When The Grave Calls (The Veil Diaries #9) - B.L. Brunnemer Page 0,77

Not much, only enough to show relation. But that didn’t matter right now. “You can save them?”

Death’s dark gaze met mine as he arched an eyebrow at my question. “Do I have the power to restore them? Yes, of course I do. Will I, however? No.”

I broke apart again in Ethan’s arms. We clung to one another, that flame inside of me winking out. I grew cold.

“Father, please.” Mila got to her feet. “She saved the world, surely that’s worth a boon.”

“Mila, I can’t just grant boons whenever I feel like it,” he countered. “You know it doesn’t work that way.”

“She’s the last, Papa,” she pleaded, her brows drew together, tears pooling in her own eyes.

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t, Mila. I’m sorry.” His lips pressed into a thin line as a weariness seemed to appear around his eyes.

I pulled back from Ethan and turned to them as a memory surged through my mind. “I’ll become a Reaper.”

Ethan’s grip on me tightened as Death and Mila turned to me.

“Pardon?” Death asked.

I took a deep breath and wiped my face. “Bring them back and I’ll become a Reaper when I die.”

“Lexie …” Ethan breathed.

Death thought it over as my pulse pounded in my ears. Stone crumbled around me. Smoke drifted in thick wafts.

“You could become a Reaper and still see them,” he countered, “without me having to deal with the balance of life and death.”

“I need them alive. All of them. Uma, Zeke, Miles, Asher, Isaac. I can’t …” My voice cracked and choked off as even more tears fell. “Please?”

“Papa.” Mila drew his attention. “You owe me.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine.” A dagger appeared in his hand. Death dragged the tip across the meat of his palm. I half expected nothing to happen, but black blood pooled and flowed down his wrist. He held out the blade towards me, handle first. “A blood oath and you get your friends back.”

I didn’t hesitate. Snatching the blade and slicing my hand was done in almost one motion. I held my hand out to the man. Death’s cold hand wrapped around mine, mixing our blood together. “A Reaper. Do you agree?”

“I do,” I whispered.

Death squeezed my hand once then let go of me. In the blink of an eye the guys’ souls disappeared. Zeke wheezed. Miles groaned. Ethan and I rushed to check on everyone. They were alive!

“Hermano,” Ethan rasped as he scrambled across the debris to his twin.

“Fucking hell,” Isaac grunted as Ethan reached him. “I’m not leaving you.”

Asher groaned as he came to.

Zeke’s breathing was rough as blood began to pour from around the glass in his shoulder.

Miles was pale and still unconscious, but there was now a rise and fall to his chest.

Asher moved to Miles’ side and picked the cement up off his hand.

I moved to Zeke and tried to stop the bleeding without touching the glass.

The only thing that mattered was that they were alive and breathing. Sirens sounded in the distance, growing closer by the second.

The fire department, ambulances, and police arrived. With a blast that loud and destructive, I was honestly amazed they weren’t there sooner. Quickly, everyone was loaded into ambulances. While Death had brought them back, he didn’t heal them completely. Zeke and Miles were by far the worst off. Ethan and I drove to the hospital in Zeke’s now busted-up Jeep.

We arrived and I was struck with déjà vu as the nurses and doctors rushed from section to section, taking care of our friends. Our family.

Numbness had settled in as we waited. We watched as they put Zeke on a ventilator. Sent Miles for emergency surgery. Isaac and Asher both needing stitches over their backs but otherwise they were fine. Uma joined us to wait. Apparently, she had strengthened her barrier enough to be thrown from the blast without being killed.

Eventually even Hades joined us, in dog form. Burnt and bloody, Uma had volunteered to take him to a 24-hour vet office to get patched up.

It was in that state of limbo that my phone beeped.

I pulled it out and looked at the cracked screen. It was a text.

Jake: Come to the abandoned hospital or Jake dies.

I sighed. Yeah. Perfect timing, asshole. The loves of my life are in the emergency room and you expect me to come running. I wanted nothing more than to stay here with Ethan, waiting for news about the guys. But I couldn’t. I had to go. I gritted my teeth as I texted