Only, when my soul reaches him, before I can plunge through him like I saw souls do with Xolotl, something tugs me back.
When I turn to look over my shoulder, it’s Xolotl. He’s reached out, and he’s holding my soul with the shining light from his own—only this time, it’s the bright golden strand from his that’s attached to mine. “I’m bonding this human as mine,” he says.
Our golden strands entwine.
“You can’t.” Anubis snarls. “She’s mine, now.”
“Not so, brother. You hadn’t taken her yet.”
Anubis points at my limp body. “She’s dead.”
“Her heart no longer beats,” Xolotl says, “but she’s not yet dead.”
“She is,” Anubis snarls.
And then Leonid and all his buddies attack, their powers blending to assault one of the horsemen. It’s stupid, but it distracts him, and my former horseman slams my soul back into my body.
And I realize—it’s come true.
I fell in love with Cobalt Blue, and I died because of him. My dream didn’t warn me that he might bring me back. Maybe that part wasn’t certain. Xolotl’s holding me in his arms like I’m a baby when I open my human eyes again.
“I love you, Whitney,” he whispers. “And I know how you feel about killing, so I really hope you’ll forgive what I’m about to do.” He sets me on the porch bench, and he vaults off the porch and joins the fray, attacking Anubis, presumably to prevent the newly refurbished death lord from soul-snuffing anyone else.
“Why would you get my favorite power.” Xolotl’s shaking his head. “It’s such a waste, but you’re forgetting that it was my power for longer than you’ve existed.” He’s smiling when he gathers up a ball of light energy, siphoning from each of us, forming it into a wad, and shoving it at Anubis, effectively blocking him from being able to soul-suck anyone.
“The first time that happened to me, I couldn’t use my ability for a month.” Xolotl’s smiling. “So I suggest that if you want to punish me for my past crimes, you find a magical plumber and circle back around later.”
“You—you’ve just made me angrier.” Anubis glares at Xolotl like he wants to shred him right on the spot. “When I come back, you’ll regret this.”
“I’ll regret defeating you, even without my horseman powers?” Xolotl laughs. “Doubtful, but I guess we’ll see.”
“You can’t watch her forever,” Anubis says.
“Try me.”
But then Anubis dives into a puddle, which opens wider into a hole, and disappears with a pop.
“I really don’t like that guy,” I say. “He’s my least favorite.”
“Mine too,” Xolotl says. “But every family has one or two members that are just awful.”
I suppose that’s true. “Are you worried he’ll return soon?”
“I doubt we’ll see him before he naps again. He’s a notorious hothead, but once he cools down, his cowardly nature will kick in. He won’t kick the anthill again, not after being badly bitten.”
“Plus, maybe we can have Lechuza talk to Thanatos for us,” Leonid says. “She seems frustrated by him, but she did get him to come talk to us before.”
“Thanatos and I have a long-held bond, and he doesn’t want his children dead either.”
That’s true, I think. “So we’re in the clear, now?”
“It depends on what you consider to be clear,” Leonid says. “We’ve got three horsemen awake, including one who’s marauding around Russia, which isn’t exactly wonderful for my people or my country.”
“Actually,” I say, “someone fairly smart told me that people will appreciate life more if their safety’s occasionally thrown into jeopardy.”
“I’m thinking Xolotl’s not the only one who’s changed in the past few days.” My mom was presumably hiding from the insanity, but now she’s circled around the near pasture, and she’s stopped by the water trough. She glances down, screams, and stumbles backward.
“What?” I jog toward her.
