In The Shadow of Death

There’s nothing but emptiness left in me.
My light, my love, gone in the blink of an eye.
Without really noticing what I was doing, I stood up and stumbled out of the room. I’d been sitting on the floor of the room we’d shared for maybe twelve hours, staring at her toe shoes in the corner.
I was all the way out of the house before I started to run. The trees blurred past me, or maybe it was just the tears streaking my face.
This is where Lucifer healed her. The roar that tore out of me sounded so inhuman it almost surprised me.
Or it would have, if I was capable of feeling anything.
I burst out of the trees and stood in the clearing where it had happened.
The End of Days.
The end of my world.
I fell to my knees where Lil had disappeared into the ground, letting the tears fall.
At least Brian had a body to bury. There was an empty crypt next to Sera’s with Lil’s name on it.
I finally understood why she said we were luckier than Brian and Sera. She’d seen her own death and knew that unbonded, I wouldn’t be suffering the same madness that Brian is now.
But instead of madness, I feel nothing.
There’s no heartbeat in my chest.
There’s no emotion.
Just empty….
Echoing…
Despair.
“Why did you leave me Lil?” I yelled at the unconcerned sky. The sun still rose and set without her here. But not for me. Lil was my sun and now she was gone. There was no light, no joy, no beauty left.
“Lil come back. Please.” I begged, scratching at the ground where she’d disappeared. Both she and Lucifer had sunk into the earth, leaving no trace but the blood they left behind.
As if she never existed.
“Come back….” I whimpered. “Come back.”
I didn’t notice it at first. His sword was still here. The same blade that killed my beloved would take my own life.
Right through the chest, just like Lil. I pressed the sword’s point against my chest and just as I looked up, I saw a girl on the edge of the clearing.
She was wearing a long shift and she was barefoot. Her dark hair was long and hung loose.
She moved with a dancer’s grace as she stepped into the sunlight.
Death came faster than I thought. I didn’t even feel anything.
“Lili?” I stood up to see her better.
“Jimmy.” She breathed, racing towards me.
I never thought I’d hold her again, never feel just how perfectly she fit against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tight. I pressed my lips to hers, reveling in the feel.
“Why were you going to stab yourself?” She asked when she pulled away.
“Because you’re dead. And I didn’t want to live without you.”
“I was dead. But now I’m back.” She put her hand over my heart and my hand over her own heart. “Feel it beat? You’re still alive.”
“You’re…alive? How?” I’d seen her die. I’d never felt that much agony.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you babe.” She smiled and I realized just how lucky I was that she was alive. “I don’t know how, but I’m not gonna mess with it.”
“I love you Lili.”
“I love you too Jimbo. Now let’s go home, I wanna see Sera.” I bit my lip.
How do I tell her?
“Lili, hold on.” She’d started to move towards the house. “Sera’s gone.”
“Yeah, I know, but she should have come back by now.” Her mouth hung open and she looked so lost and young. “She should be back.”
“She’s in the mausoleum near the house. I’m so sorry babe.” She threw her arms around me and I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt.
I have her back now, but she doesn’t have her sister. She told me once how important it is for them to be together. She had nightmares unless she slept next to her sister, which we now know were premonitions that Lil didn’t know she was having.
I rubbed her back gently and carried her back to the house.
--
The first person we saw once we got in the house was Cory. To be honest, she looked like shit. Her face was blotchy and red from crying, from what I could see of it. Her head was against Johnny’s shoulder, who also looked like crap.
“Lil?” Johnny gasped when he saw me. I smiled slightly and Cory nearly tackled me.
“Good God you scared me!” She nearly broke my ribs hugging me. Maddy, Kiva and Matt were next in line. Zacky’s face was drawn but he hugged me as well.
“Where’s Brian?” I asked. My sister’s husband would need more comfort than I would.
“He’s gone. He left two days ago to go hunt angels and demons alike.” Matt said solemnly. “He lost his mind after Sera died.”
“We think he’s in Tulsa, hunting the demon coven there.” Kiva said from her spot next to Zacky. Looks like my old dance buddy has a new boy toy.
“Then what are we waiting for?” I ran into my room, grabbed some jeans a t-shirt and my favorite combat boots.
Tulsa here we come.