Darkness devoured it all, including the veil, leaving behind nothing but the steady sound of paddle wheels churning up the Mississippi.
I stared at the empty air.
I wanted to feel sorry, feel something, but I was numb. Dune put his hand on my arm. “Hallie?”
Then Poe was in front of me, reaching out.
The consequences of one simple touch registered a second before it could happen.
“Stop!” I threw myself against the rail. “Don’t touch me, either of you. Not until I get this necklace off.”
How long would I have to worry about accidentally killing someone I loved?
“She made sure it wasn’t going to come off easily. Fire’s the only thing that’s going to get through it.” Poe held up his hands. “If you want, I can take care of that.”
“Please.” I voiced my other concern. “When will the duronium be out of my system?”
“It shouldn’t take long, especially with your metabolism. You’ll burn it off. Be right back.”
Dune reached for me. In that second, I needed him to touch me more than I needed air in my lungs, but the fear of what I could’ve done by touching him or Poe weighed heavily.
“Just me,” he said. “I’ll move the second Poe comes back on deck.”
I threw myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest, squeezing his waist. Safe. Solid. My anchor.
“I don’t think she’s coming out of the veil,” I whispered, looking up at him.
The unusual sadness in his eyes told me he agreed. “I’m sorry for my part in it. I didn’t know what would happen, but I wasn’t expecting that. I can’t stop thinking that it could’ve been you, Hallie. It could’ve been you.”
“I know.” My mother had been an unwilling sacrifice. That was going to take years to unpack, and trying to deal with it now was pointless. I would focus on the present. “Is everyone okay? Carl—”
“He was on his way to the hospital, and everyone else is fine.”
Poe exited the cabin and conferred with one of the ship hands.
When he turned toward us, Dune let me go and took a step back.
“We’re headed back to shore.” Poe held up a tiny blowtorch. “Ready?”
“I’ll check in with Michael,” Dune said. “Be right back.”
“Stay where I can see you.” I sounded like his mom instead of his girlfriend, but I didn’t care. Was I his girlfriend? The word seemed too simple.
Dune nodded. I should’ve known he’d understand.
“I’m sorry, Hallie.” Poe shoved his free hand in his jeans pocket. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“How did you end up here?”
“Your dad asked for my help. That’s why I was on the boat. When you made him promise not to come straight home, he called me. Thank God Teague still thought I was on her side.”
I couldn’t stop looking at the place she’d been standing when she disappeared. “He was right to send you. I’ll have to tell him she’s dead.”
o;Kaleb, Lily, Michael, and Emerson.”
“If I’d known I had to do Emerson again I’d have left her dead the first time I killed her.” He turned away from Teague and walked toward the cabin, saluting us with his knife. “Not like I’ve ever been a hero to anyone, anyway. Least of all to you, Hallie.”
And then he winked.