I inhaled deeply. “If I could restore it to her, I would. But I never intended them to be able to return the soul piece to the original owner, because the plan was that they would never complete their tasks to win it back. I do not know how to … if I just had time to think! But I must manufacture a dozen Soul Tokens before tomorrow. There is no time.”

Bub snapped at my leg. “Just give it back to her, Boss!”

“Did you not just hear me?” I snarled. “I cannot restore it to her!”

“For badness’ sake, Boss, are you stupid?” Beezle whined. “Give Jemma the Token. That way, even if it’s outside her body, at least she’s in possession of her whole soul.”

“Oh.” I was stupid.

“But I vowed not to go to her. I must keep her safe from Hellen.” How I wanted to go to her. To ignore the threat from Hellen. To forego everything I’d known and live as a human male. With her.

To put her in danger? You selfish prick!

“Yeah, we can work around your vow. For today at least,” Bub crowed.

“We can?” I raised an eyebrow, but my heart thundered. “How?”

Beezle leered. “Ah, Boss. You gave yourself a little wiggle room. ‘I vow that today was the last time I will see Jemma Bliss.’”

I frowned. “But it was the last time …”

“Today isn’t over yet.”

It was almost as if Hellen had reappeared, sucking all the air from my lungs. I coughed, pounding my fist against my thundering chest. “I …” I cleared my throat, trying to calm myself. “How do I do this?”

Bub’s tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. “Do what?”

I really could not get enough air. “Tell her we cannot … that we …”

Beezle cocked his head to the side. “That your sister is an evil bitch with powers you never knew about, and you can’t see her again because if you do, you face bringing Yellin’ Hellen’s vengeful wrath down upon her and cursing her to Hell, even though you’d planned to curse her to Hell originally, but now you can’t possibly go through with it because you’re in lo⁠—”

“All of that, yes!” I massaged my temple. A nasty headache was forming. “But … I do not wish to make her anxious … for me, or for herself. How do I explain that I cannot … be with her … without frightening her?”

The pair of them yipped in unison, the closest thing to a canine cackle.

“You take a leaf out of her book, Boss!”

40. Walking, Talking Red Flag

Chapter 40

Walking, Talking Red Flag

Jemma

“What do you think’s happening down there?”