Death Becomes Me (Call Me Grim Book 2) (25 page)

I nod. I don’t think I can say it. Not out loud.

“See? You did it.” Aaron smiles. Always a teacher, even in this messed-up situation. “I knew you could do it.”

“Wonderful,” Abaddon purrs. “Now, bring the boy to the Gateway.”

Kyle takes a step back, his dark gaze locked on the Shadow of my mother.

“Is Haley safe?” His eyes slide to me briefly, then back to Abaddon.

“He let her go,” I say.

“Good.” He nods.

His hand slips to his back pocket where he usually keeps his drumsticks. It stops there and a sad frown pulls at his features. His hand drops limply to his side. His soul must not come equipped with drumsticks. Somehow that makes me sadder than anything else I’ve seen today.

“I’m sorry about your mom.” Kyle avoids my eyes as he combs his fingers through his hair. “I just couldn’t let him do that to Haley. You know? She didn’t do anything.”

“I know,” I say instead of pointing out that my mother hasn’t done anything either. He doesn’t need to hear that now. I don’t blame him for choosing to save Haley. I would have done the same thing, if the roles were reversed and Abaddon had Max. “It’s okay. I understand.”

“So, we’re all right?”

“Yeah,” I say and his shoulders relax. He smiles.

“Enough talk.” Abaddon bellows and his voice rumbles in the air. Impatience cuts each of his words short. “Bring him to the Gateway. I need him now.”

Wait. What? He
needs
him?

Kyle pivots on one foot and faces the circular clearing of grass and the Gateway in the center. “Take me in, Libs. I’m ready.”

“Wait.” I throw an arm in front of Kyle and stop him from getting any closer.

“Libs, don’t do this…” Kyle says, a warning in his tone.

“Don’t push it,” Aaron echoes, but he doesn’t know what I know. Nicholas never shared his theories with Aaron. I lift a hand to shush them both.

It’s hard to look at the monster when he’s using my mother’s face, but I force myself to meet Abaddon’s inky-black eyes. Those eyes, at least, don’t belong to my mom.

“If you
need
Kyle so badly, why don’t you come out and get him yourself?”

“You should know this.” He gives Aaron a sharp look. “A freed soul must be escorted to the Gateway by a human Reaper. That is how this works, girl. You are the bridge between the earthly and the divine. Now bring him to me.”

“Why does a divine creature need souls?”

“I don’t have time for trivial questions. Removing his soul only extends his time briefly. Bring me the boy, before it’s too late.”

“Answer my question and I’ll bring him to you.”

“Libbi, please. Don’t do this.” Kyle’s hand tightens around mine. “For me. For Haley. Please, just take me in.”

“No, Kyle. I know what I’m doing.” Another thought occurs to me and I square my shoulders. Two can play this game. I have something Abaddon wants. Maybe I can use it to get something I want. “No, wait. I’ll bring him to you if you let my mother go.”

Abaddon throws his head back and laughs. “I will not let this woman go. Having her will be a great asset when dealing with you in the future.”

“But what about Max? He’ll have no one without her. He needs his mother.”

“Of course.” A soft smile curls his lips. “You are concerned about your brother.”

“Yes.”

“And you have no concern for your friend or your mother?”

“Of course I do, but…”

Abaddon narrows his eyes. A growl like a million lions about to feed thunders from his throat, and Mom screams. She doubles over and grasps her head in her hands. Thrashing back and forth, crying, begging for the pain to stop. Begging
me
to make it stop.

“Oh please.” I yell. “Please, stop hurting her.”

“Bring. The. Boy. To. Me.” Impossibly, Abaddon’s voice filters through the high pitch of Mom’s screams.

“Let her go.”

“Libbi,” Kyle says close to my ear. “Just take me to him. I can’t go on my own.”

“No. I will not be bullied.”

Mom suddenly straightens and glares at me, but it’s not my mother anymore. I don’t know where she went, but she’s gone again. Abaddon has taken over.

He moves to the edge of the circle. I can’t tell if his eyes are locked on mine or not, since they are as black as crude oil, but a chill curls my back just the same. He lifts one of Mom’s feet and steps over the threshold of the clearing and into the underbrush.

“Since your concern lies with your brother, how hard do you think it will be for me to get him to come here?” He takes another step over the threshold and gestures to his body—Mom’s body. “Looking like this, I imagine he’ll come with me without question. And then I will have two souls to use against you.” He shrugs and the action is so awkward and strange it doesn’t seem real. “But if you bring me Kyle’s soul, I promise to leave Max alone until it is his scheduled time to meet me.” His voice softens. If it wasn’t for the evil rumble underlying it, I’d think it’s almost fatherly. “Really, child, it is a great kindness that I am willing to let you off so easy, after all the trouble you have caused. Just ask Aaron how unkind I can be.”

“No need.” My jaw aches with tension as I remember the scars that cover Aaron’s body like crosshatch, Ruth’s disfigured face, Millie’s missing hand. “I already know.”

“Ah. Do you?” He tilts Mom’s head curiously. “Must you experience it for yourself, then?”

He moves forward. I dig my heels into the dirt, ready to stand my ground. He can slash me, bite me, and hurt me all he wants, I will not give in.

“Libs, don’t.” Kyle says. “Do what he says.”

“I’d listen to your friend.” Abaddon raises Mom’s hand, pointing at me.

“No,” I say.

A tentacle of black ink shoots out of Mom’s forefinger and wraps my midsection with fire. Then another, and another, until five burning ropes tighten around me. And, oh God, the pain. If I thought being shot in the head hurt, this is oh so much worse. I can’t describe it. I can smell my scorching flesh as every nerve in my body ignites. My bones feel like they could explode under the pressure of his crushing power.

A scream rips from me. I can’t help it. The pain. I can’t stand it. I can’t.

But I have to. This is not about me anymore.

“You. Can’t. Bully. Me.” It takes every ounce of my strength to get those words out. “Let my mother go.”

“She is too valuable. I will sooner lose this boy’s soul than lose my control over you.” Abaddon’s eyes narrow to black slits. His grip on me tightens. A loud pop sounds and splintering pain blooms in my ribs.

“Stop.” Leaves crackle and sticks break as Aaron runs between us. He stands in front of me in an attempt to block me from Abaddon, but the fiery tentacles surge around him, avoiding him, and continue to hold me tight. “You want to keep Libbi’s mother as a Shadow because her love for her is valuable to you. Isn’t that right? You can’t choose who becomes a Reaper—that’s the Reaper’s choice—but it doesn’t really matter, does it? You can control us with our love for each other.”  Aaron reaches back. He takes my hand and with that one gesture the pain racking my body becomes almost bearable. “Well, if it’s love you’re after, then you should know Libbi loves me too. She left her mother and her brother to be with me. And I would have done the same for her. I love her.” He meets my eyes over his shoulder. “With all that I am, I love you, Libbi Piper.”

My heart soars in spite of the situation, but quickly plummets again. Why would he bring this up now? What is he thinking?

“When we agreed to become Reapers, our deaths were not postponed. They were cancelled,” Aaron continues with a knowing gleam in his eyes. “You need each new Reaper to kill the previous Reaper so you can get their souls. But you won’t get Libbi’s or my soul that way. She’s not a murderer and she won’t kill me. And I refuse to kill her.” His hand tightens around mine. “But I think I have a solution, if you’re willing to let her go and listen.”

Abaddon pulls Mom’s lips into a thin grimace as he stares at Aaron, calculating. Suddenly the fiery tentacles loosen and the pain subsides. I lose all function of my legs and collapse to the ground at Aaron’s feet.

“What solution do you propose?” Abaddon says.

“If Libbi brings Kyle’s soul to the Gateway and you let her mother go, I will offer myself as a Shadow for you to use however you like.”

“Wait. What?” I gape at the back of Aaron’s head, my mouth slack with surprise.

“He won’t let your mom go without an exchange,” he says softly. “I’ve been dead to all who love me for a long time.”

“Except me,” I whisper as tears roll down my cheeks. “I love you.”

“Except you.” He nods. “Which is why this will work. You’re right. Max has no one now. He needs his mother.”

For once, I’m at a loss for words.

Abaddon’s head ticks between us, then his eyes settle on me. A heavy silence falls and I’m trapped in his gaze, but I hold steady. I will not look away, no matter how terrifying he is.

“Yes. You are a most difficult girl, Libbi Piper. I fear Aaron made a poor choice with you, but what is done, is done.” He touches Mom’s chin. “Perhaps this offer is worth my while.” His stare remains fixed on me for a few moments, then he nods and says, “If you bring me the soul of Kyle Dennis, I will accept Aaron Shepherd as a Shadow in exchange for Dina Piper.”

Aaron turns to me with a triumphant grin, but I’m frozen in place.

“Aaron…I won’t…I can’t let you—”

“You can, and you will.” His hands glide up my arms and settle on my shoulders. I’m struck by the determination in his eyes and the resolution of his frown as he leans closer. “He’ll let your mother go if you bring Kyle to the Gateway, Libbi. All you have to do is your job.” His eyes flick over my shoulder to my right and the furrow in his brow deepens. “Look at Kyle. I don’t think he has much time. You have to do this. Now.”

I twist around, following the direction of his worried gaze, and gasp.

The light of Kyle’s soul has changed. Instead of glowing as if dipped in liquid neon, like every other soul I’ve seen, whether inside a body or outside of one, thin lines of concentrated light zigzag over him, pulsing like a beating heart, the pulse becoming slower and slower.

It’s dying. He’s dying.

“Oh.” My hand drifts to my mouth.

“What?” Kyle asks, but I just shake my head. I can’t answer him. If I open my mouth I might scream.

The lines remind me of the mark, but in reverse. Where the mark opened across Kyle’s face to reveal dark, oily, angry goop, these cracks in his soul cover his entire body and glow from within, like lava.

He looks shattered, like the serving plate Max dropped at Gran’s house last Christmas, but held together with light rather than super glue. And at the same time he looks like he’s about to explode. With each throb of light, the pieces of him expand out, testing the binding that holds his soul together.

Aaron told me once that a person will tear their soul apart if we don’t help them out of their body, but he never said this could happen if we didn’t get them to the Gateway in time. Maybe he didn’t know. Maybe he always got them there before this happened.

“Hurry, child, hurry.” Abaddon shifts impatiently. He reaches for Kyle, fingers outstretched.

“It’s okay, Libs. I’ll be okay.” Kyle’s hand slips around mine and he gives me a half smile. “I’m ready to go. Just lead the way.”

I nod and take the first step toward the Gateway. What else can I do?  I’ve been backed into this corner with no way out. Kyle gave himself for Haley and I should respect his decision. And Aaron sacrificed himself so Mom could be free, for Max and for me. I should be grateful. And I am. I really am, but I want them all to be free. I want them all to live. I want Kyle to grow up and have a family and a life. I want Aaron to stay with me so we can explore this love that has blossomed between us. But I can’t have any of those things. And I guess it’s a little selfish of me to keep holding onto something that was never really mine to begin with.

I should get used to this. Separation and loss is my life now.

We approach the Gateway and Kyle’s soul throbs faster and faster. The Scythe on my thumb picks up the frantic rhythm. I close my eyes and step through the hole in reality at the center of the clearing in the woods, bringing my best friend with me.

Daylight disappears and the Blackness envelops us. I glance back the way we came. The rectangular door that leads back to Carroll Falls hangs in the middle of the darkness like a framed picture.

Abaddon stands just outside the doorway wearing my mother’s soul. His ebony eyes stare in at us. The Blackness that surrounds us leaks through the doorway and extends in a long ribbon to Mom’s feet. Behind Abaddon, Aaron shuffles his feet. He looks in our direction too, but I doubt he can see us. I turn back to Kyle.

“I’m supposed to say something.”

“Yeah.” He nods.

“I was freaked out the last time I was here. I don’t remember what to say.”

Kyle lifts his shoulder and gives me a small smile. “It doesn’t have to be fancy. Basically, you have to say this is my judgment. That my good deeds will be weighed against my bad deeds, and if I make it to the light, the good outweighed the bad. Aaron told me to make it my own.”