Page 162 of In Between Death and the Devil

His breathing was even more labored than before. With a blink, my new sight took over. I could see his soul starting to come apart. Wisps of gold and silver rose from his body, the edges of which were already blurred.

Racing to his bedside, I threw my hands out over his body as Fen, Marcus and Daphne stepped into the room.

Light filled my hands. It came effortlessly from the center of me rather than my bond with Fen, and it felt more potent. There wasn’t a question of whether or not I could heal. I knew I now could. It was whether or not Titus was too far gone for me to bring back.

I heard Daphne’s muffled sobs as I grabbed every piece of Titus that tried to escape. They weren’t going to the After. They were rising into the air and disintegrating. It was like trying to hold water, they kept slipping away. Titus would soon be lost at the rate they were going.

Swallowing the urge to cry, I directed my light to the center of him instead, concentrating on the essence of him. My power poured in, strengthening the part of him that was left, filling the spaces in between. I thought of everything that made Titus who he was. His need to make everyone laugh. His love for Marcus and Daphne, Fen and myself. His strategic mind that made him an excellent general and teacher. His love for cooking. How much he hated doing laundry, willing to do anything to get out of it.

“Come back to us,” I whispered.

Slowly, so slowly I thought I was imagining it at first, the outward flow of the pieces of his soul reversed. My breath hitched as they settled back into him.

Hope blossomed in my chest, but I tried to tamp it down. Even if he physically came back, would he still be him after so much had been lost?

The outline of his body sharpened, the black patches on his skin faded, and he began to glow until my light faded and he opened his eyes.

I held my breath as he blinked, looking around.

“Where—?” His gaze met mine. “Are you okay?”

My eyes filled with tears that his first thought was for me.

“Maeve. Guys? What—?” He was interrupted by Daphne, who threw herself at him, lying half on top of him as she sobbed into his shoulder.

I stepped back to let Marcus through, who knelt at the side of the bed, stroking Titus’s hair.

Titus reached out to both his partners to comfort them, confusion etched in the lines of his face.

“You nearly died trying to grab me while I was lit up with power, you idiot.” Tears streamed down my face as I glared at him. “You’ve been unconscious for weeks.”

Fen’s arms circled my waist, pulling me against him.

Titus’s brow furrowed as he searched through his memories. Understanding dawned and his eyes met mine, wide with hope and shock. “You did it? You defeated Death?”

“She did,” Fen said, his voice rough.

Titus struggled to sit up.

“What are you doing?” Daphne said. “You need to rest.”

“I feel fine. Good as new, maybe better. Let me up.” After a few moments, he convinced them it was futile to stop him. Marcus and Daphne pulled him to sitting and helped him out of bed.

Then he knelt. “Hail, Death.”

Marcus and Daphne glanced at each other, and followed suit, echoing his refrain.

The gesture hit me like a punch to the gut. Not because I was now Death. His gesture of respect made me feel separate. They were my family. I never wanted to feel like that.

“Get up,” I snapped.

“Not a fan of ceremony?” Titus asked as the other two helped him to his feet. He might feel fine, but he was still wobbly.

I planted my hands on my hips. “I brought you back. Shut up and give me a hug.”

His smile was wide as his arms engulfed me. “Thank you.”

I squeezed him tighter. “Don’t ever do that again.”