In the bare, stone room at the top of the stone stairs, we found Odin pouring a ring of salt. The book was laid open within the circle; sitting beside a dish of herbs, a gold cord, and a copper incense burner. All of this was laid on a white cloth and illuminated by a white candle. White candles had also been placed at each of the four directional points within the circle; their little flames burning valiantly.
To either side of the cloth altar were white pallets. Odin waved the Wolf and me into the circle, closed it by connecting the ring of salt, and then directed us to each lie on one of the pallets.
“This feels awfully familiar,” I observed.
“It is,” Odin agreed. “In order to give Trevor a part of your soul, you must first remove it from your body.”
“I have to astral project?” I asked.
“Correct.” Odin was in his serious god mode. “I will burn the herbs at the required times, but that's all I can do for you. You will need to pull yourself to Trevor and then”—Odin paused and took a deep breath—“you will have to tear a piece of your soul away and place it within his.”
“That sounds painful,” Azrael said.
“It most likely will be,” Odin said. “But I don't think that will sway Vervain.”
I shook my head no and winked at the Wolf.
“Can't I just cut it from her with my scythe?” Azrael asked.
“Do you know how to cut a piece of a soul away without taking all of it?” Odin countered.
Azrael grimaced.
“I didn't think so,” Odin said without rancor. “Only our wife will be able to sense exactly what Trevor needs and exactly how much of it to give him. Trust your instincts, Vervain.”
“That's it?” I asked. “Trust my instincts?”
“One more thing,” Odin lifted the gold cord from the altar cloth. “Look familiar?”
“It's similar to the cord I use to pull myself out of my body,” I said. “Although this cord is physical and the other is spiritual.”
“Yes; this is a physical representation of a spiritual cord,” Odin said as he tied one end around the Wolf's wrist. He returned to me and tied the other end to my wrist. “Use the spiritual cord above you to pull your soul free and then you should be able to see this cord binding you to Trevor; it will also become spiritual. Use it to pull yourself to him.”
“I can just float over,” I said. “Is the cord really necessary?”
“It's part of the spell,” Odin said. “It links your souls together. Trevor will have to project as well, and then your souls will need to come into touching distance. That's much harder to do than it sounds. Outside of the Void, souls are more elusive; you'll need a tether. Trust me.”
“Okay, I understand,” I said as I laid down.
I heard Odin explaining everything to the Wolf, but I was already relaxing into a meditative state. I knew this process fairly well. I barely needed the scent of the burning herbs to encourage my soul to fly. All I needed was the intent to help my husband.
I opened my mental eyes and saw a glowing golden cord hanging above me. When I reached for it, I reached with my true self instead of my body, and I saw a translucent version of my hands grab hold of the cord and pull. It was a longer process than I remembered; inching up that line until I was free of my body. Then I was floating above my husbands; looking down on my still body and their worried faces. All except for the Wolf; who was both lying quietly on his pallet and floating beside me.
But he wasn't just the Wolf anymore. This was Trevor's soul; all of it. Or at least what remained of it. He gave me a soft smile as we pulled ourselves along the spiritual cord linking us. We glided together easily; two soul balloons on the same string.
I immediately laid my hand to his chest; seeking the emptiness inside him. I didn't have to search long. As soon as I touched him, Trevor's spiritual chest opened and revealed a cavity inside; right where his heart would have been. His real heart wasn't missing, but I understood the significance. Trevor had given me his soul's heart; the most precious part of himself. And he'd taken nothing in return.
I shivered with both love and pain for him, but he laid his hand to my cheek and smiled. Trevor had already known—of course, he had—and he had been at peace with it. I tried to speak to him, but without our physical bodies or the Void to give us forms, we had no vocal chords. Still, he knew what I wanted to say, and I felt his response. Trevor had known what he was doing; he had entered our bond with more awareness than I had. He had been happy with his heart inside me. It was only the Wolf who didn't understand that sometimes you give up pieces of yourself for love, and if the love was great enough, you never feel the lack.
But now, the Wolf understood.
I steadied myself and took a good look at the empty space in Trevor's chest. Then—holding his gaze—I pushed my hand into my chest and closed it around my heart—the nine-pointed star. This was both a spiritual thing
