“Cass is going to kill you,” Obie says. “You understand that, right? He’sliterallygoing to murder you for knocking him out just to suggest this.”
Unease trickles down JJ’s spine. “What are you two talking about?”
“There’s a spell,” Ez says. She doesn’t look happy about it. “I can use it to create a soul bond between you and Cass. That would give him the energy he needs to heal himself.”
All at once, JJ’s blood runs cold.
In its most basic form, a soul bond is a connection between two souls. Demons can harvest a human’s soul energy through one of these bonds to vastly increase their own power.
So that’s probably what they’d do to you.
“Right,” JJ hedges. “I’ve, um. I’ve heard of soul bonds before. But I—I thought they had to be consensual? If Cass doesn’t agree?—”
Ez is already shaking her head. “That’s only if both parties’ souls are intact and undamaged. It would requireyourconsent, because your soul is healthy, but Cass…” She winces. “There’s a loophole in the spell work to allow for life-saving interventions, and Cass’s soul is long past that threshold. I don’t like involving him in a spell without his explicit agreement, but—but I don’t think he’d even consider it. And we need to consider every option right now. Just this once, I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.”
JJ’s heart hurts. After everything Cass has done for JJ, he hates the idea of going behind Cass’s back like this, but?—
But he hates the idea of losing Cass even more. He swallows hard. “And—and it’ll definitely help him? It’ll?—?”
Obie catches his hesitation. “I hate to say it,” he says softly, “but whatever propaganda the Sanctum taught you is probably close to the truth. Human souls have higher energy, but demon souls are more powerful. And demons throughout history have taken advantage of soul bonds to drain humans until there’s nothing left.”
“But,”Ez says pointedly, “that’s only if the bond is left unchecked. As long as I break the connection in time, it’ll just function as a quick boost to Cass’s soul, almost like jumping a car battery. You might feel a bit weak and tired for a few days, but it won’t be any worse than the aftermath of donating blood.”
“And if you don’t break the connection in time?”
Ez pauses. Glances meaningfully at Desi before raising her eyebrows at JJ.
Right. If Ez doesn’t sever the bond quickly enough, then JJ will die. She just doesn’t want to say that in front of Desi. JJ takes a deep, steadying breath. “But you’ve done this a thousand times before, right? So you know you can break it in time?”
Ez hesitates. “Not exactly.”
“Ez,”Obie says, exasperated. “You can’t just recommend a varsity-level spell that you’ve never cast!”
“I didn’t say I’venevercast it,” Ez argues. “Just that I haven’t cast itoften.And, um. And not in the past fifty years or so.”
JJ’s stomach roils. He looks back over at Cass, at how still and silent he is, at how his normally animated face is pale and hollow. Even with the worst of his injuries healed, he looks almost… lifeless.
And JJ never wants him to look like this again.
“We can try something else.” Ez’s voice is quiet. “I know we’ve had our differences, JJ, but I don’t want you to die. And the fact that I had to knock Cass out before suggesting this speaks volumes about his opinion on the matter. I wouldn’t have even mentioned it if I didn’t think it was our only chance.”
“No,” JJ says, and he squares his shoulders. “No, I’ll do it. You’re the best spellcaster on the East Coast, right? If you say it’s the best option, then I—I trust you.”
“Trust has nothing to do with it, Jackson.” Obie’s eyes are shadowed. “This is genuinely life or death. I’ve been alive a lot longer than Ez and Cass, and I think I’ve seen maybe two soul bonds where both parties walked away alive. And that’s out ofhundreds.”
The memory of Cass’s voice whispers through JJ’s mind.I’m still sure.
“I’m still sure,” JJ says firmly.
“JJ—” Desi reaches over Cass to wrap her little hands around JJ’s big one. “JJ, it sounds really scary.”
JJ squeezes her hands. “I’ve done really scary things before. And if it makes Cass better, it’ll be worth it, right?”
And Desi needs her dad. She needs Cass alive.
Having JJ for eighty years would be nice, but having Cass for eternity would be better.
Obie considers JJ with narrowed eyes. “Ez,” he says eventually. “Could you tap me into the spell?”
