It had been a long time since Ever slept in reaper form; he had almost forgotten how it felt. Being in a warm bed, holding your person close, breathing in the scent of their hair, waking up to them to see that they had been staring at you for the last five minutes waiting for you to wake up… bundled together, it was a lovely experience.

  It was something he couldn’t have right now. There simply wasn’t enough space in the small bed next to Zoe. So right after reaping Tucker, Ever dragged his weary, spectral form back into the hospital, intersecting briefly with brick, plaster, metal and fabric on the way back to her room. In that form he remained, reclining in mid air, doing his best to stop himself from floating out of her room as he slumbered fretfully.

  —--

  The monster surveyed him through front-facing, silver-grey eyes, its four, powerful, feline legs splayed over him. As Ever tried to get up, the creature pressed a giant paw onto his chest, pushing him right back down. It opened its opened its mouth, revealing fangs that burned with blue flames.

  “What do you want from me?” Ever yelled. He strained, trying to prop himself up. His arms felt limp and useless, as if the nerves had been severed from his shoulders to his fingers.

  ^I want you to be what it is you want to be!^

  It raised its right paw, claws glinting terribly for a fraction of a second before it swiped across his chest. Ever arched his back, mouth open in a mute scream of silent agony. He slowly looked down at his chest, where pale blue light shards from three parallel lines pierced the darkness, almost like he contained the sky behind his rib cage.

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  Somehow, the three wounds upon his chest started moving. Like serpents, they slithered this way and that, one and two coming together with number three far away, or two and three coming together with number one meandering elsewhere on his chest. As if controlled by an outside force, they all slid away from one another to the three corners of an invisible, equilateral triangle, before rushing back towards the center and colliding.

  Once more, Ever threw his head back as a cavern opened up in the middle of his chest where the snakes of light had intersected. Instead of pain, he felt power and clarity. He looked left: the scythe had appeared in his hand, its blade now glowing ivory. Seeing the dazzling light emanating from his chest, the snarling beast had retreated. Intent on finishing Ever, it leaped at him, front paws extended, maws wide. Ever swung–

  “Ever!”

  He bolted right up. In front of him claws out was Nika.

  ^What in the blazes is wrong with you?^ The ghost black cat hissed. ^You almost ended me right then and there!^

  He looked left at his hand, where the scythe was in line with his splayed legs.

  “S-sorry Nika,” Ever said. “I thought you were–”

  ^That’s the last time I ever do anything for you, woman!^ Nika streaked away, an electric shadow slipping through the wall.

  Wait… woman?

  Ever looked to the right – and his mouth fell open.

  “Good morning,” Zoe said, a weak but glowing smile on her face, arms reaching out for him.