It’s not always something you read or experience. Sometimes it’s just a persistent thought that refuses to leave until you pay it some notice.”

He nods, curls his thumbs around his belt loops and glances toward Damen and me. “Anyway, while I know this’ll probably sound judgmental, I think you know by now that I don’t really mean it that way, but, well, I can’t help thinking that all of your problems, all of your… obstacles… wel… I can’t help but think they all stem from your immortality.”

He sneaks a quick peek at Damen, and I do the same. Both of us knowing Damen’s responsible for the state that we’re in—both of us knowing he’s all too aware of that.

“What I mean is, your whole thing with the elixir, and, well, whatever else is required, it’s not like I’m up on the details, but still, my point is, it’s just not natural, you know? We’re not supposed to reach physical immortality—that’s what the soul is for. The soul is the immortal part of us. It recycles, over and over again from what I’ve seen, but it never dies. We’re meant to strive beyond the physical world, not… not settle for it and only it…” He winces, but now that he’s started, he knows he has no choice but to finish. Besides, it’s not like we can’t hear it in his head, hear the words reeling toward us as he says, “You’re not supposed to embrace the physical world as though it’s the last stop—as though that’s all there is.”

I fall quiet. Damen does too. Both of us marveling at how Jude’s words provide an all-too-familiar, somewhat eerie echo of what Damen said a little earlier back in his room.

And I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason for that—if I’m meant to hear it. I mean really and truly hear it, and maybe even do something about it.

Maybe I’m meant to pay it some serious notice. As opposed to waving it away like I’m most inclined to do.

Jude squinches his face, reducing his eyes to two narrow slits of the most brilliant blue-green—a sliver of tempting tropical sea that’d be so easy to wade into. “And I think… maybe… well, I think the karma you’ve accumulated from making that choice is keeping you from experiencing…” He shuffles, fumbles, finally pulling it together enough to say, “Well, I think it’s keeping you from experiencing true happiness. Real bliss. If you know what I mean.”

Oh, I think I know what you mean.

I sigh. Damen sighs too. The two of us sounding like a chorus of frustrated discontent.

“So, anything else?” I lift my brow, realizing the words sounded far brusquer than intended and trying to soften the tone when I add, “I mean, any insight on how to get around all of that?”

Jude’s mouth grows grim in a way that fades his normally brown skin to an edge of white that outlines his lips—lips I’ve kissed once—twice—I can’t be too sure, there’ve been so many lives the three of us have all shared. His face full of sincerity when he says, “Sorry.

That’s all I got. So… anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it and…”

He starts to move away, clearly eager to wrap it up and move on with his day. And while Damen’s still lost in thought, lost in a dark cloud of blame, I reach out, fingers catching Jude’s bicep as I pull him back to me in a show of brute strength, a pleading look in my eye, and a hastily released thought I took absolutely no time to consider, no time to edit.

Damen looks at me, having been yanked right out of his own thoughts to focus on mine. The distinct, somewhat alarming, more than a little embarrassing sound of: No, don’t go! that swirled through my head, swirled through the room, before I could stop it.

“Um, what I mean is, you don’t have to leave on our account…”

Damen squints, regarding me with great interest. The same goes for Jude. Resulting in two sets of lifted brows, one spliced, one perfect in every conceivable way, while the eyes that lie beneath are centered on me.

Knowing I need to finish the thought before they both come to some horrible conclusion, one that’ll bring us full circle again, I say, “What I meant was, do you really have to leave? Now?” Ugh. I roll my eyes at myself. What the heck is wrong with me? Bad to worse doesn’t even begin to describe it, and, unfortunately, Jude seems to agree.

“Well, I thought I’d leave you to your privacy, maybe explore a bit, meet up with Romy, Rayne, and Ava.” He shrugs, the gesture showing the full state of discomfort I’ve put him in.

“They’re here?” I glance all around though I don’t expect to find them. It’s more an attempt to get ahold of myself than anything else.

Jude shoots me an odd look, though he’s quick to chase it with: “No, they’re back on the earth plane, why?” His brow drops, his mouth flattens. “Ever—what’s this about?”

Damen’s energy radiates beside me, and I know he’s thinking the same thing. So I take a deep breath, take a moment to carefully meet each of their gazes as I force the words from my lips. “Listen, I’ve got a little… research project I’m working on. And, since I’ve only got one week to get to the bottom of it,” I shoot Damen a pointed look, “I thought, well, if you don’t mind, I, I mean, we—” My gaze holds onto Damen’s, pretty much begging him to trust me on this. “Well, in light of the time constraints and the insights you shared, I thought we could really use your help. I think your perspective could come in really, really handy. But of course, it’s up to you…”