Page 27 of A Soul’s Awakening

For a stunned moment, the room was silent. It was Ren who broke it.

“I need some air. I’ll go check on Stella and Ivy.” And without a second glance, he shoved me aside like he couldn’t get out of that room fast enough.

Only then did the weight of the moment finally hit me. Ren was seeing my mom for the first time since the incident that had stripped her of who she used to be, leaving her a husk of herself. He had confessed everything to me, his regret spilling out in broken apologies, but even though I had accepted what he had done, I had never found it in myself to completely forgive him.

“Wait, Ren!” I tried to let go of Alex’s hand, determined to follow Ren, but he only clenched it tighter. My gaze moved between the demon unraveling in front of me and his unspoken need for someone to lean on, to Alex, my sister, and my mom. They could have been seriously injured if Ren and I hadn’t shown up in time. Alex was looking up at me with glassy eyes, weak and helpless and confused. The quiet strain of being pulled in two different directions threatened to tear me in half.

“I’m fine, Theo. They need you more than I do.”

The lie hurt more than him turning his back on me. I felt it settle between us, heavy and unspoken, and yet still I let him go. I stood there, memorizing the set of his shoulders, the sound of his footsteps, the space he’d left behind, until the hallway swallowed him and I was left with the ache of knowing I should have stopped him.

14

I had to sit down. Dizziness was making my vision swim. I had successfully returned that one phantom to home, but I lost Lukas to the Syndicate.

My sister handed me a cup of water. “You okay?” she signed. I nodded, but the gesture felt hollow. The weight of everything settled onto my shoulders, heavy enough to make them sag. How was I supposed to do this? I'd barely managed to reach a single phantom and guide her back to the underworld. Yet beyond the walls of this room, hundreds, maybe thousands, were pouring through the fractured veil. Each one carried its own pain, its own rage, its own reason for refusing to let go.

The thought made my stomach twist. If connecting to one phantom had nearly broken me, what would happen when I tried to reach them all?

My phone buzzed in my pocket. “Twenty missed calls and texts?” I gasped as I answered Ren’s call. “Ren? Is everything okay?”

“Where the hell have you two been?” I heard the murmur of voices in the background. Stella and Ivy from the sounds of it. “Nick is looking for you. Say goodbye and let’s get out of here. More rift wardens just showed up and things are getting out of control. We’re waiting outside.”

I asked Paige to check on Lukas’ grandmother. As I knelt down to say goodbye to my mom, I held her hands in mine.

“You’re probably surprised to see Ren here, aren’t you?” Paige looked over at me as I spoke to my mom. My sister was well aware of Ren’s past and what he did to our family, but neither of us had mustered up the courage to tell our mom about it.

Exhaling heavily, I started explaining, knowing I had to make it quick. “We met each other by accident. Well, I thought it was an accident but he was secretly keeping an eye on me all these years. Not in a creepy way or anything,” I quickly amended. “I just think he was … lonely after what happened.”

My mom sat quietly in her wheelchair, unable to respond with words. I watched as her eyes turned glassy.

“We quickly became good friends. Actually, I think we might be more than that. We started getting a lot closer after I broke up with Sly.”

My sister walked over, placing her hand on my shoulder for comforting support.

“He told me everything that happened that night of the break-in. I’m sure you knew it was him all these years and the destruction he brought onto this family. But he didn’t hide his past from me, and I respect him for that. He regrets everything he did, and I believe he’s truly trying to make things right, to do better. I know it eats him up inside having to live with the consequences. He’s not a bad guy, and I think you still believe that too, right, mom? He deserves a second chance. He’s saved more than once, but he’s never had anyone to save him. I want to be that person for him.”

When Ren had ripped the magic from her body and shattered her soul, he’d left my mom a hollow shell of who she used to be. But every now and then, when her emotions became strong enough, traces of her empath abilities still flickered weakly to the surface.

Right now, I could feel them spilling into me. She was … happy. Relieved. There wasn’t a single drop of anything angry or vengeful.

“I knew you’d understand.” I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Maybe one day he’ll be ready to come visit you. But right now, he’s kind of a mess. So be patient with him, okay? I gotta get going, but I’ll be back to visit more often. I promise.”

Alex and I followed Paige out one of the side entrances, away from the police clustered near the front of the building, but I couldn’t stop watching the scene unfold.

A woman shrieked as a rift warden stepped in front of her, raising a hand just in time. The black ring on his finger flared, and the phantom lunging for her was snapped back and contained mid-strike. Another pair of wardens drove back a pressing wave of phantoms, forcing them into a tightening containment field while the nursing home staff broke into relieved applause. A news station was there capturing it all.

My sister tugged on my sleeve, and I had no choice but to ignore what was going on. I followed her to the employee parking lot. There, leaning against a black SUV, was Nick twirling the keys around his finger. Ivy stood next to Stella while Ren paced anxiously around the vehicle, white puffs of cold air escaping his frantic breaths.

I caught Ren’s conflicted gaze, something halfway between worry and frustration. I opened my mouth to say something, but my sister’s tap on my shoulder cut me off.

“Take my keys and go home with Ren.” Paige signed, digging into her purse and tossing me her car key. “I’ll hitch a ride with a friend when it’s time to go home and stop by later to pick up my car.”

A gracious smile spread across my face. My sister’s magic allowed her to understand exactly what others needed. I wasn’t sure if it was me or Ren she was reading, but she knew the both of us would benefit from some time together, away from the rest of the group.

Nick opened ‌the back door to the SUV and called over Alex, who was already walking my way, assuming he’d be riding with me. “Why don’t you come with us?” he called out to him. “I’d love to know more about your magic and anything you know about the Syndicate.”

Reluctantly, he agreed, and as they pulled out of the parking lot, I handed over the keys to Ren and got into the passenger’s seat of my sister’s car. “She said she’s too shaken up to drive,” I lied. “Let’s go home.”