That sounds like Jack.”
She screwed up her face. “He says he’s proud of you, even though he didn’t spend a lot of time training you. And that the book of the lost is where all the answers are. And that he’s sorry he didn’t tell you that in the beginning.”