Page 85 of The Monsters We Are
“It’s not an impossible feat, but it ain’t easy,” Xavier cut in. “I’ve known witches to temporarily do it with deceased souls. Your soul is undead, and that leaves it vulnerable in many ways. I don’t know what exactly you host, but it’s powerful. I think it could manage something like this.”
“Maybe. There’s also a chance that Kali either helped or made it happen.” Wynter shoved a hand through her hair. “Whatever the case, Cain is not gonna like that the entity melded its soul with mine, even though it was only for a few moments. Because that would mean two things—not only am I supremely vulnerable to my monster, but by joining its soul with mine that way . . . well, it might actually be able to pull me back to the netherworld regardless of his rights to me.”
Hattie cursed. “Girl, this ain’t good.”
No, it wasn’t. “He won’t handle either of those things well, particularly the latter. I worry he’ll do something rash.”
“Like?” prompted Xavier.
“Like challenge Kali in some way,” replied Wynter. “Like insist that She drop whatever plans She has for me. Which She wouldn’t agree to do. And if She thought he’d interfere with them, She’d take me from him somehow—even if only temporarily. I don’t think even Cain could take on a deity, but he’d be enraged enough to try.”
Delilah winced. “Yeah, I can see that happening.”
Xavier puffed out a breath. “I get why you’re hesitant to tell him, but I think you should—you’ll just have to be careful how you go about it. There might be something he can do to ensure that your monster isn’t able to merge with you like that again. I mean, Cain owns your soul. He’d surely have some way to protect it.” He frowned when she only stared at him. “What?”
“You’re just the last person I expected would encourage me to be honest,” said Wynter.
“Hey, the truth is overrated—I fully believe that,” he stated. “But there are occasions when truths simply need to be shared. In my opinion, this is something that Cain needs to know.”
“I agree,” said Anabel. “As Xavier said, there might be something Cain can do to protect your soul. But he won’t know he needs to if you’re not upfront about what happened.”
Hattie nodded. “And you can always wrangle a promise out of him in advance.”
Wynter tilted her head. “A promise to do what?”
“Not challenge Kali, of course,” replied Hattie.
Wynter pulled a face. “I’m not so certain he’d be able to keep that promise.”
“But if you use magick to bind the verbal contract, he’d be unable to break his word.”
Wynter felt her brows hike up. “That’s true.” And a very good idea.
“I have one question,” said Anabel. “Whose was the voice that led you to Abaddon?”
Wynter gave a clueless shrug. “I know that, having heard Abaddon speak, it definitely wasn’t him.”
A knock sounded at the front door.
“I’ll get it.” Wynter pushed out of her seat, crossed the living room, and opened the front door. She blinked at the sight of Maxim. “Oh, hi.” Wynter stepped aside to let him enter.
“Thank you,” he said. “I came to pass on a message from Cain. He asked that you have dinner with him this evening. He’d like you to more officially meet Abaddon and . . .” Maxim trailed off, his eyes drifting to something behind her.
Wynter twisted to see Anabel lighting the candles on the living room altar.
The blonde must have felt their attention settle on her, because her gaze flew to them. “What?” she asked, frowning . . . which only served to pull down those thick, drawn eyebrows even more.
Maxim cleared his throat. “I’m just wondering why you look like a pirate.”
Her muscles stiffening, she swiftly turned to glance at her reflection in the triple moon mirror. Her hands balled up into fists. “Xavier, you shit!”
“Karma spares no one!” he yelled from the kitchen.
“Amen to that,” said Delilah . . . at which point Anabel began to rip them both a new asshole while Hattie cackled.
Sighing, Wynter turned back to Maxim. “Would you believe me if I told you that this kind of thing is unusual?”
He gave her a long look. “No. No, I would not.”