I take a deep breath and look into Luther’s dark eyes.“My…brother is trapped in there.”
“What?”he whispers.
“My brother used to study the Other Side.He was five years older than me.I looked up to him.One day, I witnessed him trying to summon his own rift into the Other Side, and it sucked him in.I still have nightmares of watching him get pulled into another dimension.”
“Taz…” His voice is so tender I can’t stand it.
I clear my throat and continue, “So yeah, that’s where I suspect he is.”
Luther nods, and realization dawns on him.“The monster…it showed you…”
“Yeah.It showed me my brother.”As I stare at my palms, my eyes begin to sting.“Now I know he’s not dead.”
“But what if the monster showed you that as a trick?Like an illusion?”
“I guess we’ll never know now.”I shrug and wipe my eyes.“But yeah, the High Council wouldn’t allow me to experiment on the Other Side, so I immediately quit.I resented your dad ever since.”
“Taz,” he says softly.
“When I heard the Union started letting witches into their ranks, I decided to join again.Enough time had passed, the Union was evolving into being more accepting, and I had a few hex-breaking books under my belt.At worst, I could do some research in the Union library.I didn’t know that I’d be working with you again.”
I look at Luther and take in his gentle expression.“Not that I mind,” I say.
We share a smile, and after a moment, he looks away.“I’m sorry.To hear all that.”
My soul feels lighter, and my heart warms at hearing Luther’s sympathy.This is the closest we’ve ever had to a heart-to-heart.We’re about to die, and now we become friends—wonderful.“It’s my drama.Not yours.You’re the big buff agent you were always meant to be.I’m just some bloke who can undo hexes.”
“Yes, well, I wish you were the guy outside of this bubble.Then maybe we could breathe again.”
His words spark a dangerous thought in my head.I stand up, and he follows suit.“Taz, what are you thinking?”
I touch my chest, then the wall.It’s just crazy enough to work.
“Luther, I need you to push out my astral form.”
“What?”He shakes his head.“You think your hands can reach out of this thing when you’re a spirit?”
After feeling the wall again, I turn back to him.“No.You need to push me out completely.”
“What?!”he yelps.Shaking his head, he says, “No.No, that’s too dangerous.”
“It’s the only play we got.I should be able to get to the seams of the hex in my astral form.”
“But a complete removal from your body?That’s too dangerous, Taz!Your spirit could be lost forever.The risks of a full removal?”
“Luther, please!”Stepping closer, I touch his elbow and gaze into his worried eyes.“I know the risks, but us dying here is much worse.”
He shakes his head and stares at his hands.“I won’t let you obliterate yourself.”
“And I won’t let both of us suffocate in here!”
“Necia and Max?”
“Might not even get back here in time or be able to undo this.”I put my hand on his shoulder and say, “This is the only plan I can think of.”
His face is etched with genuine concern.“But what if I can’t pull your spirit back?What if my spell doesn’t work right?”he asks, softly.
With a soft smile, I reply, “I trust you, Luther.You’re the best agent of SPELL.The strongest wizard I know.You can do this.”
