29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Slate

Wake up, Slate.

Wake up.

I'm not sure telling myself over and over again to wake up is the right thing to do. I am technically awake. I hear everything going on around me. See it too. It's like I'm outside my body, but only partially. I feel like I'm in my own realm—weightless and free. Yet I am tethered to this human body that is covered in cuts and bruises and dried blood. No matter how hard I try, I can't get myself back inside it to move, or far enough away to go back to my realm.

I am stuck.

I scream. Shout. Try to move. But nothing makes a difference.

I have no idea what those shadows did to me, or how this is even possible. But here I am.

How long will it last?

I've never felt panic in my life before. Not until now. It's terrible. What am I supposed to do?

"You are my everything," the shadow whispers to Lexia, and they break apart. She takes Lumen's hand, and they walk off.

"Hopefully he'll be better in the morning," she says softly.

I agree.

It's going to be a long night, longer than one ever has been before, but hopefully in the light of day, things will be fixed. Whatever they did will be over.

The bedroom door clicks softly. The shadow still stands in his spot quietly, staring at the bedroom door as if he is waiting for it to open and Lexia and Lumen to come back out. After a few long moments, and the door staying closed, he turns to me.

Thank the gods. Maybe he will know how to fix this.

He walks toward me carefully, crouching down and getting close to my human face. He turns his head this way and that, looking over every inch of me before settling his attention back on my face.

"I know you can hear me, grey," he begins, and panic skyrockets tenfold.

Gods above, he's betrayed them all. He's going to screw us all over. He's the one who has been faking this entire time—not me! How could he do that? How did he pull the wool over everyone's eyes for so long? "The magic in which you are under is powerful. Old. Something I have not seen in many years, but I know it well."

If I had a heart in this form, it would be pounding. Still, it's like a phantom feeling. As if the part of me still tethered to the human body feels it faintly.

"I could reverse it, you know. But why should I do that? You have been going behind our backs. Meeting with the shadows. You have put our mate in harm's way."

Okay, so he isn't on their side. That's a relief. Kind of. Not really, actually. It sucks for me.

"You should suffer for what you have done. You deserve nothing less. And if you were not needed to complete this prophecy, I would leave you like this for all eternity. It is the worst sort of torture. Unfortunately, that is not an option. Hades will not help us without you."

He shakes his head, looking up and down my human body.

"A few days like this should suffice."

No. No, no, no!

I can't stay like this for days. This is driving me mad already. Days? I'll lose my mind. I'll go insane!

"Perhaps it will teach you a lesson, grey." He runs his hand down my face. "Be grateful to this universe, as it is the only reason I have not yet killed you."

He stands to his full height, a smirk on his dark lips. He goes to the couch, sits, and turns on the TV as if nothing is wrong. As if I am not sitting here being tortured. As if I am not suffering!

I tell myself it'll all be fine. I'll only be like this a few days. But that seems like forever when all I feel is panic.