“Why are you here?” Her voice traveled like windchimes through a breeze, echoing in the air with an effervescent quality.
She never spoke directly to him before, a sign that their bond was progressing against his will. The others did not hear her or notice his presence, most likely because it was not their dream. She was the only one who saw him, and she did not appear pleased.
“Are you the angel of death?” Her tone snapped with accusation. “Have you come to finish this? Why must you torture them so?”
Her words were clipped and resolute, but Jonas saw the slight trembling of her chin and the uncertainty and vulnerability of her eyes. If he were the angel of death, she certainly wouldn’t beg for more time. No, his mate was too proud for that.
“I’m no angel of death or angel otherwise,” Jonas assured her, and some of the tension noticeably left her shoulders.
“Then who are you? Did you know Sharon?”
“Sharon?”
“Yes, my daughter. Dane and Cybil’s mother,” she replied, jerking her chin to the plot.
“I did not.”
“Then what business do you have here? This is my memory, my nightmare. I’ve seen you here many times, yet I have no idea who you are.”
“I’m Jonas.”
“And what does that mean to me, Jonas?”
Apparently nothing. Mortals knew nothing of their kind and even less about fate and the power of God’s call.
“Eventually, I will come to you, Clara.” At the use of her name, she stiffened. Her sharp, blue eyes staring into his.
He should have welcomed her curious stare with hope and affection, but the ominous speed of time left him pressed. Now that he’d connected with her, there would be no keeping him away. His soul had already begun the hunt and it wouldn’t relent until it claimed its other half.
It was best to prepare her. The outcome, for them both, was inevitable.
“When I come to you, I will offer you the gift of eternal life. You will offer me salvation.”
She laughed in a way that lacked humor. “Another liar. I don’t need one more person selling me promises with no guarantees. You can’t promise me eternal life any more than I can promise my grandchildren a home that will still be here next year.”
He frowned at the children and followed their gazes to the grave. “You’re all they have left?”
“Yes. Isn’t God thoughtful? He’s given two children a guardian at the end of her life to watch over them.” Her words dripped with sarcasm.
“I also take issue with our Lord’s decisions as of late.”
“Have you lost someone?”
“No, but I will soon.” His heart jerked from the punch of pain as the thought of losing his sweet Abilene knocked the wind out of him.
Her mouth firmed into a thin line. “Perhaps death is the reward. I find life more and more punishing the longer it goes on.”
“Perhaps.” He still considered refusing the call and ending his life. It seemed a kinder fate than one that required him to betray the female he loved. “I may also die very soon.”
“The doctors tell me I have only a few months left.”
“How can any man decide such a thing?”
“Science,” she stated concisely. “I find it rather inconvenient to know such things. I would prefer ignorance. At least if I were ignorant, I would be able to enjoy my grandchildren in these last moments rather than be in a constant state of distraction, burdened with worry over what will become of them.”
“And what will become of them?”
“The state will get custody. If they’re lucky, they’ll remain together, but the chances of that are unlikely.”
Her attention shifted to the boy when he started to cry. She let him work through the moment then returned her stare to Jonas. “It’s been six weeks since Sharon was killed, and Cybil hasn’t spoken a single word since. I used to call her my little jabber box.”
“Was she there when it happened?”
“They both were,” Clara’s eyes closed as she drew in a slow breath. “Dane seems to understand what she needs, so who knows what will happen to her if he is taken away from her. Psychologists will label her, and she’ll have to contend with carrying this trauma alone for the rest of her life.”
“What if you could stay with them? What if neither of us had to die?”
She laughed, the sound dry and brittle, triggering a cough. “Why would I want to stay in a life that is marked by suffering? I can’t bear to lose another person I love. If I lived forever, I’d lose everyone eventually.” She shook her head. “I love them dearly, but I’m tired. I’m all out of fight.”
“I could take away your tiredness.”
“For a young man, you sure do have an issue with your hearing. My time here is ending. I’m beyond bargaining.”
“I assure you, I’m no young man.”