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Heat suffused me, soothing me down to the bone, and a lick of wildness flavored my tongue.

“A soul is an echo of the body it once occupied, a familiar shape. That is all.”Anunit said from within me, her spirit mingling with mine.“You focus too much on what you see. Feel his soul. Feel what you remember of the man he is. Feel what is there.”

Learning from the bruise on my hip, I glanced over my shoulder to check the street behind me.

No parked cars, no gaping potholes, and only the one slight dip near the curb leading into the drain.

Good. No.Great.

The way was clear. I could do this. Maybe without twisting an ankle.

Heart thumping as I faced Rollo again, I allowed my eyes to close. I blocked out the familiar sight of him and focused on the prickling energies I associated with touching a soul. His was more vibrant. Stronger. Because, I realized, he was alive. And to have proof in my hands, not half-baked theories or relative certainties, drove home a truth I had been afraid to believe since setting eyes on the parade.

If Rollo was alive, then so was Matty.

If Rollo could be saved, then so could Matty.

So could Vi.

So could all the other afflicted.

“Gather him into your hands like you would cradle a moth,”Anunit counselled.“Be gentle. Do not crush him.”

There were no words to describe what I did or how I did it. I didn’t understand the mechanics myself. The sensation wasn’t so different from when I reached into a body to snuff out their soul.

Now that I thought about it, that was the only time I had ever held a living person’s essence.

No pressure.

Literally.

One wrong flex, and I would be left with a handful of ashes.

Though, in hindsight, if I had to practice on someone, I wasn’t mad Rollo got the honors.

“What now?” I ignored the sweat pooling in my palms that called me a liar. “Do I carry him out or…?”

“For his sake, I would hold your ground. Imagine him as a rock in a stream. He stands a better chance of survival if the magic swirls around him and washes away rather than you lifting him onto dry ground.”

“Survival?” I fought to prevent my fingers from contracting on reflex. “This could kill him?”

“Yes.”

“That would have been nice to know ahead of time.”

“Leave him here, and he will die. You might as well attempt to save him.”

Confirmation my brother and Vi would be lost if I didn’t figure this out had me tasting bile, but it was a good first step. I had to believe that. And so, despite our history of animosity, I cradled Rollo with infinite care, throwing my eyes wide open. I couldn’t risk fumbling my grip. Not here at the end. Not with success so close at hand.

“You are doing well,”Anunit praised me.“Hold your focus and brace yourself for the severing.”

The severing did not sound like a good time.

Acid churning up the back of my throat, I planted my feet, barely breathing for what felt like an eternity. Just as I was starting to believe this would work, a cold wind kicked up around my ankles, rising higher. I faltered, stumbling back, panicking as a persistent suction pried at my fingers.

“This isn’t going to work.” I locked my hands like a cage to steady them. “He’s slipping.”

Warmth encased my spine, and Kierce reached around me, cupping my hands in his, and his power sank into my skin. I sagged against him, soaking him in like a sponge, and together we cradled Rollo’s soul until Anunit released a faint purr.