on the other side.
And then Dune bellowed Poe’s name.
His knife flew through the air, slicing its way into my mother’s shoulder at the same time the veil swallowed her whole. She stumbled, gagging violently and clutching her head, her eyes rolling back.
As one, the rips swiveled their focus toward her.
Mother flew into the air as if jerked by an invisible string. Once there she floated, parallel to the ground. I would remember the look on her face for the rest of my life. Tears of furious defeat, and eyes wide with terror.
That’s when I realized this possession was different.
Because she was still in the veil. Dune was holding the current steady.
Her body absorbed the rips, and not just their faces. Their bodies, too. We watched as they consumed her. Witnessed her skin melt away, heard her bones break, as she assumed each form.
Every single rip on the boat entered the veil, one by one, reshaping my mother into their images as they did. When they were gone, there was a flash of light and a terrible ripping sound. One keening scream.
Darkness devoured it all, including the veil, leaving behind nothing but the steady sound of paddle wheels churning up the Mississippi.
I stared at the empty air.
I wanted to feel sorry, feel
Then Poe was in front of me, reaching out.
The consequences of one simple touch registered a second before it could happen.
“Stop!” I threw myself against the rail. “Don’t touch me, either of you. Not until I get this necklace off.”
How long would I have to worry about accidentally killing someone I loved?
“She made sure it wasn’t going to come off easily. Fire’s the only thing that’s going to get through it.” Poe held up his hands. “If you want, I can take care of that.”
“Please.” I voiced my other concern. “When will the duronium be out of my system?”
“It shouldn’t take long, especially with your metabolism. You’ll burn it off. Be right back.”
Dune reached for me. In that second, I needed him to touch me more than I needed air in my lungs, but the fear of what I could’ve done by touching him or Poe weighed heavily.
“Just me,” he said. “I’ll move the second Poe comes back on deck.”
I threw myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest, squeezing his waist. Safe. Solid. My anchor.
“I don’t think she’s coming out of the veil,” I whispered, looking up at him.
The unusual sadness in his eyes told me he agreed. “I’m sorry for my part in it. I didn’t know what would happen, but I wasn’t expecting that. I can’t stop thinking that it could’ve been you, Hallie. It could’ve been you.”
“I know.” My mother had been an unwilling sacrifice. That was going to take years to unpack, and trying to deal with it now was pointless. I would focus on the present. “Is everyone okay? Carl—”
“He was on his way to the hospital, and everyone else is fine.”
Poe exited the cabin and conferred with one of the ship hands.
When he turned toward us, Dune let me go and took a step back.
“We’re headed back to shore.” Poe held up a tiny blowtorch. “Ready?”
“I’ll check in with Michael,” Dune said. “Be right back.”
“Stay where I can see you.” I sounded like his mom instead of his girlfriend, but I didn’t care. Was I his girlfriend? The word seemed too simple.
Dune nodded. I should’ve known he’d understand.
“I’m sorry, Hallie.” Poe shoved his free hand in his jeans pocket. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“How did you end up here?”
“Your dad asked for my help. That’s why I was on the boat. When you made him promise not to come straight home, he called me. Thank God Teague still thought I was on her side.”
I couldn’t stop looking at the place she’d been standing when she disappeared. “He was right to send you. I’ll have to tell him she’s dead.”
“Don’t think about it now.”
“I’ll think about it every day for the rest of my life.” I nodded at the blowtorch. “Ready?”
He fired it up. It looked like the kind chefs used to burn the sugar on creme brulees.
“Hold the pendant and use it to lift the chain. It’s going to get hot.”
I shuddered when Poe slipped a finger between the necklace and my skin.
“And Hallie, I didn’t mean anything I said. You know that, yeah?”
“I do.”
“I’m glad you two found each other, jealous even, except for the circumstances. Your grandchildren will never tire of the stories.”
The hiss of the blowtorch kept me from any commentary. The chain was unbearably hot, and the second I felt it give, I jerked it off my neck. “Thank you.”
“Least I could do.” Poe gave me a quick kiss on top of the head and disappeared into the cabin.
“What are you going to do with it?” Dune slid his phone back in his pocket and leaned against the railing.
“Get rid of it.” It was about an inch and a half long, with flower detailing, and an empty setting meant for a stone. Morning sunlight shone off the metal and I caught a hint of shadow. “It’s two pieces. Should I open it?”
“If you want to.” He nodded and took a step closer. “Just be careful.”
I twisted the top of the cylinder. It gave a little, so I applied more force. The lid came off. “There’s something inside.”
Shaking, I emptied the contents into my palm. An hourglass, no bigger than a safety pin. It hummed against my skin.
Dune stared at it for a long moment before meeting my eyes.
“Mom implied I needed this to transfer abilities. I believe you’re looking at the result of your quest,” I whispered.
“No.” He shook his head. “My quest led me to you.”
I slid the hourglass back into its secret home and replaced the lid.
“You sure you don’t want it?” I dangled the pendant from the chain, studying his face.
“I already have everything I want.”
I kissed him, long and hard. Together we walked to the boat railing.
I balled the chain and pendant up, made a wish, and threw them both into the Mississippi.
I met her in front of Saint Louis Cathedral. “Hurry!” Hallie dragged me across Jackson Square. “They’ve been waiting for twenty minutes already.”
“I told you I forgot my wallet and had to go back to the apartment. This is way different from the first time you saw them.”
“Heck, yeah! We’re planning a trip to Hawaii.” She tugged on my hand a little harder. “I’m excited, and you’re as slow as molasses.”
“You’re on the phone or video chat with Em or Lily every day, and you have been for the past three months. We didn’t decide on Hawaii until last week. What were you all talking about all the other times?”
“Hush.”
She silenced me with a kiss, but I started up again as soon as it was over.
“You didn’t give in and tell them about your Newcomb acceptance, did you?” I asked.
“No. Did you tell them about Tulane?”
“Nope.” Just Liam, but he didn’t count, since the information had been part of my resignation letter. He’d given the school transfer and my new job his full blessing. Things were about to change at Chronos.
“Rip alert.” Hallie squeezed my hand. “A pirate, I believe. At four o’clock. Do you see him?”
