Free The Triad of Finity by Kevin Emerson Page A

Nathan was right. There was still time. But … Oliver threw up his hands. I have no idea what else we can do .
    Nathan shrugged. Yeah. That makes two of us.
    There was a plunk in the water. Dean had started skipping rocks. Hey Nathan, want a shot at the record?
    Nathan stood up. You mean my record? Nathan was perhaps the greatest rock skipper in this world. He’d had plenty of time to practice, as he’d spent most of Oliver’s existence here at the Shoals.
    Not for long, said Dean.
    Nathan got up, leaving Oliver with a shuddering cold feeling. He pulled his knees up, wrapped his arms around them. His anger had soured to guilt. It wasn’t any better.
    Jenette came and sat down beside him. Sorry, said Oliver.
    It’s okay. I mean, I get it.
    Oliver nodded. Have you been to see your mom lately?
    No, said Jenette. Her voice tightened. She’s getting worse. It doesn’t do any good, me going there, if I’m just going to scare her. Still, I might try again soon. She glanced up the beach. Some of the other wraiths have started visiting their loved ones and saying goodbye, too, you know, in case we go. Oliver followed her gaze and saw the other wraiths standing here and there. They all looked human here, at least somewhat, and stood, barefoot, most gazing out to sea.
    Oliver knew that the wraiths would survive the opening of the Gate, though their grief would likely intensify, as the humans they loved would be destroyed. This only made Oliver feel another wave of guilt. Still more beings whose fates were tied to his destiny.
    That must suck, said Oliver.
    Yeah, but … there’s another way for a wraith, Jenette said quietly. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
    What’s that?
    Well, a wraith can free itself from earth. Become energy, like a freed soul … if they find someone to take their grief.
    What does that mean?
    Someone absorbs the wraith’s grief as part of their own. They become responsible for it.
    How do you get someone to do that? Oliver asked.
    There’s an enchantment, said Jenette. And also, I have to invite the person. My grief is mine to give. Jenette sighed. But it’s tough. Nobody wants more grief, you know? Everyone already has enough of their own sadness to bear.
    Yeah, I guess, Oliver agreed. On a night like tonight, he couldn’t imagine having to manage someone else’s grief, too.
    I chose someone anyway, though, said Jenette, and the thought seemed to lift her spirits. I did the ritual and everything … but I haven’t asked them yet.
    Oh. Oliver wondered if she’d tell him who it was. He thought about asking.
    But then she said, You know what else is neat?
    What?
    Grief is powerful. The person who takes on a wraith’s grief can use it.
    Yeah, what for?
    It has the power that all grief has, to bind things together. The same power that traps a wraith here. There’s an incantation and everything. It’s pretty cool.
    Huh, said Oliver. That was pretty cool, and he could think of one person he would like to bind to himself, or at least to this time and space. …
    The view of the beach flickered around them.
    Time to go, said Jenette with a sigh. It took a lot of energy for the wraiths to hold Oliver and Dean here. Too soon, as usual . Oliver, promise me you won’t just go back and start terrorizing humans again. Promise me you’ll keep trying to have hope.
    Oliver stood. All right, I promise. But I don’t know how that’s going to help. It’s not like anything we’ve tried has worked.
    Well, maybe something will come along when you least expect it.
    Yeah. Oliver turned. Dean, let’s go.
    See ya, said Nathan.
    Sure. Oliver didn’t want to say what he was thinking, which was: hope so. Because would he? Was there still time? When Illisius arrived, that would be that. Oliver would get his demon, and he and Nathan would be separated. Nathan would be freed into energy, his warmth gone forever.
    They headed back up the beach to the round window where the Kid Valley was visible, and Jenette