Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)(39)

“How do I look?” she asked twirling around faster than a human would be able to making the Tinkerbell skirt float out in front of her. I’d always twirled in that dress too trying my hardest to get it to stand out so perfectly.

“Fabulous, you should so wear it for work,” I chirped then let out a trill of giggles.

“Dank wouldn’t know what to think If I showed up looking like I was ready for a trip to Disney World. He’d be afraid to send the soul with me.”

I sank down on the box behind me unable to stop laughing at the ridiculous sight.

“You’d scare him... to death!” I began laughing harder at my own little pun.

Gee started to say something else when a woosh behind me turned my laughter into a small squeal.

“What the heck, Jaslyn? This isn’t a party,” Gee complained and I eased some realizing Gee knew the gorgeous pale redhead that had appeared in my attic. Her perfect translucent features were so similar to Gee’s when she was in “transporter” mode that I quickly put two and two together.

“I’m sorry, Gee,” she stopped and slowly took in Gee’s wardrobe with a confused frown on her face.

“Quit gawking Jas and tell me why you’re here,” Gee snapped. The dress-up clothes disappeared from her body and she was once again dressed in her jeans, hoodie and boots.

“Oh, um, yes... well, uh Dankmar needs you.”

Gee’s attention shifted from the transporter to me. “What about Pagan?”

“Oh, uh, he didn’t say. He just said he needed you.”

The frown on Gee’s face told me she wasn’t so sure about this. But if Dank had sent for her then it must be important.

“I’ll go spend the day with Miranda. We can look for the pu-- the thing later,” I piped up.

Gee nodded at me, “Okay, well go on down now before I leave. You don’t need to stay up here by yourself.”

“Okay.”

I headed for the stairs then glanced back at Gee to ask her to please let me know if something was wrong but she was whispering with Jaslyn in a pretty intense conversation so I left them alone. Gee wouldn’t be gone long. Dank wouldn’t let her be. Besides, Dank was fine. He was Death. No need to worry.

Dank

“What’s going on Dankmar?” Gee demanded as she arrived with Jasyln at the graveyard outside the small funeral home in Pagan’s town. I’d been surveying Wyatt’s grave to see if there had been any traces of activity. His soul had not been left to roam the earth. The only other place it could be was with Ghede in the Vilokan. If so, it was completely off the radar. Finding him would be near impossible. No Deity or being created by the Creator had ever been to Vilokan. The island under the sea was for the Voodoo spirits and the souls they claimed while on earth.

“Wyatt. His soul wasn’t meant to be taken. He was never on the books.” It still sounded unbelievable when I said it. Even after speaking with the Creator. Choices had been made. With the power of restitution on Ghede’s side this could grow worse.

“What?” Her incredulous tone didn’t surprise me. I’d had the same reaction. This had never happened. And if I didn’t find a way to stop it the Creator expected me to hand over Pagan or her mother to Ghede. Neither of those were an option.

“Ghede, he took Wyatt’s soul as payment for the restitution. The Creator doesn’t believe he’s going to stop there. Wyatt was just to warn Pagan or warn me. It won’t be enough to make up for taking Pagan from his grasp.”

Gee sank down on the headstone behind her, “Oh, shit.”

“I don’t want to tell Pagan this yet. Not if we can fix this without her knowing. The implications of Wyatt’s death would be too much for her to deal with. She’d sacrifice herself without question. I won’t allow it. I will stop this.”

Gee nodded in complete agreement. I knew I’d be able to count on her. Jaslyn on the other hand was ready to offer Pagan up on a silver platter. She didn’t understand but still it made it hard to have her near me. I wanted to take my anger out on someone and her indifference was placing her in the way of my wrath.

“Where is Pagan now?” I asked, jerking my scowl from the cowering Jaslyn back to Gee.

“She’s with Miranda,” she assured me.

That was good. I needed Gee right now. We had to find a way to penetrate Vilokan. Hell would have been so much easier.

Pagan

A day of shopping wasn’t easy to convince Miranda to agree to but she needed to get out. After forcing clothes on her body and shoving her into my car, we’d headed to the mall. Four hours later she was showing signs of life again. I was extremely grateful.

“I need a coffee,” I announced as we stepped out of our third shoe store in an hour. I’d managed to find two pairs of shoes I couldn’t live without. One was a pair of yellow backless sandals that had a little heel. The other were beige colored boots that would match perfectly with my beige leather jacket. Best part was they were on sale. Miranda, however, hadn’t bought a thing. We were slowly getting there. She’d actually tried on some shoes in the last store. I’d forced her to but at least she’d put them on.

“Me too,” Miranda responded, turning toward the Starbucks instead of going to the next wing of the mall where Wide Mouth, Wyatt’s favorite coffee shop, was located. I understood, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I could deal with going into Wide Mouth right now either.