“Ri isn’t here, Hel. Ri died,” she said, sorrow washing across her face, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.
“No…” I denied angrily. Ri couldn’t die. We were supposed to be bonded. We were supposed to free Illyria together.
“He can’t be dead,” I insisted, pulling away from her. “I’m still alive, he can’t be dead!”
The old woman stepped forward, and though I tried to evade her touch, she was far faster than she looked. She wrapped her bony hands around my wrist. Her grip was strong, but not cruel.
“Orion has left this plane and gone to What Comes Next,” she said.
The truth of her words hit me as memories flooded through me and the feeling of loss was overwhelming. Ri and I had been friends since we were children. He knew me better than anyone in my life and been closer than a brother. Iremembered the feeling of his soul wrapped around my own and the tears began to fall.
“Ri…” I gasped and dropped to my knees, the old woman releasing me as I fell.
“My child,” Kate said, stepping forward, her hands cupping my face as my tears fell. “I am so sorry. He was truly a light in the darkness, and we are all the poorer for his loss.”
I began to sob, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and held me as I cried out my grief.
After what seemed like a very long time my pain eased enough for me to speak.
“Why… why are we here? Why aren’t I dead?” I asked bitterly. “I should have died with Ri. I was his Soma. I should have died before he did.”
“Everyone has a purpose in this life,” the old woman said. “Orion accomplished his purpose in the world, and it was time for him to move on.”
“His purpose?” I asked angrily. “How could he have accomplished a ‘purpose’? He was only twenty-two!”
“You’re alive, aren’t you?” The old woman snapped impatiently. “His purpose was to help you get where you are now.”
“And where is that, exactly?” I demanded angrily. “The middle of fucking nowhere?”
“Language, child!” Kate chided gently with a sad smile on her face. “You have experienced a terrible loss, and we will explain as much as we can, but tonight… tonight is about you, not about your friend.”
“Me? Why me?” I asked in confusion. Surely Ri being dead was far more important than anything that happened to me.
“You’re at a crossroads, champ,” Kitty said.
“Yeah,” I said, gesturing around us at the intersection. “And…?”
She walked over to me and punched my shoulder.
“Ow!” I exclaimed as I rubbed my shoulder. She punched hard!
“A metaphysical crossroads, asshole,” she said, smiling sadly. Over her shoulder I saw the old woman roll her eyes at the curse.
“You need to make a choice, Hel,” she said. When she smiled at me, I felt a cool breeze across my skin.
“You can choose,” the old woman said, stepping forward. “You can choose to join your bonded in What Comes Next,” she said. Her words kindled hope within me. Ri and I could be together again!
“Or…” the girl said.
“Or you can finish the work you and Ri were supposed to do together,” the middle-aged woman finished.
“I want to go with—” I stopped as the girl slapped her hand over my mouth.
“Wait. Please, Hel,” she asked, her eyes imploring. “Before you make a decision, you need to know what’s at stake.”
Her voice was tinged with desperation. Something in her tone called to me, to that part of me that clung to the idea that Illyria deserved to be free. After a moment I nodded, and she lowered her hand from my mouth.
“What’s at stake?” I managed to ask.
