Shane frowned as an automated message told him the voicemail was full. He'd been calling Jessica all day, and she hadn't answered.
Shane shoved the phone into his pocket and glanced out the windows that lined the walkway back to the patient rooms. The sky was cloudy, but he saw, beyond the haze, the full moon.
Shane clutched the two banana milk tighter so his fingers made small indents in the plastic. Jessica would call back. She knew how important this was. Shane didn't want to dwell on the trust he was placing in his sister.
It's too late, there's no other choice, he told himself.
Shane stopped abruptly. Pain sliced through him, cold and sharp. His heart stuttered, and one of the containers fell from his fingers to splatter on his shoes.
he raced to Jihoon's room, past startled nurses and patients. The rumpled bed was empty. Sheets tangled at the foot like they'd been kicked away. Shane dropped the second banana milk when she spun to grab the nearest nurse. The woman looked harried, her arms loaded with gauze.
"Where did the patient in room 1696 go?" Shane's voice lifted in panic.
"I don't know. Maybe they took him for a scan." The nurse extracted herself from Shane's grip and hurried away, sending curious glances over her shoulder.
"No," Shane said to no one in particular, pressing his hand against his speeding heart. No matter what he did, he couldn't slow it down. "Something isn't right."
Lights flashed across Shane's vision and he blinked, worried he would lose consciousness if he didn't calm down. But they wove in and out, stretched across his line of sight.
Minjae walked up, eyeing Shane suspiciously. "Where's Jihoon?" he asked, staring at the empty bed.
"I don't know." Shane squeezed his eyes shut. When he blinked them open, the lights began to bleed together. He realized they were pulsing. A beat like a heart. And it called to him. Shane knew then that it wasn't just his imagination or the delirium of his weakening state. It was his soul calling out. The soul leading him. To Jihoon. he let it embrace him, let it surround him. A glow starting in his chest and growing outward. When Shane opened his eyes, the lights were now a steady line of glittering crimson. He followed it.
The automatic door opened to let Shane outside, but Eamon blocked his path. "Shane."
Shane tried to move around him but was stopped.
"What?" she asked, exasperated.
"It's a Loralie."
Dread settled in Shane's belly. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything."
Shane narrowed her eyes at his careful wording. "You mean you didn't stop her."
Eamon spread his hands out. "I don't get involved in situations that can get me killed."
"You should have stopped her."
"She paid me well not to. And she paid for me to keep you here."
"Just try it." Shae rocked onto the balls of his feet, ready to fight.
"If she finds out I let you go so easily, she might come after me."
"Then you better run."
Eamon sighed like he'd expected that answer. His hand clamped around Shane's wrist. "I can't let you leave this hospital. And you're in no state to fight me."
Shane twisted to free himself, Eamon was right. He still had his superhuman strength, and Shane was as weak as a child. Still, Shane had his wits and his desperation. Still cuffed by Eamon's hand, he bit the fleshy part of his palm.
With a shout of pain, Eamon let go and Shane darted past him. But Eamon was still too fast and he caught Shane, holding him in place.
"If you just stop fighting, it'll be easier for you. Let your sister retrieve your soul and forget all of this."
"No!" Shane shouted, clawing at his arms.
Then Eamon let out a surprised yelp and his arms loosened as he was dragged away. Shane twisted out of his grip to see Minjae pulling Eamon back by his hair.
"Let go, half brother!" Eamon tried to break free, but Minjae's grip must have been like iron because he only screamed again. Tears of pain sprang to his eyes.
"Well, I'm not sure what kind of argument you two are having. But I don't like to see you manhandling my half brother, half brother," Minjae said.
Shane lifted his eyebrows in amusement.
"This is none of your business," Eamon said through gritted teeth.
"That's the problem. I can't seem to keep myself from getting involved in my half brother's business. I'm nosy like that." Minjae shrugged.
"This is not worth what I'm getting paid," Eamon said. "Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, he stormed away.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"We can't find Jihoon," Shane replied.
"What?
"She's back. She has him."
Death's face became stony but then pleased. " I see Loralie is doing her job. Come on, I have my car."
"Wait!" Minjae called out. "What's going on? Did someone take him? How do you know?"
"I just do," Shane said impatiently. "Wait here—we'll find him."
"How?" Minjae demanded.
"I have a way," Shane said. The line of red still shone beside him, pulsing with urgency.
"What way?" Minjae asked, a stubborn frown settling on his face. Shane shrugged.
"I can't—"
"Okay then," Minjae said. "Bring him back safe. He's my future brother in law after all."
Shane frowned. He'd asked for Minjae's trust, but he realized now he hadn't really been expecting it.
"I'll make sure Jihoon doesn't get hurt," Shane promised.
"And you," Minjae said.
"What?"
"Make sure you don't get hurt either." Shane nodded.
"Can't promise on my behalf, but I'll try my best."
Minjae chuckled, "Good luck, half brother."
Shane smiled back.
"Thanks, half brother."
Chapter Fifty-five
"Are you going to kill me?" Jihoon asked.
"You get right to the point." The light of the moon made Loralie's skin so pale she could have been a ghost come to take his soul. It was true however, she had come to take back his brother'