My body feels numb with shock. This can’t be right. Dad was supposed to find us a way out of this mess. “Aldred told me Connor was doomed to Hell, but I hoped we could change that. You know, pull Connor out to Purgatory or something. Get him a Trial by Jury. I thought you could help.”
“I wish I could, Myla-la. I did some digging while you were gone. I found out everything. Connor died while Sakura was still alive, so now his soul is trapped in the torture pits.”
“I was afraid of that.” I rub my neck in a weary rhythm. “What are we going to do?”
Dad’s big blue eyes fill with sympathy. “I think you already know that.”
A lead weight of dread settles into my stomach. “I need to summon Connor to a dreamscape and offer to kill his soul.” My throat tightens with a mixture of exhaustion and grief. “That’s the best I can do to help him.” My body trembles. I’ve only been out of the hospital a week; I’m not sure I can handle a killer dreamscape with Hell. Still, I can’t stand to think of Connor in pain.
Dad reaches across the table and sets his hand on mine. “You’re in no shape to dreamscape with Connor, Myla.”
“He can’t stay in Hell and be tortured, either.”
“I’ll see what I can do about putting him somewhere less painful, at least for a little while. It’s not a permanent option but it will buy you some time. Nefer owes me more than a few favors, anyway.”
“Thanks, Dad. Appreciate it.”
“Now, let’s return to more pleasant subjects.” Dad slides the brownie box closer and takes a peek inside. “Empty.” He rises to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. Your mother stocked the freezer with new ice cream from Earth.”
My brows lift with interest. Humans suck at a lot of things, but dessert isn’t one of them. “I scoured that kitchen. Where’s she hiding it?”
He offers me his arm. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I stand beside him and wrap my hand around his forearm. “Lead the way, General.”
# # #
It’s late by the time I slip back into my bedchambers, my belly filled with five different kinds of ice cream. Mom has finally gotten Maxon to sleep, but my mother ended up having to hold him in her lap like I did that first day in the hospital. The smile on her face says she doesn’t mind, but I can’t help but worry. Holding Maxon through the night isn’t exactly a scalable solution. Still, it’s better than nothing.
I tiptoe across the floor to our bed, but as I get closer, I realize I needn’t have bothered staying quiet. Lincoln’s wide-awake, too, staring at the ceiling with red-rimmed eyes. I slide under the covers and curl into his side.
“Dad confirmed it.” I don’t need to explain what ‘it’ is. Connor’s soul is trapped in Hell.
“We can’t even bring him to Purgatory for a Trial?”
“No. Dad will talk to Nefer. Maybe we can get Connor placed somewhere comfortable until I can dreamscape with him.”
“Until we can dreamscape with him.”
I cuddle deeper into his side. “And what if Connor wants his soul to die?”
“Then, I’ll do it.” Lincoln’s voice breaks as he speaks. “And I’ll tell Mother about Sakura, too. She needs to know everything before she faces him for the last time.”
“No, we’ll tell her about it.”
Lincoln loops his long arms around me, pulling me onto his bare chest. “I love you, Myla.”
“I love you, too.”
A few minutes pass with our bodies entwined and souls finding a little bit of peace. Before long, we both fall into a deep and restful sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It’s who-knows-what-o’clock in the morning, and Maxon is dragging me down a darkened corridor in Arx Hall. We thought that staying in Antrum would put his little mind at ease about Hildy, but if anything, being close to her has made him even more agitated.
As long as I’m awake, she won’t forget to wake up, either. Classic kid logic, and I can’t talk him out of it. At least, he’s not having one of his flashbacks again. I found him cowering in the corner of his bedroom this morning, crying about the dark. Makes me want to weep too, every time.
“Come on, Mommy. Faster!” Maxon’s black hair sticks up at odd angles, as do the lapels on his striped pajamas.
I start to jog. “Okay, baby. But remember our deal?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
We turn down another hallway, taking the well-known path to the infirmary. “What’s the deal, then?”
“I see Hildy one more time and then, I go to sleep.”
“Okay, as long as we’re agreed.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
We reach the set of white doors that mark the entrance to the infirmary. Maxon presses them open, and then rushes inside. The place looks like it always does. White tiled floor and walls, tall arched ceilings. Maxon navigates his way through the maze of beds to a silver door along the back wall. Hildy’s private suite.
Stepping inside the room, we find a trio of familiar faces inside: one night nurse and two security guards. The steady ping of Hildy’s heart monitor fills the air. Her tiny body lies curled up on the bed.