Sebbie smiled, and suddenly the sun seemed to be blindingly bright. “I look forward to getting to know you better. I think we’ll get along great.”
Paul laughed. “I think we already know each other pretty well,” he joked.
“Oh,” Sebbie said, looking slightly guilty. “I may have forgotten to mention this. You won’t remember any of this. In fact, none of us will.”
With that, Sebbie banged his pink, bejeweled staff against the boat three times, and the sun became so bright that I couldn’t see anything else at all.
I took my arm away from my eyes.
I was human again. The brightness was gone, and we were back in the in-between place that Sebbie went to as a reaper.
I knew it before I even opened my eyes.
There was something a little terrible about it. It was literally devoid of everything. There was no sound, no smell, no taste. Things didn’t even really have a feeling, aside from Sebbie. Even the colors looked a little washed out and muted.
As soon as I took my arm down from covering my face, I looked for Sebbie. We were back in that house, and Sheriff Paul was still in front of us, only now he was turning in the opposite direction. I could tell from the placement of things that the knife wouldn’t stab him at all this time—it would miss completely, probably getting stuck in the crib behind him.
Sebbie was looking at the scene, and I reached out and grabbed onto his hand. He turned and smiled at me.
“I thought we wouldn’t remember this,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. I don’t think we will remember. Although you’ve never been here before, so maybe we will a little bit? Paul won’t remember anything. I think I won’t remember anything most of the time, either, and that’s okay. Because now comes the hard part of things. This is the part I don’twantto remember,” he told me.
“You have to pick someone else.”
“Yes. But it can’t just be anyone. It has to be… equivalent. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s something I’ll know.” Sebbie paused. “And then there’s the other hard part. The dad and the son—the son wanted to take his dad’s place. He came willingly. It was still really hard and sad, but he was giving his life so his father could live. That made it not feel so bad to have to take him. But with the pregnant mom in the hospital… Well, the guy I took… He wasn’t willing.” Sebbie shuddered in memory.
“Was it hard to take an unwilling soul?” I asked.
Sebbie shrugged, and then he huddled into my chest for a hug. I wrapped my arms around him.
“You’re always so warm. How is it that you’re always so warm?” he mumbled.
“Hellhound,” I answered. I wouldn’t be led off topic, though. “Will it hurt you to take an unwilling soul? I don’t want you hurt, little reaper.”
Sebbie sighed. “No. It isn’t technically difficult, and it won’t hurt. It just… it doesn’t feel nice to have to do it. Even if they’re really bad people, I don’t like to take a soul ahead of its time.”
I looked over at the man with the blade. “What about him? Surely he’s hellbound?”
Sebbie sort of shrugged. Then he sighed, tightening his grip on me. I squeezed him tightly and gave him a moment. Eventually, he turned and faced the man.
His black cloak was on, and his scythe was in his hand. He reached forward and… sort of pulled? I don’t know how else to describe it. He pulled, and it was like the man was sort of with us now, but also still not with us.
“He’s rotten. He won’t come willingly. He’ll end up by my river,” Sebbie said sadly.
I went up behind him and put my hands on his shoulders. “And I’ll take care of him there. That’s what I’m here for, little reaper. I’m here to be your hellhound.”
Sebbie nodded his head, but still, he didn’t act.
“Do what must be done, little reaper,” I said, and Sebbie’s scythe sliced downward into the man who was going to try and stab the sheriff.
Chapter 30
Sebbie
Crow cawed,and I heard the flapping of her wings. I felt like I was in the dark somewhere, but Corbin’s hand was warm on mine. Crow cawed again, and I opened my eyes.
We were sitting in the living room at Corbin’s house, which was sort of like pack headquarters now. Corbin had his arm around me, and he was talking to Wilder.
