I grinned. Holy crap. I'd done it. I gave him a quick perusal, but he looked intact and exactly like the picture his grandmother had given me a few daysago.
"My name is Helen Reaper," I told him. "Your mother ishere."
He glanced at his surroundings. "You're expending an extraordinary amount of energy to keep me here," he observed. "Be careful your energy doesn't run out. The spirits behind the veil are...restless."
I stared at him as my heart picked up its once slow and steady race. That sounded...ominous. "I'll keep it in mind," I said, being cautious to not show any fear. I double checked the bindings and ensured they were secure before I went over toDolores.
She gasped as she looked at me. "Is hehere?"
I nodded. "He's a little confused but lucid. Would you like to speak tohim?"
As I stepped down from the arbor, I glanced to the left only to see Hank staring at me intently. There was something about the way he was looking at me. I quickly glanced away and vowed to give him a piece of my mind when this was over. For right now, I needed to keep all of my focus on maintaining my hold on Anthony. I helped Dolores down the stairs of thearbor.
As soon as she saw Anthony, I increased my grip on her arm as she went weak. "It's okay." I whispered toher.
"My baby," shewhispered.
Anthony's chin wobbled whenever Dolores came into view. "Mom." His eyes widened at her appearance. "How long has itbeen?"
She gave him a shaky smile. "Over twenty years, darling. I was already an old lady when I had you and now look atme."
Her son grinned. I pulled a chair over so Dolores could sit. I needed to maintain contact with the ground through my feet, so I chose to sit directly on the ground cross-legged style. Normally I tried to give the clients some privacy, but the son's cryptic warning had made me a little nervous. I wanted to stay close just in case anything wentwrong.
I did my best not to listen and instead let my thoughts drift as Dolores spoke to herson.
I could feel his thread tethered to my magic. As long as it was steady, there was nothing to worry about. I would know if something was goingwrong.
Hank was still sketching away in his book, though every once in awhile I could feel him looking in my direction. Whether he was appalled or genuinely curious about what was going on, I didn't know. From the reaction many of the townspeople had around me, I was going for appalled. People thought death wasunnatural.
But I disagreed. It was the most natural thing in the world. While death was the end on our world, it did not necessarily mean the end for the victim. There was no way for me to know what happened on the other side, and I had never once asked a spirit or a reanimatedperson.
There were some mysteries I wanted to remainunsolved.
I shifted my legs around and let me toes dig into the cool dirt under the grass. The earth kept me grounded and stabilized my energy. I was already feeling the tug of Anthony's spirit feeding on my energy. I wouldn't be able to hold him without a struggle for too much longer. Dolores should have rescheduled. I had another half hour max before things gotweird.
When it was time,I stood and helped Dolores up. She said goodbye to him, even though her voice was wobbly. Anthony was no better. You could hear the tears in every word he spoke. He apologized for his accident as if it had been his fault. His mother chastised him for it and blew him a kiss as she allowed me to help her back to thearbor.
"I'll be back in just a few minutes," I told her once I helped her getcomfortable.
"It was all I needed," she said. "This was all I had been waitingfor."
"Dolores?" I asked, a littleunnerved.
She speared me with her vivid green gaze. "I'd been longing for the opportunity to speak with him for two decades. You were able to give me that opportunity. My life..." she waved a hand. "It'scomplete."
"Just stay here," I pleaded with her, my heart beating rapidly as I rushed back down thesteps.
Anthony was sitting cross-legged. "She's going soon, you know," he said as casually as speaking about theweather.
"Are you really Anthony Gray?" I whispered. I had done everything right but something about him was...off.
His eyes flashed a deep purple. "I was. Things change when you've crossed over. You slowly lose pieces of yourself. You are no longer whole." He glanced back in Dolores' direction. "Although I hope for her sake, I did a convincingjob."
I swallowedhard.
Anthony smiled. "You need to relinquish me back to the veil. Immediately. You grow weak and my brothers and sisters arehungry."
With a whispered hiss and frantic hand motions, I forced Anthony Gray's or whoever he was spirit back into the veil. I felt the tear beginning to mend itself. My candles blew outabruptly.
Right before I fell, I heard Hank's franticshout.
