Chapter 87 The Crossing

Chapter 87 The Crossing
The word felt absurd on my tongue, like it belonged in some cheap horror film.
I'd seen movies with voodoo dolls, read stories where pins went in, and people screamed in agony. But I'd never thought…not really…that something like that could work.
Even living in a world where the supernatural literally existed, it felt too out there.
And now I was being told one had been used against me. Not to hurt me in some passing way, but to steal something fundamental—my chance to carry my own child.

Agnes nodded once. "Yes, child. The goddess does not lie. Once you ingested the substance, you were linked to that doll. And from it, your fertility was attacked. Knotted"
She continued. "The knots tighten with time. You should not have waited a year before coming here, child. Now it will be more difficult to lift."
Zephyr cursed under his breath. 
"W-what can we do?" I asked helplessly. 
The shaman leaned against the stone platform. "If you find it and bring it to me, I can unbind it. The doll holds the knots used to tie your womb. I'll first perform a ritual to undo the spell before destroying it," she explained.

"But… what if whoever did this to me doesn't have it anymore? What if they threw it away or even destroyed it?"
The tears had started running down my face. "W-we don't even know who has it. I mean, we have a suspect, but..."
Zephyr's hold around me tightened, and he kissed my hair, whispering something to comfort me, but I wasn't even listening. 
"There is a second way," Agnes said. 
Hope suddenly flared in my chest, and I straightened.

"What?" I asked quickly. Desperately. 
But the look on her face made my heart sink, and my shoulders sag. 
I'd hoped too soon.
"It is called the Crossing," she said. "And my child, it is dangerous."
"How dangerous?" Zephyr asked.
Her eyes shifted to him, then back to me. "The Crossing is when your soul travels beyond the veil, to the realm of spirits. A place between life and death. Between soul and flesh. The curse is tethered to your womb by unnatural means. To undo it is to face it from the inside. Spirit to spirit."

Agnes's voice gave me chills. 
"There, you will search for the cord that binds you… and if you are strong enough, sever it yourself."
"So I have to go there?" I whispered shakily. 
She nodded. "You'd leave your body behind temporarily. But the realm feeds on fear, on regret, on everything you try to bury. Some things dwell on the other side that do not like visitors. You may not be alone while you're there. And you may not return if you falter."

Agnes's eyes were round as she spoke. "Once your soul is lost, your body won't survive for long. But if your will is strong… if your bond to this world, to him, is powerful enough… your love can anchor you. It can guide you through the darkness and give you the strength to sever the knot."
I looked up at Zephyr, who was already shaking his head, his green eyes full of worry, because he knew me.
He knew exactly what I was thinking.
"I love you," I said softly. "I love you so much. And I know the love I have for you is strong enough. It's real. That love… our love… can carry me through. I can do this, Zeph. I have to try."

His brows, which were previously squeezed in a frown, relaxed, melting into something more pained. He reached for me, cupping my face in his hands. "I love you, too, Wildflower. But no," Zephyr said. "I'm not risking it. I won't lose you. Not for this."
My heart bled at the fear in his voice.
"Zeph," I said softly. "They took this from me. From us. Don't you get it? I need to try."
He dropped his hands, growing upset. "No, Lyla." His voice was firm. "It's not worth your life. I don't care what they did. I will not let you gamble your soul over this.
I wiped away the tears staining my cheeks. "But I have to try," I whispered. 

He shook his head again, harsher this time. "I'm your husband. You think I'll just stand by and watch you leave your body? Risk never coming back? Do you even hear yourself, baby?"
"I hear myself perfectly." 
Agnes cleared her throat gently, trying to calm the moment. "It is not a decision to be made lightly. The Crossing is not something I encourage. But it is an option. One you both must agree upon."
Zephyr glared at her. "Don't encourage her."

Agnes glared back at him. "I'm not encouraging her," she said calmly. "I'm simply telling her the truth. The longer a binding is left undisturbed, the deeper it roots itself."
Her voice lowered. "And when that happens, my child… it becomes nearly impossible to sever."
She turned to me. "If you're to do this, you must decide quickly. There isn't time to waste. Once it is fully rooted, not even the Crossing will help you."

Zephyr moved forward, placing himself between Agnes and me. He bent slightly to meet my eyes.
"Lyla, baby… look at me," he said in a low, pleading voice. "We're not doing this."
I tried to hold his gaze, but couldn't. Not when his own were full of so much worry.
"There's still another way," he continued, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "We just have to…" He paused, exhaling sharply. "We'll find the bastard who did this. We'll get the fucking doll."

My voice broke as I whispered, "What if they don't have it anymore?"
"They will." His eyes softened with pain. "And even if they don't, we'll keep trying. But we are not risking the Crossing unless we've exhausted every other option. Not until we know for sure."
I nodded shakily, then burst into tears, and Zephyr pulled me into his chest, holding me tight. "I can't lose you. Don't you get it? I'd rather have you than any promise of children."

The burden in my chest lightened at his words, and I pulled back to kiss him.
It was a kiss full of pain... of fierce, desperate love. And when we finally broke apart, Zephyr turned with me to face Agnes, uttering one simple sentence. 
"Fuck the Crossing."

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 ZEPHYR

It had been a month and some days since I left Aspen for London. 
A month and some days since anyone had seen Lyla… since I stood before my pack as Alpha. And the first question out of their mouths wasn't even about my welfare, but about my wife. 
The minute I stepped into the meeting hall, the whispers began.
Heads turned, and necks craned, eager to see if Lyla was with me, as she hadn't been the last time. 

Taking my seat on the high chair, I silenced the room with a long, sharp whistle.
"Let's begin."
Elder Scott was the first to speak, seated in the middle of the room. "You were away for over a month, Alpha," he began. His tone wasn't disrespectful, but it held a hint of curiosity. "And now you return without the Luna. She was notably absent at the last gathering as well, and we still don't know why."
I didn't bother hiding my irritation. "Last I checked, my personal life isn't subject to council review."