Inbetween

of Hell, and I’d go back in a heartbeat if it meant saving her life, but don’t think for a second that I won’t take you with me.”

“Emma!” Cash’s muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door, followed by a round of ragged coughs. He tried to open the door, but Rachel’s unconscious body was in the way.

How was he in the house? I could feel the heat of the flames pouring through the door. He got it open enough to slip through the gap and felt around for what was blocking his way in.

“Shit…Rachel?” He knelt down and touched Emma’s mother’s face, then shoved his arms underneath her and carried her out.

“No! Come back, you idiot!” I shouted, ready to smash my fist into something.

A few minutes later he stumbled back into the room.

“Emma?” he managed to wheeze between the coughs that made him double over every few steps.

Crap. Maeve was right. All I was going to do was get them both killed.

When he found her, he collapsed to the floor and pulled her into his arms. He struggled to stand, gathering her close, and backed out of the room in stumbling steps. I stayed behind them, whispering to Emma as he walked, but the second he made it to the doorway, a black blur darted in front of me and slammed Cash into the wall. He grunted and collapsed, his head slapping the floor with a final-sounding thud. Emma rolled out of his grip.

“No. Get up. You have to get up.” I knelt over Cash, whose face had already faded to an ashy gray color. The red spot under his head grew quickly, sticky and wet. Blood.

Down the hall, flames licked the living room ceiling. At least she’d started the fire on the opposite end of the house. If it had been closer, there would be no way out of this. As it stood, there was only one way out of this. I had to get it together. Find the strength. If I didn’t… If you don’t, she’ll die in this fire. She. Will. Die.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling gravity take hold of my body, and pulled Emma up into my arms. Her skin was pale and slick with sweat, little wisps of crimson-stained honey-blond hair stuck to the side of her face. All I could think about was our last moment together. Kissing her until I couldn’t breathe. Telling her I loved her and then disappearing.

My fingers gripped her tighter as the pain overwhelmed me, drowning me in desperate waves of regret. I looked over at Cash, limp and alone. Would he die because of me? Emma would never forgive me for that. Never. From the color on his face and the growing puddle of blood beneath his head, he didn’t have much time. I couldn’t see his chest moving anymore, couldn’t hear the reassuring wheeze of his labored breathing. Death lingered like a stale stench in the air. It was so close, I could taste it.

Emma gasped, shuddered, and fell limp beneath my fingertips. The world ground to a sickening halt. I crawled over her body and pressed my ear to her lips. Her heart. It was still beating but only barely. She was so still. So empty. I focused on staying solid as I pressed my fingers to her neck to try to stop the bleeding. “Stay with me, Emma. You can’t leave now. I won’t let you. You want to be alive, remember?”

“Finn, stop,” Easton said from behind me.

I pressed harder and the blood slowed. “You stay the hell away from her,” I choked. “Forget Maeve.

I can do this. I can save her.”

Easton gripped my shoulder, his touch burning, and jerked me off of Emma’s limp frame. Pain blinded me. Rage consumed me. I reached for my scythe, but Scout grabbed my other arm. The flames crawled closer. It was too hot. Too much… “She’s going to die if I let her go!”

“She won’t, I swear it. We can save her and take out Maeve, but you need to calm down and let me do my thing,” Easton growled against my ear. “Remember the plan you and Scout came up with? I’m here to do my part.” He stepped back and pulled his scythe out from his belt and looked at Scout.

“You’re going to have to hold him.”

Scout sank down behind me, gripped my arms, and locked me in place. “Do it.”

Easton raised his scythe and swung, ripping through Emma’s soft flesh. I choked. Scout held me tighter as Easton peeled Emma’s soul away from her flesh.

The world stopped. She blinked at me, shimmering, beautiful, and confused, looking totally out of place next to Easton.

“You guys need to move,” Anaya gritted out. “I can’t hold out much longer. I’ll take her. I won’t be able to stop.”

“Finn?” Emma’s mouth moved around a whisper and I scrambled to get to her, but before I could, a screaming flash of black ripped between us. The shadow hovered over Emma’s empty body, twisting and writhing with need. Maeve’s face broke through the shadow’s oily surface, and with a screech, she dove into the lifeless flesh.

“She’s in!” Easton shouted. “Get Emma out of here, Scout. She doesn’t need to see this part.”

Scout hurried over and wrapped his arm around Emma’s willowy shoulders. They stirred and turned to vapor at his touch. She opened her mouth, flailing for words as Scout pulled her away. Away from me.

I clenched my teeth and jumped up to go after them but Easton’s voice stopped me. “The sooner I get Maeve out of there, the sooner I can take her and the sooner you can put Emma back in.”

He nodded to Emma’s body. I gritted my teeth and I waited for her chest to start to rise and fall.

And then it happened. Emma’s chest rose with an unsteady breath, then fell.

But it wasn’t Emma inside. No…this was Maeve.

Her eyelids twitched and another breath filled her lungs.

Easton lunged forward. “Now!”

I scrambled back, watching him rip Maeve out of the girl I loved. Watched the fire eat the walls.

Turn them to ash. My mind was a jumble of memories. My flesh melting. Charring. Eating me alive. I gripped the sides of my head and groaned.

A scream ripped through the air. Emma’s back bowed, then collapsed to the floor as Easton tore Maeve from the flesh, her shadowy form twisted around Easton’s scythe. A puddle of shadows gathered around his ankles.

“Scout!” Easton shouted. Screams erupted from the oily surface beneath Easton’s feet. With a grunt, he grabbed Maeve’s wrist.

She screamed. “No. No, no, no way. I’m not going with you!” Easton spared me one glance that told me to finish it, and then he was dissolving into the sulfur-scented shadow beneath him, a screaming Maeve in tow. I turned my head away and squeezed my eyes shut, my stomach churning, as the screams funneled away like bathwater down a drain.

“Finn,” Scout said, pulling Emma into the room behind him. “She’s ready.”

It was time to get the girl I loved back where she needed to be. I jumped up and grabbed onto Emma’s hand. She looked horrified, staring down at her body.

“Hey.” I touched her chin. “Wake up, okay? Wake up because…I need you. No good-byes. Not yet.”

She nodded. I kissed her once, then knelt with her beside her body, guiding her back into her flesh.

Slowly, her soul melded with skin as each part of her gave in. She blinked two shimmering eyes at me and then they were gone too, replaced by warm, closed eyelids. I hovered over her body, holding her shimmering shoulders to keep her inside. After taking life for so long, giving it back was…beautiful.

Once I was sure she was in, I pulled my hands away.

And then there was just Scout and I staring at her chest. Waiting. Praying.

“What if she doesn’t—”

“She will,” I snapped.

Her chest rose with a wheezy breath, then she coughed and I was drowning in relief. Scout laughed and slapped me on the back.

“She made it.” I rubbed my hands across my face and smiled.

A fireman sprinted up the hall and crashed through the bedroom door. Shouts echoed, muffled by smoke and sirens. Then Emma was in his arms, being carried away.

I was only dimly aware of Anaya. She knelt over Cash, a prayer on her lips, as his soul rose from his body. Anaya placed her palm over his chest and pressed him back into his flesh.