“You won’t lose him, Cal.”
“How do you know?”
She snorts. “It would takewaymore than that to break a soulbond.”
“Soulbond?” he echoes incredulously. “There can’t be a soulbond.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have a soul?”
“Then how come you were able to take over a human body?” She giggles at Cal’s stricken expression. “Aww, look at you, so confused. It’s adorable.”
“Sienna…”
She sighs dramatically. “I told you once. You’re not like the others. And youweremy favorite.”
That’s not very reassuring. “Why? Why did you pick me?” And why is she here now if not to take him back?
She sighs again. “Because, as you can imagine, this gig doesn’t exactly allow me to socialize. I guess I was bored. A little lonely, maybe? And I liked watching you become who you’re meant to be. You weresointeresting.”
Cal scowls. “You’re being cryptic again.”
Judging by her infuriating smile, she knows that, and she’s enjoying it. “Do you know what makes a soul, Cal?”
“Energy?” he guesses, unsure where she’s going with this.
“Close.” She smiles. “Love, Cal. The ability to love gives rise to a soul.”
“You’re telling me I grew a soul because of my feelings for Dawson?” he asks, skeptical. That sounds so far-fetched.
“You mentioned energy. Before you took on a physical form, this body, you were energy too. We all are. Everything in the universe is. And energy can take many forms.”
Right. So, falling in love with Dawson turned his sorry existence into an actual soul. A soul like the ones he’d harvested.
And he somehow managed to bind himself to Dawson’s soul without knowing it was possible.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
Sienna leans closer to him but never touches him. He’s not sure what would happen if she did.
“Because I wanted to remind you why you’re here. Why you risked everything for a fraction of a chance to be with Dawson. When things get difficult, when something feels impossible, just remember what you’re fighting for.” Her eyes move to Dawson, and Cal is surprised to find something like affection reflected in them. “What you two have is something that transcends time and space. And even me.” She chuckles. “You’ll always find your way back to each other. Yours is a pretty epic story. Maybe you should consider it when you finally write your book.” She pats the mattress and gets up. “See you later, stranger.”
“Sienna,” he calls out to her before she leaves. “Thank you.” It occurs to him he won’t see her for a long time. It feels like he’s losing a friend. Not that they ever were friends, not really. But then why does the thought make him sad?
Sienna just smiles, her teeth flashing. Then she winks and in the next second, she’s gone.
Dawson is still there when Cal wakes up, for real this time. His head rests on Cal’s thigh, his fingers squeezing Cal’s hand. He must’ve stayed the night. He’s going to be so sore today, and tired. He needs to go home and rest, not waste time sitting by Cal’s bed. He’s too selfless for his own good. Cal loves him for it, but it’s exactly why he needs to tell him the truth. No matter the consequences, Dawson deserves to know.
Using his free hand, Cal reaches over to stroke Dawson’s hair to gently wake him up. Dawson makes a noise of protest, his brows twitching.
“Dawson. Wake up, sweetheart.”
Dawson’s eyelids press together tighter before fluttering open.
“Cal?” he says in a sleepy voice, rubbing the corners of his eyes.
Cal’s heart clenches. “Hi.”
